by M A Comley
Lorne nodded in agreement. “Yep, likewise. I know all about superiors being a pain in the arse, too.” She winked at Katy and bolted out of the office before her colleague could launch a missile at her.
She tapped Graham’s shoulder and pulled up a chair to sit alongside him. “How’s it going?”
He looked down at the notes he’d been scribbling then back at her.
Lorne shook her head. “Not with the case. I mean with you in general. Tell me to keep my nose out if you like, but you look exhausted.”
His shoulders slumped, and he reclined in his chair. “Is it that obvious? I thought I was hiding it well.”
“To me, yes. I’m the one around here who has the near worn out T-shirt with the motto ‘Been there, done that, here’s the T-shirt to prove it.’ Want to share? Not the T-shirt. I was referring to what’s bothering you?”
“Thanks, Lorne. One word pretty much sums it all up—pregnant!”
Her mouth momentarily dropped open, then she closed it again. “No, seriously? Liz is pregnant again?”
He tried to force a smile, but Lorne could tell what a heavy burden just saying the word aloud was to the young man. She reached out and rubbed his forearm. “I thought you only had plans for two kids?”
“We did. Don’t get me wrong, Kiki and Maria are mine and Liz’s world. It’s just…”
“The shock will pass, and you’ll get accustomed to the idea of being a dad again soon, Graham. I’m sure you will. How does Liz feel about the news?”
“She’s as devastated as I am. Not that we’d ever think of getting rid of it,” Graham added quickly.
“I’m sure you wouldn’t. Just give it time, hon. You’re still what? Twenty-six or twenty-seven?”
“Twenty-five.”
Lorne cringed at the thought of having to personally deal with three kids under the age of four at his age. There’s just no way she would have ever coped if the situation had landed on her doorstep. “Do you have any holidays due?”
“Next month. Why?”
“Well, my suggestion is to leave your two adorable girls with your family and take off somewhere, just you and Liz, even if it’s only for a weekend. Things will look so much brighter once you’ve thrashed out the details and had time to get used to the idea.”
“That’s what my mum also suggested. She’s volunteered to look after the kids for us. The odds on getting a weekend off now, though, seems pretty remote with all this crap landing on us, doesn’t it?”
“Nonsense, we’re a crack team. We should have all this cleared up in a few weeks. There’s nothing to stop you taking off then, is there?”
He sniggered. “Knowing my luck, another big murder case will come crashing down on my desk before I get the chance to even book the hotel room.”
Lorne tapped his arm. “Stop being so negative.”
“That’s easy for you to say. How many kids have you got?”
“Just the one. I knew from the very first day I held my daughter that she would be an only child.” She leaned in to whisper, “I admire you more than you could ever know, Graham. I would never have the patience for bringing up more than one child.”
“You’re not the only one to tell me that. It’s tougher than most people think, but Liz and I have coped all right with the situation, up until now. Her announcement last night was like a sucker punch to the gut, though. The thing that’s really tearing me apart is the fact I feel guilty.”
“Guilty? For what?”
“For feeling so devastated and not elated by the news. It’s not the foetus’s fault. It’s mine and Liz’s for not taking more care.” His cheeks coloured up, and his gaze dropped to the desk.
“There’s no need to be embarrassed admitting that. It’s refreshing for you to reveal it, to be honest. Most men wouldn’t, but you’re different from most men, Graham. You’ve already proven that by getting married and starting a family so young. Like I’ve said already, go away and sit down with Liz and talk.”
He glanced up and smiled at Lorne. “Thanks. I appreciate you going out of your way to ask and listen to my troubles.”
“Anytime. I’m always here, and my shoulder has gone through some soggy times over the years, I can assure you. In the end, you have to listen to both your heart and your head on this matter, Graham. You and Liz will do the right thing. Hey, look at it this way, you have nine months to get used to the idea.”
“Wrong! That’ll be seven and a half months, to be exact.” He smiled for the first time that morning, showing off his perfectly white teeth.
