by Michael Wood
Matilda tried to focus. She couldn’t see any fingers, never mind count them. She felt sick. She could feel bile rising up her throat. She opened her mouth and out came a torrent of vomit. Her legs gave way and she fell to the ground.
‘Christian, what’s happening?’ Sian screamed, the panic in her voice was evident.
Sian held Matilda in her arms as her boss began to convulse. Her entire body tensed and shook violently.
Christian turned around at the sound of Sian calling out to him. He was standing by the mangled Vauxhall trying to find a way in to check on John’s condition, but it was impossible. The driver’s side of the car was tight against the damaged stone wall. Smoke was rising from the engine. Fierce heat radiated from the car.
He crouched down to look through the shattered windscreen. Was John alive? It was difficult to tell. His face was covered with blood. He couldn’t see his nostrils flaring with breath, and his eyes were tightly closed.
‘Christian, I need your help,’ Sian again, screaming at him this time.
He turned from the car. There was nothing he could do here. This situation needed a fire engine to cut through the quagmire of mangled metal.
He headed back to Matilda and Sian. The look of horror on her face was disturbing to see. Sian was the unflappable one; the one who remained calm in a crisis. To see her looking so distraught was worrying.
‘What’s happ—?’ The explosion from the Vauxhall lifted Christian off his feet and threw him to the ground. He heard a scream coming from Sian and then nothing as he lost consciousness.
EPILOGUE
Matilda required a two-day stay in hospital, mostly for observation. The head injury caused by the crash wasn’t serious and at the scene she was suffering from a mixture of shock and concussion. The only way for her body to make sense of what was happening was to simply shut down. All the scans and tests had come back clear and she was discharged into Adele’s care.
Christian suffered concussion and minor burns. He stayed in hospital for slightly longer than Matilda until his wounds started to heel. She visited him before she was discharged.
‘I’m sorry,’ she said from the foot of his bed.
‘What for?’
‘For not being there. I should have been. Sian told me everything that happened in Starling House; the stand-off with Oliver … John. I’m sorry. You should never have been put in that position.’
‘It’s part of the job, though, isn’t it? Tell me, would you have done anything differently if you’d been there instead of me?’
Matilda thought for a while. ‘I don’t think so. I wouldn’t have wanted him to leave the building either. Sian knew what she was doing, though. I think we both owe her a lot.’
‘I’ll buy her a box of Maltesers,’ Christian joked.
Matilda laughed and quickly stopped as she held her right arm over where her ribs hurt. Christian winced too as he laughed.
‘I’ll come and see you when you’re at home,’ Matilda said.
They both smiled and nodded. Everything was fine between them. As Matilda made her way down the corridor she realized how much she valued Christian. He was a good man, a dedicated copper, and definitely someone she wanted by her side during these more complex cases. It was time to allow him into her inner circle more.
Adele had wanted to take Matilda straight home but at the request of ACC Valerie Masterson, Matilda was sent to her office. Things needed to be said, and they couldn’t wait.
Matilda sat uncomfortably and listened as Valerie laid into her in a tirade which seemed to last hours. The ACC was disappointed in Matilda’s conduct throughout the whole Starling House investigation. She was appalled at the lack of respect for her fellow officers for allowing them to enter a dangerous situation, for abandoning them when they needed her the most, and for her complete disregard of authority.
There was nothing Matilda could do but take the vicious character assassination. With her head down she thought of how the hostage situation in Starling House could have ended so tragically had Sian not been there and taken control of it. By allowing John Preston to leave she had saved the lives of everyone in there. It could have resulted in a bloodbath. She hoped the ACC would make sure Sian received the necessary commendation for her actions.
‘Matilda, look at me,’ Valerie said. She was standing behind her desk, arms firmly behind her back, lips pursed, a stern expression on her face. ‘I’m giving you a week off. I don’t want to see you in this station at all. During that time, you will think about how you’ve behaved during this investigation and you will change your behaviour. If you cannot put the lives and safety of your team before your own agenda then there is no place for you in South Yorkshire Police. Do you understand?’
Matilda nodded. Right now, she had no energy to fight.
