by Diane Ezzard
“Please, call me Jack.”
I gleaned out of Perry the fact that the guy who spoke to Ryan had a local accent. He also spotted that one of the guys was bald.
“Did you hear them call each other by name?” Perry looked up, his eyes narrowed, and he frowned.
“No, I don’t think so.”
“Come on, think, son,” his mum said, tapping his arm.
“Leave off, mam. I’m trying to remember what they said. He shook his head. He had nothing more to add.
“If he remembers anything else, however small, will you let me know?” I gave Gabby my business card and thanked them both for their help. I left the house and got straight on to Mike. We discussed what happened.
Whilst he was sympathetic, all he could offer was an extra patrol car in the area.
“That’s not good enough, Mike. My family have been threatened.”
“I understand you’re upset, Jack, but you know yourself, the police haven’t got the resources to deal with every situation where something like this happens.”
“This isn’t just any situation, Mike. This is me and my family.”
“I know, and I wish I could do more to help but our hands are tied. Maybe you should take the kids away for a break.”
“Yeah, but I can hardly take them away indefinitely. I suppose I should be thankful that at least Dirk Duggan is behind bars.”
“Oh, haven’t you heard?”
“Heard what, Mike?”
“His solicitor got him released on bail.”
“You’re joking? He’s committed murder for goodness sake. How’s he managed that?”
“I don’t know but I think the Duggans have got some of the top brass at our place on their payroll.”
“Do you reckon?”
“They may have a judge or two with a liking for dirty money. There must be some reason he’s been let out of nick. It doesn’t make sense.”
“I can’t believe it, Mike. This country is just so corrupt.”
“Tell me about it. Talking of corruption, it may be that Dirk has got one over on his brother.”
“Why? What do you mean?”
“His places were raided when he was taken into custody. It seems from the team looking over his finances that he’s been syphoning money off from joint business ventures he has with his brother.”
“You’re joking. What, Dirk has been stealing off his brother, Dom?”
“That’s right.”
“Well, well, well, how much are we talking?” I laughed.
“Somehow he’s syphoned off a cool two and a half million.” I whistled.
“You’ve got to be kidding?”
“No, I’m not.”
“There is justice in the world. I wonder if Dom knows about this little discovery yet.”
“We haven’t told him.”
“I think someone ought to.” I smiled to myself. We ended the call. I still had the problem with keeping my family safe to deal with. This issue would last longer than a few days unless whoever was behind it got caught. I now had Megan and Ryan to look after. Maybe I should do as Mike suggested. I could take them away for a holiday. I’d speak to Sophie and see what she thought.
“That sounds a great idea, Jack after what’s happened. But unfortunately, I can’t come with you. We’re far too busy at work.”
“Okay, Sophie, I understand. I wasn’t thinking of taking them far. I need to be here with everything that’s going on.”
“I’m sure the kids will love it if they’re taken out of school for a few days.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I’ll see what I can sort out.”
My mind was on Dom Duggan and how he would feel knowing his brother had stolen all that money off him. Perhaps I was in the wrong business. If someone stole two hundred off me, I’d know about it. I couldn’t fathom how someone could steal two and a half million off Dom and he didn’t even notice. Either he was too rich or too dumb, probably a bit of both, either way, he needed to be told somehow about what had happened. I decided to pay Jade a visit.
I called at her house. There was no answer when I knocked so I went around the back. The latch was up on the back door, so I let myself in.
“Jade, it’s only me,” I cried out as I walked into the kitchen. I could hear the low beat of a bass drum coming from upstairs. Next thing, I heard a rumbling noise, like a herd of tiny elephants coming down the stairs. The door to the hall opened and Jade stood there, dripping wet with only a towel to cover her modesty.
“Jack! What do you think you’re doing?” I held up my hands and hunched my shoulders.
“The back door was open. You should lock it. You don’t want any Tom, Dick or Harry walking in on you.” She shook her head.
