The Whole Truth

‘Impossible to say for sure. It might be worth trying to get hold of any photos taken at the dinner, see if they show anything.’

‘Is there likely to be any DNA?’

She raises an eyebrow. ‘I wouldn’t bet on it. I took fingernail scrapings though I doubt they’ll yield much. But you said Morgan hadn’t showered, so if there are marks on him and she made them, we’ve got a pretty good chance of proving it.’

‘And how did she seem to you, in general?’

Mukerjee considers. ‘Surprisingly composed, actually. She was a bit stressed when she first came in, and the lawyer fidgeting about like a mother hen probably didn’t help, but as soon as we got into it she calmed down at once.’

‘I guess she’s a scientist. Of sorts, anyway.’

‘Funnily enough, that’s exactly what she said. That she found the environment soothing, because it’s what she’s used to.’

Mukerjee picks up her water. ‘One thing’s for sure – she was a lot more composed than most people in her position. The lawyer couldn’t wait to get out of there but Fisher made a point of stopping and thanking me. She said that when it came down to it my job was the same as hers: it was all about the facts. And the facts would prove she’s telling the truth.’

* * *

When Clive Conway gets to the St Luke Street house it’s a uniformed PC who opens the door.

‘Afternoon, Puttergill. Some sort of rave round here last night, was there?’ he says, scraping his shoes on the mat. ‘There’s bits of glass all over the step.’

Puttergill looks blank, then ducks his head outside to look. ‘Is there? I can’t see anything.’

‘Curse of CSI,’ says Conway with a sigh. ‘Every random bit of crap looks like trace evidence.’ He unloads his forensic case in the hall and closes the door behind him. ‘So you got dumped on too, did you?’

Puttergill grins. ‘I was on roster anyway and this place is a hell of a sight nicer than the Cowley Road squad room. Doesn’t smell of cabbage for a start.’

Conway smiles drily; Puttergill’s only six months out of police training college. He’ll learn.

‘Anyone else here?’

Puttergill shakes his head. ‘There’s a cleaner around looking after the kid. Funny little bugger – took one look at me and ran off like a bat out of hell.’

Conway looks sardonic. ‘Next time, try not to pull your baby-frightening face.’

Puttergill laughs. ‘Just wait till he sees you in your nuclear war gear.’

The other curse of CSI – airtight onesies in a heatwave. Brings a whole new meaning to ‘high’ summer.

Conway raises an eyebrow. ‘Well, unless you’ve stumbled over a corpse in the conservatory, I think I can wing it with the basics.’ He opens his case and pulls out a mask. ‘Right, sooner I start, sooner I get a beer.’

* * *

Video-Recorded Interview with Caleb Morgan, conducted at the Holm Oak Sexual Assault Referral Centre, Oxford

7 July 2018, 6.15 p.m.

In attendance, DCV. Everett; observing by video link from adjacent room,DCG. Quinn

VE: OK, as I explained outside, I’m going to try to get as much detail down now as I can, so we have as full a statement as possible. We don’t want to ask you to go through this again if we can avoid it, so please try to tell me everything you can remember, OK?

CM: OK.

VE: And like I said, we are recording this, and if there’s a court case this tape may be used in evidence. Do you need me to explain anything more about that?

CM: No, I understand. And I’ve got the leaflets and stuff.

VE: OK, perhaps I could ask you to start by telling me how you came to be at Professor Fisher’s house yesterday evening.

CM: I was babysitting. She was at that dinner so I was babysitting Tobin.

VE: Have you done that before?

CM: [nods]

Yeah, I do it a lot. The money’s useful and Tobin’s a nice kid. I have a brother who’s only a bit older than him. Well, half-brother really, but I’m used to being around boys his age.

VE: Is it common for dons to use their students as babysitters?

CM: [shrugs]

I don’t know anyone else who does it. But that’s Marina all over – she’s not really one for sticking to the rules.

VE: That’s what you call her – ‘Marina’?

CM: Most of the postgrads call their supervisors by their first names – it’s no big deal.

VE: How would you describe your relationship?

CM: [quickly]

It’s not a relationship – not like that, anyway.

VE: I wasn’t implying anything. I’m just trying to get a full picture. So you weren’t just tutor and student, would that be fair? Given that she trusts you with her child?

CM: I guess. We have a laugh. And she really is phenomenal. Intellectually, I mean. Seriously cutting-edge. What I said about her not sticking to the rules, I meant it in a good way – you can’t just do the same old same old, not in our field. You’ve got to take risks, challenge the status quo.

VE: Sounds like you admire her.

CM: [shrugs]