camera Tanisha’s or Amit’s?’ Bevan suddenly asked, letting her eyes run down the list.
‘The phone and purse were Tanisha’s and the camera was Amit’s. Mrs Batra said the camera was practically brand new. Amit had bought it especially for his trip to Scotland. He wanted to take plenty of shots of himself at the top of some mountain or other.’
‘Ben Lomond,’ Dani said absent-mindedly, her thoughts elsewhere.
‘How is Amit Batra, has he woken up yet?’ Andy enquired politely.
‘Not yet, I’m afraid. The docs won’t know the extent of the brain damage until he’s out of the coma, poor bugger. But we’ll send in an officer to interview him as soon as he does wake. It looks as if Batra was the only one who actually saw this intruder. The neighbours didn’t hear a thing.’
‘Any luck on tracking him down?’
Long shifted uncomfortably. ‘There were no prints in the house or on the baseball bat. He must have been gloved up. We’ve got absolutely no witnesses. Tanisha Batra was so late calling us in that the bloke was long gone by the time we got there. He must have taken off into the woods, but there was no sign of him.’
‘Well, I don’t think there’s much else we can do from here, Detective Inspector. Thank you for your time. Please let us know about any developments in Amit Batra’s recovery.’
Bevan and Calder had already packed their bags and were ready to drive to the airport. As they walked towards the car Calder commented, ‘what would make an intelligent young woman like that become an alcoholic?’
‘Post-Natal Depression may have triggered it, or boredom being at home with small children all day. Having an unhappy marriage wouldn’t help. She may always have suffered from mental health problems and used the alcohol to self-medicate. Didn’t Phil say they’d had financial problems a couple of years back? That could very easily have made Tanisha start drinking. The strain of money issues on top of looking after a little one may have proved too much.’
Andy was amazed at how much Dani seemed to know about the subject. ‘It makes you wonder what came first.’
Dani looked puzzled.
‘Well, whether Tanisha drank because her husband had affairs, or Amit found another woman because Tanisha drank.’
‘It’s a miserable situation either way,’ Dani paused, as the mobile in her pocket began to ring. She spoke briefly to the caller and then turned to Andy. ‘That was James Irving, he’s remembered something. He wants to meet me and discuss it.’
Dani waited for Irving in a large, soulless pub next to Bank tube station. This was the nearest place they could both reach at short notice. Dani didn’t want to have to get a later flight. James Irving pushed through the huge, glass and metal doors a few moments later. She watched as he approached her at the bar. He was dressed very smartly, every bit the young urban professional.
‘Is the Detective Constable not with you?’
Dani shook her head, ‘he’s driving around in the car. There aren’t many parking opportunities in the City of London.’
‘As long as he wasn’t worried I was going to spit my drink at him again.’ James gave a wry smile, ordering an orange juice.
Dani smiled, determined not to allow herself to be charmed. ‘What information do you have for me?’
Irving hopped onto the stool next to her, their knees dangerously close to touching. Dani unconsciously reached down to lower her black skirt, suddenly aware of
‘The phone and purse were Tanisha’s and the camera was Amit’s. Mrs Batra said the camera was practically brand new. Amit had bought it especially for his trip to Scotland. He wanted to take plenty of shots of himself at the top of some mountain or other.’
‘Ben Lomond,’ Dani said absent-mindedly, her thoughts elsewhere.
‘How is Amit Batra, has he woken up yet?’ Andy enquired politely.
‘Not yet, I’m afraid. The docs won’t know the extent of the brain damage until he’s out of the coma, poor bugger. But we’ll send in an officer to interview him as soon as he does wake. It looks as if Batra was the only one who actually saw this intruder. The neighbours didn’t hear a thing.’
‘Any luck on tracking him down?’
Long shifted uncomfortably. ‘There were no prints in the house or on the baseball bat. He must have been gloved up. We’ve got absolutely no witnesses. Tanisha Batra was so late calling us in that the bloke was long gone by the time we got there. He must have taken off into the woods, but there was no sign of him.’
‘Well, I don’t think there’s much else we can do from here, Detective Inspector. Thank you for your time. Please let us know about any developments in Amit Batra’s recovery.’
Bevan and Calder had already packed their bags and were ready to drive to the airport. As they walked towards the car Calder commented, ‘what would make an intelligent young woman like that become an alcoholic?’
‘Post-Natal Depression may have triggered it, or boredom being at home with small children all day. Having an unhappy marriage wouldn’t help. She may always have suffered from mental health problems and used the alcohol to self-medicate. Didn’t Phil say they’d had financial problems a couple of years back? That could very easily have made Tanisha start drinking. The strain of money issues on top of looking after a little one may have proved too much.’
Andy was amazed at how much Dani seemed to know about the subject. ‘It makes you wonder what came first.’
Dani looked puzzled.
‘Well, whether Tanisha drank because her husband had affairs, or Amit found another woman because Tanisha drank.’
‘It’s a miserable situation either way,’ Dani paused, as the mobile in her pocket began to ring. She spoke briefly to the caller and then turned to Andy. ‘That was James Irving, he’s remembered something. He wants to meet me and discuss it.’
Dani waited for Irving in a large, soulless pub next to Bank tube station. This was the nearest place they could both reach at short notice. Dani didn’t want to have to get a later flight. James Irving pushed through the huge, glass and metal doors a few moments later. She watched as he approached her at the bar. He was dressed very smartly, every bit the young urban professional.
‘Is the Detective Constable not with you?’
Dani shook her head, ‘he’s driving around in the car. There aren’t many parking opportunities in the City of London.’
‘As long as he wasn’t worried I was going to spit my drink at him again.’ James gave a wry smile, ordering an orange juice.
Dani smiled, determined not to allow herself to be charmed. ‘What information do you have for me?’
Irving hopped onto the stool next to her, their knees dangerously close to touching. Dani unconsciously reached down to lower her black skirt, suddenly aware of
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