Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley awoke to the annoying chirp of his cell phone. He looked at the number and saw that the number was Havers, he picked up. "Hello, Havers new case?" "Yes sir it looks like a murder-suicide but they still want us to investigate. Um, Sir are you alright? You don't sound very well." Lynley smiled a little, worrying about him, he loved hearing her voice it calmed his feelings and fears about everything that had been happening in his life"Havers I'm just fine, just a little tired I'll be there soon. What's the address?"
Havers closed her cell phone and closed her eyes and paused. She felt soothed hearing her voice it distracted her from the bodies she would have to go look at in a minute. She hoped that he hadn't noticed the breathlessness in her voice. She had been worrying about him after Helen had left, he had seemed sadder, but hearing his voice she felt like she would go mad with desire! Shaking her head, she looked up and decided to go see Lafferty about the body."Lafferty what have we got?"Multiple stab wounds on the woman, on the man there's a bullet wound on the right side of his head and all of his fingers are broken, pre -mortem ." "Torture?" " 'fraid so."At this point Lynley's Bristol pulled up to the scene. Havers went over filled him in and handed him tea."Were they murdered together?" Lynley said "Well we won't know until the autopsy comes back, but Lafferty seems to think that they weren't murdered together." "Any ID"s" "None that we can find" They started looking around the scene, Havers watched him while listening to his observations all the while she looked for signs of hurt or pain in him. She hoped he would talk to her just to let her know something anything!
"You see the woman was killed earlier, eight hours earlier to be exact. The man has only been dead for three hours. The woman's wounds seem to be consistent with being stabbed with a kitchen knife, but that's not what killed her she was overdosed with barbiturates. The man's cause of death was the execution style of death, the gunshot wound. The broken fingers are a result of being tortured."Lynley looked over to Havers she looked like she was about to be sick. He didn't really know what to say to her without her contradicting him and then become annoyed with him. Lafferty started talking again and unexpectedly she left. She didn't come back to the autopsy room when Lynley came out he found her at her desk." Barbara are you alright?" she looked up and said"Yeah sir I just felt a little sick, we haven't gotten this gruesome a murder in a while." "Yes your right it's very strange two bodies killed at different times and dumped together, obviously this is a very strange coincidence or someone is looking for something." Winston walked in at this point and said "Okay we canvassed the area and interviewed people who lived nearby we found a woman who lives in the area who said she might know one of the victims." Havers and Lynley just looked at him and at the same time they said "Well what's her name? Bring her in!"
The woman's name was Lucy Shane she was young, blond, 20ish, and very nervous. She viewed both bodies she was able to ID the woman. The woman's name was Amber DeLaMona. Havers asked her in the interview room " what was your relationship with the victim?" "Amber was my roommate, we were best friends we did everything together." "Did she have any relationships? Was she worried about anything? Money, a boyfriend maybe?" "No she didn't nothing like that she was very quiet, very involved in charity.""What kind of charities?""Oh Meals on Wheels and The Disadvantaged Children's Fund." "Thank you for your time, oh and one more question." Havers pulled out the photo of the man "Do you recognize this man?" Lucy flinched "No this isn't the kind of person she would associate with."
So it was on to their only lead the charities. First they visited Meals on Wheels; Lynley looked out of place at a shabby charity. He stuck out like chocolate in a can of sardines. Havers watched him as they waited for Amber's boss. After what seemed like hours, a man finally came up to them, Havers almost laughed. The man was ridiculously short! He was also dressed like a Vicar. Havers almost swallowed her tongue trying not to laugh." Yes, Amber was with us for a long time, she was very giving, very loving. But she was very private we didn't see her in a relationship with anyone if she was we never saw him" "Thank you" said Havers "Do you remember anything about the last time you saw her?" "Yes, she seemed haggard, tired she kept looking at the watch, she left very early as well around two maybe.""Okay thanks." Lynley and Havers left confused and with useless information.
Barbara sat on her couch going through what she had learned about the new case that day. She had not learned much, she ran her fingers through her hair. She was tired she lit a cigarette, when she smoked she felt that she thought better and could think things through. As she inhaled the smoke she thought how, could two people unknown to each other die together in the same place?"Things aren't adding up." She thought "There's no way the two would have known each other, unless it was the secret boyfriend. But no one seems to have seen him and we don't have an ID on him." She thought of calling Winston to see if he had found anything. Somehow she didn't think he had come up with anything either, the person she really wants to talk to is Lynley his voice always calmed her when she was angry or upset. She picked up her cell and typed in his number. He picked up on the first ring."Hello" he said in his clear distinct upperclass accent."Um, Sir I wanted to talk about the case it doesn't make sense, I thought...well want do you think?" "No it doesn't make sense its very baffeling, I think unless we find something in missing persons we won't have any more leads." Havers thought for a minute"Who would do these things to people, it's, well I mean the cases before haven't been as strange since the one we had with the House of Lords. I think I'm just getting used to it I guess" Lynley gritted his teeth on the other end he didn't like to remember because he had not been able to solve it." I know but let's just see what we can find in the morning it's too early to decide how the murder happened. Let's just wait and see what we learn okay Barbara." "Yes alright 'night Sir" "Goodnight Barbara"
Lynley shut off his mobile in his car; he looked towards Barbara's apartment and watched as she turned off the light and moved out of view of her living room. He didn't consider it stalking he had been worried since she had decided to date again, he was only worried, she of course would date the most unsavory people. It wasn't jealousy that was motivating him to watch her. He would never admit it to himself but he secretly enjoyed watching her, it made him feel closer to her. He wonders if she thinks about him after work as more than just a coworker more than just a friend. He smiled and shook himself out of fantasy; he knew that would never happen. He started up the Bristol and headed for home.