by M A Comley
“I appreciate that, hon. Bear with me. I’ll have a word with Sally, see what we can come up with.” Lorne crossed the room and stopped a few feet behind Sally, waiting for her to finish her phone conversation. “Hi,” Lorne said when she’d hung up.
Sally’s hand covered her breasts. “Bloody hell, Lorne.” She thumped at her chest. “I need to get my heart pumping again. Have you discovered anything?”
“Sorry. Only that my husband is bored. I couldn’t help overhearing your conversation. Umm... who exactly were you making a date with?”
Sally rolled her eyes up to the ceiling. “And that concerns you how?” she asked, grinning like the Cheshire cat.
“Sounded like you know the person well, as if you work with them in some way. Another copper perhaps?”
Sally perched on the desk behind her and crossed her arms. “Nope. Nice try. My lips are sealed on this one. Why is Tony bored? Should I have given him a task, too?”
“You know he’s a PI, right?”
“Crap, that fact had momentarily slipped my mind. Hey, don’t have a go at me. You’re aware of how painstakingly slow an investigation is until it gets going.”
“Yeah, I completely understand. He just hates being inside. It doesn’t take long before it sends him stir-crazy.”
“What about if I let him work alongside Jack? An ex-military man and an ex-MI6 agent—now that should prove to be interesting.”
“It depends what Jack is doing.”
“The same as the rest of us, looking into the backgrounds of Lucy and Ryan and getting exceedingly frustrated with the results.”
Lorne beckoned for Tony to join them. “Sally suggested you teaming up with her partner, Jack. Are you up for that?”
A small smile broke out on his face. “Sounds good to me.”
Lorne’s mobile rang as Sally led Tony towards her partner’s desk. “Hi, Katy. I hope you’re having more success than we are right now?”
“Are you sitting down?”
Lorne plopped into the nearest chair and extracted her notebook from her jacket pocket. She flipped it open to a blank page. “I am now. What do you have?”
“The answer to that is one word: shitloads. We’re still sifting through it now, but I can give you a rundown on the highlights, if you like?”
“Bugger, maybe I made the wrong call in coming up here.”
“I’m not saying a word on that front. Right, are you ready for this?”
“Hit me with it. You’re going to tell me this woman has got a rap sheet as long as the Thames, aren’t you?”
Katy laughed. “That might be a slight exaggeration on your part. The problem is, there are plenty of incidents noted down, but she’s never been actually charged with anything.”
“That sounds crazy. Why?”
“Not enough evidence,” Katy confirmed.
“What kind of cases are we dealing with, Katy?”
“How about this for starters? She’s been widowed twice.”
Lorne paused. “I’m not with you. How can she be held accountable there?”
“Both of her husbands’ deaths were suspicious, yet the cases were never closed.”
“Never closed? You’re right—that is strange. Want to share the details?”
Katy spent the next five minutes running through the limited facts she had for both cases. “Whoa! Either she’s one hell of an unlucky woman, or she’s a canny bitch who recognises an opening when she sees it to get rid of a loved one without raising suspicions.”
“Yep, that’s my assumption, too.”
“Is she married now?”
“According to the records, she’s recently divorced.”
“At least this one escaped with his life. Any reports on his life being put in jeopardy?”
“I searched for that, and no, nothing along those lines has come to our attention so far.”
“She strikes me as an evil bitch. The type who makes your skin prickle when you shake hands with them.” Lorne lowered her voice and continued, “I really didn’t want to cause a fuss as Sally led the questioning while I observed, but, boy, I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She reminds me of one of those old-time Hollywood actresses, if you know what I mean? Seemed almost blasé about Ryan’s death, as if she was keen for Lucy to forget about him and move on to the next one.”
“Given what we’ve discovered about her past this morning, I’m not surprised to hear that. Is she staying up there for a few days?”
“Touchy subject. I think Lucy is going to try and get rid of her. She regarded her daughter’s home as being set out in the backwaters. Yet the place was stunning. It comes with its own mooring, too.”
