Chapter 49
The college campus was quiet as Eve drove in with Jake Stone, her union representative, whom she had invited over to her flat for a final conference before the meeting that morning with Iwan, Reena and Giles.
For Eve’s sake, and for the sake of the college, they’d decided to hold it before the students came back and Eve felt relieved that she’d managed to fly under the radar.
But as she and Jake pulled into the car park outside the Law Faculty, she was surprised to see Iwan there, waiting for her.
‘Hmm. Looks like we’ve got an escort,’ she said.
‘Really?’ Jake frowned. ‘That’s a bit unnecessary. And anyway, I thought they were trying to keep this thing under wraps.’
But as they got closer, Eve could see by the expression on Iwan’s face that there had been a development. He looked anxious, raising a limp hand in an approximation of a wave and then dropping it again.
Eve got out of the car first and walked over to meet him.
‘Can you get rid of your rep?’ he said under his breath.
‘Why?’ Eve said. ‘What’s going on?’
‘I need to talk to you alone.’
‘I thought we weren’t supposed to do that?’
‘I know, but …’
‘Where are Giles and Reena?’
‘They’ve gone. They left fifteen minutes ago.’
‘Why?’
‘I told them you couldn’t make it.’
Eve looked hard at Iwan for a moment, then turned back to her rep, who was taking a briefcase out of the boot of his car. ‘Jake, the meeting’s been cancelled,’ she called out. ‘I’m so sorry to have wasted your time.’
‘Yes. Really sorry,’ Iwan echoed.
‘No worries.’ Jake shrugged. ‘Do you want a lift home?’
‘I’m fine,’ Eve said. ‘I’ll walk.’
As soon as Jake had gone, she turned back to Iwan. ‘What’s going on?’
Iwan looked over his shoulder. ‘Let’s go inside.’
Eve followed him into the faculty building and into a conference room, where he shut the door and waved at a seat. Eve sat down.
Iwan pulled out the chair opposite and sank down onto it. ‘I had another visit yesterday from the same detective—’
‘DI Carver?’ Eve interrupted.
He eyed her. ‘Yeah.’
‘Go on.’
‘Well, the whole thing made me uncomfortable. He was supposed to have sent me the paperwork in time for this meeting, but – long story short – he had given me nothing and he was leaning on me to agree certain things as fact. I told him I would go where the evidence led me and I asked again for the statement from the student who had reported seeing Clarke on campus. He got stroppy, said he couldn’t give it to me.
I asked for her name and he wouldn’t tell me, and then he said I was obstructing his investigation, so I asked to see his warrant card again. ’
Eve felt a surge of adrenaline. ‘Did he show you?’
He shook his head. ‘Point-blank refused. Then he left.’
‘And so?’
‘And so … what?’
‘What do you think?’ Eve asked. ‘About the so-called complaint. Joe being on campus. The bogus cop?’
Iwan sighed loudly and looked at the ceiling. ‘Well, something’s off, isn’t it?’
‘Yeah,’ Eve agreed. ‘Something’s very off.’
‘I’m sorry,’ Iwan said. ‘For not believing you. For not supporting you. But … here.’ He fished in his pocket and pulled out a folded-up piece of paper. ‘I took down his registration number.’
Eve took the piece of paper and opened it up. ‘A black Lexus?’
Iwan nodded.
‘With tinted windows?’
‘Yeah.’
‘Thank you. I’ll give it to Joe’s solicitor. She may know someone who can run a check.’ Eve thought for a second. ‘You’re a solicitor, aren’t you?’
‘Yeah.’
‘Do you have a practising certificate?’
‘Yeah.’ He nodded. ‘I still do a bit of—’
‘Could you help us?’
‘How?’
‘We have a witness who needs proofing.’
Iwan thought about this. ‘Who?’
‘Her name’s Bella Duncan. I’m not going to lie to you, Iwan. She’s the victim’s daughter and she gave evidence against Joe originally. She’s the only eyewitness to her mother’s murder, but she now thinks she made a mistake.’
‘You’ve spoken to her?’
‘No,’ Eve said quickly. ‘No. We need someone independent to do that for all the reasons you’re thinking …’
‘Witness intimidation,’ Iwan mused. ‘Or perverting the course of justice.’
‘Yes. And it especially shouldn’t be me.’ Eve flushed. ‘But you’re independent. You’re the perfect person.’
‘Shouldn’t she be talking to the police?’
Eve raised an eyebrow. ‘Look, Iwan. I don’t know who this DI Carver really is, but I know you’re wary too, or you wouldn’t have taken down his reg. If you want to call 101 and check with Thames Valley Police, then be my guest, but I’ll bet you a hundred quid they’ve never heard of him.’
Iwan swallowed and Eve could see she was getting through to him.
‘If you don’t talk to Bella Duncan,’ she said, ‘then Carver will, and he will definitely influence her. We need to get there first.’