De Profundis (Kate Gardener Mysteries Book 2)

by Gabriella Messina

  She was over near the fence leading to the railroad cutting, craning her neck to see over into the bushes on the other side. Jimi watched her for a moment before she yelled, “Oi! Found anything?”

  Kate turned around quickly, shaking her head. “Nope. You?”

  “Nothing worthwhile.” Jimi stepped around the edge of the small graveyard to join her. “Where else do you want to look?”

  Kate sighed. “We could try the other side of the property. There wasn’t a lot of activity there that night, maybe something is still stuck on a branch or jammed along the curb or something.” They started walking back toward the church. Kate took out a cigarette and quickly lit it.

  Jimi looked askance at her, a smile playing on her lips as she spoke. “So… I heard that you met the elusive ‘Goldstone Men’ the other night.”

  Kate rolled her eyes. “Owens nearly choked to death when I told him. I really do not understand why this is such a big deal.”

  “Partly because they are like…Well, you’ve heard of the dining clubs over here, right?”

  “A little. In America, we call them eating clubs. Not many left, either.”

  Jimi nodded. “Right, well, the clubs are a breeding ground for politicians, businessmen, bankers, and the like. They are also associated with a good bit of bad behavior, justified or not. Like that movie…”

  “Oh. The Riot Club.”

  Jimi nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, exactly.” She paused, reaching in her pocket for a tin of mints. She offered it to Kate.

  “No thanks… Makes the cigarette taste like menthol.”

  Jimi nodded, then popped a mint in her mouth and pocketed the tin before continuing. “Anyway, Goldstone is a bit more legendary than the legends, so to speak. It started fairly recently for a dining club, sometime in the 1920s, and its members have shied away from the notorious behavior that some of the other clubs were rumored to have.

  “The real interest, though, for people like us is who was in that little group you met the other night.”

  Kate frowned slightly, slowing her walk as they neared the far right side of the church. “Why?”

  “Because three of that group have a rather infamous animosity with Detective Sergeant Richard Pierce.”

  Kate’s frown deepened. “Doctor M told me about Warwick the other night. And I’ve heard rumors about he and Wilkinson being like oil and water.” She paused, her frown fading as her eyebrows rose. “Grayson… Grayson is the other one, right? He’s the “Rat Squad’ guy.”

  Jimi nodded. “They’ve tried going after him before for really ridiculous shit, but they always get stymied, usually by Hagen, sometimes by judges. Even when Pierce was a freshly-minted sergeant, and Hagen was eager to pull him over to Murder Squad, they tried to make problems.”

  “Is it just a personal thing? Bad chemistry and all that?”

  Jimi shrugged. “Dunno. But if they get fixated on something or someone involving Pierce, be sure it’s going to get live very soon.” She paused. “He still hasn’t given evidence at the inquest for Norton, has he?”

  “I don’t think so. I think he’s scheduled for Friday, same as me.”

  “Other than Wilkinson, none of them have ever seen you two together, have they?” Kate looked at Jimi, whose face was shadowed with concern beneath her wild hair.

  “Not that I know of. I’d never seen any of them before the other night.”

  Jimi nodded, her face relaxing a little. “Good. Good for your both, actually. Even if it is Warwick, Pierce may get through this one without any problems.” She flashed a cheeky smile. “Good thing you two aren’t together, Babes. Friendship is one thing, but if you were more than that…”

  “Not good?”

  Jimi nodded. “Let’s just say it could get rough…” She smiled mischievously. “And not in a good way.”

  “Is that one of those ‘details’ you were talking about last night?”

  Jimi’s smile widened. “You mean Pierce?” She glanced around at the imposing edifice of the church, jerking her head in that direction as she said, “You want to talk about that here?”

  Kate chuckled. “I think I can control myself. Besides, it was your idea, remember?”

  “Right.” Jimi cleared her throat, frowned a moment as if recalling something, then started in. “So, Victoria from trace… Cool girl… Pretty, smart-ass… You remind me of her. She and I actually had a thing for about two seconds one New Year’s Eve.”

