The Scent of Death

Twenty-nine

Plot reminder: Jennifer has been hauled in for questioning, during which Wilkins reveals to her that he knows it was Ben who made the anonymous call about the white van in the Jackson Road area of Harborough where Tracey Mullins and Sophie Reece were last seen.

*

It could only mean one thing: Ben was right there in a nearby interrogation room after all. Oh, Wilkins was a sly one alright. Between coordinating investigations, he was obviously flitting between the two of us. Gnawing away, picking at the seams. Hoping something would give.

Five o'clock came and went, the officer standing guard outside no longer the black-haired young chap from earlier but a grey-haired older man. He smiled at me as he lowered an egg and cress sandwich and can of coke onto the table.

"Eat up love. Need to keep your strength up."

He could say that again. I felt myself fading fast, like I was a thread of water twirling around the plug hole, about to plummet down the drain. My day had begun fourteen hours earlier with the sleep-dissolving beep of my second phone. Outside, the sun would already be starting to set. My heart wept at the thought of Dudley all alone in the descending darkness, wondering where I was, whether I would ever be coming home again. Was there any water left in his bowl, I wondered? Would he be able to scavenge out a few scraps of food for himself from the kitchen?

It felt like a test of faith. That if we were going to get through this unscathed, then we needed to stay strong.

All three of us. Ben, Dudley and I.

*

Wilkins reappeared again a little before six, the can of air freshener once more in hand. A couple of goading squirts were emitted before seating himself down opposite me.

"Now, where had we got to? Ah, that's right - my good friend the exceptionally tall Mr Ben Vickers, correct?" He swivelled round in his chair, wafted an arm back towards the door. "Is currently seated about ten metres away right there in interrogation room number one across the corridor." It was confirmed then. "Now, I know he came to visit you shortly after you and your dog found Kayleigh's remains. Did a little article on you, I believe. Since then, have you had any contact from him?"

Not sure how to answer, I spluttered an unconvincing reply to the negative.

"No! Well I must say Miss Hulse, your answer surprises me. You don't remember that he visited your house on Saturday afternoon with his toddler-age son in tow, stayed for over two hours?"

Though my lips may have wriggled at some vain attempt at a reply, my brain was unable emit any coherent words.

"So convinced was I that the man who'd made the call to Harborough station was Vickers, I assigned a detective constable to keep an eye on him, check on his movements. Well, as I'm sure you can imagine, the news of your close friendship - dare one even say romantic involvement? - was of great interest to me."

Grasping air freshener in hand, he rose to his feet, began pacing a slow wide circle around me.

"Personally, I prefer my partners to be of the more... well, perfumed variety, let's say, but I guess it takes all sorts."

As if to underline his point, needle me still further, he let out a couple more squirts of the air freshener.

"But anyway, the important question is this. How do you suppose lover boy knew that a child abductor was prowling the Jackson Road area of Harborough?"

My voice was high-pitched, pleading. "I keep telling you, I know absolutely nothing about that call. And I very much doubt it was Ben."

Wilkins' voice came from behind me now. "Oh please, you really must quit these pathetic denials. Not a minute ago you proved yourself a shameless liar."