Dead Secret

by Noelle Holten

  Ronnie shook her head and tucked her legs underneath her. She looked visibly upset to Lucy.

  ‘Mark, maybe this isn’t such a good idea.’ Lucy frowned. She didn’t want Ronnie to feel pressured and close up completely.

  ‘Do you want to stop?’ Mark spoke slowly.

  The woman nodded and held out her phone.

  ‘I’m sorry.’

  She stood, took her tea, and walked to the window where she turned her back to the pair and looked out.

  ‘It’s too soon, Mark. Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked you to do this. Maybe she’s uncomfortable because you’re a man? Have you had any luck with the Misper Unit?’ Lucy had asked Mark to speak to Missing Persons before he dropped around, to see if anyone had reported the young woman missing.

  ‘Nothing so far, but I asked them to call me and gave them a description from what you had told me that first night, to see if anyone matching Ronnie’s description was reported. Now that we have a first name, that might narrow things down a bit.’ Mark leaned back and rubbed his eyes.

  ‘Are you okay? You don’t look too well.’ Lucy frowned.

  ‘I just feel a bit dizzy. The joys of diabetes. Do you have any juice – a small glass should do.’ Sweat formed on his brow.

  ‘Uh yeah. I’ll be back in a moment.’ Lucy was in and out of the kitchen as fast as she could, passing Mark the glass and looking over him like a worried mother. ‘Are you sure you’re okay? Where’s all your kit?’

  ‘My travel cooler is in the boot of my car.’ The colour returned to Mark’s face.

  ‘Well what good is it in there? Shouldn’t you have it closer to hand when you’re driving?’

  ‘I usually do, but I just threw everything in the boot on my way here.’ Mark pointed to the woman. ‘Do you think she’s going to be okay? My presence seems to be upsetting her – whether that’s because I am a police officer, a man, or both.’ Lucy could tell he was uncomfortable talking about his diabetes with her, as he swiftly tried to change the subject.

  ‘She’ll be fine. I’ll make sure of it. Thanks for stopping by. Will you be okay going now? You are more than welcome to wait until you are feeling a bit better. There’s no rush.’

  Mark looked at his watch. ‘I have to get back to the station anyway. Just gimme a shout if she tells you anything more. I’ll try and check in with you later.’

  Lucy walked him to the door, and Mark squeezed her hand on the way out. ‘See you later.’

  She smiled. ‘Be careful – pull over if you need to,’ she called after him and he waved back before she closed the door.

  Ronnie was sitting down in the big chair again. She stared blankly, and Lucy knew that she wasn’t going to get all the answers she needed to find out this woman’s identity. But that wasn’t going to stop her from trying.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  ‘Grab your coat, Maggie, you’re with me,’ Nathan called out from his office before returning to whoever he had on the phone.

  Maggie had been inputting her information on the system; she looked at Bethany and shrugged. Kat had been sent out to an allotment that was owned by DCI Hastings when she had arrived in to work, so it was just Maggie and Bethany in the office today. She grabbed her coat off the back of her chair and waited outside Nathan’s door. Once he hung up on whoever he’d been speaking to, he motioned for her to come into his office.

  ‘What’s happening?’ She was just about to sit down when the look on Nathan’s face told her that it would be a waste of time.

  ‘That,’ he pointed to the phone, ‘was a call about the allotment I sent Kat to this morning.’

  Maggie didn’t interrupt.

  ‘They found a body and believe it could be Mrs Hastings. Dr Blake is on her way there. I asked Kat to speak to anyone on site and do some door-to-door enquiries in the surrounding area. DI Rutherford is there as the SIO – she wants us to attend immediately. We’ll have to postpone the press conference …’

  ‘What the hell is going on!?’ Maggie struggled to believe that their DCI would be a part of what had happened, but in situations like this, she knew that usually a close family member was involved. She shook the thought away – the DCI was missing, and Maggie needed to focus her attention on that instead of thinking the worst.

  Nathan grabbed his keys and Maggie followed him to his car. ‘Off the record, what do you make of all this?’ She turned to Nathan, hoping he may have some logical explanation that would make her own thoughts seem ridiculous.