  “Anyway, Pierce was still a constable when they met. They went out for… dunno, six months, maybe? Seemed like things were going well, though Pierce was never about the public displays. I heard that some people saw them out a few times, dinner and whatnot, but they weren’t very out there about the relationship. Vic said they spent a lot of time at home, mostly her place. She said they never talked a lot about anything really important, but…” Jimi glanced at Kate to make sure she was still listening, then went on. “They did get a lot of exercise.”

  Kate looked up quickly, and Jimi could swear her face was slightly flushed. “Jimi!”

  “Too late, I’ve already started, I’m not stopping.” Jimi dropped her voice down. “Vic said that he was a very good lover, very… uh… considerate.” She stopped, watching Kate’s expression change from embarrassment to irritation.

  “Wait a minute, that’s it? That’s the great revelation? Richard Pierce is decent in bed? Jesus, Jimi, way to underwhelm!”

  “Easy, Babes, easy!” Jimi couldn’t contain her mirth at rattling the other woman so easily. Yep, definitely an attraction there… “Okay… Vic did say he was kind of intense at times. Possessive, though never in an abusive sort of way. He was never pushy. Oh, and she did say that he likes having sex in the shower.”

  “OH MY GOD!” Kate exclaimed, covering her eyes and turning to walk away. “I will never be able to look at this man again.”

  “Sure you can! When you get nervous, just picture him… naked in the shower.” Jimi’s smile was bordering on evil, getting ready to cross the border, in fact.

  Kate glared back at her. “I hate you.” Jimi blew her a kiss in reply.

  The sound of a throat clearing behind them startled both women, and they whirled around to face the source of the sound. Deacon Joseph Lucas stood a few feet away from them, his hands clasped in front him in a prayerful stance, a questioning look in his brown eyes. “Ladies? May I help you?”

  “Lucas, isn’t it?” Kate studied the man in front of her. “You were the one I argued with, the one who wouldn’t let me in the sacristy.”

  Lucas’ jaw tightened. “Yes. I believe you found a way in anyway.”

  “I always do.” Kate grinned. “Actually, it’s lucky we both did what we did. The pathologist who showed up afterward contaminated the scene. If you hadn’t secured it before, and I hadn’t picked the lock and taken pictures and video anyway, we would have lost a lot of evidence. Well done.”

  Lucas seemed to relax a bit at that, the commendation of his choice to protect the crime scene lessening his frown. “I’m afraid you both have me at a disadvantage. You know who I am…”

  “Oh, sorry, right.” Kate offered a hand. “Kate Gardener. This is Jimi Khan, she works in the DNA lab at Lambeth.”

  Lucas shook each of their hands in turn, then focused his attention on Kate once again. “If I may… Why are you here, Miss Gardener?”

  “We’re looking for cigar bits,” Jimi quickly piped in.

  “Cigar… bits?”

  “Yes, well,” Kate began, stepping a bit closer to him so she didn’t have to speak quite as loudly. “We picked up samples of ash when we were here. Cigar ash of some kind. It was around the property, near the cemetery, by the sacristy window, all little piles. But no one collected any ends or wrappers or anything. So, longshot that it is, we figured we’d come out here and comb the property and see if we can find anything cigar related that would link back to this ash.” She sighed. “It might tell us who actually did this.”

  Lu
cas’ expression softened immediately. “You… You don’t think Peter did it?”

  “Not in a million years.”

  Lucas closed his eyes, a sigh of relief whooshing out of him. “Thank God! Maybe there’s a chance for him after all.”

  “A chance for whom?” The voice was large and bellowing, a deep barrel chest sort of voice. Kate watched as Lucas completely shut down again, his expression and demeanor neutralizing to a shell of the animated person she had just glimpsed. He closed his eyes a moment, seeming to compose himself, then turned to face the source of the voice.

  “Father… I did not know you had returned already.”

  Kate studied the imposing figure before her. He was tall and broad-shouldered, anything but fit with his over-large belly barely contained beneath his black shirt. His skin had a ruddy look, particularly around the nose, and Kate thought perhaps alcohol had played a significant role in the demise of what once must have been good looks. Something about his sparse light hair and jawline reminded her of —

  “Who has a chance, Joe?” The priest asked again, his voice lower but still resounding in its tone and volume.

