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Back The Ringmaster
Chapters (73)
  1. Cover
  2. The Ringmaster
  3. Contents
  4. Prologue
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. Epilogue
  72. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  73. Copyright

‘Interesting question. No, but that doesn’t mean anything nowadays, with women leading such active lifestyles. And if we’re being frank here, there are objects of, shall we say, pleasure that can cause the hymen to tear without any actual male involvement.’ I was half-expecting Smithy to comment on what must have by now surely been a beetroot shade of red up my face. Alistair gave a small chuckle, as if he could feel my discomfort. He probably enjoyed it. He always was a little off-centre.

‘Okay, that came into the too-much-information category.’

‘You asked.’ Even more humour in his voice.

‘Pregnant?’

‘No, I’m not, thanks for asking, and neither was she.’

‘Oh, ha, ha. What about other traces of DNA? Her mouth had been gagged by tape, so there were sure to have been skin cells from her on that. What if she’d kissed someone? Could you get a DNA sample from their skin cells or saliva in her mouth if she’d been kissed?’

‘Honey, you have been watching far too much TV. In the real world, not likely. In this case, with the body in the water, impossible. Water is the enemy of evidence.’

‘But wouldn’t the tape have kept the water out of her mouth?’

‘She had a nose.’

Good one, Sam, I hadn’t thought of that.

‘What about fibres stuck to the tape?’

‘Can I refer back to my comment about your television viewing?’

‘I can’t help it, I’m an optimist, however unrealistic.’

‘Which is undoubtedly the best way to be, and one of the things we love about you, Sam. The tape did go to ESR for testing, so if there was anything on it, fibres, fingerprints, DNA, you’ll have to be patient and wait for them to perform their magic.’

Dunedin didn’t have its own forensic laboratory, we had to send samples off to Environmental Science and Research in Christchurch. And like all good things, they took time.

‘Anything else?’ he asked.

‘Nothing dodgy in her blood?’

‘Nothing. No alcohol, drugs. She was slightly anaemic – could have done with some iron tablets or a few good steak dinners. Speaking of which, are you sure you don’t want to hop out for a bite?’

The image of Paul, the unclad version, popped into my mind, and for some absurd reason, even though I’d say no to Alistair regardless – too much like a brother – I felt obliged to say no out of principle.

What was that all about?

52

‘Don’t touch that.’ I clamped my hands together behind my back and did my best to look nonchalant. ‘That gas-liquid chromatograph cost us forty thousand dollars, so if you don’t mind, keep your hands to yourself.’