“What if it wasn’t the money that made him run away?” Helen ruminated out loud.
She thought for a moment about the company finances that had been gathered in the original case.
“Well, three hundred grand is a lot to an ordinary employee, but maybe not so much to Sandy, whose dad owns a very profitable company. What are you thinking?”
“Not sure yet.”
Helen parked up in a layby, giving her a good rear view of the path leading down to the canal. She considered revisiting the conversation they’d had earlier, although “conversation” was a stretch, considering Kate had done all the talking and she had just made an escape. It certainly wasn’t the conversation she’d been playing over in her head since waking up early this morning, still thinking about the kiss they shared. She had been expecting a little more resistance from Kate during their conversation, hoped for it maybe. At least then she could have listed all the reasons why it would be a bad idea for anything to happen between them. She knew she’d let Kate down, encouraging something to happen between them, then immediately backing off. She sneaked a look at Kate, who had already zoned out, her head resting on the side window, then looked around at the semi-residential area; it was quiet, just a couple of people with shopping bags from the mini-supermarket around the corner.
After what felt like hours, the silence was killing Helen. She needed something to distract her.
“Do you want to play the alphabet game?”
“The what?” Kate’s voice was barely audible in the restricted space of the car.
Sensing the need for encouragement, she tried to garner Kate’s interest. “You know, the alphabet game; you chose a subject like cars or something and take it in turns to name one using the letters in the alphabet.”
“Okay… films?” Kate offered, sounding livelier.
Helen twisted her lips, showing her distaste. “Um, what about chocolate bars?”
“Chocolate bars? Figures; you probably haven’t watched TV since the Banana Splits were on.”
Helen pushed out her bottom lip. “Hangovers make you mean.”
Kate laughed out loud. “Okay,” she relented. “Chocolate bars. You start.”
Helen smiled gratefully. They were back in their usual conversational rhythm. This was going to be fun.
“Aero.”
“Bounty.”
“Crunchie.”
“Erm…” Kate was quiet for a moment. “Dime.”
“Echo.”
Kate turned, glaring at Helen. “What the hell is an Echo?”
“Google it if you don’t believe me. It was a bit like an Aero, if I recall correctly.”
Kate busied her fingers as she searched before releasing a loud groan. “Okay,” she said in a defeated tone. “Finger of Fudge.”
“Galaxy.”
Helen prepared herself for the response to her next answer, but hours of surveillance with various partners had honed her skills at this type of game. “Hanky Panky.”
“What? Are you fucking kidding? What the hell is a Hanky Panky?” Without waiting for an answer, Kate busied herself with her phone. “Bollocks. Chocolate drizzled caramel corn with peanuts,” she read from the screen of her phone. “Shit.” Fingers tapped furiously at the small screen, her leg jiggling in time with her fingers. “Ice Breaker Bar.”
Helen giggled as she studied Kate hunched over her phone and said, “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were cheating, Virginia.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I do know it’s a chocolate bar with mint chips in it,”
Helen smirked at Kate’s attempt at innocence. Could she really maintain a purely professional relationship with this woman? Then she offered, “Jazzies,” through her grin.
“What? That’s not even a bar. Okay, that’s it. I’m done!” Kate shoved her phone back in her pocket. “I should have known better than to play a game like this with you.”
Helen stifled a laugh at Kate’s obvious frustration and said, “It could be a bar on a hot day.” Helen blew out a long breath as she settled in her seat. “Someone’s a sore loser,” she added, glancing back at the wing mirror.
Helen noticed Jim appear in the rear-view mirror, closely followed by another younger man that she didn’t recognise. She looked across to Kate to see if she was still awake; she looked lost in her thoughts as she stared out through the windscreen.
“He’s here,” Helen said quietly before getting out and making her way to the rear of the car. She waited for the two ambling figures to join her.
“Got any food?” Jim asked as his friend dumped his tattered army rucksack on the ground at their feet.
Helen pursed her lips before turning to Kate as she joined them.
“Could you pick up some sandwiches from the Mini Mart around the corner?” she asked Kate, pulling a twenty-pound note from her pocket. She really wasn’t in the mood for this today. She couldn’t stop thinking about her earlier conversation with Kate. What if she was making a terrible mistake in pushing her away?
Kate tutted lightly, her eye brows knitted together as she glanced at Jim before turning back to face her.
“Are you sure?”
Helen nodded confidently without even giving it a second thought. Even if Jim still looked like the wild man of Borneo, she just wanted this over so she could bite the bullet and talk to Kate properly. The new sidekick didn’t look much better; his sinewy figure and patchy facial hair gave him a weaselly look.
Kate took the money from her, and crossing the road, she headed towards the shop.
“No salad!” Jim’s sidekick shouted at Kate’s back.
Helen watched Kate turn around, she saw her mouth fuck you before continuing on her way. Apparently she wasn’t the only person to press Kate’s buttons today.
Helen kept an eye on Jim’s new friend as she made small talk. “So, you’re in the market for some new trainers. It better be good, Jim,” she said firmly.
Jim grunted as he parted his lips, exposing corn-on-the-cob teeth that looked as if they’d been on the barbeque a little too long.
