She closed down the browser on her screen, logged out of her computer, and went to face the music. She tapped gently on the door.
‘What’s up, boss?’ She sat across from him and crossed her arms. ‘Did you already hear about the curfew then? I was just going to tell you after I updated my notes.’
‘No need to be defensive.’ He pointed at her crossed arms and smiled. ‘I really just wanted to check in and see how you’re doing. I realize we haven’t had much time for supervision, so I thought it was a good time to catch up. But why don’t you tell me about the curfew you’re on about? Does this have to do with Craig Nolan?’
Maggie nodded. ‘I emailed Sarah and asked her to send over any violation details, but she did confirm his attendance on his course and with Craig’s tag, he couldn’t have been out during the times in question. He seemed pretty confident when I told him I’d be checking. Looks like we’re back to square one.’
Nathan’s lips pursed. ‘And you didn’t tell me this before because … never mind.’ He held up his hands. ‘We have the IT guys checking Nolan’s phone records, so we’ll see if maybe anyone else was involved with him, old associates who owe him a favour. I don’t think we’re ready to rule him out just yet.’
Maggie sat up straight and relief washed over her. ‘I was a little worried there for a minute. I was expecting to get told off – I guess I’m so used to it that I come to expect it when you call me into your office out of the blue.’ She smiled awkwardly. ‘Everything else is fine with me. Well, obviously this case is getting on my nerves – I’m frustrated at the lack of progress we’re making, but it’s not like we all aren’t working our arses off.’
‘Yeah. But that’s not what I’m talking about.’ He raised his eyebrow.
‘Are you referring to Kate? No problems there either. I chat to her weekly and send her a picture of Salem every day – she’d kill me if I didn’t. I’ve grown quite fond of him myself. Not sure if I want to give him back.’ She forced a smile, realising she was waffling and hoped Nathan wouldn’t see through her act.
He sat back in his chair. ‘Have you forgotten who you’re speaking to? Before all this …’ He waved his hands around the room. ‘I was your partner, your friend. I can read you like a book and I know that what happened with Kate really affected you. Talk to me.’
Maggie sighed. ‘Shit. I forgot how well you could read me. Is this one of those tick box exercises you need to complete?’ She took a deep breath. ‘Fine – you win. No, it hasn’t been easy. I feel incredibly guilty about what happened to Kate and I really miss working with her. We just bounce off each other – she helped me see things I may have otherwise missed, you know, beyond the evidence. Like this curfew bullshit. I should have asked for more details.’ Her leg shook. ‘Of course, I also feel so guilty about Kate. Did I fuck up there too, Nathan? Could I have stopped what happened?’ Maggie had been a good detective prior to working with Kate, but having someone outside of the police to work with made her question things more.
‘I knew you’d feel this way. There was nothing you could’ve done. We were dealing with a cunning killer who would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. Has Kate ever said she blames you?’
‘That’s just it. She doesn’t. But that doesn’t stop me feeling that way. I guess I was just having a crisis of confidence. I’ll get over it. Thanks though. It’s good to know I can still talk to you like before despite having to answer to you now. I miss having a partner.’
‘If you need to talk about it or anything at any time, let me know. If I can’t help, I am sure I can find someone who can.’ He tapped his pen against his mouth like he was thinking about what he was going to say next. ‘I’m glad you said that about a partner, as I want to pair you up with Kat.’ He paused. ‘Would you have a problem with that?’
‘No. Why would I have a problem?’ Maggie shifted in her seat.
‘You’ve been working on your own or with Kate for the last few cases, so I thought you might feel like I was dumping a newbie on you.’
‘I’ve worked with Kat in the DAHU. She’s a good officer. I know her mouth is lethal, but she actually has a really good rapport with the offenders she worked with at the DAHU and this shows in her investigating and interviewing of suspects. I promise not to come across as a know-it-all if that’s what you’re worried about.’ Maggie crossed her heart and smiled.
