The Secret Admirer: An absolutely gripping crime thriller (Detective Natalie Ward Book 6)

by Carol Wyer

  Dan didn’t reply immediately and she could imagine his strong face, brows drawn together as he considered her words. They’d got off to a rocky start when he’d taken over from Aileen Melody earlier that year, but she’d proven her mettle, and she knew he wouldn’t question her or attempt to dissuade her. He’d already discovered how determined she could be. ‘Okay. Good. I know you’ve been missed.’

  Dan had attended Leigh’s funeral and visited her at the flat on a couple of occasions to offer support. It was unlikely they’d become close friends but he appeared to have respect for her and that would suffice for now.

  ‘How soon do you want to return?’ he asked.

  ‘As soon as I’m needed.’

  ‘Noted. I’ll expect you Monday morning then.’

  ‘Sir.’

  She hung up and stared out of the window again. The rain had desisted and the picture outside was now clearer. She watched red taillights disappear into the distance. It was done. She’d followed Josh’s example and was getting her life back on track. Work would help her do that. She’d missed the camaraderie and her team: each individual who she’d come to know well, the challenges they faced together and the banter between them. Going back now was the right thing to do.

  Her phone buzzed. It was Josh.

  ‘Hi, Mum.’

  ‘Hi.’

  ‘I know I said I wanted to stay over next weekend but can I come tomorrow?’

  ‘Sure you can. Want me to pick you up?’

  ‘No, I’m working tomorrow. I’ll catch the bus. I’ll see you about six.’

  ‘Okay. Six it is. Josh, is everything okay?’

  His reluctance to respond was answer enough. Something was bothering him.

  ‘Want to talk about it?’

  ‘Maybe tomorrow.’

  ‘Okay.’ She knew better than to push her son. He’d matured rapidly over the last few months, and if he had issues he wished to discuss with her, he’d do that when he was ready.

  ‘See you,’ he said.

  ‘Love you,’ she replied with sincerity. She was proud of him and wanted him to know how much he meant to her. She wished she could tell Leigh the same: that she loved her with every fibre of her being. The phone screen went blank, leaving her lost for a second, then she placed it on the table and went to prepare the small spare room for Josh. It would keep her busy.

  An hour later, she’d cleaned the room, made up the sofa bed and showered. She was once more at a loose end, unable to settle to watch television and not tired enough to go to sleep. It was only coming up nine fifteen but she took a novel to bed and opened it. She was stuck on the first chapter, and although she’d read the first few paragraphs over and over again, she still didn’t know what they said. After a few attempts, she gave up and returned it to the bedside table, lay back against the pillow and stared at the water mark on the ceiling. It was the same most nights. She’d always had difficulties sleeping but now it was almost impossible to doze off. However, she wasn’t going to rely on medication to help her. She wasn’t going to become dependent on anything or anyone. What about Mike? With their relationship on hold, they’d had little chance to explore how they truly felt about each other. For now, Mike was a very good friend.

  She reached out and extinguished the light, then settled back once more. She’d rest her eyelids and hope she’d relax eventually. The trick was to make her mind go blank long enough to fool her brain into sleep. She imagined a dark tunnel and mentally plodded towards it. She concentrated on the darkness, moved deeper into the tunnel where there was nothing but blackness and no room for any other thoughts. Deeper and deeper she went, her limbs beginning to feel heavy and relaxed. She was drifting… then the ringing of her phone yanked her immediately back into full consciousness. She reached for the mobile and squinted at the screen. It was Dan Tasker.

  ‘Natalie, are you able to come back to work immediately?’

  ‘Sure.’ She was already halfway out of bed, waiting for instructions.

  ‘There’s been an acid attack on a young woman outside Samford University library.’

  ‘How bad is it?’

  ‘She died on-site. We’re not sure how exactly. Might have been a heart attack or shock, or the effect of the burns. We’ll have to see what the pathologist says. How do you feel about leading the investigation?’

  ‘I’m up to it.’

  ‘Then if you could meet me here outside the library, I’ll make sure your team are contacted and know what’s happening.’

  ‘I’ll be there in ten minutes.’

