‘Anyway, you can stay with me tonight,’ she said, reaching up and kissing his neck. ‘My sister’s in York on a business trip.’
Brooks smiled sadly. ‘You know I can’t, Luce. I would love to but ...’
‘I know. I just like making you feel guilty.’ Lucy moved back from him and nodded. ‘So, twenty-four hours, Harry. Come on.’
He put his hands up defensively. ‘Okay, okay. Just get your stuff together.’
Lucy pulled a mock upset face. ‘Oh ... are you not taking me to bed before we go?’
‘Aren’t I?’ he said uncertainly.
‘Yes, you bloody are.’ She took him by the hand and led him to the bedroom.
BY THE TIME THE PARAMEDICS had arrived, Dan had regained consciousness. While he was being taken to St George’s Hospital, Ruth gave a statement to a uniformed officer. She then had to arrange for someone to come and sit with Ella so she could go to the hospital to check on Dan. Mrs Bateman, her elderly neighbour from upstairs, said she was more than happy to babysit for a while, and although she was very forgetful, Ruth didn’t have much choice.
As Mrs Bateman sat and watched the telly and ate biscuits, Ruth spent a few minutes tidying up the flat and trying to ascertain if anything was missing. Nothing of any value had been stolen. The television, CD player, jewellery, and even some cash in the kitchen had not been touched. It hadn’t been a robbery. Whoever had broken in was looking for something specific, and Ruth could only conclude that it was related to the Simo Petrovic case. It might have also served as a warning for her to back off. It had certainly unnerved her.
It was nearly two hours after Ruth had discovered Dan. She parked up in St George’s car park and dialled Lucy’s number.
‘Ruth? Everything okay?’ Lucy asked immediately.
She doesn’t sound herself.
‘Erm, not really. Where are you?’
‘I just got to my sister’s. What’s happened?’ Lucy asked with concern.
‘Someone trashed my flat. They knocked Dan unconscious.’
‘Oh my God. How is he?’
‘I’m outside the hospital now, just about to go in and see him, but I rang earlier for news. He’s fully regained consciousness and he’s not in any danger. I guess he’ll just have a whopping headache.’
‘Maybe he deserves one,’ Lucy said sarcastically. ‘How bad’s the flat?’
‘Nothing obvious was stolen. They left valuables and cash so they must have been looking for something else ... unless it was some kind of warning.’
‘Which is why I’m at my sister’s already.’
‘Why, what’s happened?’
‘A delightful man doorstepped me and told me that it was dangerous for us to keep looking for his friend.’
‘Bloody hell. Did he hurt you?’
‘No, no. But he scared the shit out of me.’
‘Did you tell Brooks?’
‘Yes. Have you told him about your break-in and Dan?’
‘Not yet. I’ll ring him from here once I’ve checked on Dan.’
‘Okay. I’ll see you in the morning. And you and Ella need to stay somewhere else tonight,’ Lucy said.
‘Yeah. I’ll sort something out.’
Ruth ended the call and walked across the car park, feeling very uneasy. It seemed that both she and Lucy had been targeted tonight. Petrovic, and possibly Tankovic, were clearly now willing to take risks to protect their new identities. Threatening police officers and breaking into their flats were incredibly bold moves by anyone’s standards. Ruth had Ella’s safety to consider and she needed to think about staying somewhere else for a few days.
Making her way through the ground floor of the hospital, she started to scan the signs for Warwick Ward. Dan had been moved from the Medical Assessment Unit to a regular ward over an hour ago.
Having found the ward entrance, Ruth made her way to the nurses’ station and asked for him. Even though there was part of her that hated Dan for the way he had behaved in recent weeks, she also felt a little guilty. If she and Lucy hadn’t decided to pursue Petrovic, no one would have broken into her flat and knocked him unconscious.
As she approached the double doors into the ward itself, Ruth spotted Dan in the corner. His head was heavily bandaged, and he was linked up to a drip. Beside him was a woman in her 20s who was holding his hand.
Oh my God. Are you kidding me?
