by Menon, David
Kyle picked up his mug of tea and kissed his Mum as he walked past her on his way to the stairs. Annabel watched him go and wondered when her little boy who’d been so dependent on her had grown up into a young man who very much knew his own mind.
When Jeff woke up he could see that the press paparazzi were in substantial number across the road outside Lucy Thompson’s house. He’d had a bad night with Toby who’d started wetting the bed again following his discovery of Bradley Thompson’s body. This was accompanied by a lot of crying and only Daddy could comfort him. That meant that Jeff hadn’t had much sleep and when Rebecca arrived at the house she could see it in his eyes straight away.
‘You look done in’ she said.
Jeff wiped his eyes. ‘I am’.
‘Toby?’
‘Yeah’ said Jeff moving closer to her in the hallway and lowering his voice to a whisper. ‘He’s in the kitchen with Brendan at the moment. He’s not showing any signs of getting better’.
‘Have you thought about taking him to see the doctor?’
‘Yeah I’m going to take him tomorrow if there’s still no improvement’.
Toby then walked into the hallway still in his pyjamas and dressing gown crying his little heart out. ‘Don’t go, daddy’.
Jeff leaned down and picked him up in his arms. ‘Oh Tiger, Daddy has got to go to work. But Brendan will be here and your Aunty Annabel too once she’s finished in the bathroom’.
‘Where’s Kyle going?’
‘Did I forget him? I’m a silly Daddy. He’s in bed at the moment but he’ll be down to play with you soon. And I’ll be home as soon as I can, mate. Until then I need you to be strong and you know that Daddy loves you so very much’.
Toby nodded his head and it broke Rebecca’s heart to see the little one’s tear stained face.
‘That’s my boy’ said Jeff who then kissed Toby and handed him into Brendan’s open arms.
‘Come on, pal’ said Brendan. ‘Let’s finish off your breakfast and get you dressed’.
Jeff was silent as he closed the front door. Rebecca felt somewhat awkward like she had done inside too. If she was going to be Jeff’s girlfriend then she should be helping him with Toby. But neither Toby nor Jeff had made any move to include her in their little world of sorrow and pain. She was going to be patient but she didn’t want to remain an outsider forever. She wanted to be part of Jeff’s life and that meant being there for Toby too.
‘I want to help you, Jeff’ said Rebecca. ‘With Toby I mean?’
‘I know’ said Jeff who was holding back his emotions. The last thing he needed was to be pressured at this moment in time. ‘I know’.
Before they tried to make their way through the baying crowd they almost bumped right into Debbie Mitchell as she was leaving for work. She couldn’t help but take a swipe at Lucy Thompson before getting into her car.
‘How long is this going to go on for, Jeff?’ she asked.
‘Good morning to you too, Debbie’ said Jeff.
‘Yes, yes all of that but these aren’t exactly normal circumstances’ she pleaded. ‘It really is lowering the tone of the neighbourhood having all these people here all the time. And none of it can be easy for your little Toby. It can’t be helping him get better. Not to mention the fact that we’ve all been interviews by your colleagues as if we’re common criminals’.
‘It wouldn’t be like that, Debbie’.
‘Well that’s what it felt like, Jeff. You ask anybody and you see, I don’t want this to reflect badly on you. That really wouldn’t be fair’.
‘Do you think it’s fair that all these vultures should be trying to tear strips off Lucy when she’s grieving for her son?’
‘She made her bed long ago Jeff, as well you now know, and my contempt for her is beyond measure’.
‘I understand the personal aspect of this for you, Debbie, I really do. It’s all a real mess. But Lucy’s son has been murdered. Doesn’t that make any difference to the way you feel?’
‘Not when the father of that son could’ve been my husband’ said Debbie indignantly and then noting the look on Jeff’s face. ‘Oh hasn’t she told you that little bit yet? Funny that. Gary couldn’t conceal his suspicions any longer but then cowards always own up to their bastard children once they no longer have to be responsible for them. Apparently he never talked to Miss Thompson about it. Now if you’ll excuse me I’ve got a job to go to that doesn’t involve flashing my breasts at strange men in seedy nightclubs’.
