Saffina Desforges' ROSE RED Crime Thriller Boxed Set

by Saffina Desforges

  Anna beckoned him over to her with a finger, her expression never faltering. "Come here, Constable."

  Harris stammered his defence. “I was only messing around, Sarge. Me and Baz we’re just having a laugh. I—”

  "Shut it, Constable Harris," Anna said firmly. She pulled herself to her full height and handed Harris a twenty.

  "Make if a nice Shiraz for me and Terri. And by the way, it's subsection sixteen, not fourteen."

  Chapter 15

  “Get him out of here.” Red watched with neither pride nor satisfaction as a Met officer dressed in a Santa outfit was led away handcuffed by two uniformed officers.

  "Thanks for getting them to use the trade entrance," Leatherhead said. "You can imagine the headlines if they had marched him out of the front."

  "We have as much interest as you do in keeping this low profile. But don't for one moment think that means he'll get an easy ride. Assuming your video evidence backs up what we have so far."

  "Our technician is retrieving it now. Do you want to view it here?"

  Red splayed her hands. "My job's done. I'm off duty, and the West End is not my manor. Chelsea are handling this now. I'm finished h—"

  An ear-splitting crash rumbled down from above, the noise vibrating the floor beneath them. Screams of panic and mayhem filtered down the escalator. The two security guards' phones lit-up simultaneously. As they ran from the room Leatherhead shot a pleading glance at Red.

  "Toy department," he said. "Would you mind?"

  Red glanced at her watch. "Sorry. Your security team are quite capable of handling it. I'm late for a meeting with a little girl, in the... toy department." Red was running before the sentence was finished.

  Red pulled herself up the moving staircase, using the shiny, sleek rubber of the escalator hand-rail for extra leverage. The two security guards were just ahead of her. On the downward escalator frightened parents and screaming children were surging forward in the opposite direction.

  “Police!" Red shouted, badge held high as she launched herself from the escalator behind the guards. They all stopped dead at the entrance to the now deserted shop floor

  "Hi Cassie!" Ruby emerged from a plastic Wendy house hugging a doll almost as big as the child herself. "This is fun!"

  A solitary basketball rolled to Red's feet. Red and the guards scanned the shop floor for signs of life, but the last of the parents and children were disappearing down the escalator.

  “Geroff!”

  A muffled growl emanated from behind a half-wrecked mountain of cardboard boxes boasting pictures of this year's must-have Transformers.

  Red covered the distance in seconds, half-heartedly returning Ruby’s wave. “Be right there, Princess.”

  She pushed the boxes aside. Her mouth fell open.

  Two youths, writhing like they were scrambling under a net on an assault course, were licking the store floor, hands manacled behind their backs with neon-coloured skipping ropes.

  “Flippin’ hell, Supergran, take it easy will ya?”

  “Yeah, steady on! I’ll do ya for assault if you don’t back off!”

  Cynthia Crichton wielded a mini-cricket bat in the air, like Boudicca defeating the Romans. One foot was planted firmly on the tracksuit-covered butt of the first youth, pressing him into the shiny tiles. She stooped over the pair, white-silver hair askew. “I know what you're thinking. Has Granny got enough strength to whack me one more time. Well, punk, d'ya feel lucky?"

  One of the guards got his mobile out and began filming while the other radioed through to say everything was under control.

  Cynthia turned to Red. beaming a smile “Ah, Cassandra. I was beginning to think you weren’t coming.”

  Chapter 16.

  Red stared at the scene before her, her mouth opening and closing like a stranded fish.

  “Rubes. Are you okay?”

  Ruby had swapped the doll for a toy clothes-iron. “We're fine! We're just doing the washing and ironing." She disappeared back into the Wendy house.

  "We?"

  "Ruby and her friend," Cynthia said.

  Red strode to the Wendy house. Two eyes shining beneath a spirit-level-straight fringe peered out of the plastic window. The child wiggled fingers at Red.

  “It’s my friend Abby."

  "From playschool?"

  Ruby giggled. "No, from Halloween, silly. The other fairy. She wanted to see Father Christmas too.”