“New friend?” Helen asked, nodding towards the now-pacing figure behind Jim.
Before Jim could answer, the wiry figure pushed forward a sneer on his face as he spat out his words. “What’s it to you?”
Helen took a step back, instinctively making a grab for her baton as Jim moved in front of the wiry figure, holding his hands up to placate him. A passing car prevented her from hearing what Jim said to calm him, but it seemed to work, as he moved away, giving her and Jim space to talk.
Helen felt her patience wearing thin as the agitated figure began to pace vigorously behind Jim. She worried Kate’s return would spark him off, make him react. He looked like a junkie waiting for his next fix, and that made him volatile.
“This is Paul. He’s got a few…problems,” Jim said as if it explained his friend’s behaviour.
The shrill sound of Helen’s phone drew her attention away from Jim’s thin explanation. She knew exactly what Paul’s problem was. Declining the call from Davies, she placed her phone on top of the car and got out her notebook. She prepared to write down the information she needed from Jim. As soon as she had what they needed they could go their separate ways.
Before she had a chance to speak, weaselly Paul piped up, asking for money. He jostled Jim, forcing him to try and placate the man again.
Then Jim turned his attention back to Helen. “I’ve told him there’s no money,” he said quietly, rolling his eyes before continuing. “I’m pretty sure it’s Sandy’s trolley on Rutland Lane. It’s down the banking. You can’t see it from the road.”
“And you haven’t touched it, right?” Helen clarified as she searched for a fresh page to write down the details while Jim continued to articulate the position of the trolley with hand ge
stures.
Jim merely shrugged, shaking his head at her question. Which meant he’d probably rifled through it.
Since Paul had backed off a little, Helen rested her pad on the top of her car to jot down the details. She was thankful when a passing car drowned out Jim’s continued chatter and Paul began another rant. A familiar loud voice and a rustling sound drew her attention as the car noise abated.
She was surprised, not only to see Kate had returned but that she was pushing a bag of sandwiches against Paul’s chest as if fending him off. Paul stumbled but didn’t fall, lunging at Kate as he tried to stabilise his body position. Helen caught a glimpse of Jim on the floor behind Paul. What the hell was going on here?
The commotion confused her until she spotted the knife in Paul’s hand. She grabbed her baton, snapped it to life, and lunged forward, striking Paul’s hand.
Kate ducked at the close proximity of the knife. Losing her footing, she dropped to her knees as the knife skittered along the tarmac out of reach.
Unfortunately, Paul wasn’t about to give in. Seeing Kate on the floor, he kicked her hard, his army boots connecting with her torso before Helen could restrain him, her movements hindered by flailing arms and bodies littering the floor.
Kate barrelled towards the pavement. The side of her head cracked on the edge of the kerb just as another crushing foot struck her shoulder. The shriek Kate released made Helen’s blood run cold. This was her fault, and she knew it.
She finally managed to slap the cuffs on the man’s whirling arm, briskly yanking it around his back and gripping his shoulder with her other hand, effectively restraining him. Shoving him away, she secured him to the metal railing next to the layby. Resisting the urge to give Paul a pummelling, Helen rushed back to Kate and Jim. She helped Kate sit up, resting her back against the side of the car nearest the pavement. Discomfort was evident on Kate’s face as she settled back against the car. Panic rose to the surface of Helen’s normally serene equilibrium at the sight of blood seeping through Kate’s fingers as they pressed against her head. How could she let this happen? She was meant to be the senior officer, turning her back on a potential suspect how stupid could she get.
“Shit! Kate! How bad is it?”
“Uh, I’m okay I think. Are you okay?” Kate asked, fear evident in her voice.
“I’m fine.” Helen quickly surveyed Kate’s body and swallowed hard when she moved Kate’s hand, seeing the deep gash on the side her head just below her hairline. “Fuck!” She quickly grabbed her phone to call in the incident, requesting an ambulance and backup, pulling a wad of tissues from one of her many pockets. “This might hurt a little,” she said as she pressed them against the wound on Kate’s head.
With her hands full, Helen could only watch as Jim scooted along the floor to rest back against the car next to Kate.
Kate’s gaze became distant as she ended her call. Helen dropped her phone and reached out with her free hand to cup the side of Kate’s face. Her skin was cool to the touch, and thankfully the contact seemed to bring her focus back as concerned blue eyes looked back at her.
“How’s Jim?” Kate asked, looking at the slumped figure next to her.
“He’s fine. Just a bit dazed, I think.” She said glancing quickly at Jim, she noted the array of sandwiches surrounding them, no doubt that was what Kate had slipped on during the melee.
A slightly faraway look came over Kate’s face, rattling Helen’s fragile calm. “Kate! Kate, stay with me. The ambulance will be here any minute.”
The sound of sirens made Helen finally start to come down from her adrenalin rush. Now all she felt was guilt. She’d made the decision to send Kate off to get bloody sandwiches instead of having her back. Now Jim had been assaulted, and Kate had a sizeable gash on her head, not to mention getting a kicking.
A wry smile appeared on Kate’s face.
“What are you grinning at?”
