by Tim Ellis
‘Sorry, Ma’am... Chief.’
‘Hacked?’ Richards said. ‘With an axe?’
‘That’s Doctor Riley’s assumption at the moment.’
‘And no bodies?’ Parish asked.
‘No.’
‘Okay,’ Parish reasoned. ‘We have a number of people out there with missing hands and feet. There have been no reports of a mad axeman, so we can assume that either the victims are all dead, or they’re confined in some way.’
‘Good. I think we should proceed on three fronts. Constable Richards and I will go and see Doctor Riley with a view to identifying who these limbs belong to through DNA analysis, identifying marks, rings and so forth. Inspector Parish, I’d like you to go to the landfill site and co-ordinate efforts there, and Sgt Gorman you can work on the other seven cases. I’ve flagged up a number of tasks to be done.’
While DCI Marshall was closing down the laptop Gorman and Richards looked pleadingly at Parish, but what could he do. He shrugged and said, ‘I’m on my way.’
Sat in his car he rang Kowalski.
‘What’s going on, Ray?’
‘I’m a has-been, Jed.’
‘Why didn’t you warn me?’
‘I was embarrassed.’
‘So, how’s the traffic analysis going?’
‘I’m thinking of applying for early retirement.’
Parish gave a laugh. ‘You’re only in your mid-forties.’
‘Forty-two actually.’
‘I’m in charge of rubbish now.’ He told Kowalski what DCI Marshall had got everyone doing.
‘It’s not right, Ray.’
‘Are we going to take it lying down? We were a well-oiled machine when Walter Day was the Chief, now we’re all broken up.’
‘What can we do?’
‘You sound defeated already, Ray.’
‘I am. I’m a brilliant detective sat at a desk analysing figures. What type of job is that for a man who used to play rugby for Wales.’
Parish knew that he’d actually sat on the bench and after an injury he’d become a policeman. ‘Let’s meet tonight at my house and we’ll work out a plan of action?’
‘Okay. Ed and Richards will be there, won’t they?’
‘Yes, I’ll invite them as well. In the meantime, who have you told?’
‘Like who?’
‘The Chief Constable?’
‘What for, he’s the arsehole who appointed her.’
‘Well, what about your old sleeping partner Rhona Powers?’
‘I’ll try, but she’s a political animal, she won’t go against the Chief Constable.’
‘Well, do something, Ray. Ring people, spread the word, and I’ll do the same if I get the chance.’
‘Okay.’
‘Seven o’clock at my house.’
‘See you, Jed.’
No sooner had he disconnected Kowalski when You are the sunshine of my life began playing.
‘Hello, Richards?’
‘Help, Sir?’
‘Why are you whispering?’
‘I’m in the toilets.’
‘What do you want?’
‘I want to be with you.’
‘What, at the landfill site?’
‘No, as your partner. I don’t like the new team leader.’
‘I’ve spoken to Kowalski, we’re meeting at the house at seven tonight to discuss strategy.’
‘You mean I’ve got to work with fatty Marshall all day?’
‘Don’t call her that, you’ll get yourself into trouble. You’re my eyes and ears, Richards. It looks like Ed and I are being sidelined from the main investigation, it’s up to you to take notes and make sure I know everything that’s going on.’
‘Okay, Sir. I can be your mole.’
‘Good, keep smiling. See you later.’
He ended the call. They were all looking to him to do something, but what? It wouldn’t be right to sabotage the investigations so that she looked bad. People’s lives would be affected. But if they solved the cases, she’d come out of it smelling of roses and end up keeping the job. He was between a rock and a hard place. Then again, if she lost the job, which crazy person would the Chief Constable appoint next time round? He wouldn’t do himself any favours moaning to the powers-that-be either. They’d say, “Give her a chance”, and they’d be right to say that as well – After all, this was only ‘Day One’ of the New Order.
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About the Author
Tim Ellis was born in the bowels of Hammersmith Hospital, London, on a dark and stormy night, grew up in Cheadle, Cheshire, and now lives in Essex with his wife and five Shitzus. In-between, he joined the Royal Army Medical Corps at eighteen and completed twenty-two years service, leaving in 1993 having achieved the rank of Warrant Officer Class 1 (Regimental Sergeant Major). Since then he has worked in secondary education as a senior financial manager, in higher education as an associate lecturer/tutor at Lincoln and Anglia Ruskin Universities, and as a consultant for the National College of School Leadership. His final job, before retiring to write full time in 2009, was as Head and teacher of Behavioural Sciences (Psychology/Sociology) in a secondary school. He has a PhD and an MBA in Educational Management, and an MA in Education.
Discover other titles by Tim Ellis at http://timellis.weebly.com/
Warrior
(Adult Historical Fiction)
Path of Destiny
Scourge of the Steppe
The Knowledge of Time
(Young Adult Science Fiction)
Second Civilisation
Orc Quest
(Young Adult Fantasy)
Prophecy
Adult Crime:
Solomon’s Key
Body 13
The Graves at Angel Brook
A Life for a Life
Jacob’s Ladder
The Wages of Sin
The Flesh is Weak
Collected Short Stories
Untended Treasures
Also due out in 2011/2012:
The Timekeeper's Apprentice
Orc Quest (Book II): The Last Human
The Graves Beneath Eternity Wharf (Quigg 3)
A second collection of Short Stories
A Quigg Novella for Christmas 2011
