Catherine

by A J Hollingsworth

  'I don't think there is any need for anyone to be scared,' Rachel stated calmly and confidentially. 'It appears that this was a one-off incident. There is no evidence to suggest we are dealing with a multiple killer.'

  'Of course. That's what I told my husband, but it doesn't stop him from worrying all the same. Any idea who did it yet?'

  'We have a few suspects in mind, but I'm afraid I really can't say anymore than that. Confidentiality and all that.'

  'Yes of course. Well I hope you find out who did it. The parents of that girl deserve that. They must be at the end of their tether, bless them. If you speak to them let them know that we are all thinking of them.'

  'I'm sure they will appreciate that.'

  The server took their order and asked the pair to move down to the cashier who was waiting to take payment from them. She did without comment, clearly bursting inside with the desire to but had noticed the sour expression that Logan was carrying with him and thought better than to ask. Looking around there was a table spare just off to their right and with Rachel leading they made their way there. Logan had opted for a sausage and egg sandwich bap, removing the top before placing a big dollop of brown sauce on top of the egg and spreading it across with his knife. He lifted the sandwich bap to his mouth and took a large bite out leaving a thin coating of brown sauce on his top lip before licking it off a few seconds later. Rachel, on the other hand, sliced through her Victoria Sponge with a fork before delicately placing it in her mouth and let it melt in her mouth. The sponge was light and moist, just what she needed at that moment, the chance to sink into something she liked and cake was definitely one of those things. The cream was soft and rich in the middle with just the amount of sweetness to satisfy her need for sugar without the cake being too sickly that she would have been forced to leave at least a third of it. A few minutes later and her plate was clean, the same as Logan's with the exception of the escaping blob of brown sauce.

  'Did you enjoy your sandwich?' she asked him.

  'It filled an hole,' he responded without any emotion. 'Why did you choose here over a cafe in town?' sensing there was an alternative motive for coming her other than just fancying a cup of coffee and a slice of cake.

  'It was close, that's all.'

  'It wouldn't have anything to do with that young woman who possibly may be following you?'

  'I never thought of that. It was just close. That's all!'

  Logan sat back enjoying taking small sips from his cup of black tea, preferring it to be something stronger, like the half full bottle of Vodka he has in his kitchen cupboard of his flat. He relaxed back into his chair watching Rachel as her eyes darted around the cafe, she was obviously looking for somebody and Logan was sure it would have been a certain bet on who it would be. He left her to it, knowing it was something she would inevitably have to do.

  Five minutes later and Rachel shot up in her chair, her back perfectly straight and her hands laid flat on the table top, with her eyes fixated towards the entranceway. Logan was sat with his back towards where she was looking and casually swivelled around to see what she was looking at. The surprise didn't come when he saw a young woman with green eyes, mustard jacket and long curly dark brown hair dropping down her back as she removed the hood of her jacket from over the top of her head. It was the same young woman he had noticed staring at her earlier that day and who she had seen staring at her on Saturday at the red traffic light.

  Oddly Rachel didn't move, just sat there rigidly, while the young woman walked over to the counter. Logan looked back at the young woman and then returned towards Rachel, he continued playing observation tennis until the young woman had been served and was heading for a table in the corner over the right shoulder of Rachel. She looked at him when the young woman walked past. He nodded his head in her direction, indicating for them to go over and have a little chat. She paused briefly allowing Logan to raise his eyebrows questioning her actions.

  Logan stood and moved over to the table where the young woman was sitting. 'Hello miss, do you mind if I take a seat?'

  The young woman never looked up, she knew who was asking, she had seen the pair of them sat at their table when she was making her way through the queue, she didn't need to look up to find out who was asking the question. 'I don't see any reason why I would object I guess.'

  Logan smiled politely and took a seat across from the young woman, 'DC Langley,' he introduced himself once he was sat.

  'I know and your friend is DC, sorry DS after her recent promotion, Rachel Lambert.'

  'I'm impressed, how do you know?'

  'Rebecca Castor, trainee journalist, fully qualified once I've completed this final year of my degree. It is important to do your research. I learnt that when I was still in school.'

  'Do I have to be careful of what I say or will it be splashed over the front page of the University newspaper in the morning?'

  Rebecca smiled almost laughing at the detective but didn't wish to cause offence to the detective, who clearly knew she was aware of something that he wasn't. 'Please sit down DS Lambert,' she asked Rachel, who was standing by the side of the table curious about Rebecca more than scared.

  She sat down, 'Did you know Catherine?'

  'Everyone knew Catherine, one way or another, but we weren't friends if that's what you are asking.'

  'How do you mean everyone knew Catherine?' interjected Logan.

  'Catherine was very popular, she was beautiful, all the boys fancied her and she was humbled so the girls all loved her too. She was amazing, vibrant, full of life that you couldn't help but love and many did love her, perhaps too many!'

  'What was her relationship like with Mark Jacobs?'

  'They worked well together. He wouldn't have been my first choice, to be honest he would have been very far down that list, but she did love him. Well, in her unique way that is.'