  The child's aunt appeared from the door marked Toilets, an aluminium baseball bat in hand. "That's them all sorted, Cyn," she said. "I've locked him in a cubicle until Security get... Oh. It's you. Cass, isn't it? Cynthia said you were coming."

  Red searched her memory trying to place the face. Halloween. Trick-or-treating with Ruby. Two bad-fairies. "Jess!"

  “Miss Jordan here was kind enough to help me apprehend these two hoodlums," Cynthia Crichton said.

  "And the one locked in the lavs," Jess added. She looked down at the baseball bat in her hands. "Don't worry. I didn't need to use it."

  "I think refreshments are in order," Cynthia said. "There's a lovely cafe on the top floor." Her eyes sparkled. "Fresh cream cakes!"

  Jess shook her head. "Me and Abs tried to get in earlier. It's absolutely heaving. The queue was longer than the queue for Santa."

  "Don't worry. We'll have all the cream cakes we can eat." Red motioned for the security guards to take over. "And can I speak to Leatherhead, please?"

  ~

  Alone in the manager's private office, his desk host to a supply of fresh cream cakes and drinks from the cafe, Red extracted the full story from Cynthia and Jess while Ruby and Abby played with the dolls the manager had gifted them.

  "But you should have waited until the Police got here," Red protested pointlessly.

  “Don’t be silly, Cass.” Cynthia crammed another fresh-cream, scone. “They’d have trashed the place by the time you lot showed up. Besides, I wasn’t having Ruby’s day completely ruined. She was disappointed enough having to see a fake Santa. Whatever happened to him anyway, I wonder? They closed the Grotto just after we came out.”

  “I'd like to know too,” Jess said. “Abs was almost there when we saw Ruby and her nan come out, and the next thing we knew the Grotto was locked up.”

  “Let’s just say that this Santa was more into taking presents than giving them out.” Red smiled at Ruby. “So how did you now this Santa wasn't real then, sweetheart?"

  Ruby giggled. "Because he asked me where I live, silly, and if I would tell him the secret number for the security-gate. The real Santa already knows where I live, because he came last year and the year before. And the reindeer can fly over the security-gate anyway."

  Chapter 17.

  “They took him out through the store?”

  Red slid a smile at Pippa. “I would have, but we had to consider the store's reputation. And the Met's.”

  "Are they holding him overnight?"

  "Sure as hell are. None of us like a bent copper. They'll hold him as long as they can. He obviously has accomplices so plenty of grounds for further investigation. The Chelsea guys will make sure he understands he's crossed a line."

  "I've never defended a crooked police officer before."

  "Don't even think about it, Counsellor."

  "But Cass, consider the possible defence scenarios? Even if the evidence is irrefutable there's still huge mileage in questioning the motives of the prosecution and the manor of his interrogation."

  "Not a chance. Your daughter sat on his knee. She's a potential witness."

  Pippa poured Red a glass of wine. "That would give me reason to excuse myself," she agreed.

  “Julian Davies is a criminal, plain and simple. Cop or no cop.” Red flicked the remote to change the lighting pattern on the Christmas tree lamps. “Turns out he might be more than just a tea-leaf, too.”

  “Ooh, how so?" Pippa peered over the rim of her glass. "Kindly elaborate, DCI Rose.”

  “It seems after we left, th
e store manager received three more complaints from concerned parents.” Red tucked her legs beneath her. “Now don't go getting uptight. I've already questioned Ruby and nothing happened. But apparently it wasn't just something hard in his trousers that bothered some of the children. He had WHT too."

  "WHT?"

  "Wandering hands trouble. The Chelsea team will be reviewing the footage very, very carefully. It may be nothing, but now I come to think of it, this is not the first time that accusation has been bandied about. There were rumblings from one of young Miriam’s gang back in the summer about him, but we put it down to teenage tantrums.” Red stared at the twinkling lights slung over the branches of a huge spruce in the corner. “Maybe I should have listened.”

  “Well, let's not jump to conclusions before the evidence has been examined. I'm just thankful that our children are safely tucked up in bed, sound asleep, waiting for the real Santa on Christmas Eve.”

