‘I can handle Dave.’ Matthew smiles as the waitress sets down his drink, waiting for her to cross the room before continuing. ‘So where are we at, then?’
‘We’re pretty sure from the enhanced CCTV that it was Laura at Amelie’s nursery.’
‘Grief.’ Matthew had expected this but still feels a ripple of unease.
‘I’m so sorry about the way this has hit your family. I would never have asked if I’d had any idea—’
‘I know.’ Matthew lifts his hand to signal she’s not to fret. She looks away for a moment, then back at his coffee cup.
‘I’ve got two of the team checking CCTV in Somerset after the Wells Cathedral postcard to Ed and we may have picked her up there too.’
‘Wells?’
‘Yeah. A few days ago. The footage should be ready for review when we get back to the office.’
‘So – what are you thinking? Laura back in the frame as a real suspect here?’
‘I don’t know really. I’ll be happier when we get her in custody. Get a proper evaluation of her mental health. But I’m struggling to understand why she’d suddenly target Ed and his family after all these years. It feels a bit extreme to me. To fly to England out of the blue. Shoot his daughter at her graduation. Why? And she wouldn’t be able to get a gun through airport security.’
‘True. But we can’t let that rule her out. She could have a contact here we don’t know about.’ Matthew scratches the back of his head. ‘And she may be too unwell for the motive to be rational. Do we have anything more on her medical condition?’
‘Not much. There seems to be a suggestion that her Capgras Syndrome could be linked to schizophrenia but it’s a theory rather than a fact in Laura’s case. Her files say she may occasionally have hallucinations. They’ve tried a variety of treatments. Long spells at home. Then back in the clinic. But they’ve never managed to stabilise her completely. The notes say she’s been fixated recently on never having a family; she blames the fake Ed. I’m hoping to speak to her mother about that if she’ll agree. The parents are divorced now. The father’s remarried with a new family.’
‘That could be a trigger?’
‘Possibly. I’ll check the timeline.’
Matthew lets out a long, slow breath. He’s thinking of Laura standing at the perimeter of Amelie’s playground. Knowing she’s ill should make it easier for him to be tolerant but he’s struggling. He looks at Mel. Her son is still very small. Still not sleeping, apparently.
‘If it had been George. If he were older and it had been him?’ He holds Mel’s gaze.
‘I’d want blood.’ She tilts her head. ‘You don’t need to feel guilty for being mad, Matt, but I need you to harness that anger. Control it. I need to know you’re OK. To go forward, I mean? Wanting blood in theory is one thing . . .’
‘I’m not going to do anything stupid.’
‘I know.’
‘I’ve promised Sally I’m going to see this through. Fairly. Properly. Get the person behind all of this.’
‘Good. Then we’re on the same page.’
‘And what’s the latest on Alex?’
‘No more from forensics. We’ve re-checked the footage placing him at the other end of the cathedral when Gemma was shot and it seems genuine. No obvious sign of doctoring but that’s always a possibility. Also – Alex could have paid someone.’
‘That’s a bit of a stretch, isn’t it?’
‘I agree. It would be unusual. But let’s face it, this is a very unusual case.’ She pauses and closes her eyes. ‘I should have cancelled the final graduation, shouldn’t I?’
Matthew doesn’t answer. It’s an afternoon ceremony and they’re right up against it now. With hindsight, cancelling was probably safer, but he knows what the political pressure’s been like. The suits upstairs and the tourism chiefs all wanting signals that people are safe. That life must go on.
And then Mel’s phone goes and she lifts it from the table, mouthing, ‘Dave.’
Mel’s eyes widen immediately as she puts the phone to her ear. ‘Right. Area sealed off?’ She stands, pausing to take in the reply. ‘And SOCO there?’ Another pause. ‘Good. Take charge until I get there. Text me the address. Reckon I’ll be half an hour. I’ll get Matthew Hill to meet us there.’ She listens some more, frowning. ‘Get a photo of the wife. And her car registration on the system. Check family and friends. I want her found. Soon as.’