DARK JUSTICE: The Erin Dark Series

by Taylor Leon

  ‘What do you think, Sandra?’ he asked her.

  ‘Your call Anthony,’ she replied sharply, staring blankly ahead. ‘But I trust, Miss Dark that this is going to be the last we will hear about this.’

  I considered for a moment whether she genuinely believed Norris was being unfairly harassed, or whether she was in on the whole thing. Either way, I had her down as one cold bitch.

  Norris paused for thought, although as he had known the apology was coming he must have already considered his response. He was a politician after all, always planning ahead.

  ‘I think we’ll let the matter slide this time,’ he said. ‘Put it down to emotional stress. What do you think Miss Dark?’

  I glanced up at the rear-view mirror. Jason was still looking back at me.

  I turned back to Norris. ‘I think that would be very kind of you Mr Norris.’ I forced out a weak smile.

  He nodded and smiled back. His was a practised politician’s smile, much larger than mine.

  ‘Now Miss Dark,’ he said. ‘You really must excuse me.’

  ‘Yes of course,’ I said glancing back up at the rear-view mirror. My lips barely moved as I muttered the spell. Unless you were looking for it you wouldn’t have noticed. Jessie looked back at me in the mirror, invisible to Jason who could only see his own reflection. He climbed out and opened the door to let me out. I felt his eyes boring into the back of me as I walked away, back to my own car.

  I flipped the compact open. ‘You got them Jess?’ I said.

  ‘Yeah, I got them.’

  I flipped the compact shut, opened the car door and dropped back into the passenger seat next to Cade. Jason had got back into the BMW and we watched in silence as it pulled out of its space.

  ‘You don’t look so bad,’ Cade said.

  ‘Huh?’

  ‘Looking into your make up thingy all the time.’ I couldn’t tell whether he was joking or not.

  ‘Let’s just go,’ I said, sidestepping his comment.

  He turned on the ignition.

  ‘Well how did it go in there?’ he asked.

  ‘I did what I had to.’

  I watched Norris’s BMW in the distance make a right turn and disappear

  33

  ARNIE SHENKER LOVED his little brother, always had done, although when they were younger you would never have guessed. Their Dad had constantly pitted them against one another.

  ‘It’s about survival of the fittest,’ they once overheard him telling their mother.

  ‘It’s about him being an arsehole,’ David told Arnie years later, a few weeks after “Pops” had died.

  There were only three years between the brothers, but up until their late teens it might as well have been a generation. Now, almost forty years on, they were older, wiser and although still keen competitors, it was at least within their own chosen fields and not between themselves.

  David Shenker was a divorce lawyer making comparatively big bucks, now onto his second (much younger) wife, with two kids from his first marriage. He’d held onto his boyish good looks as well as his dark (some said dyed) curly hair.

  His older brother, in contrast with a successful first marriage and twin girls, didn’t have David’s money, but that was because he’d chosen a career in the police-force, something he’d dreamed of doing since he was ten years old.

  ‘What’s with the security?’ David nodded towards the coffee-house doorway where two plain-clothed officers stood awkwardly, coffees in hand, trying to blend in.

  Arnie looked back over his shoulder. ‘That obvious?’

  ‘If they wore FBI-style shades they wouldn’t stand out any more,’ David laughed.

  Arnie looked uncomfortable, twitching in his chair like he hated them being there, hated being here himself, hated the conversation he was about to have.

  ‘Well, we’ve got our drinks,’ David said. ‘What’s so urgent?’

  Arnie warmed his hands around the tall cup of coffee.

  ‘How’s Melissa?’ he asked, playing for time.

  David frowned and eyed his brother suspiciously. He’d never given two hoots about his second wife before.

  ‘She’s fine,’ he said slowly.

  ‘And Gem, and the kids?’

  David leaned forward. ‘What’s this about, Arnie?’ He motioned over to the door again. ‘Why are the two goons here?’

  He noticed his older brother’s hands were trembling slightly.

  ‘You read about the murder of that detective a few days ago?’ Arnie said.

  David nodded, fearing the worst now.

  ‘That was Lloyd Tanner,’ Arnie added. ‘My old partner.’

  ‘Oh Jesus,’ David breathed. ‘I’m so sorry. I mean, I heard the name on TV, but didn’t twig-’

  ‘That’s not why I’m here,’ Arnie cut across. ‘You asked me who those two are. They’re my security detail.’

  David flopped back in his seat, his usual smile torn from his face. ‘Are you in danger?’

  Arnie couldn’t look him in the eye. ‘It’s just a precaution. I’ve got these two shadowing me, and then a couple of others watching Janet and the kids.’

  David shook his head. ‘Do you know who killed your partner?’

  Arnie leaned in to ensure he couldn’t be overheard. ‘We think it’s someone from our past.’

  ‘“Our” past. You mean yours too?’

  ‘We were partners.’

  David contemplated this whilst letting it all sink in. ‘Is this why you wanted to meet me here for coffee?’

  Arnie cleared his throat. ‘We don’t have enough resources to cover everyone. There are other officers and their immediate families that need priority protection-’

  ‘Am I in danger?’ David cut across. ‘Is Melissa?’

  ‘No, no,’ Arnie said, but didn’t sound convincing. ‘This conversation is just belts and braces.’

  ‘Belts and braces,’ David repeated. He looked over his brother’s shoulder. ‘How long is this going to go on for?’

