by Mel Sherratt
‘Are you okay?’ she asked.
Jade nodded. ‘It’s such a shock, that’s all. I was only talking to him on Monday. It doesn’t seem possible.’ She blew her nose loudly.
‘What time did you all leave last night?’ Grace glanced at each one of them in turn.
‘Half past six,’ Eddie said.
‘Did you go straight home?’
‘Yes. My son can vouch for me. I took him to football training at seven.’
‘I wasn’t here yesterday,’ Jade said.
Grace looked at Leon. ‘What about you?’ she asked when he didn’t come forward with anything.
‘I’d say about eightish.’
‘I’d say be more specific.’ Grace’s voice was just as curt as his.
Leon sighed. ‘It was about ten past eight.’
Grace nodded and then turned back to Eddie. ‘I was also told that Josh was your right-hand man?’
Eddie’s glare alarmed her slightly and her left eye began to twitch under the strain of it. But she didn’t want to look away. She wanted to see if grief was washing over him. She was watching them all to see if their reactions were real or put on especially for her.
Eddie swallowed. ‘He was my best friend. I’d known him since junior school.’
‘You all knew him well, I presume?’ Grace looked at the others.
‘Yes,’ Jade said before wiping her nose loudly.
‘You might have known him too,’ Leon taunted.
‘I didn’t go to your school. I would have remembered that.’ Embarrassed by the reference, Grace looked at her notepad again. ‘Do you know of anyone who might have wanted to harm Josh?’ she asked no one in particular.
‘Probably half of Stoke at one time or another.’ Leon folded his arms. ‘But no one would have messed with him if they’d seen him before he was toast.’
‘Leon!’ Jade’s sobs grew louder.
‘Sorry.’ Leon had the manners to bow his head for a moment. ‘Bit of a bitch, though. Tough to lose him.’
The room dropped into silence again as they remembered their friend. Grace took the opportunity to get out her contact cards and hand them round.
‘Is this for when we go out for a family meal?’ Leon took one from her.
‘Show some respect, Leon,’ Eddie warned.
‘I think I’ve given her enough of that already’ – Leon folded his arms – ‘so don’t tell me what to do.’
Surprised by the reference to their connection to her, Grace was desperate to get out of there and rejoin her colleagues. But she had to have her say first.
‘I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t tell my colleagues how we know each other.’ She paused for a moment. ‘I think it’s best that we investigate Josh’s murder without any hindrance.’
‘Better the devil you know, and all that?’ Eddie smirked. Leon and Jade both opened their mouths to speak, but he held up a hand and shook his head.
‘I’ll find out who is overseeing the house-to-house enquiries and ask them to keep you informed of anything that comes up while we continue with our investigations,’ Grace added. ‘We’ll be in touch shortly.’
Once outside the room, Grace breathed a sigh of relief. It had surprised her that they’d accepted her request to keep her identity to themselves, perhaps even given her reason for concern as to why. She would have expected them to stir things up, cause trouble for her straight away.
Yet even though she had felt intimidated by the encounter, a feeling of anticlimax washed over her. She’d wanted to meet them all for many years, despite her job and their reputation. Secretly, she’d hoped they’d be friendlier with her. In an ideal world, she might have got to know them, but today had shown that wasn’t likely to happen.
There was one thing she had learned, though; from that meeting alone, she sensed that the Steele family were unnerved about something. Grace had seen the looks flicking between them. Were they trying to put up a united front that didn’t exist? Or was it meeting her that had made them feel so uncomfortable?
She went to join Perry.
‘We’ve just busted Parker’s locker open,’ he told her. ‘There’s the usual stuff in there – spare workout clothes, a towel, pair of trainers and some protein shakes. But we also found a leather bag full of sex toys, condoms, lubes, et cetera. And this.’ He held up a key ring. Attached to it was a luggage label, a key and an electronic key fob. The numbers 171794 were written on the label in black pen.
‘Playing away?’
‘It’s possible.’ Perry paused. ‘What did he mean back there?’
