She's Not There (Dead Reckoning series - Part 31)

Continued from Episode 30 (There's A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis)

The story so far:  Josiah's 'on the rebound' romance with the woman he thought was his old flame, Jeanette DeVille, led to him and Archibald being left for dead in the rapidly rising waters of the cellar of Evanley Hall.  Heroic action by D.S. Stone recovered both of them from the watery depths but, at a price for all concerned. Archibald and Josiah are now back at Oakshott & Underwood, on a 'light duties' basis, but a recent lunchtime visit to Angelo's Chippery  disturbed Archibald's equilibrium when the girl assistant called him 'Archibald' rather than 'Archie':

“You know, Archie,” Samantha said, looking at her companion with some concern, “It’s perfectly understandable that you should be a bit ‘on edge’ after everything that you’ve been through”

“I just think it’s bloody odd, that’s all” Archibald grumbled.

“Look, I suspect you and Josiah have been the talk of the town for weeks now,” Samantha pointed out, “You were headline news, you know?  So, it’s hardly surprising if your name is on everyone’s lips, now is it?”

Archibald clutched his chip shop parcel closer to him, hunched over and mumbled to himself as they made their way back to Oakshott and Underwood.

“There’s no point in being grumpy about it” Samantha chuckled, “you’re famous around here, just at the moment.  Not for a good reason, I’ll give you, but you’re still famous!”

Archibald took himself off to his workbench, still grumbling, to enjoy his fishcake, chips and peas, whilst Samantha made her way back to Josiah’s office, to deliver his healthy nutritional shake.

“Ah yes, thank you” Josiah said, dubiously, when Samantha nudged him awake from his doze on the sofa, “Lunch, eh?”

“It will do you a world of good” Samantha insisted, seating herself at the desk.

Josiah held the green liquid up to the light and frowned.

“It looks like a stagnant pond” He observed.

“It’s full of nutrients designed to build you up and return you to full strength”

“I would imagine that is also the case you could make for a stagnant pond” Josiah had removed the lid and was sniffing the liquid with distaste.  “I don’t imagine that Archibald is partaking of anything similar to this?”

“No, he’s treated himself to fishcake, chips and peas” Samantha smiled, “he’s on a bit of a line, actually”

“Why is that?” Josiah asked, attempting to put off the evil moment when he would have to drink the concoction.

“There’s a new girl in the chip shop…” Samantha began.

“Oh no!  He’s not going down that road again?” Josiah looked concerned.

“No, he tells me he’s foresworn romantic entanglements” Samantha grinned, “no, he was put out because she called him Archibald, not Archie, he thinks it’s suspicious”

“Suspicious?  Why should that be the case?”

“I think he’s just a bit jumpy at the moment, and who can blame him?”  Samantha shrugged, “This girl was wearing a face mask, because of some immune-problem she had, so he’s convinced she’s up to no good”

“Hmm, do you mean he thinks she might be one of that gang that tried to kill us?”  Josiah frowned.

“I guess so” Samantha nodded, “I suppose he’s bound to be wary, you would be too, I would imagine, but it seems pretty unlikely”

“What was this girl’s name?”

“Erm, Gemma I think” Samantha opened a file on her desk and perused some paperwork.  Josiah looked thoughtful, eased himself up from the sofa, gratefully put the nutritious shake down on a side table, and pottered over to a bookcase.  After a few moments browsing, he prised a book from the shelf and proceeded to consult it.

“Gemma, you said?” He flicked through some pages, “With a ‘G’?”

“I guess so” Samantha replied, distractedly, engaged in her paperwork.

“Oh!” Josiah cried out, suddenly, sitting back down on the sofa with a thud, “I think our young friend may have a point”

“Hmm?  What do you mean?”

“I’ve had this book for ages, it concerns the meaning of names.  It’s sometimes useful when composing eulogies” Josiah explained, “take a look at this page” He held the book out, weakly, to her.

Samantha sighed, closed the file she was working on, and strode over to the sofa.

“Where am I looking?  Ah, yes” Samantha peered at the page, “Oh!”

There was a one-word definition for the name ‘Gemma’.  It read, quite simply:

‘Precious’

*  * * *

“I’ve got the results back from that ‘Suspicious’ at the reservoir, sir” D.S. Stone proffered a manilla folder to his superior, who now seemed to have a collection of Caribbean holiday brochures to peruse.

“Just give me the edited highlights, Stoney” D.I. Wood said, from whichever sandy beach he was currently lying on, in his imagination.

“Well, like we surmised before, the victim had definitely been living on the streets but was very well dressed, ‘as if he was attending an interview’, it says here” D.S. Stone began.

“That’s possible” D.I. Wood nodded, “some of these homeless charities set ‘em up with decent clobber if they’re going for a job”

“True, sir, but why then would he finish up in our reservoir?”

D.I. Wood shrugged his shoulders.

“But there’s something else, and you’re not going to be happy about it” D.S. Stone tentatively turned a page over, anticipating his boss’s reaction.

“If it’s anything that implies this wasn’t an accident, you’re damn right!” D.I. Wood snarled.

