to keep you waiting but I expected you earlier, so when you didn’t show, I popped out to see someone. I’m Dick Reynolds.’
Anna stood up and shook his hand. ‘Anna Travis.’
‘Nice to meet you. Do you want to come through to the news desk?’ He bent down to pick up her briefcase and gestured that she should follow him. ‘If you’d prefer, we can bag someone’s office, more private; crime section’s a bit like Piccadilly Circus!’ He held open a swing door, standing to one side to allow her to pass in front of him.
‘Whatever,’ she said, pleasantly. It made a nice change from the usual stride and swinging doors of Langton and his mob.
‘Someone’s office’ turned out to be a cordoned-off corner with a desk cluttered with bright potted plants, stacks of papers and computer.
‘Right, have a seat, and I’ll get some coffee organised.’
Dick left her for only a moment before returning and giving her a lovely wide smile. ‘On its way, Anna. Right, how can I help you?’
‘It’s about the article you wrote, which showed a photograph of the murder victim Louise Pennel.’
‘Right, yes; what about it?’
‘I need to know where you got the photograph from.’
‘Well, that’s easy: from a journalist that worked here.’
‘You linked Louise Pennel’s murder and another case?’
‘Right, the Black Dahlia. To be honest, it was a bit far-fetched; I hadn’t even heard of the old case, but as they both had a flower in their hair, it was just something to hook the story onto really. I didn’t have much else to go on, as we hadn’t had a press release.’
‘Have you since read up on the Black Dahlia case?’
‘No, I’ve been on the missing kid from Blackheath.’
‘So the only similarity between the two cases, as far as you’re concerned, was the flower?’
‘Yep.’
‘You said you got the photograph from another journalist; did he mention to you the Black Dahlia case?’
‘No. I wouldn’t have known anything about it, but I got an anonymous letter that likened your girl, Louise Pennel, to…’ He frowned. ‘Elizabeth Short was the other victim, wasn’t she? Happened years ago in Los Angeles.’
‘Yes; have you checked into any details of her case?’
‘Nope; went on the internet to get a bit of info, but to be truthful, it was sort of sidelined by this young boy that’s missing; he’s only twelve.’
‘Do you still have the letter?’
‘No. I should maybe have kept it, because you are here and there’s obviously something going on, but we get a shedload of crank letters every time we headline a murder story. I spoke to someone investigating the case, Richmond station. I did tell them I’d destroyed it. I’m sorry.’
‘Can you recall exactly what it said?’
Dick looked to the door as a young secretary carried in a tray of coffee and a packet of biscuits. By the time he had offered milk and sugar and then leaned back in his chair, Anna was feeling very relaxed in his company.
‘It didn’t say much; just that the Black Dahlia killer was never caught. It also said that there was now another one, the Red Dahlia. In the photograph we had, the flower in Louise’s hair looked like a rose to me, but it made a good header.’
‘Was it handwritten?’
‘No, it was typed. Not from a computer; well, I don’t think it was, because it was quite heavy print. It was on a piece of cheap lined paper.’
‘I have to ask you that if you do get any further contacts regarding the Louise Pennel case, you get in touch with me immediately. This is my direct line.’ Anna handed him her card. He slipped it into his wallet as she put her coffee cup back into the saucer. ‘Thank you very much for your time.’
‘My pleasure. Have you had lunch?’
‘Pardon?’
‘I said, have you had lunch? Only I haven’t, and there’s a nice pub a few minutes away.’
She flushed and buttoned her coat, unable to look at him. ‘I have to get back, but thank you for the
Anna stood up and shook his hand. ‘Anna Travis.’
‘Nice to meet you. Do you want to come through to the news desk?’ He bent down to pick up her briefcase and gestured that she should follow him. ‘If you’d prefer, we can bag someone’s office, more private; crime section’s a bit like Piccadilly Circus!’ He held open a swing door, standing to one side to allow her to pass in front of him.
‘Whatever,’ she said, pleasantly. It made a nice change from the usual stride and swinging doors of Langton and his mob.
‘Someone’s office’ turned out to be a cordoned-off corner with a desk cluttered with bright potted plants, stacks of papers and computer.
‘Right, have a seat, and I’ll get some coffee organised.’
Dick left her for only a moment before returning and giving her a lovely wide smile. ‘On its way, Anna. Right, how can I help you?’
‘It’s about the article you wrote, which showed a photograph of the murder victim Louise Pennel.’
‘Right, yes; what about it?’
‘I need to know where you got the photograph from.’
‘Well, that’s easy: from a journalist that worked here.’
‘You linked Louise Pennel’s murder and another case?’
‘Right, the Black Dahlia. To be honest, it was a bit far-fetched; I hadn’t even heard of the old case, but as they both had a flower in their hair, it was just something to hook the story onto really. I didn’t have much else to go on, as we hadn’t had a press release.’
‘Have you since read up on the Black Dahlia case?’
‘No, I’ve been on the missing kid from Blackheath.’
‘So the only similarity between the two cases, as far as you’re concerned, was the flower?’
‘Yep.’
‘You said you got the photograph from another journalist; did he mention to you the Black Dahlia case?’
‘No. I wouldn’t have known anything about it, but I got an anonymous letter that likened your girl, Louise Pennel, to…’ He frowned. ‘Elizabeth Short was the other victim, wasn’t she? Happened years ago in Los Angeles.’
‘Yes; have you checked into any details of her case?’
‘Nope; went on the internet to get a bit of info, but to be truthful, it was sort of sidelined by this young boy that’s missing; he’s only twelve.’
‘Do you still have the letter?’
‘No. I should maybe have kept it, because you are here and there’s obviously something going on, but we get a shedload of crank letters every time we headline a murder story. I spoke to someone investigating the case, Richmond station. I did tell them I’d destroyed it. I’m sorry.’
‘Can you recall exactly what it said?’
Dick looked to the door as a young secretary carried in a tray of coffee and a packet of biscuits. By the time he had offered milk and sugar and then leaned back in his chair, Anna was feeling very relaxed in his company.
‘It didn’t say much; just that the Black Dahlia killer was never caught. It also said that there was now another one, the Red Dahlia. In the photograph we had, the flower in Louise’s hair looked like a rose to me, but it made a good header.’
‘Was it handwritten?’
‘No, it was typed. Not from a computer; well, I don’t think it was, because it was quite heavy print. It was on a piece of cheap lined paper.’
‘I have to ask you that if you do get any further contacts regarding the Louise Pennel case, you get in touch with me immediately. This is my direct line.’ Anna handed him her card. He slipped it into his wallet as she put her coffee cup back into the saucer. ‘Thank you very much for your time.’
‘My pleasure. Have you had lunch?’
‘Pardon?’
‘I said, have you had lunch? Only I haven’t, and there’s a nice pub a few minutes away.’
She flushed and buttoned her coat, unable to look at him. ‘I have to get back, but thank you for the
Similar Books
