by M A Comley
Rebecca had her head buried in her hands, sobbing. She looked up and dried her eyes on a tissue. “I’m so sorry. I’m struggling to comprehend what it’s going to be like without my mother.”
Lorne nodded. “I totally understand. I know words are cheap, but the pain does ease over time.”
“I had a tough time letting go of my father, but at least he died of natural causes. Mum being murdered is a different kettle of fish altogether.” She shook her head in disgust.
“I know. All I can say is give me time to apprehend the person who carried out the attack. Maybe that will help ease your grief a little.”
“Do your best, Inspector. Will you keep me updated?”
“I will. Goodbye.”
CHAPTER TWO
Driving to work, Lorne found the traffic on the outskirts of the city was grinding to a standstill. She rang the station to tell AJ.
“No problem, boss. Can you drop by the chief’s office on the way in?”
“Did he say why?”
“No, boss.”
Lorne sighed and hung up. She threw her phone onto the passenger seat and replaced the disc in the car stereo to one with a more upbeat tone. That made the time go more quickly. Thirty minutes later, frustrated after her lengthy journey, she bolted through the station and up the stairs to DCI Sean Roberts’s office.
His PA, Trisha, welcomed her with a smile and motioned for her to go straight in to see him. Lorne tapped on the door before she entered. “Sorry for the delay, sir. Stopped at a crime scene on the way in and got trapped in a ton of traffic.”
“You’re here now. Take a seat, Lorne.” His tone was abrupt, and his lack of smile didn’t go unnoticed, either.
“Thank you, sir. Is something wrong?”
He leaned back in his chair and narrowed his eyes. “There’s been a complaint.”
“What sort of complaint?” she asked taken aback.
“Someone you arrested a few months ago has said that you struck her when her hands were in cuffs.”
“Hmm… ‘her’? Don’t tell me. We’re talking about that devious wench Claire Knight, right?”
“That’s the one. You don’t seem surprised by the revelation.”
“That’s because I’m not. That bloody woman is twisted, not all there, if you want my honest opinion.” She folded her arms. “So, where do we go from here? Because from what I know about this woman, she’s capable of spinning a good yarn, which invariably, men fall for. Please tell me that a female will be following up the complaint? If not, I might as well hand in my warrant card now.” She shrugged nonchalantly.
“All right, now stop getting your knickers in a twist. As if I would believe what a criminal would say.”
“Thank you, it’s good to know you have my back, sir.”
“That said, the complaint will still have to be investigated. Who is chosen to investigate it remains to be seen. I could put in a request for a female officer to deal with it if you’d prefer?”
“You can try, sir. See what the outcome is. She’s a bloody nasty piece of work, that one. Anyone who can manipulate their own daughters into murdering their own family members, while keeping their own hands clean in the bargain, has to be seen as a force to be reckoned with. Her trial is due soon, I believe. She’s trying to unsettle me before it’s heard. Bloody bitch.”
“There’s no point you getting worked up about this, Lorne. The powers that be will see this complaint for what it is. I’m sure about that.”
“Let’s bloody hope so. Maybe I should tell Tony to start looking out for more cases on the PI front, just in case.”
Roberts threw his hands up in the air. “See? There you go again. Overreacting, as usual.”
“I am not! Don’t tell me you wouldn’t feel the same way if some effing criminal started slinging mud in your direction, Sean.”
“No doubt I would, but I’ve just told you that I have your back on this one. That should have been enough—except it never is with you.”
“All right, I’m suitably chastised. Was there anything else?”
“Well, you can stop treating me like the bloody enemy, for a start. It’s a good job we’re old friends. I have to say, your attitude sucks the second someone begins pushing your buttons.”
“Oh right. Are you saying that other inspectors would take this kind of shit being flung at them on the chin? I don’t think so.”
“How does Tony put up with you?” His face was straight, but she noticed the twinkle in his eyes.
