Crying Shame (Justice Again Book 5)
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CRYING SHAME
Justice Again 5
M A Comley
Contents
Acknowledgments
Also by M A Comley
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Epilogue
Keep in touch with the author
Acknowledgments
Thank you as always to my rock, Jean, I’d be lost without you in my life.
Special thanks as always go to @studioenp for their superb cover design expertise.
My heartfelt thanks go to my wonderful editor Emmy, my proofreaders Joseph, Barbara and Jacqueline for spotting all the lingering nits.
Thank you also to my amazing ARC group who help to keep me sane during this process.
To Mary, gone, but never forgotten. I hope you found the peace you were searching for my dear friend.
Also by M A Comley
Blind Justice (Novella)
Cruel Justice (Book #1)
Mortal Justice (Novella)
Impeding Justice (Book #2)
Final Justice (Book #3)
Foul Justice (Book #4)
Guaranteed Justice (Book #5)
Ultimate Justice (Book #6)
Virtual Justice (Book #7)
Hostile Justice (Book #8)
Tortured Justice (Book #9)
Rough Justice (Book #10)
Dubious Justice (Book #11)
Calculated Justice (Book #12)
Twisted Justice (Book #13)
Justice at Christmas (Short Story)
Justice at Christmas 2 (novella)
Justice at Christmas 3 (novella)
Prime Justice (Book #14)
Heroic Justice (Book #15)
Shameful Justice (Book #16)
Immoral Justice (Book #17)
Toxic Justice (Book #18)
Overdue Justice (Book #19)
Unfair Justice (a 10,000 word short story)
Irrational Justice (a 10,000 word short story)
Seeking Justice (a 15,000 word novella)
Caring For Justice (a 24,000 word novella)
Savage Justice (a 17,000 word novella Featuring THE UNICORN)
Gone In Seconds (Justice Again series #1)
Ultimate Dilemma (Justice Again series #2)
Shot of Silence (Justice Again #3)
Taste of Fury (Justice Again #4)
Crying Shame (Justice Again #5)
To Die For (DI Sam Cobbs #1) Coming Dec 2021
Clever Deception (co-written by Linda S Prather)
Tragic Deception (co-written by Linda S Prather)
Sinful Deception (co-written by Linda S Prather)
Forever Watching You (DI Miranda Carr thriller)
Wrong Place (DI Sally Parker thriller #1)
No Hiding Place (DI Sally Parker thriller #2)
Cold Case (DI Sally Parker thriller#3)
Deadly Encounter (DI Sally Parker thriller #4)
Lost Innocence (DI Sally Parker thriller #5)
Goodbye, My Precious Child (DI Sally Parker #6)
Web of Deceit (DI Sally Parker Novella with Tara Lyons)
The Missing Children (DI Kayli Bright #1)
Killer On The Run (DI Kayli Bright #2)
Hidden Agenda (DI Kayli Bright #3)
Murderous Betrayal (Kayli Bright #4)
Dying Breath (Kayli Bright #5)
Taken (Kayli Bright #6 coming March 2020)
The Hostage Takers (DI Kayli Bright Novella)
No Right to Kill (DI Sara Ramsey #1)
Killer Blow (DI Sara Ramsey #2)
The Dead Can’t Speak (DI Sara Ramsey #3)
Deluded (DI Sara Ramsey #4)
The Murder Pact (DI Sara Ramsey #5)
Twisted Revenge (DI Sara Ramsey #6)
The Lies She Told (DI Sara Ramsey #7)
For The Love Of… (DI Sara Ramsey #8)
Run For Your Life (DI Sara Ramsey #9)
Cold Mercy (DI Sara Ramsey #10)
Sign of Evil (DI Sara Ramsey #11)
Indefensible (DI Sara Ramsey #12)
Locked Away (DI Sara Ramsey #13)
I Can See You (DI Sara Ramsey #14)
I Know The Truth (A psychological thriller)
She’s Gone (A psychological thriller )
The Caller (co-written with Tara Lyons)
Evil In Disguise – a novel based on True events
Deadly Act (Hero series novella)
Torn Apart (Hero series #1)
End Result (Hero series #2)
In Plain Sight (Hero Series #3)
Double Jeopardy (Hero Series #4)
Criminal Actions (Hero Series #5)
Regrets Mean Nothing (Hero #6)
Prowlers (Hero #7 Coming July 2021)
Sole Intention (Intention series #1)
Grave Intention (Intention series #2)
Devious Intention (Intention #3)
Merry Widow (A Lorne Simpkins short story)
It’s A Dog’s Life (A Lorne Simpkins short story)
Cozy Mystery Series
Murder at the Wedding
Murder at the Hotel
Murder by the Sea
Death on the Coast
Death By Association
A Time To Heal (A Sweet Romance)
A Time For Change (A Sweet Romance)
High Spirits
The Temptation series (Romantic Suspense/New Adult Novellas)
Past Temptation
Lost Temptation
Prologue
The path widened in front of him. He was on the edge of the park now, within spitting distance of his house. Adama and his family had settled well into their new home over the past few weeks. This was Gillian’s idea, for him to work on his fitness, taking up jogging around Hyde Park. What a beautiful green space this is in the heart of London. We should have moved here years ago.