‘Who?’ Grace questioned.
‘Eddie. When he said “Well, well, well”?’
‘I’ve no idea,’ she replied, spotting Nick returning. ‘You?’
Perry shook his head. ‘I just wondered, with it being a really strange remark.’
‘It was,’ Grace said quickly. ‘I’ll go and update Nick.’ She walked away, hoping he wouldn’t see the blush she could feel forming on her face.
EIGHT
Eddie pinched the bridge of his nose. He wanted to punch out, hit the wall, throw the desk across the room, anything to rid himself of the feeling in his chest. He wouldn’t let his grief show in public, not even to his family. But Josh had been his friend since they were young boys and he trusted him more than he ever had any member of his family.
‘What the hell went on here last night?’ he yelled, slapping his hand down on the desk.
Jade visibly jumped. ‘Don’t look at me!’ she pouted.
‘I’m not. But someone knows something and I intend to find out who by the end of the day.’
‘Ed, I’m sorry.’ Leon walked round the desk to him and put a hand on his shoulder.
‘Yeah, I’m sure you are.’ Eddie shirked it off.
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
‘Well, there was never any love lost between the two of you. I also know what’s been going on. Josh told me what you’ve been doing to make more money on the side. I was as pissed off with him getting involved as I am with you. It’s stupid. And would you stop with the snivelling, Jade?’ Eddie snapped.
Jade pulled herself upright. ‘I have feelings!’ she shouted. ‘Josh was my friend too. I can’t believe he’s gone.’
‘I can’t believe someone would kill him at the gym.’ Leon ran a hand through his hair. ‘And what the hell is she doing turning up here?’
‘Grace?’ Eddie said, noting his brother had evaded his accusations. His informant at the police station had told him she was back. He hadn’t been too pleased about it at the time, and had hoped their paths wouldn’t cross so soon. He’d wanted to get a handle on her before deciding whether they needed to get her on side, to recruit her to their team.
‘Yeah,’ Leon responded. ‘As a fed, she’s a threat. As a person, she’s not welcome at all.’
‘I think she made it perfectly clear she didn’t want anything to do with us.’ Eddie reached for his phone. There were already seven messages waiting for him – news was getting around.
‘I didn’t get that impression,’ Jade said. ‘I think she was shy, maybe overwhelmed to meet us all in one go. Aren’t either of you intrigued to see what she’s like?’
‘No, and you aren’t going to find out either,’ Eddie remarked. ‘She isn’t family and never will be.’
‘But that’s—’ Jade began.
‘But nothing.’ Eddie glared her way. ‘You’ll do as you’re told.’
Jade folded her arms and stuck out her chin. ‘You might think you can still bully me – both of you – but you can’t tell me what to do now that Dad isn’t here. If I want to see my sister, then I will.’
‘Tell me,’ Leon mocked, ‘why hasn’t she been in touch before?’
Jade lowered her eyes momentarily. ‘I don’t know.’
‘And why didn’t you get in touch with her?’
‘Because of Dad, and you.’ Jade pointed at Eddie. ‘You were always threatening – like you are
now – exactly what you would do to me if I did. If it wasn’t for that I would have got in touch with her years ago.’
‘But that doesn’t alter the fact that she never got in touch with you,’ Leon scoffed.
‘She probably hadn’t wanted to while Dad was alive,’ Jade said, adamant. ‘But now he’s gone and she’s back in Stoke. Well, I think I might like to get to know her.’
‘No,’ Eddie said.
‘You can’t stop me.’
‘You wouldn’t have seen her if she hadn’t come here this morning!’
‘Like I said, I’m curious!’ Jade leaned back and folded her arms.
‘I don’t want anyone to find out she’s related to us, either,’ Eddie stated.
‘Fortunately, it doesn’t seem like she is too keen to tell anyone,’ Leon remarked. ‘It was clear that Perry didn’t know who she was. We could use that to our advantage.’
‘No one finds out,’ Eddie warned. ‘I’ll tell our mother the same when I see her later.’