“Because he loves me and knows what a wonderful, charming, caring human being I am. Something that appears to have passed you by all those years ago when you dumped me.”
The colour in his cheeks rose, and he looked down at the papers on his desk and shuffled them. “I’d say this Claire Knight certainly met her match with you.”
Lorne laughed. “Nice. Thanks for comparing me to that man-eating, devious, conniving bitch. It’s funny how differing people’s opinions can be.”
“Shoo, get out of my office and let me get on with the task of fighting your battles for you.”
“Gee, when you put it like that, boss, who am I to disagree with you? Let me know what the feedback is, if any.”
“Of course. Talk later.”
Lorne left the chief’s office, her footsteps heavy and her shoulders slumped as she made her way towards her own office.
“Morning, boss. Not bad news, I hope?” the ever-astute AJ asked the second she stepped into the team’s outer office.
“Let me chew it over for a while, and I’ll get back to you on that one. Christ, I thought I looked rough this morning. Everything all right with you, AJ?”
He sighed and puffed out his cheeks. “Nothing a little sleep won’t put right. I think new-borns should come with a health warning attached.”
Lorne laughed. “Poor you. How’s Katy coping with motherhood?”
“Truthfully? She’s counting down the days until she’s back here.”
“Ouch, that doesn’t bode well when the role reversals come into play. Are you sure you’ll be able to cope with the baby day in and day out?”
“I’m not coping now. Really don’t see what the difference will be. Actually, I think I’ll be able to catch up on my sleep more during the day—something that I’m not able to do at work.”
“You think?” Lorne asked, smiling broadly. Men really had no clue of what it was like attending to a little baby’s whims twenty-four hours a day. She’d thought it was either brave or foolish of AJ to want to play a doting father and stay-at-home dad. She wondered how long that would last once the long-term sleep deprivation kicked in.
“Can’t be any worse than what I’m going through now. Anyway, Katy sends you her love and says if you fancy dropping by anytime during the day feel free.”
“What? Has she totally forgotten how non-stop our days are around here? And that’s without me leaving home at sixish this morning. How easily people forget when they are wrapped up in their own little world.”
AJ laughed. “I’ll tell her you said that.”
“Don’t you dare, buster. Maybe you guys can pop over at the weekend for a barbecue? On the proviso that you don’t allow my daughter anywhere near that kid of yours. I wouldn’t want her getting any ideas about having one at her tender age.”
“Twenty-one? She’s ancient to some of the kids I see pushing prams around where I live.”
“Well, I’d like her to enjoy herself a little before motherhood descends. Katy had the sense to leave it until her early thirties to buckle, and yet she’s struggling. Can you imagine how the youngsters of today cope? Oh my, did I really say that? I sounded like my mother then, or even my grandmother.”
“I can see your point. I’ll make a deal with you: if Charlie starts showing a heightened interest in the baby, we’ll be sure to point out the downsides to parenthood. How’s that?”
Lorne held her hand out for him to shake. “That’s definitely a deal. Right, I’m going to
grab a coffee, deal with my post, and then run through the new case with you all,” she announced, finally including the rest of the team in their conversation.
With a coffee from the vending machine in hand, she ventured into her office, pausing as she always did first thing, to smell the lingering aroma of Pete’s aftershave. Lorne dealt with the important post first and set aside the menial post for later in the day, when she had more time to deal with it. Then she gathered the team around the whiteboard.
After picking up the black marker pen from the shelf, she wrote Nadine Walker-Scott’s name at the top of the board. On the right-hand side, she listed the names of the three other people she had interviewed at the house that morning: Rebecca Walker-Scott, Ruth Davey and John Davey. Then she turned to face the team and informed them of what the scene looked like when she’d met Patti earlier that morning.
AJ raised his hand. “So, does that mean we’re ruling out a hit-and-run?”
“I’d say that’s likely, considering the amount of injuries the victim sustained from what the pathologist described as possibly a metal bar. There was a pool of blood ten to fifteen feet away from the corpse. It was in the road, so we could be looking at a hit-and-run in which the driver thought it was a good idea to finish off the victim rather than call for an ambulance and admit to the crime. It’s not unheard of.”
