Hard Truth

by Jay Gill

  Farley looked at the pair of them and shook his head. He slowly got to his feet and tapped on the door. He said, “For your own safety, Inspector, I can’t leave you. Someone will be along with water in a few minutes.” He sat back down.

  Emma tried once more. “I find it hard to believe, Tony, that you just happened to be on that street at the very same time that the wife of a senior Scotland Yard detective was there. A senior Scotland Yard detective who was leading the most talked-about investigation of the day. And you also expect me to believe that the very day you decide to take a day off burglary you’re on the same street as this detective’s wife. A street which is a long way from your home. To do a bag snatch and not a break-in.”

  “I know. Weird, innit?” said Horn. He leaned back in his chair and ran his fingers through his hair.

  “Did someone put you up to it?”

  “Nah.”

  “Why were you on that street?”

  “I don’t know what you mean.”

  “You’re a bad liar, Tony.”

  “I can’t…”

  “You can’t what? You can’t tell me who put you up to it? Perhaps I can find some way to make your stay here easier. I just need to know why you chose Helena.”

  “There’s this prisoner I know, Jimmy Whip. He gets comics sent to him. I’d like some comics.”

  A little confused, Emma smiled and said, “I’ll make sure you get some comics. A lot of comics.”

  Horn’s finger was tapping like a beak on the table. Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, “All I heard was the detective was getting too close. Alright? Look, if you don’t want the shit storm you get from killing a copper, well, you kill the wife. You get me? It was a job. I was doing a job.”

  Horn gave a look that said she needed to understand.

  Emma could see Horn knew he’d said too much and was going to clam up. This was the breakthrough she was hoping for, but she needed more. “A job for or who? Which detective was getting too close? Too close to what? Who hired you?”

  Horn added, “Let’s just say I was under seismic pressure at the time. You get me?”

  The door behind them opened and a guard came in with one cup of water. He put it down in front of Horn and remained standing beside them. “That’s it, Horn,” he said.” Governor wants you back in your cell. Let’s go.”

  Officer Farley looked surprised but got to his feet. “You heard the man. That’s it for today, Horn. It’s time to wrap this up. If the inspector has any more questions, I am sure she can return another time.”

  “I’ve got lots more questions I need to ask today,” said Emma. “I’ve barely even started.”

  Officer Farley shrugged and said, “I’m sorry. I’ve got my orders.”

  “You won’t forget my comics, will you? The comics are very important. Very important.” Horn got to his feet, and the two officers led him away.

  Emma sat in her car and thumped the steering wheel. She went over the interview in her mind. Nothing was making any sense. Was Horn full of shit like the governor said? Why would Horn lie? He had nothing to gain. Even if someone had put him up to it, the fact still remained: he had murdered Helena Hardy.

  And if someone did put him up to it, then who was it?

  She slammed the car into gear and blew out a breath. She’d wasted precious time. She should have been looking into the most recent victims and not into a case that had already been solved. What the hell had she been thinking? This was a wild goose chase. Lyle had her blindfolded, jumping backwards through hoops with her hands tied behind her back.

  You’re an idiot, she told herself angrily, letting Lyle play you like that. If another person died because of her stupidity she’d never forgive herself.

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Emma pulled off the M3 motorway and into a service station. The car park was nearly full. After circling it twice, she found a parking spot, grabbed her leather bag and headed inside.

  It was Saturday morning, and the service station was busy with families getting breakfast and taking a bathroom break before continuing their journey.

  Emma quickly checked her appearance in her smartphone camera and brushed a hand over her jacket as she approached the entrance to Starbucks. She looked around the coffeehouse and soon caught sight of a big man sitting alone reading the morning paper and nursing a cappuccino. He looked up and immediately shot up his hand, then got his feet and walked over.

  “DI Cotton?” He put out his hand to shake. Emma’s hand was swallowed up his as they shook.

  “And you must be Rayner?” said Emma, looking up into his eyes.

  “That’s me, for my sins,” said Rayner. His warm greeting immediately put her at ease.