  He shrugged as he reversed out of the car park. ‘At the moment, it’s not looking good. DI Rutherford shared some things with me in confidence and when you take that information and put it together with where we are heading now,’ he paused to let the information sink in, ‘it presents like Hastings had some sort of breakdown and his family is in danger.’ Nathan’s forehead creased as he focused on the road.

  ‘What did Rutherford tell you?’ Maggie understood that Nathan and Rutherford would have information not available to the whole team immediately, but it didn’t mean she wouldn’t ask him to share. If the details would paint a picture to explain what they were heading to, she thought the team needed to know everything.

  ‘I can’t say at the minute. I’m sorry, I probably shouldn’t have even said that much. I’m sure the guv has her reasons for keeping this information back and will share it when the time is right. Just a heads-up, another small team may be coming in to join us if Hastings is involved in any of this. Before you get all territorial, just remember we’ll need the help. It’s not because we aren’t capable.’ His brows furrowed. ‘And before you throw a strop, I’m warning you not to push me on this.’

  ‘Fine.’ She huffed. ‘I hope for all our sakes that keeping important details to yourselves doesn’t impact on the investigation negatively then.’ The last point was a little out of order but sometimes Maggie couldn’t help herself – and she knew she wasn’t wrong. Every bit of information could be key to moving a case forward and she wouldn’t apologize for challenging her superiors, as they would do the same if the tables were turned.

  ‘Like I said, Rutherford will tell us all in due course, if need be. Right, that’s the allotment on the left. You jump out here and get suited, signed in, and I’ll meet you in there. Just got to find somewhere to park.’

  The street was lined with cars and there was no way to drive right in. Maggie jumped out and made her way over to the forensics van. She grabbed a forensics suit and put it on. The crime scene manager was just beyond the fence and she signed in before heading towards the cordoned off area.

  There was a shed with its double doors open. Maggie stepped underneath the cordon and greeted DI Rutherford.

  ‘Where’s Nathan?’ Rutherford’s response was curt.

  ‘Just parking the car, guv. What’s happened here?’ Maggie looked past her boss at Dr Blake, who was examining the victim.

  ‘Although we still need a formal ID, I’m pretty certain that’s DCI Hastings’s wife, Sophia. I met her a few times at different events. She’s been beaten pretty badly. I’ll let Dr Blake fill you in while I go and speak to Nathan.’ DI Rutherford waved and Maggie looked over her shoulder as Nathan approached.

  ‘Okay. Thanks.’ Stepping into the shed, Maggie looked around. There was a small worktable along the right side with various tools on it. The usual pots and soil were underneath the table and neatly stacked along the wall. A small summer table and chairs were set up on the left side of the room with a double-seater couch against the back wall. It was like a home away from home. It must be where Mrs Hastings would escape to when she needed a bit of peace and quiet. There was a definite feminine touch to the set up. The victim was posed awkwardly on the double seater, and Maggie waited while Dr Blake did her thing.

  ‘Is that you, Maggie?’ Dr Blake called out without even turning around.

  ‘Yep. How’d you know?’

  ‘I recognize the smell of that ghastly shampoo you use. Are you just going to stand there, or wo
uld you like to know what I found so far?’

  Maggie brushed by Charlie, the forensic assistant, and stood beside Dr Blake. ‘What do we know so far then?’ She was tempted to add her own snark into the mix, but that wouldn’t help with what they were dealing with.

  ‘Female. I’d estimate she’s between fifty-five and sixty-five years old. Feet bound tightly – the skin beneath has been broken. Looks like some sort of garden wire was used to tie the hands as well. See the cuts? She must have tried to wriggle out of these, but the more she tried, the deeper the wire cut into the skin. If I had to guess, I’d say she was killed shortly after we discovered Hastings and his family were missing – though I can’t be more specific than that. She was badly beaten before those garden shears were rammed forcefully into her neck. There are multiple stab wounds on her chest and stomach, but these look superficial. Don’t quote me on that though – the post-mortem will tell us more.’ Dr Blake leaned forwards and gently prised open the victim’s mouth. ‘If you look closely, you’ll see there is something pushed into her throat. Once I get her back to the lab, I’ll have more information for you. That’s it, any questions?’