“So, is there another angle we should be looking at with this one, boss?” Karen Titchard asked.
“After speaking to the staff, I have two leads I think we should delve into. One is a homeless young man who dropped by the house a few weeks ago, seeking out work. Nadine gave him a card of a hostel, and he went on his merry way. My suggestion would be to track down the hostel this man used and try to find him, if only to discount him. The second lead is to do with the daughter Rebecca’s fiancé. The Daveys were reluctant to tell me, but they admitted that Robert Gallagher and Nadine had words a few weeks ago. Some kind of confrontation about which bridal vehicle each of them wanted to book for the big day. I’ll be going to see Robert today regarding this issue, but in the meantime, let’s see if we can find anything untoward lingering in his background.”
“Want me to do that, boss?” AJ asked.
“If you would. Then we’ll go and visit the homeless young man, see what his take on the incident is.” Lorne shrugged. “That’s it at this early stage of the investigation.”
“What about the staff, boss? Do you want me to dig into their backgrounds?” DS Graham Barlow suggested.
“Might as well, Graham. It’s better to be prepared. One more thing before we knuckle down to this investigation. You’ll be inquisitive as to what the chief wanted to speak to me about earlier. Well, it looks like I’ve had a complaint lodged against me.”
The team murmured their discontent.
“Who by?” AJ asked.
“The one and only Claire bloody Knight. The chief is giving me his full backing against the outrageous allegations, but it won’t prevent the IPCC complaints team from snooping around. I just wanted to be upfront with you from the get-go.”
“What a bitch!” Karen said, shaking her head in disgust. “There’s no way they’ll take her word over yours, is there?”
“I’ve certainly heard of cases where officers have been suspended because of such allegations. I’m not going to let it distract me. Let’s get down to business on this case and deal with the complaint when the team and the time arrive. Just be honest with them. I will never ask anyone to cover up for me, okay? From what I’ve heard about the team, they can really get beneath an officer’s skin during their investigation. It’s better to be forewarned about these things. As far as I’m concerned, Claire Knight is one of the most evil characters I’ve had the misfortune to deal with during my career. It’s going to be a battle of wills at the end of the day, and I know my will is resolute. Not sure how hers will be after spending the last few months behind bars. Maybe that’s why she’s striking out, foolish woman.”
“The chief isn’t the only one who has your back, boss. Right team?” AJ said, in a rallying tone.
Karen and Graham agreed, matching AJ’s enthusiasm.
Lorne’s eyes welled up with tears. She clapped her hands together. “Okay, enough of this mush. I appreciate your support as always, guys. We have a killer to find. I’ll be in my office for the next few hours; shout if you find anything interesting.”
She sat behind her desk, but before diving into the post again, she picked up her mobile and rang Katy. “Hello, new mumma, how’s it diddling?”
“Just a minute, Lorne. Let me put Georgina in her crib.” Lorne heard Katy cooing at her daughter and the baby gurgling happily. Then Katy came back on the line. “Phew, she’s totally exhausting.”
Lorne chuckled. “I kind of got that impression from AJ. I bet you’ll be glad to get back to work, eh?”
“Yes, if only for a rest. That was a joke, by the way, just so you know that I haven’t lost my sense of humour.”
“Aww… I wouldn’t doubt that for a minute. The baby sounds happy enough anyway.”
“She is, during the day. It’s the night time where she refuses to settle. Any advice would be gratefully received.”
“Crap, you’re asking the wrong person there, love. Too many years have passed since I had Charlie. She was perfect when she was a baby. Google it—there’s plenty of know-it-all advice out there nowadays.”
“If only I had time to sit at a computer all day. I’m due to go to the clinic this week. I’ll ask them for advice.”
“Good idea. Do you think AJ is going to cope?”