  'How do you mean?'

  'Catherine was a free spirit shall we say that. A complete free spirit,' she finished the last drags of her coffee and without a word walked over towards the counter and ordered herself another cup.

  'How reliable do you think her information is?' Logan asked Rachel.

  Rachel shrugged her shoulders and responded, 'I'm not sure, she seems to be very open.'

  Rebecca had received her coffee and within a matter of a few moments had returned to the table. 'Where had we got up to?'

  'You said Catherine was a complete free spirit. Was she having an affair?'

  'She had had many in the past.'

  'Was she now?'

  'Yes.'

  'Who with?'

  Rebecca looked at Logan considerately, 'that I can't say.'

  Logan looked back at her, intrigued at why she had been such an open book throughout this conversation but then immediately closed when they reach the juicy bits. 'Why can't you say? Don't say confidentiality protocols!'

  'I won't say,' Rebecca said firmly with conviction.

  'You know you could end up in trouble yourself if you are found to be withholding information that would prevent justice from carrying out its due course.'

  'I know that but I'm not saying because I don't know!'

  Rachel looked at Logan, she knew something and she was holding something back. Rachel glanced at Rebecca who looked back at her without hesitation. There was a look in her eyes that were deviant. She had to tread lightly. 'Rebecca, I understand the urge to protect someone but it will not help them to cover up something that would inevitably hurt them or someone else more. We may have only just met but I know you are fighting your own ethics and I'm sure when it comes to it you will do the right thing,' Rachel concluded before she stood up and pushed her chair back under the table. She reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out her calling card, before passing it over to Rebecca. 'You can call me anytime and if I don't answer then please feel free to leave me a message.'

  Rebecca had taken no more than six steps away from the table, followed by Logan closely behind, when Rebecca
called after the pair. 'I believe it is a professor,' she said clearly.

  'Do you know which one?' asked Logan.

  Rebecca shook her head!

  Chapter 30

  William Jepson was sat in his office looking at the file in front of him on his desk. The file was all the information Rachel and Logan had collated on the murder of Catherine. The file was extensive of varying reports covering autopsy, witness reports and forensics. He was flicking through each page, soaking up the information as quickly as he could. He picked up his mobile phone at the side of the file and clicked through his contacts before pressing dial.

  'Hello...I'm sorry to disturb you but I need you to see you ASAP...great, see you soon.'

  DCI William Jepson was a small stout gentleman with dark brown short spiked hair and an ever increasing waistline. He looked over at Logan, 'how certain are you of what you are saying?'

  'I'm as sure as I can be Sir!'

  'Well, we will have to wait for Rachel to arrive and then hopefully we can sort all this out.'

  ◆◆◆

  Rachel had been sat at her desk analysing the case when she had received the call from William Jepson. Instantly she was filled with curiosity, mainly caused by the concern hidden in William's voice. She had never seen that before, he was always ice calm, never showing any form of emotion. She never thought of him as an uncaring man. At home with his wife and children, she always pictured him as the father who would throw his arms around them, kick a football around the garden with his son, play tea parties with his daughter and cuddle up with his wife on the sofa whilst watching whatever film she had chosen. That was at home, behind the privacy of his own doors, this was at work and that was a complete different image he had to portray.

  She reached William's door, knocked and hesitantly she turned the handle. She stepped into his office and was shocked when she saw Logan standing there looking at her with a slightly smug expression on his face. In that very moment, she knew what he had done and a flush of anger consumed her at an alarming rate. She considered for a second whether to walk across to him and punch him straight across the face. To watch the saliva jump from his mouth and across William Jepson's desk, that would give her satisfaction, but what about the consequences. There were always consequences.

  'Thank you for coming so quickly,' William said to Rachel friendly. 'Why don't we all sit down!' he added pointing to the two empty chairs on the opposite side of his desk before taking his seat himself.

  She moved over to the chair to her left, pulled it out and sat down. As Logan joined suit, sitting on the other chair, she stared hard at him giving the evil eye. He looked straight back at her and shrugged his shoulders.

  'Where are we on the Catherine Holmes case, Rachel?' William quizzed.

  'We have a few suspects, nothing concrete really yet Sir,' she responded avoiding the real answer that William was looking for.

  William lifted the case file up from his desk high enough, so Rachel could identify what it was. He flicked through the suspect list and paused at the new name on the list, that had been added recently by Logan. The name had been added so recently, in fact, that Rachel was oblivious to it. 'Anything else that you want to add?' he asked.

  'We are still waiting for forensics reports on Catherine's apartment.'

  'I understand there is suspicion that Catherine was having an affair behind Mark's back? Where have we reached with that?'

  Logan remained quiet, head tilted towards Rachel, he had already spilled the beans to William and was leaving the answering now to her. She looked at William, 'we have a report from a witness of a possible older man.'

  'Anyone specifically?'

  'Logan has already told you Sir, so why am I getting the third degree?'

  William relaxed back in his chair placing his hands palm down on top of his desk, sensing the confrontational tone building from Rachel, 'do I need to be concerned?'

