by MA Comley
“He was told to get out and fend for himself. He’s good at his job, though. Conscientious and reliable—just your average team member, but be careful all the same.”
“Message received.”
• • •
“What the hell happened to you last night?”
Zac sat at the kitchen table, holding his sore head in his hands, groaning as his brother’s voice reverberated through the low-ceilinged kitchen and slapped him round the face.
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
“Try me,” his brother retorted impatiently.
“I got bladdered and picked up a bird.”
“All right, spare me the gory details, will you? What happened down the pub?”
Zac gulped noisily and lifted his head up to look at his brother. “Shit happened.”
Drumming his fingers on the countertop of the island, his brother asked, “What’s that supposed to mean? What the fuck are you on about?”
“I was just going to start asking around…You know, like you asked me to. When Denman walked in with his heavies.”
“And?” His brother came towards him, wearing a menacing expression, and sat in the chair next to him.
“He told me to…to pass on a message…to you,” Zac stammered, sensing his brother would blow his top any minute.
“Get on with it, for fuck’s sake.”
“He said, ‘We know what you and yours are up to, and it’s game on,’” Zac told him before taking a sip of his coffee.
“I should’ve guessed he’d be behind it. He’ll be after payback.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought. What we gonna do about it?”
“You’re gonna go see that Underhill and see what he knows. Beat it out of him if you have to.”
Grimacing, Zac moaned. “What, today? Couldn’t I leave it till tomorrow?” The look on his brother’s face told him he had asked the stupidest of questions. Again.
• • •
Lorne left Katy and AJ downloading the photos and went to Roberts’ office.
“No need to ask if you slept all right last night,” he said, pointing at the chair.
She shrugged. “I think you’d be the same, given the circumstances. Wouldn’t you?”
“I have no doubt about that, Inspector. That’s why I told you to take a few days off.”
“I’d rather be here, if it’s all the same. About the case, sir…”
“Go on,” Roberts said.
“DS Foster and I had quite an eventful day yesterday. The guy at ‘Trust Us’—yeah, I know—when we questioned him about being connected to the footballers and obtaining their contracts, he mentioned that he’d met a Zac at a pub.”
“As you do,” Roberts said, tutting.
“Anyway, we went down there to try and find out who this bloke is, when who should stroll in but this Zac. Drunk as a skunk, shouting the odds. A couple of minutes later, three other men walked in.” Roberts sat forward in his chair. Lorne continued, “They got in each other’s faces for a while—”
“What about?”
“I wish I knew. This Zac started off shouting at this other guy. In response, the other guy leaned forward and whispered something. I couldn’t hear what was said, but judging by the way Zac reacted, I’d say he goaded him in some way.”
“So what happened next?”
“The barmaid warned them that we were there, and after a few warning glances directed our way, things died down. The three men left within minutes of arriving. We waited a few minutes, then tried to leave ourselves, but this Zac stood in our way. He called us a few choice names and I had to warn him to back off. I ended up telling him he was now firmly on our radar.”
Roberts chuckled. “I can just imagine the scene. So, did you recognize any of the men?”
“That’s just it: the pub isn’t on our patch, but I took discreet pictures of the scene on my phone. Not sure how good the pictures will be, though. What with finding out about Tony yesterday, it slipped my mind to check them when I got home.”
He waved away her explanation. “That’s understandable, Lorne. You’ll get on to it today, right?”
“Katy and AJ are on it now. Back to yesterday, after the pub, we paid a visit to the designer who was contracted to kit out the Dobbses’ and Kellys’ homes. She’s a sassy individual, on her guard the minute we stepped foot in her swanky showroom. I came away with the client files. I’m going to go through them today to see what turns up.”
“Anything else?”
“Not yet…I hope to compare the files of the security firm and the designer. Something smells more than a little fishy there. But I get the sense that these guys are just the tip of the iceberg.”
“Care to enlighten me further?” he asked, relaxing back in his chair.
“You know me and my instincts. My immediate thoughts are, looking at the two people concerned—the designer and the security firm guy—I doubt they’d have the brains or the guts to get involved. Whereas this Zac fella is a totally different story.”
“Why don’t you delegate comparing the files to DS Fox or someone and concentrate on finding out more about this Zac, then?”
Lorne wrinkled her nose and remained silent.
Roberts hit the desk lightly with his hand. “Dumb of me to think of that, really, knowing what a control freak you are.”
Her jaw dropped open until she saw his face crack into a smile. “Okay, I’ll give you that one. It does make sense. I’ll put John on it and get delving into this guy’s past—if I can find a name for him, that is.”
She rose out of her chair and walked to the door.
“You will,” he called after her confidently.
CHAPTER TWENTY
When Lorne entered the incident room, she noticed how cosy her two sergeants appeared to be. Sitting alongside each other, both Katy and AJ were grinning broadly and nudging shoulders.
Hmm…Interesting. Maybe they have more in common than their parents, after all.
She advanced towards them and cleared her throat when she reached AJ’s desk. “How’s it going?” she asked, cocking an eyebrow.
The pair separated and leaned away from each other. AJ started stammering, “Er…I’ve downloaded the pictures, ma’am, I’m just going…I mean, we’re just going through the database now.”
