by M A Comley
“Did you go to the hospital? To get checked over?”
“No. I don’t want to make a fuss.”
“A fuss? Are you bloody kidding? You can barely sodding move. That’s it, we’re going over there right now.”
“No, Sara, please. I just want to forget it ever happened.”
Sara closed her eyes and asked the obvious question. “Were you sexually assaulted in the attack?”
Carla buried her face in her hands and sobbed. “I can’t answer that. I was out cold for a while. One of my neighbours found me lying just outside my front door. I’d managed to crawl there, not sure how. Everything is so blurry.”
“Jesus, why come to work today? I can’t allow you to be here. You’re neither use nor ornament, hon.”
“I’m staying. Don’t force me to go home. I won’t go.”
“What? You want to stay here? Why?”
“It’s where I belong. I need to be around my friends.”
“I can’t drag you along as my partner should a case come into our hands today.”
“So be it. I have other uses, boss. I can get stuck into the research around here, someone else can tag along with you.”
“You drive a hard bargain. What about getting checked over by the duty doctor?” Before Carla could say anything, she continued, “Yes, that’s the answer. I’ll see if he’s around. No arguments. It’s either that or I drive you home and lock you inside your flat.”
“You can be such a nightmare at times. I’m sorry to be a burden. I couldn’t stay at home. I came to work because I was too petrified to be alone. What if someone is out there and their intention was to kill me?”
“Was anything stolen? Your purse, handbag or phone in the attack?”
“No. Nothing. That’s what is baffling me.”
“Let me get you a coffee, the cure for all desperate situations, then I’ll try to track down the duty doctor.”
“Thank you, you’re too kind.”
Sara placed a hand on Carla’s cheek. “You’d do the same for me. I’ve got your back, partner.”
She darted out of the room. All the other members of her team stared at her as she emerged. “She’s fine. She’s come to the right place to get the help she needs. I know you’re all concerned, but she’s keen not to have any fuss. So get back to work, peeps.”
Reluctantly, her colleagues put their heads down and got back to their daily grind. Sara bought a coffee from the vending machine, picked up the nearest phone and rang the front desk. “Jeff, it’s DI Ramsey. Is the duty doctor around? Or do you know if he’s due in any time this morning?”
Jeff tutted and blew out a breath. “It’s awful. Carla looked dreadful. I tried to offer some form of help, but she brushed me aside.”
“It wasn’t intentional. I’m sure she appreciated your concern. Is he around, Jeff?”
“Sorry. No, I don’t think so. Want me to give him a call?”
“Would you? She’s refusing to go to the hospital. Stubborn in adversity and all that.”
“If I was sexist, which I’m not, I’d be saying that’s typical of a female officer.”
Sara sniggered. “You know us so well. She’s definitely taken a battering, that’s for sure.”
“Will you be running an investigation into the attack, Ma’am?”
“It depends if Carla wants to take it further or not.”
“Try to persuade her. Whoever did this to her shouldn’t be allowed to get away with it, they should be banged up.” His concern touched a nerve.
“I hear you. I’ve got to get back to her now. Let me know what the doctor says.”
“I’m on the case now.”
Sara replaced the phone in the docking station.
“We’re worried about her, boss,” DS Jill Smalling whispered.
“I know. You’re not the only one. She’s in a terrible state, we’ll do all we can to make things easier for her. Let her be the one to ask for help, okay?”
“She’s a proud woman. Too proud sometimes. We all need help occasionally, she needs to accept it from her friends. That’s what we are, not just colleagues but good friends as well.”
“She knows that. Just be there when she chooses to open up. I’ll get back to her and my dreaded post now. Thanks for caring, Jill.”
“We all care, boss, all I’m doing is acting as spokesperson for the team.”
Sara smiled and returned to her office. She set the drink down in front of Carla. “How are you feeling now?”
“Better. I’m not saying I’m ready to run a marathon just yet, but definitely on the mend.”