Watching for a few more seconds, Ruth was left in no doubt that this was the woman he was having an affair with. Although she hadn’t told Dan that she was coming to visit, she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.
Taking a breath, Ruth could feel a tear in her eye.
Fucking bastard!
She wandered over to the coffee machine while she weighed up what to do next. Go in and confront them? It wasn’t her style.
She popped a pound coin into the machine and selected a latte. After a few strange noises and gurgles, the machine stopped.
Where’s my fucking coffee?
Ruth gave it a kick out of total frustration. ‘For God’s sake!’
‘I’ve lost a small fortune in these bloody things,’ said a female voice behind her.
Ruth turned to see it was the woman who had been sitting with Dan.
Oh great.
‘Right. That’s a bit of a pain.’
‘My nan was in this hospital last year. The nurses might make you a tea if you ask nicely,’ the woman explained with a smile. She had an Australian accent.
Now what do I do?
‘Haven’t we met before?’ Ruth said, raising an eyebrow.
The woman gave her a quizzical look. ‘Have we? Sorry, I...’
Ruth held out her hand. ‘I’m Ruth. Must have been at some club or something.’
‘Yeah, well I was probably off my head. Angela,’ she said as she shook hands.
‘Are you visiting your nan again?’
‘No. She’s fine. Just a friend. He was attacked but he’s going to be okay,’ Angela said.
‘Oh no. That’s sounds awful.’
‘Yeah, that’s south London for you. I come from a tiny little place outside Melbourne where you can leave your doors open and cars unlocked,’ she said with a shrug.
‘That sounds nice,’ Ruth said.
‘Yeah, it is. Do you happen to know where the nearest toilets are?’ Angela asked.
‘Out here, turn right and head back towards the staircase,’ Ruth said gesturing.
‘Thanks. Nice to see you again, Ruth,’ Angela said and walked away.
Bloody hell!
Ruth took a breath, walked into the ward, and headed for Dan’s bed.
He looked up and his eyes widened.
‘Ruth. Hi, errrm ... I didn’t know you were coming to visit me tonight. I thought you’d text me or something,’ Dan said, squirming.
He’s such a prick.
Ruth was enjoying how uncomfortable her presence was making him feel. ‘We are still married, Dan. You’re the father of our daughter and you were assaulted in our flat. Why would I not come to see you?’
‘Thanks for coming. I’m just really tired. It’s all the painkillers.’
‘Sounds like you want me to go?’
‘Oh no, it’s not that. I think I’m just going to sleep that’s all,’ he said, shifting awkwardly and looking over her shoulder.
Yes. I wonder when Angela is coming back.
Ruth looked behind her, and then looked at Dan. ‘She seemed nice.’
‘Who?’
‘Angela.’
‘Angela? Who’s Angela?’
‘You know Angela. Attractive, slim. Australian. Comes from a little place near Melbourne. She was sitting here about ten minutes ago holding your hand. You must remember that, Dan? Unless you’ve got amnesia?’ Ruth said sardonically.
Dan closed his eyes for a few seconds. ‘I ... I’m sorry ...’
‘Don’t worry. I’m not going to make a scene. I’m not even surprised. It just confirms to me that you are a lying
, cheating, emotionally-stunted prick, that’s all,’ she said as she got up. ‘I actually feel sorry for Angela.’
She turned and walked out of the ward without looking back.
CHAPTER 22
Sipping from her lukewarm coffee, Ruth shuffled through the mountain of paperwork that was growing on her desk. She was aware that for the last hour she had done little other than shuffle. She couldn’t get the discovery of Dan’s affair out of her head. Every time she managed to preoccupy herself with something work-related, a few seconds later the thundering realisation that her husband had been cheating on her came rushing into her head like an oncoming train.
The sound of laughter came from where Hassan and Gaughran were sitting. Ruth looked over and saw Hassan talking quietly to Gaughran. They didn’t know she was listening.
‘Why do I have to ask them?’ Hassan asked Gaughran.
‘Because they’re a pair of Dorises,’ was the reply. ‘Doris’ was a derogatory term used in the Met for women police officers.
Utter dickheads.
Hassan approached, looking decidedly awkward.
