CXVI The Beginning of the End (Book 1): A Gripping Murder Mystery and Suspense Thriller (CXVI BOOK 1) by Angie Smith Page A

trying to escape.”
    “He could have tied his hands and feet.”
    “There were no marks on the wrists or ankles.”
    “The ties could’ve been put over his clothes.”
    “Um… okay,” she admitted as her thoughts moved on. “Maybe
1116 has more significance, and the time is a red herring, unless something
noteworthy happened to Mateland at 9.16.”
    “I’ll get Pete to check that out, but there’s got to
be a link between Mateland and Hussain.”
    “Motorway bridges… Similar numerals… Extra marital
affairs… Are we missing something?”
    “Listen, Maria, when we get back, can you get hold
of all the CCTV footage from the hospital where Hussain and Noble worked? She’d
said they were very discreet and no-one knew they were having an affair, but someone
did. My guess is they’d followed them, so have a look and see if there’s any
supporting evidence. Also ring Jacobs now, and get him to re-interview Julie
Noble and Hussain’s family; I need to know if there’s any reason they can think
of as to why Hussain was murdered, what significance, if any, 1116 has to him…
and if there’s any link to Mateland, and I. . .” Woods’ mobile rang and he
tossed it to Barnes. “Get that.”
    It was McLean with an update after having
interviewed David Brunt and the drivers who had stopped to assist at Mateland’s
crash site; Barnes put the call on speakerphone.
    “Aye, four drivers stopped. Three didn’t see
anything untoward; however, the one who’d pulled up just after the bridge
noticed the silhouette of someone moving about up there. She assumed they were
watching events, but unfortunately she couldn’t give much of a description,
other than she thought it was a man.”
    “What about Brunt, what’s he had to say?” Woods
asked.
    “Aye, David Brunt’s fifty-three years old, married
with a teenage daughter. He’s an office manager at an engineering company on a
small industrial estate in Holbrook Green, ten miles from where he lives in Ecclesall.
He’s a spotlessly clean record and claims he didn’t know Mateland. He denies
ever having been to Wakefield, and on the days the Peugeot was recorded
following Mateland he was at work with his Peugeot in the work’s car park;
there’s CCTV footage to confirm this and a number of staff there that can vouch
for it. Re his driving habits, weekdays he leaves home at 7.30 and drives to
work where the car is parked all day; he leaves work at 5.00 and goes home,
usually arriving there at 5.30-ish. He goes to the supermarket every Thursday
evening between 7.00 and 8.15 and to the gym on Wednesday evenings between 6.00
and 9.00, and he uses the car extensively at weekends. I’ve checked the ANPR
and when the Peugeot’s been recorded in the Wakefield area it’s always when
Brunt’s car’s either parked up at work or at home during the night.”
    “So the killer’s smart, and the car’s a clone,”
Woods said.
    “Aye, it looks that way. Oh, and get this, Brunt’s
tax disc needs renewing at the end of July and if you look closely at the car
following Mateland, so does that… And the reg plates have the same dealer logo
on them.”
    “Christ… Why would you go to the trouble of copying
the dealer logo on the reg plates when cloning a car?” Woods asked.
    “Aye, it’s a new one on me,” McLean replied.
“Usually they just copy the reg. I’ve never come across anyone copying the
logo; perhaps he’s a perfectionist, like you.”
     
     
    Pauline watched as Rosco
carefully placed his coffee down on the table and gave her a few seconds to
compose herself.
    “I assume you were very close to your twin sister.”
    “Yes, we were inseparable. We did everything
together; shared the same interests, got the same grades at school, went to the
same university, studied law and qualified together. She was my best friend,
and she was beautiful. . .”
    “Ahhh… you were identical twins.”
    Acknowledging the compliment, she managed a smile. “The
only