Ultimate Dilemma (Justice Again Book 2)

by M A Comley

He gathered the quilt and pillow and followed her upstairs. When she came out of the en suite, he was fast asleep again. She refused to wake him a second time so crept in beside him and drifted off to sleep as soon as she was warm and cosy.

  2

  As soon as Katy arrived at the station, she arranged for SOCO to contact Nadia about her clothes. She gave James the young woman’s number and warned him to be gentle with her.

  “What do you take me for? Of course I’ll be gentle. Is she a suspect?”

  “Good, and no, not at this point. I’m inclined to think she was acting on second nature, what with her being a full-time nurse.”

  “Ah, I’m with you. Okay, leave it with me.”

  “Thanks.”

  She ended the call, and before she got stuck into tackling the daily grind of sorting through the morning post, she called a meeting with the team. “Right, guys, this is what we have so far. According to the victim’s daughter, Nadia Crawford, she came home from work to find her father lying in a pool of blood on the living room floor. His throat had been cut. She’s a nurse, so her first instinct was to try and save him. Her second was to call for an ambulance. Charlie and I were with her until gone two this morning. She was traumatised by the events, which is totally understandable. However, me being cautious to cover every angle, I think we should begin background checks on the father and the daughter.”

  Katy wrote both names on the whiteboard. “I want a couple of you to go out there and conduct house-to-house enquiries—all we can hope is that a neighbour saw something. Nadia came home around ten-twenty, I believe, so any time before that. Thinking about it, with his injuries, he wouldn’t have lasted too long. So let’s narrow it down to between nine and ten, although I’m thinking more along the lines of nine-thirty. I know, I’m waffling as I’m thinking out loud. Who’s up for the task?”

  Patrick and Stephen raised their hands.

  “Thanks, guys. That’s all I’ve got to tell you at present. Wait, I’ll contact Nadia. She wanted to get some personal belongings from the house. While you’re there, have a word with SOCO and oversee accompanying her inside to pick up her stuff for me, would you?”

  “Sure. Where’s she going to stay? Does she have relatives in the area?” Patrick asked.

  “No. I think I’ve persuaded her to stay in a hotel. Her sister is travelling down from Scotland, haven’t got a clue when she’s likely to show up. I’ll ring Nadia and get back to you.”

  Katy entered her office to make the call. She stood by the window overlooking the car park at the front of the station. “Hi, Nadia, it’s DI Katy Foster. How are you feeling today?”

  The woman sighed and yawned. “Sorry about that. I’m okay. I’ve just got up, I’m getting ready to go into work.”

  “What? Well, I would advise against you doing that. You must still be in shock, that’s going to affect the way you carry out your job.”

  “I need to be around people. I need the interaction. If I sit in a hotel room I’m going to go out of my mind.”

  “What about your sister? Isn’t she due to join you today?”

  “She’s due this afternoon, getting in around three. I’ll take time off to get her settled at the hotel and return to work. Please, don’t question my actions. I need to be busy, to be distracted. I’ve barely slept all night. Every time I closed my eyes…I saw my father’s throat cut open…”

  “I’m sorry about that, Nadia. I can’t profess to know what being confronted with such a horrendous ordeal can do to a person. I can arrange for you to see a counsellor, if that’s what you want or need to get through this.”

  “I don’t know what I want. What I need is my father back, but the likelihood of that happening is non-existent.”

  “It is. I still don’t think you’re doing the right thing by going into work. Is your immediate supervisor aware of the situation?”

  “Yes, the ward sister understands my reasons for going in and has given me the all clear, under the proviso that if things turn out to be too tough to deal with, I leave and go back to the hotel.”

  Katy found that piece of news incredulous, especially as Nadia would be dealing with patients on the ward, effectively putting their lives at risk if her thoughts lay elsewhere. “Oh, I see. A couple of my officers will be out at the house today, conducting house-to-house enquiries with the neighbouring property owners. I know you said you wanted to grab some personal effects from your home; they can oversee that if you want, today.”

