Merciless: a gripping detective thriller (DI Kate Fletcher Book 2)

by Heleyne Hammersley

  She did one more quick check of her make-up, grinned at her reflection, and got out of the car. Hollis had wanted to accompany her but she’d put him off, explaining that she’d only be half an hour and, as Maddie Cox had been cremated two weeks earlier, anything that Tsappis said couldn’t really do her or Ethan any good.

  Despite having moved on to other cases, Kate’s team were still frustrated and irritated by the feeling that Caroline Lambert had walked away without punishment. The previous day, Kate had voiced her opinion of assisted suicide being a grey area, based partly on watching her own mother fade away as the cancer ate her from the inside, and Hollis had practically yelled at her.

  He was right. Kate knew he was right and even though she’d been talking in general and not about Dennis Lambert’s death, she understood why he was so on edge. They all were. What Caroline had done wasn’t merciful, it was murder, and they wanted her to face justice for Maddie Cox. Feelings about the murder of Dennis, however, were somewhat muddied by the discovery of the small body under the greenhouse. It had taken two weeks for DNA to confirm that it was Jeanette Lambert based on a comparison taken from the bones and from Dennis’s body which was still lying in the morgue of the hospital that Kate was visiting. Sadly the remains were too degraded for Kailisa to be able to even suggest a cause of death but there was nothing to contradict Julie Wilkinson’s account of what Caroline had told her.

  The oncology receptionist looked Kate up and down before suggesting she take a seat as, ‘Mr Tsappis may be some time.’

  Kate couldn’t resist a smug smile as his door opened before she’d had time to pick up a magazine; obviously he’d made time for her.

  ‘Good to see you,' he said, ushering her to a comfortable chair in the corner of his office. He sat down opposite, allowing Kate the opportunity to study his face. In the direct sunlight, Kate could see that he wasn’t what she’d have called conventionally handsome; his jawline was slightly asymmetrical and was covered by a sprinkling of dark stubble, his wrinkles put his age at about the same as her own but, where they made her look tired, they gave Tsappis a weathered look as though he’d spent a lot of time in the sun.

  ‘I’m sorry I haven’t called,’ Kate began, suddenly embarrassed by their last encounter. Had she given him some hope that she might like to see him in a non-professional setting? She wasn’t sure. She wasn’t even sure that she didn’t want to meet him outside work. It had been a long time. There hadn’t been anyone since Garry and, even though she loved and blamed her job in equal measure, she was starting to wonder if she might be ready to open her life up to somebody else.

  Tsappis said something, but she’d been too busy pondering her likelihood of going on a date with him that she’d missed it completely. She found herself apologising again and she could feel that she was blushing like a teenager with a crush.

  ‘I said that I don’t mind. I didn’t expect to hear from you during a big case and I’ve been following developments in the newspaper. It must’ve been a shock, finding that girl’s body.’

  ‘It was,’ Kate agreed. ‘But it was a relief as well. At least we managed to close that part of the case.’

  He nodded, keeping his eyes fixed on her own with an intensity that she found disconcerting.

  Kate cleared her throat and tried to focus on why she was there. But she wasn’t exactly sure. ‘You wanted to see me? Something about Dennis Lambert’s records?’

  Disappointment flickered in his eyes. Had he been hoping that she’d been glad of the excuse to pay him a visit? He stood up and walked across to his desk, talking to her as he moved. ‘I asked for Mr Lambert’s records from Mr Read. I thought, as I’d already spoken with you, that it might be prudent for us to maintain the contact rather than you having to explain everything to Read.’ His speech was unnecessarily formal and Kate was concerned that she’d unintentionally rejected him. But if his ego was that fragile, was he really worth the trouble?

  ‘I finally have Dennis Lambert’s notes,’ he said as he grabbed a file from his desk and brought it back to the comfortable seating area. ‘I’m sorry it’s taken me a while but the wheels of the NHS move slowly around here. And I apologise on behalf of my colleague, Mr Read. Apparently he didn’t receive my text message until he was at the airport on his way home.’

