Down to Sleep

by Clare Revell

  20

  Zander eased onto the wall next to Isabel. The sun had vanished behind threatening overcast clouds. He put a gentle hand on her shoulder to let her know he was there, and then sat until she calmed down enough to look up. He held out his hanky. “Here, it’s clean.”

  Isabel took it. “Thanks.” She wiped her eyes and blew her nose.

  “And yes, it’s the only reason blokes carry the things. To give them to crying women so they can wash and iron them.”

  “That’s what I figured.” She sniffed and slid the hanky into her pocket.

  He glanced at her. “Your mascara has run everywhere.”

  “It’s a new fashion—panda eyes.”

  His hand rested on hers. “Whatever the hospital said, we’ll deal with it.”

  “I’m fine. The results are clear. Just waiting on the HIV ones.”

  He hugged her, relieved and pleased. “Then why all the tears?”

  “Relief, I guess. Thought I would die or something.”

  “Not for a long time.” He paused. “Are you hungry?”

  “Not really. Why?”

  “I am and it’s getting near lunchtime.”

  She shook her head, a smile hovering over her lips. “You’re always hungry.”

  “Rude. Anyway, I figured we’d go to the Three Sixteen, grab some lunch, a pot of tea in your case. We could see if Pastor Carson or Pastor Jack is there.”

  She nodded. “Tea does sound good.”

  He led her over to the car, bringing her up to speed on the post-mortem results.

  “Nothing new there, then,” she grumped.

  “Nope.” Zander sighed. “The Guv won’t be happy. Three murders and nothing to go on.”

  Isabel snorted.

  He looked at her curiously. “What?”

  “Sorry. That reminds me of a really, really bad Christmas cracker joke.”

  Zander unlocked the car. “Do I want to know?”

  She grinned. “I don’t know. Do you?”

  He got in the car as it began raining and waited until she’d shut her door. “Go on. You can’t leave me on tenterhooks all day long.”

  Isabel kept her face straight. “There was a break in at the local nick. All the toilets were stolen. The police had nothing to go on.” She laughed as he groaned.

  He shook his head. “That is terrible. Even by cracker standards.”

  “Yeah, well, I did warn you.”

  Zander started the car and switched the headlights on, as rain pounded against the windscreen.

  “And I left my umbrella at home this morning.” She wrapped her arms around her middle as Zander began to drive.

  “There’s one in the car door, but I’ll drop you outside the café and then go and park. Unless it eases off, in which case I’ll use the umbrella and you can get wet.”

  “You are so kind, partner.”

  He chuckled. “Just doing what I do best.”

  Of course, it didn’t stop raining. If anything, it was falling harder than when they’d left. As Zander pulled over outside the Three Sixteen, a huge flash of lightning split the sky. Thunder followed swiftly as Isabel opened her door. “Don’t be long and try not to drown.”

  He found a place to park and paid via the parking app on his phone. He pulled up his coat collar and tugged the umbrella from its secure spot in the driver’s door. Then he headed back to the café. The thunder was closer now. A typical sudden, but severe, summer storm. Pushing open the door to the Three Sixteen, Zander noticed Isabel sitting at a corner table. He closed the umbrella, shaking it outside, and then headed over to her.

  Isabel smiled. “Oh, look. It’s a drowned rat. I got you coffee and pie and mash. Hope that’s all right.”

  He hung his coat over the back of his chair. “Sounds wonderful. Thank you.” Just as he sat down, the food arrived. “Perfect timing, Brit. Thank you.”

  Brit put the plates down. “You’re welcome. Enjoy.”

  Zander nodded at Isabel. “I see you decided to eat as well.”

  “Only so you’d stop moaning at me all afternoon. I was going to have the tea cake, but then I saw this on the menu. Bacon, egg, and chips.”

  “No one can resist bacon,” he said. “Want me to say grace?”

  “Please.”

  Zander did so. He then grabbed the ketchup and shook a large dollop onto the side of his plate. “Have you spoken to Pastor Carson yet?”

  “No. I don’t know who he is.”