‘I was more worried about your methods. You can be quite insulated, and I don’t mean that as a criticism. You see things in that brain of yours we don’t immediately pick up on – I guess what I am asking is to keep that in mind and maybe talk things through with Kat. Take her under your wing – you’ve got over ten years’ experience as a detective. Kat is more than competent but I’m sure she’ll appreciate some guidance.’
Maggie blushed. ‘I’d be happy to. With your temporary promotion and the uncertainty as to whether Kate is coming back or not, well it would be nice to have someone to work things through with.’
‘Great. I’ll be honest, I was a bit worried you might fight me on this.’ He wiped his brow jokingly. ‘I have something else to tell you as well. Between us for the time being.’
Maggie leaned forwards. ‘Oooh. Gossip? Or something more serious?’
‘I’ve interviewed for this post on a permanent basis. There were three other candidates, and I wasn’t sure I would get it, so I kept it to myself … but … I’ve been appointed the permanent DS of the MOCD as of yesterday.’
Maggie jumped out of her chair and ran over to Nathan. She wrapped her arms around him and squealed. ‘That’s fantastic news! Congrats, boss. I’m absolutely thrilled for you.’ She stood back. ‘When will you tell the rest of the team? Finally, some good news!’
Nathan laughed. ‘I’ll tell them when all this is over. I think we’ll all be up for some celebrating then. Maybe Rutherford will even join us.’
‘Already brown-nosing the brass, eh, Wright? You’ll go far.’ She poked him in the arm.
‘Bugger off! Is there anything you want to talk to me about?’
‘Nothing I can think of. Are we done then?’
Nathan nodded. ‘Can you ask Kat to come in and see me? I’d better break the bad news to her.’
Maggie stood to go. ‘Bad news?’
‘Yeah, that she’s now stuck with you as a partner.’
Maggie stuck her tongue out. ‘Glad to see you haven’t lost your bad sense of humour, boss. I’ll let her know.’
Maggie left Nathan’s office and called out to Kat. ‘Nathan wants to see you. Brace yourself, you might not like what he has to say.’
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Lucy looked at Ronnie rocking in the chair in the corner. There was a void in her eyes. One that Lucy recognized. ‘Would you like something hot to drink?’ She could see the woman was shaking but when no immediate response was forthcoming, Lucy walked towards her and gently touched her arm. She leaned over and asked again. ‘Would you like a hot drink?’ Ronnie stared at Lucy’s lips and nodded.
Lucy went into the kitchen and flashbacks shot into her head as the kettle boiled. The fear. The pain. Wanting to scream. She knew that triggers could come at any time but being around Ronnie released more memories than she cared for. Lucy heard a click and the signal that the water had boiled brought her back into the room, into the reality that she had a young woman in her living room who had possibly escaped an abusive partner. She had to ground herself and remember that it wasn’t about her, though she still had her own triggers to deal with or she’d be of no use to anyone who came to the haven.
She walked back into the room and stopped dead in her tracks. Ronnie was smiling. Staring straight out the window, but definitely smiling. It would be all the emotions escaping – Lucy recalled her own experiences: laughing at inappropriate times, making jokes during serious situations. It was a way to deflect what she had really been feeling at the time. Lucy sat opposite and put the mug on the table. ‘Here you go, sweetheart. You know how I told you
that I’d been in an abusive relationship? One thing I’ve realized is that I wished I had confided in people sooner. I’m not saying that you need to right now, but sometimes getting it all out helps.’
The vacant stare out the window persisted but the smile disappeared. Lucy couldn’t figure out if the woman before her had issues with her hearing aids, maybe they were faulty, or she was so lost in whatever had just happened that she was coming in and out of focus. She leaned across and tapped Ronnie’s knee, repeating what she had just said.
Ronnie’s eyes widened. She shook her head. Mouthing the words: ‘No. No. No.’
‘Okay. Don’t worry. I know exactly how you feel. Well, I know how I felt in similar circumstances …’ Had she pushed her too far?
