“Good one, Baz,” said Harris, the smile fading from his face as Taylor’s words struck home.“Oi! Up yours.”
“You’re working with Anna, Jez,” Red said firmly.
Harris slumped back into his chair.
“You can pretend Anna is your sister, Jezza,” Taylor piped up. “Your very elderly sister.”
Mackenzie buried his head in his hands, edging his seat away from his newly assigned teammate. Anna glowered at the comedian. “Don’t push your luck, Taylor.”
Red suppressed a laugh. “Don’t you two start as well. Plenty of time for bickering later.” To Harris, “Jez, I’m not being responsible for your relationship with Nikki Two-Kays going down the pan. You’re working with Anna. I hear Nikki has already been introduced to DS Hargreaves as your senior officer, so no room for any misunderstandings if you’re both spotted canoodling.”
“Don’t worry, Jez. I won’t let on that you’re my toy-boy,” Anna grinned.
Harris managed an uncertain smile, looking to Taylor for support. None was forthcoming. Taylor was already whispering something to his new partner, Mackenzie.
“So I’m on my lonesome, then?” Terri shot a smile at Taylor. “And I was so looking forward to getting to know you better, Barry.”
“I’m saving you from a fate worse than death, Terri,” Red said. “You’ll be working with me.”
“Watch yourself, Tex’,” Taylor said. “If she offers to show you her truncheon, run like hell.”
Red glared. “That will do, Barry. Jim, maybe you can drill some manners into DC Taylor while he’s on your watch?”
“Typical DCI,” Mackenzie grinned. “Always asking for the impossible.”
Chapter 5.
“Where do you want us then, Guv?” Mackenzie brought the meeting to order with a sharp rap of knuckles on his desk. “Not that the Super is likely to show his face on a Sunday, but I suppose we ought to be doing something to justify this OT binge.”
“Speak for yourself, partner,” Taylor moaned. “Double bubble doesn’t have to mean double trouble.”
“It does on my watch, Barry. Sorry.” Red switched her attention back to the digital display. “Okay, the press are playing the homophobe card, for obvious reasons. Sexual assault and murder in a gents’ toilet. Anyone here care to disagree?”
Taylor shrugged. “Nowt to disagree with, surely. Only a right queer – sorry, only a person with,” his fingers made air quotes, “gay inclinations, is going to be hanging about in the men’s bogs at that time of night.”
Red raised a doubtful eyebrow. “Strangely enough, Barry, people do use public toilets for their intended purpose, not just as a place for romantic liaisons.”
“What, at four in the morning?”
Red sighed. “Yes, Barry, even at four in the morning.” She cast her gaze across the team. “But so far we have nothing to even confirm the victim was gay. It’s possible he might have just been caught short. Look at the bio. Married man. Respectable PR job. Kids. Okay, harboring a big secret if he is bisexual, but he’s no fag, if you’ll excuse my choice of words. No mincing fairy. And yes, Barry, I can get away with saying that. You can’t.”
Taylor forced a weak smile in response.
“The point is,” Red continued, “I don’t think we can automatically assume he’s gay just because he was in a well-known cottage at night.”
“Actually, Guv…” Anna lowered a print-out in her hands. “I think we can. The preliminary assessment from pathology suggests that’s the case.”
“Anna?”
“Sorry, Guv. The lab report came in late yesterday, after you’d gone, so I took it home for some bedtime reading. According to Thewliss there was a concentration of seminal fluid built up, suggesting there had been arousal prior to the chop.”
“See. Queer-bashers,” Taylor muttered.
Red glared.
“Guv, look at the third photo,” Taylor persisted. “You can see the hole in the wall next to where his dick should be. I’m telling you, it’s a homo…whatever you call it.”
Red stepped closer to the board, arms folded, head tilted to one side as if she was trying to fathom a crazy sculpture in a gallery. “I hate it when you’re right, Barry.”
Taylor licked his forefinger and chalked up an imaginary point in the air. “Local cottage. Vic’ with pants down next to a hole. You don’t need Anna’s lab report to work this one out. Elementary, my dear Watson.”