  Rayner was a giant of a man. Not fat. He was tall, fit and strong looking, like a rugby player. Emma could see he would great to have in your corner under certain circumstances. He had a soft brown tan, and his hair had bleached a little in the summer sun. His eyes were kind and warm. She could see instantly how Hardy and Rayner might be friends. They both had a relaxed, calm aura about them, despite the work they both did.

  “I’m getting a fresh coffee. What can I get you? Coffee or tea or something else?”

  “A decaffeinated black coffee would be great. Thank you.”

  Rayner’s table was in the corner, and with his back to the wall, he could see everyone in the room and anyone who came and went. Emma and Rayner settled in for a long chat after getting introductions and small-talk out of the way.

  “So, Hardy couldn’t stay away? He’s back doing what Hardy does best, is he?” Rayner took a large bite of his blueberry muffin. “Hardy got me into these; they’re addictive.” He held up what little was left of his muffin and laughed.

  Emma watched Rayner hoovering crumbs off his sleeves with his mouth and said, “I’m not sure how much you know. But yes, he’s back in on a temporary basis. Not by choice.”

  “It’s never choice. If you’re one of those people, then catching bad guys is what fuels you. If that’s how you are, then you’re just never going to stop. How can you?” Rayner was talking about Hardy, himself and, though he didn’t know it, Cotton as well.

  “As I said on the phone, this is about Kelly Lyle. She’s playing a twisted game, and Hardy seems to be an integral part of it. We’re trying to figure out why.”

  Rayner sat back and ran his fingers through his sun-bleached hair.

  Rayner said, “I see. You got all the stuff I sent you? It’s everything we have on Lyle. Not much there, I know, considering.”

  Emma nodded.

  “What is it?” Rayner was leaning forward.

  “Take a look at this,” said Emma. She passed Rayner the letter from Lyle and said, “What do you make of this?”

  Rayner read the letter and got to his feet. He finished his cappuccino and said, “Let’s take a walk.”

  They didn’t walk far – just outside to a patch of green with a few picnic benches. Rayner wanted a change of scenery and walking helped him think. He felt uncomfortable sitting in a coffee shop discussing his ex-partner’s past life.

  “Don’t ever repeat any of this. Especially to Hardy. He’s a very private man. I’m only talking to you now because I can see you need to figure out what in hell’s name is going on.”

  “You have my word, of course. Go on,” said Emma.

  “Hardy and I grew up together; we’ve known each other since we were kids. We got into some scrapes but never anything serious, just boys being boys. He’s a complicated guy in some respects, and in other ways he’s pretty straightforward. You get what you see. For example, when he fell in love. That was straightforward. There was never any question in his mind once he’d met Helena that she was the one for him. I got to know her and watched how he fell truly, deeply, in love. I couldn’t have been happier for him. They were perfect together. She understood him, and he understood her. And I loved them both.”

  The way Rayner spoke, and from his body language, Emma could feel his pain. “What
really happened? I’ve only read the press stories.”

  “You can ignore that shit. The press says what it wants to say to sell stories. You know that,” said Rayner.

  Emma nodded. “I’ve had my share of run-ins with the press. I’m just trying to understand what’s going on here and what Lyle wants me to know. I think it must be important.”

  Rayner was finding it difficult to know where to start. “Hardy and I were working crazy hours. A multiple homicide case, as usual. I remember it was particularly nasty. I’m trying to think of the guy’s name – Richter, Edward Richter. That’s the guy. Real sick bastard.

  “Anyway, this guy had us working all hours. Richter was really going to town on his victims. Hardy and I just couldn’t find enough hours in the day. We were desperate to stop him. He just seemed to be one step ahead of us the whole time. It was as though Richter knew what we were thinking. We wondered at the time if he had someone inside the department feeding him information. You know, giving him the heads-up on our progress.