Ronnie seemed to relax back into the chair. Lucy wondered if sharing some of her story might help but also feared that if she unlocked those memories now, her own nightmares might return. She had made a vow when she opened the haven that she would be as honest as possible with those who came to her for help. Her own counsellor had suggested it may help but reminded her that she didn’t have to. But if her experience as a Probation Officer taught her anything, it was that people often opened up more if they knew that someone else had gone through the same thing. This was why a lot of the keyworkers and mentors in the Drug and Alcohol services were recovering addicts themselves.
Lucy bit the bullet. ‘I want to reassure you that you’ll be safe here. Just like the name implies – my purpose here is to keep you safe, accepted, free, and empowered – S.A.F.E. You call the shots here, okay? If you want to stay, you can. But I can’t force you to. I lived with my abuser for far too many years but deciding to leave was the hardest decision I ever made.’ Lucy took a deep breath before continuing. ‘Everything was wonderful at first – isn’t it always?’ She smirked. ‘But when he started to physically, emotionally, sexually, and financially abuse me – it was too late. He had spent two years worming his way into my head. Taking away my power and I let him.’ Lucy looked at Ronnie. A tear streamed down her face and Lucy just wanted to lean across and hug her. She could see the familiarity and pain on the woman’s face. ‘I won’t go into all the details, but as you can see, I did break free. I found my voice again and I want to help you find yours if you’ll let me.’
Ronnie’s eyes fluttered. She looked exhausted. The rain battered down on the window behind her and for Lucy it sounded like a million tears for all those lost voices who had yet to escape their abusers. She snapped out of her thoughts. ‘I do have a room made up if you’d like to stay a while longer. Until you figure out what you want to do? The couch can’t be that comfortable. I only stayed on it a day and my neck was done in.’
Ronnie’s head dipped.
‘If there’s anything else you need, just let me know. You know where my room is, and the office. If I’m not in one, I’m usually in the other. Never worry that you’re bothering me – I’m here to help in any way I can and, of course, come and go as you please. You’ve a key and we can set up some benefits until you find your feet. I also have some funding available, like an emergency loan. We can work out all the details later.’ Lucy stood and held out her hand. ‘Come. I’ll show you the room and you can settle properly. We can talk more whenever.’
A shaking hand cupped Lucy’s and the pair walked up the stairs. Lucy stopped at the top of the landing and turned to the woman. ‘That’s your room there, if you want it.’ She pointed to the first door on the left. ‘I think I mentioned before, but in case I haven’t, there’s a kettle and everything you’ll need for a hot drink. A small TV. All the details for WIFI – kind of like a hotel.’ She smiled. ‘And just down there is the communal bathroom. I haven’t officially opened the haven yet, so there are no other residents expected; no need to worry about bumping into a stranger in the night. I’ll be right downstairs if you need me.’ Lucy waited until the woman closed her door before returning to the communal living room.
She sat on the couch and pulled the blanket that lay across the back over her. She hadn’t realized the emotions she would feel at sharing space with people with similar experiences to hers, hadn’t realized how it would affect her when they would one day come through that door. The emotions flooded over her like a tsunami and she felt like she was drowning. The tears came then, and her body shook as she let the memories invade her head. She would never be free of the memories, though they may fade with time.
She was fighting to keep her eyes open even though it was only the afternoon. A short nap wouldn’t do any harm; she didn’t have to be anywhere later. The minutes passed and as each memory came and went, she grew more tired. Patrick’s face. Shell’s face. Rory’s face and little Siobhan. She had made her peace with most, but Siobhan still wouldn’t speak with her. She understood and when she visited Rory last, he told her that Siobhan had asked about her again. Small steps.
Closing her eyes, Lucy let sleep take over. She was stronger than she gave herself credit for. She needed all that strength now more than ever. There was a woman upstairs who was counting on her and she wouldn’t let her down.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Kat walked out of Nathan’s office with a sideways smile. ‘That wasn’t so bad at all.’
‘Can you be ready in five?’ Maggie slipped on her coat and grabbed her phone, placing it in her pocket as she waited for Kat. She had an idea and wanted to follow through before anything else popped up.
