Blood On the Wall by Jim Eldridge Read Free Book Online

I turned off and walked home. Tamara headed up Scotland Street. She lives … lived … at Knowefield.’
    Suddenly Rena moved away from the window, her fists clenched.
    ‘It could have been me!’ she stormed angrily. ‘Do you know that! It could have been me!’
    Seward and Taggart exchanged looks. Beneath their bland, concerned looks, both knew what the other was thinking: Rena was a spoilt brat who was more worried about what had almost happened to
her
rather than what had happened to someone she claimed to be her best friend.
    ‘I’ve got to go to the loo,’ snapped Rena, and abruptly left the room.
    Seward and Taggart said nothing, just waited. They’d been caught before by people who claimed to be going to the loo, and then hung around outside the door eavesdropping for a second or two, trying to pick up information to help them with their alibi. That’s if Rena was a suspect, of course, not just a witness. But then, Seward and Taggart had learnt that everyone was a potential suspect. And the closer they were to the victim, the more of a suspect they became. Lots of relationships had their dark side, something that could trigger sudden violence.
    As the two women waited for Rena to come back, Seward looked at her partner and wondered what Taggart really thought of her. She was friendly enough in a casual way, but there was a gulf between them. Not that it was entirely Taggart’s fault; Seward knew she didn’t let people get to her. She also knew that some of the male officers called her a lesbian behind her back, and wondered if it coloured Taggart’s attitude towards her. Did Taggart expect Seward to make a move on her while they were out in the cartogether? If so, she’d be relieved to know that women weren’t her thing. Or maybe she’d be disappointed. Who knows which way people swung. OK, Taggart was married, but in her experience that didn’t mean much.
    The truth was that Seward had a secret: Andreas Georgiou. She’d fallen hook, line and sinker for him soon after she joined his team, a year before. His wife had been alive then. Then his wife had died, and Seward had let Georgiou know that if he wanted to talk, she was there for him. But she hadn’t overdone it, just kept it casual, businesslike. Possibly she’d been too businesslike, too casual. He’d just nodded, said ‘Thanks’, and that was it. He didn’t know how she felt, how she’d always feel. She’d thought about coming out and telling him, maybe when they’d all had a bit too much to drink, blame it on the alcohol, but it hadn’t happened.
    They heard footsteps outside, and then Rena swept into the room. She still looked angry.
    ‘Going back to what you said: you think this was just random?’ asked Taggart. ‘You don’t think Tamara was the deliberate target?’
    ‘Why should she be?’ demanded Rena. ‘She doesn’t mix with the sort of lunatics who’d do this mad thing!’ Then she stopped as if a thought had struck her.
    ‘Yes?’ Taggart prompted her.
    Rena shook her head.
    ‘Even that lot wouldn’t do something like this.’
    ‘Which lot?’ asked Seward.
    ‘Those creepy geeks she hangs around with from the uni.’
    ‘The Brampton Road campus?’ asked Seward.
    Rena nodded. ‘They make films. Tamara hung around them now and then. I think she wanted to get into films. Be an actress.’
    Seward and Taggart exchanged glances. This was an interesting aspect.
    ‘Do you know who in particular she was involved with at the uni?’ asked Seward.
    Rena shook her head.
    ‘No,’ she said. ‘I never got involved with them. They’re a bunch of fakes. Posers. I warned her against getting involved with them.’ Then she frowned. ‘Wait, she sometimes talked about someone called Drake.’
    ‘Was Drake his first name or his last name?’ asked Seward.
    Rena shrugged.
    ‘I don’t know,’ she said. ‘All I know is that Tamara thought he was a genius.’ She scowled. ‘All these arty types think they’re geniuses. I