Payback

by Charlotte Mills

She held her position near the door in case she needed to make a quick exit, casting a gaze out towards the main office. She was grateful that it was busy, preventing Helen from being too verbal about this morning’s delay tactics. The clunk of the receiver being replaced made her look around.

  “So,” Helen said, leaning back in her chair as she looked over at her. “What have you got to say for yourself? Blotting my perfect attendance record.” A hint of a smile was evident on her face.

  “Are you reprimanding me, Guv?”

  “Somehow, I get the feeling you’d like that.”

  “Depends what you had in mind.” She held Helen’s gaze for a moment before remembering that she had work-related questions to ask. She cleared her throat. “Did you see the photographs on the list of contents from Sandy’s trolley?”

  Helen quickly sat more upright in her chair. “I did. They should be back in the evidence lockup now.”

  “I’ll go and take a look. Might be the lover he had at the time he disappeared.”

  “And how are we doing on the car?” Helen pressed.

  “Should be able to narrow down the search by the end of the day.”

  “Good. Use Davies if you need to, and keep me informed.”

  Sorting through the evidence, she eventually found the photographs at the bottom of the box. She turned them over in her hands. They were both aged and crumpled from constant viewing and storage. The first was a strip of black-and-white photos from an old passport booth, the kind you used to find in shopping centres, filled with kids on the weekend taking silly photos. She moved towards the light to get a better look. There he was: a youthful Sandy, his dark hair slicked back, exposing his happy face as he looked at the figure next to him.

  The young woman must have been sitting on Sandy’s knee, ducking down to get in the shot with him. She looked directly at the camera in the first picture. She was beautiful, her blonde hair draped around her shoulders, strong cheekbones framing her face. In the second and third image from the strip, her head was turned to look at Sandy. Their mouths were caught in mid-flow. They must have been talking. In the final image, they were captured in a passionate kiss, eyes closed, leaning towards each other. It was a bittersweet image considering they were possibly both dead now, if the secretary’s information was accurate.

  The second photograph contained the same woman. This time, she was one of a number of figures at a restaurant, but she was easy to spot, her hair up in fancy twist. It had the look of a works night out with the mixture in age ranges; the seasonal decorations hinted at a Christmas celebration. They were all sitting down the long sides of a table, raising their glasses as the photograph was taken. The empty chair could have been for the photographer maybe.

  Looking closer, the woman on the far-left nearest the camera looked a little like the secretary she had visited the other week. She had the same mole on her left cheek. This was a new line of enquiry to follow; she needed to get the secretary to take a look at the photos. Maybe she could identify the woman with Sandy in the photo booth. Signing out the evidence, she headed for Helen’s office.

  “Guv, I think we need to talk to the secretary again. I’m betting she can identify the woman in Sandy’s life.” She offered the photographs to Helen.

  Spreading the bagged-up photos on her desk, she noticed the half smile on Helen’s face as she picked up the picture containing a happy Tommy Sandwell. If anything, it made her more determined, not only to find the person who killed Sandy, but also to hold onto what was right in front of her. Who knew what might be around the corner?

  “Get Davies to go. She knows him. I need you working on that list of suspect cars. I want you here if we are actually able to make an arrest today.” Helen gathered the photos and handed them back to her.

  “Yes, Guv.” Taking the offered photos. She wanted to ask Helen if she was sure, but she knew better than to question Helen’s orders, and she had already given her an explanation, even if that explanation seemed a little hokey; there definitely seemed to be more going on. She had to wonder if Helen was protecting her again, but from what?

  Helen strode over to Kate’s desk, noticing that she looked uncomfortably hunched over as she checked through a huge pile of printouts. “I just got a call from Davies. The woman in the photos with Sandy is definitely Karen Hill. She was pregnant when she committed suicide, right?”

  Kate fiddled with her printout, frantically trying to fold it back into shape. “Yeah. Not long after Sandy went missing.”

  “That’s a pretty good reason not to go back. Maybe it was his baby.”