  She threw the phone onto the bed and rummaged in the wardrobe for appropriate clothes. Once she was dressed, she paused by the front door to her flat. Was it too soon to return to work? Was she capable of leading this investigation? She shook off the doubts. This was what she needed. It was what she was good at. But not always good enough. She hushed the nagging voice in her head and raced outside.

  Chapter Three

  Friday, 16 November – Late Evening

  Blue flashing lights bounced off the brown brick walls of the substantial building at one end of a pedestrian zone, now cordoned off. Police had moved away any onlookers, and the area was clear of anyone who wasn’t associated with the emergency services. Natalie explained who she was, and received a polite, ‘Ma’am.’ His eyes said more. She was well known – her face had been plastered across the newspapers along with dramatic headlines: LEADING DETECTIVE’S DAUGHTER MURDERED! She ducked under the police cordon. A tent and lights had been erected close to the library, and forensic staff were already sweeping the area near it. She spotted Dan in conversation with Mike at the foot of the library steps, and headed directly towards them.

  Mike gave her a small smile. ‘I heard you’re back in the saddle.’

  She nodded. There was no irritation in his voice that she hadn’t told him of her decision. He already knew she’d been considering returning and had been all for it…

  She lifts the glass of wine to her lips. It’s the first glass she’s drunk in three months and it tastes sour to her palate. The pub is quiet and Mike has brought her out to remind her that the world is still turning and that she continues to hold a place in it. His eyes are trained on her – bright, keen eyes that ooze empathy and understanding. He has a five-year-old daughter who he loves with all his heart and who he only gets to see now and again. He comprehends some of the pain she’s been experiencing and has been her rock the last few weeks. He places his pint glass on the stained cardboard beer mat advertising a Christmas special beer, and speaks.

  ‘It’s been the shittiest time for you but if you don’t get back to work soon, you’ll forget who you are.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  He sighs. ‘I don’t want to be rude but you’re changing, withdrawing into yourself a little more, day by day. I’m worried that if you don’t go back soon, you’ll not be able to.’

  She looks down. He’s hit the nail on the head. She’s fully aware that she’s been putting off the return to work. Dan told her to take as much time as she required, and to start with she’d needed it, but now she’s finding herself wasting time, walking around shops, staring at clothes that Leigh would have loved, or spending time at the cemetery, simply sitting by her grave. She knows why, too. If she’d worked out who’d been behind the Blossom Twins abductions and murders earlier, she would have saved her daughter’s life. The killer had been under her nose all the time.

  Mike reads her mind. ‘It wasn’t your fault. Even Tasker read him wrong. He fooled us all.’ He knows better than to mention the man who killed her daughter and Zoe by name. She never wants to hear it spoken again. The killer is behind bars, but in her book that isn’t punishment enough for the pain he’s inflicted on them all, and on all the other families whose children he murdered before Leigh and Zoe. He slaughtered nine girls in total – nine youngsters whose lives were cut short and whose families would forever live with the loss.

  ‘I was leading the investigation.
’

  ‘If it hadn’t been for your observational skills, we might never have found him.’

  ‘By then, it was too late, Mike.’

  ‘I know. You paid too hefty a price, but you did absolutely nothing wrong. You worked the facts and got the result, in record time. You are a brilliant detective. If you are having doubts about that, put them aside immediately.’

  She offers him a faint smile. ‘You know me too well.’

  ‘No, I’m only beginning to know you well. Give me time.’

  ‘I’m not sure I’m up to heading another murder investigation, Mike. I’m scared I’ll screw up again.’

  ‘You didn’t screw up, so you can forget that argument.’

  ‘I’ve lost my self-belief. Maybe it’s time for me to hang up my hat and try my hand at something else.’

  ‘Like what?’

  ‘I don’t know.’

  ‘Natalie, you’ve only ever been in policing. You have made your way up the ranks. You work at one of the most prestigious headquarters in the UK, and you are there because you are one of the best. If you weren’t any good at your job, you’d have been asked to step down. The psychiatrist has passed you fit for duty. Tasker wants you back. Your team want you back and you… well, you need to get involved in another case. Get your teeth into something that gives you a feeling of self-worth. It’s the only way.’

