Behind the interrogation room, which was stark and cold with no comfort or lighting giving it the appearance of a cold war bunker, were the cells. There were three in all that held up to ten people each. They were activated by retina scan and had to have two people at the same time to open the doors. Sometimes it felt like overkill, and then every now and again they had a prisoner so dangerous it almost didn’t feel enough.
Jack looked at Liam, who had lost the jovial joker exterior that was his norm and now looked like someone you’d do your very best to avoid on a dark night. His features were stark, his expression ice-cold, almost dead. The four of them had donned the black ski-masks his friends called a bally, which he’d learned was short for balaclava.
Liam approached the woman who sat straight, her head tall on her neck, the fear she felt hidden behind bravery he admired. Liam pulled the fabric hood off her head, and Reid moved closer to see the woman blink as she tried to shield her eyes from the bright light that was pointed directly at her.
Looking over them with confusion and fear, she didn’t speak but waited. His respect for her went up even as his impatience for answers grew.
“What’s your name?” Liam demanded his cockney accent gone, just the cold, deadly undertone of a killer in the sound.
“My name is Erika McConnell.”
“What is your current job?”
“I’m a medical examiner for the Central London NHS Trust.”
“Why did you torch Tina Pugh’s body?” Liam leaned in close and bellowed the question in her face.
McConnell flinched at the sheer violence in his voice and her voice shook as she answered. “No. I didn’t do that.”
“Don’t fucking lie to me.”
“I’m not, I swear.”
Reid had a feeling she was telling the truth but stayed where he was, letting Liam handle this one.
“Why the fuck should I believe you?”
Liam paced in front of her, and her frightened eyes followed his every movement. She was a bright one this woman, and knew she had to keep her focus on the biggest threat in the room and for her, that threat was currently Liam.
“Because it’s the truth.”
Liam turned back toward her and Reid saw her flinch slightly. “Then how the fuck did someone get into your office and torch her body so it was unrecognisable?”
“My ID badge and pass were stolen.” Her words held no hint of deceit, but Reid found it far too convenient.
Liam looked at Jack, who nodded. The woman followed his gaze and noted the exchange.
She looked at Jack. “I’m telling the truth. My bag was stolen the night of the fire. I was out for dinner with friends. One minute my bag was at my feet, the next it was gone.”
Liam tilted his head, and it did nothing to lessen the dangerous vibe he gave off. “And you didn’t think to report it so they could get the codes changed?” He made it clear he didn’t believe her, even though Reid knew they all did.
“I did. I called it in as soon as I realised, but by then the fire had been started.”
“What time did you go for dinner?”
“Around eight.”
“Where?” Liam demanded getting in her face again as he fired questions at her.
“La Madelaine.”
“Who were you with?”
“Two friends from university who were visiting.”
“Names.”
“Kaye Jones and Alison Fredderick.”
Liam leaned in close, and saw McConnell pull away, her pulse beating so hard in her neck he worried she’d have a heart attack.
“We’ll be checking, and if I find out you’re lying, I’ll be back, and you don’t want that.”
Reid almost smiled at Liam’s dramatics. He knew Liam, or any of the men in that room, or fact any man at Eidolon, would never lay a finger on a woman who wasn’t coming at them with a weapon. Plus, he knew without even having to hear what Decker thought that she was telling the truth.
Liam stepped back, and Reid moved closer and covered the woman’s head with the cloth with quick efficiency. He cut her wrists and ankles free before firmly but gently pulling her to her feet. He had no desire to hurt an innocent woman. He regretted they’d had to take this approach, but he doubted she’d have answered their questions under different circumstances.
McConnell was known for being a stickler, and she wouldn’t speak to anyone outside of the investigation about the break-in or fire. Now they had some answers at least and a place to start looking for the person who’d stolen her bag and most likely started the fire.
Once McConnell’s head was covered, Liam led her by her elbow to the exit where he and Lopez would load her into a van and drive her back to where they’d snatched her. She would be none the wiser as to where they’d been or who had come for her. It would probably leave her edgy and more aware of her surroundings, but Reid didn’t think that was a bad thing.
The men shed their ski-masks and Reid and Jack looked at Decker.
“Well?” Jack placed his hands on his hips impatiently as he waited for Decker to respond.
“She’s telling the truth.”
Jack nodded and pulled out his phone. “Will, I need CCTV from La Madeleine in Covent Garden. Jolie McConnell had her bag stolen from there the night Tina Pugh died. I want to know who took it and where they went next. Also, run background checks on the women with her, a Kaye Jones and Alison Fredderick.”
Reid waited as Jack went silent on his end, listening to whatever his brother was saying. Jack sighed and looked to the ceiling. “I know we do but until you have Lopez up to speed with your programmes, you have to fucking help me.” Jack paused again. “I don’t give a flying fuck if Aubrey is going to kick your ass for working late again.”
Reid smirked at the thought of a henpecked Will Granger, and then Callie came to mind, and he realised that perhaps it was worth a little nagging if he could go home to her every night as Will did with Aubrey.
“Fine. Next time I come over I’ll bring her some.… Yes, yes, Sunday as usual.” Jack hung up and looked at his men, who were openly grinning.
“Don’t fucking look at me like that. Aubrey is a ball-buster when she starts. I don’t know how Will copes with her.”
But Reid could tell by the grin on Jack’s face he had a lot of affection for his soon to be sister-in-law, not least because she’d healed the seemingly insurmountable rift between the brothers.
Decker chuckled. “Maybe because he loves her.”
“Yeah, well, as long as he finds the fucker who torched that body, he can love whoever the hell he likes.” Jack paused then and seemed to change his mind. “No scrap that, he has to marry Aubrey. That woman makes the best damn Yorkshire puddings I’ve ever tasted.”
Reid shook his head and laughed. “Well, now that’s cleared up, what’s the plan?”
Jack looked at him, his face cleared of anything except the job. “Now we wait and see what Waggs and Blake find and see if Will can find the arsonist. Do you have any news from Mitch on the investigation?”
“Not a lot. At least not that they’re sharing yet.” Decker was in constant contact with Mitch.
“I need to find the stalker so Callie can relax.” Reid ran a hand over his hair and thought of his sunshine and how she’d looked this morning when he’d woken her with his mouth.