Taunting the Dead (DS Allie Shenton)

by Sherratt, Mel

  ‘Steph Ryder was pregnant,’ she told him in the tone of an excited five-year-old. She coughed, a little embarrassed about her outburst. It sounded as if she was gloating.

  ‘Pregnant?’ Nick looked up. ‘I suppose you wondered?’

  ‘Who the father would have been?’ Allie moved a pile of paperwork off a chair and onto the floor before sitting down opposite him. ‘I did, yes.’

  ‘The daughter. How old is she? Seventeen?’

  ‘Yes, but Steph Ryder is thirty-eight. It is easily possible.’

  ‘I have no doubt of that,’ Nick nodded. ‘It’s just that they’ve been married since they were teenagers. It hardly seems something that they’d plan. Maybe they were trying to inject romance into a dead marriage.’

  ‘Which is not the way to go about things,’ Allie snapped before she had time to think who she was snapping at.

  Nick sat back in his chair, eyebrows raised.

  ‘Sorry, sir.’ Allie looked on sheepishly. ‘I mean, having a child isn’t necessarily the thing to stick people together. Normally it seems to be a wedge that drives couples further apart.’

  ‘Lots of couples do it, though.’

  ‘And lots of children end up in single parent families because of it.’

  ‘My, we are cynical today, aren’t we, Mrs Shenton?’

  Allie smirked at him. Nick knew she and Mark had put off children and now were unsure if they wanted to have any at all. And just because they might not have any, it didn’t stop her having strong views on other people’s being treated well.

  ‘How far gone was she?’ Nick’s fingers were in a steeple.

  ‘Thirteen weeks. Puts a different slant on things, don’t you think?’

  ‘I wonder if she knew.’

  ‘I wonder if they knew.’

  Nick paused for a moment. Then he sat forward and went back to his work. ‘I assume you can break it to him in the morning? Go by yourself this time.’

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  When she parked up in the driveway of The Gables at eight thirty the next morning, Allie hadn’t expected Carole Morrison to open the door – and certainly not dolled up as if ready to go to a party. She wore black trousers, the highest of patent heels and a red knitted top that accentuated her neckline as well as her cleavage. The curls of her hair were immaculate, make-up perfect.

  Her smile didn’t reach her eyes when she saw Allie.

  ‘I need to speak to Mr Ryder.’

  ‘He’s busy.’

  ‘Too busy to see me?’ Allie frowned. What an absurd thing to say.

  Carole’s guard dropped. ‘Yes, of course. Sorry, come on in.’

  Allie was shown through to the family room while Carole went to let Terry know she was here. The room was exactly how she remembered. Exactly. There wasn’t a dirty coffee mug, a magazine, a pair of shoes hanging around. It seemed that chaos didn’t rule in the Ryders’ residence. It gave the place the air of a show house.

  Carole rejoined her a minute later. ‘He’ll be with you in a moment,’ she announced as if she was head waitress. Oh, yes, Allie thought snidely before turning to her. She would be used to that.

  ‘Helping him out with something, are we?’ Allie asked, wanting to figure out why she was here.

  Carole blushed. ‘No, he’s catching up on some paperwork. I’ve been helping to keep things ship shape here since… since…. well, you know.’

  Allie did know but wondered what part of the sentence Carole wanted her to add on. Since Steph had been murdered two days ago and her best friend felt the need to look after her husband? Since Steph had died and her best friend wanted to take her place?

  She checked her out as they waited for Terry to arrive. No, there couldn’t be anything going on there. She didn’t look his type. It was simply her cynical copper’s mind. Or the green-eyed demon she remembered from back in her school days.

  ‘How’s Kirstie keeping?’ she asked next. If Carole knew how Terry’s daughter was, it could mean that she’d been spending a lot of time here.

  ‘I haven’t seen her,’ said Carole. She sat down on the edge of the settee.

  Oh.

  ‘Has she gone to stay with Ashleigh now?’

  ‘She’s flitting between the two places.’ Carole folded her arms. ‘Although if you ask me, I reckon she’s staying with that layabout boyfriend of hers.’

  ‘Lee Kennedy?’ Allie offered.

