Honour Among Men by Barbara Fradkin Page A

He could feel the adrenaline of the hunt begin to race. It was only a theory, but it fit a lot of the facts. She had met the killer for a drink and had confronted him, maybe to ask for money or simply for her own satisfaction.Desperate to silence her, he’d suggested an evening stroll and led her to an isolated spot, where he’d strangled her. Green pondered the scenario. It explained the brute force and apparent ruthlessness of the murder. This killer was not only a very strong man, but he was frantic to protect his secret. Perhaps he’d decided the body was too easy to find, so he’d later dragged her as far as he could to the secluded aqueduct. It wasn’t a perfect explanation, but it was the best Green could do with the facts he had.
    â€œWe’re looking for a powerful, physical man,” he said. “Someone Daniel Oliver knew from the past and who’d betrayed him in some way. Was Daniel involved in criminal activity? Drug dealing?”
    McGrath shook her head. “He was a mechanic, although he’d been on the skids for a few months, lost his job and was on unemployment insurance. He was doing some fairly heavy drinking, but no drugs. The friends we interviewed said he was basically a decent guy.”
    â€œBut his life had been on the skids, despite having a woman he planned to marry.”
    â€œYes, that was slowly bringing him out of it. Plus the baby on the way.”
    Green thought about the findings of the autopsy. “What happened to the baby?”
    McGrath made a sympathetic face. “It was a little boy, born early because of all the stress. He had some health problems, I think, and she had trouble coping. When I last had contact with her, the Children’s Aid was taking measures to remove him from the home. I think that last loss just about destroyed her. That’s why when Inspector Norrich talks about Patti’s lifestyle . . .” She broke off, pressing her lips together as if to censor herself.
    â€œYeah.” Green let the contempt hang in the air, then resumed a safer line of inquiry. “So what happened to send Oliver’s life into a tailspin?”
    McGrath seemed to pull herself from the memories with an effort. “According to Patti, his best friend was shot in a freak hunting accident about six months earlier, and Daniel blamed himself because he hadn’t kept in close enough touch. They’d been in the reserves together and served six months of peacekeeping duty overseas. They’d always been very close, but when they got back to Nova Scotia, the friend turned his back on his plans and retreated into himself.”
    Green’s instincts went on full alert. He’d known police officers who’d done UN duty in Yugoslavia, and he knew the stresses and dangers they had faced. He knew that stress could bond a group of men more strongly that ten years together on a normal job. It could also create some bitter enemies.
    â€œDid you interview any of their army mates? Especially those who were overseas with them?”
    â€œNorrich did.”
    Green’s eyes widened. “Norrich? He was on the case?”
    â€œHe was lead.” She hesitated. “Technically. He was sergeant at the time, and I was a constable. I worked most of the case, but Norrich took the trip down the valley to talk to Daniel Oliver’s regiment. He figured . . .” She hesitated again, and Green could almost see her wrestling with propriety. “Being a sergeant . . .”
    â€œAnd a man.”
    She inclined her head slightly in agreement. “He’d get further.”
    â€œAnd did he?”
    â€œNo. I guess military buddies close ranks even tighter than drinking buddies. All they said was that Daniel had been an excellent soldier in Yugoslavia, even got a promotion in thefield, and everyone was very proud of him. But . . .” She reached for a file that lay on top of the stack.