Red shook her head. “I’m still not convinced, Sherlock. None of it makes any sense. It doesn’t feel right.”
“But Guv…” Taylor gestured at the images.
“Okay, let’s accept for now the victim was there for sexual gratification. You may have a point. That still doesn’t mean the motive was –”
“I’m with Barry, Guv,” Anna cut across. “According to Thewliss the severed penis showed indications of trauma consistent with being tied tightly before the chop came. His conjecture is the vic’ was engaged in a consensual sexual act through the hole, during which the perp’ used a small nylon line to secure the victim against the cubicle wall. Possibly some form of bondage?”
“I don’t buy the consensual bit,” Red said. “Okay, maybe it was to start with, but for my money the noose and bag was put over the victim’s head while he was trapped in position. The blood on the inside wall of the second cubicle makes clear it was chopped from that side. What does Thewliss say about the amputation?”
“A sharp craft knife of some sort. It wouldn’t take much, would it.”
“It would for mine,” Taylor grinned. “A chainsaw might do it.”
“Yes, thank you, Barry,” Red sighed. “Okay, so let’s go with the vic’ being bisexual. Let’s accept he was there for… Well, for gratification. That still doesn’t make this a homophobic assault.”
“Be serious, Guv. That’s the only thing it can be,” Taylor objected.
“Hear me out, Barry. Imagine you’re some homophobic maniac and want to do serious harm to all the gays out there. The last thing you do is hide out in a well-known cottage. You wouldn’t be able to bring yourself to even go in there, let alone to hang about waiting for a target. Yet the report suggests the killer actively encouraged the victim, physically and sexually, before the assault. There would have been physical contact. It doesn’t make sense.”
Mackenzie shrugged. “So what are you suggesting, Guv?”
“That we keep an open mind, that’s all. Let’s not shut off avenues of investigation based on assumptions. Anna do we have a BAC reading in there?”
“One hundred and twenty mil’, Guv.”
“That’s a start. Do we know if he was driving that night?”
“Improbable. His own car was safely at the family home. If he’d been in another vehicle it would have been towed away by now.”
“Okay, Mac and Barry, you’ll like this one.I want all the local pub and bars covered. If he was drinking then it was locally. We need to know where and with who.”
“Yes!” Taylor enthusiastically slapped Mackenzie on the arm. “Unlucky, Jez. We’ll have one for you.”
Harris glowered at his former partner. “Me and Anna could do that, Guv, couldn’t we?”
“Sorry, Jez. You and Anna will be digging up every last bit of dirt you can find on our vic’. There’s nothing on the PNC, so you need to search wider. Associates, family ties, business contacts, you name it. Following up his employment can wait until tomorrow, but we can take advantage of it being Sunday to look into his social life.”
Red paused, surveying her team. “But whatever the victim’s sexual predilections, so long as they were legal they’re none of our business. His wife and children deserve our consideration. I expect discretion to be exercised by everyone. Anna can you explain that concept to DC Harris as you go.”
“My pleasure, Guv. We’ll follow up with the wife and family while Barry and Mac get tanked.”
Red looked at Harris. “Jez, this woman has just lost her husband. She probably had no idea he w
as bisexual. Be discreet. Oh, and don’t worry about Jim and Barry. I’m confident they’ll exercise their own discretion and stick to soft drinks, given their pub crawl is being paid for by the public purse. Right, Barry?”
“Yes, Guv,” Taylor answered sullenly.
Mackenzie managed a resigned smile.
“What about me?” Terri asked.
“Stick around for ten minutes while I clear my desk and I’ll be with you, Terri. Okay, the rest of you, you know the drill. Let’s get this case solved.” Red smiled sweetly. “Please.”
Chapter 6.
Red eyed the curled-up corners of her BLT sandwich. “It’s a good job these are going on expenses,” she said to Terri Miller. “They must be at least two days old!”
“Why did you think I stuck to coffee?”
Red eyed her DC up and down. “Because you weigh about eight stone wet through and never eat anything?”
“Eight what?”
“Stone? Don’t tell me you’re one of those metric fanatics?”