  Kate sensed from his tone that he didn’t fully believe his colleague’s excuse.

  ‘Anyway, I’ve managed to have a good look and there is one thing that strikes me as odd.’ He passed her the folder and sat down with his legs crossed, chin resting on steepled fingers as she read. The notes were mainly medical jargon with lists of medication and tests that Lambert had undergone.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ she said, glancing up at him. ‘You’ll have to enlighten me.’

  ‘Okay.’ He smiled and the warmth returned to his expression. ‘Dennis Lambert had all the tests and medications that I’d expect in such a case. There is nothing especially out of the ordinary there. The MRI scan shows that the disease was progressing at roughly the expected rate.’

  ‘But?’ Kate prompted.

  ‘But, some of the medication was prescribed in much larger doses than I would have expected. The Diazepam for example. The dosage is correct but the number of pills prescribed is more than enough for a few months not a couple of weeks. The initial prescription was increased and repeated. Same with the Oramorph.’

  ‘So why would a doctor give him more drugs than were strictly necessary? Aren’t there rules against that sort of thing?’

  Tsappis held her eyes for a few seconds. ‘It wasn’t a doctor. I’ve checked and double-checked with Read and with the pharmacy. The drugs were prescribed by a nurse practitioner and the second prescription was issued two weeks after he left her care. According to her supervisors, she was an exemplary colleague who was highly regarded by everybody who worked with her. Now, why would she do something so out of character, DI Fletcher?’

  Kate already knew the answer; Tsappis had simply confirmed her suspicions. Maddie Cox was being blackmailed by Caroline Lambert. The money that Caroline had given her would have paid off her debts but had come with a much higher price and, ultimately, cost her her life. She would have lost her job if Caroline had told anybody what she’d done but, if she’d refused, how could she have given the money back without landing herself even deeper in debt? And Dennis was dying anyway. Having met his daughter, Kate was convinced that Caroline could be extremely persuasive and manipulative.

  ‘I think Maddie Cox is probably the victim here,’ she said. ‘It looks like she was in an impossible position and being blackmailed.’

  ‘Do you always do that?’ Tsappis asked, smiling at her.

  ‘What?’

  ‘Look for the good in people? This woman would have lost her job if this had come to light. Who knows how much harm these drugs might have caused?’

  ‘They did cause harm,’ she said. ‘They killed Dennis Lambert and Maddie Cox. But she’s not the one I blame. At best she was weak and at worst she was stupid.’

  Kate passed the folder back to Tsappis and he placed it on the table between them, making no move to hurry her out of his office.

  ‘You know who killed her?’ he asked.

  ‘I think so, but I can’t comment.’

  He smiled as if he was pleased with her response. ‘Very professional. I like that.’

  Kate found herself smiling back at him. ‘I’m not sure I do. You went very doctor-ish for a while when you were telling me about Dennis Lambert.’

  His grin widened showing perfect white teeth which contrasted with his tanned skin. ‘Sorry, force of habit. When you sat down, I forgot for a second why you were here. It felt like you’d popped in for a social visit. I didn’t really want to be reminded that you’re on duty.’

  ‘Sometimes I feel like I’m always on duty,’ Kate admitted. ‘And this case seems to have taken over my life.’

  ‘But you found the body of that girl. Surely that must give you some satisfaction?’


  It had. But not enough. Kate knew that Caroline was still out there somewhere and, until they found her, there could be no justice for Maddie Cox. Kate wasn’t sure whether Dennis Lambert deserved anything other than what he’d got, but the law stated that Caroline should be punished for that murder as well and it felt like she had got away with both crimes and was laughing at the police; laughing at Kate. There had been no sign of Caroline since Julie’s admission that she’d let Caroline stay at her house for one night. They didn’t know what name she was using; and Julie wouldn’t give them a convincing description of what she looked like after altering her identity; she’d claimed that she couldn’t remember – Caroline just looked different. Julie’s phones were being monitored and her house was being watched but Kate knew that Caroline Lambert was too shrewd to be caught out so easily. They needed to draw her out, but how?

