Saffina Desforges' ROSE RED Crime Thriller Boxed Set

by Saffina Desforges

  “Wrap the rest in some greaseproof paper, darling, and you can finish them at the park,” Cynthia said to Ruby, ignoring Pippa’s concerns. “Then wash those sticky fingers and we can be off.”

  “Hold on,” Pippa stared at Red. “Since when were you going to the park too? I thought you had taken the morning off to help with the interviews?”

  Red looked up from trying to untangle Ruby from her booster seat. She shook her head. “I did. I’m helping by taking the kids to the park so they don’t frighten the applicants. You’re on your own with this one, Counsellor. The sun is shining and I need some fresh air.”

  “Mother?” Pippa asked, desperation edging into her voice.

  Cynthia rose to help Red with Ruby. “For goodness sake, Pippa. You stand in that court every day, defending murderers, rapists and vile hooligans. I’m sure you can cross-examine a few nannies without our help.”

  Chapter 16.

  Terri Miller glanced at her watch as Red pushed the briefing room doors open. “Morning, Guv. Thought we weren’t expecting you ’til later?”

  “Flying visit. Just left the kids with the mother-in-law at the park. Popped in to grab some paperwork. Head Honcho made it very clear that this case is priority with a capital catch ‘em like yesterday. What have we got? Anything new?”

  Terri shook her head. “Barry and Mac are back at the pub going through CCTV with the manager to see if we can get a decent image of carrier-bag boy, and Anna and Jez are with tech scouring Mr. Carter’s laptop and files. Looks like that one’s gonna be a long job.”

  “How about Carter’s personals. Have you had a chance to go through them?”

  “All here, Guv.” Terri patted a folder on the desk. “Lots more of those agency cards, like the ones his wife gave Anna.”

  “Show me.” Red pulled up a chair. “Who calls themselves Misti, for Christ’s sake?”

  Terri wafted a pink business card under Red’s nose. “Check this one out. Fifi la Fume!”

  Red winced. “No accounting for taste. Apart from crass names and demeaning poses, did you find anything that might give us a lead?”

  “Not really Guv. About a third are made up from three legit’ escort agencies – by which I mean they have proper websites, landline numbers and real addresses. The rest are leave-around cards, the sort of thing you find in telephone kiosks and on bar tables. Just a mobile number and promises of a good time.”

  “Can you make a list of the legit agencies and arrange for someone to take the vic’s photo and see if they –”

  “Done, Guv. Appointments made. Pete and Lee are going to one this afternoon, and Mac and Baz are going to another. Anna and I have the third. It’s all in hand.”

  Red sat back, impressed. “So I see.”

  “So why don’t you get back to the kids at the park or wherever it is you’re supposed to be, and show some faith in your team.”

  Red grinned sheepishly. “I know when I’m not wanted.”

  Chapter 17.

  “I’m home!” Red cast an uneasy glance up and down the silent hallway. “Pip?”

  “In the kitchen, Cass. Come through.”

  Red could make out conversation. She eased the door, her gaze falling on Pippa, ramrod straight at the kitchen table, hands clasped in front of her, an awkward looking young man opposite.

  “Sorry. Didn’t realize you still had guests.”

  “The last of the interviewees,” Pippa explained. “Do come in. Cassandra, meet Mr. Robinson. Would you believe the agency sent him? For the au pair’s post?”

  The young man jumped up, thrusting a hand at Red, clearly welcoming the interruption. “Steve. Steve Robinson. Pleased to meet you, Cassandra.”

  “Cass to my friends. Red, if you’re feeling adventurous. Nice to meet you, Steve.”

  “Cassandra is a police officer,” Pippa said, never taking her eyes off the guest. “A high ranking officer. Detective Chief Inspector, no less.”

  Steve looked uncertain how he should react. “I’d better check my tax disk when I leave.” He offered a lame smile.

  Red pulled out a chair. “So, has Pippa been giving you a hard time?”

  Steve adopted a diplomatic expression. “Ms. Crichton-Ward has conducted a very thorough interview. And rightly so,” he added. “You can’t be too careful when allowing strangers into your home.”

