Chapter 4

An Innocent Victim Of Circumstance

The sun shone down brightly on the people in the university grounds as they went about their lives, and no one gave Ed a second glance as he walked towards the main office. But he felt more aware than ever before of what was going on around him: People walking, and talking, snippets of half-heard conversations, the smell of the grass and the fresh air. The sunlight felt warm on his skin, and the breeze was light and ruffled his hair as he moved.

But Ed walked in silence beside the stern Doctor Wright. Normally, his gregarious nature would have urged him to say something and start a conversation. However, it was obvious from her posture that she had nothing to say to him, and after a difficult morning of nearly being killed, he didn't feel he could quite be bothered making small talk.

They walked briskly along the stony paths next to the green open spaces. He was surprised when she ushered him into the main office and he was even more surprised when, after he showed the secretary his badge and explaining that he wanted to check the student records, Doctor Wright leaned casually against the wall by the door, showing no sign that she intended to leave.

And there she stayed.

He started checking through the records, searching for names and addresses of anyone who could have been his mystery girl, ignoring the woman as she stood there watching him.

After fifteen minutes, Ed was growing increasingly annoyed. He knew Dr Wright was staring at him. He was used to attention of women; he liked it and he enjoyed cultivating it, but today it made him feel awkward. He could sometimes find women very distracting, as he liked to admire them, but the hostile demeanour of this particular woman wasn't something he could ever enjoy.

After another five minutes, he looked up, meeting her gaze. She didn't look away or appear in any way embarrassed that he'd caught her staring.

'Am I keeping you from something,' he asked politely. 'I thought you had work to do.'

'I find you more interesting at the moment, Sergeant Brown.'

That wasn't the answer he'd expected, nothing so candid. But he wasn't foolish enough to think that she was interested in him on a social basis. No, he was sure it was something else.

As if the brief exchange had been an invitation to stay, she moved forward and sat on the desk close to him. He couldn't help checking her out, following the curve of her hip and waist up to her chest, as it was part of his nature. Perhaps fortunately, she didn't seem to notice. Instead, she was looking at his arm in its sling. He stopped reading the records for a moment, glaring at her and wondering how to get her to leave without making an issue of it.

She gave a deliberate blink and looked up to his face, not making eye-contact, but looking at the tiny lines of scratches on his cheek. Then she reached out, catching his chin with the tips of her warm fingers and tilting his head to make them easier to see.

'I find you quite fascinating,' she said quietly. 'I don't usually get to meet dead men that can walk.'

Ed frowned, pulling his head back out of her way. This was not a conversation he wanted to have.

'And you really just got up and walked away?' she asked.

'Yes,' he replied shortly. 'I did.'

She continued to stare, as if examining a specimen in a test tube.

'That's incredible. The force of the explosion should have killed you.'

Ed drew a calming breath, even more uncomfortable with the way the conversation had turned than with the constant staring.

Yes, he'd had a very, very lucky escape, a one in a million shot, and he didn't want people to keep on reminding him of that fact over and over again. And what made it even worse was that in surviving, he had also failed. The girl he'd seen and tried to help had died anyway.

Doctor Wright leaned forward and gave a surprisingly warm smile.

'And just why are you looking through these personnel files, Sergeant Brown?'

There was no real reason to tell her. But he still didn't want to. And after the bizarre treatment he'd been getting today, he wasn't going to either.

'Just checking a few details.'

'Any particular reason?' the warm smile was still there, but starting to look a little more strained.

'It's my job.'

She stared at him, shifting slightly closer and leaning to the side, perhaps trying to show off her figure. He ignored her and looked away back down to his notes, aware she was swinging her leg back and forward. But it was too late for her to use her feminine wiles to get information out of him. Ed kept on writing.

'Are you looking for anyone in particular?'

He found it odd that she would ask that, but that made him even more determined not to give anything away.

'It's just routine,' he replied.

She sat there for a few more moments, and Ed said nothing more. When she didn't get a proper answer to her question, she stood and marched out, not bothering to say goodbye. As the door swung shut behind her, Ed breathed a sigh of relief.