After two days off work Matilda was already beginning to climb the walls. She had finished reading Carl by Sally Meagan, but had no idea what to do with the book. Matilda’s phone had been busy as Sian filled her in on everything that was going on in CID, and she found herself missing the place.
Rebecca Childs was recovering in hospital following an operation on her trachea. She had lost a great deal of blood and needed two transfusions. She wasn’t out of the woods yet, but the signs were good.
Rory Fleming was still recovering well. He was in a great deal of pain but he was more worried about bruising and if he would be scarred. Now that he was single he wanted to make sure his looks remained intact. This made Matilda laugh and she promised she would visit him in a day or two, maybe take him some concealer.
On the third day of her leave, the phone rang. Matilda muted the television and answered. She was surprised to hear from the ACC.
‘Matilda, I’m not going to say I owe you an apology because I don’t believe I do. However, it would appear you were correct.’
‘I’m sorry?’
‘I’ve had a call from the Chief Superintendent at Leicestershire Police who tells me DS Amy Stringer and a forensic team have spent the last two days searching a squat. I’m guessing you know something about that.’
‘Yes, ma’am.’
‘The flat has been untouched for a number of years and an extremely thorough examination took place. An item was found beneath floorboards in the living room wrapped up in a bloody rag. I’m also guessing you can tell me what that item is.’
Matilda found herself smiling. ‘Would it be the murder weapon used to kill to Thomas Hartley’s family?’
‘It most certainly would. I spoke to Superintendent Spicer at Greater Manchester Police and he has confessed to knowing all about Daniel Hartley being Thomas Downy, though not until after Thomas Hartley had been convicted.’
‘Why didn’t he do anything about it?’
‘Because he had been given promotion to DCI on the back of his speedy success of the Hartley case. If the whole backstory had come out, he would have been in serious trouble for not looking deeper into Daniel Hartley’s life.’
‘I hope Pat Campbell’s son will be getting his suspension revoked.’
‘He’s already back at work, and Superintendent Spicer will be making a statement later this week in which he will resign for personal reasons.’
There was a long silence on the phone while Matilda took in everything that had happened.
‘Matilda, I cannot condone the way you went about this, but you have saved an innocent teenager from a lifetime of imprisonment. You should be incredibly proud of that.’
‘I am. Thank you, ma’am,’ Matilda said. She felt a smile growing on her lips and a warm glow from deep within.
The process to release Thomas Hartley was not a quick one and Matilda was back at work by the time the CPS decided his conviction should be quashed and Samuel Bryce charged with his role in the murders.
Pat Campbell wanted to be there when Thomas was released. She had returned to Manchester to explain everything to Debbie Hartley in person, and on the morning of Thomas’s release she went to co
llect her and bring her back to Sheffield, so she could welcome her only surviving relative when he was finally freed.
It was a bright October day. The sky was blue, there wasn’t a cloud in sight, but it was chilly. Winter was slowly arriving.
In the car park at HQ Pat and Adele sat in the front seat with a nervous Debbie in the back.
‘Where do you go from here, Debbie?’ Adele asked, not taking her eyes from the back entrance.
‘He can come home with me for as long as he wants. I’m sure he’ll want to leave Manchester eventually, start his own life, and I’m fine with that. As long as he stays in touch.’
‘And what will you do?’
‘I don’t know. Just carry on as normal I suppose.’
The doors opened and Matilda walked out with Thomas Hartley following. He was experiencing the fresh air of freedom for the first time in almost three years. The cold sun was on his face; the breeze ruffled up his hair. He stood still and took a deep breath.
Debbie opened the car door and leapt out. ‘Thomas,’ she called.
He looked up and saw his aunt running towards him with her arms wide open. She threw herself around him and grabbed him tight. At just over six feet tall, Thomas towered over Debbie. With her head buried in his chest her speech was muffled. Only Thomas could understand what she was saying. When she released him there were tear stains on his shirt.
‘I’m sorry I didn’t believe you. I’ll never forgive myself.’
‘You don’t need to be sorry. There were times I didn’t believe myself either.’
He looked up and saw the three smiling faces of the women who had secured his release staring back at him.
