by M A Comley
“I don’t know what to say, Charlie. I’m gutted for you.”
“I’m fine. I see a few sleepless nights ahead of me, but at the end of the day, I think we’re doing the right thing. The one obstacle I’m dreading is ringing Mum to let her know.”
“Why? Surely Lorne will understand better than most after going through what she had to endure with your father.”
“It’s hard to say. In her eyes, I’m still her baby and if I’m hurting, I can see her turning up on my doorstep. Anyway, that’s the rub of what’s going on. Would you mind if we ignore the subject throughout the day? It’s my way of dealing with it, to focus on work and ignore it until the end of my shift.”
“Of course. If you change your mind and need a chat, you know you can talk to me at any given moment, right?”
“Gotcha.” Charlie smiled and set off for the main entrance.
Katy watched her walk on ahead, her shoulders slightly slumped and her head low. She appreciated Charlie was putting a brave face on, covering up her true feelings, however, she could do little about helping her partner if she wanted to brush her plight to one side and get on with her working day.
When Katy entered the building, she was shocked to find Mick standing behind the reception desk. “What the hell? Tell me you haven’t been on duty all night.”
“Morning, ma’am, umm… I could tell you that but I’d be lying.”
“Bloody hell, man, you need to go home and get some sleep. This will be your third straight shift. No one expects that of you, Mick.”
He smiled. “I appreciate your concern, ma’am, I’m fine. I’ve said I’ll fill in until lunchtime. We’re still short-staffed what with one thing and another.”
“You’re a heck of a copper, Mick, we’re lucky to have you.”
He nodded and reached for a list that was sitting on the counter beside him. “I have a gift for you.”
She held out her hand and glanced at the sheet of paper. “What’s this?”
“A list of people who rang up last night, reporting a loved one missing.”
“Great news. Charlie and I will make contact with everyone this morning before we head over to the mortuary.”
“I hope your quest proves fruitful.”
“Thanks. I’ll let you know. I hope you have a quiet shift, for your sake.”
He smiled and got back to work. Katy and Charlie raced up the stairs to the first floor. “Coffee?” Charlie put her thumb up. Katy bought two cups and pulled out the chair next to Charlie’s. “We’ll divide the list in half. See how fast we can whiz through it. We’ll have to leave at around eight forty-five, that gives us three quarters of an hour to come up with the goods.”
“No pressure then,” Charlie mumbled.
Katy tore the list in half, handed her partner the top section and dialled the first number on her list. “Hello, Mrs Kuna?”
“Yes,” the woman responded quietly.
“Hi, this is DI Katy Foster. I ran an appeal through the media last night which I presume you saw; you later rang the station telling one of my colleagues that you thought your son was missing. Is that still the case or has he returned now?”
“No. He ring me t’is mornin’, he safe and well now.”
“Ah, well, that’s excellent news. So sorry to have troubled you.”
“It’s okay. T’ank you.”
Katy hung up and crossed through the woman’s name and address. “One less to worry about. Any luck?”
Charlie was in the middle of making a call; she shook her head. “Ah, Mr Jordan, this is DS Simpkins of the Met Police… yes, that’s right. Can you tell me if the situation is the same at your end? Ah, that’s great news. I’ll update our files with that information. Have a good day, sir.” Charlie replaced the phone in its cradle.
“Hark at you, you’re more polite than I am.”
“Good manners and being polite don’t cost anything, as a very wise woman once instilled into me.”
“Don’t tell me, your mother.”
Charlie grinned and placed her finger on another name and number to try next. The calls continued, and their frustration mounted with each one until they reached the final two names on the lists. Each of them asked the relevant questions, for example, when was the last time their respective relative had been seen and by whom. They promised they would pass the details on to the Missing Persons Department and get someone with more experience in the field to call them before the end of the day. Katy glanced at the clock; it was twenty minutes to nine.