“Were the pictures okay?”
He smiled and shook his head. “Let’s just say you won’t be winning any quality awards for them.”
“Cheeky sod. As long as you can use some of them. Let me know what you come up with.”
Katy went to stand up, but Lorne put her hand on her shoulder and gently pushed her back down. “No, carry on searching the database with AJ. The more eyes we have on this, the better. I have a feeling this will end up being a key part of the investigation. I’ll be in my office, doing my bit.”
“Whatever you say, ma’am.”
If Lorne didn’t know any better, she would have thought the look on Katy’s face was one of relief. “Has anyone seen DS Fox?”
Molly answered her in a hushed voice. “He’s nipped to the gents, ma’am. Anything I can do for you?”
Molly’s eagerness made up Lorne’s mind for her. “Actually, Molly, you’d probably be more suited for the task I had in mind, anyway. Come into my office, will you?”
In the office, Lorne picked up the relevant files and went over what she wanted Molly to do with them. Molly told her to give her the rest of the day, and that she’d hopefully have a result for her by the end of the shift, if there was anything to find.
Satisfied she’d chosen the right person for the job, Lorne grabbed a coffee from the machine and started ringing a few old contacts. About an hour into her mission, she realised with sadness but complete understanding that many of her colleagues, people she had worked well with over the years, had retired from the force.
It brought her own situation home, her doubts about returning to work and giving up her newly found and interesting
career. Not forgetting the turmoil she was going through with regard to Tony being on the MIA list. What if he never returned home to her? What on earth would she do without him? She’d become dependent on his support and love, and to have it ripped away from her at this early stage in their relationship…She feared it would destroy her.
Her father’s words filled her head: ‘Keep strong, girl; never give up.’ She nodded and took a deep breath before placing another call. “DI Holland, please.”
“Directing you now, ma’am,” the girl on the switchboard said.
“DI Holland. How can I help?”
“Steve, long time no hear…It’s Lorne Simpkins.”
“Wow, now there’s a name I thought I’d never hear again. How the dickens are you?”
Lorne and Steve had been through Hendon together. During training and exams, usually she or Steve came out on top, with the other coming in close second. Their relationship had always been a friendly rivalry, and despite being in different forces, their paths had crossed several times in the past, with satisfactory results.
She was glad he sounded pleased to hear from her. “What’s the old saying? ‘You can’t keep an old dog down.’”
They both laughed.
“Yeah. From what I’ve heard, many have tried over the years.” He was obviously referring to the tussles she’d had with the Met’s hierarchy in her last stint of serving in the force, namely with her own Superintendent Greenfall.
“Enough of the niceties. I wondered if you could help me out on a case?”
“If I can, you know I will, Lorne. Shoot.”
“I’m working on a few robberies at the moment. I wouldn’t usually deal with them, but the robbers decided to leave some murder victims at the scene.”
“Go on,” he said, sounding intrigued.
“Anyway, I was in your neck of the woods yesterday following up on a lead when I kind of stumbled on something.”
“Okay, it’s getting interesting now.”
“I know it’s a long shot, but have you come across a Zac?”
“Zac what?”
Sighing, she told him, “That’s just it. That’s all I have for now. I was hoping something might ring a bell with you if I gave you a description. It’s sort of an unusual name,” she added hopefully.
He blew out an exasperated breath before he answered. “Let’s see what we can find. What description do you have?”
“Around the six foot mark, red hair, and mid-late thirties.”
“Geesh, is that it?” She heard him tapping away at the keyboard and the computer making a tinging sound as though he’d punched in the wrong keys.
“That’s all I’ve got, I’m afraid. Oh, hang on, he had a cockney accent.”
“Bloody hell. You don’t expect much, do you? Let me have a quick look around while you’re on the phone.”
“Thanks. I’ve got my team working on it, too, but I thought something might jolt a memory. Talking of which, when we were in the pub, another three tough guys came in.”
“And?”
“There was a bit of a contretemps among them. I couldn’t hear what was said, but the way Zac reacted, I’d hazard a guess that he’d been warned off.”
“That’s more like it. Give me a minute or two.”
A knock sounded on her office door, she placed her hand over the mouthpiece. “Come in.” AJ stuck his head round the door. The sergeant looked pleased with himself. “What have you got?”
“I’ve managed to match a few of your dubious photos, ma’am. I’ve come up with the name Zac Murray.”
Lorne held up a finger telling AJ to wait and repeated the name into the phone and heard Holland bang his fist on the desk.
“Of course. Zac Murray. He’s been a bit quiet lately. I must say I’m surprised he’s involved in any murders, though. I’ve always had him down as a petty criminal. He used to go around with a Carl somebody. Let’s see if I can locate him.”
While Holland tapped away at his computer again, Lorne asked AJ, “Did you manage to find any names for the other guys?”
Disappointed, he screwed his nose up and shook his head. “Sorry, ma’am.”
“It doesn’t matter. AJ, let’s see what DI Holland comes up with. Why don’t you and Katy grab some lunch?” AJ’s brow knitted together. “I mean, break for something to eat, and we’ll continue after lunch. I’ve got a few calls to make.”