“Could it be a case of the mother envying her daughter’s possessions?”
Lorne shook her head and tapped her pen on the desk as she pondered. “I didn’t really get that impression, Katy. She’s definitely a complex character, one that we need to keep an eye on when she returns home. When that will be, I haven’t got the foggiest.”
“Well, I’ll keep digging at this end. I just thought you’d prefer to know that information ASAP.”
“Brilliant work. I think you’ve come up with more than we’ve managed to obtain at this end so far. Oh, by the way, when we asked Lucy where she thought her husband was on the day of his death, she told us that he’d taken delivery of the new boat and was out showing it off to friends. Ryan told her that he was going out with friends, never even mentioned his intention of travelling to Kent. The question is, why?”
“That is strange. Maybe it was a cover-up just to have an orgy with the two women, you know, to christen his new craft. Who knows what crazy ideas go through these men’s heads when they have a new toy to show off, especially an expensive one like that?”
“Good point. This case is already starting to make us question the individual family members’ motives. Something tells me that this is just the beginning in that respect. Keep digging, Katy. Don’t forget the other family members, too.”
“I won’t. If I find anything significant, I’ll call you straight away. Enjoy your visit out there in the backwaters of civilisation.” Katy was still laughing when she disconnected the call.
Sally approached Lorne, looking puzzled. “Everything all right?”
“Depends how you define ‘all right.’ That was my partner. She’s come up with some interesting facts about Claire Knight.”
“Are you willing to share those facts with me at this point, or do I need to use the thumbscrews I have tucked away in my drawer?” Sally joked.
Lorne shook her head to dislodge the image her friend’s words had conjured up in her mind. “Is that how police work is carried out up here in the backwaters?”
“You’ve clearly been listening to Mrs. Knight too much.” They both laughed, then Lorne revealed what Katy had divulged moments earlier. “Okay, well that puts a different slant on things. Both of her husbands’ deaths were suspicious, and here we are looking at yet another suspicious death of another husband, albeit her daughter’s. There’s too much information there for it to be coincidence, wouldn’t you say?”
“My thinking exactly. What if the mother was one of those women aboard Ryan’s boat? Is that even feasible?” Lorne asked pensively.
“It’s feasible all right. Whether Knight seems the type of woman to dress up like a dog’s dinner is another question entirely.”
“Oops... yes, I forgot that part.” Lorne chuckled. “Let’s not rule the possibility out just yet. I get the distinct impression that Knight is the type of woman who doesn’t suffer fools gladly, and when she has her mind set on something, nothing—and I mean nothing—will get in her way of achieving it.”
“So, where do we go from here?”
“We keep digging. Anything suspicious we find out about this family at this point needs to be put under the microscope. I’m going to ask Katy to send over the details of Knight’s husbands’ deaths, see if I can find anything that the investigating officers missed.”
“Good idea. Did Katy mention what kind of business they were in by any chance?”
Lorne shook her head. “No, I’ll be sure to ask when I ring her. Any luck on tracking down some of Ryan’s friends? What about his place of work? Maybe he had a partner who he confided in?”
“I’ll get the boys, Jack and Tony on that now.” Sally cringed. “I’ve just remembered I need to fill my chief in. If he walks in and sees you and Tony here, he’ll have a cardiac arrest.”
“Seriously? Does he have a dodgy ticker?” Lorne queried.
“Not that I’m aware of. Maybe I used the wrong phraseology. I’ll be right back.”
The instant Sally left the incident room, Lorne called Katy back and requested the files be sent to Jack’s e-mail address. Jack printed out the files, and Lorne began searching through the papers just as a disgruntled Sally re-joined the team.
“I take it the chief wasn’t that enamoured with our intrusion?” Lorne asked.
Sally’s lips twisted. “He’s rarely happy anyway, so I tend not to take much notice most of the time. I emphasised that you were the lead investigator and that we were just lending a hand, but if any arrests were made, both forces would take the credit. I hope that was okay?”
