Free The History Suite (#9 - The Craig Modern Thriller Series) by Catriona King Page A

than an hour when she was found.” He turned back to Davy. “This may be a process of elimination, Davy, but I need you to track everyone on the unit’s movements and see who else was unaccounted for at those times, OK?”
    He waved him on.
    “OK. The victim, Eleanor Rudd. Twenty-five-years old, lived with her parents and brother off the Newtownards Road in Belfast. S…She got her nursing degree in 2010 and rotated through wards until she joined the unit last year. Her finances w…were unremarkable, just what you’d expect. No obvious vices, no convictions for anything, not even a parking ticket in her name.”
    Annette snorted. “She probably couldn’t afford one, the price they are nowadays.”
    Liam jumped in quickly. “Which means you’ve had one recently, Madam. Naughty naughty.”
    Craig ignored them and moved Davy on.
    “Rudd had never been married, no children and no hospital attendances on record, but I’m checking that with the GP now.” He shook his head. “All she seemed to do outside work was eat and s…sleep.”
    Jake gave him a rueful look. “Sounds like most of us.”
    Craig cut in. “Rudd’s completely clean? No obvious motive for murder?” He was sceptical. In his experience people usually got murdered for something they’d done or knew.
    Davy shrugged. “I’m getting her computer and phone dump tomorrow s…so I can tell you more then. Maybe she had an on-line gambling habit and owed money to the mob.”
    Liam guffawed. “I don’t think the Granny Bingo Sites are run by them.”
    A laugh rippled round the group and was followed by some chat while Craig thought. So far they had an apparently innocent victim. No, Eleanor Rudd hadn’t been universally loved by her colleagues, but then who was? And was the dislike really enough to cause her murder? Craig checked himself. He should know better than to ask that question when people were killed for something as petty as a mobile phone. OK, so Rudd hadn’t been universally popular and perhaps she’d been in a relationship with Adrian Cooke. Tim Taylor as well? Was this really just a romantic triangle gone wrong?
    His next question surprised everyone but Ken. “Is Adrian Cooke married, Davy?”
    He went to say “I don’t know” then he loped across to his computer instead. A few taps later he shook his head.
    “W…Why? Is it important?”
    Craig nodded. “It might be; I’ll tell you in a minute. Do you have anything else for us?”
    Davy shook his head. “I’ve background checks running on every s…staff member but they’ll take a while to come through. I’ll map people’s movements that morning as well.” He frowned slightly. “Checking out everyone on the research suite might be a stretch, chief. Do you w…want me to go ahead?
    “Yes. The whole unit; Newman and Reilly wards. We’ll get warrants if necessary.”
    Craig scanned the group for any other contributions then he nodded Ken to report on their meeting with Tim Taylor. Ken’s English accent echoed through the room, making Nicky smile. She loved his voice and a quick glance told her that Carmen did too; now she just had to love the rest of him.
    “Superintendent Craig and I went to the university to meet with Professor Taylor, who was, to put it mildly, odd. He seemed far less interested in his patients’ welfare than in his own pursuit of youth and it looks like he set up the research suite to find ways to stay young.”
    Craig smiled at the truism.
    “Apart from being a middle-aged man with a much younger wife and an obsession with youth, Taylor came across as arrogant and unpleasant. But I don’t think he killed Eleanor Rudd, if anything he seemed shocked when he heard about her death.” He turned to Craig. “Actually, that’s a thing, sir. Why wasn’t Taylor called down when they found the body? Especially if Hamilton, his deputy, was away on leave – although Taylor didn’t seem to know that either. In fact, he doesn’t seem to know much about