Too Soon a Death: A Scottish mystery where cosy crime meets tartan noir: Borders Mysteries Book 2 (25 page)

‘You still sound drowsy. Sorry for waking you. I mainly wanted to know if there’s any news about Kate.’

‘When I left the hospital she was still sedated. She won’t be brought out of it until the doctors are confident she can breathe on her own, and then it’ll take a while. She’ll be weaned off the sedative very slowly.’

‘But that’s definitely going to happen, yes?’

Zoe rubbed at her eyes before answering. They felt gritty. ‘I wish I knew for sure, but I don’t.’

Patrick swore then remained silent for a while before asking, ‘Do you want to stay for a bite to eat when you pick up Mac? I’ve taken a bolognaise sauce out of the freezer, which I can chuck over some pasta.’

‘Thank you but no. I’m going to get a very early night. I’ll be over soon.’

‘Sure.’

Twenty minutes later, Zoe sat in Patrick’s lounge while Mac and Peggy fought for her attention, Mac by rolling on his back to demand a tummy-rub, Peggy by jumping up on the sofa then worming her way onto Zoe’s lap. In acknowledgement of Peggy’s victory, Mac resigned himself to lying on the floor across his owner’s feet.

Patrick appeared with two glasses of sparkling water. ‘I’ve got something to show you,’ he said as he put the glasses down on a small coffee table. Worried that he’d found the ScotlandsNews site, Zoe smiled in relief when he picked up a newspaper folded open at an inside page and passed it to her.

The photograph had been touched up to remove the bruises, but there was no hiding that the subject was dead. Zoe’s light headedness came on so suddenly that the glass slid out of her hand, bounced off the sofa and landed on the floor. Mac jumped up as he was sprayed with water.

TWENTY-EIGHT

Zoe apologised again to Patrick as he mopped up the mess she’d caused.

‘It was my fault. I didn’t think seeing his photo would upset you.’

‘I wouldn’t have expected it to either. After all, I saw his poor body after he’d been pulled out of the Tweed. Have I broken your glass?’

‘It’s cracked, but don’t worry about that. I’m more concerned about you.’

‘I’m fine now, really.’

‘You look exhausted. Did you get any sleep last night?’

‘Not a lot. I’ll catch up tonight.’ Zoe sat up straight and grabbed a cushion to put behind her back for support. ‘Anyway, what does the Scotsman article say? Have they found out who the boy was?’

‘No, quite the opposite. The police have released this photo as part of an appeal for help in identifying him. It’s gone nationwide and they’re consulting with Interpol too, apparently.’ Patrick pushed his untouched glass of water towards Zoe and watched solemnly as she carefully lifted it to drink. ‘It must be an almost impossible task, solving a murder when all you have to go on is an unidentified body.’

‘He’s someone’s child. Finding out who he is and letting his family know what happened to him feels more important than catching his killer.’

‘I’m not sure if I agree with you. Maybe his parents think he’s here enjoying a better life than he could have got back home. What good will it do to tell them otherwise?’

‘Wouldn’t you want to know the truth?’

‘I’m not a parent so maybe that disqualifies me from giving an informed opinion. But I think I’d rather live on in blissful ignorance.’

‘We’ll have to agree to differ,’ Zoe said, sliding Peggy—who hadn’t stirred when she dropped the glass—onto the seat beside her. ‘Thanks for looking after Mac. And for our meal at the Rowan Tree, which feels like weeks ago.’

‘Let’s do it again, once things have calmed down.’

‘Yes, let’s.’

Back at Keeper’s Cottage, after a supper of buttered toast followed by ice cream, Zoe went to bed and managed almost a full night’s sleep, waking at five. As her mind once again flooded with everything she’d dropped off trying not to think about, she suddenly remembered Kate’s client’s name. Telford. His name was Simon Telford. She sat up, grabbed her mobile and dashed off a text to Sergeant Trent, to which she got an immediate response:
Thank you Doctor
. She hoped she hadn’t woken him.

After rising at six and walking Mac at seven-thirty, she looked around for something to keep her busy until it was time to call the Mackenzies and find out how Kate was doing. Maybe today was the day for tackling those boxes in her garage?

Two hours later, dripping with sweat and having filled several more bin bags with clothes, bedding, kitchen utensils and ornaments she no longer had space to display, she went back into the house and called Tolbyres Farm. Auntie Joan answered but passed her on to Douglas, who had telephoned the ICU first thing.