Lorne tutted and punched her friend lightly on the arm. “Of course, that makes perfect sense to me. Did you put his mind at ease and tell him that we only intended to stay around here for a few days?”
“No, it slipped my mind. Actually, I was too busy being amused by the amount of steam escaping from his ears.”
“I guess I’m lucky in that respect. Sean Roberts is a pretty easy-going chief. When he steps out of line, all I have to do is offer him my resignation. He reconsiders his actions immediately.”
“She isn’t joking about that, either,” Tony called out.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Teagan paced the room, livid about what her mother had said over the phone. She turned to her sister. “I need to know you’re with me on this, Helen.”
“I’ve told you I am, but after what happened to Ryan, it’s going to cost you.”
Teagan sighed. “All right. How much are we talking about? Bearing in mind that it’ll be mostly me who is going to be taking all the bloody risks and feeling Mother’s wrath, to boot.”
“Fifty grand.”
Teagan stopped in front of her sister. Eyes bulging, she asked, “What? Are you fucking crazy?”
“No, I’m dead bloody serious. You have no idea the amount of debt Frank left me in when he ran off a few months back.”
“Jesus, woman, when are you going to learn to keep your legs shut? When are you going to damn learn, full stop? These men are crafty. They all set out to do one thing, end up in your bed. The minute they achieve that, they can’t wait to get away from you.”
Helen sneered at her. “It’s great to know I can count on you to give my dwindling self-esteem a boost.”
“It’s the truth, whether you wish to accept it or not. You flash your cash and your tits to snare these men. Once the novelty has worn off with them, they flee from your bed as if it’s in flames.”
“I can’t help it if I fall for the wrong type of men.”
“Once, I can accept. But half a dozen times, Helen? When’s it going to end? Mother instilled into us at very young age how to manipulate men for our own benefits. Have you forgotten the tricks she taught you?” Her sister’s mouth dropped open. Teagan was on a roll and decided to get a few more things off her chest while she had her younger sister’s attention. “How do you get into debt for fifty grand while conforming to Mother’s teachings? Does she know about the debt?”
Helen fell into the chair and leaned her head back to look up at the ceiling. “I messed up. Got charmed by the wrong guy, and no, mother hasn’t got a clue about the debt.” Helen suddenly sat forward in the chair and anxiously added, “She’d string me up if she knew about that. You won’t tell her, will you?”
“I give up. First you tap me up for fifty grand, and then you expect me to keep shtum about it if Mother’s suspicions become raised.”
“If that sort of dosh is on the table, then I’m up for giving it a go,” Olga, Teagan’s youngest sister, said from the doorway.
“Do you mind? This is a private conversation,” Teagan admonished swiftly.
Olga shrugged. “All right. I’ll be sure to let it slip into the conversation the next time I speak to Mother.” Olga turned to walk away.
“Wait! You win! The pair of you really do piss me off at times. You, Helen, with your calamitous taste in men, and you, Olga, with that repugnant drug habit of yours. May I ask what you intend doing with fifty grand, if such a sum was actually sitting on the table?”
Olga wiped a hand under her nostrils. Teagan convulsed at the thought of the outrageous amount of money her sister had snorted in the last few months. That route had never interested Teagan in the slightest, and she had a hard time dealing with her sister’s out-of-control habit. The last thing she wanted was to give Olga the funds to fuel her habit even more.
“I’d use it to book myself into rehab,” Olga said.
Teagan’s eyes narrowed when her sister’s gaze shifted quickly. “Are you for real?”
“I said so, didn’t I? You think I enjoy living on the edge like this?” Olga shouted. “I despise it. But I’m in too deep, hooked, with nowhere to go. I need to seek professional help. This money would keep me at the facility until the withdrawal symptoms end. That’s when the hard part begins. I can do this, with your help. What do I need to do in return?”
Teagan felt proud of her sister wanting to clean up her act. However she’d heard an addict’s ability to lie increased tenfold the deeper the addiction grew. But the willingness to believe her sister wanting to better her life challenged that fact. “What do you think, Helen? Is our little sister ready to get in on the family act?”