“Jack, you can’t be seen here. Dom’s on his way over. He’ll go bananas if he sees you.”
“Yeah, well I wanted to talk to you about that boyfriend of yours.”
“Sorry, Jack. I haven’t got time. I need to get dressed.”
“It’ll only take a minute, I’ve got some news I think he’ll…”
“I mean it, Jack. I haven’t got time to listen to your nonsense. Dom will go ape shit if he finds you here. I don’t want you here when I come back down.”
“Okay, okay, I’m going but I’ve got some important news for Dom.”
“It’ll have to wait, Jack.” She had already left the room. From the noise, she was climbing the stairs two at a time.
I was in no mood for a stand-off with Dom Duggan today. As much as I was dying to tell him what Dirk had been up to, maybe it was best he didn’t hear it from me. He wasn’t likely to believe me, so I had to come up with another plan.
Chapter 40
Sophie
Something made me stir in the night. Jack had taken Ryan and Megan to stay in a hotel. I insisted I would be okay here alone. Now I wished I had gone with them. Whatever disturbed me, it made me bolt upright in bed. Blood pulsed through my head as I listened for any sounds. A thin streak of light from the moon seeped through the join in the curtains.
I couldn’t recall any dream or nightmare that had caused me to feel so alert, but I was wide awake now. I sat still for an eternity, listening. It was difficult to control my shallow breathing. The bedroom felt cold as I sat in the darkened room. Shivering, I grabbed my fleece dressing gown off the hook. If I didn’t investigate, I wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep.
Reluctantly, I moved away from the bed, wrapping my robe around my body. I tied the knot at the front and strode towards the bedroom door. I opened it and crept into the hallway. Blackness surrounded me. If someone was in the flat, I didn’t want them to know they had roused me, so I didn’t turn on the light. I heard no sounds. Creeping along, I reached out and pushed open the bathroom door. The room was empty.
Moving towards the lounge door, I noticed it was ajar. I normally closed it when I went to bed. Had I left it open? I took a few cautious steps forward. Looking around for something to use as a weapon, I picked up my umbrella off the hall table. It wasn’t ideal, but this wasn’t an ideal situation.
My heart pounded as I gently nudged the door open further with one hand, umbrella in the other. A dark shape fell from above. I yelled out in pain as what felt like needles stuck in my hair. Something warm and soft pressed down hard on the crown of my head. I heard a screech that didn’t come from me and quickly held my hand up to find the light switch. As the sudden glare of unforgiving electric light hit my eyes, I winced, then broke out in laughter. Max darted past me into the hall.
“Oh Max, you frightened me!” I cried. I had obviously scared him. There would be no purring noises from his direction for a while. I breathed in deep and sighed. What an idiot I was. At this rate, I’d be frightened of my own shadow. I was thankful that Jack wasn’t around to witness my unfounded fear. Jack told me to contact him if I had any concerns. I couldn’t tell him about this. He would either be annoyed or laugh at me. I knew it was pointless trying to sleep now, so I went into th
e kitchen to make a drink. I groaned when I saw the time. It meant I would be tired and grumpy all day at work tomorrow. I took my drink to bed and read for some time until sleep came.
Feeling groggy when I woke, I ambled up and had a quick shower. Getting ready for work was an effort. I spoke to Jack briefly, asking how they were. He said the kids were excited rather than worried and thought of it as a great adventure. They weren’t aware of the true reason they were staying away.
I didn’t mention to Jack about my own fears. I felt such a fool now being frightened by my cat. I was grateful I had no clients due in this morning. Normally, I hated doing paperwork, but I wasn’t in the mood for putting a brave face on to the world. I was fed up that our lives had been turned upside down by Jack’s investigation. I wished now he’d never taken the case on. It was my fault. I suggested to Christine that Jack could help. He’d opened a whole can of worms by stumbling onto the Duggans’ network of criminal activities.