“When I come back to work? He bloody better. We’ve got a deal, and I’m not about to go back on that deal.” Katy laughed.
“Can I ask what his parents think about that?”
“His mum is okayish about it, but his dad was pretty incensed when the announcement was made. AJ’s not bothered; he’s used to his dad being disappointed in what he does with his life. AJ took enough stick from his father when he joined the force. It really doesn’t bother him in the slightest.”
“That’s appalling. How can his parents be so insensitive?”
“Beats me. Anyway, how are things with you?”
“I’m fine, except that bloody Knight woman has raised a complaint against me for striking her during her arrest.”
“What a stupid bitch. Don’t tell me they’re taking her allegation seriously?”
“Yep. Don’t worry about it. I’m not. I was ringing up to invite you over for a barbecue this weekend. How about it?”
“That would be wonderful. Will Jade, Luigi and the boys be there, too? Maybe I can get some baby advice from her.”
“I’ll ring them this evening. If Jade knows you’ll be there with Georgina, she’ll drop everything and come.”
“Then, yes, we’d love to come.”
“I’ll sort out the details and let AJ know in a few days. It’ll be good to catch up; I miss you.”
“I miss you, too, and the rest of the team. Speak soon.”
Lorne hung up and began sifting through the post. Two hours later, she emerged from her office to ask the team what they had come up with. All of them shook their heads in disappointment.
“Really? Nothing?”
“Everyone is squeaky clean as far as we can tell,” AJ said.
Lorne leaned on the nearest desk and looked up at the almost blank board. “That’s not good. There must be something. Otherwise, we’re screwed.”
Her mobile rang. “Hi, Patti. Tell me you’ve got some good news about the Walker-Scott case, because we haven’t got much to go on at this end.”
“Sort of. Not sure it’s connected yet or not. After you left, I asked the team to widen the search around the body. Eventually, we found a footprint and a metal bar covered in blood. I’ve sent the bar for analysis, to see if the blood matches the victim’s, and we made a mould of the footprint, but we’ll still need to match that footprint to an assailant. Oh, and during the PM, I
found a lot of damage to Nadine’s heart, which leads me to believe that she possibly had a heart attack during the assault.”
“That’s so sad. Thanks, Patti. We’ll keep digging at our end and await your results.” Lorne ended the call and addressed the team. “Forensics found a bloody metal bar and a footprint. Yet to be established if either of them are connected to the case. So, what were we saying before Patti rang? Ah yes, are you telling me you haven’t managed to track down the homeless person?”
AJ shook his head. “Karen rang all the hostels in the area. One of them knew the victim but couldn’t remember any homeless young men showing up at their door saying that Nadine had sent them.”
“That’s a shame. Maybe he didn’t bother chasing up her suggestion. What about the background checks?”
Graham cleared his throat. “I looked into the employment history of the Daveys, and nothing major showed up. They’ve worked for the Walker-Scotts for nigh on fifteen years.”
“What about the background check on Robert Gallagher?”
“I didn’t find much about him in the way of trouble. I looked through the newspaper archives and spotted a number of articles about him regarding his work as a barrister. He seems to be pretty shit-hot if you ask me.”
“Well, let’s go and see what the hotshot barrister is like in person then.”
CHAPTER THREE
Robert Gallagher’s office was in the centre of the city. Lorne hadn’t rung ahead to make an appointment, and she hoped the surprise would work in her favour.
The pretty brunette sitting behind the reception desk glanced up from her computer as Lorne and AJ walked into the room. Lorne produced her warrant card. “I’m DI Warner, and this is DS Jackson. We’d like to see Robert Gallagher on police business.”
“Is he expecting you?”
“No. We were in the area, didn’t get the chance to make an appointment.”
“I’ll have to check. Just a minute.” The receptionist left her desk, walked into a room directly behind her, and closed the door.
Not long after, a well-dressed man in his early thirties stormed out of the room, his face red with anger. “What’s this about? How dare you come to my office unannounced like this?”
