by M A Comley
“Oh my God, what did I ever do to deserve a man like you? You’re one in a bloody million, you truly are, Simon.” She leaned forward to kiss him.
They shared a lingering kiss until Simon broke away and leapt out of his chair.
“Damn, the fish will be burnt soon. Are you ready for dinner?”
“I’ll lay the table. I’m so excited, I doubt I’ll be able to eat much, despite being hungry on the way home. I can’t wait to break the news to Lorne.”
He dished up the broccoli and beans, the chickpea mash, which was a speciality of his, and the salmon steaks which he’d coated in red pesto. It was one of her favourite meals. “Let’s not say anything until we go over there at the weekend.”
There was a twinkle in his eye.
She nodded. “You’re a devious man.”
“When I have to be. I’m so glad you’re happy about this, Sal.”
“If you were worried I’d be upset, then you really don’t know me at all, do you?”
“I have a lot to learn, I know.” They sat at the table with their meals, and he raised his glass. “To us and our future neighbours.”
“To us, and to you, for being the most generous, kind-hearted, adorable man I have ever met.”
His cheeks flushed. “To you, for making me the happiest man alive when you became my wife.”
“Hark at us, soppy bloody pair. If ever two people belonged together, it’s us, right?”
“I agree wholeheartedly. Now eat your dinner. I hope it’s not too spoilt.”
“It’s fine. Looks and smells delicious.”
The meal went down a treat after her stressful and frustrating day. Simon insisted on loading the dishwasher and encouraged her to put her feet up in the lounge while he made a pot of fresh coffee.
Sally was going over the details of the property for the tenth time when he joined her. Her heart was still bursting with joy. “I love it. What a spectacular place. Can we go and see it soon?”
“Maybe I can arrange a visit at the weekend, kill two birds and all that.”
“Brilliant, yes, let’s do that. I’ve just realised something…”
“What’s that?”
“You’ve just bought the place without even stepping inside it. That’s insane.”
He laughed and tipped back his head. “Welcome to my world. It’s what your father and I do all the time.”
She punched him on the arm. “That’s different, and you know it. This is our home I’m talking about here.”
He pulled a face. “You have a point. What if the photos are fake?”
She sat upright in her chair and felt the colour drain from her face. “No, don’t say that. They wouldn’t do that.” He laughed again, and she swiped his arm. “Shit, you nearly gave me a heart attack then.”
“Just testing, to see if you were on your toes.”
“I can do without tests like that. What on earth are we going to do with six bedrooms? Think of all the furniture we’re going to have to buy to fill the damn place. And the council tax is going to be horrendous on a house that size.”
He tutted and shook his head. “Stop worrying. It’s all in hand, never fear. Where property is concerned, Sally Bracknall, I’m an expert.”
She snuggled into him. “I’m glad you are. I’m shite at making a home feel like a home. Hey, I bet Lorne will have some advice to share with us. She used to renovate houses herself once upon a time.”
“I’m open to suggestions, although I think she’ll have enough on her hands to deal with running the kennels and decorating her new place.”
“There is that. She’s going to be bloody thrilled when we tell her.”
5
Sally ended up being far too excited to sleep. She crept downstairs around one and, with her notebook in hand, settled down on the couch with a quilt, making notes on where next to go with the investigation. She and Simon had briefly discussed the case before going to bed. Maybe that was why she found it impossible to sleep. He was going to search the files from the post-mortem and see if there was anything he could find to help them.
She finally dropped off around three.
Simon woke her at seven with a mug of coffee and a welcome kiss. “There you go, princess. You eventually managed to grab some sleep then.”
She sat up. “I did. My head was spinning. I’ve never known a case get to me as much as this one.”
“Really? I think you’ve mentioned that before on other cases.”
She smiled. “Oops, sorry to be so repetitive.”
“Do you think it has something to do with a child being involved?”
“I don’t think so. Who knows?” She placed her mug on the table beside her and threw back the quilt. “I’d better get a wriggle on. I’ve made a decision that I don’t think will go down well with some members of the team.”
“Are you going to tell me what that is?” he called out after her as she flew upstairs and into the bathroom.
Fifteen minutes later, she was dressed and ready to go. Still full from the previous evening’s dinner, she decided to skip breakfast, much to Simon’s displeasure.
When she entered the station, she found Jack and Joanna both hard at work. “I’ll be in my office. Let me know when the others arrive. I have something important to tell you all.”
She spotted the puzzled look that drifted between Jack and Joanna.
Jack turned to face her. “Are you teasing us again?”
She grinned. “Not in the slightest.” Sally slipped into her office to tackle the post. Thankfully, there wasn’t much to deal with today, so she took out her notebook and flipped through the notes she’d made during the night.
Jack poked his head into the room a few minutes later. “All present and awaiting further instruction, boss.”
She smiled at him and nodded. “I’ll be right there. I could do with a coffee.”
“I’ll sort that out for you if you give me a hint as to what you’re about to say.”
Sally laughed. “You’re a trier, I’ll give you that, Jack.”
He left, and she followed him out a few minutes later. She walked across the room to the stack of files they were yet to go through and plucked one off the top. “Okay, here’s the deal. I sensed everyone was super frustrated yesterday, I was as well. Therefore, I think we should split the team up.”