  Red sat upright. Shot a glance at Pippa. “What did you just say?”

  “I said, I am thankful—”

  “Not that bit. The bit about the children. You said our children.”

  “Did I?” Pippa arched an eyebrow. “Well, whoever’s children they are, they are extremely spoiled. Look at that mound of presents under the tree. You just know Mother is going to lecture me tomorrow about Third World poverty.”

  “Don’t change the subject, Counsellor.” Red slid off the armchair and flopped down next to Pippa on the settee. She slung an arm around Pippa's shoulders. “Does this mean that I am officially accepted as part of the family now?”

  “Don't be silly, Cass. Of course you are." Pippa lent her head on Red’s shoulder, watching as the flames danced and lilted in the fireplace. “And when all's said and done, they could do worse. For a step-mum.”

  Chapter 18.

  “Come to bed, Cass. It’s Christmas Eve.”

  “Honestly, hun, I’m not the slightest bit tired. You go on up. No doubt the kids will be bouncing on the bed early doors. Get some sleep.”

  Pippa stretched. Stifled a yawn. “Are you sure?”

  “Totally. I’m just going to finish off this bottle, check a couple of messages and I’ll be up.” Red reached down the side of the settee. Swung a bag in the air. “Besides, someone’s got to leave the mince pies and carrots out for the reindeer.”

  “Well just make sure that you don’t end up drinking Santa’s sherry too.” Pippa planted a kiss on Red’s cheek. “And really, Cassandra, there’s no need for this pretence. If you want to stay up to wrap my special and disgustingly expensive surprise present, then you only have to say.”

  Red smiled. “You know me too well, Counsellor.”

  Red watched as Pippa pulled the door closed behind her. Listened as the sound of her footsteps faded, then re-appeared as Pippa crept around their en-suite. The sound of running water, The click of a light switch.

  Red killed the TV with a jab of the remote. Strained to hear as the house fell silent once more. She drained the remnants of the wine and thumbed the switch on the lamp, banishing all but the intermittent glitter of the tree lights from the room. The pile of presents beneath the tree became a mountainous silhouette.

  She stretched out on the sofa, hands folded behind her head, listening in the dark. Waiting.

  ~

  The digits on the DVD player glowed 12:53 when she heard the first sound.

  The crunch of gravel underfoot. The unmistakable sound of hushed voices passing the bay window.

  Red swung her legs off the settee, onto the floor. Stood up. Pressed herself into the shadows and made her way through the lounge. Heading for the adjoining kitchen door.

  A wedge of light swept passed the hallway window like a lighthouse beacon. Red thumbed her phone, jamming it to her ear. She whispered, “Terri? I hope the guys are on standby. Santa's elves are here.”

  Red pushed the kitchen door open with two fingers. She felt her way around the worktops, crouching below the height of the surface, straining in the dark to hear the voices outside. Muffled, low growls. Red could her own breath in her ears. Could feel her blood flowing through her veins faster and faster as adrenaline coursed through her system.

  She heard a faint beep, beep, beep, beep as a no-doubt gloved thumb entered the security code. She knew Rubes would never be able to keep secrets from Santa!

  A tiny squeal as the gate protested at being opened in the cold night air. More footsteps. Red clicked the lock on the back door. Stepped out into the night.

  “Evening, boys. I’ve been expecting you.” Red flicked a switch, flooding the back garden with light. “Ho. Ho. Ho. Merry Christmas.” Red held her badge open in front of two figures clad in black. Massive eyes bulged out of frost-pinched faces like someone was pumping air into them from behind. Their breath fogged out before them under the white glare of the security light. “Sergeant Davies sends his regards and said to tell you that he’s looking forward to spending Christmas with you.”

  “What the—”

  “I’d advise you not to run, although it’s up to you of course. With her other hand, Red held up her phone. “Say cheese!” The flash from her phone illuminated their rapidly paling faces like a flare.

  "Police! Stay where you are!" Taylor and Harris came running up the path, breathless, waving their badges.

  Red grinned. "What kept you?"

