THROUGH THE GLASS DARKLY - OLD SINS CAST LONG SHADOWS

OLD SINS CAST LONG SHADOWS - EPISODE EIGHT

XXVI

BANISHING GHOSTS

"How did you work that one out?" Allum-Edwards asked.

We sat in his office, drinking the worst coffee I ever tasted.

"I guessed they weren't brother and sister by just the way they were in each other's company."

"But to solve two cases in one go," the DI persisted. "And one a five-year-old cold case, takes some doing."

"Lucky."

"Lucky? Good God man, with that sort of luck, I would do the lottery at every opportunity." I laughed at his praise.

"Tell me, how did you do it?"

"I aimed to reconstruct the crime. Like placing once card on top of the other when you are building a house of cards. And when the facts do not fit, the cards fall, and the house collapses, and I start again."

"So, where did you start?"

"From the only place, possible, with the murder of Lady Casterton. I could not believe her nephew could be innocent. And by pure straightforward and simple elimination, I perceived from the proper angle of vision, Jan Burton read the time in reverse and giving Casterton an alibi, he did not even now he had. Such a stroke of luck he continued the way he thought he could continue. But he stalled. Because life has a way of evening itself out-and-out, and his GP gave him a bleak diagnosis." I paused to sip my coffee and managed to do it without wincing. "Then, of course, someone dressed as Saskia Bandini goes up to the house as if to fulfil a long-term agreement. But it was not Saskia Bandini. Aziz Khalifa, or Ahmad Abboud, happened to be feminine looking enough to pull off a half-decent interpretation. His only problem when he arrived, Casterton was already dead. Probably worried at first Mia had done it. She had been in the kitchen cooking as arranged. Completely, out of the way. No better alibi for someone than the burning of the cake." Allum-Edwards chuckled.

"I realized I should always start an investigation with the simplest and most obvious of theories. Casterton found dead in a locked room. His insurance policy burnt in the grate of a small fire -- strong drugs beside a bottle of whisky. The policy had a no-pay out suicide clause as most policies do. He wanted to leave Mia well off, but Mia already intended to kill him."

"But how did you work out Aziz Khalifa and Ahmad Abboud, were the same person."

"Vetus summa donec proiceret peccata obumbrates," I said slowly.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Vetus summa donec proiceret peccata obumbrates," I repeated. "Old sins cast long shadows."

"Now, where did I see that before," AllumEdwards said thoughtfully.

"On the desk beside Casterton's laptop, a sheet of paper, with the phrase 'Old Sins Cast Long

Shadows', written in hesitating, shaky handwriting."

"Meaning?"

"He knew who Aziz and Mia were," I said, "I bet he already worked out a plan to blackmail them until his leukaemia diagnosis came through, and then there just no point."

"God, what a mess."

Behind me, a little tap on the office door, and Katya Rodriguez came into the room.

"Not disturbing anything, am I?" 

"No, of course not," Allum-Edwards exclaimed. "How can I help you, doctor?"

"Well," she smiled as she sat down in the chair next to mine, slowly crossing her legs. "I've come to check with our private detective friend here, whether he is still taking me out for dinner tonight?"

Allum-Edwards looked at me with jealous admiration. "Dinner?" 

"Yes," I said, sheepishly. "I asked Katya the other day. Found out that we like the same things and mutually agreed to go out for dinner together."

"Well, don't let me keep you," his voice was full of humourous sarcasm. "I'll finish up the paperwork, while you two go out on a jolly up."

"Well, theoretically detective inspector it is your case. So, if you do the paperwork, you might as well have the kudos for the case."

I stood up and shook his hand, as he sat in his chair, with his mouth open like a goldfish but an expression of sheer gratitude all over his face.