  How stupid of him. “Of course not. Sorry. He’s sat right over there. Jet black hair, plaid shirt, and jeans.”

  Isabel glanced across the room. “He doesn’t look like a pastor.”

  Zander grinned, cutting into the meat pie. “He preached in his biker leathers on Sunday.”

  Isabel choked. “Seriously?”

  He nodded. “Very seriously.” He caught Pastor Carson’s gaze and nodded slightly.

  The man rose and crossed over to them. “Mind if I join you for a moment?”

  “Not at all.” Zander rose, smiled, and offered a hand. “This is my partner, Isabel York. Isabel, this is Pastor Carson Armitage, one of the co-pastors at Headley Baptist.”

  “Nice to finally meet you.” Pastor Carson shook hands with them both, and then sat. “I’m really sorry for your loss, Miss York. However, our loss is heaven’s gain.”

  Isabel inclined her head slightly, biting her bottom lip.

  “I rang Pastor Carson last night,” Zander said. “Said we’d meet him here at some point over lunch.”

  “Ah,” she said quietly. “We weren’t technically family, but Gran…” She swallowed hard. “We only had each other.”

  “She spoke about you a lot,” Pastor Carson said. “It was obvious to everyone how much you meant to her. She referred to you as the granddaughter she never had and was always praying for you.”

  Isabel’s eyes glistened. “She was the only one who was there. I had no one growing up, and now I’m alone again.”

  Zander touched her hand gently. “Never alone, Isabel. You have God and you have me.”

  Pastor Carson nodded. “I won’t interrupt your lunch anymore. How about you come over to the manse this evening, about six-thirty or so? You can meet my wife and we can make the funeral arrangements.”

  “Sounds good,” she whispered.

  Pastor Carson nodded and left them.

  Isabel pushed the plate away. She picked up her cup and sipped the hot liquid.

  “I’ll take you tonight.” Zander resumed eating, not willing to push her into eating if she didn’t want to this time.

  “I thought you had a date with Rosa tonight.”

  “I do, but not until later. We have time for this first.”

  “It’s fine. I can figure out buses.”

  Zander shook his head. “I’m taking you. End of.”

  “OK. Thank you.”

  He frowned. She’d just backed down again. How many times did he have to tell her not to do that? He shook more ketchup onto his plate and smeared some over the mash. “This is good.”

  “How’s your revision going?” She picked up a piece of her bacon and nibbled it.

  “Slowly.” He cut the pie and stabbed it with the fork. “I think I know most stuff, but there’s a few bits I keep tripping over.”

  “Such as?”

  He winked. “Stuff left in the middle of the floor, mostly.”

  She groaned.

  Zander chuckled. “No, it’s always the same material. I don’t agree with the policy is the problem.”

  “Then ask DS Philips. He’d know. Besides, you don’t have to get a hundred percent to pass, do you?”

  “No.” Zander glanced up as Rosa sashayed into the café. There was a man with her. No great surprise. He had wondered for a while if she’d been cheating on him. Of course, this could be an innocent work lunch—like the one he was on with Isabel. Then again, it might not be. Either way, he wasn’t letting her go unnoticed. He raised a hand.

  Ros
a crossed the room to them. Colour pinked her cheeks; her eyes were wide in surprise, and something else. “Zander, I wasn’t expecting to see you. This is Phil, from work.”

  Zander stood and held out a hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Zander, Rosa’s boyfriend. This is my work partner, Isabel. Would you like to join us?”

  Rosa’s face said no. Her eyes glittered and her mouth had that set look that meant inside she was fuming.

  “Sounds good. Rosa, I’ll go and order for the both of us.”

  Rosa sat; her expression even more thunderous than just now.

  Zander couldn’t help but enjoy the moment. He had no idea what she was playing at, but now he doubted it was a friendly colleague lunch.

  Rosa gave Isabel a pointed look before turning to Zander. “Is this a working lunch?” she asked icily.

  “Just as yours is,” he replied. “It’s been a long morning, and we needed out of the office.”