‘Which charm school did she play truant from?’ Rebecca asked.
‘The same one that produces all the judgmental cows of this world’ said Jeff who’d been angered by Debbie’s cold-hearted viciousness. ‘It’s called infertility’.
‘Well it’s all over the press again this morning about Lucy Thompson, Jeff’ said Rebecca. ‘They’re absolutely pulling her to pieces. They say she was no better than a prostitute and that any number of disgruntled customers or members of the criminal fraternity who control these clubs could’ve murdered Bradley. One of them even said that if someone lies down in filth they shouldn’t be surprised when something in that filth gets up and bites them hard, not to mention that she was in bed with her married lover Gary Mitchell the morning Bradley was murdered’.
‘Where do they find all this stuff out?’
‘Somebody talks’ said Rebecca. ‘And their calls are answered with money’.
The press pack then started heading towards them. ‘What’s the latest on the investigation Detective Superintendent Barton? Could this be gangland related? Is it true that Lucy Thompson was claiming unemployment benefit whilst working at the Paramount club? Wasn’t something like this inevitable given the world she mixed in?’
Jeff was appaled. ‘The murder of her eleven year old son was inevitable? What kind of world do you live in because it certainly isn’t one I recognise even after all these years as a police officer’.
‘It’s one in which Lucy Thompson was once reputed to have been the lover of notorious Manchester gangster Bernie Connelly. Does that ring any bells for you, DSI Barton?’
‘We have absolutely nothing to add to what was said at the press conference yesterday’ Jeff stated. The man in him wanted to belt the smarmy faced toe rag that had just asked that question but the police officer in him resisted. ‘You will know when we do have something’.
Two uniformed officers were standing outside the front door to Lucy’s house and they stood aside to let Jeff and Rebecca in.
‘I want this entire street cordoned off’ said Jeff. ‘I don’t care what anybody says just tell them that’s what I want until they do it please, Becky’.
‘I suspect you are uneasy about the possible involvement of Bernie Connelly in all of this?’
‘You suspect correctly’ said Jeff. ‘And if he is involved either directly or indirectly he’s not going to get away with it this time’.
Whilst Rebecca was making the necessary call Jeff walked into the living room where Gemma, the appointed police family liaison officer was holding a visibly shaking Lucy in her arms on the sofa. The house was dark. Lucy had every curtain drawn closed. Not surprising considering what was going on outside.
‘Can’t you get them to stop, Jeff?’ she pleaded. ‘Can’t you get them to leave me alone?’
‘They’ve been there all night, sir’ said Gemma. ‘Lucy has not been able to get any sleep to speak of. ‘It really isn’t helping’.
‘Well I’ve asked for the whole street to be cordoned off’ said Jeff. ‘Now Gemma would you go and make us all some tea? I’d like to have a chat with Lucy’.
Gemma gave Jeff the look of FLO’s who are cut out of the really important stuff and have to do all the dirty work. Not that Gemma minded as such. It was after all why she volunteered to be an FLO and it would look good on her CV. ‘Of course sir’.
Jeff sat down beside Lucy filling the space left by Gemma. Poor Lucy looked an absolute mess. There were dark shadows round her eyes, her h
air was hanging languidly round her shoulders and she hadn’t stopped shaking. She was clutching a picture of Bradley as if her very life depended on it.
‘He was all I’d got, Jeff’ she wailed. ‘He was all I’d got and now he’s gone’.
She became hysterical and started lashing out at Jeff with her fists.
‘I know, Lucy, I know’ said Jeff who thought back to the immediate grief he felt after Lillie Mae died and held her hands firmly until she started to calm down. ‘I know how this feels for you. It feels like your whole world has come to an end and nothing will ever heal. But it will. You’ll never get over this but in time you’ll learn how to cope with the devastation you’re feeling. I promise you that’.
‘I don’t want to cope’.
‘And I know that feeling too’.