  “Oh, yes. That’d be good. What time will they be there?”

  “They’ll be leaving soon. Should be there in about twenty minutes, does that suit you?”

  “Yes, I don’t have to be at work until ten, so that’s perfect. I can snatch a change of clothes and pack a bag of essentials, and then go straight to work. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. I’ll let my boys know to expect you. I’ll be in touch soon. Don’t forget to call if you need to speak to me.”

  “I won’t. Will you do the same if you find out who…killed my father?”

  “Without hesitation. Speak soon.” Katy ended the call and returned to the incident room. “Guys, I’d leave now. I’ve told Nadia you’ll be there in twenty minutes. You know what to do when you enter the house. Suit up, including her, and escort her to her room. Don’t allow her to roam around the house unattended.”

  “Yes, boss,” Patrick replied. He got to his feet and left the room with Stephen.

  “Okay, that’s them sorted. What’s left for you guys to do? It’s a residential area, so no chance of obtaining any CCTV footage for the road in which they live. Our only hope is that one of the neighbours comes up trumps. Karen, if you can begin the background checks for me.”

  “Already started on them, boss. Do you want their bank accounts checked as well?”

  “If you would. Charlie, can you see what the system throws up for any crimes of this nature taking place, or armed robberies—we can’t discount that theory either—within a twenty-mile radius in the past two months? I’m guessing there won’t be; however, at this stage of the investigation, there’s really nothing else for us to tackle.”

  “What about calling a press conference?” Charlie suggested.

  “The thought crossed my mind. I think it’s a bit early to consider holding one just yet. Let’s see what the boys come up with. Karen, will you add the sister to your list? Although, I don’t know her married name. Her Christian name is Penny.”

  “Leave it with me.”

  “I’ll be in my office.” She stopped off at the vending machine and took a cup of coffee with her. Her mind was numb, and she found herself staring at the unopened letters piled on her desk, not having the heart to open them. Instead, she decided to ring Patti. “Hi, sorry to disturb you. I don’t suppose you’ve had a chance to perform the PM yet?”

  “Good morning to you, too, Katy. You’d be right in your thinking. I’ve only been at work for an hour, give me a break.”

  “Sorry, eager to know what your take on the vic is.”

  “Why? You’re not usually one for chasing things up so early. Is there something you need to get off your chest?”

  “To be honest, I can’t explain it. I know Lorne used to go on about working on her gut instinct and I always pooh-poohed it, maybe that’s what I’m dealing with now. Something just isn’t sitting comfortably with me, and I can’t seem to put my finger on what it is. Am I making any bloody sense at all?”

  “Yes and no. What are your reservations?”

  “The daughter. You’re aware she called it in, aren’t you?”

  “I am. Hmm…it’s too early for me to make a judgement call just yet. Wasn’t she with him at the hospital?”

  “Yes. See, that’s where I begin to doubt myself. She’s a bloody nurse, her instinct would be to try and help her father, right?”

  “You’d think so. Are you telling me she didn’t do that? Only, that’s different to what I heard.”

  “No, she did. But
surely, wouldn’t she know better than to get stuck in?”

  “My honest opinion is that I think you’re probably reading too much into it. If she’s a nurse then it would be in her nature to try and help him all she could, wouldn’t it?”

  “I suppose so. Maybe I’m guilty of overthinking the situation.”

  “Probably. Want to join me for the PM?”

  “I do and I don’t. Go on then. What time are you going to start?”

  “Within ten minutes. I can delay it a few minutes, give you time to get here, if that’s what you want?”

  “I’ll leave now. Thanks, for listening and not thinking I’m a nutter.”

  “Nonsense. We all get cases that challenge us now and again. Mark this one down as your thorn-in-the-side case.”

  “See you soon.” She rushed out of the office and stopped at Charlie’s desk. “I’m going to attend the PM. Do you want to leave what you’re doing and come with me, or would you rather give this one a miss?”

  “I’m easy either way. You’re the boss, you tell me.”

