Deadly Encounter

by M A Comley

  Sally pushed her annoyance about her ex aside for a moment and updated the DCI on what had taken place the day before at the factory.

  He bounced back in his chair. “What? I had no idea. Are you telling me that you think Gillan is innocent? If so, then who killed his wife? This suicide victim?”

  “I genuinely don’t believe so, sir.”

  “So, who?”

  “At this point, your guess is as good as mine. I’m going to do some extra digging into a few of the people we interviewed yesterday and carry out some more background checks on the rest of the staff, but that alone could take days, if not weeks, to complete. I was hoping to wrap this case up within a few weeks.”

  “Your reason being?”

  “Because I think Craig has suffered enough over the years. To have been imprisoned for something he didn’t do and to then spend the next fifteen years in a six-foot cell is unthinkable in my book. I shudder to think how a member of my family would react to that situation. Not only that, to spend those years wondering what has happened to your spouse, while someone else is forced to raise your kids.”

  “Okay, I’m getting a clear picture. Do you have enough resources? Can I offer you a few bodies to add to your team?”

  She shook her head, not willing to upset her team’s working relationship. “No point, sir. I think we have everything covered in that respect. Two of my team members have even started on another case.”

  “Oh, and how is that progressing?”

  “I’m going to check in with them the second I get back. Right, I just wanted to bring you up-to-date on things. I better get on now.”

  “Good. I’ll ring the governor for you now.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  She left his office and trudged back to the incident room. Jack was perched on his desk, drinking a cup of coffee, talking to Jordan. They both looked serious. “Morning, everyone. Everything all right, guys?”

  “Morning. Jordan has a few queries about the Thompson case. Will we have time to go over it with him this morning?”

  “Of course. Let me get things moving from where we left off at the factory first with Joanna, and I’ll be right with you.”

  Jack stood up and headed for the vending machine. “After you’ve had a coffee, of course.”

  “You know me so well. Joanna, actually, this concerns all of us, so gather around, everyone. I want to fill you in on what occurred yesterday. I’m not sure Jack and I accomplished much by interviewing the people who gave their statements fifteen years ago. What we did glean is that all the persons we questioned thought highly of Anne Gillan. There may have been a few flirtatious moments between her and a few of the men. Whether that was perceived as being inappropriate by some people, it’s hard to tell. The poor man who was besotted with Anne, Steve Endecott, obviously lived a tortured life. I think the fact that he was omitted from the group who attended Anne’s funeral truly was the last straw for him. I don’t think his suicide had anything to do with us wanting to question him. Not here anyway,” she stated, pointing at her head. “Although, in my heart, I can’t help feeling that I contributed to the man’s death.” She raised a hand to prevent Jack disputing such a daft claim. “No amount of reassuring words you offer will change my mind on this. We’ve all felt like that at some time or other in our careers, I’m sure. To have the man within my grasp and to not be able to react quickly enough to prevent him from jumping, will haunt me for the rest of my life.” She sighed heavily.

  Jack shook his head. “Boss, you’re wrong to blame yourself. We could tell the minute we spotted him on the roof what his intentions were. There was nothing you could have said or done to prevent him taking his own life.”

  “Thanks, but it’s still a burden that will live with me for a little while, Jack. Moving on, after I’ve had a chat with Jordan and Stuart about the other case, I need us all to concentrate on the Gillan case for today. There are a lot of employees at that factory. I’m not saying they all worked there at the time Anne went missing, but I do think the number is likely to be more than those we questioned yesterday. We’re talking perhaps two to three hundred employees. I want us all checking into the backgrounds of these employees, see if any have previous records that should be highlighted.”

  “I can make a start on that first thing, boss,” Joanna replied quickly.

  “Brilliant, Joanna. I also want to fill you in on an incident that happened last night at home, too.”

  Jack cocked his head to one side. “Has your dad taken a turn for the worse? I thought he was improving.”

