Desperate Measures - [6]

The address was a large detached villa. A notice board by the front wall identified it as a doctor’s surgery – and gave the telephone number and opening hours.

Janine showed her ID to the officer guarding the crime scene and ducked under the tape across the driveway entrance.

Ahead she could see the forensics team were already busy. A CSI was taking photographs, documenting the victim and the surroundings. Others were erecting a screen to shield the body. Close by she saw Richard talking to Dr Susan Riley the pathologist and went to join them.

‘Susan, Richard,’ Janine said.

Richard nodded hello and gestured to the victim. ‘Donald Halliwell, sixty-four. General practitioner. The cleaner found him,’ Richard said. ‘She arrived at half-past six and he was here, like this. Keys just there.’

Janine looked at the man on the ground. Grey-haired, clean-shaven, wearing a charcoal grey suit, his blue striped shirt now soaked with blood from the wounds visible on his chest. He lay just outside the door to the building, his feet, in brown leather brogues, facing the road. A yard away from him were a bunch of keys on a leather fob.

‘Did the cleaner touch anything? Go inside?’ Janine asked.

‘No, called 999 straightaway,’ Richard said.

‘Cause of death looks fairly obvious,’ Susan said. ‘We’ll be moving him soon and hold a post-mortem tomorrow. A public place like this, we’ll be drowning in trace evidence.’

Janine nodded. Other factors might well prove to be more significant as evidence, ballistics on the weapon for example, the doctor’s relationships, any motive for someone to kill him.

‘The victim’s been shot,’ Janine said to Richard. ‘What’s the first thing you think of?’

‘Gangs, drugs,’ Richard said.

‘Exactly,’ Janine said. ‘But a GP? And in broad daylight? Were there any witnesses?’

‘No, not that we know of,’ Richard said. ‘If anyone did see it happen, you’d think they’d have told us by now. The car’s registered to his wife.’ Richard gestured across to a car in one of six bays marked Staff Only in front of the building. A sign directed patients to a car park at the rear.

‘Anything visible in the car? A bag or briefcase?’ Janine said.

Richard shook his head. ‘No. And no sign of any disturbance inside the building.’

‘The door was unlocked?’ Janine asked.

‘Yes.’

‘Was he locking up, perhaps?’ Janine said.

‘Cleaner says that was often the case, Dr Halliwell would be the last to leave before she arrived. She saw him sometimes. Shall we go in?’

Inside the surgery, there was a reception area to the right and a waiting room to the left. Behind the reception desk were photographs of the practice staff, six in all. Receptionist, practice manager, nurse and three GPs. In his photograph, Donald Halliwell looked fatherly, older than his years, Janine thought. The other two doctors, Anita Gupta and Fraser McKee, were both younger.

They walked on down the broad corridor past four consulting rooms to a bathroom and a locked storage room at the end.

The décor was in good repair, Janine noted, lemon painted walls with green flecked carpeting and white woodwork. Flowers on the reception desk scented the air, paintings hung along the corridor. Richard was right, there was no sign of anything out of place inside the premises.

Back outside, Sergeant Butchers took Janine and Richard to the pavement and introduced them to Ms Ling, the practice manager and key holder. She was a petite woman, of Chinese descent Janine guessed. Her skin was smooth and her face bare of any make-up. She looked young on first impression but Janine saw the fine lines that fanned out from her eyes and the touches of grey in her hair suggesting she was reaching middle age.

‘Ms Ling,’ Janine said, ‘I’m DCI Lewis, I’m in charge of the inquiry. And this is Detective Inspector Mayne.’

Richard said, ‘Hello.’

Ms Ling nodded. ‘Who would do such a thing?’ she said.

‘I know,’ Janine said, ‘I’m sorry. This must be a terrible shock. Have there been any other violent incidents lately? Any threats to Dr Halliwell?’

‘No,’ Ms Ling said, ‘nothing like that.’ She blinked fast and her mouth trembled.

‘We need to contact the rest of the staff,’ Janine said, ‘establish if they’re safe. Would you be able to help us? If you can give their details to these officers.’ She gestured to Lisa, Shap and Butchers.

‘Yes of course,’ said Ms Ling, ‘I’ll need to go inside for the files.’

‘We can have someone take you round to the fire door at the side,’ Janine said.

‘Dr Halliwell,’ Richard said, ‘he would usually carry a bag?’

‘Yes, a briefcase,’ said Ms Ling.

‘What would be in it?’ Janine said.

‘His prescription pad and first aid kit,’ said Ms Ling.

‘Any drugs?’ said Richard.

‘Only small amounts, single doses for emergency use,’ Ms Ling said.

‘Thank you,’ Janine said, ‘the surgery will have to remain closed until we have completed our inquiries here.’

‘Of course. I’ll get the staff details for you,’ Ms Ling said.

Janine nodded to Butchers to accompany the manager.

Lisa came over. ‘Boss, this is the doctor who was in the news yesterday over the Marcie Young inquest.’