‘Hell yeah. I can’t wait to see how you piece things together. Should I bring anything?’ Maggie watched as Kat searched around her desk for a pad. Maggie wasn’t the neatest of people, but Kat’s desk was like a typhoon had come through the office.
She shrugged. ‘Up to you. I’m going to want your insight too though. Having another pair of eyes can really add to an investigation and don’t be afraid to speak up either. I do know that I’m not always right …’ Maggie coughed. ‘Mostly.’
Kat burst out laughing. ‘I’ll drive’
Traffic had been a nightmare and it took the pair over an hour to reach the first scene, where Tim Griffiths was found. Maggie got out of the car first and stretched her legs. She tapped on the roof and looked in. ‘How do you want to do this? Start from where the body was found or go to where we believe the assault was initiated?’ Re-examining a scene a few days later could bring a fresh perspective and allow the police to pick up other clues they may have missed the first time around.
Kat unbuckled her belt and grabbed her notebook. ‘I’d like to start from the assault site and work our way forward … if that’s okay?’ Kat got out of the car.
‘Sounds good. How about you tell me what you see as we make our way there?’ Maggie walked ahead, as she was more familiar with the crime scene. Even though the tape and markers had been removed already, she could see them all in her head and pointed out any relevant areas to Kat as she took in the scene.
‘The statements say that this was a local spot for kids to gather and drink.’ Kat’s eyes were scanning the woods as they entered.
‘That’s right. Younger teenagers and some sixth form college kids, who I’m assuming supplied the alcohol. The crime scene was littered with bottles of that white cider shit, rubbish, and a few piles of vomit.’
‘Fuck. You mean Frosty Jacks? Do they still make that shit? May as well drink embalming fluid. It stinks like glue. Can you imagine what it does to their insides? I remember those days.’
Maggie laughed. ‘I do too … well mostly, though having arrested and dealt with a lot of alcoholics who drink up to nine litres of that shit a day … really puts you off hard-core drinking. Why do you think that’s relevant?’
‘Just wondered if the Griffiths’s lad was at the party and maybe lured away.’
‘Hmmm. Good point and certainly a possibility, though Dr Blake didn’t mention anything about his blood alcohol level. If he had been drinking, she’d have mentioned it. We haven’t located all the kids who attended the party and, those that did, either can’t r
emember the night let alone who was there or are just not saying a word.’
Maggie continued through the woods, stepping over the broken branches which littered the makeshift pathway. About fifty metres in from where the body was found, Maggie stopped. ‘Here’s where we think Tim was first struck. Blood was found—’ A small flower memorial had been laid out and Maggie bent down to look at the cards that were attached. ‘Might be worth noting down these names.’
Kat bent down and made note while looking around the ground. ‘So, he was struck on the back of the head once and fell here.’ Kat stood back and took in the scene. ‘Then he dragged himself out to the edge of the woods, down there – where it lines up with the clearing?’
‘Yes. That’s the theory based on everything we know.’ Maggie stared into the distance and then turned and looked behind her. The trees were more overgrown the deeper into the woods you went. If there had been a party happening, chances are no one would have been able to see very far. It was a struggle for Maggie during the daylight. What a gloomy place to take your last breath.
‘The killer must have watched Tim drag himself and then struck him on the front when he turned to – what? Look at the killer? Call out for help? Whatever the case – this is where he bled out and died. What I don’t get is why didn’t anyone notice him when the party had ended? Even if none of them drove, and let’s face it, a few fuckmuppets would have driven, the nearest bus stop is through the car park.’ A line etched between Kat’s brows.
‘Exactly, but if you look down there …’ Maggie pointed behind her. ‘It’s hard to get a clear view. Given what we know now, we have Hastings’s prints on the hammer; teenagers surely would have noticed an adult amongst them. That’s not something they’d likely forget, even if Hastings tried to blend in – you’ve seen him, he’d still stick out like a sore thumb.’ DCI Hastings was over six feet tall and quite a wide build – he appeared to keep himself in shape, probably from his rugby training, which he still managed to take part in now and again according to some of his colleagues.
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