Damned by Logic (24 page)

Two objects of interest were found in the top drawer of a locally designed and made chest-of-drawers in Piera's large and well-built house, a sharp contrast to others in the area. But for Rorhart, they would have been dismissed as of no consequence; he had learned that some criminals seemed compelled to keep mementoes of their crimes.

The knife was sent to the forensic laboratory in Freetown. There, the handles were removed from the blade; on the inside of these were, as Rorhart had hoped, stains which marked blood which had seeped between handle and blade and darkened.

Long, difficult, at times frustrating tests showed the stains to be of human blood from two individuals. DNA proved some had come from Taylor-Smith. A profile of the DNA from the second person was mailed to England, along with photos and a detailed description of an ornate locket that had been the second article of interest found in the chest-of-drawers.

‘It's winter already,' Glover said, as Frick entered the room.

A gross exaggeration, but the driving rain which intermittently lashed the windows as the gusting wind redirected it, made the remark seem feasible.

‘A statement from Sierra Leone, sir,' Frick said, as he placed several sheets of paper on the desk.

Glover read them. ‘Do we have Melanie Caine's DNA?'

‘From the autopsy report.'

‘And?'

‘A match.'

‘The locket?'

‘Twin of the insurer's description and the photo of a piece of Mrs Ansell's jewellery. Her husband has told us that it was a gift from her mother and she constantly wore it. Piera must have seen it on the dressing table and nicked it.'

‘So we've finally landed the bastard.'

‘Only if he's released out there before he dies of old age.'

‘I'll rest with that ... Josh ...' He stopped.

Frick waited for an unwelcome comment or order.

‘You'll agree we've broken the case thanks to Belinda?'

‘She's helped.'

‘She should be congratulated.'

‘We'd have got there without all that Georgie Porgie stuff. But I suppose ...'

‘She'll welcome a word or two from you.'

Frick left. Glover lit a cigarette. He opened his office window and leant out as he inhaled deeply. He was entitled to a forbidden pleasure.

Six minutes later, he reluctantly stubbed out what was left of the cigarette. He walked out of the room to meet Belinda making for the general room. He stopped her. ‘Have you anything in hand which can't be left until tomorrow?'

‘I don't think so.'

‘Then perhaps you'll see Mr Ansell and tell him we have received information which clears him completely of having had any part in his wife's death or that of Melanie Caine and I will immediately be in touch with the CPS to tell them his arrest is to be revoked. Since he will have been under considerable stress, I do not expect you back here until tomorrow.'

She stepped forward and kissed him on the cheek, hurried along the corridor.

To a certain extent, he thought, Frick was right. Policewomen were different.

As she stepped into the hall at number thirty-four, Belinda said, ‘I'm here to give you a message from the inspector.'

‘Report at the police station at o nine hundred hours?' he suggested bitterly.

‘There's fresh evidence which proves you had no part in your wife's death or that of Melanie Caine's; that you are completely innocent.'

He spoke slowly. ‘Now I know what it's like to be told it was a mistake and one is not fatally ill. We must celebrate ...' He stopped abruptly; he was ignoring her aversion to being told what to do.

She came forward, joined her hands behind his neck. ‘Aren't you going to tell me how we must celebrate?'