  “She had a husband.” Kate flicked through her notes. “Erm, yeah, here.” She pointed to the note. “Survived by her husband, Martin Hill.”

  “The secretary said Martin Hill was in the photo too at the restaurant,” Helen clarified. “He’s hidden behind one of the other people, but he was there. She thought it was a little odd that he was there as it was a management do, really. Is he on our list of car owners?”

  Kate scanned the list. “No.” Looking up at Helen, she continued, “Maybe our guy isn’t even on the list.” Kate dropped the paperwork back on her desk. “They could be from anywhere, and could have dumped or burned the car out—anything” She hunched her shoulders, letting out a long breath.

  Helen actually liked this spark of frustration; it meant she cared. She lightly gripped Kate’s shoulder. “Okay, okay. Let’s see if we can find this Martin Hill and what kind of car he drives.”

  “Yes, Guv.”

  Grateful she still had some control over Kate, Helen headed back to her office.

  Helen resisted the urge to slam down the phone in frustration. The thought of another meeting at the care home drained her spirit. Fatigue was the only thing that prevented an outburst. Slumping back in her chair, head pointed up towards the ceiling, she closed her eyes and worked up the strength to drive out to The Oaks.

  “Hey. Bad news?” Kate asked softly.

  The familiarity of the voice eased some of the tension in her head as she recalled the memories they had made last night. She felt a sense of arousal as Kate leaned against her side of the desk. Her nearness was enough to feel the butterflies begin to take flight.

  “Maybe.” Helen let out a long breath. “I have to go to Julia’s care home for a meeting.”

  “What kind of meeting?”

  “They’re trying to move her to a hospice because she’s refusing any more treatment for her cancer.” Her shoulders sagged with the weight of her situation. She felt helpless.

  “I’m sorry.” She was moving further along the desk but then stopped when her thigh brushed against Helen’s. “What time do we need to be there?”

  It took a second for Kate’s words to register. “We? You don’t need to be there.”

  “I know, but you’re exhausted. Let me help. I could drive you. When you’re finished, we could pick up some dinner on the way back.”

  “Any news on Martin Hill yet?” Helen asked, briskly changing the subject. Leaning on Kate wasn’t something she wanted to start doing, considering she wasn’t going to be around forever.

  “Not yet. He was one of the line managers in the Sandwell biscuit factory. He stayed in the area for a few years, then nothing after he sold his house. It’s like he disappeared off the face of the earth,” Kate replied, her annoyance evident.

  “Or changed his name,” Helen mused as she considered Kate’s earlier offer. She obviously wanted to help. “Shouldn’t you be a little fatigued after our antics last night?”

  “What can I say? I must have more stamina.” Kate grinned.

  Helen’s attempt at a raised eyebrow did nothing to temper Kate’s statement. Maybe she was becoming immune; she couldn’t have that, not yet. “Oh, really?” Helen rose to the challenge and, standing upright, she slipped her right leg between Kate’s, pressing her thigh against her centre befor
e wrapping an arm around her body. Glancing through to the large office beyond hers, she was pleased to see it was empty. She bent to whisper in Kate’s ear; the smell of her musky perfume was intoxicating. “We’ll see about that. Later.”

  Kate gasped at the contact. Helen grazed Kate’s cheek with her lips. “And I still haven’t forgiven you for this morning,” Helen said, eyebrow raised again.

  Kate feigned innocence, deliberately knitting her brow as she spoke. “You mean for saving your dignity and arriving separately.”

  Helen purposely kept a blank face. “I mean the dirty tactics you used to tarnish my early-bird track record.”

  “Oh, that! Well, I was just using my skill set.”

  “I see. IT guru, domestic goddess and… what should we call that?”

  The final shards of daylight were fighting a losing battle with the darkness as they drove out to The Oaks care home. Helen looked across at Kate, whose face was lit up by the dashboard instruments.

  “You didn’t need to do this, you know.”