  “One cannot,” Pippa confirmed.

  Red suspected it was a linguistic correction, as well. She flicked her eyebrows at Pippa. Pulled an apple from the fruit bowl, and began crunching, ignoring the sideways look of disdain from Pippa. “So what’s your background, Steve?”

  “I’m a primary school teacher. Well, as of September I will be. Newly QTS. I’ve just moved here with my fiancée.”

  “You moved to London to get a job teaching?” Red stopped in mid-crunch to ponder the statement. “Not being rude, Steve, but how can you afford that? Teachers get paid even less than the Police.”

  Steve’s reply was cut short by Red’s mobile shrilling.

  “Excuse me. Hi, Anna.”

  “Anna is a Detective Sergeant, part of Cassandra’s team,” Pippa explained to a disinterested Steve. To Red, “No problems, I trust?”

  “Just Anna letting me know Jez is off sick again. Apparently so poorly he can’t get out of bed. Hangover more likely. Ever thought of being a copper, Steve? Must be easier than controlling a class full of kids.”

  Steve smiled back. “Not for me, thank you. My philosophy is if we can educate them well when they are young they won’t grow into criminals in the first place and we wouldn’t need so many police officers.”

  “A man after my own heart,” Red nodded enthusiastically. “Well I don’t know about you, Counsellor, but I think Steve here is the ideal man for this job.”

  Pippa glared at Red. “Really.” Turning to Steve, “Obviously we have other candidates still to see, Mr. Robinson. We’ll be in touch.” She held out a firm hand, indicating that the interview was over.

  Steve took the hint. “Thank you. It’s been a pleasure.”

  “Come on, Steve. I’ll see you out.” Red gestured into the hallway with her free hand, closing the door behind them with a soft click.

  “Don’t take any notice of Pippa,” she said in a loud whisper. “She’s not good with one-on-one interviews. When do you think you could start?”

  “Start? I got the impression Ms. Crichton-Ward doesn’t share your enthusiasm.”

  “Leave her to me, Steve. Expect to hear from us in a day or so.”

  Steve smiled gratefully. “If you could at least let me know one way or the other…”

  Red clapped him on the back, easing him out of the front door. “Trust me, the job is as good as yours. Oh, and don’t forget to check that tax disk.” She grinned mischievously. “I’ll be watching!”

  Closing the door Red turned to find Pippa standing in the hall, arms folded across her chest, nostrils flaring.

  “Don’t forget to check that tax disk, Steve,” Pippa mimicked, eyes like ice. “I’ll be watching! Honestly, for someone who doesn’t like men you can flirt with the best of them.”

  Red burst out laughing. “You’re jealous of another guy?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m trying to come to terms with why you’ve all but told him to start tomorrow. He’s totally unsuitable.”

  “Unsuitable? He’s perfect, Pip.”

  “He! Exactly! What on Earth were the agency thinking? Sending a man to look after my children?”

  Red’s hand flew to her mouth in mock horror, blue eyes twinkling. “OMG! Really? A man? How could a man be allowed to look after children? Everyone knows all men are paedos.” Red glared at her partner as she brushed past “You, of all people!”

  Pippa followed Red back into the kitchen. “That’s not what I mean.”

  “So what do you mean, Counsellor?”

  Pippa searched the air for an explanation. “You’re not a mother, Cass. You wouldn’t understand.”

 
“Oh, I understand alright. To think, I used to admire the way you stood up in Court and defended men wrongly accused of abuse. I used to admire how you’d tell the jury to forget the defendant’s gender. That it had no bearing on his innocence or guilt. That all men were not rapists or paedos by nature. That –”

  Pippa slumped onto a chair, elbows on table, burying her head in her hands. “Okay, okay. It’s just…”

  Red put an arm around Pippa’s shoulders. “It’s just what?”

  “It took me by surprise. When I looked at the interview list the agency sent my mind read Stevie, not Steve. When he turned up I thought he was a door-to-door salesman. When he said he was here for the interview I got flustered.”

  “Philippa Crichton-Ward, QC, flustered? Now there’s a first.”

  “It’s no laughing matter, Cass. I fear I was rather off with him, if I’m honest.”