Sara retook her seat, and the phone rang. “DI Sara Ramsey.”
“It’s Jeff, Ma’am. I’ve managed to locate the doc, he’ll be here within the hour. That’s the best he could do.”
“That’s fine. I’m sure we can cope until then. Send him up when he arrives, Jeff. And thank you.”
“My pleasure.”
Sara ended the call and glanced up to see Carla staring at the wall over Sara’s shoulder. “Are you sure you’re okay? You seem dazed. I can’t believe you drove here in that state.”
“I did. I took it steady.” Carla’s gaze remained on the wall. With a shaky breath she faced Sara and broke down. “Oh God, what have I ever done to deserve this?”
“Get that thought out of your head, you’ve done nothing. You have to believe this was a mistake, Carla, not intentional.” She patted Carla’s hand and sighed. “Are you sure the attacker said nothing to you to suggest otherwise?”
“The problem is, I can’t bloody remember. I was too busy trying to shield myself to listen to him if he did speak.” She took a deep breath, frowning. “Hang on, let me think about that for a second.” She fell silent and frowned. Eventually, she shook her head slowly. “No, I’m sure he didn’t. Why me?”
“I don’t know. Maybe this man had anger issues and decided to take it out on the first person he came across.”
“That sucks. If that was the case, then I’m glad he chose me and not some frail old man or lady; they would never have survived such a brutal kicking.”
“He used his foot as well? Jesus, no wonder you’re battered and bruised. I still think you’d be better off at home.”
Carla sniffled and wiped her nose on the tissue Sara flung at her. “I can’t do it. What if he comes back… you know, to finish the job off?”
“That’s presuming he pinpointed you for a reason, love. We have yet to determine that. What time did it happen last night?”
Carla shook her head slowly. “I’m unsure. I think I got home at around seven. My neighbour found me at about nine.”
“Jesus.” Tears pricked her eyes. “Why didn’t you call me? I would have come out to you last night. Bloody hell, Carla. You’re a mess, no wonder the bruising has had a chance to come out. Have you slept at all?”
“Off and on during the night, in between turning over and wincing through the pain.”
“Are you sure you can’t think of anyone with a grudge against you?”
Her gaze lowered and rose again a few seconds later. “Only Gary.”
Sara returned to her seat and sank back in her chair. “What? No, he’d never do this.”
“I’m glad you have that much faith in him.”
“Wouldn’t you have recognised his physique?”
“Not necessarily. What if he outsourced the attack? Got one of his mates to rough me up a bit on his behalf.”
“Do you want me to go there and have a word with him? I will, you know I will.”
“No, leave it. Let things lie for now. See what the doctor says and then I’ll deal with the consequences.”
“You’re so brave.”
A smile touched Carla’s lips. “I don’t think that’s the word. I’m going to let you get on now, I’ve held you up enough for one day.”
“Nonsense. I can catch up on this, your well-being is paramount, love.”
“The last thing I want to be is a hindrance
. Shame we haven’t got a case on at the moment, one I could sink my teeth into to take my mind off things.”
“There’s plenty of paperwork to do, if you’re that eager.” Sara winked.
Carla rose from her chair and winced. She took her drink with her. “I’ll find something. Thanks for listening, Sara.”
“I’m always here for you, you know that. Take it easy, see how you go. If you find it too much, then I’ll get one of the lads to take you home.”
“No,” Carla replied sharply.
Sara sighed. “You’re going to have to go home at some point. Can you stay with a friend for a few days?”
“I’ll ask around. Leave it with me.”
Sara watched her leave the room and exhaled a large breath. What the hell? How could someone be so callous as to beat Carla up like that? She’s never struck me as being a bad person. Maybe we should start looking over the cases we’ve dealt with recently, see if anyone comes to mind with a possible grievance against Carla.
She reached for her phone, dialled Will’s direct number and asked him to step into the office for a few minutes.
He entered the room not long after. “Yes, boss?”