  Carole nodded. ‘Steph told me he’d been hanging around.’

  ‘When?’

  ‘Well, obviously before she died.’

  ‘I meant, when was he hanging around?’

  ‘Oh.’ Carole had the decency to blush. ‘She caught them in here. Lee wasn’t allowed –’

  ‘Caught them doing what?’ Allie broke in.

  ‘Lee shouldn’t have been in here.’

  Allie wondered if Carole had deliberately ignored her question as she continued. ‘He isn’t welcome at the house. Steph said Terry can’t stand him. Reminds him too much of himself when he was younger. Cocky bastard, he calls him. I reckon they think he’s not good enough for Kirstie. She said she’d told him to sling his hook.’

  Allie was about to speak again when she heard the door open and in walked Terry. Wearing grey sweats, a white round-necked T-shirt and leather slippers, it took her by surprise. She had never seen him in casual gear before. She tried not to stare at his toned arms, the dark hair curling at the neckline, the faint outline of a taut torso.

  Her stomach involuntarily flipped as he flashed a smile her way.

  ‘Sorry to keep you waiting, Sergeant.’ He held out his hand.

  It seemed a strange thing to do, shake the hand again of the woman who was dealing with your wife’s murder enquiry. To save face, Allie shook it. Terry held onto her but she pulled away awkwardly.

  ‘I’ll make coffee,’ Carole said brightly. Allie had almost forgotten she was there.

  ‘No need.’ Terry kept his gaze on Allie.

  Carole gently touched his forearm. ‘But it’s no trouble.’

  ‘No, it’s fine.’ Terry looked at her then. ‘You can head off home now. Thank you for the lasagne.’

  ‘I’ll pop by tomorrow, in case there’s anything else you need.’

  ‘I’ll be fine.’ His eyes returned to Allie. ‘I have everything I need right here.’ He indicated the settee. ‘Shall we?’

  Carole was still standing where she had been dismissed when they were both seated.

  Terry sighed. ‘Bye, Carole,’ he said, without looking her way.

  ‘Right.’ Carole smoothed a hand over her hair. ‘Right then, I’ll be off.’

  Before she had left the room, Terry leaned back in the settee and crossed one leg over the other. ‘Is there something you need to tell me? Or ask me?’ he said. ‘Whatever it is, fire away.’

  Allie felt terrible as she watched a dejected Carole walk away. For all her pitiful behaviour trying to get noticed, Allie could understand her. Despite being married, she’d had her fair share of admirers, flirtatious comments and office banter double-entendres. Most of the time, Allie was able to give as good as she got. But Terry Ryder did something to her. Without trying. Very much in the same way as he did to Carole Morrison, it seemed.

  She kept her eyes down, away from Terry’s intense stare, so that he couldn’t see the reddening of her skin. Couldn’t see what he could do to her with just the touch of his hands.

  ‘You wanted to see me?’ he said eventually.

  Allie cleared her throat. ‘Yes, I’ve had notification from the coroner’s office, Mr Ryder.’

  ‘Please,’ he said softly. ‘Call me Terry.’

  Under the circumstances, there was no way Allie would call him Terry. She could be about to shatter his life for the second time in three days. So she didn’t address him at all. She just nodded and continued.

  ‘Were you aware that your wife was pregnant?’

  For the first time since the murder investigation began, Allie saw Terry flinc
h. She watched his eyes flit around as if in disbelief.

  ‘Steph was pregnant?’ he replied.

  ‘Yes, just over three months. I’m sorry. It seems that you didn’t know.’

  ‘What? That my wife of twenty years was fucking another man?’

  Guiltily, Allie lowered her eyes momentarily. She’d thought as much herself only a few hours ago.

  ‘I’ve had a vasectomy,’ Terry explained. ‘It must be over ten years ago now. We’d tried for another baby but nothing happened. I had no idea she was screwing around. How do you feel about people having affairs, Sergeant?’

  The question took Allie by surprise. ‘I don’t think my personal views are of any relevance at the moment,’ she answered.

  ‘Do you think it’s wrong?’

  ‘I –’

  ‘Would you never have an affair?’

  She shook her head.