‘I want Bradley back, Jeff’ said Lucy. ‘I never got anything off my mother except a birth canal to come out of. I wanted it to be different with Bradley. I wanted to be there for him and I wanted us to be mates’.
‘You were there for him, Lucy’ Jeff reassured. ‘You were a terrific mother and nobody can take that away from you’.
‘Why my son, Jeff? Why has life left me with absolutely nothing again?’
‘I don’t know, love but we need to find who did this’ said Jeff, softly. ‘And for us to do that you’ll need to be honest with me about absolutely everything. Do you understand?’
‘I’m not on trial’.
‘I know and I’m not trying to put you on trial’ said Jeff who had never thought for one second that Lucy could’ve murdered her son. She’d given her statement and that was it as far as Jeff was concerned. ‘I’m not like that bunch out there. I want to help you and I want to get justice for Bradley but to do that I’ll need the answers to some questions. Do you feel up to doing that?’
Lucy nodded.
‘Are you sure, Lucy?’
Lucy nodded again. ‘I want them caught’.
‘Lucy, is Gary Mitchell Bradley’s father?’
‘Yes’ Lucy confirmed. ‘Gary is Bradley’s father. But I never told my son that the Dad he’d always wanted was living right across the road’.
‘And did you work for Bernie Connelly?’
‘You know I did’ Lucy answered. ‘He owns the Paradise club’.
Jeff paused and then said ‘I meant before that, Lucy’.
‘Alright yes I was on the game for him’ she blurted out. ‘I needed the money and he helped me’.
‘By putting you on the game?’
‘By doing more than any of my so-called friends did at the time’ Lucy spat back. ‘Sorry if that doesn’t fit into the usual image of the traumatised mother whose son has just been murdered’.
‘And do you really think that bothers me, Lucy? I want to find Bradley’s killer that’s all’.
FOUR
Adrian Bradshaw came downstairs to the sound of a kettle boiling and the smell of freshly made toast. But this time it wasn’t his mother who was doing the usual domestic duties for him and his family. He straightened up his tie and walked into the kitchen.
‘Well, hello’ he said.
Kate turned round and smiled at him. ‘Hello yourself’.
Adrian pulled her close in an embrace and they kissed.
‘I thought I’d make us some breakfast’ said Kate. ‘I hope you don’t mind me rooting round your cupboards?’
‘After last night you can root around all you like and anywhere you like, sweetheart’.
Kate smiled. ‘We did kind of go for gold, didn’t we’.
‘We sure did’.
‘Not that I’m complaining’.
‘Me neither’.
‘Sex is wasted on the young’.
‘Well we’re not over the hill yet’.
‘And last night proved that’ said Kate .who was feeling on top of the world. They’d been out on a couple of dates but last night was the first time they’d slept together. And Adrian was fit in every sense of the word. He had stamina.
‘But we’d best get on and eat though now because I’ve got to leave for work in twenty minutes’ said Adrian. He was nervous about the day ahead. His old team with DCI Sara Hoyland had been broken up following her departure to the European Crime Agency in Paris. It had been a fantastic career move for her and everybody had wished her well. Her deputy DI Tim Norris had used the opportunity to uproot himself too. He’d emigrated with his family to New Zealand and a transfer to the Wellington police. That had left Adrian and DC Joe Alexander who were both being assigned to the squad of Detective Superintendent Jeff Barton. Adrian already had something in common with his new boss. They were both widowers, although the circumstances in which they’d each lost their wives had been very different. But Adrian was also pleased to be going to the new team with Joe who’d become a trusted friend and colleague although he hadn’t trusted Joe with everything about himself.
‘Sit yourself down then and I’ll serve up’.
‘Thanks’ said Adrian as he placed a hand over his tie before sitting down. ‘I could get used to this’.
They hadn’t been eating long before Adrian’s thirteen year old daughter Jessica came downstairs. His son Tom and his younger daughter had both stayed over with friends last night. Only Jessica had been in the house and she’d gone to bed by the time Adrian and Kate had come back from the pub.
Jessica took one look at the kitchen and said ‘Oh I’m sorry I didn’t realise our kitchen had been rented out to a stranger’.