‘But—’ Jade started.
‘Stay away,’ Eddie warned. ‘She’s blue and she can’t be trusted.’
‘I’d trust anyone over you, so I can’t see why not.’ Jade raised her voice. ‘And losing Josh like that makes me realise how precious time is. If I want to see her, I will.’
‘Who’d want to see you?’ Leon sneered.
‘Why do you always have to be so nasty?’ With two strides Jade was out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
It was Eddie’s turn to run a hand through his hair. ‘Do you know anything about this?’
Leon came to stand by his brother. ‘No, I’ve told you that already.’
Eddie still didn’t believe him. He clicked a file on the screen. ‘We need to take a look at our security cameras to see what the cops will find on them.’
‘Shouldn’t we leave it to them?’
‘We sort out our own business.’ Eddie stretched up his arm, put a hand behind Leon’s neck and pulled him down until they were eye level. ‘If I find out you’ve had anything to do with this, you’re on your own, brother or no brother, do you hear me?’
For once, Leon didn’t try to resist his grip. Instead, he leaned on the desk with clenched fists, his eyes never leaving Eddie’s. ‘I hear you.’
‘And the girls, Leon.’ Eddie knew his brother would know exactly what he meant. ‘It stops, right now. I’m not covering for you again, especially for something so exploitative. What were you thinking? What was Josh thinking?’
‘Okay, okay!’
Eddie could mostly tell when Leon was lying, but he wasn’t quite sure this time. His brother seemed sincere, but, then again, he’d been fooled by him before. ‘I’ll check the cameras.’
‘I can do that.’
‘I want it done properly.’
‘I can do it properly!’
‘And quickly.’
‘Fine. Take control as usual.’ Leon shook his head as he left the room too.
Once on his own, Eddie pulled up the backup camera footage on his computer. The police would be looking through what he had given them but he needed to see what was on there too. Starting from when the gym was closing, he watched to see if anyone slipped back in after going outside. It seemed impossible to think that just an hour later Josh would be dead.
There was a lull, he presumed, while Josh did his workout. The first time his friend came into view, it was 22.45. Eddie watched as he checked over everything before setting the alarm and then leaving through the front entrance. From there he would head to the car park at the back of the building.
Eddie froze the frame and looked to see if he could see a shadow, an image, a shape that would suggest anyone was there. Purposely, their cameras didn’t catch every angle of the car park, and lots of their members knew this. Josh had been on his own when he left the gym and locked up, but as Grace Allendale had insinuated earlier, it also showed that whoever had attacked him might have realised exactly where to do it. This could have been a very calculated kill.
He sat back in his chair and stared at the photo of him and Josh on the wall until he couldn’t see through his watery eyes. Josh had been his stalwart. He was going to find out who had murdered his best friend and God help them when he got his hands on the bastard.
NINE
Visiting the families of the deceased wasn’t a part of Grace’s job that she enjoyed, but it always gave her a sense of the family dynamics. She’d worked on several cases in Manchester where spouses had feigned grief after having killed their loved ones and then tried to cover it up. It wasn’t hard to spot. The cracks started to appear once the pressure mounted, mistakes were made, little white lies turned into inconsistencies.
But people could be manipulative, so Grace felt she needed to know everyone involved for that reason too. It was why she’d been the one to speak to the Steele family at the gym. She could have asked Perry to question them; she was his manager. For now, they were all persons of interest until any evidence came back. Which was also why Grace could understand Nick being keen for her to go to the victim’s family home with him.
Josh Parker lived in the south of the city, on the southern edge of Stoke-on-Trent in an area called Meir Park, bordering Longton. Grace parked her car in a cul-de-sac of around twenty detached houses, surprised to see that he lived in such a nice area. Most of the gardens were tidy, lawns cut and looking healthy, flower beds and the odd tree a riot of autumnal colours.
‘At least we know it is him because of his tattoos,’ Nick sighed. ‘Although we will need formal ID from Mrs Parker once the body is in the morgue.’
