Ash & Bone

'This man is charged with a serious crime,' Karen said. 'And we have reason to believe he can assist us with several more. It's important that we talk to him.'

'Now?'

'Now.'

The doctor lifted the chart from the end of the bed and gave it a cursory look. 'He seems to have been well medicated to control his pain…'

Ramsden snorted.

'If I can suggest, an hour or so might allow the more soporific effects of the medication to wear off and you'd likely get clearer answers to whatever questions it is you need to ask. Besides,' with a glance towards the handcuffs, 'he's not exactly going anywhere, is he?'

Outside, Karen spoke to headquarters on her mobile, while Ramsden lit a cigarette.

'Right,' she said, breaking the co

Gri

'How far's Vanessa Taylor's place from here?' Elder asked.

'Not far. She should be up to making a statement by now. Come on, I'll call her from the car.'

The traffic approaching the Archway roundabout was solid in all directions and they were stuck alongside an articulated lorry that was heading back to Holland and behind a people carrier ferrying half a dozen kids to school, several of whom were making faces out of the rear window. Karen fiddled with the radio, then switched it off.

'I don't suppose there are any witnesses?' Elder said.

'To last night? No.'

'Vanessa's word against his.'

'Pretty much.'

'And there are no injuries?'

'To her? Some bruising to the neck. Little else. Not a lot to pass round in front of the jury.'

'Maybe it'll look more spectacular this morning.'

'Maybe.'

'And the knife?'

'Forensics are checking it for prints. Hopefully he wouldn't have had time to wipe it clean.'

'You'll try and match it to the wounds on Maddy's body?'

'You bet.'

They slid forward another couple of metres. 'I thought Livingstone had sorted all this out,' Elder said.

'So he has.'

'I don't know how you put up with it.'

Karen smiled. 'I suppose the most you get's the occasional tractor?'

'Cattle. Sometimes a herd of sheep.'

'I don't know how you can do it, Frank.'

'What?'

'Live like that. Cut off from everything.'

'Everything?'

'Don't be obtuse. You know what I mean.'

The lorry turned off into the left-hand lane and Karen accelerated into the space, swung hard right, cutting up not one vehicle but two, then left again and down through the first set of lights, pulling wide round a 43 bus.

'You enjoy this?' Elder asked.

'Love it.' Karen gri

Vanessa was pale-faced and puffy-eyed. The bruises round her neck had intensified in colour. She made them coffee without bringing the water properly to the boil and the granules floated around the surface, only partly dissolved. Her account of the attack and what had led up to it was flat and emotionless, as if she were describing something that had happened to a distant friend rather than to herself. Only when she spoke of the moment Ke

'The man you reported seeing across the street,' he said. 'You think that was him as well?'

Vanessa waited a moment before answering. 'No, I'm not sure.'

'It hardly matters,' Karen said. 'From what you've said, it looks as if he was stalking you. Building up to last night.'

'Agreed,' said Elder. 'But if it was him, it suggests a pattern. Watching. Following.'

'You're thinking of Maddy, aren't you?' Vanessa said. 'What happened to her?'

Both Karen and Elder looked back at her.

'You think he killed her.'

'In the circumstances,' Karen began, 'we have to consider -'

'Oh, come on!' Vanessa almost shouted, suddenly angry. 'Don't give me that crap.'

'It's a possibility,' Elder said.

'It's more than a bloody possibility.'

'Maybe.'

'Sod maybe!' Flushed, Vanessa went towards the door, stopped and turned back. Nowhere to go. 'Ke

'So far, nothing.'

'He threatened me with a knife; half-choked me. He was going to rape me.'

'I know,' Karen said. 'I know.'

'He was going to kill me.'

Karen reached for her hand, but she pulled away; crossed to the sink and turned on the cold tap and then nothing, simply stood there, watching it run.

After a few moments, Elder went over and switched it off. When he brushed her shoulder accidentally she jumped.

'We ought to go,' he said quietly.

'Then go.'

'Vanessa,' Karen said at the door, 'you should arrange to see somebody.'

'Somebody?'

'You know what I mean. A counsellor. They'll sort it out at the station, I'm sure.'

Vanessa stared back at her hopelessly. 'Don't let him get away with this.'

'Don't worry. We won't.'

Ke

'Back in the land of the living,' Elder said.

'Just about.'

'Luckier than some.'

'There are questions,' Karen said, 'about last night.'

'You mean when I was attacked?'

'You were attacked?'

'Of course.' Ke

'And Vanessa, what was she lucky enough to escape with?'

'Anything that happened to her, self-defence.'

'Wait,' said Karen. 'Wait. You're claiming she attacked you?'

'Of course. Asked me up, started fooling around, everything going along fine and then – wham! – swung at me with the bloody bottle. Out of nowhere.' He shook his head. 'I knew she'd been drinking, but not that much. Not like that. Out of control. If I'd known that I'd never have agreed to go back with her after the pub.'

'She invited you, that's what you're saying?'

'Yes, of course. What else?'

'The knife,' Elder said. 'What about the knife?'

Ke

'The one you threw away just before you ran full pelt into the bus.'

'I don't know anything about any knife.'

'We'll see.'

Ten minutes later Elder and Karen were standing in the corridor outside. Ke

'How long d'you think he'll stick to that?' Karen said.

'As long as he can.'

'Any prints on the knife?'

'We can hope,' Karen said.

Elder was looking at his watch. 'Another twelve hours before he has to be charged.'

'Time enough.'

The doctor agreed there was no reason Ke