  “I know, but I wanted to.” Kate flashed a quick smile at Helen before placing her eyes back on the road.

  “Slim doesn’t think you’re good enough for me,” Helen blurted out. The fatigue was loosening her tongue a little too much.

  “Is that right?” Kate snapped. If there was animosity between her and Slim, surely it should be on Kate’s side after what happened with his weaselly sidekick. “Bastard! And I bought him a bloody Mars bar the other day.” Kate thumped at the steering wheel as if to emphasise her point.

  Helen grinned. “You did? When?”

  “When I picked up the wine the other day. He was hanging about outside the shop. I threw it at him as I went by.”

  “You threw it at him?” Helen repeated, clearly trying not to laugh.

  “He still freaks me out. I didn’t want to have to talk to him.”

  “I was about to say that he doesn’t know you like I do.” Helen reached across and placed a hand on Kate’s thigh. “Thank you for driving me.”

  Kate softly covered her hand with her own. “No problem. How did he know?”

  “He saw the way I reacted when you got hurt the other day, figured it out.” She thought they had been careful, apart from the time in her office, but the less Slim knew the better.

  “Will it be a problem, him knowing?”

  “No. He won’t say anything,” Helen replied and changed the subject. “What were you talking to Kirk about the other day?” “Talking” was a loose term for their tête-à-tête, but Helen wanted to know the depth of the problem between the two of them.

  “In the car park?” Kate clarified. “How much did you hear?”

  “Well, I heard his parting gesture.”

  “I was checking the height of his bumper,” Kate replied. “I know it sounds bad.”

  Helen wasn’t sure if she should laugh or reprimand Kate for her actions. “You thought he was the driver that hit Sandy?”

  “No. Not really. I just wanted to be sure. His car was one of the types that fit the bill. It was more of an experiment, really. And he’s really creepy, don’t you think?”

  Helen knew better. Kate’s intention was to wind up Kirk, especially after his attempt to grope her. She herself had no warmth for Kirk or his volatile nature. There was a reason he hadn’t been promoted in his twenty years of service.

  She didn’t like the way he seemed to be fixated on Kate, which only spelt trouble. She needed to get on top of the situation and scolded herself for not having that quiet chat she’d planned after the incident in the pub. Seeing the care home come into view, Helen felt the familiar ache in the pit of her stomach, although she felt a little less nauseous having Kate next to her.

  “I do, and he definitely has misogynistic tendencies when he doesn’t get what he wants, which in this case, was you.” Helen sighed, resigned to the task at hand. “You can park on the left.”

  Kate pulled the car into a space at the side of The Oaks.

  “Where are you going?” Helen asked as Kate exited the car with her. She wasn’t ready for her to see Julia, certainly not in the state she had seen her over the last couple of visits. Maybe another day when she’d had time to lay the groundwork for their meeting.

  “I’m not waiting out here. It’s freezing. I’ll just wait in reception. I’ve got some stuff to look through while you’re busy.”

  “What stuff?” Helen questioned.

  “Just IT guru stuff,” Kate said with a grin. “The elusive Martin Hill will not defeat me.”

  Stumbling along the corridor, Helen tried to rub away the sting that still smarted across her right cheek. It was the shock that hurt more than anything. Julia had never lifted a hand to her in all her life. She had seemed on edge as soon as Helen had entered the room, so different from the other day. Her sense of humour had dwindled first—not that she’d been particularly effervescent in that area to start with. But Helen couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen her so angry and confused; she was fading away right in front of her.

  “Hey,” Kate offered in welcome as she made her way through the darkened hallway into the bright reception area.

  The bright light must have allowed Kate to see her puffy, reddened eyes. She tried to avoid eye contact as Kate stood there, looking ready to embrace her, to wrap her in her arms. Helen kept a little distance between them, locking her gaze onto the carpeted floor below her feet.

  “Let’s get out of here,” she replied. She could hear how low and defeated her voice sounded. The last thing she wanted was to break down in the reception area.