  “Leave that and come with me. We’ll be back soon, Karen. If you hear anything from the boys, ring me, okay?”

  “I will. Erm…have fun.” Karen grimaced as the words tumbled out of her mouth.

  Katy smiled and shook her head. “I doubt it.”

  Suited in operating greens and half-wellies, Katy and Charlie joined Patti in the examination suite. “Good to see you both again. You’re just in time to see the first cut.”

  Katy cringed. “I was hoping you’d have him opened up by now.”

  Patti grinned. “Thought I’d delay it until you arrived. Here we go, ladies.”

  Katy’s legs trembled slightly as Patti made the first cut. She faced Charlie who was straining her neck to see what was going on. “You’re warped.”

  Charlie sniggered. “And there was you thinking I wouldn’t enjoy this side of things.”

  Patti glanced up. “Just like your mother. She was always the first to step forward and take note of what I was doing with a scalpel.”

  “I didn’t know that,” Charlie replied, her gaze fixed on the blade while it carved out the Y-incision.

  “Okay, let’s see what we’ve got here. The cut to the throat was clean, no jagged edges in sight, therefore, the knife used would’ve had a straight edge. The cut was deep and severed his larynx.”

  “What does that tell you, if anything?” Katy asked.

  “My first inclination would be that the cut was made in anger.”

  “Interesting.”

  “What if this was a burglary? The perp would have been livid to find someone in the property, wouldn’t they?” Charlie piped up.

  Katy nodded and rotated her head to relieve the tension in her neck. “True enough.”

  “Shall I continue?” Patti asked.

  “Please do.”

  “From what I can tell there are no other wounds to the body. To me, that would suggest the perpetrator only had one intention: to kill the man. Would a burglar set out to do that?”

  “Maybe, maybe not,” Katy said, her mind whirling. “Maybe he had an enemy, someone his daughter isn’t aware of, who wanted shot of him.”

  “That’s for you to find out. Let me continue.” Patti carried on with her examination. She assessed the internal organs and gave them a full rundown of what she found. “His liver shows signs of excessive drinking. His lungs aren’t faring any better, heavy smoker, I’m guessing. I suspect he had a heart problem judging by the state of his valves.”

  “Most men are at that age, aren’t they? Or is that me being presumptuous?”

  “Not all men, but a vast majority, I have to agree. There are a few bruises on his lower legs. They’re old contusions, at least a week old, so not related to his murder. Ah, what’s this…?” Patti leaned in closer to the man’s stomach. She glanced up at Katy. “You’ll need to check his medical records, but I think you’ll find he was dying of stomach cancer.”

  “Really? I wonder why Nadia didn’t mention that,” Katy said.

  “Who knows? It’s a significant mass. He must have been in a lot of pain. Maybe he hid it from her.”

  “Something I need to check with her all the same. Nadia lived with him. Surely, she would have noticed if he was in pain or not, wouldn’t she?”

  “Possibly. In her defence, you know what most men are like when they’re ill. Again, check with his doctor, see if he was being treated first before your mind wanders into unknown territory.”

  “I will, don’t worry. I wonder if the perp knew he was dying. Ignore me, a rhetorical question. The plot thickens, right? Anything else, Patti?”

  “Nope, I think we’re about finished here.”

  “Good. Okay, we’ll leave you to complete it in peace.”

  Patti nodded and got back to work.

  Katy and Charlie ditched their greens and wellies and left the hospital. “We need to find out who his doctor was. I don’t really want to ring the daughter again.”

  “Want me to call all the surgeries in the area?”

  “If you would.”

  Charlie got down to the task and immediately hit the jackpot with the third call she made. “The receptionist is patching me through to the doctor now. Do you want to take over?”

  “No, you deal with it. Ask him how long he’s had the cancer. What treatment he’s had for it. Whether he was taking any medication, and then finally, ask him if his daughter, Nadia, was aware of his illness. Put it on speaker so I can hear what he has to say.”