  ‘You’re telling me that you’ve never felt the attraction – the magnetic pull of anyone else all the time you’ve been married?’ His eyes were on hers again.

  ‘I’m not condoning those who do but I wish they’d finish one relationship before they wrecked another.’

  ‘People shouldn’t have their cake and eat it?’

  ‘Something like that.’ Realising the conversation was going off at a ridiculous tangent – why the hell should she justify what she thought? – she got it back on track. ‘Look, I know this can’t be easy for you after what’s gone on, but I have to –’

  ‘You want to know if there’s anyone I think she would have been sleeping with?’

  ‘Yes.’ Allie nodded.

  ‘Do you realise how cut to the core I am at losing Steph?’

  The emotion in his voice threw her. ‘I –’

  ‘But she was a bitch.’

  ‘Excuse me?’ Allie frowned.

  ‘Yeah, you heard me.’ It was Terry’s turn to nod. ‘I didn’t know she was having an affair but things weren’t that great between us, so even though I hate finding out like this, I can’t say I blame her.’

  ‘Do you think she would have been meeting someone else on the night she was killed?’

  Terry sat back in the seat, arm stretched along the back. ‘It’s possible, I suppose. I never kept tabs on Steph. She was a free soul.’

  Allie cast her mind back to what Carole Morrison had said. According to her, Terry was always on the phone checking up on Steph. Failing that, he’d be messaging her. Someone was lying.

  ‘And there isn’t anyone who comes immediately to mind?’ she tried again.

  ‘There are plenty of men who’d want to be where I was,’ Terry said confidently. ‘How many of them would dare to go there is another question.’

  ‘And why’s that?’

  ‘Let’s say they’d be lucky to come away with their balls intact if they did.’

  Allie kept her expression impartial. For someone who’d lost his wife and had only minutes earlier told her he was cut to the core, Terry seemed rather calm about this new revelation. Maybe he was always this way, kept his emotions to himself. Some men were good at it. She made a mental note to do some more checking with Carole Morrison, and maybe her husband, Shaun. Perhaps they could help her figure out the real Terry Ryder. There was no way she wanted to get to know him any better. She was already too close for comfort. She moved on with her line of enquiry.

  ‘I want to ask you about –’

  Terry held up a finger. ‘A minute, please.’ He crossed the room to the front window. Then he went through into the hall.

  Allie heard the front door open and muffled words. A few of them drifted in.

  ‘Let go of me!’

  ‘If you’ve been with him again, I swear I’ll –’

  ‘Is everything okay?’ Allie joined them in the hall.

  Terry held on to Kirstie’s arm. She tried to shrug him off, but his grip was too tight.

  ‘Just a little family disagreement,’ Terry replied, turning to Allie. ‘Kids. Who’d have them?’

  Allie was astounded at his choice of words.

  Kirstie pulled her arm away. ‘Let me go, Dad.’

  ‘I’ll deal with you later,’ Terry told her as she walked away. ‘You and I need to talk.’

  ‘Want to tell me what that was all about?’ Allie asked once she’d heard a door slam upstairs.

  Terry shook his head, all smiles and cool composure back. ‘Like I said – kids.’

  ‘So there’s no truth in the Lee Kennedy thing? She’s staying over at her friend Ashleigh’s place, like you said?’

  ‘Are you trying to trip me up, Sergeant?’ Terry tutted. He waggled a finger in her face. ‘I said she’d be staying with friends, not specifically with Ashleigh. And Kirstie has surprised me by wanting to stay close to home. Anyway, Lee Kennedy, you say? Where did you get his name from?’

  Allie refused to divulge that to him. ‘You do know him, though?’ she questioned further.

  ‘Of course I know Lee Kennedy. He and his father, Phil, work for me.’

  ‘Work for you?’ It was out before Allie could think about what she was saying. She raged inwardly for giving information away. He probably knew they were looking into his background, as well as his links with Steve Kennedy, but still.

  ‘Yes,’ said Terry. ‘They help out at my car wash franchise. Though a fat lot of good the young one is. Not much work in him, I’m afraid. Now, if you don’t mind. I’d like some time alone with my thoughts.’