“We made it. What a relief. I’m going to jot the two names down on the whiteboard. I was hoping there would be a member of the team here before we left, so that I could relay instructions on what I need them to do in our absence. I’ll pen a quick note for Karen, let her know where we are and to get the team chasing up on the burglary case from yesterday, plus make sure any background checks are carried out for the two missing persons.”
With that, Graham Barlow breezed into the incident room. He smiled and said a cheery good morning as he slipped off his jacket and draped it over the back of his chair.
“Morning, Graham. We’ve got to go to the mortuary soon. I’ve left instructions on Karen’s desk, feel free to take a gander and get started when you’re ready.”
“Looks like you drew the short straw, boss.” He shuddered.
“Yeah, I can’t say we’re happy about attending, but c’est la vie. Are you ready, Charlie?”
“Have I got time to nip to the loo? My coffee has gone straight through me.”
“TMI. I’ll meet you at the car.” Katy marched out of the room and down the stairs, passing a couple of other members of her team en route. “Morning, Patrick, Stephen, nice of you to show up.” They both glanced at their watches. “I was teasing you. Graham will fill you in on what needs to be done this morning. See you later, a PM awaits me.”
“Good luck, boss. Don’t forget the Vicks,” Patrick called after her.
“Nah, that’s for wimps.”
At the car, Katy leaned against the driver’s door, bathing herself in the rare spell of autumn morning sun while she waited for Charlie to join her.”
“Do you really have time for sunbathing, Inspector?”
She cringed at the unmistakable voice of DCI Roberts who had arrived behind her. “Sorry, sir, just grabbing a few minutes.”
“I repeat, do you have the time for that?”
“Not usually, no. Everything I do is generally carried out at breakneck speed. I’m waiting for Charlie to join me.”
“And then where are you going?”
“To attend a post-mortem at nine.”
“Ah, I see. Any news on who the victim is yet? I saw your rushed clip on the news last night.”
“Is that a dig, sir?”
“Not really. I take it the conference was an off-the-cuff one?”
“Yes, I seized the opportunity as the journalists had got wind of the crime. Sorry if it didn’t come across as professional. I’ll try better next time.”
“Do you enjoy putting words into my mouth, Inspector? Did I say that?”
“No, but the inference was there, sir.”
He tutted and raised an eyebrow. “The trouble is you sometimes read a situation wrongly, such as this time. Ah, here’s your partner now. Morning, Charlie, everything all right?”
Charlie glanced at the chief and then at Katy before she answered, “Good morning, sir, yes, everything is hunky-dory with me.”
“Good. Well, don’t let me hold you up. I hear you have an important mission ahead of you. I’ll look forward to you bringing me up to speed on the investigation later, Inspector.”
“Count on it, sir.”
Katy hopped behind the steering wheel, and Charlie slipped into the passenger seat.
“Did I interrupt something?” Charlie asked.
Turning the key in the ignition, Katy replied, “Only him being a boss, chastising me for having a quick break in the sun.”
“Oops, sorry, that was my fault.”
“Hush now, it wasn’t. Are you fit to go?”
“Ready when you are.”
“You look a bit peaky, are you sure you’re okay?”
Charlie nodded. “Yes, just brought up my toast, that’s all, and before you ask, I’m not pregnant, at least I don’t think I am. I suppose I’m nervous about attending the PM.”
“Ah right, now I understand. You had me worried there for a moment. You’ll be fine. A few more and you’ll think nothing of them, I promise you.”
“I’ll take your word for that.”
Katy chuckled and set off. They reached the hospital mortuary car park ten minutes later with enough time to spare for them to don their green protective clothing. Patti was waiting for them in what she preferred to call her ‘theatre’.
“Morning, ladies, how are you both on this beautiful sunny day?”
“Blimey, how come you’re so chirpy?” Katy asked.
Patti smiled and held up a clear evidence bag. “I have good news for you. I found the man’s bank card in the inside pocket of his shorts.”
