‘I will, sis.’ Brodie nodded, remembering how his parents had always doted on Moira, especially since her marriage had started falling apart. ‘And Roger? How are things with the divorce?’
‘Finished with him.’ Moira’s voice carried a firmness that Brodie hadn’t heard before. ‘The paperwork’s going through, and I can’t wait for it to be final. Twenty years of marriage, and it took me this long to realise what a selfish bastard he is.’
‘I’m sorry it didn’t work out.’
‘Don’t be. I should have ended it years ago.’ Moira took a sip of her tea. ‘What about you and Ruth? Things still good there?’
‘Yeah, they are.’ Brodie paused, then decided to steer the conversation towards his real reason for visiting. ‘Actually, I wanted to ask you something professional. A medical question.’
‘Go on.’
‘In your experience, could a heart attack be faked? Made to look natural when it wasn’t?’
Moira’s eyebrows rose. ‘That’s a cheerful topic for a family chat. This for a case?’
‘It is. I’m just trying to understand what’s possible.’
Moira was quiet for a moment, her nurse’s training kicking in. ‘There are several ways, actually. Certain drugs can cause cardiac arrest that would be virtually undetectable in a post-mortem unless specifically tested for.’
‘Such as?’
‘Potassium chloride is the classic choice. Occurs naturally in the body, so unless the pathologist is specifically looking for injection sites and elevated levels, it would look like a natural cardiac event.’ Moira’s voice took on the clinical tone she used when discussing medical procedures. ‘Insulin can cause the same effect, especially in non-diabetics. Digitalis, succinylcholine – there are quite a few options for someone with medical knowledge.’
‘How hard would it be to obtain these substances?’
‘That depends. Some are controlled drugs that would require legitimate access through medical or veterinary channels. Others are more readily available to someone who knows where to look.’ Moira studied Brodie’s face. ‘Liam, are you investigating suspicious deaths that were ruled natural?’
‘Possibly. The timing of some deaths seems coincidental.’
‘Well, if someone wanted to commit the perfect murder, cardiac arrest is a good choice. Quick, relatively painless for the victim, and easily explained if the person had any risk factors – age, stress, lifestyle factors.’
‘What about detection? If someone suspected foul play?’
‘They’d need to order specific toxicology tests, and they’d need to know what to look for. Standard post-mortem examinationsdon’t test for everything.’ Moira finished her tea. ‘Is this connected to that serial killer case you’re working on?’
‘Indirectly, maybe. I can’t really discuss the details.’
‘Be careful, Liam. If someone’s been getting away with staged heart attacks, they’re intelligent and have medical knowledge. That makes them dangerous.’
‘Could a funeral director do that? Would he have the knowledge to be able to fake somebody’s death?’
Moira nodded. ‘Absolutely. They may not be as experienced as doctors, but yes, they tend to know about such things. It would be harder to get hold of the necessary drugs, but they’re always around hospitals. They could walk about just like a doctor, and nobody would blink an eye. Especially if that undertaker was well known. It would be like, “Hi, Jimmy, how are you doing?” Or whatever name it was. You get the idea.’
‘I do,’ Brodie said, thinking about Thomas Mitchell. The man had probably picked up more bodies than he’d had hot dinners. He stood up, leaning over to kiss his sister’s cheek. ‘Thanks for the information. And take care of yourself. Don’t let them work you to death.’
‘Says the man who probably hasn’t had a proper meal in three days.’ Moira smiled. ‘Give my love to Ruth. And Liam? If you need anything, anything at all, you know where to find me.’
The drive back to Newhaven took twenty minutes through the quiet Edinburgh streets. Brodie found himself thinking about Moira’s information, fitting it into the pattern of suspicious deaths that seemed to surround The Embalmer case: Mark Finlay, apparent heart attack. DCI Alan McRae, was missing, possibly dead. He had worked on The Embalmer case back in the day. How many others had there been over the years? Brodie started thinking about himself being on the case, not just then, but now. Was he in the firing line?
He took the lift to the flat he shared with Ruth, key turning in the familiar lock. She was sitting on the sofa with a glass of wine, staring out the window at the lights reflecting on the Firth of Forth.
‘You’re home early,’ he said, settling beside her.
‘I had an interesting day,’ Ruth replied, her voice carrying an edge he didn’t recognise. ‘I went to see Gabriel Kane.’
Brodie felt his stomach drop. ‘What did he say?’
‘He told me that The Embalmer has been planning to kill you for years. Everything happening now is designed to draw you into a trap.’ Ruth’s voice was steady, but Brodie could see fear in her eyes. ‘He thinks the investigation itself is the trap, Liam.’