  She raises the glass to her lips again, sips the wine, and then lifts her beer mat up, bringing with it a particular smell of malt or stale beer. ‘If this mat lands picture up I’ll retire and look for something else to do. If it lands brand name up, I’ll go back to HQ. The universe can decide.’ She balances the mat on its side and spins it. It turns on its axis and falls. The beer logo is visible. ‘Looks like you and the beer mat have spoken.’

  The corners of his eyes crease charmingly as he smiles. ‘I think you’ll benefit from returning, and besides, the universe is always right.’

  ‘I’ll give it a little more thought then ring Dan.’

  Her hand is on the table and he folds his own over it, squeezing it gently. ‘That’s my girl,’ he says.

  ‘Good to have you back.’ Dan’s soft Welsh accent dripped like melted honey and he gave her a smile.

  She wasn’t fooled by his warmth. It could be turned off in an instant when things didn’t go his way. She acknowledged him with a respectful, ‘Sir,’ and waited for further information.

  ‘The victim is nineteen-year-old Gemma Barnes. According to the ID found in her bag, she was a language student here at the university. Nobody appears to have witnessed the attack; however, we can assume it happened sometime around seven thirty when her body was discovered.’ He handed a plastic evidence bag containing the girl’s university pass to her. The headshot showed Gemma to be a blue-eyed, fair-haired beauty with high cheekbones, full lips and a happy smile.

  ‘Who found her?’ Natalie asked.

  ‘One of the lecturers – Dr Alex Fletcher, a scientist. She usually cycles this route home. She alerted the emergency services. She is positive Gemma was alive when she came across her, but by the time the paramedics arrived, she had died.’

  ‘Have her parents been informed?’ Natalie wasn’t sure she was ready to break such dreadful news to a parent. That might be one step too far too soon.

  ‘That’s all in hand. Your team have been notified and are on their way, and Pinkney Watson is inside the tent, examining the victim. I’ll leave you to it, but if you need to run anything past me or talk to me at any time, you only have to give me a ring or pop upstairs.’

  ‘Thank you, sir.’

  Dan gave a swift nod and then departed, leaving her with Mike.

  ‘Well done,’ he said.

  ‘What for?’

  ‘Making the right decision.’

  ‘Thanks for helping me choose it. I’m still not sure though. Only time will tell if it was the right one or not. This feels… well, you understand.’

  ‘It’s bound to feel strange. You’ll soon find your feet again. You need this, Nat, and it is the right decision.’

  She held his gaze, drawing on his strength. She hadn’t understood how much she needed his friendship and support until that moment. Being here reminded her of the last time they’d been together at a crime scene – her daughter’s. She swallowed hard. ‘Okay, what can you tell me?’

  ‘Victim was found lying curled up on her right side here, though her bag, containing books, laptop and notes, was over there,’ he said, pointing to a marker about a metre from the tent. ‘There are scuff marks on the knees of her jeans and particles of what appears to be sand, which are also on the back of her coat.’

  ‘And the woman who found her?’

  ‘Dr Fletcher. She’s inside the library with an officer. She saw Gemma on the ground and stopped to ask if she was all right. She immediately realised what had happened and threw the remains of her bottle of water over Gemma’s face to wash off the acid before checking for a pulse. She rang emergency services as she raced into the library for more water and to get help. By the time she returned, it was too late. Gemma had died.’

  Acid attacks were becoming increasingly common in the UK but this was the first Natalie had dealt with. ‘Were there were no witnesses to the attack?’

  ‘None, and there’s no CCTV footage because the camera is out. It’s been broken for about a month and they’re waiting for it to be repaired. Apparently, there’s a lack of funds for such work. Even though it can be accessed by members of the public, the library is on university land.’

  Natalie stared at the imposing building. There were several windows overlooking the area. ‘Nobody inside saw a thing?’

  ‘No one’s spoken up yet, although we’ve taken all their names and contact details for you to try them again. I’ve been inside; the windows are quite high and workstations are positioned in the middle or far end of each room. It’s unlikely anybody would have noticed a fracas outside.’

  ‘But surely they would have heard screams?’

  ‘It’s an old building with thick walls, and surprisingly soundproof.’