“How the fuck should I know? Looks like you’ve got a decision to make, because we’re both desperate for that money.”
“Eenie, meenie... which of you two do I trust the most?” Teagan placed her thumb and forefinger on either side of her chin as she contemplated the answer.
“To do what?” Olga asked again.
Teagan smiled broadly. “To kill, Olga. Do you have the balls to do that?”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Lorne glanced up from her notes to find that it was almost six o’clock. Sally’s team had started to drift home for the evening, and Sally looked ready to call it a day soon, too.
Tony sat on the corner of the desk she’d been allocated. “I could do with a beer. What’s the plan? Are we going to book into a hotel room for the night?”
Lorne looked over her shoulder at her friend. “I think Sally’s expecting us to stay at her house with her folks. Is that okay with you?”
“I guess it will have to be. Although, I’d much rather be holed up in a hotel room with my sexy wife. I’m willing to forgo my elicit wish if I have to.”
“That’s it, make me feel guilty.”
“About what?” Sally asked, sneaking up behind Lorne.
“Marital dispute, a tiny one at that. What’s the plan for tonight? Is there a nearby hotel or motel where we can rest our weary heads?”
Sally shook her head. “Nope, you’re staying with us. No arguments. Mum and Dad will be disappointed if you don’t. Mum’s cooking one of her extra-special roast dinners for the occasion. You wouldn’t want to miss out on that.”
“Now I feel bad. I didn’t want to cause your mum any trouble.”
“Nonsense, you aren’t. I suggested we go out for a meal, but she was adamant. She’s looking forward to seeing you again, Lorne. I just hope Tony won’t be too bored.”
“You women worry too much. As long as the beer or wine is flowing, we men are very appreciative of a good meal and lively chatter.”
“That’s settled, then. After dinner, you can keep my parents entertained regaling them with your wondrous MI6 stories, Tony, while
Lorne and I take Dex for a walk down by the river.” Sally winked at Lorne then added, “That way I get out of the washing-up duties.”
Lorne snorted. “Bit harsh when your mum has gone to so much trouble cooking a special dinner.”
Sally shrugged. “I know, shit happens.”
Lorne had a feeling her friend was teasing her and that nothing could be farther from the truth. She was looking forward to meeting Sally’s parents, and seeing the smile break out on Tony’s face made her think he was more than happy to chat away endlessly to Sally’s parents.
As soon as the trio entered the house, Dex, a young golden Labrador, ran up to Sally and greeted her enthusiastically. He tried his hardest to communicate with his master and share his affection equally between the three of them.
“He’s adorable. Charlie would fall head over heels in love with him. If ever you get bored with him, let me know, and I’ll gladly take him off your hands,” Lorne ruffled the dog’s head.
Sally pulled Dex into her arms and cupped her hands over his ears. “Don’t listen to her, Dex. We’d never get bored of you, sweetums.”
The dog’s moaning increased in pitch and decibels.
“All right, enough is enough. We don’t want you getting overexcited. We want a peaceful evening, and then we’ll go for a long walk later, weather permitting of course.” She looked up at Lorne. “Remind me to take the torch with us. It’ll be dark along by the river.”
“Hello there.” Chris, Sally’s father, greeted them with a huge smile. He hugged Lorne and shook hands with Tony. “Welcome to our humble home. It’s by no means a palace, but it makes us happy living here.”
“Seems like a nice neighbourhood,” Tony said.
Sally and her father glanced at each other and laughed. “It is now,” Sally admitted. “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you the tale over dinner.”
“Sounds intriguing. I’m dying to see your mum,” Lorne said as they made their way down the hall and into the kitchen.
Janine seemed flustered as she darted around the kitchen. Sally grabbed her mother’s shoulders, forcing her to stop for a few minutes. “Lorne, how wonderful to see you again after all this time. You haven’t changed a bit.”