‘Is there anything I need to know about Parker before we go in?’ Grace asked Nick once the engine had been killed.
‘He’s married with two children. Five and eight, something like that.’
‘Caleb and Mia? The names on his tattoos.’
Nick nodded. ‘I think so. His wife is Christa, and despite her beauty she’s a foul-mouthed layabout. Be prepared to be sworn at as she hates the police too.’
‘Charming,’ Grace muttered. ‘What about work stuff?’
‘He’s always been with the Steeles doing something or other since he left school. Him and Eddie were as thick as thieves, literally. When the gym opened twelve years ago, Josh trained as an instructor.’
‘Criminal record?’
‘A bit for dealing and ABH in his teens, and a stretch for robbery in his early twenties, but he’s stayed on the outside since, even though we know he isn’t clean.’
‘Oh?’
‘Well, he mixes with the Steeles.’
‘Ah.’
Nick smiled to acknowledge her discomfort. ‘None of them have been trouble-free, but nothing really stuck for long. And they’re all pretty pissed off that we haven’t found out who murdered their father. I hate unsolved cases.’ He unclipped his seat belt. ‘I’m sure you’ve done your research on the family, but I’ll be happy to go through anything with you at the station.’
At the front door, they showed their warrant cards. PC Warren introduced himself to Grace as the family liaison officer and showed them into a living room. He pointed to the garden through a large picture window.
‘She doesn’t want to speak to me,’ he explained. ‘Her mother is coming over, but she lives in Derby. She’ll be here soon.’
‘Shall I try, sir?’ Grace wasn’t certain she could get the woman to cooperate, but she would give it a go.
Nick nodded and she went outside, while he stayed indoors to chat with the officer.
Christa Parker was sitting at a table on the patio, dressed in black. She stayed seated but removed her sunglasses as Grace drew level with her. Grace tried hard not to stare: everything about the woman seemed false. Nails, hair, tan, lashes, lips. It had all been enhanced.
‘Mind if I join you?’ Grace asked tentatively.
‘You still think it’s him?’
‘Yes.’
Nick had been true to his word about Christa
. After sobbing, there was shouting, a string of expletives, in between smoking and stubbing out two cigarettes. Grace tried not to hear the swearing. She was used to it in her line of work, but when it was every other word, it became tedious and a little disrespectful, despite it being Christa’s husband who had died.
‘And you’re certain Josh didn’t mention anything unusual to you lately?’ she asked. ‘I’m sorry for the intrusive questions, but it will help if we know.’
Christa shook her head. ‘He has many enemies – two scars from knife wounds from his early days as a bouncer. But no one would dare cross him now if they hadn’t taken him by surprise. Someone must have been waiting for him. To throw acid on him and stab him when he was down? That’s sick, and the sign of a coward.’
Grace said nothing, hoping Christa would fill the silence.
‘Don’t you have any clue who the bastard is?’
‘We’re making enquiries at the moment.’
‘You mean you have no one?’
‘It’s very early into the investigation, Mrs Parker,’ Grace explained.
‘Not even anyone you want to question?’
‘We’ll be able to tell you more when we’ve gathered the evidence.’
Grace left when the swearing started up once more. She couldn’t ask her to stop. The woman had to grieve the way she saw fit. As long as it wasn’t being hurled at her, it didn’t matter.
She could recall a few times when she had acted out of character when Matt died. She’d often gone into a ball of rage whenever anyone said she’d be best clearing his belongings out. It had taken her six months before she was able to do it, and even then the guilt had got to her. The sense of letting go of everything, its finality. Luckily, she’d had her mum around to help her through it. At least Christa Parker would have her mum there with her too.
When Matt had died, Grace’s mum had been there for her. She didn’t know what she would have done without her, and had been devastated when she too had passed away so soon after Matt. Since the age of twelve, Martha had looked out for her. Since she had been twenty-one, Matt had looked out for her. Now she had no one. So she could sympathise with Christa Parker, no matter how much she cursed.