  Maggie leaned in and looked in the victim’s mouth. It looked like a ball of paper had been shoved in. She stood back. ‘Do you think this is where she was killed? Or was she placed here after death?’

  ‘Given the blood soaked into this couch, I’d say she was probably brought here alive and then killed.’ She pointed to the floor. ‘You see that dirt swirled about from the entrance to here? I think it’s possible that she walked in on her own. She may have fought against it – or there were two people with her. If there’s nothing else, I’m going to head back to the lab while my team finish up.’

  She removed her gloves. ‘Make sure you bag her hands and feet, Charlie.’

  Dr Blake stood and looked at Maggie. ‘So, is there anything else?’

  ‘Uh … No. Thanks for that.’ The crime scene investigators were documenting and processing the scene for fingerprints and trace evidence. ‘Do you mind if I shadow some of your team?’ Maggie queried Dr Blake before she exited the shed.

  ‘Knock yourself out – but please don’t get in their way. I know what you can be like.’

  Maggie rolled her eyes as she turned and chose one of the forensics team to follow. She avoided Charlie after the awkwardness from the last case they worked on together, plus he was busy following Dr Blake’s last instructions. Small mercies.

  Maggie took out her notebook so she could jot down the pertinent points. Reports from other agencies were useful but you often didn’t get a full sense of what occurred at a crime scene unless you had those key elements – the who, what, when, why, and how. The essence of those aspects was often missing and could only be experienced first-hand.

  The crime scene officers would be recording a scene description that included the weather, location type and condition, major structures, identification of transient and conditional evidence – especially points of entry, containers holding evidence of recent activities (ashtrays, trash cans, et cetera), clothing, furniture, and weapons present, so she didn’t need to note any of that down. What she did note down was the damp feel to the room – how the victim must have been terrified despite being in a place she often came to for comfort.

  They’d also record the victim description. The position of the body, lividity, wounds, clothing, jewellery, and whether identification was present or absent. In this case, they were all pretty confident that the murdered woman was Sophia Hastings; however, this still would need to be confirmed by the lab.

  When Maggie looked at the body once more, she noticed the blood pooling on the furniture and splashes on the wall in all directions. It seemed like a frenzied attack. Personal. She noted her thoughts down.

  Maggie observed the scene was being photographed and from that, the police would be getting a true and accurate pictorial record of the death scene and physical evidence present. The scene and body were photographed before anything was moved or removed.

  Maggie turned and headed out of the shed to where her superiors were huddled talking amongst themselves. As Maggie approached, the pair stopped talking.

  ‘What’s the big secret?’ Maggie smiled.

  ‘What have you found?’ Nathan’s tone made it clear to Maggie that this was a conversation she would not be a part of.

  ‘Dr Blake thinks the victim was killed shortly after being abducted, based on the premise that it is Sophia Hastings, of course, but everything seems to suggest it is. Looks like the murder was committed here, rather than at the house. It was pretty brutal, Nathan. She was beaten, stabbed repeatedly in the torso, and finally stabbed in the neck. There was something personal about this – I can feel it.’

  ‘That mirrors my exact thoughts.’ DI Rutherford looked to the sky. ‘What the hell is going on and where are you, Hastings?!’ She shook her hands.

  Maggie knew that was a rhetorical question, so waited before she asked a few questions of her own. ‘What motivation would DCI Hastings have for abducting and killing his wife?’

  ‘I was just filling Nathan in on some information that has come to light. I’ll save the majority of details that I can share for our briefing, as I really don’t want to have to keep saying this – just the thought of it chills me, but there were some call outs to DCI Hastings’s home of a … sensitive nature. Recently he’d been behaving oddly – not around for meetings, missing work – arrghh – why didn’t I dig deeper? I thought he just wanted out of the police. He’s not far off retirement age, so was pissing about in the hopes of a handshake and shove out the door.’ She crossed her arms.

