Bring Them Home (Detective Karen Hart Book 1)

by D. S. Butler

  Karen was a little surprised, but she shrugged and said, ‘Okay. If you think that’s best. After Rick gets here, I’ll pop into the Spar and grab a sandwich. I missed lunch and I’m starving. Can I get you anything?’

  DI Morgan pulled into a parking space, put the handbrake on and then said, ‘I’ll have a chicken sandwich if they’ve got one.’

  They got out of the car, and Karen glanced at her watch. Rick shouldn’t be too long. She turned and watched DI Morgan walking towards the Saunders’s house by the river. One of these days she’d get him to admit he relied on hunches.

  After Rick had collected the evidence bags and signed the paperwork, Karen walked across the road to the small Spar supermarket. Inside, she picked up orange juice for herself and water for DI Morgan and then headed to look at the selection of sandwiches.

  She’d just rounded the corner and headed into the next aisle when she spotted someone she recognised.

  Cathy Palmer.

  Cathy wore an old-fashioned faded dress with a brown anorak over the top. Her hair hung limply down to her shoulders, and she’d tucked it behind her ears. She wore no make-up, which wasn’t unusual. Karen had never seen Cathy wearing make-up, but she’d also rarely seen her away from the farmhouse. Somehow, here in the brightly lit shop, Cathy looked even more washed out than usual. She was stooping to examine coffee on the bottom shelf. She reached out to pick up a jar of Nescafé and the sleeve of her anorak slid back, revealing a nasty-looking bruise on her forearm.

  Karen wondered how she’d got that bruise. Was Cathy’s father or brother responsible? Although her father was ill and infirm now, Karen could imagine him reaching out and pinching Cathy if she’d annoyed him in some way. That was the sort of man Nigel Palmer was.

  Karen clutched the bottles of juice and water to her chest and walked up to Cathy. ‘Hello, I didn’t expect to see you here.’

  Cathy quickly straightened up and looked at Karen through wide, scared eyes like a startled rabbit. ‘Oh,’ she said, ‘I was just leaving.’

  ‘Wait a minute.’ Karen smiled and did her best to look friendly and approachable. ‘I’ve been hoping to have a chat with you.’

  ‘You have?’ Cathy shot a nervous glance over her shoulder and then looked back at Karen.

  ‘Yes, I thought you might have time for a coffee.’

  ‘What for?’ Cathy looked horrified at the prospect.

  ‘Well, I know it must be difficult for you stuck in the farmhouse all day, looking after your dad, and I thought you might need some company. With my job, I don’t get much chance to chat either.’

  That was clumsy. Karen knew she was making a mess of this. She should have tried to be more subtle in her attempt to befriend Cathy, but she was scared the woman was about to dart off at any moment.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ Cathy said, ‘I have things to do.’

  ‘Maybe another time,’ Karen said, and then reached out carefully to push up the sleeve of the woman’s anorak. ‘How did that happen, Cathy?’

  Her cheeks flushed pink, and she yanked down the arm of her jacket. ‘I just banged it against a cupboard in the kitchen. I’ve always been clumsy like that.’

  Karen waited to see if Cathy would say anything else but she didn’t.

  Finally Karen responded. ‘I’d like to believe that, Cathy. But I can’t help thinking your father and brother aren’t treating you as well as they should.’

  Cathy looked down at the jars of coffee again as though they were the most interesting thing in the world. ‘Oh, they’re not that bad really. They can just be a bit bad-tempered sometimes.’

  Karen frowned. ‘Well, I’m always here if you want to chat.’

  Before she could say anything else, she heard a deep voice behind them. ‘Time to go, Cathy.’

  Karen turned to see Jasper Palmer towering over her.

  Karen glared at him, determined not to be intimidated.

  ‘You seem to be getting a little overfamiliar with my sister, officer,’ Jasper said. ‘She should put in a complaint against you.’

  ‘What are you talking about?’ Karen snapped.

  ‘I saw you tugging at her clothing.’

  ‘I was lifting the sleeve of her anorak because I saw a bruise. You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you, Jasper?’

  Cathy made a squeaking noise like a startled mouse.