  “Hey,” Kate tried again, reaching out for Helen’s shoulder, squeezing it gently.

  Helen felt the dam begin to break again at the gentle prodding and covered her eyes with her hand as the tears began to flow. She was quickly pulled into Kate’s arms as her body began to shake with emotion. Comforting arms wrapped around her, pulling her against Kate’s body.

  “What happened? Does she have to move out?” Kate asked softly.

  Gathering herself, Helen stood back, allowing a little space between them. “No.” Spotting the balled-up tissue offering in Kate’s hand, she wiped her nose with her thumb and forefinger. “I popped in to see her after. She told me off for not tidying my room, and slapped me. She thought I was somebody else. Someone called Caroline.”

  Kate let out a breath. “I’m sorry.” She rubbed Helen’s back as she held her against her own body. After a few moments, Kate released her grip. “Come on, let’s get you home.” She grabbed her laptop with one hand while the other still held the small of Helen’s back and she led them to the exit.

  Helen walked out of the building and stopped by Kate’s car. “I know it’s her illness, but…I’ve never seen her like that. She’s never raised a hand to me before.” Lost for words, Helen threaded her arms around Kate’s waist, the warm, firm body making her grateful again that Kate had come with her.

  The drive home was too quiet. Helen wrestled with her feelings. Julia had been such a powerful woman in her prime; it was hard to see her in her current state.

  “Shit! Sorry, we didn’t stop for any food,” They were pulling up outside Helen’s house.

  Helen sat back in her seat. “It doesn’t matter. I’m not really hungry.”

  “Me neither,” Kate said.

  “What? Kate Wolfe without an appetite? Somebody call a doctor!”

  “I know it’s hard to believe.”

  Helen still felt a little shaken. “What about if I said I had some leftovers?” Kate turned to face her, a spark of interest just visible on her shadowed face.

  “Leftovers, you say?”

  “Maybe with a glass of wine?”

  “Sold.” Kate pocketed her keys before getting out of the car.

  Once Helen had placed the leftover pasta in the oven, she
excused herself to shower and change, leaving Kate to choose a bottle of wine and cut some bread. She needed a minute away from the eggshell treatment she was getting. It was obviously a new experience for Kate to see Helen in such a state. In truth, Helen had never felt so tired and useless.

  Supper, like the drive home, was equally quiet. Helen pushed the remainder of the food around her plate before finally giving up. “Have you finished?” she asked, glancing up at Kate. She hadn’t realised that Kate was already looking at her.

  “Yeah.”

  Helen picked up the pasta and headed into the kitchen. She scraped the plates to within an inch of their lives, cringing at the high-pitched sound. Moving towards the sink, she felt powerless as the plates slipped from her hands, the shards crashing into an untidy pile in the sink.

  “Fuck!” Helen yelled, gripping the edge of the sink, staring at her handiwork.

  “Here, let me.” Kate moved towards her.

  At the sensation of Kate’s presence next to her, she stretched out a hand, preventing her from getting any closer.

  “No!” It was intended to prevent her from coming to harm, not to threaten her in any way, but Kate flinched at the anger in Helen’s voice.

  Stepping backwards, she held up her hands in surrender. “Wow, you’re harder to comfort than a velociraptor.”

  A warmth cut through Helen, releasing some of the tension in her head. She looked up, meeting Kate’s gaze. There was a familiar glint there. “A velociraptor? Do you have a lot of experience with taming ancient avian-dinosaurs?”

  Kate slowly dropped her hands. “Not a lot, but I hear they can be a little bitey when they’re in pain.” Kate held her position, making no effort to move closer.

  Helen kept her gaze firmly on Kate. “I see.”

  “Maybe I should go. Let you get some rest.”

  Helen blinked at her words. She was pushing away the one person she felt totally comfortable with.

  “No,” she said and quickly moved towards Kate, unaware that she had backed off so far. It took several steps to finally reach her. “I’m sorry. Please, stay with me tonight.”