  “No, thankfully Dad is on the mend. When I got home last night, I found a parcel waiting for me. Simon has taken it in for analysis. I’m surmising that it was from Darryl. It was a porcelain doll, the spitting image of me, just creepy.” She shuddered, emphasising her point. “Anyway, that’s why I was a little late. I stopped by the chief’s office this morning to see if he could deal with it for me.”

  “And is he? If not, I’ll take a bloody visit out to the prison and sort him out for you, no problem.”

  “It’s fine, Jack. He was a little apprehensive at first, but I managed to convince him that Darryl was behind the harassment. He’s going to ring the governor today. Makes me sick that Darryl is still intent on causing grief, even from behind bars.”

  “He’s a tosser. Needs bringing down a peg or two if you ask me. Do you think he knows about your wedding? Is that what this is all about?”

  “Maybe. That’s the conclusion Simon and I came to last night. It’s unsettling either way. I have no idea what he’s going to do next. I’m beginning to feel like a victim of the Kray Twins. They persecuted people on the outside from their cells, didn’t they?”

  “Yeah, well, it ain’t going to happen to you. If the chief doesn’t achieve anything I think you should take it higher. It’s not right.”

  Sally rubbed his arm. “I appreciate your support, Jack. I’m determined not to let him get away with this. Between us, Simon and I have a fair few contacts of our own who we can count on to sort him out, if it comes to that.” She sipped at her coffee. “I don’t want to dwell on it, Jack. I just wanted to make you all aware of what’s going on. Back to work. Let me do the necessary in the office, and I’ll be back in a jiffy.”

  She entered the office and expelled a large breath, appreciative of her partner’s gesture, however, at the same time aware that any intervention into Darryl’s antics would cost her physically and mentally in the end. The post pile was negligible for a change, so she dealt with the two letters and returned to the team to find Joanna had pulled up a list of employees at the factory and shared them out amongst her colleagues.

  “Before we get down to that, Jordan, what are your concerns with the Thompson case? Start from the beginning, if you will.”

  Jordan picked up his notebook and sat back in his chair as Sally pulled out a chair next to his. “Paula Thompson was found guilty of murdering her husband, Don, almost six years ago.”

  “He was poisoned, right?” Sally asked.

  “Yep, the evidence was easy to locate too apparently, it was just sitting there in the bathroom cabinet, although Paula has always pleaded her innocence, but then, who doesn’t?”

  “Very few, I agree. Which is why our task is going to be pretty hard when we investigate these cold-cases. Sorry, go on.”

  “At the time of her sentencing, Paula had a four-year-old daughter. The case notes said that the daughter was in the house when her father died.”

  “Awkward. So, what’s your dilemma? You want to know if it would be worth questioning the daughter?”

  “Yes, boss.”

  “You know there are procedures put in place for that, right? As long as you follow those procedures, then there shouldn’t be a problem, Jordan.”

  “Thanks, boss. That’s not really the dilemma I have with this one, though. The girl has refused to speak to anyone since her father’s death.”

  “Damn. The poor mite. I can understan
d your apprehension. Maybe a social worker or counsellor can offer you some advice. We need to tread carefully here, Jordan.”

  “I know, boss. The girl lives with her aunt, who has given me the authority to speak to the child. I just didn’t want to go ahead and do that without you giving me the thumbs-up first.”

  “You’re a smart guy, Jordan.”

  “I had a brief chat with a friend who works at Social Services who told me that it’s not uncommon for kids who have experienced this kind of trauma to become introverted. Saying that, she told me that she’s never dealt with a case where the child has stopped speaking altogether before.”

  “It’s a tough one, Jordan. My advice would be to take a female with you when you try and question the girl, make sure the aunt is present at all times, and go from there. The girl probably writes things down, or has she learnt sign language? She must communicate with her aunt somehow.”

  “From what I can gather, they go through reams of paper every week.”

  “By the sounds of it, the girl hasn’t gone completely into her shell, in that case. Just tread carefully, and you’ll be fine. As a matter of interest, what’s the aunt’s take on Paula doing the crime? Is she Paula’s sister or the husband’s sister?”