“Phew, for a moment there I could imagine us banging our heads against the wall for bloody weeks.” Katy held out her hand, and Patti dropped the bag into it. She studied the name and shook her head. “I don’t recognise the name from the list Charlie and I went through this morning before coming here. Which is strange.”
“Not necessarily. Maybe he lived alone. If that’s the case then perhaps a member of his family hasn’t realised he’s missing,” Charlie suggested once Katy had passed the bag to her.
“Possibly. Maybe there are several different reasons why someone hasn’t come forward. It doesn’t matter, at least we’ve got something to go on now,” Katy replied.
“Do you want me to ring the team, see what they can find out for us while we’re attending the PM?” Charlie asked.
“Good idea.”
Charlie took the bag with her and left the room. She returned moments later. “All done. Karen’s on the case for us.”
“Excellent. Which means we should have something of substance to sink our teeth into when we leave here.”
“Good, good,” Patti said. “Right, if you’re both ready, I would like to begin.”
“Don’t let us hold you up any longer, Patti. Where do you want us to stand?”
“Charlie, how are you feeling about this?” Patti asked.
“I’m okay. I might need to take in some air if it gets too much, but I think I’ll be fine.”
Neither she nor Katy mentioned that Charlie had been sick earlier. Katy gave her a reassuring smile. “Come and stand by me.”
Charlie moved positions. She and Katy were standing on one side of the cadaver and Patti on the other. Scalpel in hand, Patti made the Y-incision. Katy glanced sideways to judge Charlie’s reaction—all was good. In her experience, all that changed once the skin was pulled back to reveal the inner workings of the body.
“All okay, so far?” Patti asked.
Charlie nodded and brushed the pathologist’s concern aside. “Please, don’t worry about me.”
“After you left the crime scene last night, I re-examined the body and, in that time, several more bruises had appeared. To me, that signifies that the attack took place within the previous couple of hours, at the most. He was severely punished and with several different weapons.” Patti continued to cut the skin open. Along the way, she pointed out a number of wounds that she hadn’t noticed before. “As I suspected, he has a couple of broken ribs, which usually means that a great deal of force was administered with the weapon of choice.”
“In other words, he didn’t stand a chance of getting out of the attack alive,” Katy noted.
“I fear that assumption is correct. Here’s something else to consider: the force needed to thrust the knife into the man’s chest. It’s not easy, I can tell you.”
“You’re hinting that anger was the most prominent reason for the attack, am I right?” Katy asked, her gaze switching from the victim to Patti.
“Yes. This whole thing stinks of more than one person carrying out the attack and with a certain amount of anger rearing its head at the time the victim was assaulted.”
“Are you hinting at a possible premeditated attack?”
Patti nodded. “In my experience, given the excessive force used, yes.”
“Shit! What have you done in the past, Adama Kone, to invite such hatred and malice?” Katy murmured.
“Anyway, I must get on,” Patti insisted.
The post-mortem continued. Charlie took notes every time another injury was spotted. By the end of the examination, she had filled two full pages in her notebook. Patti dismissed them while she sewed up the body. They disrobed and left the mortuary. Katy sucked in large lungfuls of fresh air on the way to the car.
“I dread to think about the suffering that poor man went through. You know what, though?”
“What?” Charlie asked.
“It’s made me even more determined to find the bastard or bastards who did this to him. What’s your take on things so far?”
Charlie got in the car before she responded, “I agree. My take is that we’re looking for more than one perpetrator, possibly a gang of youths, something along those lines, given the number of injuries the man had.”
“Possibly, although I think we should keep an open mind for now. Can you give Karen a call, see what she’s managed to find out for us? I’ll get on the road, head towards the station.”
Charlie made the call. “Karen, it’s Charlie. I don’t suppose you’ve managed to find anything out, have you?”
