Immediately after the call she announced the breakthrough to the team. Spirits had not been high since the blunder over the body in the pool and it was a huge relief to have a new lead. There was spontaneous applause.
‘The priority now is to get hold of some more of these invitations,’ Hen told them. ‘There could be as many as forty in circulation. Some will have been thrown out by now, but some people keep such things as souvenirs. What I’d dearly like to find is one in its original envelope that we can get forensically tested.’
‘So we discover who was behind it?’ Paddy Murphy said.
‘That would be a start.’
Hen explained about the alumni association and said she would speak to them herself. She asked Gary to check with Brighton University library for articles and references to the mammoth excavation. ‘Don’t get bogged down with the technicalities. It’s the people who interest us.’
Stella said, ‘If I remember, Dr Sentinel said the dig was before the start of term, so he was recruiting anyone he could get hold of, including locals.’
‘Good point. We can go on local radio tonight and ask for help. The listeners are good at responding to that sort of appeal. Would you take care of that?’
‘Absolutely.’
Hen knew it would be done well. ‘One other thing, Stell. When we were searching the beach at Selsey, do you recall seeing signs of a recent barbecue? Blackened stones, ash, bits of tinfoil lying about?’
‘Can’t say I do, guv.’
‘Must have been another section.’ She snapped her fingers. ‘They told us where it was. Paddy, find out the exact place where the mammoth was found.’
The alumni association proved to be the ideal means of contacting ex-students. Once Hen had explained to the secretary who she was and why she needed the information, she was supplied with contact numbers for seventeen archaeologists from the late 1980s.
‘Great. We’ll have some witnesses soon,’ she announced to the team.
In the next hour the incident room resembled a call centre as attempts were made to reach former students. A thumb would be raised in the air each time contact was made.
But the initial response was disappointing. Most remembered the mammoth dig, but hadn’t taken part because it was all over before they arrived for the new term. The third woman Hen managed to contact was more helpful. Like the others she’d missed the dig, but she recalled the name of a friend who took part. Although they hadn’t seen each other in years, she had a phone number.
Hen raised both thumbs.
The woman was home and confirmed that she’d joined in the dig. Her name was Brenda Sutton and she sounded intelligent and keen to help. ‘Yes, I remember the whole thing. It was fascinating. I was so lucky to be part of it because I was reading English, not archaeology. I just happened to be up at the uni early looking for a flat, which-with more good luck-I found on the first day. Dr Sentinel was in the refectory asking for volunteers and I jumped at the chance. There must have been twenty of us being bussed out to Selsey each morning.’
‘Do you remember an American fresher called Merry or Meredith?’
‘Not by name, but yes, there was an American girl with a marked Southern drawl. I was with a couple of friends and we tended to stay together, so I don’t recall the other people’s names.’
Even so, this was real progress: someone who had been there in 1987. ‘And did you go to the reunion in September?’
‘No,’ she said, her voice rising in surprise. ‘Was there one?’
Hen’s hopes plunged again. ‘For the twentieth anniversary. A barbecue.’
‘I missed that, I’m afraid. Pity.’
‘Invitations were sent out.’
‘I’ve moved recently. Perhaps mine got returned to the sender.’
‘You spoke of a couple of friends on the dig. Have you kept up with them?’
‘Noreen Chick and Peter Schooley. Wait a moment while I get my address book.’
Across the room, Paddy was waving. He’d traced another of the diggers. In the next half hour a list of Dr Sentinel’s team began to emerge. Fourteen names were scribbled on the display board, most with phone numbers.
Unfortunately, of the first eight questioned on the phone, not one had come to the barbecue or even received an invitation.
Paddy spoke for everyone when he commented that it was a real downer. They’d contacted twenty per cent of the original group and drawn a blank.
‘We keep trying,’ Hen said.
She’d had another idea. Jake Kernow was still in a cell downstairs. He’d been questioned in three long sessions about his links to the second victim, Fiona, and little of significance had emerged. The custody clock was ticking. Because murder was a serious arrestable offence he could be held for up to thirty-six hours without charge, but a warrant would be needed after that.
She had him brought to an interview room. Stella was sitting in this time.
‘You can do yourself some good now,’ Hen said to Jake. ‘This isn’t connected with what we talked about before. It’s about Meredith Sentinel, and you freely admit you met her. In fact you texted us and made a voluntary statement when you heard she was the dead woman on the beach. I appreciated that. This is safe territory, Jake.’ To underline the confidence-giving, she was entirely candid with him, telling him all she knew about the barbecue invitation.
He listened in silence as she expected, but there was more than a flicker of interest.
‘I’ll get to the point,’ she said. ‘You met Meredith more than once in London, at the Natural History Museum. I asked if she talked about coming to Selsey and you said she didn’t. Does that answer still hold?’
He gave his trademark nod.
‘You drank coffee together and talked about the rainforests and the ecology, but you must have touched on some personal matters as well. When people meet for the first time they look for things in common. She must have asked where you live, am I right?’
After some hesitation, another nod.
Leading the witness like this would be inadmissible in any court, but what else could you do with such a reticent man? ‘And then she would surely have said something like, “I’ve been to Selsey. I was there for a dig twenty years ago.” Is that what she told you, Jake?’
‘Yes.’
A small triumph.
‘Right. I need your help here. Did she tell you anything else about the dig?’
‘It was done in a hurry.’
He’d actually crafted a sentence.
‘Because of the tides, yes. Did she mention anyone else who was there?’
‘Dr Sentinel.’
‘No others? We’re trying to trace people. We believe she was murdered at the reunion.’
He leaned forward and his voice was more animated. ‘Why?’
‘That isn’t clear. We may be looking at a motiveless murder. A psychotic killer who takes any opportunity to strike. As you know, a second woman was drowned at Emsworth. And you won’t yet have heard that another body was found today in a private swimming pool in Apuldram.’
‘A woman?’
‘Not yet identified. She was discovered by two of your friends, Jo and Gemma.’
He released a long deep breath that developed into a sigh. He looked personally troubled.
‘Do you know anything about this, Jake?’ Hen asked.
‘No.’
‘If you do, and someone else is killed, she could be on your conscience for the rest of your days.’
Silence. He’d retreated into non-communication again.
She exchanged a look with Stella, who rolled her eyes.
‘Jake,’ Hen said, ‘I’m going to release you without charge. I’m sorry all this has been necessary, but you can’t deny that you acted suspiciously trying to avoid arrest. You’ll be driven back to your home. Get some sleep. If you can think of anything you haven’t mentioned, call me.’
He continued to sit there, deep in thought.
Hen was on her feet. ‘Come on, fellow, let’s get you out of here.’
He looked up, the dark eyes haunted by something unspeakable. ‘Have you… ’ The words faltered.