  “Only rather? I’d be surprised if he wanted to set foot here ever again.”

  Pippa raised doe-eyes at Red. “Was I that bad?”

  “And then some. You’ve probably just frightened off the perfect candidate for the job.”

  “There were plenty of others.”

  “And?”

  “Totally unsuitable. Either too young and irresponsible – a bad influence for Ella – or too matronly.One reminded me of my mother.”

  “So?”

  Pippa forced a smile. “One Madame Sin is enough, thank you. And what do you mean, the perfect candidate? You only spoke to him for a few minutes. You haven’t seen his paperwork. His references, his police checks, etcetera.”

  “No need, lover. If he got as far as being invited to interview then that’s all inorder. As for perfect… Pip, think about it.” Red ticked the points off on her fingers as she spoke. “He’s a teacher. He likes kids. He understands them. He might even be available for some extra tuition for Ella. You’re always saying she should be getting more homework.”

  “Hmmm.”

  Red moved swiftly to point number two. “He’s a great role model for Jack. Which will undermine Richard’s case should he ever seek custody.”

  “Hmmmmm.”

  “And best of all, you won’t ever have to worry about coming home and finding me in bed with him.”

  Pippa smiled. “Really, Cass, have you ever known me to be jealous?”

  “Have I ever known you not to be?”

  Pippa was still nodding in time with Red’s countdown. “I’m finding it hard to find a flaw in the defence argument on this one, Cass.” She took Red’s hand. “Thank you. I think we have ourselves a new au pair.”

  “Until Deimante gets back.”

  “Deimante isn’t coming back, Cassandra, as well you know.” Pippa waved the idea away with her hand. “Now, I do believe this calls for a celebratory drink this evening. Maybe even a late night out? The children can go to Mother’s for tea and stay over.”

  “Sounds good to me. Only, I have to go see Betty Andrews first. She asked me to pop round. Probably feeling lonely.”

  “Do give Elizabeth my kindest regards. And afterwards?”

  “I thought we might pop in The Union. You know, catch up with the lads.”

  Pippa grimaced. “You know how much I loathe that place, Cass. It’s a common public bar, full of drunken louts falling over the tables and vomiting everywhere.”

  “Hardly. The staff wouldn’t dare serve anyone that much. The place is full of coppers most of the time.”

  “They’re the ones I’m referring to,” Pippa said deadpan.

  Chapter 18.

  Elizabeth Andrews threw her arms out, drawing Red into a strangling embrace on the doorstep. “Oh, Cassandra, I’m just so pleased to see you. I wasn’t at all sure you’d be able to find the time.”

  “I’ve always got time for you, Betty.” Red extricated herself from her host’s grip, wiping a smear of fuscia-pink lipstick off her cheek. She held out a bunch of flowers. “Here, Bill used to tell me how much you loved daffodils.”

  The smile fell from Elizabeth’s face as she looked down at the blooms, tears glistening in her eyes. “Oh…”

  “Sorry, Betty. I didn’t mean to upset you! I thought –”

  “No, don’t be silly.” Elizabeth’s eyes creased into a forced smile. “I’m not upset. It’s just… Well, it’s our anniversary this weekend. He always gave me daffodils. And this year would have been our fortieth.”

  “I didn’t think. Sorry.”

  “Nonsense, young Cassandra. I’m just a silly old fool who misses her husband. Take no notice. Come and have a coffee. I haven’t seen you for months, not since the… You must have lots to tell me.”

  Red followed her predecessor’s widow into a warm, gloriously sun-lit kitchen. The smell of freshly brewed coffee mingling with the myriad of mouth-watering scents wafting up from pots and pans bubbling away on the hob. Red felt instantly at home.

  “Are you ever not cooking?”

  “It keeps me sane, dear. That and baking for the shelter.” Elizabeth bent down and opened the over door. Pound cakes. They always go well at the fundraisers.” She relieved Red of the flowers and her jacket. “I always had plenty of time on my hands, and now that Bill’s gone… Well, now I have plenty more.”

  Red sank into a chair at a table covered with a cheery yellow linen cloth. “How are you coping? Really.”

