On the News
Outside the club Blodwen walked along the pavement taking deep breaths, hoping the cool night air would help quell her rising nauseousness. A handrail loomed next to her and she leant against it, hands trembling as she gripped the tubular metal. What just happened? she asked herself. Did I do that? Her eyes filled with tears at the though. She hadn't wanted to hurt Kathy, or the other guy, but she'd just been so angry. Blodwen reached up and took the torc off. Almost instantly the nausea went away, and her heart rate slowed as she tucked the neck-band into her bag. She clung to the railing, watching the cars pass by as she felt the intense emotions flowing away.
By the time Blodwen had pulled herself together enough to hail a taxi and get home, dawn was just beginning to peak over the horizon. She flopped down on the sofa and pulled off the Alice-band, kicking her shoes off at the same time. She leant her head back and closed her eyes, just as her sister came padding in.
“Blod?” Sarah said, wiping sleep from her eyes. She blinked, taking in Blodwen's appearance – the rumpled dress, the pale complexion and the red eyes. “Oh god, what happened?” Sarah's hand flew to her heart and she hurried over to sit beside Blodwen. Feeling the sofa shift, Blodwen opened an eye to look at her sister.
“Blod, come on. If something happened you can tell me.”
Blodwen shut her eyes again and looked away. “It...” she paused. “Some people overdosed in the club. It shook me up.” She flashed Sarah a wobbly smile.
“Oh hon,” Sarah said, taking Bodwen's hand and squeezing it. Blodwen squeezed back, glad her sister was being sympathetic, but wondering why she had lied about the incident.
“Well,” said Sarah, settling back into the sofa. “Now I'm up, I may as well stay.” She flicked on the TV, as Blodwen rose to change. “Do you want to go shopping this afternoon, we haven't done-”
“Shh!”
“What?”
“Look,” Blodwen said, staring at the TV. A news presenter stood just beyond a police cordon outside a dingy looking building with a neon sign on the roof. Officers and forensic people in their white suits came and went from vans parked in the road to the club.
“Was that-” Sarah asked.
“Yes,” Blodwen replied, her eyes wide. “Turn it up.”
“-pronounced them both dead on arrival. Police are now investigating the club, and have said in an official statement that while they have no leads at this time they are treating this as a deliberate poisoning, and are reviewing CCTV as well as questioning patrons of the club. They are also asking any members of the public with information to come forward. The owners of 'Wild Business' have not been available to comment. Back to you, Roger.”
The news program flicked back to show the studio and a man in his fifties shuffling papers. Sarah hit the mute button, and looked at Blodwen. Blodwen looked stricken, and her face was even plater than before.
“Oh...” was all she managed to mutter before running from the room.
“Sir? Detective Bentley?” The Constable tapped Detective Sargent Bentley on the shoulder.
“What is it Craig?” he said, pulling off the head phones and pausing the tape he was watching in the dim video suit. He ran a hand through his dark hair and swivelled round as Craig pulled up another chair.
“The toxicology report came back Sir,” she said, handing him a file. As he looked over it, she continued, “It basically confirms the poison Kathy Bates and Richard Garner ingested, is the same as what we found in the pint glass they had been drinking from.”
“Hum,” Bentley said, his eyes flicking over the page. Constable Craig glanced at the screen and the image of a nightclub, from the bar's perspective.
“You had any luck with the CCTV, Sir?” she asked. Bentley looked up at the blond woman.
“None,” he said. “Both the manager and the bar staff swear they are innocent, and yet no one else was close enough to alter the drink.”
“Maybe it was a ninja?” Constable Craig said. Bentley gave her a Look.
“Have you been watching Bond movies again Katie?” he asked, and, shaking his head Bentley lent on the desk, accidentally restarting the video. He ignored it for a few moments.
“Pause it!” said Constable Craig. “Right there!” Bentley swiftly sat up and hit the pause button.
“What is it?” he asked, as the Constable animately pointed at the screen.
“That woman,” she said, again jabbing her finger at the screen. “Rewind it about 30 seconds and play it back.”
“Trainee Detective Constable Craig, it's usual for your superiors to give you orders, not the other way around. What are you blathering about?” Craig took a breath and steadied herself.
“I'm sorry Sir, I guess I haven't quite lost the habit of getting overly excited. What I mean to say is, If you might rewind this bit of file back 30 seconds and replay it, you'll see that the woman I pointed at walking towards the Garner at the exact time Bates is.” With a frown, Bentley rewound the image and pressed play, watching the screen as Craig narrated. “See, Sir - Bates reaches Garner first, and the other woman just stands there until they're on the ground. You can clearly see her trajectory would have taken her to Garner. And then, see Sir, just as the people closest start noticing, she turns and hurries back through the crowd.”
“But, Constable, she still doesn't get anywhere near Garner and Bates,” Bentley pointed out.
“Well, no Sir. But it's obvious she had intentions towards them, isn't it? She's worth talking to, at least. Right Sir?” Bentley looked at Constable Craig. She was still just a kid really, only twenty, come straight from college to the force. He sighed.
“Alright,” Bentley said. “This can be your pet project. I want you to find out who that woman is, build a complete profile of her. You want to go anywhere though, you ask either myself, DC Harding or DC Quinn to accompany you, got it?”
“Sir, yes Sir!” Craig said. Bentley hauled himself out of the chair and headed towards the door.
“I'll leave you too it. Anyone needs me, I'll be having a fag.”
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THE GOODS
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DragonHeart True. This chapter
was posted on Jun 2, 2010 by
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