LITMIR.BIZ

       Chapter 2

      The police officers who arrived at her flat took both Anna, and her ‘present’, back with them to the station. By 2 a.m. she was sitting in an interview room, drinking coffee, waiting to be interviewed. The image of what had been in that ‘present’ was still fresh in her mind. The image, and the smell. With the utmost clarity, she could recall lifting the lid from the container and at once being assailed by the sickeningly sweet stench of stale meat. Then she saw blood, thick and congealed to the consistency of custard, and a glistening red mush of raw flesh all heaped and slopped in the middle of it.

      That awful memory was replaying itself inside her mind, over and over, when the door opened and the detective who was to take her statement strode in. At sight of him, Anna felt her blood run cold.

      Detective Inspector Jim Townsend did not make eye contact with her as he settled himself behind the desk in front of her. Nor did he say a word. He glanced through a slim sheaf of papers, checked that the microphone on the table was working, looked at his watch, poured himself a cup of water, took his time sipping it, adjusted his chair – and then, and only then, did he look across at Anna.

      There was a tense moment of silence between them.

      Then Townsend spoke: ‘The standard procedure for commencing an interview such as this is for me to introduce myself. And I know that you’re a stickler for standard procedure, Ms Vaughan. So we’ll play this strictly by the book. With that firmly in my mind, let me introduce myself. My name …’ and he paused here, just for a moment, still fixing her with his icy stare ‘… is Detective Inspector James Robert Townsend of Middlesex Constabulary, CID.’ Another pause. ‘I’m here to take a statement from you, Ms Vaughan, about what happened to you approximately one hour ago. Please, start from the beginning, tell me in your own words what occurred, take your time, and …’ yet another cold pause ‘… do try and relax.’

      ‘I would like to give my statement to another officer, please,’ Anna said.

      ‘I’m afraid no other officers are available, Ms Vaughan.’

      ‘I don’t believe that.’

      ‘It’s a fact. Now – please – tell me what happened to you.’

      Anna sighed and ran her hand over her face. She felt tempted just to get up and walk out. It wasn’t like she was under arrest. She was the victim here, for God’s sake. She was the victim of … of something … something horrible.

      ‘In your own time,’ Townsend prompted her, his voice emotionless, his eyes unblinking.

      Anna took a slow breath, tried to forget the bad blood between her and Townsend, and said: ‘There’s not much to say. I was asleep in my flat when something woke me up suddenly at about one o’clock. For a moment I didn’t know what it was, but then I heard a sound, like a fist thumping against my front door.’

      ‘How many times?’

      ‘I think there were just two thumps – the one that woke me up, and then the second one I heard when I was awake.’

      ‘And then?’

      ‘I went to the door but there was nobody there … nothing … except for that gift-wrapped present.’

      ‘Were you expecting a present at all?’

      ‘No. Certainly not at one in the morning.’

      ‘And what about the handwriting on the tag, did you recognise it?’

      ‘No.’

      ‘But you went ahead and opened it.’

      ‘Yes,’ said Anna. ‘I had no reason not to.’

      ‘Do you consider yourself to have enemies, Ms Vaughan?’

      ‘I’m a journalist. Naturally I’m going to upset people in the line of my work. Certain sorts of people.’

      ‘And this didn’t concern you enough to stop you from opening this anonymous present?’

      ‘No. No, it didn’t. Like I said, I’m a journalist. I upset certain sorts of people … and I don’t give in to fear.’

      ‘The very same thing could be said about the police,’ Townsend observed, and then he went on: ‘So – bravely, fearlessly – you opened the present. And what happened?’

      ‘I took the wrapping off, and the ribbon, and inside was this water-tight plastic container. So, I unclipped the lid … and opened it … and there inside was … Well, I’m sure you know already.’

      ‘Yes indeed,’ Townsend said coldly. ‘And what did you do after you looked inside? Did you scream?’

      ‘Absolutely not.’

      ‘Are you sure?’

      ‘Of course I’m sure!’ Anna snapped. ‘I’ll tell you what I did. I put the box carefully on the floor and called the police. And then I sat and waited with the front door locked until they arrived.’

      ‘I see,’ Townsend muttered, leafing idly through his papers again. ‘Well, Ms Vaughan, it only remains for me to ask you if you have any further information you wish to add.’

      ‘I … I can’t think of anything.’

      ‘You have no suspicions about who may have sent this box to you?’

      ‘No names spring to mind.’

      Jim narrowed his eyes, thought for a moment, then said: ‘Very well. Do you think any more relevant names might “spring to mind” at a later date?’

      ‘I doubt it, Detective Inspector.’

      ‘But you yourself told me you’ve made enemies in the past. That suggests to me that you might at the very least have some idea who could possibly have sent you this box.’

      ‘I’ve upset certain MPs and local councillors,’ Anna said. ‘I upset the Home Office once, and I wrote something that nearly got us sued by a pharmaceutical manufacturer. And, of course, I’ve ruffled a few feathers in your line of work, Detective Inspector. But I don’t see any of these people leaving me a box of blood and God knows what on my doorstep at one in the morning.’

      ‘I’m not in a position to say one way or the other, Ms Vaughan. This job has taught me that anything’s possible, that the most unlikely people are capable of the most uncivilised acts. Nothing’s off-limits, not when it comes to human behaviour.’

      ‘Well, that’s one thing we can both agree on,’ Anna conceded. ‘So – what happens now?’

      ‘You’re free to go,’ Townsend said, gathering up his things and no longer making eye contact with her.

      ‘I know I’m free to go, Detective Inspector, I was always free to go. I was asking about what you are going to do about what happened to me?’

      ‘We shall pursue an investigation as per standard procedures – by the book – just the way you like it, Ms Vaughan. By the book. That’s all I can say. Please go through to the waiting area – a police constable will see about getting you home to your flat.’

      ‘Excuse me, I feel like you’re giving me the brush-off,’ Anna said.

      ‘I can’t help how you feel,’ said Townsend, getting to his feet and heading for the door without so much as a glance in

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