  Jasper moved so he stood between Karen and Cathy. He took the wire shopping basket out of Cathy’s hand and set it on the floor. ‘We’ll get our shopping later, Cathy. There’s a funny smell in here,’ he said, and then walked away from Karen, heading towards the exit.

  Cathy sent an apologetic look over her shoulder as she followed her brother out of the shop, and Karen watched them go.

  She didn’t trust Jasper Palmer. Not for one second.

  Feeling angry and frustrated, she made her way back to the fresh food aisle and grabbed a couple of chicken sandwiches.

  Karen had seen the woman behind the till before but couldn’t remember her name. She shook her head as Karen approached. ‘Did you ever see such a jumpy woman? The way Nigel Palmer treats that girl is a disgrace and the brother isn’t much better.’

  ‘Have you seen Nigel Palmer recently?’ Karen put her shopping on the counter.

  The woman shook her head as she scanned the barcodes on the sandwiches. ‘No, he’s more or less a recluse these days. Good thing, in my opinion. He’s a nasty man.’

  ‘Why do you say that?’

  ‘You’ve met him, haven’t you?’ She furiously moved the bottle of water back over the scanner when it didn’t register the first time. ‘That other young girl went missing from the farm. Suspicious, if you ask me.’ The machine beeped, and she placed the bottle of water beside the sandwiches. ‘Do you have a loyalty card?’

  Karen shook her head.

  ‘Any news on the two little ones?’

  ‘Not yet.’

  ‘You should search that farmhouse. That would be the first place I’d look.’

  ‘Have you heard or seen anything that makes you think the Palmers would know what happened to the missing girls?’

  The woman hesitated. ‘No, but there’s something weird about them. They’re just not . . . right.’

  Was that what Karen sounded like to her colleagues? Ready to jump to unjustified conclusions because she thought the Palmers were odd? There was a reason people should be considered innocent until proven guilty. Circumstances like these could lead to witch-hunts, especially in small, tight-knit communities. She must remember to make that appointment with Amethyst.

  After paying, Karen walked back towards the car. Only a few feet away from where they had parked was the Butcher & Beast. She should have gone in there. They did lovely sandwiches.

  Sitting in the passenger seat, she munched her way through her lunch while looking at an Ordnance Survey map on her iPhone. The small screen didn’t make it easy, but she managed to zoom into the Palmers’ farm. It ran between Washingborough and Heighington. They had a lot of land and a large number of outbuildings.

  Karen went through them slowly, counting each one. There were two grain stores, an old windmill that had lost its sails and fallen into disrepair, and a number of large barns. Some she knew were empty, others contained valuable farm machinery and were kept tightly locked up.

  The orders of the search had been to inspect every outbuilding in the search perimeter. Karen had no doubt these buildings had been searched, but she wondered if there could be something they’d missed. She polished off the last of the sandwich and then phoned to check in with Sophie at the station. The search was still ongoing, and Sophie promised to check with the officers in charge regarding all the outbuildings on the Palmers’ farm.

  A low rumble above her made Karen look up. The grey Sentinel R1 aircraft was flying overhead. The spy plane was a familiar sight in the area and was based at RAF Waddington along with the Sentry. The RAF reconnaissance planes regularly flew low over Branston, where Karen lived. The
huge Sentinel was an impressive sight. She could do with a spy herself. Ideally, one planted in the Palmer household.

  As browbeaten as Cathy Palmer was, surely she wouldn’t just stand by and do nothing if she knew two little girls were being held captive by her father or brother.

  The more Karen thought about it, the more it became clear that Cathy could be the key to unravelling the mystery around the Palmers. If she got Cathy onside, maybe she could crack the Palmers once and for all.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  Matthew Saunders’s strange behaviour had been bothering DI Morgan since he and Karen had first spoken to the man. With an overwhelming number of suspects to talk to and leads to follow, he’d been forced to leave Saunders on the back burner, but something kept niggling at him. He was sure Matthew Saunders had been lying to them, and he intended to find out why.

