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  “All three were clients?” Callie just wanted to be certain.

  “You might like to think that, but I couldn’t possibly comment,” Jenny paraphrased the well-known quote from House of Cards. Callie thanked her profusely for her help before ending the call.

  She sat there, with the phone in her hand, knowing that she should call Miller, but at the same time looking for reasons not to make the call. In the end, she couldn’t think of any, well, none that really stood up to scrutiny, so she dialled his number and was slightly relieved to get an answerphone message.

  “Hi, this is Callie,” she said quickly, as she hated speaking to machines, always coming across as incoherent. “I have had confirmation that all three women used the, um, the SSE website” – somehow she really couldn’t come out with its full name – “and also wanted to talk to you about the website owner’s husband. Can you give me a call back?”

  She ended the call and looked at her sandwich. She really wasn’t feeling very hungry. She checked her watch and realised she was going to have to get a move on if she was going to do her visits and get back to the surgery on time. She grabbed her bag and, after a moment’s hesitation, picked up the sandwich, popping it into a plastic bag as she hurried out of the door.

  Chapter 20

  Callie was surprised that Miller hadn’t called back by the time she had finished evening surgery, but not half as surprised as she was to see him sitting in the waiting room when she came out with her basket of notes and papers.

  “Dr Hughes?” he said as he stood, formal and professional as always in front of the public, even though that was only the receptionist and a couple of stragglers who were watching them with great interest. “I wondered if you had time for a word?”

  “Um, of course, do you want to come in?” She indicated her consulting room, but he didn’t move towards it.

  “I thought perhaps we could go out, if you don’t mind. I could do with something to eat.”

  He looked at her basket and Callie realised that the uneaten sandwich was still there, clearly visible, proof that she hadn’t had lunch either. Again.

  “Of course, that would be good, actually. I’ll just sort these and I’ll be with you in five minutes, is that okay?”

  Callie hurried up to the office and dealt with her paperwork in record time, chucked the sandwich in the bin and nipped into the ladies to make sure her hair wasn’t a mess, before going back down to the entrance where Miller was waiting for her.

  “Ready,” she said, slightly breathlessly, and went through the door that Miller was holding open for her, ignoring the raised eyebrows of the receptionist who was watching her intently, making sure she remembered every detail of the encounter to share with Linda, no doubt.

  * * *

  Miller hardly said a word as they walked down the High Street, only giving Callie monosyllabic answers to her questions about how he was and how the investigation was going. It was only a short walk to Porters, where he ushered her in and sat her at a corner table before going to the bar to order a glass of Pinot Grigio for Callie and a beer for himself. Callie was getting quite nervous about his unusual recalcitrance by the time he returned with the drinks.

  “So,” he finally said once they were both settled. “Tell me how you know all three victims used the SSE website?”

  “Well, I spoke to someone who works there and got her to confirm it.”

  Callie was glad he was referring to it as SSE, as she really didn’t want the other customers getting the wrong idea about the two of them if they happened to overhear the conversation.

  “And is this person willing to make a statement to that effect?”

  Callie cleared her throat and fiddled with the stem of her glass. Despite his rigid control, she could tell he was angry.

  “Um, no, she can’t because she is under express orders from her boss not to.”

  “And what, exactly, do you expect me to do with this piece of unattributable information?”

  “I don’t know,” she snapped back. “I had thought you would be grateful that you were at least on the right track as you tried to get a warrant to see the client details. I might even have thought that this anonymous information might help you get that warrant.”

  He paused for a moment, to collect his thoughts and let her cool down.

  “Which it did, thank you. But–”

  “It did?” she interrupted, a smile lighting up her face. “That’s brilliant.” For once she really felt that she had been useful. So often, in both her jobs, she felt that she was just putting a sticking plaster over a major wound. She very rarely felt that she had made a real difference.

  “Yes, but, as I was saying, Dr Hughes, Callie, you can’t go around interfering like that. It may have helped this time, but what if it had gone wrong?”

  “How could it? All I did was persuade the office manager to cough if I mentioned the name of someone who wasn’t a client, and she didn’t cough.” Callie was cross that he didn’t seem pleased with this breakthrough. She felt she deserved some praise for helping.

  “And how did you get her to agree to do that? How did you manage to persuade her that you weren’t a journalist looking for some dirt on the company?”

  Callie had a nasty suspicion that he knew very well what she had done.

  “I said I was from the police, which, strictly speaking is true, and she checked on the website and saw my name and was happy with that.”

  “You impersonated a police officer.”

  “No, I never said I was a police officer. I said I was with the police. I am very well aware of the difference, and when she checked my name with the website, she would have seen my job title. And yes, I was surprised she agreed, as I could have been anyone; even, as you said, a journalist pretending to be me.”

  “Believe me, any self-respecting reporter would have rejected such a weak plan. I mean, it was hardly likely to work, was it?”

  “Well, it did, because I think she really wanted to help. She knew the information might save a woman’s life.”

