Chapter Forty One
Doctor Ahmed Khan watched as one of his Pearl Gourami’s chased a Cherry Barb through the thick aquatic plants in his bubbling fish tank, which sat on a sturdy cabinet in a corner of his small office.
“Yes,” he said in reply to a knock on his door.
A man with red hair dressed in a well-worn grey suit entered and said: “I was wondering if I could have a word with you about John Duncan.”
“And you are?”
“I’m sorry, I’m Lieutenant Dewar–Metropolitan police,” the cop said producing his warrant card.
“What do you want to know?” Ahmed said, as he pointed toward a seat.
Heb Dewar sat down. “How bad is his injury?”
“He’s recovering from concussion. A PET head scan showed no bleeding in the brain, but he has a linear fracture on the top of his skull at the front. The fact that he sustained this injury so soon after his hospitalization for the car accident has given us cause for concern.”
“Okay. Thanks doc. Oh, I wonder can you help me. A pierced heart ventricle; how long before death?”
“Minutes. The brain would be starved of oxygenated blood.”
“So, it would be possible for someone who had been stabbed through the heart to pick up an object and strike out.”
“Possible, but not probable, because you need to take into account the person would be suffering from trauma.”