‘The nurse said Sis had a comfortable night and her blood gases have improved. That sounds good but what does it actually mean?’

‘As a result of breathing in such a lot of smoke, Kate had too much carbon monoxide in her blood and too little oxygen. It means the treatment to correct this is working. They’ll also be regularly checking her lungs too. When it looks like she may be able to breathe on her own, they’ll try taking her off the ventilator.’ Not wanting to raise his hopes too much, Zoe added, ‘She’s got a long way to go still, of course.’

‘I’ve just rung Mum. She’s staying in Melrose, refuses to come home yet but maybe it’s for the best. Eleanor’s making sure she eats and sleeps, and she isn’t rushing around here trying to look after the rest of us.’

‘How’s your Dad?’

‘Not good. The children aren’t the only ones who need to stay away from the hospital until Kate’s awake. Robbie and Richard are going over this afternoon and we got no argument from Dad when we suggested he didn’t go with them.’

‘It sounds like Kate will have plenty of visitors, so I’ll stay away too. But let me know if there’s any change in her condition, won’t you?’

‘I’ll call you later.’ Douglas sounded as if he was about to end the call when he added, ‘Zoe, do you know what the police are doing to catch whoever did this?’

‘Not exactly. But I know they’ll be doing their best.’

‘You spoke to that sergeant at the hospital, didn’t you?’

‘Sergeant Trent, yes. He was asking me if I knew anything about Kate’s recent clients. You know they found her computer but it had been damaged in the fire?’

‘Yes. And they can’t find her mobile either.’

‘I know it’s hard, Douglas, but we just have to trust them to do their job.’

‘Erskine Mather can’t be much help. Every time I go to the hospital, he’s there too, pretending he’s been sitting in the cafe all the time when I’m pretty certain they’ve let him go in and see Sis.’

‘He’s not allowed to work on her case. Because of their relationship.’

Douglas muttered something Zoe couldn’t catch, then repeated his promise to call her later and rang off. She returned to the garage, but her heart was no longer in the task, as the image of Kate lying in the ICU surrounded by equipment kept forcing its way into her mind. She’d done enough. It was time to lose herself in a good book.

She and Mac had just got back from their afternoon walk when Douglas rang, this time sounding much more upbeat. ‘They’re going to start reducing Kate’s sedation tomorrow,’ he said. ‘We may be able to talk to her by visiting time, although they’ve warned us she’ll likely drift in and out of consciousness.’

‘That’s brilliant news,’ Zoe said.

‘Mum’s still worried the doctors and nurses will forget she’s deaf and she’ll be scared when she wakes up and can’t hear what they’re saying.’

‘I’m sure they’re used to dealing with people with hearing difficulties.’

‘That’s what I said. Mum tried to persuade them to let her stay there all the time but they wouldn’t agree.’

‘Sometimes a person coming out of sedation can get quite agitated, which relatives find distressing. The staff are doing what’s best for you all.’

‘You know Mum. We may have grown up and left home but she still wants to look after us.’

‘I bet you’ll be like that with your children too.’

Douglas gave a short laugh, sounding more like his old self. ‘You’re probably right. As will you.’

Zoe made a face at this. It was strange enough to think she’d soon have one child. The idea she might go on to have more was unimaginable at present.

They agreed Douglas would phone after visiting his sister the following day. If all went well, Zoe might be able to see Kate herself on Tuesday.

Monday morning brought several cases of sunburn and an outbreak of food poisoning, probably as the result of undercooked burgers at a barbecue, to Zoe’s surgery. She also had to deal with patients’ curiosity about the Tolbyres fire, although most of the sympathy expressed towards ‘the Mackenzie girl’ sounded genuine enough. Glad when it was over, she escaped to the kitchen for a coffee, having checked first that Walter remained in his room. Until the partnership situation was resolved, she had no intention of spending any time alone with him.

Margaret joined her shortly afterwards. ‘Thank goodness for the school holidays,’ she said, ushering Zoe away from the kettle and making their coffee herself. ‘We’d be even busier if this wasn’t the time Scottish parents take advantage of our schools breaking up before English ones.’

Zoe’s puzzlement must have shown on her face because Margaret rushed to add, ‘Prices go up as soon as schools south of the Border finish. You’ll know all about this in a few years.’