  He said nothing, just glowered at her.

  “And I really didn’t impersonate a police officer.” Callie was childishly cross that he wasn’t impressed.

  “What you did was as good as impersonation. You can’t expect members of the public to differentiate between someone who works with the police and a genuine policeman.” He was unable to contain his anger any longer and banged the table as he spoke, causing a few other customers to look up and the barmaid to start wondering if she was going to have a problem with the couple arguing in the corner.

  “I was quite clear. I said I was a consultant with the police, and my title is doctor, not constable or detective whatever,” Callie said quietly, despite her anger. She was angry, in part because he was being so ungrateful, but also because a little bit of her knew that he was right and that she was in the wrong.

  “But that was what she thought you were – a police officer – and that is what she would say if she gave evidence. And what if your source told her boss and there was a complaint? You could have ended up losing your job with the police or worse, get disbarred or whatever it is happens to doctors.”

  Thankfully, he was keeping his voice down as well.

  “Struck off,” she corrected him.

  “Struck off then.”

  There was an uneasy silence for a few moments, and the people around them returned to their conversations.

  “I know you are right,” she conceded. “I did take a chance, and it could have gone horribly wrong, but it didn’t. I don’t think it would have been grounds for anything more than a rap on the knuckles from the General Medical Council, and yes, I might have lost my job with the police, but that wouldn’t be the end of the world, not when compared to what it delivered. It gave you that little bit of help you needed to get the investigation moving in the right direction, didn’t it?”

  She was so desperate for reassurance, her hand reaching out to him, and he could
n’t bring himself to resist. He rested his own hand lightly on hers and she felt a frisson of electricity pass between them. Looking at his face she was sure he felt it too.

  “Yes, I know, I just don’t want–” he said gruffly but couldn’t finish the sentence, all anger gone now. Callie looked round and realised that a middle-aged couple who were sitting nearest to them were watching avidly and smiling at this apparent reconciliation. She pulled her hand away, quickly.

  “Thank you,” she said quietly. “I know, and I promise I won’t do anything like that again.”

  They both sat back in their chairs and concentrated on their drinks, trying to forget the moment that had passed between them, and at the same time, not wanting to forget.

  “So,” he said, clearing his throat so that he sounded less husky. “There was something else you mentioned in your message. Something about the website owner’s husband?”

  “Oh yes,” Callie had forgotten all about that and had to think for a moment or two to make sure she could tell the story in a coherent manner. “This is more of what our mutual friend Sergeant Jeffries would call gossip.”

  Miller raised an eyebrow.

  “Go on,” he encouraged her. “Gossip has its uses, even if it can’t be used as evidence.”

  She told him Linda’s story about Gerry Brown.

  “And, I happen to know one of the people he dated from the website, or a website, anyway.” She suddenly realised that Kate hadn’t said exactly where she had contacted Gerry, but it couldn’t have been SSE, could it? Because then they wouldn’t have needed to set Callie up as a client, would they?

  “Anyway,” she repeated whilst she collected her thoughts. “He refused to accept that she didn’t want to see him again, and basically stalked her, even arriving at her work place demanding to see her, until she threatened to take legal action against him, which could have led to him getting struck off. She didn’t know about his transgressions with a patient of course, but it’s just–” she paused again and realised that he was showing considerable interest in what she was saying “– I just think he could be a person of interest, that’s all.”

  “Would he have access to information on Mark?” he asked.

  “I don’t think so,” she admitted. “I didn’t get Mark’s full notes from Helen until a few days ago so he could only have accessed my own notes, which didn’t have any details of his methods of starting fires.”

  “That’s a shame,” Miller said. “I don’t suppose he could have got hold of the drink cans either?”

  “I don’t see how he could,” she admitted. “His consulting room is on the first floor, so even if Mark did throw away a can in the waiting room when he came to see me, he would have had no way of knowing that, and Mark hasn’t been to see me enough times for him to have got however many you’ve collected. Three or four, isn’t it?”

  He nodded and she sighed, aware of how flimsy her case against Gerry was, but thankful that Miller hadn’t laughed outright at her information.

  “It’s just that if you are listing men who have connections to SSE, have had acrimonious divorces, and who perhaps have abnormal attitudes to women, he’s got to be on it.”

  “Quite.” He smiled. “Unfortunately, I think we’ll find that’s true of most of the men that use the website.” He looked up at the menu board. “Have you decided what you want to eat?”

  Callie looked at the board as Miller stood ready to go to the bar and order their food.

  “The sea bass, I think.” She quickly checked the rest of the board. “Yes, definitely the sea bass.”

  Miller pointed at her still almost full glass but she shook her head.

  “No, this is fine, thanks.”

  Callie checked her phone whilst Miller ordered their food and got another beer for himself, and thought about what people on their own did before the invention of smart phones. It seemed that no one was allowed to just sit anymore, they had to make sure no one thought for one moment that they weren’t busy, connected and communicating with friends or work at all times, in case they were thought of as some kind of sad loner. Fortunately, Miller returned quickly so she didn’t have to think about it too long.

