Page 24 of Drift

Jason’s look rested towards the road, but the CCTV footage didn’t follow what took his attention from the roof and caught his eye. Not unusual as only half of Jason’s property was covered.

“Didn’t you say audio was triggered on activity?”

“Hmm? Yes.” Bishop leaned in closer. “Is he speaking there?”

When Gray pressed play, no audio came through, but his body language called out interaction. Yeah, he was talking there. Odd how the CCTV didn’t pick up the audio and the stone throwing, but then the latter would have given a deliberate time cut that would be noticeable. Audio issues could be explained, but cutting the stone footage would have been a deliberate act. Those he would need to check out. “Any idea who he spoke to? Who comes and goes at this time?”

Bishop shrugged. “Just at the side of his is one of three access ways to the park. Kids are always coming and going, harassed parents too.”

Handy that the park was close for Bishop and his kids, but he could understand why the CCTV wasn’t angled its way. Graywould check on council CCTV at this time to see who came and went on the park instead.

Jason was also side on to the camera, facing away, so no lipreading could be taken from it. Whatever was said was brief, and Jason turned back to the car.

A touch on the handle saw him pull back and shake his hand before sucking his fingers, then he seemed taken with the handle for a moment before looking around the floor. He picked something up and studied it before taking it over to the set of bins and tossing it in the garden waste.

Nothing was mentioned in the initial postmortem report about marks on Jason’s fingers. Whatever had happened, must have been too small.

Gray slipped the phone away and took another sip of coffee.

“Have you noticed anyone around here that shouldn’t have been over the past few months?” he asked eventually.

Bishop shook his head. “Like I said to the other coppers, kids… parents and their kids with the park. There’s always ones from the next estate coming over. But outside of that?” He shrugged. “Just the usual: delivery drivers from Amazon and the likes. Jason was pretty hands-on with most things, so repairs he did to his own and helped me with mine.”

Gray placed his mug behind him. “Okay. Thanks, and for the coffee. The chill really isn’t helping this morning.” From his wallet, he took a card with just a name and number on. “Can you give me a call if you think of anything else? Something usually comes back when you least expect.”

“Sure.” Bishop took the card and slipped it on the windowsill. “Sorry I couldn’t be much help.” He frowned. “But they really were a lovely couple, and with a bairn on the way….”

That made Gray pause. “Jason told you?”

Bishop gave a shake of head. “Amanda told my missus. They were pretty close. It’s knocked her about, especially over the baby.”

“Did Jason know?”

Bishop smiled sadly. “No. Amanda had arranged with me and the wife for us to go around theirs on Saturday whilst they were out. Do the whole surprise thing.” His smile fell. “The bunting’s still in our shed.”

Interesting. The pesticide in the stomach didn’t seem to target a foetus. “Okay, thank you.” Gray slipped his wallet away. “Give me a call if you remember anything else.”

“Definitely.” Bishop took the hint and headed back to the front door. “Let me know if you need anything whilst you’re around there.”

“Thank you, I will,” said Gray.

“Oh, wait. There was the singing.”

Gray glanced back at Bishop. “Singing?”

He stood looking up at the bathroom window, and he cocked a sad smile. “Hmm, usually I’d have a word with him over playing his playlists a little loud, but it was quiet that day other than him belting it out in the shower.” Bishop looked Gray’s way, thoughtful. “‘Every Breath You Take’, by The Police, if I remember right.” He shrugged. “He was an opera guy, so it just seemed… odd for his usual tastes.”

Gray nodded and made a mental note as the door closed behind Bishop. Then he made his way back under the crime scene tape, the brown waste bin in the corner his focus. After slipping on his gloves and opening the door to the garage, he wheeled the bin inside. Collection came once every month, and the bin didn’t feel heavy enough to gather enough foliage for more than a week’s worth. With Jason being a botanist and most of his greenery taken care of in the compost bins he’d seen around the back, it meant this bin was only for general cleanup.

After closing the door to the garage and laying a plastic dust sheet on the floor, Gray tipped the contents out.

Twigs, some weed clippings Jason no doubt knew the names off by heart, a mixture of dust and dirt, but not much more.

Gray shifted a touch through the dirt, and a thorn caught on his glove.

He held it up to the light. About the size of a fingernail, sharp. As Gray shifted the dirt some more, six more sat amongst the debris.

He slipped the thorns inside an evidence bag and got to his feet.

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