“Metric, Guv? You’ve lost me.”
Red shook her head. “Doesn’t matter. So, how are you and Barry getting on nowadays?” She grinned. “You having saved his bacon must have altered the balance in your favour.”
“Guys like Barry are the same the world over, Guv. Once a redneck, always a redneck. I could save his life a dozen times and he’d still see me as an inferior female. But hey, don’t worry about it. I can handle Barry Taylor any day of the week.” Terri leaned forward conspiratorially. “He never talks about his home life. Is there a problem there?”
“Messy divorce. Wife took him for everything he had, which wasn’t a lot. But you didn’t hear that from me. I steer clear of the personal gossip. The more-so now I’m DCI. I’m just mentioning it to you as you’re new. Don’t want you inadvertently saying the wrong thing and triggering world war three.”
“So the bluster is hiding the hurt?”
“Hard to credit Barry Taylor with feelings sometimes, but that’s my theory. If you really want to know, try raising the subject of his kids. That’s the one thing he will open up about. They live with their mother, but that’s more practical than emotional. No way he could be an effective single father in this job. Fortunately they’re both teenagers, so old enough to make their own decisions about the rights and wrongs.”
“Now I’m almost feeling sorry for him,” Terri said.
“No need, he’s got enough self-pity not to need anyone else’s sympathy. Anyway,” Red added, changing the subject, “what’s your gut feel on this case? Are you with everyone else, that this is a homophobic attack?”
“Actually, I’m coming around to your way of thinking, Guv. It doesn’t feel right.”
“You’re not just saying that to keep in my good books, I hope?”
Terri laughed. “Not me, Guv. If I disagree with something I’ll say so.”
“Good.” Red raised the stale sandwich to her lips. Put it down again. “Maybe we should have gone to McDonalds. At least you know the food’s been freshly made there. So, Terri, if you were in my shoes what would your next move be? How would an American police officer handle this?”
Terri considered. “Well, there’s not much in the way of CCTV or witnesses, given the location and time of attack, so we’ve got to move further afield. We’re working blind here. No description to work on, no trace at the scene, nothing. Maybe Mac and Barry will turn up which bar the vic’ was at. Maybe someone was spotted leaving the same bar just after. That’s if the vic’ even went for a drink first. He could have been drinking at home or a friend’s.”
Red nodded her agreement. “Anna and Jez should at least be able to confirm if he was at home prior. But I’m guessing he wasn’t. It would be hard to leave home late without arousing suspicion. More likely he was out plying himself to build up the courage.”
Terri sighed, twirling the sugar shaker between her fingers. She stared past Red onto the busy street beyond. An uneasy silence descended as the pair lost themselves in thought, until, “Hey.” Terri sat upright in the plastic chair. “Isn’t that Baz?”
Red swung her head around, following Terri’s gaze, watching as Taylor ambled into the public house facing the café, Mackenzie close behind. “Pound to a penny if we go in there we’ll find them both with a pint in their hands.”
Chapter 7.
“So remember, sympathy in buckets,” Anna said to Jez Harris. “This woman has just lost her husband.”
Harris adopted an expression of indignation. “I’m not completely heartless, you know.”
Anna looked unconvinced. She indicated for her junior to knock on the door, taking the opportunity to survey the plush surroundings. Clearly PR paid better than the Police. But then, what didn’t, she thought to herself.
It was just a few seconds before they heard footsteps in the hall. The door swung open with unexpected force.
“Mrs. Carter?”
A bespectacled forty-something, mousy-haired woman in a baggy cardigan and frumpy skirt eyed them up and down. “I might be.”
Anna displayed her badge. “I’m DS Hargreaves. This is my colleague, DC Harris.”
Harris belatedly followed suit, holding his ID out for inspection.
Mrs. Carter shrugged. “Am I meant to be impressed?”
Anna exchanged an uncertain glance with Harris. “We’d like to ask you a few questions, about your husband.”
“And if I don’t want to answer them?”
“Mrs. Carter, do you mind if we come in?” Anna persisted.