  “We thought we might never get a break in the case. We felt like we were getting close, but not close enough. We’d been working a few days back to back, and Hardy was ready to drop. We both decided to take a break. Go get some sleep. Spend some time with family. We agreed we’d take a couple of days off. Hardy was going to surprise Helena and the girls.”

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Rayner smiled as he recalled the moment.

  “Hardy and I both decided it was best to ease off a little and let the information we’d gathered sink in. Recharge our batteries, then continue.

  “Hardy’s kids were young back then. I think Alice had been at school a couple of years and Faith was just getting ready to start. I love those girls. It still hurts to remember what they went through, losing their mother the way they did.

  “I can remember it like it happened only yesterday. We were just packing up to leave when out of the blue Hardy gets a phone call. I can still see his face and the fear in his eyes. I feel sick to my stomach just thinking about it.

  “We rush over there and find Helena in the street. I’m pushing everybody back. Hardy is ahead of me, and I tell everyone to get back, get back. Hardy is down beside her, holding her. Holding her so tightly. Comforting her. Screaming for an ambulance. Helena was down, pressing on her wound. Hardy’s hand was over hers. He was talking to her. Telling her, ‘Everything is okay. It’ll be okay.’

  “The tone of his voice changed as he realised she couldn’t hold on. I remember him saying, ‘No, don’t leave me. Please, Helena, don’t leave me.’

  “All I could do was stand and watch as Helena slipped away. My best friend’s world came crashing down right in front of my eyes, and there was nothing I could do. It broke him. I’ll never forget the look he gave me. He wanted to die. He wanted to go with her. It was the worst day of my life.”

  Rayner’s eyes were full of tears. He was quiet while he composed himself, putting away all the information it had unpacked so he could continue.

  Emma put out a hand and stroked Rayner’s arm and said, “I’m sorry. Truly I am. It wasn’t just Hardy’s life that changed that day.”

  Rayner forced a smile. He wiped away his tears with bear-like hands. His voice breaking, he said, “Isn’t it strange how memories can stay so vivid? You think you’ve got your emotions under control, but of course they’re still there, just below the surface.”

  He blew his nose with a tissue and continued, “Hardy was left a widower, and Alice and Faith were left without a mother. He needed Helena. We all did. When I think of Helena and Hardy, I understand what it means to be soulmates. That’s what they were, soulmates. For a long time, Hardy wasn’t himself. How could he be?”

  Emma asked, “How did Hardy change?”

  “He threw himself into his work, working day and night. We caught the filth that killed Helena, a piece of crap called Tony Horn. It wasn’t hard to track him down. It brought Hardy no comfort, of course.

  “Eventually, after an anonymous tipoff, we took down Edward Richter and put him away. And I thought Hardy was going to slow down. Take some time to mourn and be with Alice and Faith. But he jumped straight back into another case, then another. He didn’t give himself time to adjust after each case. No downtime. He was full on. Fortunately, his parents were around, and for a while, they picked up the pieces. They stepped up and helped with Alice and Faith. Alongside Monica, of course, whom you must have met?”

  Rayner smiled at the thought of Monica and added, “If Helena was Hardy’s soulmate, then who says lightning never strikes twice? Monica was an angel sent straight from heaven. I know it sounds twee, but with Monica by his side, he found his way back to the land of the living. I truly believe that.”

  “Tell me about Tony Horn.”

  Rayner’s eyes went cold. “He’s a junkie lowlife and first-rate liar. Do not believe a word that comes out his mouth. He says whatever he has to say in order to save his own neck. He has convictions for burglary, aggravated assault, theft, robbery, dealing – a list as long as your arm. Always looking for cash for his next fix. The day he ran into Helena she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He tried to snatch Helena’s bag, but she wasn’t having any of it. She held onto it, and she refused to give it up, so he pulled a knife. She fought back, and the piece of shit stabbed her. He’s now serving life in prison. I hope he’s having a hard time. I really mean that.”

  “Is there anything else you know about Tony Horn or Helena that you think I should know? I don’t see how any of this relates to Lyle. Did she have any connection with Tony Horn?” asked Emma.