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re freaking out.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Helen spotted the knife lying on the ground. The blade was long and dirty. The thought of Kate being stabbed with it made the bile rise in her throat.
“I guess this isn’t a good time to tell you I don’t like the sight of blood. Especially my own,” Kate mumbled.
Helen forced a smile on her face before she slipped back into work mode informing the arriving uniformed officers of the situation. She stepped back and watched the paramedics as they attended to Kate and Jim. She gave Paul the dead eye as he was dragged away to the comfort of a police car.
Realising that the ambulance was preparing for departure, she knew she needed to see Kate before they left. The thought of anything else happening to her was terrifying. She just managed to duck inside before the paramedic closed the doors. Jim was stretched out on the gurney while Kate was trying to dodge the paramedic’s probing hands. The fact that Kate was fighting back brought a little warmth back in her heart.
“Hey! Don’t let her give you any trouble, Doc.” She tried to sound buoyant despite her inner turmoil.
Kate looked up, offering only a grin in reply.
“I’ll meet you at the hospital,” Helen said as the paramedic encouraged her to remove herself from the doorway he’d opened again.
Kate held her grin, nodding quickly as the door closed.
Chapter 11
She stood in her small kitchen, hands gripping the edge of the worktop with all her strength, while all she could feel was the throbbing pain in her shoulder and head. Unwelcome souvenirs of the day’s events. As soon as she had arrived at the hospital, she’d quickly made her escape, signing herself out once her wound had been treated. She hadn’t wanted to face any awkward questions.
Looking out of the kitchen window to the farmland beyond, she noticed for the first time that there were no glazing bars interrupting the view. The modern window had been crudely fitted, not in keeping with the other Georgian windows in the cottage. Maybe the landlord had employed the same sloppy tradesmen that had worked at the station in Warner. Square pegs in round holes.
A knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts. She considered not answering it, but whoever it was, they were persistent as the letterbox flapped violently, echoing in the hallway.
Reluctantly opening the door, she fully expected to see her neighbour informing her about yet another power cut. Instead, a concerned-looking Helen was on the other side.
“Hey! I called the hospital. They said they’d released you already. I wanted to check on you. I brought us some pain relief.” Helen brandished a bottle of vodka in one hand and a small blue box in the other.
“Is that official departmental medication?”
“Oh, that’s not for you, these are for you.” Her hand revealed a box of aspirin. “The vodka’s strictly for me after the day you’ve had.”
Stepping aside, she allowed Helen into the small hallway. She wanted to ask what she was doing here but opted for a different question altogether. “Weren’t they a bit funny about you purchasing those two items together?” She shut the door and then headed for the kitchen at the back of the house.
“Yes is the short answer to that question. Nice place. A little out of the way but very nice. Very you.”
“Thanks.” She directed as she entered the kitchen. “I think.”
“As long as you overlook the scorched wiring, that is,” Helen said as they passed the dark-brown line leading to an old rounded light switch.
She certainly doesn’t miss much.
There’d been little choice for her place of residence. Had it been her choice, she certainly wouldn’t be living in a pokey cottage in the middle of nowhere.
“Is that safe?”
She ignored the question. She didn’t want to think about ending up like Sandy right now. Had Helen just driven out here to check on her well-being, or was there so
mething else on her mind? The warmth and concern Helen had shown seemed to go far beyond just colleagues or friendship.
“How did you get home?”
“I got a taxi back to the station. I didn’t see your car in the car park, so I drove home. Am I in trouble?”
Swallowing hard, she hoped the hospital hadn’t divulged the fact that she’d discharged herself against their wishes. A taxi had been her only option as she’d figured Helen would be busy. Considering what had happened, she didn’t want to get in the way. In truth, she had just wanted to shower and change after rolling around on the floor.
Helen softened her tone. “No. No, not at all. I was worried about you, that’s all. I thought they’d keep you in for observation. No concussion?”
Turning away to avoid Helen’s concerned eyes, she plucked a glass from a cupboard to prepare Helen a drink. “Nope. Hard head, apparently.” She wanted to say she was fine, but the words wouldn’t come out. Her mouth was almost watering at the prospect of vodka. She desperately needed something to take the edge off the day.
“Listen, erm…” Helen took a breath. “You were right about that guy today; he was dangerous. Thank you for having my back and protecting me.”
Helen’s voice was starting to acquire that husky tone she loved. When she turned to face her, her jaw was clenched. She pulled the ice tray from the freezer, trying to hold it together. She needed Helen to be angry with her for getting hurt, not kind and caring for saving her.
“No problem. Just doing my job.” She quickly released the top off a vodka bottle. She wanted to take a swig from it. Instead, she attempted to pour Helen a generous amount, but the wobble in her hand prevented that. She closed her eyes to prevent the tears from flowing freely.
A warm hand relieved her of the bottle, pulling her into an embrace.
“Hey, it’s okay. I’ve got you.” Helen spoke tenderly as she held Kate’s trembling, chilled body. “I’ve got you,” she repeated as she kissed the side of Kate’s head. She buried her face in Kate’s hair, and the scent of coconut shampoo filled her lungs.
Payback Page 12
