Page 69 of Her Lips Are Sealed

‘Boss, we’re always going to have your back. Amy is right, this is too fucking much for anyone.’

Cain smiled at Ben, and Morgan left them to go find the two CSIs, knowing that she too was blessed to be a part of this team. As annoying as Cain was sometimes, they really were the best.

FORTY-THREE

Both Carl and Joe were bent over their computers working away when Morgan walked in. Carl looked up and she could see the silent groan written across his face at her appearance. She smiled at him. ‘Hey, sorry about earlier, it’s been a bit crazy.’

‘Hey, Morgan, what’s up? We swabbed those two coffee mugs on the table for DNA and dusted them for prints, just waiting on them to come back. I got close-up photos of the injuries on Lisa’s neck that have been sent off to the fingerprint bureau for someone to try and find a match on the database, but I want you to know that there is a very low chance of that, but they promised they’d do their best. There were no prints on the notes, so he wore gloves when writing those and putting them under the pillows. He’s good.’ Joe sounded a little happier to see her.

‘Amazing, let’s hope they have a hit for someone known to us and we can put an end to this. The guy that came and collected Lisa’s cat, did he come into the flat?’ She knew by the exasperated expression on Carl’s face that was a stupid question.

‘No, he did not. We only let you back in because we had no choice, Morgan. Why are you asking?’

‘He wasn’t her friend. He was the guy who attacked her.’

Both men stared at her, mouths open, eyes wide and she let that sit with them for a few seconds.

‘What? How in the hell?’

Carl looked as if he was about to explode, and Morgan felt a bit bad.

‘Yeah, he brazenly decided to stroll back into the crime scene under the name of the inspector. He only really got away with it because Mac is new and he didn’t know the inspector was called Marc Howard.’

Joe looked as if he was going to throw up. ‘I spoke to him; he was really chatty. Waited outside the door while I got the cat and put it into the cage for him. Oh my God, I handed that poor cat over to a killer. What’s the victim going to say when she wakes up and realises we did that?’

‘How on earth would you know he was the guy we’ve been looking for? Nobody on this earth that I know of would do what he did. He is so brazen it’s unbelievable. He had a lot of balls, but now I’m going to need you to give a statement, Joe, full description of what he was wearing.’

She sat down at Wendy’s desk, remembered she had a sickness bug and promptly moved to a spare desk in the corner, logged in to the computer and brought up the form she needed.

‘Tell me what he said, word for word.’

Joe was shaking his head. ‘Who would do that? Right, the front door was ajar and he shouted. “Hello, is anyone there?” I opened it and he was standing there looking all concerned holding out a cat carrier, so I said. “Can I help you?” He nodded and replied with something along the lines of “I’m Marc, Lisa’s friend, I’ve come to get the cat until she’s out of hospital.” Then he passed me the cat carrier. Or did he pass the carrier first? I remember thinking wow, he was quick, what a nice guy to come and do that, plus it made our lives easier. I’d locked the cat in the bathroom, and it was miaowing like mad and scratching at the door to get out. “I said okay, wait there, you can’t come inside it’s a crime scene.” So, he passed me the carrier and thanked me.’

‘Did he seem nervous, on edge to be there? Ask how Lisa was?’

Joe shook his head. ‘Cool as a cucumber, Morgan, hands tucked into his pockets and smiled at me while I went to get it. When I passed it to him, he said. “Hi, Pickles, it’s me again.” Then said thank you and left.’

Morgan typed up that last line and reread it. What did he mean ‘it’s me again’? He obviously knew the cat by its name. Was he someone whom Lisa knew then, but that didn’t add up with her reporting him for hanging around outside, if she was aware of him.

‘Did he have any distinguishing features, tattoos, scars? Can you give me a description? Luckily, we have him entering the property, but I’d like to hear it from you, please.’

Joe nodded. ‘Black hoodie, black joggers, black baseball cap, no logo all looked new. White male but tanned as if he’s been on holiday or uses a sunbed. Looked quite fit, not bodybuilder fit, but maybe CrossFit kind of fit. Brown eyes, I didn’t see any tattoos or scars but the only thing visible was his face and hands. Oh, actually there was a small mole to the side of his nose. I think it was the left side and he had black Nike trainers on. That’s it, sorry.’

‘Don’t be sorry, that’s great. How tall?’

‘About five ten maybe.’

‘Local accent?’

‘No, he sounded like he wasn’t from here, but I couldn’t tell you where. I’m not good at that. It wasn’t broad like Scots or Liverpudlian, actually he talked kind of posh, like proper English, a bit like Hugh Grant.’

Carl was listening with his jaw slack and shaking his head in disbelief at Joe. He clamped his mouth shut. ‘So, basically the killer is a Hugh Grant lookalike, better check where Hugh Grant is at the moment because have you watched Heretic? He’s gone to the dark side, maybe it got the better of him.’

Joe snapped his head in his direction. ‘I didn’t say that, he didn’t look like him, just talked the way he does.’

Morgan smiled at Joe. ‘This is amazing, very helpful, thank you so much, Joe. It’s going to help us when we’re doing house to house and asking about their neighbours. He must be living in Coniston somewhere and it’s not that big a place, we’re closing in on him.’

‘Still can’t believe I handed that poor woman’s cat over to him though. I’m going to feel bad about that for the rest of my life. Is he going to kill it because he didn’t kill her?’