“Yes, I was doing extra research into his background before I got back to you. I have his address. It’s sixty-five Blakedown Road, Paddington. According to what I’ve managed to find out, he was a solicitor with Wilkins and Smith in Paddington.”
“Brilliant. Thanks very much. We’ll drop over to his address now. Be in touch soon.”
“Good luck,” Karen replied and then hung up.
“Wow, a solicitor, eh? That could open up a can of bloody worms, past cases et cetera. We’re going to need to find out what sort of solicitor he was first before we start making any unfounded assumptions. Can you punch the address into the satnav for me?”
After Charlie carried out the task, the automated voice filled the car with directions. Katy parked the car in Blakedown Road, a few metres away from number sixty-five. She and Charlie left the vehicle. There was no response when Charlie rang the bell.
“Do you want me to check around the back?”
Katy nodded. “Please. I’ll wait here, just in case someone decides to open the door.”
Charlie trotted down a nearby alleyway. Katy rang the bell a second time, but still there was no reply. She took a gamble and leaned over the hedge to knock on the neighbour’s door. A black woman in her fifties or sixties with short hair peered around the front door.
“Hi, sorry to trouble you. I’m DI Foster from the Met Police. I was wondering if you can tell me much about your neighbours.”
The woman glanced at Katy’s warrant card and came from behind the door. “What do you want to know? Not that I know much. We’re both new to the neighbourhood. I moved from Wimbledon, not sure if I like the area or not yet.”
“Ah, I see. Can you tell me who lives here?”
“I can. May I ask why? Have they broken the law in some way? I have a right to know who I’m living next door to, don’t I?”
“At the moment we’re just conducting enquiries, that’s all.”
“Ah, okay. The man, he’s always smartly dressed, smiles at me when I see him, nice man. I think his name is Adama.” Katy nodded. “Then there is a woman, white she is, I think she’s called either Jill or Gillian. They did introduce themselves when I moved in, but I’m terrible with names.”
“Okay, we can find out the correct name. Have you seen the woman lately?”
“What sort of question is that? I liv
e next door to them.”
“Okay, let me rephrase the question: when was the last time you saw either of them, can you tell me that much?”
“I saw them both yesterday. He was going out for a run, and she came back with shopping, she’d taken the child with her.”
“A child? How old is the child?”
The woman looked over to her left at the comings and goings happening a few doors down. She turned her attention back to Katy and said, “About six months. Bloody thing cries non-stop, day and night. Drives me nuts. Makes me regret buying a semi-detached house. The prices in London are going through the roof, and this place was all I could afford in the area. I wanted to get close to my elderly mother, she lives in a flat around the corner.”
“I see. Going back to Adama and his family, do you know if the wife works?”
“No. She stays at home looking after the baby. Takes it out regularly, you know, to the park for some fresh air, making the most of the weather before the winter comes upon us, I shouldn’t wonder.”
“And have you seen her today?”
Her mouth pulled down at the sides, and she shook her head. “No, I haven’t, which is unusual.”
Charlie reappeared, panting. “The back door was open.”
Shit! “Okay, do you know if the couple are used to keeping their back door open?”
“How should I know that? Not something I would consider doing, not around here. There are always some nasty people willing to take advantage, if the opportunity is handed to them on a plate.”
“Thanks for your help,” Katy said, eager to get around the back of the house to take a look for herself.
“Wait, I’ve just remembered something. They were arguing last night.”
“Who?”
The woman jerked a thumb at the house. “The couple, who else? Anyways, I thought he was out on his run, I didn’t see him come back. The next thing I knew I heard a plate smash and the wife cry out.”
“So not really an argument then?” Katy probed.
“All right. It was the first thing that came into my head. Maybe she shouted at the kid, I don’t know. I ain’t got X-ray vision, I can’t see through the walls.”
No, but I bet you would like to, if the option was available to you. “I understand. Thanks again for your help. We may need to take a statement from you in the future, if that’s all right?”