  "Look on the bright side, guys," Taylor said as he produced his handcuffs. "We do a lovely Christmas dinner down at the Station."

  "No turkey, but lots of stuffing," Harris said. "Your transportation will be here any minute. Sorry it’s only a paddy wagon. The sleigh was already booked out this evening.”

  Chapter 19.

  “So, did you enjoy your day, Princess?”

  Ruby offered Red a tired smile. “Brilliant. Did you really wait up all last night for Santa?"

  "I sure did."

  "And did you really speak to his elves."

  "Honestly I did. I told you that he would find our house alright, didn’t I?”

  “But you did have to let him in through the patio doors. I knew he wouldn’t like us not having a chimney.”

  Red shrugged. “Well, he was a little annoyed that he couldn’t get in that way, but he's used to it. Lots of people don't have chimneys any more. Come on, hop into bed, sweetheart. You’ve got another big day tomorrow.”

  “Cassie?” Ruby clambered beneath the quilt. “You know you said that I had to go to sleep, shut my eyes tight or that Santa wouldn’t come?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “I might have cheated, just a little bit.”

  Red sat down on the bed. “But you can’t have, gorgeous, or he wouldn’t have come.”

  Ruby stared at the covers. “I know I wasn’t supposed to and I tried to stay asleep, really I did, but I heard the elves and you talking and it woke me up.”

  Red frantically rewound the images of last night’s arrest back in her mind. She forced a laugh. “Naughty elves! I told them to be quiet. Anyway, it doesn’t count, it wasn’t cheating because they woke you up.”

  “Okay.” Ruby scuttled down into the covers, relief softening her freshly-scrubbed cheeks.

  “You really are a lucky girl. I can’t believe how many presents you got today.”

  “And I have still got more at Daddy’s to open tomorrow.” Ruby finished her sentence with a yawn. “Cassie, will you read me the Christmas story one more time?”

  “How about a different book? After all, it isn't The Night Before Christmas anymore.”

  Ruby considered the question. Tiny features crumpling, innocent eyes searching the ceiling for a moment. “Okay, Cassie.”

  “Great! So, let’s see. What’s next?” Red screwed her eyes shut tight, circling her index finger in the air in front of the books on the bedside shelf like she was casting a spell. She stopped. Opened her eyes. “Right…”

  Ruby’s eyes shone with excitement as she waited for Red to announce the title of the next story.

 
Red grinned, muttered under her breath. “Christmas Day and the adverts for creme eggs and sofa sales have already started.” She turned to Ruby.

  “One a penny, two a penny, hot cross buns!”

  END.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Prologue

  Chapter 1.

  Chapter 2.

  Chapter 3.

  Chapter 4.

  Chapter 5.

  Chapter 6.

  Chapter 7.

  Chapter 8.

  Chapter 9.

  Chapter 10.

  Chapter 11.

  Chapter 12.

  Chapter 13.

  Chapter 14.

  Chapter 15.

  Chapter 16.

  Chapter 17.

  Chapter 18.

  Chapter 19.

  Chapter 20.

  Chapter 21.

  Chapter 22.

  Chapter 23.

  Chapter 24.

  Chapter 25.

  Chapter 26.

  Chapter 27.

  Chapter 28.

  Chapter 29.

  Chapter 30.

  Chapter 31.

  Chapter 32.

  Chapter 33.

  Chapter 34.

  Chapter 35.

  Chapter 36.

  Chapter 37.

  Chapter 38.

  Chapter 39.

  Chapter 40.

  Chapter 41.

  Chapter 42.

  Chapter 43.

  Chapter 44.

  Chapter 45.

  Chapter 46.

  Chapter 47.

  Chapter 48.

  Chapter 49.

  Chapter 50.

  Chapter 51.

  Chapter 52.

  Chapter 53.

  Chapter 54.

  Chapter 55.

  Chapter 56.

  Chapter 57.

  Chapter 58.

  Chapter 59.

  Chapter 60.

  Chapter 61.

  Chapter 62.

  Chapter 63.

  Chapter 64.

  Chapter 65.