“Take a seat, Will. I need you to keep quiet about this for now, got that?”
“Is this to do with what happened to Carla?”
“Yes. She doesn’t know who or why the attack occurred. I’ve been thinking that maybe it could be connected to a previous case we’ve solved.”
“And you want me to do some digging, is that it?”
“Discreet digging. Can you do that?”
“I can try. What if Carla asks me what I’m up to?”
“Tell her you’re doing some research for me. We have a few cases about to go to court soon, so it’s not beyond the realms of possibility, is it?”
“Okay. Didn’t she recognise the attacker?”
“No. Not at all. It happened last night. She was out cold for a while, and a neighbour found her and helped her inside the house.”
“It’s sickening. I know she’s split up with ‘Fireman Sam’ recently, what about him?”
“The jury is still out on him. I didn’t know him well, but it might be worth paying him a visit during his shift. If nothing else, it’ll send a message that we’re onto him. Did that make sense?”
He smiled. “Yeah, in a roundabout way. Want me to have a chat with Craig or Barry, see if either of them will go and see him?”
“Again, it would have to be done on the quiet. If Carla got wind of what we were up to, there’d be hell to pay.”
He tapped the side of his nose. “Leave it with me. Was there anything else?”
“I don’t think so. Let me know what you find out at the end of the day, all right?”
Will stood and left her to her paperwork. She pushed it aside for a few minutes and reflected on what Carla had told her about the attack. Prayed that something would come to light soon. Until then, they had nothing. Her frustration mounted, she ran a hand through her hair and then knuckled down to work through the post again.
An hour later, her phone rang. “DI Sara Ramsey.”
“It’s Jeff, Ma’am. Two things for you: the first is that the doctor has arrived, he’s asked to see Carla down here, in one of the interview rooms. He thinks it’ll be more private for her.”
“I’ll send her down in a mo. What’s the second?”
“I’ve just had a call about a possible kidnapping and wondered if you’d be interested in the case.”
“Why not? It’s not as if we have anything else on at the moment. Tell you what I’ll do, I’ll escort Carla downstairs to see the doctor and drop by to see you, you can fill in the details, then.”
“I like your thinking, killing two birds.”
“I try my best, Jeff.”
She ended the call and shot out of her chair. “Carla, we’ve got an appointment.”
Carla glanced her way and her brow furrowed. “We have?”
“Correction, you have. The duty doctor wants to see you downstairs. I’ll come with you.”
Carla’s eyes rolled up to the ceiling and she struggled to her feet. She teetered a little.
Craig, ever the gent, shot out of his chair to steady her.
She smiled at him. “Thanks. I’m fine, just a bit tender around the middle.”
Sara and Carla exited the incident room and took a slow walk down the stairs. They parted at the bottom. “I’ll come and see what the doc says in a second, after I’ve had a word with Jeff about the new case.”
“I’ll be fine, you don’t have to mollycoddle me.”
“I wasn’t aware I was.” She smiled and continued, “Perhaps I’m guilty of doing a little of that. It’s only because I care.”
“I know you do. I’d better not keep him waiting.”
Carla turned and walked down the narrow corridor. Before she entered the room at the end of the hall, Sara watched Carla hesitate. After one final glance in her direction, her partner stepped into the room, and Sara went to have a word with Jeff.
“What have we got? I know we don’t generally deal with kidnappings, saying that we had that case this year. Bugger, ignore me.”
Jeff laughed. “It was because of the Laura Taylor case being prominent in my mind that I rang you.”
“You did right.” She leaned forward and whispered, “We’re twiddling our thumbs up there, and no, those words never left my lips.”
Jeff sniggered. “Your secret is safe with me. Here are the notes I jotted down. I received a call from Aiden Rowse who said his nineteen-year-old daughter, Amber, hasn’t been seen since Monday morning.”
“Okay, that’s forty-eight hours ago. Why the delay in reporting her missing?”