  DI Morgan walked along the pretty Heighington High Street. On the surface, it appeared to be a lovely place to live, with its old stone buildings, a narrow stream running through the centre and two pubs and a village shop. DI Morgan thought he might consider Heighington as a place to move to after this case was over. He needed something more permanent than his current draughty rental property. Not that he’d need a big place. He hadn’t heard from Julia since she’d dumped him, and the way his future was looking, he’d be living alone with only his job for company. He sighed. He didn’t even have the time for a dog. Dogs needed regular exercise, and it wouldn’t be fair to keep one with the hours he worked. Maybe he’d get a cat. They were far less needy.

  He approached the Saunders’s house and rang the doorbell. On the other side of the road, the GP surgery was busy. A number two double-decker bus chugged along the narrow High Street, only just missing the parked cars. Further down the street, the spire of Heighington church towered over all the other buildings in the vicinity.

  When Matthew Saunders opened the door, he looked shocked to see DI Morgan standing on his doorstep. ‘What is it? Nothing’s happened to Danny, has it?’

  DI Morgan shook his head. ‘No, sir. I just have a few follow-up questions for you.’

  ‘Ah, I see,’ Matthew Saunders said as he stepped back to let DI Morgan enter.

  ‘I’m not sure there’s much else I can tell you.’ Matthew Saunders led DI Morgan into the front room. ‘Can I get you a drink – tea or coffee?’

  DI Morgan said, ‘No, thank you, sir. I think you know why I’m here.’

  Matthew Saunders’s eyes opened wide, and he licked his lips before sinking down on to the sofa. DI Morgan sat opposite him in an armchair.

  ‘Well, no. I can’t imagine why you want to talk to me.’

  ‘The last time we spoke, I got the distinct impression you were hiding something.’ DI Morgan watched him closely.

  Matthew Saunders shook his head rapidly. ‘I’ve got nothing to hide.’

  DI Morgan narrowed his eyes but said nothing. He waited for the silence to do the work for him.

  A light sheen of sweat had appeared on Matthew Saunders’s brow. He linked his fingers, inverted them and set them on his lap before wringing his hands together.

  ‘I really can’t think what gave you the impression I was hiding something. I want to cooperate fully. I want to make sure the girls are okay. I mean, I can’t even imagine how I’d feel if it was Danny who’d gone missing.’

  ‘So tell me what you’re holding back.’

  Matthew Saunders pulled a face. ‘Really, I swear it has nothing to do with the girls’ disappearance.’

  ‘I’m afraid I can’t take your word for that, sir. So you’ll have to tell me.’

  Matthew Saunders ran a hand over his face then glanced at the brass clock on the mantelpiece over the unlit log burner. ‘My wife works at the doctor’s surgery. It’s only a couple of minutes’ walk away and she’ll be home soon.’

  DI Morgan also glanced at the clock but said nothing and waited for him to continue.

  ‘If I tell you, can you promise me my wife won’t find out?’

  DI Morgan resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He saw where this was heading and it infuriated him. ‘I can’t promise,’ he said. ‘But if there’s no need for her to find out, then she won’t find out from me. I’m not out to cause any problems in your marriage, Mr Saunders. I just want you to tell me the truth.’

  Matthew Saunders stood up and began to pace back and forth in front of the fireplace. Then he looked up and glanced out of the window as though he were expecting his wife to be walking along the street.

  ‘We’re running out of time,’ DI Morgan said.

  ‘What?’ Matthew Saunders looked startled.

  ‘You said your wife will be home soon. So you’re running out of time to tell me whatever it is you’re hiding before she gets here.’

  Matthew Saunders raised his face to the ceiling and then closed his eyes. He groaned. ‘Okay, I’ll tell you. But please do everything you can to make sure my wife doesn’t find out.’

  DI Morgan waited.

  Matthew Saunders looked at him with an anxious expression. ‘It was just an affair, a short-term thing. It didn’t mean anything.’

  DI Morgan sat and listened to the whole sordid story, trying to keep his expression blank. He’d only met Tanya Saunders once, but she’d seemed a warm, friendly woman who didn’t deserve a philanderer for a husband.

  It was all so predictable, DI Morgan thought, as Matthew Saunders relaxed into his story and made a little joke.

