If only life was like that. A series of moments that could remain forever separate.Instead, we must navigate everything all at once and together, she thought. It muddied the water and took away the special nature of those snippets of perfection.
But perhaps that was the point.
Life was messy and one couldn’t expect it to be a staccato series of events in order, organised around individual feelings.
Kate poked her head around her door and twisted her head to one side, indicating she’d seen that look on Kelly’s face before.
‘You OK?’ she asked.
‘No. I’ve put everyone in danger, including my own child. Your children. God, who are these people?’
‘It doesn’t matter who they are. Nobody is above the law. Everybody needs to be accountable for their actions, including this lot. Put it this way. Whatever it is that you’ve uncovered, they don’t like it. To gain access to Carleton Hall like that is disgusting and we’re all united on this. Emma and Dan, Fin, me – all of us. This makes me want to get to the bottom of why Jamie and Angelina are dead all the more, and I know that lot is with me.’ Kate thumbed behind her towards the incident room.
Kelly reached out her hand and covered Kate’s. Kate squeezed and Kelly smiled.
‘I thought you might like to see this,’ Kate said, distracting her. She turned her police iPad around and showed Kelly some stills from the CCTV at the Old Man Guesthouse of the two strangers arriving in a cab.
‘This is the result of the digital enhancement; the digital forensic team has done an amazing job. I’d say it’s quite clear who these two are,’ Kate said.
‘Holy shit,’ Kelly said.
‘That is Sandy Cooper and that is Mercedes man.’
‘Kevin Streeting.’
Chapter 49
Kelly spoke to Ted’s office when she was alone. She’d tried to absorb the information from the brief with several strong coffees. Ted’s lab technician had accessed his notes for her and the lab results were back for Jamie Robbins’ bloodwork. The technician read them out over the phone and Kelly made notes.
‘Blood alcohol zero. No recreational substances. Positive for toxic levels of glutamate and we’re trying to isolate the source.’
‘Is there any mention of elevated hormones or dehydration?’ Kelly asked. It was a long shot. She had no idea what she was asking for, or if these things showed up on toxicology results. She’d worked with plenty of scientists on cases and she was told if something killed or not. She didn’t get into the chemical structure of hidden poisons, and she’d never thought about doing so either. She’d not come across a case where a substance wasn’t even recognised and therefore potentially missed on a tox screen.
‘I’m interested in a compound called Neurohydroxy-14, but I doubt it will be categorised as such. It’s made up of glutamate, hydroxy-11 and androstene-3.’ Kelly read from notes and stumbled over the pronunciations.
She heard the woman use her mouse and clicks punctuated the quiet.
‘Here we go. They’ve flagged up three elements of unusual levels in his tox results and, here we go, yes, they’ve highlighted a toxic mix of those three compounds. Somebody has written here by hand with a question mark your Neurohydroxy-14 as a possible source. They’ve also tagged the information as suspicious because the combination of the elements is not something that should occur in human bodies. So, there’s aquestion mark over how it got into his system. I’ve heard of it but only at college; I’ve never seen evidence of it in tox results before.’
‘Thank you,’ Kelly said. They hung up.
They had their proof.
But she didn’t understand why, if Jamie Robbins knew the dangers of the compound and had told Joe Folly as much, he was drinking it? The only sensible answer was that he was forced to before he died, or he was addicted and kept it a secret. Long-term use suggested hallucinations and mania, if Paul Burlington’s behaviour was to go by and Lee Lovett was telling the truth. He’d said Paul was manic when they found him above Rydal Caves. But if Jamie and Paul were both taking the substance, then did they do it willingly?
She tried Sandy Cooper’s mobile again and this time, to Kelly’s shock, the scientist answered.
‘I need to ask you a few more questions, Sandy. A few issues have come up which we need clearing up. You might need a lawyer.’
‘Really? That sounds ominous, and highly dramatic. I’d better get on the phone to Hampton-Dent in New York, I’m sure they can recommend a good attorney.’
Kelly didn’t like the scientist’s tone, but it was expected. She’d love to hop into a car and fly over there to Dow Bank House but she’d promised Johnny she’d sit tight and it would also draw attention from Carleton Hall.
‘Head over here anytime,’ Sandy said.
‘We can speak over the phone,’ Kelly said.
‘It’s perfectly safe over here, it’s private land, and we have those burly bodyguards.’