  'No. Why would you be?'

  'Rachel, it's not everyday that I find out one of my detectives husband is a murder suspect.'

  Logan also sat back now in his chair, sensing the case would soon be handed to him, he respected Rachel in his own way but he disagreed with her promotion. This was the opportunity to proof he was the right man for the job. It would take over the case, solve it by probably placing Nathan behind bars and then he would gain the promotion he so truly believed that he deserved.

  'I don't see how we can suggest that Nathan would be a suspect.'

  William contemplated her response, rubbing his chin with his fingers, before cupping them underneath. 'As I understand there is suspicion that the man involved in the affair could be a University professor!'

  'We have one report from Rebecca, after one conversation with her, its not exactly concrete. We need to find out more before we jump to conclusions,' she emphasised as she stared hard at Logan.

  'It's not just one report though,' Logan fired back. 'Mark accused Catherine of having an affair in the text messages.'

  'OK, so Catherine was most likely seeing someone else other than Mark, but he didn't have a clue who it was.'

  'He said it was with an older man!'

  'An older man doesn't necessarily collaborate Rebecca's story. It could be anyone from the thousands of men in York that would be older than Catherine. Where would you like to start Detective Logan?'

  'You know as well as I do that the most likely killer would be someone close to the victim. It was a long time ago when I was at detective school, but if I remember correctly, it was a very high percentage of killers were found to have known their victims on a very intimate level,' he responded as sarcastically as he could.

  'I still don't know how you can jump to that conclusion so quickly. An older man and that means it has to be my husband?'

  'Come on Rachel, I don't understand how you can't or won't see that your husband could be a suspect,' he responded with the volume of his voice raising with every word he said.

  William stood up, having enough of the bickering between the two of them, like school children in the playground. 'Logan please leave!' he said sternly. 'I need to talk with DS Lambert alone.'

  'I don't mean to mis-speak-'

  'DC Langley,' he interrupted sternly, looking at him with conviction and pointed towards his office door. 'It is not your position to question my decisions!'

  Logan smiled defeated and raised to his feet before walking behind his chair and pushing it back near towards William's desk, before turning and exited the office. He refused to go far though and waited just down the corridor. Maybe he had pushed it too far and now Rachel had her chance of worming back into the Detective Chief Inspectors good books. She could wrap him around her little finger with her charm. He had blown his chance of being the lead on the case.

  'Do I need to be worried?' William asked again, choosing to remain standing behind his desk.

  Rachel had chance to calm down after Logan had left the office and was now fully aware of how she had sounded shouting at Logan. 'There is no reason whatsoever to be worried Sir!'

  'I don't believe that Nathan would do anything to hurt you. Every time I have seen you two together, it is clear for anyone to see that he is devoted to you.'

  'But?' she responded sensing it was coming.

  'We do have to consider him a s a suspect Rachel. I don't see where the problem is though. Surely he has an alibi, eliminate him from the investigation and move onto another professor. Where was he when Catherine was murdered?'

  'At home as far as I know.'

  'Weren't you with him?'

  'It was the day I was informed of my promotion.'

  'You went out to celebrate with the girls. I remember now. Well that is unfortunate, I'm guessing there was nobody else there with him?'

  'I don't believe so,' she paused. 'I mean, he never told me that he had any of his friends around.'

  William sighed and then rose from his chair, walking steadily across to the steel filling cabinets that lined the wall
of to the right of where Rachel was sat and opened the top drawer. Reaching in he pulled out a bottle of single malt Irish whiskey and two tumblers. HE then returned to his chair and placed one glass in front of himself and one in front of Rachel. He spun the lid of the whiskey and carefully poured two large shots of the whiskey, one into each glass and told Rachel to have a drink. 'DC Langley is an idiot, you know that?' he didn't wait for a reply from her. 'That been said though, he is a damn good detective and I've always found his instincts to be true.'

  Rachel sniggered, 'that's why I wanted to work with him after all.'

  'You have to stop fighting him Rachel. He wants your job and he doesn't agree with my choice of you over him, but you have to ignore that or he'll prove himself right. I promoted you because I have faith in you. You are a better detective and show me the qualities that are needed to lead any investigation. DC Langley is too militant and too wrapped up in what he deserves, to knuckle down, work hard and earn that promotion he so truly desires.'

  William took a large gulp of the whiskey and shuddered almost instantly as the alcohol burnt down his throat. He then lent forward looking directly at Rachel expectantly of her resistance. Much to William's surprise, she lifted her drink and took a larger gulp of the whiskey, 'what if Logan is right?'

  'Do you believe he is right?'

  'I don't want to but I do have doubt. Catherine was most likely having an affair, that I am almost certain of and the latest information does suggest that it was a professor. Nathan was one of hers and therefore would have the opportunity to get to know her on that level. I work long unpredictable hours so he would have the chance without me knowing or likely to ever find out. If that was all true and she threatened to expose the truth,' she took a break and gulped the remainder of her whiskey. 'Let's say she wanted more and he didn't. That would be reason for her threats and then that would give him a motive to kill her.'