  “Paula’s sister. She gives me the impression that she thinks her sister is guilty, but I haven’t really spoken to her alone, without the niece being present in the room.”

  “Maybe do that before you start questioning the little girl.”

  “Thanks, boss. I’ll give her a ring and arrange a meeting.”

  “Good. Let me know how you get on. I still need you and Stuart back on the Gillan case just for today.”

  “No problem. I’ve got a list of people to check out here.” He waved the printout at her.

  Sally smiled at the DC and stood up. “Jack, can you do me a favour and check through the backgrounds of the people we questioned yesterday, including Steve Endecott?”

  “What’s the point of looking into his background?”

  “Just do it for me, Jack. I need to be prepared in case I get summoned to an internal investigation.”

  “You think that’s likely to happen?”

  “Who knows?” Sally sat next to Joanna’s desk and held out her hand. “Do you have a sheet for me, Joanna?”

  “Of course, boss. We can work together if you like. You shout out a name and I’ll input it into the computer.”

  “Sounds like a good plan to me.”

  Halfway through the afternoon, Sally received two phone calls. One was from DCI Green to tell her that the governor intended to pull Darryl over the coals and to stop all his privileges for the next week. The second call was from Simon, and she took that call in her office.

  “Hi, how are things going?” she asked, already feeling drained.

  “Not too bad. I have a name for you.”

  She could hear the relief in his voice. “That’s fantastic. Who?”

  “William Gross. His fingerprints were all over the package. No one else’s, unfortunately.”

  “I didn’t expect there to be. Darryl probably instructed the bloke to go shopping on his behalf, armed with a photo of me.”

  “You’re probably right. Want me to tell you what his rap sheet consists of, or do you want to look into that yourself?”

  “If you have the info, that would save me time.”

  “Mostly petty stuff. A few burglaries, nothing major. So that’s a relief.”

  “Bad enough if he was put inside. I’ll get uniform to pick him up. Thanks, love.”

  “No problem, always glad to help. What did Green say about the package?”

  “I’ve just heard from him. He contacted the governor who assured Green that Darryl’s privileges have been stripped for a week. I suppose if he does anything else, they’ll bang him up in solitary or lock him in his cell. Not sure how things work on the inside. I’m just pleased the governor was willing to accept my word on events.”

  “Good, that should do the trick. How are you feeling?”

  “Tired. Still have the image of Endecott falling running through my head. That’ll probably stick with me for days.”

  “I know it’s easier said than done, but try and put it to one side.”

  “Yes, Doctor. I better get on. Thanks for letting me know about Gross. See you later.”

  “That’s a date. Enjoy the rest of your day.”

  “You, too.”

  Sally hung up and rang the desk sergeant immediately. “Hi, Pat. It’s Sally Parker. Do me a favour, will you please? Can you pick up a William Gross? He’s got form for petty crimes. Can you pick him up and bring him in for questioning?”

  “Of course. I’ll need to know why, ma’am.”

  “He sent a strange parcel to my house, but I don’t want that mentioned when you bring him in. Can you just tell him that you want him to help with your enquiries—you know, the usual fib? I’ll get Jack to interview him.”

  Pat Sullivan laughed. “I get it. I’ll ring Jack the second he steps in the door.”

  “You’re a star. Thanks, Pat.” Sally hung up and left the office.

  “Jack, Simon has just identified the person who sent the package to my address. I’ve instructed the desk sergeant to get uniform to pick him up. Will you interview him for me? Not sure I can trust myself not to tear his knackers off.”

  Jack tried to keep a straight face, but he roared with laughter. “Yep, I’ll do it.”

  “Right, let’s crack on with going over these names. The quicker we get through the list, the earlier we can call it a day. If we highlight anyone of interest, Jack and I will visit them tomorrow.”