  ‘Damn! What about any evidence out here?’

  ‘Nothing much to help us. Apart from Gemma’s bag we haven’t got a lot else. We also haven’t found the container the acid was in. It’s possible the assailant took it with them.’

  ‘Or dumped it nearby.’

  ‘We’ll certainly be searching for it.’

  Natalie looked about. The nearest car park was to the rear of the building. ‘How did she get here? Drive? Walk?’

  ‘I assume she doesn’t own a vehicle because there were no car keys in her bag or driving licence in her purse. Chances are she walked, got a lift or caught the bus that passes through campus.’

  ‘I’ll check that out. Anything else?’

  ‘We’ve sent her laptop and mobile to the lab. There was a message on it that she answered at seven fifteen. Her mother sent it. There doesn’t seem to be an entry for “Dad”, if that helps.’

  ‘Single-parent family, then?’

  ‘Seems that way.’

  Natalie nodded. ‘I’m ready to see her.’

  ‘Are you sure? She’s not a pretty sight.’

  ‘I’ve seen victims before.’

  His face grew even more serious. ‘It’s only been three months. I want you to be absolutely certain you are fine about this. There are other cases, other people. What I’m saying is, you don’t have to take on this investigation if you’re not ready to.’

  ‘I understand you’re trying to protect me. I have to do this. It’s my job.’ She inhaled deeply, squared her shoulders and prepared to move away.

  He quickly squeezed her hand. ‘I need to warn you… it’s bad. Her skin has melted in parts and some of her cheekbone has dissolved.’

  ‘It’s okay, Mike. I can do this.’ Can you?

  ‘We’ve yet to identify the acid. Could be sulphuric, nitric or hydrochloric.’

  ‘And all are readily available. H
ave you any thoughts on who might have carried out the attack?’

  He shrugged. ‘Too many options. It could have been executed for any number of reasons: anger at being sexually rejected, jealousy, personal conflict.’

  It would only be by learning about the girl that Natalie would be able to work out why she’d been harmed this way. As she studied the area again, she caught sight of two members of her team – DS Murray Anderson and DS Lucy Carmichael. They were close friends and colleagues, having known each other for years, way before they both joined the force and ended up together at Samford. Murray was married to Lucy’s best friend, Yolande, and had even donated sperm in order that Lucy and her partner, Bethany, could become parents. Baby Aurora had been born two months earlier. Natalie had not yet managed to visit the child, who had come into the world at a time when Natalie was struggling with the fact her own daughter had left it.

  Her heartbeat sped up and for a moment, she didn’t know how to act or what to say. Murray had been on leave in Australia when Leigh had been murdered, but he had returned for the funeral. She’d hardly spoken to him since then, and even though both Murray and Lucy knew she was now living close to headquarters, they hadn’t dropped by to visit her, although they’d rung her on occasion. She hoped this wouldn’t be awkward. She was in charge of this investigation and had to be seen to be strong and efficient. You can do this. Deep breath. She prepared to greet them as she would have done had she not been absent the last few months. She needn’t have worried. They’d obviously decided the same.

  ‘Hi, Natalie. Good to be working with you again,’ said Murray in a matter-of-fact manner that was accompanied by a warm smile.

  ‘Thanks, Murray.’

  Lucy, only slightly shorter than her colleague, who was over six foot and wide-shouldered, gave her a nod and said, ‘Me too. I’m really glad you’re back. We know how hard it’s been for you—’

  Natalie stopped her with a small shake of her head. She didn’t want to make this difficult for her team. They’d suffered alongside her and understood the depth of her despair, but now she was their boss again and had to show she could still command with clear-headed thinking. ‘Thank you.’ She paused, wondering if she should say more, then decided it would be superfluous and they were all here to focus on the investigation. ‘We have an acid attack victim, Gemma Barnes, a student here at the university. At the moment we don’t know why she was attacked. Murray, would you talk to Dr Alex Fletcher? She found Gemma and is waiting inside the library. And find out which officer took statements from everyone who was in the library at the time of the attack. We’ll want to talk to those people again, even if they think they saw or heard nothing. I’m about to take a look at Gemma.’