‘Jessica, don’t be rude’ said Adrian. ‘You know Kate’.
‘Hi Jessica’ Kate tried as warmly as she could. She saw Jessica every day at school but this was different. She wasn’t her teacher here.
‘I know her as Miss Branning’ said Jessica.
‘Shall I make you something to eat, Jessica?’ Kate ventured.
‘Excuse me but just who do you think you are? This is our kitchen and you’ve got no place in it’
‘Jessica, that’s enough’ Adrian warned. ‘Kate is my guest and you’ll show her due courtesy’.
‘No way will I ever show her any respect’.
‘I beg your pardon?’
Jessica pointed her finger at Kate who was frozen to the spot. ‘If you’re intent on a relationship with my father then I tell you now that I will never support it because as a human being as well as a teacher you totally suck. I’m glad we’ve had this chance for a little talk away from school where I’ve got the power and you have none’.
‘Jessica, apologise now!’ Adrian demanded.
‘I will not!’ Jessica snarled as she swept out of the kitchen and out the front door. ‘I hope my father breaks your heart because that’s what you deserve’.
‘Jessica!’
‘Its okay, Adrian’ said Kate who was close to tears but managing to hold it back. Jessica’s outburst had certainly brought her right back down to earth with an almighty great big thump. It hadn’t been entirely unexpected however. Last year Jessica had gone to Kate to say that she was being bullied. Kate hadn’t believed her and told her that she must be making it up because Kate knew the girls Jessica was accusing and had asserted that they wouldn’t be like that. Then a week or so later Kate caught the girls inflicting their torment on Jessica and she had to reprimand them and apologise to Jessica. But Jessica wouldn’t accept her apology. There’d been bad blood between them ever since.
‘It’s not okay, Kate’ said Adrian who was mortified at his daughter’s behaviour. ‘I won’t have you spoken to like that’.
‘I’m a teacher, remember?’ said Kate. She didn’t want to tell Adrian about the bullying incident with Jessica just yet. She wanted to wait until their relationship was more solid before she dropped that little one. ‘I’m used to stroppy teenagers who think I suck’.
‘But you’re my girlfriend and this is my bloody house’.
‘It’s a family home’ said Kate who then held Adrian’s hand. ‘I did perhaps get a bit carried away acting like I knew my way
around your kitchen. I went too far too soon. I was insensitive and Jessica reacted. It’s understandable when you look at it from her point of view’.
‘The perils of seeing someone who comes with baggage’
‘I’d be a bit worried if you didn’t come with baggage at your age’.
You don’t know the half of it, thought Adrian. ‘My other two won’t be like that’.
‘Well at least that’s good to know’ said Kate. ‘And am I the first woman she’s seen here since Penny died?’
‘Yes’ said Adrian. ‘You are’.
‘Well that’s another reason why I can understand her reaction. It must be hard for her, Adrian’.
‘You are lovely to be so understanding’.
‘I just wanted to please you but she’s not at the right place to be able to understand that yet’ said Kate as she linked her fingers with Adrian’s over the table. ‘But its early days and I’ve got thick enough skin. I won’t give up that easily on the best man to have come my way in a very long time’.
Joe Alexander was taking an upbeat attitude to joining a new team even though the thought of it was making his heart sink to the depths of Hell. He’d got on well with his former boss, DCI Sara Hoyland, but since he was almost killed in the line of duty last year his centre of gravity had shifted. Those bastards last year had almost succeeded in sending him into the next world and he was frustrated that he hadn’t experienced enough of this one to be willing to move on yet.
‘Do you know much about this new boss, Adrian?’ Joe asked as they made their way down the corridor to the Serious Crimes Unit.
‘He likes to get things done his own way but then we’re used to that with Miss Hoyland, big man’ said Adrian who was still thinking of how he was going to smooth things over with his daughter Jessica. The look in her eyes had been so hateful. It wasn’t going to be easy. ‘But you know that they’re all like that at that level. Are you worried about fitting in or something?’
