Page 138 of Joker in the Pack

“We did that right away, but we didn’t get any hits.”

Shit. What the fuck was Ronnie playing at?

“Can you send a copy of the prints over? And a set of Fenton’s? I’ll get our tech guys to take a look too.”

“On their way. I’m going down to talk to Palmer next, but he’s been hiding behind his lawyer so far.”

“Has he said anything at all?”

“Not a dicky bird.”

Nye thumped his fist down on the desk then yanked his chair out. It looked as if he wouldn’t be going home yet after all. And what was he supposed to tell Liv?

Nothing. He’d tell her nothing for the moment. She’d only get worried.

He fired off a quick message.

Nye: Something’s come up at work. Do you want to go home with Maddie and I’ll meet you there when I’m done?

“Everything okay?” Jannie asked.

“Not really. I’ll be in the lab if anyone needs me.”

An hour later, Test-tube confirmed what Carling had already told them—the fingerprints weren’t Fenton’s.

“Then who the hell left them on that knife?” Nye growled.

“If the police database hasn’t found anything, it’s not someone with a criminal record, at least in the UK. I’ll run them through Interpol just in case.”

The call-waiting light flashed, and Nye jabbed at the button to switch to the other line. Today was turning into a nightmare. He’d need to move the restaurant booking and call Liv to apologise.

“Carling here again. I’ve spoken with Fenton Palmer.”

“And?”

“He’s giving us some bull about walking in and finding his wife dead on the floor. Now he’s claiming a mystery man broke in and killed her.”

“You believe him?”

“Not in the slightest. He’s shifty as hell. But his lawyer’s got wind of the letter from Ronnie, and he’s trying to pin everything on him.”

Bloody lawyers. Always trying to twist the facts to suit them and their guilty-as-hell clients.

“I take it you’ve compared the prints on the knife to Ronnie’s? He’s in the system already.”

“That was the second thing we did. No match.”

Nye kicked at his desk leg. “This is crazy. Why’d Fenton bury the body if he just walked in and found her like that? That alone says he’s guilty.”

“It just doesn’t make sense.”

“Any chance the prints could belong to the wife?”

“It’s possible, I suppose, but checking will be difficult. She’s been dead for years, and you saw the condition the body was in.”

Yeah, Nye did, and he could still smell it. Time hadn’t been kind.

“Try anyway.”

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