Frank from the police lab walked carefully over to where Ironside was waiting, picking his way through the rubble, his clipboard under one arm, and a very concerned look on his face. He was middle-aged, growing rounded at the waist, with greying hair combed back. He had only given the scene a cursory examination, but he already looked very unhappy.

'Afternoon Frank,' Ironside said when he saw him.

'Hi there, Chief.'

'Don't often get to see you out on a case,' said Ironside as they shook hands. 'What have you got for me?'

Frank's frowned.

'I've got some things to take down to the lab. And I'll probably be back with my assistants later.' That sounded almost ominous to the Chief, that and the dark look Frank was giving him. 'Preliminary will be on your desk within three hours, Chief. I'll pull out all the stops on this one.'

'Thank you,' said the Chief, knowing that this was a tall order. 'Are you going to give me a hint now, or do I have to wait for the whole thing?'

'I can sum it up for you,' he said. 'I don't like this. I don't like this one little bit!'

'Which part of this don't you like?' asked Ironside with a relaxed smile. 'The explosion, or being out of your lab?'

Frank didn't smile back and Ironside's bad feeling grew that little bit worse.

'Chief, it's going to sound... well, you can get a second opinion if you want to but they'll just say the same as me.'

'Second opinion? Of course not, Frank,' Ironside said quickly. 'I believe that you know what you're talking about.'

Frank seemed pleased with that answer. He gave short nod.

'You see, Bob, simply put that explosion was not possible. And your Sergeant Brown should be dead.'

'But if it was just a lucky break…?'

'No,' said Frank firmly. 'It's got nothing to do with luck. As you said, I know what I'm talking about. I've looked at that back wall, it's like cardboard covered with paint. Any significant force would have brought it down and the roof down on top of it, right where Ed Brown was.'

'But it didn't, man,' said Mark.

'I know,' said Frank with a vigorous nod. 'And that is my problem. There's nothing I know of that could do the damage we've seen here, and in the pattern we've seen. The whole front of the building was blown away, Chief. And that back wall should not have been standing, not with the state that the rest of the building is in.'

'And you're certain?' asked Ironside in as level a voice as he could. Frank had been in the lab for twenty years, there wasn't anything he didn't know about explosives.

'Not any doubt, judging from the debris pattern,' said Frank. 'The main destructive force came from the left. And it was powerful, the stone, wood, metal or anything in its way disintegrated. It took out the whole facia, propelling most of it over the parking lot too I might add, and the supporting wall to the left, and part of the next floor.' He pointed to the back wall. 'There's a line, you can even see it from here, on one side there's damage, on the other, it looks like nothing has been touched.'

'And Ed was on the other side?'

Frank nodded.

'Just a half foot the other way and you would be in the market for a new sergeant.'

The Chief looked at the remains behind Frank, looking at the back wall. He knew it had been close, but not that close. He'd never have agreed to let Ed anywhere near this place if he'd realised just how fortunate Ed had been.
Ironside looked up at Frank, hoping for some of sort of reassurance, but the look on the other man's face made his gut twist.

'And you're sure?' Ironside asked.

'I'm telling you Chief,' said Frank quietly. 'There's no known explosion, not matter how well planted, that could have destroyed so much and still left that wall standing. Nothing.'

Ironside didn't reply, he just gave a deep frown and shook his head slowly.

'Chief?' asked Mark. 'What's wrong?'

'I'm just wondering what I'll say to Ed,' Ironside replied.

'Surely it would help,' Mark asked.

'Would it help you?' said Frank. Mark had no reply and there was silence for a few moments.

'Well,' said Mark eventually, 'I would make up your mind pretty quick if I were you.' He jerked his head to the left. 'Because he's on his way over and you'd better get your story straight!'

As he approached, Ed could see Frank from the lab having a very intense conversation with the Chief. But much to his annoyance, it came to an abrupt halt as he drew close enough to hear what was being said. Then Frank turned to stare at him, in a way that Ed really, really didn't like.

There were a few moments of uncomfortable silence, then Frank smiled.

'I can hardly believe it, Sergeant, I can hardly believe it,' said Frank shaking his hand timidly, as if it might drop off. 'You should be dead.'

'So I've been told,' replied Ed as calmly as he could. 'Repeatedly.'

