Catch Your Death Part 7

'A First. b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l sorry I got a First.' She gazed in wonder at the sheet of paper.

'With distinction in virology. Yes, I knew already. You're a brilliant young woman, Kate.'

Tears crept down her cheeks and splashed on the backs of her hands. She was laughing and crying at the same time. A First! With a distinction! She wanted to call everyone she knew to yell the news down the phone, to dance in the streets and scream 'Look what I did' to all those sn.o.bs she'd encountered at Oxford, all those snooty men who thought women couldn't be scientists, that Marie Curie was the rule-proving exception.

Leonard grinned, and forgetting herself, Kate leaned over and hugged him.

'Sorry,' she said, 'I've made your shoulder wet.'

'I a.s.sume those are tears of happiness.'

'Yes. Yes.' But then she thought, If only Stephen was here to share my joy, and her tears turned into tears of sadness. Leonard offered her a handkerchief, so she dried her eyes, and he waved at her to keep it. Sniffing and trying to compose herself, she looked at Leonard and had this overwhelming urge to ask him something but when she opened her mouth, the question had vanished. She knew there was something she needed to ask him, not just about the fire and Stephen, or the Unit closing down, but something that had happened before, while she was staying at the Unit. If only she could drag those memories from her useless brain.

Before she could get upset about it, Leonard said, 'I have something very important to talk to you about, Kate,' and she straightened her back and concentrated.

He said, 'It makes me very proud to see that distinction in virology. And I know how proud your father would be. Viruses are one of mankind's greatest enemies, and to be involved in their study, in the fight to understand them and find ways to stop those harmful strains, well, I've always believed that this is one of the most important scientific fields. One of the most exciting too. And things have moved on so much since I was young.' He saw her attention wander and said quickly, 'Don't worry, I'm not going to tell all about what it was like when I was a lad.'

'I am interested...'

'It's okay. I don't want to talk about me right now. This is about you and your future. Kate, you could have a brilliant future in this battle against viruses. You could do a lot of good. An awful lot of good. The field needs people like you, with brains and vitality. And you have that something extra, don't you? A personal connection. Because of what happened to your parents. Dear Derek and Francesca.'

She waited for him to go on, wondering if perhaps he was about to shed a tear. But he quickly regained his composure.

'I do hope you won't think me presumptuous, but as soon as I heard your results, I got on the phone to an old friend of mine at Harvard University. Professor James Scott. A genius, and Dean of the Immunology and Infectious Diseases faculty. I told him all about you, Kate, and he wants to meet you. He'd like to see if you'd be interested in a position as a researcher in the department.'

'Oh my G.o.d. But what about my Msc at Oxford? I'm supposed to be starting that in October.'

'Wouldn't you rather go to Harvard?'

'Yes, of course, but....'

'Kate, don't worry. I'll sort it all out for you. And, in fact, again, I hope you won't think I've been presumptuous, but I've already booked you onto a flight to Boston. I'm told you'll be fit enough to get out of here next week.'

He put another envelope on her bed, this one containing an air ticket.

'So what do you say?'

She was dumbstruck. Harvard. They were renowned for having the most advanced and forward-looking immunology departments, the ideal place for a young virologist to learn and grow as a scientist. And not only that, but it was America. She had images of skysc.r.a.pers, wide avenues, Boston's beautiful old buildings, and the brightness of the new world. It was where all the most important research was being done. And, best of all, it was a long way from here. The perfect chance to make a new start.

She didn't want to be in this country any more if Stephen wasn't here.

She picked up the airline ticket and said, 'What time's the flight?'

CHAPTER 13.

'And that was it,' she said, as she finished her coffee. 'I met Professor Scott, who offered me a position, and I never came back.'

She felt a tug at her arm. Jack said, 'Mummy, I need a pee.'

'Okay. Come on. And don't say pee, say wee.'

When they got back to the table, Paul asked, 'If only Bainbridge was still alive. I bet he'd be able to help. Is there anyone else? Did you have any friends at the Unit? What about your roommate?'

Kate almost gasped. 'Yes. Sarah. She was my roommate on my second visit.' An image flashed in her head of her and Sarah fleeing the fire. 'I would have spent most of my time with her. If there was something going on, there's a good chance I would have talked to her about it.'

Excitement blossomed on Paul's face.

'Except I never had any contact with her after I left the CRU.'

'Oh.'

'I don't even remember her surname.'

'Do you think that if we went there, to see the CRU, it might jog your memory?'

'It might do.'

'Right.' He pulled the laptop back towards him.

'What are you doing?' Kate asked.

'Finding out the quickest way to get to Salisbury.'

Back in their hotel room, Kate packed her and Jack's suitcases. Her heart was beating fast and her body tingled. It was almost a s.e.xual feeling, a sense of excitement mingled with trepidation about what was to come. Jack was excited too, bouncing on the bed.