“Meaning what exactly?” Jack asked, crossing one leg over the other at the knee.
“Jack and I, maybe Joanna as well, will remain on the Pickrel case, while Jordan and Stuart begin delving into this one. Joanna can work on both cases if needed. Everyone agree with that?”
Joanna was the first to speak up. “I’m fine with it. The busier I am the better at the end of the day. Can’t stand sitting around twiddling my damn thumbs, you know that, boss.”
“I do. What about you, gents?” she asked Jordan and Stuart.
“Aye, suits me,” Stuart replied.
“And me,” Jordan agreed.
Sally stepped forward with the file and handed it to Stuart. “I’ll leave that with you then. Any problems, get back to me, and we’ll go over it together.”
“Will do, boss,” Stuart said.
“Let’s get you guys started. The case is the murder of a woman who was allegedly poisoned by her husband, Lucinda Barratt. This took place in twenty-sixteen. Mick Barratt has been in prison since then and has always profusely protested his innocence. Let’s get to the bottom of that.”
“You want us to visit Barratt in prison?” Stuart asked.
It’ll save me having to go out there again so soon. “Yes, that would be a good starting point. Primarily, get a feel for his demeanour. In my experience, you can usually tell if someone sitting in jail is guilty or not. Go from there. If you think along the lines that he’s innocent, then ask who he thinks poisoned his wife and why. What possible motive could they have? Had anyone fallen out with either of them before the incident happened? You get my drift, dig deep. Grab the opportunity to gri
ll him, if he’s up to it. But first, have a word with the staff to see what his state of mind is. If he’s fragile, then take it easy on him. Oh God, you know all this, I’m teaching you how to suck eggs. Call me a control freak.” She grinned. “Ring the prison to get the all clear, then spend the next thirty minutes getting acquainted with the case. Any doubts, you know where I am.”
Both men nodded, and Jordan moved his chair closer to Stuart’s desk and got stuck in.
“What about us? What are we going to do?” Jack asked unenthusiastically.
“You know what lies ahead of us today, partner. We’ll be heading out to see the man himself, Louie Pickrel. He asked us to be at his house at ten.”
“Whoopie doo!” Jack replied.
Sally shook her head and returned to her office. She knew there was little point talking to her partner when he was in one of his sarcastic moods. Let’s hope the coffee changes his way of thinking before we leave.
Fordacre Road was in a quiet area. The road contained six houses with even fewer cars on the drives. A gentleman was tending his roses in the front garden of the first house and looked up when they drove past.
“Seems a reasonable area,” Jack commented after hardly speaking during the trip.
“Quiet and subdued with an inquisitive neighbour by the look of things.”
“You mean nosy,” he corrected her.
“That too.” She heaved out a breath and switched off the engine. “Let’s get this over with. Can’t say I’m looking forward to meeting him. Daft thing to say, but I think it’s going to be an emotional affair.”
“For you maybe.”
“You’ve got a heart of stone at times, Jack Blackman.”
“Whatever.”
She shook her head, and they both left the vehicle. Sally took in her surroundings. It didn’t take her long to realise that the Pickrels’ house was immaculate compared to some of the others. Possibly freshly painted. The front garden on both sides of the block paving path had a neatly trimmed lawn with an abundance of flowering shrubs in the borders. In the air was the smell of newly cut grass. Had someone been out there already that morning?
Jack rang the bell. The door opened within a few moments. A man in his early thirties welcomed them with a broad smile.
Sally produced her ID. “Mr Pickrel? I’m DI Sally Parker, and this is Jack Blackman, my partner.”
“We’ve been expecting you. Please come in. Would you like a drink?”
Sally smiled and nodded. “A coffee would be lovely,” she replied, stepping over the threshold.
Jack followed her and closed the door behind him.
Pickrel led them through to the back of the house into a kitchen which was adjoined by a vast orangery that took Sally’s breath away.
He seemed pleased by her amazed expression. “A new addition we put on a year ago.”
“It’s beautiful.”
“Thank you. This is my wife, Natalie.” He placed an arm around her shoulder and patted her distended stomach with his other hand. “And baby makes three.”
He and his wife chuckled, as if they’d shared a private joke.
Sally extended her hand to the petite brunette. “Pleased to meet you. How long to go?”
“Two months. Longest seven months of my life so far,” she said, her tone full of exhaustion.
“Oh dear, has it been a bad pregnancy?” Sally asked.
“Understatement of the decade, eh, Louie?”
He pecked her lovingly on the nose. “Don’t go into detail, love. I’m sure the officers don’t want to hear about all our woes.”
“It’s fine,” Sally replied. “Let’s hope the final two months are easier for you.”
“Thank you. I’ll make a drink. Tea or coffee?” Natalie asked, unhooking herself from her husband’s attentive grip.
Sally smiled. “We’ve already put an order in with your husband. Two coffees, milk and sugar, thanks.”
“Two sugars for me,” Jack said.
Natalie left them and headed towards the kitchen area.
“Please, take a seat,” Louie instructed, motioning for them to sit at the large rectangle oak table with its comfy padded chairs.