She rose from her seat and tweaked his cheek. “I’m always here for you.” Lorne returned to her desk with a glowing heat surrounding her heart, feeling good that Graham had opened up. She flipped open the case file and noted down the names of the people they needed to interview at the club. Then she searched the police system for any possible incidents that had occurred at the address. According to the records, the club had held its licence for only two years, and in that time, the club had seen very little trouble that had led the police to the door. She then went on to search the database for any crimes apportioned to the witnesses—the other dancers at the club—and results were insignificant.
Within an hour, Stephen and Graham had left the station to do the necessary house-to-house enquiries surrounding Noelle’s home, and Karen had reported the results of the car investigations. According to DVLA, the car was still registered in Noelle’s name.
Lorne tapped her chin thoughtfully with a pen. “Interesting. We should put out a bulletin, get the squad cars to keep their eyes peeled for the car. What do you think?”
“I’ll get onto it now,” Karen said. “Oh, and by the way, Crimewatch are going to sort out a reconstruction to air on the show next week.”
“That’s brilliant. Can I leave you to supply them with all the relevant details they need, Karen?”
“My pleasure.” Karen smiled and turned back to her computer.
Katy came out of her office, looking fed up and ripe for doing serious harm to anyone who pissed her off. “How’s it going?”
Lorne smiled and told her where they stood with the investigation.
“Good. I think you and I should get out of here, see how many of Noelle’s friends we can interview before we call at the club. I want to be there around nine or thereabouts.”
“Okay. I’ll gather the addresses and be with you in five minutes.”
CHAPTER THREE
At almost five o’clock, Lorne and Katy approached the terraced house in the quiet street. Abbie Ball opened the door and invited them into her living room.
“Thanks for agreeing to see us at such short notice, Miss Ball.” Katy smiled at the young blonde woman, who, judging by the dark rings around her eyes, hadn’t slept much lately.
“Anything I can do to help, Inspector? You only have to ask.”
Katy sat forward and placed her elbows on her knees. “We’ve just reopened Noelle’s case and wondered if you would be kind enough to go through the events leading up to her disappearance? Are you up to that?”
“I think so. I had some bad news a few days ago that, to be honest, has rocked my world. I’m not really thinking straight at the moment, but I’ll do my best.”
Katy and Lorne glanced at each other.
Then Katy asked, “Is there something we can do to help on that front?”
“Not unless you’re a heart surgeon. My dad has to have a triple heart bypass in the next few months.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. I’m sure things will turn out for the best.”
“I hope so. Sorry, you were asking about Noelle. Can I ask why the case has been reopened after all this time? I thought you guys had forgotten about her by now.”
Katy sighed. “Well, it’s come to our attention that the case wasn’t dealt with appropriately by the previous detectives, and head office have issued instructions for us to look into the case thoroughly. I take it you haven’t heard from Noelle since she was repo
rted missing?”
“No. Not at all. She just vanished. The minute I got the phone call saying she was on her way over here, I jumped into action and threw clean sheets on the spare bed. It’s still made up for her now. How can someone just disappear like that? Do you think the guy in the flat abducted her?”
“Until we interview all the witnesses, we’d rather not draw any conclusions, Abbie. What we do know is that we have far too many unanswered questions that we need to get answers to. Was Noelle single?”
“Yes. She broke up with Danny long before this happened.”
“Did she break up with him, or was it the other way round?” Katy asked.
“She broke it off with him. Said he was a little too possessive.”
Katy raised her eyebrow at Lorne. “Were they dating for long? Did he know what type of career she had?”
“I think a year in total, on and off. They fell out a lot, and yes, that was due to her working at the club.”
“I see. I don’t suppose you have a full name and address for him, do you?”
Abbie went to a desk in the corner. She rummaged through the top drawer and pulled out a small flowered address book. “Here we are. Danny Smalling. The only address I have for him is this one.” Abbie handed the book to Lorne, who jotted down the information in her notebook.