If I wasn’t in the mood for work when I set off, my motivation deteriorated further when I walked in and Karen’s narrowed eyes greeted me. What was up with her? She goaded me all morning. Even here at work, tension ran high. I should be the bigger person and offer an olive branch rather than react to her animosity, but it was so hard with Karen. I sighed. Why did she ever start working at the centre? Was it really to get at me? Since her arrival, I no longer viewed work in the same way. I didn’t trust her, especially now I knew of her connections. Work had become a chore rather than an enjoyable experience like it used to.
She stood in the doorway, her arms on her hips. Her face was mottled crimson.
“Has anyone seen Mary Bailey’s file? It isn’t where it’s supposed to be in the filing cabinet.” There were a few negative murmurs. “You had it last, didn’t you, Sophie?”
“No, I don’t think so, but if I did, I’d have filed it away.”
“You’ve probably hidden it on purpose because you know I need it.” She scowled at me. I shook my head and raised my eyebrows. I looked around for sympathy. Pauline’s eyes widened, and everyone centred their attention on me, waiting for my reply. Karen had well and truly lit my fuse. It took all my efforts to internally dampen down the rage building up inside.
“If I had the file last, I’d have put it back where it’s supposed to go. My guess is you haven’t looked for it properly,” I snarled.
“Okay, well show me where it is then,” she spat out.
I banged my pen on my desk, staring at her. My cold fury burned with dangerous intensity. I heaved myself up from my position, brushing past her and headed to the filing room. She followed me. As I watched her close the door behind her, I knew straight away I had made a mistake to be alone in a room with her.
She stood watching me, arms folded, coldness radiating from her eyes. I walked to the filing cabinet, staring back at her. If the file was there, I was determined to find it. I looked where it should be. The section was empty. My hands flicked through the files, checking to see if it had been misfiled. Suddenly, a hand slapped me across the head. My legs jerked as Karen pushed me into the cabinet.
“What the…?” I cried but Karen interjected.
“Bitch.” She threw a punch at me. I avoided it but hit my head on the back of the set of drawers. Stars appeared in front of my eyes then everything went red. How dare she attack me. My vision was blurred as flames curled in the pit of my stomach. I pulled a pile of files out of the cabinet and flung them at her. She punched me again and kicked my shins.
“What are you playing at?” This was crazy. I tried to drag her off me, but she kept raining blows over my body. I was no match for her strength and the ferocity of the attack. Ducking, I covered my head with my hands as she kicked me some more. Then I watched in disbelief as she got hold of the cupboard door and cracked it into her face. Blood spurted out from her nose and she screamed. She ran out of the room, the crocodile tears flowing, leaving me on the floor. What just happened was incredulous. I sat there shaking my head, in shock.
Next thing, Pauline poked her head around the door. I was still on the floor coming to terms with my situation. Her eyes widened as she did a double take.
“What on earth…?”
“Karen attacked me,” I said as I tried to get off the floor. Pauline came over to pull me up.
“Err, that’s not what Karen’s saying.”
“What do you mean?” I frowned as I stood facing Pauline.
“She’s saying you set about her.”
“Jeez, you’re joking.”
“You better get out there and tell the others.” I brushed myself down and followed Pauline out of the small room. Sheila, my manager stood waiting in the corridor, arms folded.
“Sophie, can I have a word with you, please? Pauline, can you join us?”
“Yes, of course.” She led me and Pauline into her office.
“I believe Karen accused me of hitting her,” I said. She ignored my comment and took out her glasses and put them on.
“Please sit down, Sophie.” Her expression was stern. She looked at Pauline. “Pauline, please will you take notes. This goes without saying that this is a highly confidential interview.”
Sheila turned to me and said, “Sophie, a serious allegation has been made against you, namely that you attacked Karen.”
“That’s not the case, I…” Sheila put her hand up to stop me speaking.
“You are to be suspended from duty with immediate effect while an investigation is carried out.”