  ‘Of course.’ Allie nodded, annoyed to find herself dismissed but aware she had no reason to stay and question him further at the moment. ‘You will let me know if you can think of anyone, please? I know it’s hard but it could be really helpful for our enquiries,’ she added, trying to keep him sweet.

  Terry shoved his hands in his pockets and shook his head. ‘I honestly couldn’t tell you who the father might have been.’

  Allie watched closely as a million thoughts and possibilities seemed to shoot through his mind. At the same time, a million thoughts and possibilities shot through hers too. She dismissed them quickly.

  ‘But,’ Terry added with a look on his face that made her gulp, ‘I am determined to find that out.’

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  ‘Where have you been?’ Shaun snapped as Carole came through the front door of The Orange Grove. ‘We’re due to open for lunch in an hour!’

  ‘Oh, stop moaning. Stacey’s here, isn’t she?’ Carole unwound her scarf and took off her coat, annoyed that Shaun couldn’t manage without her for a couple of hours. Honestly, she had more important things to think about than the restaurant right now. She’d planned on staying at Terry’s house all morning but after being dismissed so early she’d wandered around the shops to give her time to calm down. The incident had been embarrassing, humiliating even. And at this moment in time, she hated Allie Shenton with a passion.

  ‘That’s not the point,’ Shaun continued. ‘I needed you here too.’

  ‘I told you I was going over to Terry’s this morning, see if he needed a hand with anything.’

  ‘But you’ve been over there for the past three days. I can understand the day that it happened but not every day.’

  Ignoring him, Carole went into the kitchen. Shaun followed behind her.

  ‘Hi, Stacey,’ she smiled. ‘Everything okay in here?’

  ‘Yes, everything’s fine, thanks.’ Stacey wiped her hands before opening the fridge.

  Carole pulled a ‘what’s-the-problem’ face at Shaun and poured herself a glass of water. Her head was pounding for some reason. Trust that bitch of a sergeant to turn up just as she had Terry all to herself. She could have come half an hour later. She hadn’t even had time to coax him out of his office.

  ‘Terry’s a big boy,’ Shaun told her. ‘He can look after himself.’

  ‘For God’s sake, Shaun. His wife has been murdered.’ Carole fought back a sob. She glanced at Stacey, who was doing her best not to show she was listening. ‘She was my best friend. I wanted to
see if her husband was okay.’

  ‘And was he?’

  ‘Not really,’ Carole fibbed.

  ‘Oh?’

  ‘Stacey, would you check to see if everything is okay out the front, please?’

  Once she’d gone, Carole continued.

  ‘He’s in a right state. Perhaps you should be more understanding.’

  ‘I suppose so.’ Shaun relented a little, enough to let her think he was showing remorse. Of course he didn’t give a stuff about how Terry was feeling. He only wanted to know one thing. ‘Has he heard anything from the police yet?’

  ‘Yes, plenty.’ After she’d been so rudely ousted by Terry, Carole had been putting on her coat in the hallway when she’d overheard some of the conversation. She’d held her breath for a moment but she couldn’t hear anything else, and she didn’t dare hang around in case she got caught.

  ‘That sergeant came back, that female one. I heard her say that Steph was pregnant,’ she told Shaun with the look of super-sleuth pleasure.

  ‘But I thought Terry had the snip?’ Shaun looked on in confusion. ‘He did, didn’t he? I remember him being in agony afterwards.’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘So she was screwing around?’

  Carole nodded.

  ‘Who with?’

  Carole marched over to the door and checked to see that Stacey wasn’t in eavesdropping range. ‘Phil Kennedy,’ she told him.

  Shaun’s eyes widened in surprise. ‘You’re having a laugh.’

  ‘No, it’s been going on for a while.’

  ‘You knew?’

  ‘I had my suspicions,’ Carole lied, hoping her expression wouldn’t give her away. ‘He’d sometimes appear at the end of a night out to give us a lift home. I was always dropped off first because I’m in the town.’

  ‘That doesn’t mean he was screwing her.’ Shaun shook his head. ‘He wouldn’t do that. Phil wouldn’t cross Terry.’

  ‘Why? Because he’s his big mate?’ Carole sniggered nastily. ‘Don’t bet on it. Phil Kennedy would get away with anything if he could.’