“Have you seen him recently?”
Abbie returned to her seat and shook her head. “No, not that I had much to do with him anyway. He always gave off a nasty vibe. I got the impression that he wanted Noelle to break contact with me. Not just me, either. Other friends I’ve spoken to since got the same impression.”
“Can you think of anything else or anyone else we should be looking into?” Katy asked.
“Not really. To be honest, Noelle didn’t tend to share the experiences she had at the club with me. It was kind of an unspoken understanding that the topic was best avoided by both of us.”
Katy stood, and Lorne followed, tucking her notebook away. “You’ve been really helpful. We’re going to leave now, see if we can track this Danny down as soon as possible. I hope your dad recovers well from his operation. Keep the faith where Noelle is concerned, too, all right? You have our word that if she’s still out there, we will do our utmost to bring her back home to you all.” Katy gave the young woman a business card.
“Thank you. If I hear from Noelle, I’ll be sure to ring you. Fingers crossed you’re successful in your mission. I miss her terribly.”
Lorne and Katy said farewell and jumped back in the car. Before Katy started the engine, she turned to Lorne. “Do you remember seeing anything in the case file about a boyfriend?”
Lorne clenched her teeth and shook her head. “Nope. What the fuck was wrong with those guys? That should have been their first port of call. What’s the betting he’s no longer living at this address, either?”
“Only one way to find out.” Katy input the address into the sat nav then set the car in motion. “Why is it that other people’s stupid mistakes always land on our bloody desks?”
“That’s a bit of an exaggeration, but I get your drift. It does beggar belief, given what the statistics say about the first twenty-four hours of someone going missing being the most important. Bloody men!”
“Thankfully, you and I both know that some of them think like us. We’re lucky to have found Tony and AJ. They’re definitely the exception to the rule.”
“You mean we’ve knocked them into shape nicely.” Lorne chuckled.
“My sentiments exactly. The address we’re after is about twenty minutes from here. Let’s hope it doesn’t turn out to be a waste of time.”
The ex-boyfriend’s house was situated in one of the less-inviting suburbs of the city. Lorne rapped on the front door. She didn’t care to take a chance of ringing the bell, which was hanging off the frame, its wires exposed to the elements.
Eventually, after several fraught minutes, the door opened to reveal a young man in his early twenties in desperate need of a haircut and a shave. “Yeah, what d’ya want? I’m busy.”
Katy produced her ID. “DI Katy Foster and my partner, DS Lorne Warner. Are you Danny Smalling?”
The man’s lip turned up at the side, and his eyes narrowed. “Why?”
“Are you Danny Smalling? It’s a simple enough question.” Katy repeated while Lorne got ready to pounce if the youngster decided to slam the door in their faces.
“It depends.”
“Cut the crap. We don’t have time. Are you Danny Smalling, yes or no? Either you answer me now, or we’ll take you down the station and charge you for trying to pervert the course of justice. You hear me?”
Lorne could see the man’s arm shift behind the pane of glass, and she lunged forward. “No you don’t, smartarse. Now, answer the damn question.”
“No. I mean, no—I ain’t Danny. You’ve got no right to turn up here like this and treat me this way. My dad’s a barrister, and I’ll make sure he wipes the floor with you for harassing me like this.”
“Really? His name? We’re quite friendly with all the barristers in the area. If you’re not Danny, why didn’t you just tell us that from the start?”
“Because you didn’t give me a chance.”
“Right! Okay, let’s see some form of ID then.”
His eyes widened in disbelief. “Why? What the fuck have I done now?”
Katy smiled tightly and shooed him with her hands. “Hop to it. You can leave the door open.”
The youngster looked Lorne up and down. “Like I have a choice with her standing right there.”
He left the front door and went back into the flat on the ground floor. An eternity seemed to pass before he reappeared, carrying his passport. Katy snatched it from his grasp.