He upped his pace, knowing the reward at the end of the run was a Chinese takeaway. He licked his lips at the prospect. I might even sneak a scoop of butterscotch ice cream as well.
Adama chuckled until movement crackled behind him. He peered over his shoulder. A hooded white male stood there, slapping a stumpy piece of pipe in his hand. Adama turned back and continued running. A crunching sound came from the dense part of the forest beside him; the next moment a hand grabbed his arm and yanked him off the path.
“What is this? What are you doing?” he shouted, the sweat pouring from his forehead suddenly turning to ice, along with the blood circulating his veins.
“Down on your knees,” a gruff voice ordered.
Adama’s gaze flitted between the four men in front of him and the one man he’d spotted a few seconds before on the path behind him. “I will not.” He straightened to his full height of six-foot-five, thrusting back his broad shoulders.
He had time to appraise the men confronting him; he was taller by several inches than all of them. Would that give him the upper hand? He doubted it, the men held weapons. A couple of them slapped the metal poles, no mistaking their purpose. Adama’s thoughts turned to trying to escape. He considered the gap between two of the taller, bulkier-framed men, but decided to attempt it would be foolish.
“I said get down,” the one who appeared to be the leader insisted.
A kick to the back of his knees forced him to sink to the ground. He stared up at the man issuing the orders. “What do you want from me?” His voice croaked, the saliva drying up quickly in his mouth as his fear r
ocketed to another level.
The leader stepped forward, his intent clearly written into the sneer he was wearing. “Hand over your possessions.”
Adama shrugged and held out his arms. “I’m jogging. I don’t have any possessions on me, other than my water bottle.”
“Your keys? Your watch? Your phone? You’ve got those on you, right?”
“No. You can have my watch, that’s all I have.” Adama reluctantly undid the strap of his Rolex and handed it to the man who snatched it.
“Well, what have we got here, boys? None other than a swanky Rolex.” He waved the watch in the air for the other men to see and then swung his attention back to Adama. “Keys, we know where you live.”
“Meaning what? Why do you want my keys?”
“Why do you want my keys?” his aggressor mimicked. “Why do you think, big man? After we’ve dealt with you, we’re going to go round to your flat and rape your wife and child.”
Adama reacted swiftly. He jumped to his feet and ran at the man. From the side, a bar hit his forehead; the dizziness knocked him off balance for a few seconds. He tried to shake off his confusion, but it was pointless. The men took it in turns to batter him with the poles. Over and over again, until a searing pain developed in his chest. He stared down at the knife jutting out, his voice weak when he cursed the men for their callous behaviour.
They prodded him and poked fun at him the more he refused to hand over his keys. Images running through his mind of his wife and his baby son kept him alive for a few extended seconds more before he finally slumped to the ground, defeated.
1
“Well, that was a bloody waste of our time. I thought we were onto something then; it’s the best lead we’ve had on these burglaries for weeks,” Katy grumbled and got in the driver’s seat of her car.
“It sounded like we were onto a winner. Can’t help thinking someone is pulling our chain on this one. Maybe sending us round and round in circles, trying to frustrate the hell out of us,” Charlie agreed.
“Give me a damn murder scene to sort out any day of the week to this sodding rubbish. How we’re expected to find the person responsible without damn DNA evidence to help us is beyond me.”
Katy slammed the stick into Drive and pulled away, her blood boiling. She and her partner, Charlie Simpkins, had been trying to solve a spate of burglaries in the area for the past two weeks, each day their frustrations gaining in momentum. Here they were at almost seven at night, still giving it their all, for very little reward.
She turned onto the main road which would lead them back to the station. The music dipped on the stereo as a call came in. She groaned, thinking it was probably her husband, AJ, checking in with her to see how long she was going to be. It wasn’t. She didn’t recognise the number that had appeared on her satnav screen. “Hello, DI Katy Foster, how may I help?”
“Katy, long time no hear. How are you? Sorry, it’s Carol, Carol Lang.”
Katy briefly turned to her partner and frowned then flipped her gaze back to the road ahead. “Hi, Carol, hey, Charlie’s here, you’re on speakerphone. Oops, you probably know that already, don’t you?”
Carol, the extraordinary woman with exceptional psychic powers, chuckled. “I did. How are you, Charlie?”
Charlie cringed and fidgeted in her seat. “Bearing up, Carol. Sorry I haven’t called round to see you this month. What with one thing and another, I’m not totally sure where the time has gone. I promise to come and see you at the weekend. Shall we go out for lunch on Saturday?”
“You don’t have to apologise. I know how busy you always are. It would be lovely to see you at the weekend, though. Anyway, that’s not why I’m calling you.”
“Sounds ominous,” Katy replied, sensing she wasn’t going to like what Carol was about to say next.