  Joanna cleared her throat and began hesitantly, “Sorry to mention it, boss. I know you’ve had a lot on your plate today, but I just wanted to remind you that you intended to go and see Craig’s brother today.”

  Sally thumped the side of her head. “Damn, I knew there was something I had planned to do today. Dealing with Endecott’s death has really thrown a spanner in the works. Don’t be afraid to remind me if anything like that happens again, Joanna.”

  “Will do, boss. I know how eager you are to chat with him.”

  Sally looked up at the clock on the wall. It was almost four thirty. “It’s too far for us to think about going tonight. Fancy going out there in the morning, Jack?”

  “Why not? Maybe we can chase a few of the others up at the same time.”

  Joanna spoke again. “I’ve highlighted one person of interest so far. A Nigel Sommers. He’s on the sex offenders list. Might turn out to be unconnected, as he’s into fiddling with teenage girls.”

  Sally screwed her nose up. “I think you might be right. Still worth speaking with him. We’ll do that tomorrow. Let’s stick with it, guys.”

  Jack was called out of the office to interview Gross around thirty minutes later. He reported back to Sally that Darryl had paid the man two hundred pounds to buy the doll and to send it to her address.

  “Sick shit! He must have a bloody tail on me, if he knows Simon’s address. That’s unnerving in itself.”

  “Yeah, might be worth moving if that’s the case,” Jack agreed.

  Sally gasped. “I can’t ask Simon to do that. He’s lived in that beautiful house for years. There must be a way we can prevent Darryl from hounding us like this.”

  “Apart from getting him transferred to another prison, I’m not sure what else to suggest. Even then, I doubt it would stop him from employing more lowlifes to seek you out.”

  “Just what I wanted to hear, thanks, partner.”

  Jack’s shoulders slumped. “Sorry, you know what I mean. Yes, we’ve dealt with Gross, but he’ll probably be the first of many…”

  Sally raised her hand and shook her head. “I get the picture, Jack. You’re not helping me.”

  “Anyway, I arrested Gross for his part in harassing a police officer. He seemed shocked to hear that, had no idea you were a cop. He’ll be regretting his actions in a cell over
night. Are we calling it a day? I promised Donna I’d take her out for a meal tonight. It’s the anniversary of our first date.”

  Sally pulled a soppy face. “Aww… ain’t that sweet of you to remember?”

  Jack shrugged. “Hard to forget when Donna has it circled a dozen times on the calendar.”

  Sally and the rest of the team laughed as they made their way out of the station.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Sally drove into work feeling less anxious than she had the day before. Thankfully, the vile images of Steve Endecott ending his own life hadn’t disrupted her sleep, unlike the previous night. She had a renewed determination in her step as she ran up the stairs to the incident room. “Morning, all.”

  Joanna and Jack raised their heads for a moment to reply then got straight back to work. Sally continued into her office and joined them ten minutes later. By then, the rest of the team had arrived. “Okay, what do we have?”

  Joanna raised her hand. “I’ve now found two names listed on the sex offenders register: Nigel Sommers and a Robin Fleshman. I have the addresses to hand, but they’ll probably be at work at the factory during the day.”

  “Good point. Okay, is that the list of employees exhausted now?”

  Joanna nodded.

  “Right, Jack and I will return to the factory. Not sure what kind of reception we’re likely to receive, but that’s fine by me. Then we’ll head over to Kenny’s address. Jordan, have you had any further thoughts on your case?”

  “I’ve arranged to have a chat with the aunt today. Thought I’d kill two birds with one stone and speak to the girl afterwards, around fourish. Would it be okay to take Joanna with me? No offence, Stu.” He grinned at his partner on the case, who shrugged his acceptance.

  “Good idea. Joanna, are you up for a trip out later?”

  “Always, boss.”

  “That’s settled then. Stuart, you can man the office in case Jack and I are delayed.”

  “Like I have an option, boss.”

  Sally smiled then tapped Jack on the shoulder. “Are you ready to rock and roll, partner?”