  “Peter. Apparently, there may be evidence that he didn’t kill Father Coyle.” Lucas’ voice was strained, and he was taking great care to stay outside of arms’ reach of the other priest. That’s odd, thought Kate.

  “Well…” the priest began, “That is good news, isn’t it, Joe? Very good news indeed.” He glanced at Kate and Jimi, a glance that bordered on a glare, then turned and walked toward the rectory.

  Kate waited until he was out of earshot. “Is he the new pastor?”

  “Temporary pastor, yes.” Lucas bristled with agitation.

  “And we don’t like him?”

  Lucas smirked. “It is no sin to dislike a priest, only to not give them due respect… based on their office.”

  “Right.” Kate caught Jimi’s eyes and jerked her head toward the road. Jimi nodded with obvious relief. “We should be going, Mr. Lucas.”

  “Of course.” His face softened again as he continued, “And if there is anything I can do to help Peter, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me.”

  “Will do. You know, it’s funny… The priest? He reminded me of Peter for some reason.”

  Lucas’ expression darkened, but his response was anything but angry. “I imagine he would. Father Colin Walker is his uncle.”

  “His uncle? His uncle is a priest?”

  Lucas frowned. “I’m surprised you didn’t know. Didn’t Peter mention him? I know he has visited him at Bedlam.”

  Kate shook her head. “I haven’t spoken to Peter. He only talks to Sergeant Pierce. I haven’t even seen him since that night, when I found him in the bushes.”

  Lucas looked at her, and smiled. “Oh, you’re the angel!”

  “Huh?”

  “I’ve only been permitted to see Peter once, shortly after he was taken to the hospital. He was lying in Emergency and he turned to me and said, ‘Joe? I tried to hide from God, but an angel found me.’” He chuckled slightly. “He must have meant you.”

  “I’m no angel.” Kate laughed nervously, wondering why the comparison made her feel suddenly very uncomfortable. No… No, she KNEW why…

  “It’s been my experience that we never see ourselves as we truly are,” Lucas said earnestly.

  “I suppose,” Kate murmured, watching Walker walk away toward the road. “Thank you for your time. Jimi?” She walked away quickly in the direction that Walker had taken. She could hear Jimi jogging to catch up.

  “What’s up? Kate?”

  Kate slowed as they neared the street and looked to the left, her eyes narrowing as she struggled to see if Walker was down the street ahead of them.

  He was.

  Kate started out again, walking briskly, and Jimi quickly matched strides with her. “Kate, what is going on?”

  “He lit something. I saw the flash of the lighter.”

  Jimi frowned. “Lit something? Oh!” Her eyebrows shot up and her mouth fell open. “What are you going to do?”

  “When he tosses it, I’m going to grab it.” Kate slowed, and grabbed Jimi’s arm to slow her up as well. She pointed up ahead at Walker, then immediately pulled Jimi with her into the ivy hanging off the wall beside them. The women peeked out around the ivy.

  Walker was a block or so down the street. He had stopped near the corner and was shuffling back and forth in the curb area as he puffed on… a cigar.

  “It’s a cigar!” Jimi whispered, barely containing the exciting in her voice. Kate nodded and kept her eyes focused on Walker. He puffed a few more times, then glanced at the wall behind him. He looked at the cigar end in his hand, then abruptly threw it up and over the wall. He glanced at his watch, then proceeded on down the street and out of sight.

  FUCK! Kate scooted out from under the ivy and ran to the corner of the street, looking up at the wall. It was pretty high, at least fourteen feet, and the stonework was crumbly. This was not going to be easy.

  Jimi ran up, and stood with her hands on her knees as she caught her breath. “Now what?” She watched as Kate reached out and touched the wall, her fingers drifting over the stone and ivy as if reading it. Kate backed away almost to the street, and Jimi wondered what the other woman was planning.

  She didn’t have to wait long. Kate’s eyes traveled from the base of the wall up to the top one last time. Then she moved, breaking into a run like a racehorse out of the gate and launching herself at the wall. She hit, hard, but much to Jimi’s surprise, did not fall back to the ground in pain. Instead, she watched as Kate steadily moved up the wall, using her fingers and the tips of her trainer-clad toes to scale the wall.