  “Same,” Rosa snapped. “And out of the staff room for a change.” She untied her hair, letting it fall loose over her shoulders. It was the same deep brown as Isabel’s. “It’s been a really long morning. Need to be back by one fifteen and won’t be finished until at least seven as I have paperwork to do tonight.”

  Zander nodded. “That’s fine. Isabel has a meeting at six-thirty, and I said I’d go with her.”

  Rosa’s eyes shone with jealousy and anger. “I see.”

  Zander’s hackles rose. “She just lost her grandmother. She has to arrange the funeral. She needs some support.”

  Phil came back and plunked down. “It won’t be long.”

  “What year do you teach, Rosa?” Isabel asked.

  “Year six. Phil teaches year one.”

  “Year six is eleven-year-olds, right?”

  “Ten to eleven, yeah. I do all the lessons. It’s hard work. So that’s maths, English, a bit of geography, history, art, and music. Along with PE. Our topic next term is people who help us. Perhaps you and Zander should come in for an hour or so. The kids would love it.”

  Isabel nodded. “Sounds fun. What do you think, Zander?”

  “Yeah,” he grumped. “I’ll check with the Guv, but don’t see why not. Work permitting.”

  “If you have time to eat…” Rosa began.

  Zander shut her up with a glare. The effort to be polite was wearing thin. She knew exactly what he meant.

  Brit arrived with two plates of food which she set in front of Rosa and Phil. “Can I get you anything else, Zander?”

  Zander shook his head, finishing his meal. “No, thanks. That was delicious. Compliments to the chef.”

  Brit took his empty plate. “Thank you. I’ll let him know.”

  “So, Isabel,” Rosa said pointedly. “Do you have a boyfriend?”

  “No.” Isabel stared at Rosa. “You do know there is no reason to feel threatened by me, don’t you?”

  “Excuse me?” Rosa stuttered.

  “Zander is my work partner, nothing more. I’m not in the market for a boyfriend, now or ever. The way Zander puts our relationship is partners are like family. So, to all intents and purposes, I’m his kid sister. Nothing more.”

  Zander tried not to smirk as he listened.

  “I don’t own a car,” Isabel continued. “Actually, I can’t drive. So, if he gives me a lift now and again, it’s because the buses don’t go where I need to be, or it’s too far to walk. Tonight, he’s helping me choose hymns for Gran’s funeral. Besides, he really isn’t my type.”

  Zander did a double take. “Huh?”

  Rosa tilted her head, fork poised above her salad. “He isn’t?”

  “Nope.” Isabel’s eyes twinkled. “He wears a pink tie, and I’m allergic to pink.”

  Rosa looked at her. “He sees you more than me and…”

  “It’s fine. Honestly, as cute as he is, he’s taken. Thus, off limits big time.”

  Zander pulled off his tie. Should he be hurt by all this or was she just proving a point? Who understood women even in the slightest? “Better?” he asked Rosa.

  Phil eyed them all but tucked into his food without comment.

  Isabel’s phone beeped. She pulled it out of her handbag. “We have to go. We’re needed back at the station.”

  Zander stood and followed her outside, glad it had stopped raining. “Is the tie that bad?”

  She shook her head. “No, put it back on. She just needed to know I wasn’t setting my cap at you.”

  “Hmmm.” Not convinced, he put the tie back on. “I parked down the road.”

  “Anyway,” Isabel said as they walked. “What’s going on between her and this Phil bloke? Talk about heat.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Something’s going on. She didn’t want to sit with us, wasn’t pleased to see you, and I know she hadn’t intended to play footsie with me the whole time.”

  His heart sank. “You picked up on that the same as I did.”

  “Well, I am a detective,” she deadpanned. “It’s my job to notice things. Just out of interest, what school does she work at?”

  Zander stopped dead. “Newgate Primary.”

  Isabel held his gaze. “Have you asked her if she knew Iona and Ashlyn?”

  “No.” His throat closed, and his stomach pitted. He should have done. That should have been the first thing he’d done. “How old were those kids?”