“But wait a minute, what about Karen?”
“Please, Sophie. Let me finish. This is not a disciplinary sanction. It doesn’t mean you have done anything wrong, only that an allegation has been made which we have to take seriously.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Pauline will collect your belongings and escort you off the premises. If you can hand over your work’s pass and keys until proceedings have been completed. You should not attempt to contact any members of staff during this time.” I looked at Pauline, wide-eyed. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “You will be called back in for a fact-finding interview to answer the charges that you attacked another employee. If at that point, disciplinary action is deemed appropriate then you will be invited back in for an interview. If it is found to be gross misconduct, then action will be taken which could lead to your dismissal.”
My mouth was wide open.
“Do you understand?” My head throbbed with disbelief. I nodded.
“Pauline, will you collect Sophie’s things and please don’t speak to anyone about this.” Sheila walked with me to the door. “I’m sorry it has come to this, Sophie.” She wasn’t sorry. I could tell she believed Karen’s lies. I walked towards the front door feeling numb. Pauline brought along my jacket and handbag.
“I’m sorry, Sophie.” She gave me a half-hearted hug.
“Not half as sorry as I am.” I was ready to break down in tears, but I wouldn’t do it in front of her. I rushed out the door, the harsh wind on my face, and began to sob uncontrollably.
Chapter 41
Sophie
Jack didn’t say much when I phoned him to tell him my shocking news. He suggested I come to the hotel to be with him and the kids. I had no other plans, so wiped away the tears and headed towards the car park. I’m not the most observant of people, but there was a reason I spotted the white BMW three-series behind me. If I won the lottery, that would be the vehicle I would want for myself. My present financial situation put it right out of reach, so for now, it was just a pipe dream.
When I stopped at the lights near Gigg Lane and noticed a white BMW behind me, I hoped it was only coincidence. There was a mist in the air brought on by fine drizzle. I focused my attention on the rear-view mirror. The car of my dreams was still behind. I watched it wondering if it could be a mirage, given my state of mind at the moment, but it wasn’t. I swore out loud as I followed the road up through Whitefield.
It was now two cars behind. I wa
ited until I got near Prestwich village, pulled into the bus lane and stopped. The BMW had no choice but to drive straight past. As I glanced out the side window, I spotted the driver. His face looked familiar. I couldn’t think from where. He was bald with a round face and dark piercing eyes. I couldn’t recall where I knew him from.
I was sure now I had been followed. This didn’t look good. I gave out a deep sigh. I would have to be more vigilant in future. Glancing over my shoulder would need to become as instinctive as breathing. I set off driving again. This time I took no chances. I got close to Sedgley Park and instead of taking a right, I swerved quickly left off the main road without indicating. The car behind blasted his horn. I didn’t care. I turned up Kings Road and meandered through the avenues. Cars were parked on either side. I pulled up behind one and waited. The only moving vehicle in the area approached from ahead. I checked the driver. An elderly couple sat in the front.
Convinced now I was no longer being tailed, I made my way to the hotel and Jack. There was a lot of thinking I needed to do after the incident at work. I could do without this drama. I arrived in the lobby. It was a while since I frequented this place. The last time was for the wedding of a colleague back in my drinking days. I didn’t remember it being so dingy back then, but I was probably too drunk to recall my surroundings.
Jack had given me the room number, so I didn’t need to dally at reception. The carpet was a decade too old and the threadbare patches didn’t mingle well with the dark red floral pattern. I glanced around to see which way to go. I walked past a pair of antlers on the wall. A couple were talking to a man in a suit over by the far door. The receptionist watched me scanning the lobby but didn’t comment. I spotted the direction I needed. Good, it was up past the leisure facilities. Hopefully, I might get to use them at some point.
Money might be tight, but I’d been suspended on full pay. I may as well splash out and make the most of this time, even if I was going to lose my job at the end of it. I shuddered. I didn’t want to consider that option.