  “Will do. Ah, yes, Doctor Malik, I wonder if you can help me. We’re conducting a murder enquiry and believe the victim to be one of your patients. Bruce Crawford.”

  “Yes my receptionist told me that’s why you’re calling. It’s very sad to hear he’s no longer with us. How can I help?”

  “You’re aware he had stomach cancer, I take it?”

  “Yes. I diagnosed his condition over six months ago. He was a poorly man. Didn’t have long to live. No, you don’t think he killed himself, do you? No, you said something about a murder enquiry, I forgot that.”

  “That’s right, it’s hard to take the news in sometimes. Can I ask what treatment he was undergoing? And were you aware he was still working?”

  “He’s recently completed a course of chemo—it wasn’t successful. I gave him the news that he only had three months at the longest to live when he came to see me last week. He was understandably devastated by the news, as you can imagine and yes, he wanted to keep working, rather than sit at home, waiting for his dying day to arrive.”

  “Can you tell me if his daughter was aware of his condition?”

  “Nadia? No, she wasn’t. He refused to let me tell her. I told him I wouldn’t go against his wishes but urged him to tell her himself. She’s a nurse and would have cared for him, if he’d been willing to confide in her.”

  “Did he give a reason why he didn’t want to inform her?” Charlie asked.

  “No. Actually, he said he’d lived his life and didn’t want to become a burden to his two daughters. I had to stand by his wishes, my hands were tied.”

  “I see.” Charlie glanced at Katy and whispered, “Anything else?”

  Katy shook her head. “No, that’s fine.”

  “Thank you for taking my call, Doctor, and for giving me the information.”

  “No problem.”

  Charlie hit the End Call button and placed the phone in her lap.

  “Strange he kept his cancer a secret from his kids, especially if Nadia is a nurse. Katy pulled up at a red light and drummed her fingers on the steering wheel.

  “Seems odd, doesn’t it? I can’t get my head around it. It sounds to me like he just gave up.”

  “That’s my take on it, too. Why? Because he’d lived his life and was fed up with it? Hard to contemplate anyone wanting to give in to the disease like that.”

  “He’d gone through the chemo. I’ve heard that can take a dreadful toll on a body.” Char
lie shuddered.

  “Yeah, again, it doesn’t add up. Surely Nadia would have known about the chemo.”

  “Hmm…maybe it was carried out at a different hospital.”

  The light turned green, and Katy put her foot on the accelerator. “I know it’s the wrong time to grill her, but we could do with sitting Nadia down and doing just that.”

  “We’d be quite within our rights to question her again, wouldn’t we? Or am I missing something as a newbie?” Charlie asked, her brow pulling into a deep frown.

  “No, you’re right. Maybe it’s me being a tad cautious. Treating the woman with respect, knowing that she’s grieving.”

  “I understand that, but if you have doubts about her story then maybe you should dive in and get some answers.”

  “I hear what you’re saying. Let’s hold back a while, see what the boys come up with first. Actually, I’m going to chase them up, find out if they have any news for us.” She indicated and drove into a nearby parking space and made the call.

  Patrick answered on the second ring. “Hello, boss, anything up?”

  “Not really. How are things progressing there?”

  “Slowly. Nadia turned up around thirty minutes ago. I accompanied her into the house, and she left not long after.”

  “How did she seem to you?”

  Patrick groaned. “Dazed and confused. Going through the motions, I suppose.”

  “I see. I’m going through the mill here. Pondering whether to call her in for questioning or not.”

  “Any particular reason, boss?”

  “In my eyes, there are a lot of things that simply aren’t adding up. Did she say anything to you at all?”

  “No. She was desperate to step into the lounge for some personal effects. I told her she couldn’t. She begged me to go in there to collect a family photo for her. I looked for the particular one she mentioned, but the frame was empty. She broke down and cried when I told her that.”

  “Wait, back up a minute. There was an empty photo frame and she wasn’t aware that it was empty?”

  “That’s right. I asked her when she noticed the last time the frame was full, and she said yesterday before she went to work.”