“Can I get you a sandwich or something, ma’am?” AJ asked.
“If you’re going to the canteen, I’ll have a tuna and mayo, please.” She smiled, and he left the office, closing the door behind him.
She had a feeling she would need to have a word in both AJ’s and Katy’s ears before long. Although she was pleased they appeared to be getting on so well, relationships between team members didn’t go down too well with either her or the force. Plus there was Katy’s boyfriend to consider. To stir up that particular hornet’s nest would involve yet more trouble for Katy. She made a mental note to have a proper chat with Katy when they got home, maybe while the young sergeant was packing her bag for her weekend trip to see her parents up north.
“Here we go: Carl Ward. Both been in the nick for a few months. Like I say, petty criminals; shoplifting, mainly. Caught nicking booze from an off-licence once or twice. Nothing you’d count as major.”
“Maybe they picked up a few tips while they were banged up,” Lorne said.
“You’re probably right there. That’s usually the case. Maybe they’ve joined up with someone else. Zac’s the type who has trouble knowing what time of day it is. Someone needs to pull his strings.”
“Interesting. Okay, Steve. Thanks for all your help. If you think of anything else or another name crops up, can you let me know?”
“Sure. I’ll be in touch. I’ll ask around, see what I can find out about the other guys for you.”
“Cheers. You’re a star.” She hung up and was surprised when the phone rang again. “DI Simpkins.”
“Lorne, oh God. I’m so sorry, hon.”
Her sister’s concerned voice brought unwelcome tears to her eyes. Damn. She had been holding it together so well, too.
“Hi, Jade. Did Dad ring you?”
“Of course he did, although I would’ve rather heard the news from you. How are you holding up?”
“Sorry, love, I didn’t want to worry you. I’m trying to keep myself occupied so I don’t imagine all sorts of things.”
“What can I do to help, anything?”
Lorne could tell her sister was struggling to hold it together. Jade thought the world of Tony and had welcomed him with open arms as part of her extended family despite her fondness for Tom, whom she had known for years.
“There’s not a lot any of us can do at the moment, hon, except sit and wait for news.”
“Thank God you have your work to keep your mind off things.”
Lorne almost laughed as she thought of the number of times Jade had chastised her for putting work before everything else—her family, her friends, even her marriage to Tom. It seemed ironic that her sister was now pleased that her work would be a distraction while she waited for news.
“Yeah, I’ll vouch for that. Let’s get off the subject, shall we? How are my little nephews doing?”
Cheerfully Jade replied, “Still tying me up in knots. One is keeping me awake all night because he’s teething and the other is caught up in the terrible twos syndrome.”
“Now you can understand why I only had the one child.”
“Er…yeah. I’m totally understanding that. Although I have to tell you, at the time I thought you were nuts for not giving Charlie any siblings. Maybe if she’d had a brother or sister, she wouldn’t have gone off the rails the way she did a few years back.”
“I doubt it, but thanks for that insight,” she replied, glancing up at the ceiling.
“I wasn’t having a go, Lorne, honest.”
Lorne bit down hard on her tongue and waited a few seconds before s
he responded. “Yeah, I know. You always manage to have some kind of dig, though, Jade, don’t you?”
“Crap. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to. Forget I said anything. Are you seeing Charlie at the weekend?”
It was difficult to just brush away the criticism her sister had just aired, but to keep the peace, she did. “Yep, she’s coming over tonight, and we’re going ice-skating over the weekend. Should be fun. Not sure what my balance will be like after all this time, though.”
“You’ll be fine. You were always great when we were kids. I kind of lost interest when I broke my wrist on that school trip to Bristol.”
“Oh God, don’t remind me. I hope you haven’t tempted fate there.”
They both laughed.
“They say it’s like riding a bike. Once you put your skates on, there’ll be no stopping you. Give me a ring in the week. Let me know how you got on or if you hear anything about Tony.”
“Will do. Thanks for ringing, Jade. Give the kids a slobbery kiss for me.”
They both hung up.
While Lorne ate her sandwich, she mulled over the two names that had come to light. She made plans to get her team delving deeper into each person’s past during the afternoon—where they hung out, where they lived, where they were banged up, and what friendships they’d struck up inside.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
The pain was borderline excruciating. He eased open his swollen eye and glanced down at the blood seeping through his white linen trousers belonging to his cover as an Afghan herdsman.
It had been hours since they’d beaten him publicly for the second time. That time, the attack had been far more brutal, and the injuries he’d sustained had been far worse. Struggling to sit upright against the cave’s jagged damp wall, he tore a strip of fabric from his tunic and wrapped it around the wound on his upper thigh, wincing as he pulled it tight.
The cave was compact, with barely enough room to stand up. It had a prison door at its opening, and in the darkness, Tony could just make out the skeletal remains of its former inhabitant.
Well, that doesn’t bode well.
He listened for any possible movement outside but heard none. The men came twice a day with a bowl of water and a lump of bread that looked as if they’d played football with it for at least half an hour. Most of the time, they spilt three quarters of the contents of the bowl of water before they handed it to him. His lips were cracked open to the point of bleeding.
