Page 98 of Return Ticket

“No?” Teddy Roe crowed. “Someone trussed him up and left him for you to find?”

“They did.” James tried to keep a straight face. “A bobby found him this morning on his rounds.”

“Really?” Gabriella frowned. “Who would . . .?”

He saw the moment she figured it out.

She threw back her head and laughed. Then sobered up. “He didn’t see who it was, did he?”

“No.” James had also been a bit worried about that. “They wore masks.”

“Well.” Ruby looked from one to the other. “You know who, by the looks of things?”

“Maybe.” Gabriella smiled. “I’ll thank them later.”

“He wasn’t there when you got home from the hospital?” James had only thought about the fact that Tanner could have been waiting for her when she got home from the hospital after he had the call about Tanner being found tied up.

“His car was parked near the house, but we didn’t think he was in it. Ruby was at the hospital to sort out Teddy Roe’s paperwork, so we took a taxi back to my flat together, and even the taxi driver helped check to make sure he wasn’t lurking inside the house,” Gabriella said.

He should have considered the possibility, but he didn’t say anything. His apology needed to be a private one.

“What about Blythe? Can you tell us anything there?” Gabriella asked.

“He went to the garden shed, Gabriella tells me,” Teddy Roe said. “I was right, weren’t I?”

“I’m recommending you for a commendation, Mr. Roe.” James had submitted the paperwork that afternoon. “Without your information, another woman would be dead, and the killer would not have been caught.”

“Well.” For once, Teddy Roe was speechless.

“I think that’s a wonderful thing to do.” Ruby was a little teary-eyed.

Gabriella glanced at him, and he saw a sheen in her eyes, too.

“It’s very justified, Mr. Roe.” Gabriella reached out and patted the old man’s hand. “Your information was a life-saver.”

“Makes up for what happened in the war, a bit.” Teddy Roe brushed his cheek, and James realized that Teddy was crying, too. “They didn’t listen to me, and I was too messed up in the head to be believed. But you believed me, all of you. But especially you.” He looked over at James. “You’re the law, and you took me serious, you did.”

Ruby cleared her throat, and they all started eating again.

“We found evidence at Blythe’s house that links him to the Blitz murders, and to the more recent deaths.” James worded his comment carefully. “I can’t say more than that, and I’ll ask you to keep what I’ve said confidential, but we have a strong case for prosecution.”

“What did he have to say for himself?” Gabriella asked.

James shook his head. “Not much. His lawyer tried to keep him quiet, but he said a few things under caution that show a . . . disturbed mind, and a hatred for women.”

“He didn’t tell you why he did it?” Ruby asked.

“He said the darkness gave him permission. There were no eyes on him, and he could be himself.” James wasn’t sure whether to believe that, but he was afraid that might be the clearest reason they would get.

James couldn’t see the man he’d spoken to for hours that afternoon ever explaining the dark fantasies that drove him. He was too much of a coward.

“What about Katie Brompton, his victim?” Ruby asked. “We tried to find out how she’s doing but they wouldn’t tell us.”

“She came through surgery in a stable condition, but she’s still in a coma. They need to wait for the swelling to go down before they can see whether she still has brain function.” And James thought it would be a miracle if she did. Her skull had been indented by Blythe’s hammer strike.

“What news do you have about your father?” Ruby turned to Gabriella, skillfully changing the topic.

“Ben’s boss has sent him a letter. He reckons my father will pass it on tohislawyer, and we might hear from them as early as next week.” Gabriella twined her fingers together, and he could see the thought of a response made her very nervous.

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