“Yes sir, I’m afraid there is.  It seems that the water in the deceased’s lungs is not the same as the water in the reservoir” D.S. Stone started counting under his breath, waiting for the reaction.

“What?  What the hell’s that supposed to mean?”  D.I. Wood threw his holiday brochure down onto his desk.

“It means, sir, that he drowned somewhere else and then his body was dumped in the reservoir”

“Murdered then?”  D.I. Wood glared at his sergeant.

“It looks that way, sir, yes”

* * * *

“Oh heck!”  Samantha dropped onto the sofa, beside Josiah, and put her head in her hands.

“I suppose it might be a coincidence” Josiah suggested, weakly.

“That a girl, with a name that means ‘Precious’, turns up in the same Chip Shop that Archibald always uses, with her face covered by a mask, and then calls Archie ‘Archibald’, which is something that no-one other than you and Precious DeVille has ever done?  Yes, I suppose it might just be a coincidence!”

“Well, now you put it like that” Josiah nodded, miserably, “so, what do we do?  I suppose the police should be informed?”

“Do you seriously think that shower are going to take this seriously?” Samantha stood up, smartly, “They’ll say it’s just a coincidence!  I’m going to have to go down there and see what she’s got to say for herself”

“Really?  Is that wise?  What about Archibald?”

“I think he needs to come with me, if he’s up to it” Samantha bit her bottom lip in concentration, “I’ll need him to identify her”

* * * *

“There’s something else, sir” D.S. Stone continued, reluctantly.

“What?” D.I. Wood asked, wearily, from behind the hands that were currently covering his face.

“Well, I expanded the mispers search to neighbouring forces, like you said”

“Yes?”

“Seems he matches the description of a lad they had living rough on the streets of Chester.  Our lot had dealings with him a few times, nothing serious, they were just concerned for his welfare.  Anyway, they haven’t seen him for a few days, possibly a week or so”

“Don’t suppose we’ve got any DNA, fingerprints or anything to match him up with?”

“No sir, nothing like that.  Like I said, he’s never been in any trouble, so there was no need”

“Bugger!” D.I. Wood said, with feeling, “So we’ve got some unknown lad, possibly off the streets of Chester, finishes up in our reservoir after some sod’s drowned him somewhere else?  Is that about the size of it, Sergeant?”

“Yep, that’s how it could be, sir” D.S. Stone confirmed, with trepidation.

“Bloody marvellous!” D.I. Wood swept his holiday brochures from the desk, onto the floor, “this is all I’m short of.  I was just thinking about putting in for some extended leave, get a bit of sun, sand and…stuff, you know?  And now, this”

“They reckon they might be able to narrow down the source of the water in his lungs, but it may take a few days, sir”

“I don’t suppose there’s any faint hope that it might be a mistake, eh?” D.I. Wood asked, hopefully.

“I’m afraid not, sir.  They’ve run multiple tests”

“Right” D.I. Wood sighed, “you’d better see if you can find anyone from the Chester lot who thinks they might be able to formally identify him.  That would be a start, I suppose”

“Will do, sir” D.S. Stone made good his escape from the office.

* * * *

Samantha Knight strode down the street like an avenging angel, with Archibald Thurble stumbling along in her wake.

“I hope you’re not right” He mumbled, trying to keep up with her.

“Me too, Archie, but we’ve got to find out”

As they approached Angelo’s Chippery, they could see the eponymous owner standing on the street outside, looking this way and that.

“Hah!  ‘ere ‘e is” Angelo announced, “I dunno ‘ow ‘e does it!  I can’t keep any girls in my shop, ‘cept ‘e chases ‘em away”

“What seems to be the problem?”  Samantha asked.

“Problem?  It’s me girl assistant, innit?” Angelo flapped his arms, hopelessly, “’e’s only driven ‘er off, ain’t ‘e?  ‘E comes in, all fishcake, chips and mushy peas innit, she serves ‘im, next thing, she’s out the back, I call ‘er to come serve the next customer, she’s only gone ain’t she?  Took ‘er coat, ‘er bag, everything!”

“Did you know her name?”

“Gemma, innit?” Angelo said, still looking up and down the street.

“Gemma what?” Samantha persisted.

“I don’ta ruddy know, do I?”

“Do you have an address for her?”

“Address?  Address?  Course I don’ta ‘ave no address, I ain’ta plannin’ on shackin’ up with ‘er, I just need ‘er to serve chips, is thata too much to ask, eh?”

“I’m sorry, Colin” Archibald said, miserably.

“You don’ta call me that, not outa ‘ere, alright?” Angelo hissed.

“We’re going to have to inform the police” Samantha said, firmly.

“You what?  Is just some girl, cleared off from ‘er job, innit?” Angelo said, looking astonished, “is not crime ofa the century or nowt, issit?”

“You might be surprised, Mr. Angelo” Samantha said, dialling the familiar number on her mobile ‘phone, “You might be surprised!”

You can find a lot more from Josiah and Archibald, including the prequel novel to this series, in The Undertakers collection.

Now read Episode 32