'Don't do that,' she said.

He kept bouncing.

'Jack, get down.'

Tutting and huffing he lay down on his back on the bed and said, 'Mummy, where are we going?'

'We're going for a drive down the motorway.'

'What's a motorway?'

'A highway.'

'Cool. Are we going in Paul's car?'

'Yes.'

'I don't expect it's nice as daddy's car. Daddy's car's really big and fast, isn't it?'

That's to make up for his small p.e.n.i.s, she thought. 'Yes, it is.'

'Mummy, is Paul your boyfriend?'

She couldn't see herself in any mirrors, but she was certain her cheeks had turned pink. 'No, of course he isn't. He's just my friend.'

'Your new friend. Like Billy's my new friend.'

'Yes, sweetheart. Just like that.'

Her 'new friend' was waiting in the lobby. He picked up both Kate's suitcases and strolled off with them towards his car, which was in the hotel car park. Kate noted, with another accompanying tingle, that Paul had surprisingly muscular arms. Jack trotted along behind. 'Mummy, can we stop on the highway for a KFC?'

'No.'

'Taco Bell?'

'They don't have Taco Bell in England.'

'How about a Subway?' Paul asked.

Jack screwed up his face and stuck his tongue out. 'Eww. I hate Subway.'

Paul said, 'Right, you've asked for it. We'll stop at Little Chef.'

'Alright.'

Paul and Kate exchanged a smile, and Jack looked up at them. 'Paul, my mum said you're not her boyfriend, just her friend. But she's married to my dad, so you couldn't be her boyfriend anyway, could you? Daddy wouldn't like that.'

Kate groaned. 'Ja-ack.'

She couldn't see Paul's face to ascertain whether he was amused or horrified by the idea. She knew it was stupid, but she would have been crushed if she'd seen a look of horror. And besides, Jack was dead right. Daddy wouldn't like that at all.

A minute after they left the car park, John Sampson drove in.

CHAPTER 14.

'How can I help you, sir?'

Sampson didn't think of his police ID as fake. It wasn't fake it had been removed from the still-warm body of a detective inspector and modified later so it showed Sampson's picture. It always came in handy in situations like this. Real criminals, or people who often had dealings with the law, were usually unimpressed and uncooperative. But flash a police ID at an ordinary member of the public, and act in the right, superior way, and they would fall over themselves to help you. It was easy.

He held up the ID and said, 'Who's in charge here?'

There were two receptionists behind the desk, a brunette woman and a man who Sampson was pretty sure was h.o.m.os.e.xual. He could sense it in the same way someone with a phobia of cats could sense a feline presence. He bristled as the man leaned over and said, in a poofy voice that made Sampson grit his teeth, 'The manager's not here at the moment, detective. Perhaps we can help?'

Sampson concentrated on the woman, putting a picture down on the desk in front of her. 'I believe this woman is staying with you.'

The receptionists gave each other a knowing look. Sampson said, 'Well?'

The woman said, 'She looks a lot younger in this picture, but she was staying here. She checked out this morning.'

'Was she due to check out today?'

'I'm not sure. Let me check.'

The woman knew Kate's name, even though they must have hundreds of guests come and go every day. Interesting, thought Sampson.

She brought up Kate's name on the computer screen beside her and said, 'She was supposed to be here for another week, though there's a note here to say her stay was open-ended.'

It was amazing how much confidential information people would give you if they thought you were a police official. It was the human need to gossip taken to a new level. Only fear of losing their jobs made people cautious. But if they felt they had to give the information away or had an excuse to do so they would squeal like piglets in a slaughterhouse.

'Why did you give each other a knowing look when I showed you her photo?'

The guy couldn't wait to tell him. 'She had a bit of an altercation last night with one of our babysitters.' He told him about the scene the previous evening.

'So, she and the child checked out this morning?'

'Yes, and the guy they were with.'

Sampson narrowed his eyes. This f.u.c.king h.o.m.o was giving him the creeps. 'A guy? Can you describe him?'

'Um, he had really nice eyes. Late thirties, maybe. I wouldn't make a very good witness, would I, detective?'

The woman said, 'Are they in trouble?'

Sampson counted to three under his breath and said, 'Maybe.'

The receptionists looked at each other. This was exciting.

'Do you have CCTV here?'

The h.o.m.o nodded. 'I could show you if you like.'

Sampson blanched. He nodded at the woman. 'No, you show me.'

'Okay.' She turned towards her colleague. 'Can you look after things down here, Damien?'

'I'm sure I'll manage.'

Sampson concentrated on the receptionist's b.u.t.t as she led him towards the security office. She had a nice a.r.s.e. Very womanly. Her hair was tied back in a short ponytail that exposed the back of her neck. A good spot to bite.

'What's your name?' he asked.