  “The triplets are eleven. They’d be in year six. Rosa’s class…”

  Zander spun around, heading back to the Three Sixteen. He pushed the door open, trusting Isabel to follow him. He sat down uninvited next to Rosa. “We need to talk.”

  “What now, Zander? We’re trying to have lunch.”

  “I can see that.” He wasn’t fooled. He’d seen the adoring look and hands touching moments before he’d reached them. He waited until Isabel sat down before speaking. “This is work. If you want, we can take you to the station and have this conversation there.”

  “What have I done?”

  Isabel pulled out her notebook. “Do you know Sebastian, Oscar, and Michael Winter?”

  “Yes. They’re in my class.”

  “And their nanny, Ashlyn Oakley? How well do you know her?”

  “Not that well. She collects the boys and brings them in the morning. Usually. She hasn’t the past couple of days.”

  “Do you have much contact with her?”

  “No, not really. She doesn’t come to parents evening. The boys weren’t in school this morning. A death in the family or something.” She paused. “Is this anything to do with the uniformed patrol outside the gates?”

  Zander nodded curtly. “Ashlyn Oakley was murdered by the same man who killed your school cleaner, Iona Kevane.”

  Colour drained from Rosa’s face. “Is this the case you’re working all hours on?”

  “Yes.” He pulled up the sketch artist image on his phone. “Have you seen this man outside the school at all?”

  Both Rosa and Phil shook their heads. “No.”

  Phil squeezed Rosa’s hand.

  Zander frowned. “If you do, call for assistance immediately. And if you remember anything that might be important, let me know.”

  “Does the head know?”

  “Yes. I spoke to her yesterday.”

  “She said nothing to me.” She glanced at her watch. “We should go back, catch her before class starts.”

  Zander stood. Normally he’d kiss her goodbye, but he wasn’t sure that was wholly appropriate, given the looks she and Phil were giving each other. In the end he settled for a curt, “I’ll give you a call,” then headed out into the damp street with Isabel.

  21

  Despite having the weekend off while Zander took the on call, Isabel spent the Saturday working. She pored over her notes, trying to make a proper connection between the three victims and failed. She could understand the Guv’s frustration—she was more than a little exasperated herself—if not downright discouraged. Maybe she wasn’t cut out for this type of work. Perha
ps her brain was more suited to uniform or traffic duty than this. But she guessed even the Guv had days when he wanted to jack it all in and do something totally different. Besides, any new job took a while to settle in to.

  Sunday morning came, and she decided to finally try Zander’s church. It seemed only fair as Gran’s funeral was planned there for this coming week. Pastor Carson had helped her arrange everything—including the burial—as she didn’t know where to start.

  Isabel caught the bus, arriving ten minutes before the morning service began. She found a seat near the back. That way she could follow everyone else. It also meant she could people watch. Find out what kind of a congregation attended this chapel. She wouldn’t say church. The church wasn’t the building; it was the people who made up the congregation.

  The Guv sat near the front, angled towards a pretty blonde woman she assumed was his wife. Their conversation was mainly in sign language. She had no idea his wife was deaf. DS Philips went by her, his wife and daughters by his side. The girls squeezed past DI Holmes to sit with his family. Mrs. Philips eased into a chair, resting her hand on her very pregnant belly. Her husband propped a cushion behind her.

  Zander dropped into the chair beside her. “Hello, stranger. Can’t stay away from me, huh? Should I arrest you for stalking?”

  She smirked. “I’d like to see you try, Zander. Is Rosa not with you?”

  “She’s visiting her parents this weekend. At least, that’s what she told me.” He nodded to the service sheet in her hand. “We stand for the hymns and sit for everything else.”

  She nodded. It sounded simple enough. “The last church I went to stood for everything. Including the sermon.”

  “Not here.”

  The service began. It was as easy to follow as Zander promised.

  The children left for their age-related classes after a part of the service aimed directly at them.

  The silent phone in front of Zander lit up during the Bible reading. He grabbed it and read the message. He leaned into Isabel. “Work. I have to go, see what they want.”

  “Need me to go with?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “I’ll only hand the case over in the morning anyway.” He rose and slipped out.