Natalie joined them a few moments later. Louie was the one who handed the mugs around after Natalie told him who they belonged to.
Sally took a sip of coffee, either preparing herself or delaying her first question, she wasn’t sure which.
“Have you had any joy with the investigation?” Louie asked, placing his hands around his mug.
“Not so far, no. It’s still early days. Thank you for taking the time to see us. Hopefully, we’ll be able to make more of an impact into the case once we’ve listened to your side of the events. I know how difficult this is going to be for you. Just take your time; stop to have a breather if you feel the need to.”
He nodded and looked at his wife, smiled at her, and then glanced down at his mug again. “Okay, forgive me if it all gets too much, it’s still very raw for me, even after all these years. She was the sweetest child ever, and I miss her terribly.” His voice caught in his throat.
“Take your time. We’ve got all day if necessary.”
“Thank you. We’d been out that day, a day out in Great Yarmouth. We didn’t have too many of those I seem to remember as a kid. Money was excruciatingly tight when we were little. Mum did her best, but with no father around, life was tougher for us than my friends at school. The thing that kept us going was our love for each other.” He shook his head. “I still have nightmares about that night.”
“He does. I can vouch for that. Wakes up in a cold sweat at least once a month, maybe more,” Natalie threw in.
“I’m sorry to hear that, Louie, and yet they say time is the greatest healer,” Sally replied, gulping down the emotion rising within her, then taking a swig of her coffee to help keep it at bay. Her own life flashed before her eyes for a second or two. Yes, she herself had healed, now that she was married to Simon. All that went on during her marriage to Darryl was in her distant past. She hoped Louie would feel the same way in the future, perhaps when the baby was born.
“Life deals us a wrong card now and again, Inspector. I don’t think I’ll ever get over what happened that night, especially as we’d had the perfect family day out.”
“If it’s not too difficult for you, maybe you could go over the details for us?”
“I’ll do my best. You’ll have to forgive me if I break down. My sister meant the world to me,” he repeated.
“No problem. I completely understand.”
He sipped his drink then started again. “We spent the day at the large pool at Great Yarmouth. Mum watched on from the lounger; she was busy reading one of her books; it was one of the classics, can’t remember which one, not that it matters. Anyway, she wasn’t really one for splashing around in the water. Millie and I didn’t mind, we had fun all the same. We spent most of the time going down the slide—that was my sister’s favourite part.” He paused, no doubt as his sister’s fun-loving nature filled his mind. “She was never happier than when she was with me. I cared for her deeply, protected her, not that she needed protecting much on a day-to-day basis. I could do little to protect her that night, though. Yes, I chased after the man, but…well, the damage had already been done.”
“I’m so sorry you had to witness that as a child. What age were you?”
“Twelve. Only twelve and to be confronted with that at such a young age, well, I haven’t really been able to put into words over the years how I felt exactly. Unless you’re ever in that position yourself, I don’t think you’ll ever know.” He wiped a hand over his brow that had broken out in a sweat.
Sally’s stomach constricted. She hated putting this man through this horrendous ordeal again after all these years. He was obviously still distraught by what had gone on that night. Who wouldn’t be? “There’s no rush,” she reminded him.
He tilted his head back and let out an agonisingly long breath.
<
br /> Natalie reached for his hand. “It’s all right, darling, take a breather. In your own time.”
He smiled and leaned over to kiss her on the cheek. “I’m glad you’re with me. Not sure I could go through this again on my own.”
“Have you sought help from counsellors over the years?” Sally asked.
“Several of them have tried to help me but failed. I got the impression they thought I was screwed up, you know, in my head. I suppose they’re right.”
“Anyone in your shoes would probably be feeling the same as you. Try not to be too hard on yourself, Louie.”
“That’s what I keep telling him,” Natalie said, stroking her hand along his forearm.
“It’s hard not to. To be that close to that man…as he sucked the life out of her. Oh God, why? Why did he have to do that? She was loved. Protected. Cared for like no other child I knew, and where did it get her in the end? Death, it’s so final. Death, it haunts all my days and nights. I’ve tried so many times over the years to come to terms with my grief. But hell, to be that close and yet I could do nothing to save her… I tried to revive Millie. Tried to breathe life back into her lifeless body. I failed. I’m such a failure.”
“You’re not a failure, Louie. No one would ever regard you as that,” Natalie tried to reassure him.
“Your wife is right, Louie. You need to get past this. It’s been almost twenty years, and you have your whole life ahead of you. A baby of your own to look forward to,” Sally pointed out.
“I know. I’m grateful to Natalie for taking me on. She’s a very special lady.” He smiled at his wife, and her cheeks flushed.
“And you have a beautiful home in which to welcome your son or daughter.”
He nodded. “I hope it’s a girl—no, I’m praying it’s a girl.” He gathered his wife’s hands in his and smiled lovingly at her. “We’re going to call her Millie, aren’t we, love?”
Sally nodded. Anna had told her that, and it still struck a bum note with her.
“Your mother mentioned that when we saw her. Isn’t that a bit strange?” Jack asked, apparently tapping into Sally’s thoughts.
