Pop Goes the Weasel | страница 46



‘I’m afraid not, but downstairs reception is covered. I’m sure the management company would let you have whatever you need.’

He was so desperate to help, so keen to clear up this mess. Helen wanted to put him out of his misery, but couldn’t.

‘We have no reason to believe this is specifically aimed at you, but is there anyone you can think of who might have wanted to target you in this way? Someone you’ve let go recently? A disgruntled client? A family member?’

‘We do IT,’ McPhail replied, as if this explained everything. ‘It’s not the kind of business where you make enemies. All our guys – and girls – have been with us for months, if not years. So, no, I… I don’t know of anyone who’d do something like this…’

He petered out.

‘Try not to be too concerned by it. I’m sure it’s a prank. We’ll have officers here for the next couple of days, talking to staff, but you should try and go about your everyday business. No reason why a sick joke should cost you money.’

McPhail nodded, looking a touch more reassured, so Helen hurried down to reception. Charles Holland, the management company rep, had arrived and was waiting for her. He hurriedly sought out the morning’s CCTV tapes, desperate to hand over responsibility for this unpleasantness to somebody else. The forensics team had arrived now and were making their way upstairs to recover the heart, exciting the interest of Zenith’s exiled staff. It was an interesting development – delivering the victim’s heart to his workplace rather than his home. It was riskier for sure, but was guaranteed to make much more of a splash. Was that the point? What sort of game was this?

And where would it end?


30

She didn’t waste any time. Sticking to the back routes, Helen sped across town. She was being overcautious, but it was perfectly possible that one of the startled workers in the Zenith building would alert the press, and Helen was determined not to be followed. She was heading to the Reid household – to destroy happiness and inflict pain – and she wanted to be absolutely sure she was alone.

Jessica Reid’s face changed colour so quickly when she saw Helen’s warrant card that Helen thought she was going to faint. Alison Vaughn, an experienced Family Liaison officer whom Helen had asked to attend, was quick off the mark. A comforting hand on the elbow, then she shepherded the terrified Jessica inside. Helen followed, shutting the front door gently behind her.