He didn't look at the Chief, he could take a good guess at the expression he'd find there, and he wasn't in the mood. Again, there was a silence that no one was willing to break, and Ed had the unpleasant feeling that somehow it was his fault.

Just when Ed felt he couldn't stand it any longer, he saw Ironside glance behind him, reacting to someone arriving. Then there was the sound of rushing footsteps, and Ed turned just in time to see the final member of Ironside's team, Officer Fran Belding hurrying along the path towards them.

Normally, Ed would have been pleased to see Fran, they were close friends as well as colleagues, but he knew her well enough to anticipate how she was going to react to his narrow escape from death.

Sure enough, as soon as she was close enough, Fran enveloped him in a brief but intense embrace then stood close at his side, gripping his uninjured arm in an overly protective way that made Ed feel worse.

'Are you alright?' she asked urgently, looking up into his eyes.

Ed nodded, biting back the cynical reply. He was so, so sick of being asked that today.

Why couldn't they find something else to ask?

Fran looked at Ironside, then at Frank.

'What happened?' she asked. 'Do you know? Do you have much to go on?'

'We're still not sure,' Frank said, though from the way he glanced down to the Chief, and the Chief looked back, Ed guessed that statement was a barefaced lie. Ironside was quick to fill in the gap.

'What do you have for me, Ed?' asked Ironside.

'I've found a few of names, and a few places to check out, Chief,' he said, aware that Fran was staring at his sling and the cuts on his face.

'Good, go with Fran and make a start,' Ironside said. 'You can…'

'With Fran?' interrupted Ed angrily. 'I don't need help, Chief! I am capable of handling this myself!'

'Well, that's a nice way treat your colleague!' retorted Fran.

But Ironside was glaring at him, a thunderous scowl on his face.

'You are not even supposed to be here, Sergeant Brown!' the Chief said sternly. 'You are only here by my good will, so I suggest you stop acting like a spoiled child.'

Ed pursed his lips, and looked away to the ground. The Chief was right, damn him!

'I'm sorry, Fran,' he muttered, forcing himself to make eye contact with her. 'That wasn't fair.'

She nodded, keeping a firm hold of his arm. Ed was grateful for the gesture and he gave her a small smile.

'Don't worry about it,' she said. 'Let's just get on and get this over with.'

Ed noticed the look that Fran gave the Chief as they walked off, but decided against saying anything. Instead, he walked next to her towards the other side of the campus.

He had worried that he would face more questions when they were alone, but Fran wasted no time getting on with the job in hand. They knocked on doors and spoke to people, but it passed in something of a blur to Ed, and he let Fran do most of the talking. Most of his energy was used up in keeping his temper under control and ignoring the strange looks and the whispers that followed him everywhere they went.

In the second building they checked, and the fifth name, they had success.

It was one of the older parts of the campus, with narrow corridors and high ceilings. The students had tried to brighten the place up with paintings and pictures, but there was still an old, oppressive feel that seemed to rise up from the floorboards.

They spent a number of minutes walking along the maze of corridors, until they finally reached the correct room. Fran knocked and the door was opened by a pretty young blonde who let them both inside after she'd seen Ed's badge.

Ed slowly looked around the room, not listening as Fran started to explain why they were there. But a picture on one of the tables attracted Ed's attention. He went over to look at it, picking it up from where it had been set and stared at it, suddenly finding it difficult to breathe.

He'd found her. The name on his list that went with the room was Katie Marshall. The dead girl had a name.

The full and terrible understanding of what had happened hit him so hard he almost fell. For a while it had been easier to believe that he'd imagined the whole thing; that he would have filled his time with a fruitless search, and gone back to Ironside and admit he must have been wrong and this was just his imagination. But it had really happened. He had lived while she had died…

'Ed?' asked Fran, her voice breaking into his thoughts. 'Ed? Are you ok?'

'That's her,' he said, his voice unexpectedly weak. 'That's the one. I'm certain.'

'What do you want Katie for?' the roommate asked, looking between them and giving Ed a very odd look. 'What's happened? What's she done?'

'We just want to make sure she's alright,' Fran replied lightly. 'Where is she? Has she been back here since yesterday?'