The woman hesitated, seeming to consider the proposition, then suddenly stepped aside. “Why the hell not? Why should I care, right? I mean, I’m only his wife.”
“Is there a problem, Mrs. Carter?”
The woman laughed loudly, taking a rolled up tissue from the sleeve of her cardigan and dabbing at her nose. “What, aside from the fact that the whole world now knows my husband was a dirty pervert, you mean?”
Anna touched her arm gently. “Mrs. Carter, you’ve had a nasty shock. I understand how you must be feeling right now. Shall we go through and sit down?”
Mrs. Carter nodded, sniffing, her features softening slightly. “Through here.” She turned to face them as they followed her down the hallway. “Can I get either of you a drink?” she asked, as if suddenly remembering her manners.
“No, thank you, Mrs. Carter.” Anna shot Harris a look that told him he didn’t need a drink either. “We’re fine.”
“Please, call me Helen.” Mrs. Carter ushered them into a spotless, spacious lounge.
“You have a lovely home, Helen.” Anna said as they perched themselves on a gleaming white leather settee.
“Thank you. It’s not really my style, but David is… was in PR, so we did a lot of entertaining.”
Anna pulled a notepad from her pocket. She flipped it open, looking up at the woman slowly coming to terms with her husband’s murder. “Given your husband’s professional position we’re a little concerned about the media coverage, Helen. Have you been bothered by the press at all?”
Mrs. Carter wrung her hands together, her eyes filling with tears. She shook her head.
“No, no, nothing like that.” Her voice cracked with emotion as she spoke. “Well, not so far.”
She looked at Harris, then back to Anna, obviously unsure of what to say next.
Anna took it as a cue to continue. “As was explained to you by Superintendent Blake, Helen, we’ve requested the media play down the incident at this stage, while we conduct our initial investigation. But obviously your husband’s political affiliations mean this would be a public interest story even without the…the particular circumstances surrounding his death. Once one newspaper breaks ranks, the rest will follow.”
“The bastard,” Mrs. Carter muttered beneath her breath.
“They’re just trying to do their job, Helen.”
“Not the press. Him.”
“Him?”
“David. The filthy,
perverted bastard! And all this time –” Mrs. Carter suddenly burst into tears. “I’m sorry. It’s just…”
Anna moved across to sit next to Mrs. Carter, a comforting arm around the woman’s shoulder. “Don’t mind us, Helen. Get it out of your system.” She motioned to Harris. “Pass that box of tissues, Jez.” To Mrs. Carter, “So you had no idea?”
Mrs. Carter took the box gratefully, taking control of her sobbing. “I had my suspicions, of course. That he was bi-sexual, I mean. That he was interested in men. He never told me, but I knew.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
Mrs. Carter looked up at Anna. Then hesitantly across at Harris. Anna got the message.
“Jez, how about you make a pot of tea,” Anna said. “Is that okay, Helen? You look like you could do with one.”
Harris looked bewildered. Hadn’t Anna just said they didn’t want a drink?
Mrs. Carter nodded tearfully, gesturing with her head to the kitchen. “If you can’t find anything…”
“He’ll be fine, Helen. How do you take yours?”
“Just milk for me. But if either of you need sugar it’s in –”
“Jez will find it. He’s well-trained. Let’s talk a little more about David.” Anna motioned Harris towards the kitchen. As he disappeared through the doorway Anna leant in towards Mrs. Carter. “I hope you don’t mind Jez in your kitchen, Helen, but we really need to talk about you and your husband’s… Your relationship, shall I say? We need to understand more about David’s predilections if we are to catch his killer.”
Mrs. Carter glanced towards the doorway, satisfying herself that Harris was out of earshot. “How old is he?”
Anna looked confused. “You don’t know your husband’s age?”
Mrs. Carter managed a smile through the tears. “Your colleague, I meant. Jed, did you call him? They say all policemen look like twelve year olds nowadays, but he really does look young.”
Anna laughed quietly. “Jez, not Jed. His real name is Jeremy, but he hates that. I know he’s in his early twenties. Do you want me to ask him?”
Saffina Desforges' ROSE RED Crime Thriller Boxed Set Page 30