“Okay, things are a bit muddled at the moment. But I have a young man, recently departed, who has come to seek my help, therefore, I’m knocking on your door, so to speak, as I have a feeling his death is going to feature prominently in your lives very soon—that is, if it hasn’t cropped up already.”
“Crikey. No, nothing has come our way yet, Carol. Why has he contacted you specifically, has he told you?” There had been a time, not too long ago, when Katy would have pooh-poohed all Carol had to say, but her interpretation of the woman’s phenomenal skills had altered significantly over the years, since her previous partner’s departure.
“It will. Any second now.”
As if on cue, Katy’s phone beeped, signifying she had another call coming in. “Can you hang on a sec, Carol, someone is trying to get in touch with me?”
“Of course they are. That will be Patti. Go ahead, I’ll wait.”
Katy sniggered and put Carol on hold and hit the Answer call button. “Hi, Patti, what’s going on?”
“What? Wait, how did you know it was me calling you?”
“I have spies everywhere.”
“Hmm… you and I need to have a chat about that when you get here.”
“Where’s here?”
“Hyde Park. North side. I’ve got a body found in the undergrowth. A young man, early to mid-thirties.”
“Suspicious death?”
“You could say that. Are you going to attend?”
“Yes, okay. Charlie and I were just about to call it a day, but needs must. We’ll be with you shortly.”
“Take your time. We’re still setting up here. Oh, and I’ve got a witness waiting for you, too.”
“Great. We’ll be ten minutes at the most.”
“TTFN. Drive carefully.”
“I will.” Katy ended the call and flicked back to Carol. “You were right, it was Patti and we’ve been summoned to a suspicious death at Hyde Park.”
“Ah, yes, he said he was in a wide-open space. I was in the process of working out where that might be.”
“What else can you tell us about the victim, Carol?”
“Umm… right now, not very much. He only paid me a fleeting visit. Distraught he was. Said he didn’t deserve what they did to him.”
“They? Are you telling me he saw his killers? There was more than one?”
“Like I said, he was only here a few moments. Please, do your very best to help him out, ladies. He didn’t deserve to die. I know we always say that in a murder case, but he truly didn’t.” Carol sniffled and cleared her throat. “Oh dear, I shall have a word with myself about getting upset, swore I wouldn’t do it.”
“You’re human. You may be an exceptional human being but you still have feelings, like the rest of us. I’m going to have to put my foot down to get to the scene quickly, Carol. I’ll be in touch soon, the second we know more.”
“I know you will. In the meantime, I’ll try and summon him again, see what else he can tell me about his attackers, if anything. Brutal it was. He’s still pained by the way he went out. That much was clear when he plucked up enough courage to speak to me.”
“Sorry to hear that. Let’s get to the scene, see how the land lies there first, and I’ll get back to you soon, okay?”
“If you wouldn’t mind. I feel like I have a vested interest in the case already. Shout if you need me, and I’ll be in touch if the young man makes a reappearance. Until then, I’ll be working my magic, or trying to.”
“I appreciate your call either way, Carol. Bye for now.” Katy ended the call and put her foot down at the same time she switched on the siren. “How spooky was that? And there was me, all those years ago, a total disbeliever.”
“Yeah, really spooky. I remember Mum telling me about that case where Carol played a huge part in solving it. The fact that you stamped your feet a lot and refused to believe—that was until you saw the victim for yourself in the woods.”
Katy shuddered at the image that emerged. “Oh God, don’t remind me. It was horrendous to deal with at the time. Your mother and I would never have solved that case if the victim hadn’t been around to guide us. That’s still one of the most heartbreaking
cases I’ve ever had a hand in. Your mother shouted and got upset with me more times than I care to remember. I was trying to force her to think logically about the case. All that changed when we showed up at that forest with Carol there to meet us.”
“I would have loved to have been involved. I truly believe in the afterlife. Let’s just say, no one has given me an educated reason not to believe in it. The soul has to go somewhere, doesn’t it? It’s only natural.”
“You’d like to think so. Either way, if the victim has already shown up on Carol’s doorstep, that can only mean good news for us. Maybe I should have asked Carol to have shed some light on the damned burglaries we’ve been dealing with of late, see if she could come up with a viable lead for us.” Katy sniggered.
“I could ask her if we meet up on Saturday, if you like?”
“That would be brilliant, thanks, any insight is better than none.” Katy weaved through the traffic as it ground to a halt in front of her. “Why do people panic when they hear a siren? It’s beyond me. Slow down and move over, that’s what the Highway Code advises them to do, not brake and come to a halt in the middle of the road.”
Charlie sniggered. “I think we’ve had this discussion several times over the years. People’s brains appear to go AWOL when they hear the emergency services coming up behind them, it’s the same with ambulances.”
In spite of the idiots blocking the route now and again, Katy made good time getting at the crime scene. She and Charlie dipped under the tape cordoning off the area, signed the Crime Scene Log then made their way towards Patti’s vehicle. Patti was at her van, unloading the rest of her equipment.
“I don’t suppose you have a couple of spare suits in there for us, do you?” Katy snuck up behind her and shouted.