Here we go.
‘Ruth, we wonder if you and Lucy could help us with something?’ he asked.
Ruth raised an eyebrow. ‘What’s that then?’
‘Old lady in the flats in Adams Court claims she was sexually assaulted. We wondered if you could talk to her.’
‘Oh right. What’s her name ... Doris?’ Ruth asked dryly.
Hassan glanced over at Gaughran who snorted with laughter.
‘Eh? Oh no,’ Hassan said with a frown.
‘You know what, part of me would love to watch you two toddlers squirm with embarrassment taking down her statement. But in reality, the idea of subjecting that poor woman to you two is such a horrible thought that me and Lucy will deal with it.’
‘Thanks, Ruth,’ he said, looking relieved.
‘Syed?’ Ruth said very quietly.
He came a little closer. ‘Yeah?’
‘Don’t let Tim drag you down to his level. Seriously.’
Hassan nodded with a look of embarrassment and went back to his desk.
For a few seconds, Ruth’s thoughts went back to Dan. How had she allowed this affair to happen? As a copper, she knew that her instinct was 99% right about the investigations that she’d worked on. Why hadn’t she trusted the same instinct when it came to Dan? Deep down she knew that she’d deceived herself that he wasn’t having an affair. Maybe she just couldn’t deal with the rejection. Maybe she hoped it would somehow go away. She kicked herself for not confronting him months, or even years, ago and throwing him out.
As her mind then turned to Ella, that beautiful, innocent little girl who would have to grow up without the constant, reassuring presence of her father, Ruth felt quite overwhelmed. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, but she couldn’t stop a tear from welling in her eye.
‘Ruth?’ a voice said. She looked up to see Lucy approaching.
‘Yeah?’ Ruth replied, wiping her eyes.
‘Phone call from Surrey Police. There’s been an incident involving Safet Dudic.’
LUCY AND RUTH RACED down the A3 with the blues and twos blaring. Lucy zipped in and out of the traffic and within twenty minutes they had arrived at Stoneleigh High Street. The only information they had been given was that the victim was called Safet Dudic and that he had Ruth’s police information card in his pocket, which is why Surrey Police force had called her.
As they parked up, Ruth could see that the street had been taped off by uniformed officers. The blue lights of the ambulance and patrol cars threw a rhythmic light over the rubberneckers, the term police officers used to describe the inquisitive onlookers who came to gawp at whatever had happened.
Ruth and Lucy headed for the officer who was clearly running a scene log. They showed him their warrant cards and explained they were from Peckham CID.
‘Are you the first responder?’ Ruth asked. The young PC looked pale and a little bit shaken. She had seen it before in young officers.
The PC nodded. ‘Yes, ma’am.’
‘Can you tell us what happened, constable?’ Lucy asked.
The PC pointed to the newsagent’s on the corner. ‘According to witnesses, the victim came out of the shop over there and headed for the zebra crossing. As he was crossing, a car came out of nowhere, hit him, and drove off. He was dead when I arrived.’
‘Anyone get a look at the driver or the car?’
The PC looked down at his notebook. ‘A Mrs Kate Pullinger over there said that she thought it was kids in a small blue car, but the man who runs the off licence was sure that the car was expensive-looking and black. That’s it at the moment, ma’am.’
Ruth gave him an empathetic smile. ‘Thank you, constable. Don’t worry. I remember seeing my first few RTAs. They really shook me. Fortunately, in this job you do get used to it.’
The PC nodded but was still visibly shaken.
As Ruth got closer to where the ambulance was parked, she saw the outline of the body under a grey blanket.
Lucy stopped and looked at her. ‘Poor bugger.’
‘There’s no way that Dudic wasn’t targeted is there?’ Ruth said gesturing to his body.
‘You know what I think of coincidences.’
A uniformed sergeant noticed their presence and came over.
‘One of you ladies DI Hunter?’ he asked.
Ruth didn’t like his tone. It sounded patronising and he used the word ladies as if he was asking them if they wanted a drink in a nightclub.
‘That’s me, sarge,’ she said.
‘Victim had your card on him. Did you know him?’
