Dangerous Games

Chapter 10 part 1

"Well, that was a complete waste of time."

Claire was round my place, enjoying – I hope – some of my award-winning macaroni cheese (with added chopped onions, that was my secret) and moaning about this set-back in our plans.

I tried my best to look sympathetic. "Did you really think that there would be any other outcome? There was no way some high-ranking academic with a reputation to maintain is going to allow any suggestion that there is something unscientific going on to rock the boat."

"I thought the whole idea of science is to examine the evidence, and then draw the conclusions. He seems to have decided up front what result he would find."

"Yep. All that talk about keeping an open mind, but he definitely used the word 'nonsense' when we first met. Still, there is that camera that he had. With any luck, his university will publish whatever's on that recording."

"Well, maybe. Or perhaps we'll only get the edited highlights – with all the interesting stuff removed." She shrugged.

"Well, we've done what we can. Now all we can do is report back to Sugden and then, I don't know, see how he takes it." I glanced at the clock on the wall. "Look, it's almost six o'clock. The main news will be on in a moment, and one of those cameras I saw outside was definitely from the BBC. Why don't we watch the news and see if we made the final edit?"

"Okay, why not?"

So I picked up the remote and turned the set on. Sure enough, the national news came on – and the happenings at Lakeside House weren't on it. But we were on the regional news that followed it, or at least the professor was. Unlike the off-hand way he had spoken to me just before walking out, he was more than happy to speak at length when a camera was pointed at him.

"And can you describe to us what you saw as you went up in the lift?"

"Well, it was just like an ordinary lift journey. It was just a question of following the instructions, and remembering not to get off the lift when the doors opened."

"Did you find that there was a great deal of interest from members of the public? After all, you must have seemed very strange simply going up and down."

"Yes, there were a few people on most of the floors, but the police were very helpful in keeping them out of the lift. We didn't want any possible reason for proponents of the supernatural theory to say that we hadn't carried out the ritual to the letter."

"And were you nervous as you finished the ritual and headed to the tenth floor?"

"Yes, a little. I don't mind admitting it, but obviously I needn't have worried. The lift door opened, and I poked my head out. Couldn't see anyone and there was nothing out of the ordinary. Somebody must have been having an argument in one of the flats as I heard a woman crying. Then I came straight back down."

"I bet you breathed a heavy sigh of relief. I'd have been terrified."

He laughed. "Well, that's the difference between us, Shona. I never had any doubts that I would stay very much this side of the veil of shades."

"So where does this leave us regarding the search for Anita Patel, the girl who is supposed to have disappeared playing this game?"

"Well, unfortunately it doesn't throw any light on that, of course. But it does help us to remove this dead-end which does nothing but distract the police from other more profitable leads. With any luck, they'll drop this nonsense and redouble their efforts in other more sensible directions."

"Thank you, Professor Wise." The interviewer turned back to the camera. "Well, there you have it. The Elevator Game doesn't take you to another world, merely to the tenth floor of this one. This is Shona Samuels returning you to the studio."