‘I suppose I will. Though I can’t imagine ever going abroad with a small child. I’ve been seated next to some on flights before now, wishing I wasn’t.’

Margaret frowned. ‘Here’s me havering on about nothing while you must be so worried about your friend. How is she?’

‘Improving, although she’s still in Intensive Care.’

‘What a terrible thing to happen. My Hector was only saying the other day that all the dry weather will lead to an outbreak of fires, but this wasn’t an accident, was it?’

‘The police are treating it as arson.’

‘Who would do such a wicked thing? From what I hear it was only good fortune her bairns weren’t at home too.’

‘I have absolutely no idea, Margaret. Her family’s devastated, as you can imagine. And mystified.’

‘They say her ex-husband is back on the scene. Not that I set any store by rumours, of course.’

‘Ken’s moving back up from London, but he’s got a new family now so I can’t see why he’d want to harm Kate. And anyway, he wasn’t to know his three children weren’t in the house with her.’

‘Maybe it was a prank that went wrong.’ Margaret didn’t sound convinced by this theory and neither was Zoe. She felt relieved when the older woman turned to the subject of babies. Anything was preferable to remembering Kate’s blazing house.

After an hour spent doing paperwork, Zoe went home, had a nap, took Mac for a short walk then checked the ScotlandsNews website for anything more about the investigation into the boy’s death. She found nothing, and no report on the Tolbyres fire either. Most of the space for Borders news was given over to the Common Riding festivals.

At six-thirty, she imagined Etta Mackenzie resuming her vigil beside Kate’s bed in the ICU, and when her mobile rang just before eight, she assumed it was Douglas calling to give her an update on his sister’s condition. Trent’s name coming up surprised her. What did he want?

‘Are you ever off duty, Sergeant?’

‘It doesn’t feel like it these days, Doctor. Thanks for your text this morning. Very useful it was.’

‘Did you find Kate’s client?’

‘Will you be at the health centre tomorrow morning?’

‘No, I’m not working till the afternoon.’

‘In which case, may I come and see you at home, say around ten-thirty?’

Zoe paused before answering, giving the policeman an opportunity to say why he wanted to see her, but he waited her out. In the end, she said, ‘Of course, anything to help,’ and their conversation ended.

Trent arrived so on the dot of ten-thirty on Tuesday that Zoe suspected he’d been sitting in his car up the road, waiting for the right time to pull into her driveway. She watched from the window as he straightened his tie, picked up a jacket and put it back again, and pulled out a slim laptop.

Mac raced outside barking as she opened the door to let the policeman in. Having established he’d prefer a cold drink over a hot one, she led him through the kitchen out onto the patio and invited him to choose a seat while she fetched a jug of water and two glasses.

‘They’re starting to reduce Kate’s sedation today.’

‘So the DCI mentioned. That’s great news.’ Trent reached down for his case. ‘I’m here today because I’d like you to look at some photographs for me.’

‘Of what?’

He lay his laptop on the table between them, under the shade of the umbrella. ‘I need to know if any of these men is the person you described meeting in the John Lewis restaurant and who Kate Mackenzie introduced to you as Simon Telford. If you recognise him, please tell me.’

‘Alright.’ Zoe stared at the screen as a series of six men appeared in front of a grey background. They looked forward initially, then turned their heads from left to right. None of them was Kate’s client.

‘He’s not there,’ Zoe said.

‘The procedure is that I have to show you a second time.’

Zoe watched again, then said, ‘You can make me look at them all day, Sergeant, but he’s not there.’

‘So it would surprise you to learn that one of these gentlemen is the Simon Telford who works for RBS at Gogarburn? In fact he’s the only Telford they employ in the whole of the UK.’

‘You’re kidding. Which one?’

Trent pointed at the screen. ‘The final one.’

Zoe stared at the laptop, shaking her head. ‘Their hair’s the same colour and they’re both in their twenties, but that’s where the similarity ends. I doubt this chap has ever held a rugby ball let alone broken his nose in a game.’

‘He also says he’s never employed a genealogist to trace his family tree, although he thinks a few generations ago his ancestors may have lived in the Borders.’

‘So what do you do now?’

‘Naturally, we’ve asked him a few questions, just to be sure. He’s proved he was in London on a training course at the time you met the man claiming to be him in Edinburgh, and I have someone checking that on Friday he really was away visiting his family in Bearsden.’