‘We interviewed him in connection with a murder enquiry we’re running out of Peckham nick,’ Ruth explained.
The sergeant paused in thought for a moment. ‘You think the two are connected?’
‘Possibly,’ she said. She wasn’t about to give too much away.
‘I’ve got an eyewitness who claims she got a good look at the driver and the car. Driver was a middle-aged man with a shaved head. The car was big, black, and expensive-looking. She didn’t know for certain, but it could have been a Jaguar.’
‘Not your average hit and run then?’ Lucy said.
Out of the corner of her eye, Ruth noticed something that was out of place. One of the victim’s feet, in a dark Nike Air trainer, was partially visible.
‘Lucy,’ she said under her breath, giving her a nudge and indicating the trainer.
Lucy frowned and then said with some urgency, ‘Come on.’
Walking quickly over to the body, they showed their warrant cards to the paramedics who stepped aside for a moment.
Ruth lifted the blanket back to reveal the victim’s face – it was Dudic’s 16-year-old grandson.
It’s the wrong Safet Dudic.
Ruth looked at Lucy.
‘Shit! So, where’s the old man?’
They turned quickly and ran back to the car.
CHAPTER 23
Five minutes later, Lucy and Ruth screeched to a halt outside the Dudics’ home. A patrol car was a few seconds behind them.
Ruth unclipped her seat belt, threw open the car door and sprinted towards the front door. Not only did she know that Safet Dudic Senior was now in great danger, or worse, but she also had to break it to Mrs Dudic that her son had been killed in a hit and run.
Hammering on the door, Ruth looked at Lucy who was peering in through the windows. She glanced over at the driveway.
‘No car on the drive,’ Ruth said. Her adrenaline was starting to pump.
What if they’ve killed Dudic already?
She put her ear to the door – nothing. ‘I don’t think there’s anyone in.’
Lucy spotted two uniformed police officers striding up the driveway. ‘Constables, please stay at the roadside to make sure no one comes in or out. We don’t think Mrs Dudic is in. See if there’s any other way of getting hold of her.’
&
nbsp; Ruth looked up at the front of the house. ‘How are we going to get in?’
‘Round the back?’ Lucy suggested. She gestured to a seven-foot high solid wooden side gate that was padlocked. ‘Through there.’
‘And how are we going to get over that?’
‘We’re not.’ Lucy took a small run up and booted the gate with the sole of her boot. The lock broke noisily as the gate flew open with a bang. She turned to Ruth and winked.
‘Oh, okay. Well that’s definitely easier,’ Ruth said dryly.
They moved quickly into the large, well-tended back garden. On the far side was the annexe which Ruth knew was where Safet Dudic lived. Spotting a half-open door, she went over and looked in cautiously.
‘Mr Dudic?’ she called. ‘It’s Detective Constable Hunter. We spoke to you yesterday.’
Lucy peered through one of the windows. ‘Shit! The place has been wrecked,’ Lucy yelled.
Taking out her extendable baton, Ruth proceeded cautiously in through the door. If the annexe had been trashed, or Dudic attacked, the intruders might still be in there.
Lucy was now behind her with her own baton drawn and ready for action.
Ruth could feel her pulse thudding in her neck. She took a deep breath and readied herself for whatever or whoever was inside.
‘Mr Dudic? We’re coming in now. Okay?’ she called out as she and Lucy proceeded carefully along the passageway that led to the rooms of the annexe.
They stopped for a moment and listened.
Nothing.
Ruth looked at Lucy with a well-rehearsed gesture to ask if she had heard anything. Lucy shook her head.
Walking into the living room, Ruth saw that the place had been turned upside down. She thought of her own flat that had been left in the same state the day before.
Bastards!
‘Alpha Zero to Dispatch, are you receiving, over?’ Lucy said into her radio.
‘Dispatch receiving Alpha Zero, go ahead,’ came the response.
‘We’re going to need SOCOs as soon as possible and a uniformed patrol to secure our scene of crime, over.’
‘Alpha Zero, received. Will advise, over.’
Diary of a War Crime Page 15