  Faster than Jimi thought possible, the other woman reached the top of the wall. Kate swung one leg over, then the other, and jumped out of sight.

  Jimi stood on the sidewalk, nervously shuffling her feet, looking at her watch and trying to watch the wall as nonchalantly as possible. She hoped that Kate was all right, that the jump from the top hadn’t left her injured. Jimi pulled out her mobile, preparing to phone 999, when suddenly she heard her name being called from above.

  “Jimi! Move!”

  Jimi quickly stepped out of the way as she looked up. Kate was on the wall, sitting with her legs dangling. She looked down at the ground directly beneath the wall, then out a few feet, then at Jimi, and smiled. Then Kate launched herself off the wall, hitting the ground on two feet and promptly rolling forward on one shoulder, her momentum bringing her back up to her feet.

  “Babes! What the hell!” Jimi grabbed Kate in a firm hug. “I was about to call for help.”

  Kate patted her back soothingly. “Sorry. I wasn’t thinking. I’ve been doing that shit for years. And…” She reached into her pocket and pulled out an evidence bag… with a piece of cigar inside.

  “You got it?”

  A wide smile spread across Kate’s face. “I got it.”

  ***

  FSS Lambeth

  “His uncle is a priest? Why didn’t Rick tell me his uncle was a priest?” Kate pulled the barrette from her hair, allowing the messy bun on top of her head to unravel. She ran her fingers through her long dark hair several times, enjoying the feeling of freedom that literally letting her hair down produced.

  She and Jimi were sitting on the steps outside of Lambeth, Kate enjoying a cigarette, Jimi enjoying her last few minutes of freedom before her evening shift started.

  “Maybe he didn’t know?” Jimi replied, fingering her own multi-hued hair. “No one’s ever around when he visits Hamilton, right?”

  Kate shrugged. “I don’t know about the first time. Last night no one showed. I was in the hallway the whole time… I would have seen.” She blew out a puff of smoke. “Jimi, you said that the DNA you got off the statue had common alleles with Peter. Like… an uncle.”

  Jimi’s pierced eyebrow arched. “You think the priest killed the priest?”

  “I don’t know if I’m ready to
jump off that bridge quite yet, but get the bungee cords ready.” Kate smiled. “He may have had legitimate contact with the statue. After all, he IS a priest. But…” Kate trailed off as she watched a dark sedan drive into view. Definitely a livery type of car, although what it was doing done here who knows. She took a final puff off her cigarette and tossed the end into the road. “I’ll put Owens on the scent. He can find out where Father Walker was during the murder… and before.”

  The black sedan pulled up in front of Lambeth, and stopped. Kate and Jimi shared a what-the-hell look as they watched a driver step out of the front seat and walk to the back door. He opened it, and a tall man stepped out.

  Kate heard herself gasp before her brain even really registered who was stepping out of the car.

  “Miss Gardener?” Parris Devereux’s mouth was smiling along with his eyes this time as he stepped away from the car. The two women hurried to their feet, Jimi hanging back near the railing while Kate stepped down the last couple of steps and approached the car, and Parris.

  “Mr. Devereux.” He was dressed well, to be sure, though Kate couldn’t tell from his wardrobe just what he had been up to before he decided to drop by for… who knows what reason. He had the same well-groomed growth of shadow covering his square jawline, and his hair was perfect in a just-ran-my-fingers-through-it sort of way. A pair of delicate wire-rim glasses perched in front of his eyes, giving him a studious look, and Kate found herself wondering if Parris was still at university. No, he wasn’t that young, surely!

  He reached up, brushing at the turtleneck of his charcoal sweater, and, while Kate convinced herself she was seeing things, his smile seemed to get even bigger. “Please, it’s Parris. I hear ‘Mr. Devereux’, and I start looking about for Oliver.”

  “All right then. Parris.” Kate tried to stifle the squirm building under her skin. It matched the butterflies growing in her stomach, and both were pushing her to move, move somehow, because he was just STARING at her. “Um, Parris? Please don’t take this the wrong way, but why are you… here?”

  “Oh. Yes. Well…” He reached into the pocket of his camel coat and pulled out a small notebook. “You were so interested in learning about cigars the other night, so I found some information for you.” He offered her the notebook. “I hope it helps in some way.”