To Make a Killing by K.A. Kendall Page B

good news is, here’s £5 for a couple more jars. The bad news is we’ll need a full statement from him at the station, 8:30 tomorrow morning. Here’s the address”, said Keane handing Cheryl a visiting card. “Do you have another plastic bag and something of Frank’s I can borrow, like a CD?”
     
    Keane left the flat with his two plastic bags, in joyous mood. Forensics had left and sealed up the door on the second floor, so he would have to wait to show Jones his catch.
     
    He left the building moments later. As he made his way towards the end of the quiet street, a man moved silently towards him avoiding the direct lamplight. He was approaching the unaware Keane rapidly when another man stepped out of a car about ten yards in front of Keane.
     
    “Can I offer you a lift, Superintendent?” asked Jones, who did not see the figure behind Keane slip back into the shadows.
     
    “Jones! Just the man I was hoping to see!” Keane stepped gleefully into Jones’ car and explained triumphantly about his coffee jar most of the way back to the station.

Chapter 7
    Saturday, 19th September, morning
     
    Hayes stepped into the crowded incident room. “Sorry, it was that student Frank. It was like getting blood out of a stone.”
     
    “ . . . And now that we are all here” continued Keane, “Let’s hear the nine o’clock news with your host, Ian Hayes”
     
    “Well, it was as you might have guessed: he could barely remember borrowing the coffee, though he could not explain how else it could have ended up there; probably stoned at the time if you ask me. Neither he nor any of his flatmates have been shopping in France. He gave me a vague description of Marie Passant that fit, but otherwise couldn’t give me anything new to go on.”
     
    “Well, I can give you all an update on the print situation.” added Keane. “Forensics has been working throughout the night. They matched the prints from the jar that were not Frank’s with prints from the flat. So we have isolated Marie Passant’s fingerprint. Unfortunately the print is not to be found on any database we or Interpol have. So it appears she has no record.
     
    Now, having anticipated the result of your interview, Hayes, I’ve sent Marie Passant’s photo fit to the Gendarmerie National . . . the French police” added Keane in response to Connolly’s glazed look, “. . . and to the Canadian Mounted Police. I’ve let them know that we do, however, expect the name to be an alias. Airport and port authorities have also been alerted, though their general response seemed to be, that we are closing the barn door after the mare has been set out to pasture.
     
    The stain on the carpet was red wine and not blood, and the broken dark green glass is consistent with that of a wine bottle, for example from Bordeaux. The really exciting find from our Mademoiselle’s flat was this” said Keane, holding up a plastic see-through bag with what appeared to be a small piece of black plastic inside; it was no larger than half his fingertip. “This was found underneath one of the dinner table chairs. I realize you can’t see anything from where you are sitting, so I’ll pass it round now. I am very confident it is a piece of a capsule from a wine bottle – the plastic wrapping around the top of the bottle that protects the cork” he added to make sure he didn’t lose anyone. “As you can see, the plastic has about two thirds of some kind of symbol in gold print. On its own, this piece of evidence tells us nothing, but if we can identify the bottle which it came from, it might well crack this case wide open.
     
    Forensics also found a strand of hair. Likewise, if we can find the original from which this stemmed . . . “ Keane let his sentence peter out to underline how unlikely this seemed.
     
    “As for Russell’s hotel room: Forensics has confirmed his prints in the room, on his belt, shoes, etc. They also found his prints in Miss Passant’s