The roommate shook her head.

'Haven't seen her, but then she keeps strange hours. She's often with the guys down in the Bar Room.'

'Bar Room?'

'Yeah, that's what they call it. Kinda like a club. They do weird stuff, not illegal, though,' she added quickly.

'Can I take this photograph?' Ed asked.

'Well…yeah, suppose,' the roommate replied warily. 'Look, is Katie alright? She's not in trouble again is she?'

Ed looked at Fran, not able to say anything comforting, his mind filled with the image of this girl only seconds before she died. It was almost as if he could feel the heat from the fireball again, and hear the endless scream…

'We don't know,' he heard Fran say. 'We just need to find her. Do you know where she is?'

The girl still looked worried. She staring at Ed, and at the sling and the cuts on his face, then an expression of understand suddenly spread across her face, a look that made Ed want to recoil.

'I thought they made it up,' she said, looking at him. 'It's all over the campus that someone was there. And someone survived in that building. It was you?'

Ed scowled, but forced himself to nod.

'Too wild!' she said, looking him up and down. 'Just too wild!'

'Look,' Ed snapped. 'We need to find this girl, so instead of staring at me, would you be cooperative and answer the question?'

'Gee, sorry!' she replied, her cheeks flushing slightly. 'But I really don't know where she could be. But if it's real bad, you could ask Tim. He's her ex, but they still hung out in the same crowd.'

'Where can we find him?' Fran asked.

'He should have been at the Kingston Building this morning. But I guess he would still be in his rooms.'

She gave them the address, and they headed straight over.

Fran tried to start a conversation once, but Ed made a point of not replying, and she quickly got the idea that he didn't want to talk and they walked together in uneasy silence. Fortunately, the address wasn't far and within a few minutes, they were at the correct door.

Once again, Fran knocked, and a dark-haired, rather arrogant-looking young man opened it. He stood in the doorway with his arms crossed and an unfriendly expression on his face. Ed knew the conversation was all going to go wrong the moment he set eyes on the man.

'It's because of that explosion, isn't it,' Tim asked immediately he saw Ed's badge. 'I knew it. I knew it! I knew they'd try something stupid like that.' He glared at Ed. 'Well, you're not getting any names out of me. I know my rights, pig!'

Ed was used to the insult, but today it seemed to be more cutting. He took a step forward, towering over the youth by at least six inches. Fran caught his arm.

'We are looking for Katie Marshall,' she said. 'Do you know where she could be?'

'Have you tried her room?' Tim replied sarcastically.

'Her roommate said to ask you.'

Tim gave a laugh.

'Poppy's just that sort of girl, isn't she! Get someone else to do the dirty deed.'

'What dirty deed?' asked Ed

'Don't play games with me, pig. You want me to shop them!'

A snarl suddenly appeared on Ed's face.

'Call me that name again, and I'll put you through that wall!' he growled.

'Ed!' said Fran.

Shaking, he glared at Fran, and then Tim. Then the anger passed and he took a small step back.

'Man, far out! What's with you?' Tim asked, in a loud, unsubtle voice.

'We're just looking for Katie Marshall,' replied Fran.

Ed leaned forward, and plucked the photograph from Fran's hand.

'I saw this girl in the Kingston Building,' he said, his voice deliberately harsh. 'And I have to find her.'

Tim looked at him in shock.

'You? You saw her? That means that you were there?' Realisation seemed to dawn on Tim, and he looked at the sling with wide eyes. 'You were the one that walked out of there!'

Ed felt his anger rising once more. The novelty had worn off, and it was getting harder to respond politely with every time it was mentioned.

'Yeah, I am,' he snapped. 'So what?'

'Bad trip, man!' said Tim, staring at him with a new air of interest. 'Wow, fancy surviving something like th…'

Ed's breath caught in his chest, and overwhelming feeling of fear and anger and guilt rushed through him. It took every ounce of his self-control to stop himself lashing out. He had to get away.

Before Tim could finish his sentence, Ed turned on his heel and walked straight out of the doorway, unable to resist the need to slam the outer door shut on the way.

A/N - Sorry for the delay, but I get there in the end!