  ‘The woman who killed Maddie Cox is still out there somewhere,’ she said.

  ‘I assume we’re talking about Dennis Lambert’s daughter?’

  Kate didn’t respond but she could see that Tsappis understood why she couldn’t comment.

  ‘And you have no idea where she is? What about her sister’s funeral? Surely there’ll be some sort of service for the girl? Won’t she be tempted?’

  Kate gave in. There was little point in pretending that she didn’t know what he was talking about. Feeling a little unprofessional but unable to stop herself bouncing ideas off a sympathetic listener, she said, ‘There won’t be a service as such. When the coroner’s finished the body will be cremated but there’s no family left so it’ll be a cheap, impersonal service. Caroline’s much too clever to risk turning up.’

  ‘And the father? Dennis?’

  ‘Oh, he’ll get a lovely send-off,’ Kate said, watching as Tsappis reared back from her sarcastic tone. ‘His “friend” Brenda has made the arrangements.’

  ‘She doesn’t believe that he killed the other daughter?’

  ‘We can’t prove it,’ Kate said. ‘Can’t pin down a cause of death and everything else is hearsay and circumstantial.’

  ‘But you believe it.’

  ‘Absolutely,’ Kate said.

  As soon as the SOCOs had cleaned around the remains and lifted Jeanette’s body from the shallow grave, Kate knew that what Julie had told her was true. She knew in her gut that Dennis Lambert had killed and buried his eldest daughter, and that he’d involved his youngest to make sure that she kept his secret. He’d probably told her that they’d both go to prison, or worse, if the police ever found out. It felt wrong that Jeanette received the bare minimum in terms of her funeral but her father was being sent into the afterlife like any well-respected, law-abiding member of society.

  ‘It’s the injustice of it that gets me,’ she said. ‘Same with Maddie Cox. I went to her cremation and watched her son, who’s nearly a grown man, sobbing his heart out. Where’s the justice for her? All she did was meet the wrong person at the wrong time and allow herself to get sucked into somebody else’s crap.’

  ‘You really care about this, don’t you?’ Tsappis said gently. ‘It matters. These people aren’t just cases, they’re individuals with lives and hopes and dreams.’

  Kate looked up at him gratefully. He got it. She hadn’t been sure that she was getting her point across, but he’d heard her and understood. He was smiling at her but his expression was sad as if he wanted to shoulder some of her burden and, for a second, Kate wanted to let go; just unload everything and pick through the detritus with this strangely empathetic man. She wanted him to come to Dennis Lambert’s funeral with her and hold her steady as she examined the face of every mourner. She wanted him to buy her wine at a quiet bar while the remains of Jeanette’s body were being burnt to ashes with nobody in attendance.

  And then it struck her. She did have a way to draw Caroline out. The funerals. An idea was forming and, if it worked, Caroline wouldn’t be able to stay away. If she thought that everything she’d done had been for nothing, she’d have to come forward and make sure the truth was heard.

  ‘You okay?’ Nick asked. ‘Your expression just changed completely. Something I said?’

  ‘Not exactly. But you’ve helped. You’ve got me thinking and I might have an idea.’

  ‘That’s great,’ he said, uncrossing his legs and leaning forward like a therapist who had just made a breakthrough with a tricky patient.

  ‘I need to run it past my boss first but it might work.’

  ‘And, if it does, you’ll close the case and be free to socialise.’

  Kate laughed. If only. ‘I won’t be free but I might be a bit less busy.’

  ‘And you’ve still got my card?’

  Kate blushed again as she remembered that it was sitting on top of the chest of drawers in her bedroom where she saw it every day. She stood up to leave, tripping over her own feet in her haste to get back to base and run her idea past Raymond. Tsappis reached out and grabbed her by the upper arm, steadying her and guiding her to the door.

  She could still feel the pressure of his touch as she started her car.

