Free Dear Departed by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles Page A

them,’ he persisted. ‘I mean, if you wanted to poison them, you’d put something in their food or drink at home, wouldn’t you? Where you could make sure she was dead, and clear up after yourself, without being interrupted.’
    McLaren did a hasty swallow that would have challenged aboa constrictor and said, ‘Yeah, I’m with Andy on that, guv. Most likely to me is that it’s a copy-cat Park Killer, only he’s not got the balls just to grab and stab, he’s got to drug her first.’ He looked round defensively. ‘Well, I can see that. That makes sense.’
    ‘Only to you and a moron,’ said Swilley, who had sent her disappointed swain away and rejoined the group. ‘Honestly, Maurice, if brains were money you’d need a mortgage for a cup of tea. How’s a complete stranger clutching a big knife going to get her to swallow drugs while she’s out jogging and then hang around until she feels sleepy?’
    ‘Well, whoever did it’s got to get over that problem,’ Mackay said.
    ‘Yeah, why’s she going to do that for anyone?’ McLaren put in resentfully.
    ‘Guv, do we know how the drug was administered?’ Hollis asked, like a breath of sanity.
    ‘Doc Cameron says for the quickest reaction it should have been injected. I left him going over the skin with a magnifying glass. If it was administered orally, it would take quicker effect in liquid than solid form. Something may emerge from the stomach contents.’
    ‘God, I hope not,’ Atherton said.
    ‘Maybe the murderer put something in her water-bottle,’ said Mackay.
    ‘He’d have had to have access to her house to do that,’ Slider said. ‘But we’ll have the contents checked anyway.’
    ‘How quickly would it take effect?’ Swilley asked.
    ‘We won’t know that until we know what it was and how it was given. But for the method to work at all it would have to be pretty quick. Meanwhile, whether it was a murder by someone who had a grudge against her—’
    ‘Or whether we go with the dim bulbs’ theory,’ Swilley inserted under her breath.
    ‘—or it was a random killing,’ Slider went on, ‘much of the work is still the same. We carry on searching for a weapon, for blood marks, for clothing. Get her telephone statements and check all the numbers she rang, see if there was anything untoward going on. Ask the neighbours about any comings and goings or people hanging about. Follow up anything on thestatements we’ve already taken. Start doorstepping the street, anyone who overlooks the park, the shops along Paddenswick Road, the streets on the other side of the park too.’
    ‘What about the pub, guv?’ Mackay asked.
    This was the Wellington, which years ago had been called the George and Two Dragons, because it was run by a little man called George Benson who was henpecked by both his wife and mother-in-law. It was on Paddenswick Road and opposite the park railings, hardly more than a few yards from the park gate.
    ‘Yes, good point. Someone had better call in there today.’
    ‘I could go. I know the landlord pretty well,’ Mackay said.
    ‘All right.’
    ‘And there’s a different crowd in at night from lunch-time,’ Mackay added quickly.
    ‘True,’ said Slider. ‘All right, you can do an evening visit as well. You’d better have some help.’ McLaren perked up no end at that, sat up straight and tried to look reliable. ‘See if one of the uniforms is willing. Plain clothes, of course.’ He thought. ‘Not Renker: he’d still look like a copper if he was stark naked. Willans has got his hands full. See if D’Arblay’s up for it. He’s a nice, confiding lad. People open up for him.’
    ‘Right-oh, guv.’
    Swilley spoke up. ‘There’s the tube station, boss. The killer might have made his getaway that way. We ought to have someone on there at the same time of the morning. And maybe some leaflets to hand out.’
    ‘Good thought. You can arrange that,’ said Slider. All right, anything to follow up in the statements so