‘I’ve no idea how to thank you.’
‘You don’t have to,’ Matilda said. ‘Just promise me you’ll enjoy your life to the fullest.’
‘I intend to.’
‘I’ve booked a train to take us back to Manchester. I’ve made a room up for you too, and I hope you still like Super Noodles.’ Debbie was so ecstatic her words were falling over each other as she spoke.
‘I certainly do,’ he smiled.
Thomas thanked Matilda, Pat and Adele in turn and gave them each a hug.
‘I feel all warm inside,’ Adele said. ‘Are you crying?’ she asked Pat.
‘No. It’s this bloody hay fever.’
‘In October?’
‘Shut up, Adele.’
Pat turned away and Adele looked in her bag for a tissue.
Thomas took Matilda to one side and lowered his voice. ‘I really don’t know what to say. Thank you doesn’t seem enough.’
‘Like I said, you don’t have to say anything.’
‘You believed in me straightaway. I’ll never forget that.’
‘I always trust my instincts,’ she smiled.
‘“A guess is either right or wrong. If it is right you call it intuition. If it is wrong you usually do not speak of it again.” Hercule Poirot.’
Matilda smiled, not quite sure what to make of that.
Thomas held out his hand for Debbie to take. Instead, she threw her arms around him once more and gave him a tight squeeze. Matilda smiled as she saw the final two members of the Hartley family reunited. Thomas made eye contact with Matilda. He had the look of gloating triumph etched on his face. Then something happened. His smile faded but he held eye contact for longer than was necessary. It may have been the wind but Matilda felt a cold chill run right through her.
Acknowledgements
There are so many people I would like to thank for all the help, encouragement, and information which has gone in to making this book become real. Firstly, Finn Cotton, Sarah Hodgson, Lucy Dauman and everyone at Killer Reads and HarperCollins for taking great care of me, and offering so much support. Writing is a very lonely process. It is a comfort to know I have such reassurance at the end of an email.
Claire Walker, Chris Howard and everyone at iGene Global for answering my questions on Digital Autopsies. Kim Suvarna for meeting with me and giving me an insight into what Adele Kean’s office would look like. Simon Browes for the medical research – thank you for answering my texts.
A belated thank you to Jon Appleton to informing me of Killer Reads in the first place all those years ago.
My unnamed police contact is invaluable to me. This book would be full of procedural errors if it wasn’t for him. Any that remain are all for story telling purposes and not due to lack of research. This is a work of fiction, after all.
Many thanks to everyone at Agatha Christie Limited for permitting me to quote from The ABC Murders.
Also, a huge thank you to my copy editor Janette Currie and to Sarah Baxter for legal advice.
As always, a big hug for my mum, and a hearty northern handshake for Chris, Kevin, and Jonas for the support.
A final thank you to Woody. I’m not sure where I’d be if you hadn’t saved me. Sleep well, sausage.
If you liked A Room Full of Killers, try the previous books in the DCI Matilda Darke series…
Two perfect families. Two broken marriages. And a killer who needs to be stopped…
The pressure is on for investigating officer, DCI Matilda Darke: there’s a violent killer on the loose, and it looks like her team members are the new targets. With no leads and no suspects, it’s going to take all Matilda’s wits to catch him, before he strikes again.
Click here to order a copy of Outside Looking In
Two murders. Twenty years. Now the killer is back for more…
DCI Matilda Darke has returned to work after a nine month absence. A shadow of her former self, she is tasked with re-opening a cold case: an unresolved homicide. Then a dead body is discovered, and the investigation leads back to Matilda’s case. Suddenly the past and present converge, and it seems a killer may have come back for more…
Click here to order a copy of For Reasons Unknown
About the Author
Michael Wood is a freelance journalist and proofreader living in Sheffield. As a journalist he has covered many crime stories throughout Sheffield, gaining first-hand knowledge of police procedure. He also reviews books for CrimeSquad, a website dedicated to crime fiction. A Room Full of Killers is his third novel.
@MichaelWood
/MichaelWoodBooks
By the Same Author
For Reasons Unknown
Outside Looking In
The Fallen
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