  ‘Are you saying there’s a history of domestic abuse in the household?’ Maggie hoped she had jumped to the wrong conclusion.

  ‘It’s a possibility, yes.’ DI Rutherford looked at the ground before shaking her head and turning to Nathan. ‘I am going to head back to the office. I’ll see you pair there and we’ll all meet up at 4pm.’

  Maggie and Nathan watched as DI Rutherford walked out of the allotment. ‘I’m really worried about her.’ Nathan turned and faced Maggie. ‘She has a lot of pressure from the higher-ups about this – anyway, I’ve said too much as it is.’

  Before Maggie could ask Nathan anything further, there was a shout from one of the Forensic Investigation Officers (FIOs). ‘Over here.’ He waved. ‘I’ve found something.’

  Maggie and Nathan ran over to the FIO and bent over to see what he was pointing at. ‘Shit. Is that what I think it is?’ Maggie squinted.

  ‘Bloody hell.’ Nathan straightened up and ran his fingers through his hair.

  On the ground, stuck in the damp grass, was a driving licence with the picture of DCI Hastings staring out at them. Nathan thanked the FIO, who then bagged the item.

  ‘Let’s head back. I’d rather be the one to break the news to the guv.’ Nathan turned on his heel and Maggie followed him back to the car.

  Inside the vehicle, Maggie stared out the window as Nathan pulled away and headed back towards Stafford Police Station. The idea that DCI Hastings could be responsible for the murder of his wife played on Maggie’s mind. Although she didn’t know the personal side to him as well as their DI did, the few interactions she’d had with him had never made her believe that he was someone to be concerned about. What secrets did they need to uncover? There was a bigger question though. Maggie bit her lip.

  If he is responsible for this murder, where is his daughter?

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  When they arrived back at the office, Nathan made an immediate beeline for DI Rutherford’s office and once inside, shut the door. Maggie thought she heard a frustrated scream when she was walking down the corridor towards her desk.

  ‘Hey, Bethany. Any news from Kat?’ Maggie greeted her colleague.

  ‘She radioed in about ten minutes ago to say she was heading back. What happened out there? Kat was swearing a lot – was it bad?’

  Maggie nodded.


  ‘We’re having a briefing at 4pm and although we still need to wait for formal ID, we’re pretty sure the victim is DCI Hastings’s wife. It was a pretty bad scene.’ Maggie shuddered.

  ‘That explains all the banging I could hear from down the hall earlier – DI Rutherford was there?’

  ‘Yep.’ Before she could continue, her mobile rang. Maggie looked at the screen and groaned. ‘Hold that thought, Bethany. I need to take this.’

  Maggie went into the staff kitchen for some privacy before hitting connect. ‘Hi. I told you I can’t take personal calls at work.’

  ‘Calm yourself. This is work related. I’ve heard a body has been found at Cotton House allotment. That true?’ Julie Noble queried.

  ‘You’re speaking to the wrong person. You need to call the Comms Department. All press queries go through there.’ Maggie sighed.

  ‘Aw c’mon. Give a gal a break, will ya? Just cough if there was a body at the allotment and cough twice if it’s linked to the first murder. I’ll owe you.’

  The last sentence was said in a sing-song tone and Maggie couldn’t help but smile. Regardless of any personal feelings that danced around in her head from time to time about the reporter, she wouldn’t compromise a case just to appease her.

  ‘Sorry. If that’s all you’ve called about, you’ve wasted your time. I’ve really got to go and suggest you speak to Comms. I won’t change my mind.’ Maggie was stern in her response and hoped Julie got the message. Ever since they had started meeting each other outside of work from time to time, Maggie couldn’t help but worry about the crossover between home and work, so much so that she hadn’t shared anything about Julie Noble with anyone on the team yet. She knew that at some point soon she might need to disclose, but as things stood – other than a coffee or meal with a friend – she thought she had a little time to play with.

  ‘Fine. Can I just say one more thing?’