‘No, but they’ve worked out what it was wrapped in.’ I waited. ‘A towel,’ he said.
‘Makes sense, I suppose. He could easily bathe a towel in a spirit so it was ready to go up when he dropped it in the bin …’
‘And that’s what saved us. The spirit on the surface burned so brightly that the fire brigade were called out immediately. Part of the towel survived …’
‘What do you mean? Was there something on there?’
‘One word, embroidered, almost intact,’ said Sutty. ‘Midland.’
‘Like the Midland Hotel? Was he staying there?’
‘How should I know?’ he said, grabbing his keys. ‘I found out five seconds ago.’ We were both going for the door. ‘Question is, why would Smiley Face break into the Palace if he was staying in a hotel just up the road?’
I thought about it as we walked down the hall. ‘He’s got to have some connection with the Palace, something we’re missing.’
‘Hm,’ said Sutty, pushing through a door.
‘Anyway, the Midland could have a record of his name, his card details.’
‘I’ll be sure to ask them.’
I stopped.
‘The Super was crystal-clear, Aidan. You’re off the smiling man.’ He walked on.
‘We found that towel in the dustbin,’ I shouted at his back. ‘That’s my case.’ Even I thought it sounded weak, and he didn’t stop. ‘What about the cloakroom ticket?’ I said. He ground to a halt. ‘It could be with the concierge at the Midland. All his stuff could be there …’
Sutty turned, pursed his lips. ‘Remind me what that ticket number was.’
‘I’ll tell you when we get there.’
He half-shrugged. ‘Whatever.’
9
The Midland was a hotel of a similar vintage to the Palace, although certainly grander and with business still booming. Another enormous redbrick built in the early 1900s, listed, and replete with terracotta and polished granite. The hotel’s name was written in large gold-leaf letters above the entrance and it dominated St Peter’s Street, facing the central library and the square. They said that Hitler had wanted it as the Nazi HQ of Great Britain.
We approached the front desk at a pace. It felt like the first development in the case and had fallen out of nowhere. More importantly, we’d missed what might have been vital clues and both felt it keenly. It was early evening and well-dressed couples were entering the hotel, for rooms, drinks, spa treatments or dinners. Sutty and I stood out a mile, and the man at the front desk acknowledged us like a glitch in an otherwise flawless program.
‘Good evening, welcome to the Midland Hotel. How can I help?’
‘Well we don’t want a room,’ said Sutty. ‘I’m Detective Inspector Sutcliffe and this is my colleague Detective Constable Waits. We’re here in connection with a suspicious death that occurred in the Palace Hotel three days ago.’
The man frowned slightly. ‘Good evening, Detectives. I’m very happy to help you in any way that I can, but as far as I’m aware the Midland has no affiliation with the Palace.’
‘I understand that, sir,’ said Sutty. ‘But we have reason to believe that the victim may have been staying at the Midland in the days leading up to his death. There are three lines of enquiry we’d like to pursue. First of all, we’ll need to see the room our man stayed in. Secondly, we’d like to speak to the concierge for any items he might have left here. A cloakroom ticket was found in his possession and it’s our hope that it was issued at the Midland. Thirdly, we’ll need to review any CCTV footage from the duration of our man’s stay. We’d also like to speak to any staff or guests who might have interacted with him.’
‘I see,’ said the receptionist, looking between us. ‘May I ask for this gentleman’s name?’
‘Well, there’s our first problem,’ said Sutty. ‘Because fuck knows.’
The young man at the desk called his manager. When he saw Sutty and me, he acknowledged us with the same momentary wince as his colleague. As Sutty explained again why we were there he grew pale.
‘Perhaps we’d be more comfortable speaking in my office?’
‘How many check-outs have you had this week?’ said Sutty, ignoring him.
‘Without a name, you’re asking the impossible. We have over three hundred rooms, over five hundred guests coming and going at all times. If this man has died, and I’m truly sorry to hear that, then he may not even have checked out at all. Even if he has, his room will have been immaculately cleaned, most likely re-booked and have entirely different people staying in it.’
‘Start making a list,’ said Sutty. The concierge, summoned moments before, arrived at the front desk. ‘While you’re at it we’ll check the luggage. Our man was definitely in town as of last week, and travelling alone if that’s any help. I’m sure we’ll find your office.’
‘Right …’ said the manager. ‘Yes, Rory, if you could help these two gentlemen, they’re looking for a piece of luggage possibly left here a couple of days ago.’
We were led beyond the front desk, to a side room.
‘Do you have the ticket?’ asked the young man.
‘We’ve got the number,’ I said. ‘831. Would you mind handling the item with these?’ I passed him some latex gloves.
He nodded and disappeared into the room.
Sutty looked at me, pulling on his own gloves. ‘If it’s a suitcase filled with cash we split it, sixty–forty.’
‘Deal, but it won’t be.’
‘Makes you so sure?’
‘The cash was the last thing he burned because it was the least important thing to him. I think he was dismantling his life, whatever it was. He started with the important stuff.’
‘Like …?’
‘Well, he travelled here from somewhere. With terminal cancer that must have been for some desperate reason, and he knew he’d never leave. I think he sent his documents and personal effects up in smoke in the first two fires. If he knew he didn’t need them any more, and if they made him in any way traceable, they’d be the first things to go.’
‘So you do think he topped himself …’
I shook my head. ‘Someone got to him first. If he’d killed himself, we never would have found him. The cancer, the fires, the anonymity. I think he was burning his stuff because he’d run out of road.’
‘Well, you’d know.’
I nodded. ‘You need me on this. You couldn’t find out who he was if his passport was in his pocket.’
‘Someone’s getting brave.’
‘Maybe you’re just less intimidating than you think, Sutts.’
‘Why, all of a sudden? Cus there’s a price on your head?’
I looked at him. ‘Parrs told you.’
‘The street told me. Who do you think spotted Blunt Trauma Billy back in January? Who do you think kicked his door in and pulled your fucking address out of his throat?’ He was breathing hard through his nose. ‘Y’know why you’re with me, Aid? In the relegation zone? Come on, take a wild guess.’
But I already knew the answer.
‘You’re the only one who’d work with me,’ I said.
‘Following evidence to a logical conclusion. Maybe you’re not a lost cause after all.’
The concierge emerged from the cloakroom carrying a brown leather suitcase.
‘Was this the item you were looking for, sir?’
Sutty took it from him. ‘Nothing else against that number?’
‘Everything else is accounted for on other tickets. I did take the liberty of looking for the tickets which would have been issued immediately before or after 831, but they’ve all been collected.’
‘Light,’ said Sutty, holding up the case. He shook it and some hard objects moved about inside. ‘Let’s go talk to the manager.’
10
‘How’s that list coming?’ said Sutty, as we walked into the office.
‘I’m afraid it might take—’
‘Out then.’
The manager did a double-take and Sutty glowered at him.
‘We’ll only be a moment,’ I said. ‘We’d like to look at the man’s personal effects and don’t know what they’ll be yet. There could be sensitive, even disturbing or dangerous items in there.’
‘Well,’ he said, getting to his feet. ‘By all means disturb and endanger my office.’ He moved briskly past us, closing the door discreetly behind him. What a pro, I thought.