Cassandra Leuchars, died a few years ago. I asked about Pollyâs father but nobody seems to know who that is.â
A hand went up at the back. âMaâam?â
âYes?â Lou didnât know this one. A brown-haired chap, older.
âDC Ron Mitchell. We just had reports come in of another body being found this morning, might be linked to thisâdid you get that already?â
Lou hated to be wrong-footed, especially in a briefing. âThanks, Ron, could you enlighten us, please?â
âI got a report from Briarstone nick. Theyâve been dealing with a suspected suicide, complicated by the husband of the deceased keeling over with a heart attack when a patrol went round to break the news. Dog walker saw a car had gone over the quarry cliff at Ambleside, called it in. Initial patrol and paramedics went down via the access track. Too ropey for cars, unfortunately, so they got down there on foot. After that it took a while to get the rescue team to get some climbing gear down there. Anyway, thereâs a womanâs body in the driverâs seat of the car. Bit of a mess. The carâs a silver Corsa, late model. Registration in the name of a Mrs. Barbara Fletcher-Norman, address Hayselden Barn, Cemetery Lane, Mordenâright across the road from Hermitage Farm.â
That got everyoneâs attention.
âWhat happened with the husband?â Lou said.
âThey got to the address and the old man was getting out of the shower. Said he thought his wife had gone out early, that he got back from work late last night and went to bed, assumed she was out with friends. So he hadnât seen her since yesterday morning when he left for work.â
âRight,â said Lou, not sure where this was heading.
âWell, then it gets interesting.â Ron, loving the attention, flipped over the pages of his notebook with a flourish. âThey went into the kitchen with him, and thereâs what looks like blood in there. Not all over the place, but the kitchenâs a mess, and thereâs blood on a tea towel by the sink. Husband seems dead shocked by this. Claims he never went into the kitchen last night or this morning. Pretty soon he starts having trouble breathing, then all of a sudden he goes gray and collapses. They called for Eden District Ambulance Trust and did CPR in the meantime but it was a few minutes before the ambulance got there. I think it was the one that had been up at the cottage.â
Lou looked across the faces for someone reliable and unfortunately alighted on Andy Hamilton. The call from Buchanan must have been about this. What were the chances? Two bodies from adjacent properties, on the same morning, in a tiny place like Morden? They had to be linked.
âAndy, theyâll probably open a second case for this, even though it might be part of our job. Can you find out whoâs in charge and see if you can take it on? We wonât be able to get a search team or CSI in there but we need to make sure the Barn is sealed off until we can treat it as a scene. We donât know itâs linked, but I think for now we should assume it is.â
âMaâam.â Andy smiled warmly, clearly pleased with himself for landing a juicy job.
âRon, anything else?â
âBriarstone ran a next-of-kin check through the old boyâs work and the only name they came up with was a Mrs. Taryn Lewis, daughter of Brian Fletcher-Norman, the husband. Turns out sheâs not spoken to her father for months. Thatâs about where weâve got to.â
âWhere is this place in relation to our cottage, exactly?â
âA hundred yards or so away, no more.â
âRight.â Lou digested the information, working out the best step forward with it. âThanks, Ron. Howâs Mr. Fletcher-Norman doing, do we know?â
âHeâs in intensive care in Briarstone General. Not looking too bright. Be lucky to get an interview