  34

  It had taken two days to implement her plan. Two days of negotiating with Raymond, finding a tame journalist at the South Yorkshire Post and placating Brenda Powley. The journalist had, surprisingly, been a friend of O’Connor’s from school. She was astute and keen to help, and Kate had wondered if she had a thing for O’Connor, hard as that was to imagine. She’d charmed the editor into agreeing with their plan on condition that he could run a retraction after the event and Kate had agreed. The reporter, Emma, had written the story and emailed it to Kate for approval – it was exactly what Kate had requested and had been published the previous day. It was also the main story in the online edition of the newspaper.

  Brenda Powley had not been quite as accommodating but eventually Barratt had won her round with a combination of gentle persuasion and willingness to eat all the cakes and biscuits she offered. Kate smiled to herself as she thought about how Barratt was always so attractive to women of a certain age who seemed to have the urge to mother him. She knew that Brenda wouldn’t have responded so well if she’d asked and Raymond, with his brusqueness and loud voice, would have got nowhere. She’d already made a note in Barratt’s record about his unique contribution to the investigation.

  Kate scanned the office checking on her team. O’Connor was out somewhere on a mission for Raymond; Sam was at her desk, moving her mouse with one hand, the other buried in a bag of crisps; Barratt was on the phone; and Hollis was poring over a case file.

  As the others had become more despondent and frustrated with the Caroline Lambert case, Sam Cooper had stepped up and was driving the investigation forward even though Kate knew that it was unlikely that they’d ever find the woman. Sam approached every task with a smile and an enthusiastic attitude and Kate was sure, on more than one occasion, that she’d even heard her humming as she typed. Kate had been proud to work with the team on this case and had written a note to herself to give them a boost or take them out for beer and pizza as a thank-you. They hadn’t found their suspect but it wasn’t for want of trying.

  She turned her chair back to her computer and called up the website for the Post, hoping that reading the fabricated story one more time might give her a clue, a lead, anything.

  Reunited After Death

  Jeanette Lambert, reported missing over thirty years ago, is finally to be reunited with her family. The remains of the teenager were found in the garden of a house in Thorpe last month, finally concluding a case which had baffled police for decades.

  In a tragic twist, Jeanette’s father, Dennis, died in January, only a few weeks before his daughter’s body was discovered. Neighbours describe how the disappearance of their daughter devastated the Lambert family with one saying that Irene, Jeanette’s mother, ‘died of a broken heart’ after police were unable to find her daughter.

  A joint cremation will take place at Doncaster Crematorium on Wednesday 8th
March at 2pm when father and daughter will finally be at rest together.

  Organisers of the service request that no flowers be sent, instead donations to Macmillan Cancer Support will be collected afterwards.

  Kate scrolled back up to the top of the story and sighed. It was a long shot. Caroline wouldn’t know who had organised the service but she’d expect Brenda to be there as well as other neighbours. Only Dennis Lambert’s body had been released to the funeral home. Kate had no intention of Jeanette’s remains being associated with those of her father but there would be a second, empty coffin at the crematorium for authenticity. She just wished that she could attend but she knew that, if Caroline spotted her, she’d know it was a trap.

  ‘Guys,’ Kate said, turning back to her team. ‘I think we should call it a day. I’m not expecting anything else to turn up tonight, and I know you’re working other cases which will take up your time tomorrow.’ She watched as computers were logged off, bags and coats gathered and last swigs of tea and coffee drunk.

  A few minutes later, Kate picked up her jacket and decided to take her own advice.

  Frost was starting to form on the windscreen of her Mini as she unlocked the doors and threw her bag onto the back seat. She opened the boot and grabbed a can of de-icer, spraying the rear screen first and swiping at it with a plastic scraper. It cleared easily and she walked round to the front. A quick spray and that too was clear of ice. She threw the can and the scraper into the boot and slid into the driver’s seat thinking about what she might have for dinner, which led to thoughts of Nick Tsappis and when she might make the call and perhaps invite him to a restaurant.