“A bit of confusion between the parents, they work different shifts.”
“I see, so they’re like ships passing in the night and never get time to discuss family life, right?”
“So it would appear, Ma’am.”
“Okay, we can sort that out later. Give me the address. I’d rather make my own assumptions about people once I’ve spoken to them.”
He handed her a sheet of paper with their contact details. “I’ll ring them in a second.” She peered over her shoulder at the corridor.
“Has she said anything?” Jeff asked.
“Not really. She hasn’t got a clue who attacked her. She’s in a right state. I told her to go home, but she’s too scared to.”
“I’m not surprised. If she hasn’t got anywhere else to stay, Wendy and I can put her up for a few days.”
“That’s kind of you, Jeff. I’ll let her know.” Sara smiled and made her way down the corridor where Carla was. She lightly tapped on the door and opened it. “Can I come in?”
The doctor shrugged and looked at Carla. “Your choice.”
Carla nodded. “Of course, come in.”
Sara closed the door behind her and pulled up a chair next to Carla. “What’s the damage, Doc?”
“The damage actually appears to be minor, although the bruising makes things seem a thousand times worse.”
Sara squeezed Carla’s hand gently. “That’s good news. No broken bones to contend with, you must be relieved, love.”
Tears welled up in Carla’s eyes. “I am, but it hurts like hell.”
The doctor nodded. “I’ll give you some painkillers to dull the pain. I’ve told her she shouldn’t be here.”
“I echoed that sentiment, she’s adamant, though. I’ll ensure she remains on desk duties for the next few days, if that will help?”
“It will, if she’s too stubborn to stay at home.”
“What about her ribs? Since she’s struggling to move properly, my guess is they took a hammering.”
“Yes, I’ve told her it would be better if she went to hospital to have an X-Ray, but she’s refusing; there’s very little I can do to change her mind. I take it you haven’t had much luck in that department either, hence the reason you called me in to take a look.”<
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“Exactly. I’ll take good care of her, I promise.”
He scribbled out a prescription and slid it across the desk to Carla. “Take one tablet every four hours. If the pain persists, give me a call. That’s an order, you hear me?”
Carla issued a taut smile. “I promise.”
The doctor left the room. “Desk duties for you for the next few days, my girl. Do you want me to nip out and get your prescription for you?” The pharmacy was only a few doors away, no great hardship to Sara.
Carla eyed her sheepishly. “Would you mind? Oh no, what am I thinking? What about the new case?”
“I’ll deal with that once I’ve got you settled, no arguments.”
“As if I dare. I’m so damn emotional right now, on the verge of crying all the time. I’m grateful for your support, Sara.”
“Get away with you! Want to stay here until I get back or can you make it upstairs by yourself?”
“If I take my time, I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
Sara opened the door and was tempted to help Carla to her feet, but she restrained herself from smothering her friend and colleague. Again, they parted at the bottom of the stairs.
Sara trotted down the road to the pharmacy and paid for the prescription. She returned and stood hovering over Carla until she downed her first tablet, then she announced, “Okay, we all know that Carla is indisposed at the moment, so who fancies stepping up to the plate and becoming my substitute partner for the next day or so?”
Both the youngsters, Marissa and Craig, thrust their hands in the air. “I’d love the opportunity, boss,” Marissa announced.
“Me too,” Craig added.
Sara studied them both, her mind going over their specific abilities. In the end, she plumped for Craig. “Sorry, Marissa, your input on the research side of things is too valuable around here.”
Marissa’s head dipped. “I understand. Maybe you’ll bear me in mind in the future, boss?”
“That goes without saying. Craig, grab your coat. Carla’s in charge in my absence, be gentle with her, she’s had enough mauling for one day.”
The team, including Carla, all laughed. “Ouch, did you have to say that?”
“Sorry. Okay, we’ll be off now. As soon as we learn anything, I’ll be in touch. All I know at present is that Amber Rowse went missing around forty-eight hours ago.”