  “She could just be messing with your mind. She’s one crazy bitch. My advice is to go speak to Tony Horn but take everything he says with a pinch of salt. The guy is a loser. A dead end.”

  Emma decided not to tell Rayner she had already visited Tony Horn in prison.

  Emma and Rayner talked for a while longer. Rayner was interested in how Hardy was getting on. He was feeling bad he hadn’t visited his old friend, even though he knew Hardy wanted space. A chance to find himself, a chance to settle into his new life. But he knew once he and Hardy got chatting, the conversation would inevitably turn to talk of Scotland Yard and his ongoing investigations. Rayner, being a friend, didn’t want that. He wanted his buddy to enjoy his new life without thoughts of homicide investigations. Of course, that was before Rayner found out Hardy was back on a homicide case of his own.

  “I’ll be down in Dorset soon,” he told Emma. “I need to visit Hardy senior. I hear his heart attack was nasty. It’s also about time I visited Hardy and the girls. How are they all holding up? I spoke to Monica very briefly and passed on my love. She said Hardy senior was making good progress.”

  “Hardy’s shaken up, of course. Everyone is. From what I know, he’s doing okay. James will probably open up to you, more than me. If I’m honest, I still feel like a bit of an outsider.”

  “He’ll get used to you. Give him time. He has a hard time letting people in, but he’ll come around. From the way you handle yourself and from what you’ve told me, I get the feeling he trusts you – though you can’t see it yet.

  “Look, if there’s anything you need, call me, day or night. If Hardy trusts you, I trust you.”

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  Lyle found her parking space beneath a large green magnolia tree whose blossoms had long since fallen. She checked her hair in the rear-view mirror. She was a redhead with blue eyes today; she was always a redhead when visiting Mother.

  She introduced herself to the receptionist as Kelly Allerton and waited in the seating area a few minutes before being taken to her mother’s room, where she found her in distress about someone or something that Lyle didn’t quite understand.

  In a soothing voice, Lyle comforted her, shushing her the way one would calm a child.

  “Your mother is a real sweetheart,” said the nurse. “We love her dearly. She does get like this from time to time. It seems she’s hoping
her husband, your father, will visit her soon and whisk her away for their honeymoon.”

  Lyle continued to stroke her mother’s hand. “He’s dead. Thank God,” she said. Without looking up, she said, “You can go now, Nurse.”

  The nurse shrugged, pulled a face, mouthed the word ‘bitch’ and left the room.

  Lyle called after her, “Shut the door behind you.”

  For the next long while, Lyle sat with her mother. She read to her, brushed her hair and told her stories about what she was doing, how well the business was doing. She asked her mother how well she was being treated, but it became clear her mother thought she was at boarding school, not a care facility.

  Kelly got out the photo album and they flicked through pictures together. Kelly pointed out photos of herself as a young girl with Mum and Dad holding hands and smiling.

  “There were some good times too,” she said, as much to herself as to her mother. “I remember this day; do you remember it? We went to the shops together and we both bought new dresses for the summer fair. That was a hot day – I remember you bought us both ice creams and they were melting all over our hands before we could eat them – we had to rush to finish them. Do you remember, Mum?”

  Kelly’s mother smiled at her and nodded. “I don’t like Melvyn. Not Melvyn,” she whispered.

  Kelly’s brow wrinkled. Who was Melvyn, and why didn’t her mother like her? She leaned in closer to ask the question, but her mother had drifted off again.

  Kelly sat and watched her mother while she slept. She was no longer the woman in the photos, the young mother full of joy. Things should have been different, for both of them.

  The door swung open and the room was filled by a big man carrying dinner.

  “Wake up, Mrs Allerton!” he boomed. “Your din-dins is here. Come on, wake up.” Then, not having noticed Kelly in the chair, he muttered, “You don’t want to sleep away what little time you have left, now, do you?” He stepped forward and gave a start as he noticed Kelly. “Hello there. Nobody told me that Mrs Allerton had a visitor today. Who might you be?”