“Taylor Munroe, it would be wise of you in the future not to meddle with police officers. Not all of them are as kind-hearted as me and the sergeant here. Where’s Danny then?”
“How the fuck should I know?”
“Less of the language. Do you know him well?”
“Not at all. When I moved in, the bedsit was empty, had been for at least a month.”
“How long ago was that?” Katy asked.
“About four months ago, I think. Why? What’s he done?”
Katy tilted her head. “What makes you think he’s done anything wrong?”
“Doh, let me consider that for a mo. Oh yeah, you’re both coppers, go figure!”
“You’ve got a smart mouth for someone whose dad is in the same line of business as us.”
Munroe chortled and leaned back casually against the wall. “Hardly, but I get your drift. Come on, what’s this guy done wrong?”
“Nothing. We just wanted a brief chat with him about something. Any chance of you bumping into him?” Katy pressed.
“Nope. Our paths haven’t crossed at all. Mind if I get on now?”
“Thanks for talking to us, eventually. See, it was painless in the end.”
As Lorne and Katy headed back to the car, the door slammed behind them.
“Jumped-up prick,” Katy mumbled.
“We probably interfered with his gaming session on the X-Box,” Lorne said sarcastically.
They both continued to chuckle until they reached the Tickle Club. Katy parked in the club’s car park and switched off the engine. “Looks like we’re a bit early. Should we wait out here for a while or go in?”
“Not sure the manager or the staff will appreciate us arriving when they’re setting up, but then on the other hand, we’ll probably get more out of them with no punters around.” Lorne pulled on the handle and stepped out of the car. She looked down at the black suit she wore. “One look at us, and they’ll know we’re not there for the entertainment.”
“That’s true enough. Let’s go piss off some people. Don’t forget to smile now.”
There was no bouncer on duty at the door, so they had no problem entering the club. They didn’t come across any form of life until they reached the bar area. The be
at of the music vibrated across the floor and tickled the bottom of Lorne’s feet through the soles of her shoes. A black-haired girl in her early twenties, wearing a low-cut top that left very little to the imagination, stood behind the highly polished mahogany bar, waiting for them to approach.
“What can I get you, ladies?” Her taut smile forced her lips apart to show glistening teeth that sparkled under the bar’s lights.
Both detectives flashed their IDs. “A word with the manager would be great,” Katy said, returning the barmaid’s tight smile.
“He’s busy at the moment. I’ll tell him you’re here, though. Be right back.”
Lorne and Katy watched her leave the bar through a door at the back. They walked past the bar and snooped around the main seating area surrounding the stage in the middle of the room. Sitting in the front row were a group of university-aged youngsters, giggling and high-fiving each other whilst they waited in anticipation of the show. “Wonder if their parents know what they get up to when they should be doing homework for their studies?” Lorne leaned over and said loud enough for Katy to hear above the music.
Before Katy could answer, a tall man sporting a goatee and a rounded beer belly greeted them. “Ladies. What can I do for you?”
After they had flashed their warrant cards again, Katy asked, “Is there somewhere quiet we can talk, Mr…?”
The man frowned. “It’s Norton, Ken Norton. About what? You are aware that this place is about to get exceptionally busy in about half an hour?”
“We’ll try not to hold you up too long. It’s about one of your former employees, Noelle Chesterfield.”
His frown deepened. “Noelle? Has she turned up after all this time?”
“No. We’ve taken over the investigation, revisiting and questioning again colleagues and family, hoping to find some new clues,” Katy said to the manager. “Now, do you have an office where we can talk privately?”
“I can spare you five minutes, I suppose. Doubt if I can tell you anything different to what I told the other detectives. Come with me.”
Lorne and Katy followed him through a narrow corridor decorated with posters of nearly naked girls, most of them skinnier than a starving dog, but Lorne spotted a couple of girls who actually carried a few excess pounds. Catering for different clientele, I guess.
