Lost Cause (A Daisy Dunlop Mystery ~ Book 1)

Chapter Twenty

Daisy sighed, and rolled her shoulders. She'd been slaving over a hot computer all afternoon looking for connections between Zut, John, Jason, and Maureen. She'd done a timeline of where in the world Maureen had performed based on her official Facebook page and fan sites. Zut's band was a little harder to track, with much of the detail coming from advertising by venues where they played. The band had only been formed three months ago, and there were big holes in their history. However details on a former band, and Zut's solo career, had been a little easier to find.

"I think Maureen and Zut met at a music festival in Germany back in February."

Solomon glanced up from his own computer screen. "Music festivals are huge. Were they on stage together?"

Daisy shook her head. "Nope."

"Keep looking."

She checked a few more links. "Apparently Zut and the Newtonians performed at a pub in Burley last night. Do you live in the New Forest?"

Solomon shrugged.

So, he lived in yuppy heaven. He must be making serious cash as a P.I. if he owned a house in Burley. She glanced at him. He was probably rocking the P.I. image and had a whole wardrobe of the Armani suits he seemed to favor and kept a sports car tucked away in his thatch-roofed garage.

Funny, she thought a large studio apartment with clean lines, steel and chrome everywhere would be more his thing than a cute country cottage. Perhaps he had a pretty wife and lots of baby Solomons stashed in the country. Although a happily married Solomon was unlikely, especially as some crazy bitch had been in the office screaming about him only the day before, and Daisy couldn't imagine him cheating.

Her phone rang. She checked caller ID, but it said number withheld.

Solomon stepped up behind her. "Who is it?"

"Dunno."

He held out his hand, and she gave him the phone. If it was the nutter who left the arm in her car she didn't want to talk to him. She also didn't want to think about how he could have her number.

Solomon accepted the call and held the phone to his ear. "Hello... She's here... No problem."

He handed her the phone. "It's Dan Maloney."

Daisy put the phone to her ear. "Dan?"

"I have some news about the owner of the arm. Any chance you can put this on speaker so Solomon can listen in?"

"Sure."

She did as he asked and placed the phone on her desk before turning to Solomon. "Dan wants you to listen in."

"We've got some more information about the arm. After checking missing persons we matched the tattoos to a twenty-year-old man from Manchester. We need to get a DNA sample from his parents, but I'd be surprised if it was anyone else."

Solomon sat on the edge of Daisy's desk and leaned toward the phone. "Who is he?"

"Michael Martin. His family said he went to London looking for work, but they haven't heard from him for a month. He called home every Sunday, and when he didn't phone, and they were unable to get a response from the emergency mobile they paid for, they reported him missing. From the discussion we've had with our colleagues at Scotland Yard, it seems he was moving from hostel to hostel and left London a week ago to try his luck down south."

"Is he dead?" Daisy asked. Perhaps he'd been in an accident and the arm had to be amputated. The alternative was too horrible to contemplate. The man had barely lived.