  ‘I mean you’ve seen her – you can’t blame me, can you?’ He gave DI Morgan a wink.

  DI Morgan did not respond. He’d met the woman Matthew Saunders referred to, and he was annoyed he hadn’t seen it coming.

  Karen sat in the car, trying to work out what was bothering her about her encounter with the Palmers. Jasper’s abrasive personality and intimidating presence were enough to set Karen’s teeth on edge, but there was something else bugging her. Then she remembered. Cathy hadn’t asked about the two girls.

  Everyone in Heighington was waiting for news, so why hadn’t Cathy asked whether there had been any developments or if they were any closer to finding the girls? Unless, of course, she knew where those girls were.

  She spotted DI Morgan walking back to the car with a stern look on his face, and guessed he’d achieved something.

  She waited until he was sitting in the driver’s seat and then handed him his sandwich. ‘Well, tell me what happened.’

  ‘He’s been having an affair,’ DI Morgan said, peeling back the plastic wrap.

  Karen took a sip of her orange juice. ‘Your hunch paid off.’

  DI Morgan managed a small smile. ‘It wasn’t a hunch. It was a fact-based opinion. I noticed he carefully thought through his answers before he opened his mouth, and he wouldn’t maintain eye contact. All of that made me think he wasn’t telling us the full story. It had nothing to do with gut feelings.’

  ‘If you say so, sir,’ Karen said, screwing the lid back on her orange juice. ‘So his affair has nothing to do with our case then?’

  DI Morgan finished a mouthful of the chicken sandwich and then said, ‘Quite the opposite. The woman he was having an affair with is Leanne Gibson.’

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  Jasper Palmer swung himself down from the cab of the tractor and landed with a thud. He’d parked it out behind the barn, some distance from the farmhouse so Cathy wouldn’t realise he’d come back. She’d been acting very strangely recently. She was usually very meek and obedient, their father’s doormat, but yesterday, Jasper had seen a glimpse of steely rebellion in her eyes. And it made him nervous. It made him wonder if Cathy was planning something.

  He made his way to the back of the farmhouse. At this time of day, Cathy normally had some time to herself. Their father tended to doze by the fire most of the day. Even the simplest tasks wore him out. It was hard to remember him as he had been – an imposing, domineering man, as tall and strong as Jasper was now.

  When he approached the kitchen window,
he leaned on the windowsill and looked inside. Cathy was sitting at the kitchen table with her back to him.

  She didn’t seem to be doing anything unusual.

  Maybe he was letting his imagination run wild. The police had been sniffing around again and that had made him nervous. They’d put him through hell after Amy Fisher’s disappearance.

  He missed having Amy around. She’d cheered the place up, and she’d been interested in him. Even though she’d played coy and hard to get, Jasper knew what she really wanted. The look on Cathy’s face the day she caught him talking to Amy in the studio had made Jasper laugh out loud. Cathy had always been very prim and proper. Credit where it was due, though. His sister hadn’t breathed a word of that to the police. She’d backed up his story when he insisted that he’d barely known the girl.

  It was just as well. The police were bad enough without any evidence. They really would have been on his back if they’d known how much time he’d spent watching Amy.

  Jasper smiled. Cathy was a good girl. The secret was safe with her.

  Before he turned away, he caught sight of his father’s mobile phone by Cathy’s elbow.

  Jasper frowned. It was an old-fashioned flip phone. His father barely used it any more but kept it for emergencies. It had been useful when he used to go out on the farm, but these days he never left the house.

  Was Cathy planning to call somebody? Jasper wondered if that was why she’d been acting oddly. Perhaps she’d found herself a man. The thought made Jasper grin. Not very likely. Cathy was destined to die an old maid. She looked after the farmhouse for her father, and when the old man died, which wouldn’t be long now, Cathy would stay with Jasper and earn her keep by looking after the house for him.

  He didn’t have to worry about Cathy. She wouldn’t tell anyone. How could she? She had no one to tell.

  Cathy Palmer tiptoed over to the fireplace and stared in silence at her father. Was he asleep? He looked as though he was. His thin eyelids fluttered a little but other than that he remained still. There was a faint wheezing as he took in a breath, but that happened most of the time now.