02 Blue Murder by Emma Jameson Page B

and DS Bhar
might end up supervising ten or twenty subordinates each. The idea
made Kate’s ambitious side, never dormant for long, perk up. During
her first major investigation as a member of Hetheridge’s team,
she’d distinguished herself by making the intuitive leaps necessary
to break the case. She’d also chased after a hunch without proper
backup and nearly gotten herself killed in the bargain. How sweet
it would be to fully redeem herself in the course of the
French-Parsons investigation. To prove to everyone, including
herself, that she hadn’t gotten lucky, that she wasn’t just a
one-off …
    With a start, Kate realized Hetheridge was
still speaking. Surprised at herself for losing the thread, Kate
sat up straight to listen.
    “… anything FSS is prepared
to provide. Anything the victims carried on their persons, if they
appear to have been robbed by the killer, et cetera,” he said. “It
may help determine if there actually was some connection between
the two men.
    “ Now. Detective Bhar, I
understand Ms. Wardle has been released into the custody of her
parents. Given the nature of her arrest and the fact she appears
bent on suing the Met as a whole, as well as me personally,”
Hetheridge permitted himself a small smile, “I shan’t be conducting
her second interview myself. Read my report and go in my place. See
what you can winkle out of her.” He glanced from Bhar to Kate.
“Questions?”
    “ Just one. Sir Duncan,” Bhar
said. “We can’t ignore the fact he lives right next door to the
crime scene. God knows the media is already in a feeding frenzy.
May I assume we’ll be questioning him before much
longer?”
    “ Absolutely. Tomorrow night,
as a matter of fact, if all goes as planned,” Hetheridge
said.
    “ Tomorrow night?” Kate
echoed. She could tell how much he relished his subordinates’
surprise, even if Bhar could not.
    “ Indeed. Sir Duncan is to be
guest of honor at his sister’s Halloween party,” Hetheridge
continued. “Her home is in Mayfair — a stone’s throw from mine, as
a matter of fact. My good friend Lady Margaret Knolls, who’s
invited to every event worth the bother of attending, has managed
to secure an invitation for me and a guest. I’d like Kate to
accompany me. Together we can ambush Sir Duncan in a venue where
his social instincts will require him to answer our questions with
all due courtesy.”
    “ What about all due
honesty?” Bhar asked.
    “ No venue on earth can
guarantee that. Still, I feel if I speak to Sir Duncan — if I look
him in the eye — I can determine if he’s a crucial piece of the
puzzle, or just another blind alley,” Hetheridge said.
    Soon after, Bhar left to check on the
Incident Room, then re-interview Emmeline Wardle. This left Kate
the opportunity to speak to Hetheridge alone — or would have, had
Mrs. Snell not chosen that moment to come in. Her pin curls were
slightly bluer, Kate noticed, and she wore more makeup than usual.
Somehow Mrs. Snell’s thin lips looked even smaller when painted
with so much red.
    “ Hot date tonight, Mrs. S?”
Kate asked.
    The look Mrs. Snell turned on her could have
frozen lava. “I beg your pardon, detective sergeant?”
    Hetheridge cleared his throat. “I do hate to
be a bother, Mrs. Snell, but if you could post this right away,
overnight, I’d be ever so grateful. Also — Assistant Commissioner
Deaver’s birthday approaches. If you could look into something
appropriate for him, that would be wonderful.”
    “ Of course, Chief
Inspector.” Mrs. Snell smiled her ghastly smile for Hetheridge.
Then she swept out of the office without sparing Kate so much as a
glance.
    “ I do wish,” Hetheridge
sighed as soon as his administrative assistant was gone, “you would
reconsider this habit of teasing the poor woman. She’s done nothing
to deserve it.”
    “ She’s the leader of a vast
army of the undead,” Kate countered. “And she hates me.”
    “ God knows why. May I
presume