  Elizabeth faced the window, busying herself filling a vase with water. She cut the stalks of the daffodils at angles. “It helps them to absorb the water if you snip them like this you know, Cassandra. William always used to…” Elizabeth’s voice choked to a halt.

  Red jumped up to stand next to her. “I miss him too,Betty.”

  Elizabeth Andrews put down the scissors with the utmost care, as though they were made of fine china and could break at any time. She put both hands out on the drainer ledge for support. Red wrapped her arm around Elizabeth as the widow’s shoulders heaved and the tears flowed. From both women.

  Chapter 19.

  “I want you to have this.” Elizabeth dragged a large cardboard box out of the hallway cupboard as Red prepared to leave. “It’s some of William’s Police things. I found them in the attic whilst I was having a clear out the other day. Old case notes and what have you. We had an unspoken agreement I never touched his work boxes, and I couldn’t bring myself to rifle through it now.”

  Red studied the box from a discrete distance. “There may be personal stuff in it. Personal to you two, I mean.”

  Elizabeth smiled wistfully. “I doubt it, love. But you can always pop anything back if there is. It will give you an excuse to call round again.”

  Red took the box under her arm. “I don’t need an excuse to come and see you, Betty, you know that.”

  “I hope not. We go back a long way, you and I. William always said you would have his job from him before he had a chance to retire.”

  Red saw the tears welling again in the widow’s eyes. She put her free arm around Elizabeth’s shoulder. A parting hug.“It’s Pippa’s birthday soon. The bank holiday weekend, at our place. Just a quiet do between friends. Needless to say we expect you to be there.”

  Elizabeth Andrews smiled, wiping away a tear. “That would be lovely, dear. I’d so like to see the children again.”

  “They’d love to see you, too.” Red pressed a kiss on Elizabeth’s cheek. “Now you take care. Do you hear me? And if there’s anything you need, anything at all, you call me, okay?”

  Elizabeth touched two fingers to her forehead in mock salute. “Yes, Ma’am.”

  Red smiled. “That’s Detective Chief Inspector Rose to you.”

  “William would have been so proud.”

  “I know. I just wish the same could be said for Superintendent Blake.”

  It was Elizabeth’s turn to smile. “Colin? Don’t worry about him. His bark is worse than his bite. You’ll soon have him wrapped around your little finger.”

  Chapter 20.

  Red sat on the floor with her back to the bed.
Reports, black and white photographs and battered manila envelopes lay between her legs, DCI Bill Andrews’ box still two thirds full at her side. She thought about how much paperwork she had at home. Almost nothing.

  A look at the dates confirmed much of Bill’s legacy predated the computer age. She thought of the amount of paperwork she still handled at the Station, and tried to imagine what it must have been like in Bill’s day, when everything had to be hand-written or typed up on a manual typewriter. In triplicate.

  She wondered if she should hand the papers over. There might be material here relating to unsolved cases. Cold cases that might one day be re-opened.

  Or maybe Bill shouldn’t have had the paperwork at home. Maybe he intended to return it all. Maybe she would land him in trouble. Sully his memory.

  She decided to straighten out the paperwork and stash it at the bottom of her wardrobe until she had more time. If she collected all the manila envelopes together and the loose papers separately, and put like with like, she could work on the box whenever she had a spare moment, and make a considered decision down the road.

  She picked the box from the floor and flipped it over, emptying the contents in a neat pile, planning to refill it in a semblance of order. As she lifted it hands on either side the pile of paperwork stood in a neat stack. As the crate came away from the pile Red’s hands stopped in mid-air, eyes staring at the top of the stack. The barrel of a gun stared back at her.

  A tsunami of emotion swept over her. She was back in the church. The sound of the trigger being pulled. The shot cracking loud in the silence. She saw Bill’s head flopping onto his chest as his life was snuffed out like someone pinching the wick of a candle. She could see Nathan Hunter’s smile as he had wiped the nozzle of the gun on his jeans and put it back into his waistband.

  Her heart knocking in her chest, Red let the empty box fall to the floor. Her right hand reached out. She closed her eyes as her fingers wrapped around the cold steel.