  “When will you be able to get the client details from SSE?” she asked once he had sat down again.

  “Already have. Nigel’s going through the list as we speak.” He took a swig of beer. “They had everything ready for us as soon as we served the warrant, so I think you are right, they really were happy to co-operate, or, as my cynical sergeant said, they wanted to make sure no one could accuse them of not cooperating fully in case they got sued for that.”

  “He has a point. They will need to cover themselves as much as possible if they want to continue in business.”

  “I got the impression that Amelia Hepton-Lacey has already decided that SSE won’t survive this. She was busy planning to close the site down and re-open under a different name, different branding.”

  “It would be too much to suppose the new website would have a different ethos, would it?”

  “I rather think it would.” He smiled, but then his phone buzzed and he pulled it to check who was calling. Clearly it wasn’t from someone he could ignore, because with a rueful smile and a wave of apology, he took the call and hurried out into the street where the background noise would be less.

  Callie went back to examining her own phone, but, again, not for long as Miller soon hurried back to her.

  “Sorry, I have to go, something’s come up.” He grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair, before pausing. “Will you be okay?”

  “Of course,” she lied, “but you need to eat.”

  “I’ll pick up some fish and chips on my way back to the station.”

  A waitress arrived at that moment with their cutlery and condiments.

  “I don’t suppose you know anyone who might want to eat my steak and ale pie, do you,” he said to Callie. “I’ve already paid and it would be a shame to waste it.”

  “I’ll call Kate,” Callie said with a smile. “She only lives round the corner and I’m sure she’d be delighted to join me.”

  She reached for her bag. “Let me give you the money.” But by the time she had pulled out her purse, he was already on his way out of the door and the waitress was giving her a sympathetic smile.

  Callie smiled back at her and the diners at the surrounding tables who clearly thought that she had been stood up after an argument, which she had in a way, but she could hardly tell them that it was work that had come between them, calling him away. At least it probably was, she thought as she realized that she knew little of his private life except that he was married. For all she knew, he could have hordes of children too, but somehow, she thought not. She reached for her phone to ring Kate; at least she was going to make someone happy tonight.

  * * *

  “Mmm hmm. Nothing tastes better than a free dinner,” Kate said as she wiped her lips with her napkin. “Particularly when it’s steak pie.”

  She scraped the last of the pie onto her fork.

  “Just lucky you were able to get here before it was served.”

  Callie had sat for several minutes suffering the sympathetic looks from fellow customers and servers alike before Kate had breezed into the restaurant and saved the day. She had seriously considered walking out, and would have done if Kate hadn’t said she would drop everything and rescue her friend, but she hated the thought of leaving the food to go to waste, and where would she go? Home, alone and hungry? No, better to wait for Kate.

  “I can move pretty quickly when I need to,” Kate said. “Nothing worse than a cold and congealed pie.”

  “Yes,” Callie replied, although they both knew that she would never willingly eat a steak pie, whether hot or cold. Callie indicated Kate’s nearly empty glass of red wine. “Wine or coffee?”

  “Wine please, and a portion of cheese and biscuits would be good.”

  With a shake of her head, Callie went to the bar to order w
ine, cheese and a decaff for herself. Kate need never know.

  When she returned to her seat, Callie pulled out the mobile phone Kate had lent her and that she had been using when texting the men from the SSE website and pushed it across the table to her friend.

  “Thanks for lending me this, but I won’t be needing it anymore.”

  “Why?” Kate asked as she spread lashings of butter onto a cream cracker and added a generous chunk of stilton, completely ignoring Callie’s look of disapproval.

  “The police are on it now. They got their warrant and Nigel is going through all the SSE clients as we speak.” She paused, and suddenly looked panicked. “Oh my goodness!”

  “What?”

  “He’ll find me, my details will be on there.”

  “Relax, we put in fake ones for you, remember?”

  “Yes, but once he realises they are fake, he’ll check the profile, won’t he?”

  “And won’t be able to recognise you. No one would.”

  “But what if he does? What should I do?”

  “Look, Callie. Calm down. He’ll be concentrating on the men anyway, once he’s identified the three victims. What Miller will want to know is who has contacted all three of them – and then they’ll be busy arresting anyone who has, I should imagine. They are not going to be looking at all the other women on there.”

  “You’re right.” She took a deep breath. “I know you’re right. I’d just be happier if we took my profile down, just in case.”

  “That’s fine, I’ll do that for you, I promise. Tonight. Although Lee and Lance will be heartbroken.”

  Callie was relieved. Kate had convinced her that all would be well.

  “I really don’t care how disappointed they are.”

  “You did swap to WhatsApp after the initial contact, didn’t you?”

  “Yes.”

  “So, all you have to do is delete the conversations and their contact details and ask them to do the same, then no one will ever be the wiser. Except−”