  ‘Hopefully not long,’ Arnie said. ‘Just a few days.’

  ‘Do you know who you’re looking for?’

  ‘We’re following up some leads.’

  David watched his brother’s pained expression for a few more seconds before glancing down at his watch.

  ‘Melissa and the kids are up in Manchester with her parents’, he said. ‘I have to get back to the office.’ He pushed his full cup of coffee forward and stood up. ‘You take care brother.’

  Arnie glanced up. ‘You too.’

  He didn’t turn around to watch his brother leave, he just waited another ten minutes, finished his drink and then got up to leave himself.

  Neither Arnie, nor his security detail noticed the two figures who had left the coffee shop ahead of them, just a couple of minutes behind David.

  It was Wayne’s philosophy. Be in the very last place they expect to find you. Right under their noses.

  34

  WAYNE TOOK THE call, once he was back in the car, lifting the mobile to his ear, never taking his eyes off the windscreen.

  Watching. Waiting.

  ‘It’s me,’ Jason said

  ‘I know it’s you. What does he want?’ Wayne asked. It would be what he, the Old Man wanted.

  ‘He’s had the police here,’ Jason said.

  ‘Again?’ Wayne said, genuinely surprised.

  ‘Same one as yesterday, but this time he got an apology from her.’ Jason snickered. ‘For making those false allegations at the rally yesterday.’

  ‘So what’s the problem then?’

  There was some mumbling in the background that Wayne couldn’t make out. That would be the Old Man instructing Jason what to say.

  ‘The simple fact that they’re asking questions at all,’ Jason said eventually.

  ‘Let them ask away,’ Wayne said. ‘It doesn’t affect anything. They don’t have anything on him.’

  ‘It’s getting hot. He’s getting worried.’

 
Wayne sighed. ‘Believe me, this is not hot.’

  ‘He wants you to lie low for a while,’ Jason said.

  ‘Nuh-uh. Remind him of the promise I made to Mark,’ Wayne said.

  More mumbling in the background.

  ‘He knows. But you need to give it time.’

  Wayne stared hard at the kid next to him even as he spoke into the mobile. ‘There’s no time. We’re seeing this through now.’

  ‘He says be careful then,’ Jason said.

  ‘I always am.’ Wayne was about to turn the mobile off when Jason suddenly started talking again.

  ‘Before you go, what about the acquaintance whose house you were visiting?’

  He was referring to Duke Best. They’d been told to break in, find and take out anything incriminating.

  ‘The place was clean. No laptop and no files.’

  There was a short pause before Jason came back on. ‘He says that’s impossible.’

  ‘There was nothing there,’ Wayne repeated. He ended the call with a sigh and pushed the phone into his shirt breast pocket. He hated cutting Jason and the Old Man off like that. But sometimes, when the heat was really on, the Old Man would lose himself. His confidence and assertiveness would desert him and he’d be prone to panic. Let him be the politician stuck behind a desk, Wayne thought. Maybe that is the best and safest place for him these days. We’ll be his foot-soldiers. And every politician needs a good commanding officer that can make strong decisions in the field.

  That was Wayne.

  The Old Man knew how to talk, but Wayne knew how to fight.

  ‘The Old Man’s shitting himself,’ he said aloud.

  He knew the Old Man had a point. In an ideal world, they would lie low for a while. But this wasn’t an ideal world. The anniversary of Mark’s murder was around the corner. He couldn’t stop now. He wouldn’t stop now.

  ‘You ready to do this?’ he whispered.

  ‘Of course,’ the kid replied.

  And so, they waited.

  35

  DAVID SHENKER FINISHED up past eight o’clock. As usual he was almost the last one to leave the office.

  Almost, not quite though.

  Sylvie Chang was still at her desk, outside in the open plan. Young, hard-working and pretty to go with it, David suspected she’d go far.

  ‘You should go home too,’ he said as he walked through the otherwise empty office, briefcase in hand.

  She looked up and gave him a wide smile which produced a warm fuzzy feeling in the pit of his stomach.

  ‘I will soon,’ she said.

  David hesitated, and not for the first time thought about asking her out for a drink. But if she blew him out he’d be a laughing stock in the office, and if she said yes and told any of the others it could make things very awkward.

  But what if (if if if) they went out and it led to something more and she kept it quiet?

  No, I’m a married man. I must start behaving. Just because Melissa’s away.

  He swallowed hard and strode across to the lifts. ‘Well, goodnight,’ he called over his shoulder.

  ‘Goodnight Mr Shenker.’

  He paused and turned, just as the lift doors opened.

  ‘Please, call me David,’ he said, and felt himself blush. He quickly stepped inside the lift and breathed a heavy sigh when the doors closed behind him.

  That exchange with Sylvie, on top of Melissa and the kids being away, on top of a long afternoon of back-to-back meetings had, for a short space of time, relegated his brother’s coffee session to the back of his mind. But now, as he stepped outside into the night, he remembered.

  He should call Melissa.

  He bleeped his car doors open before he crossed the road. He reached into his pocket for his mobile. He stopped in the middle of the road to let a car pass then continued and crossed around to the driver’s side of his Merc. One hand was on the door handle, when a voice from behind asked him for the time.

  He instinctively held his phone up to read the screen. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed the man smile through stained teeth. Then a pain flashed across the back of his head, the shock paralysing everything for an instant, before darkness descended.

  36

  I COULDN’T BEAR sitting at home like this for yet another day.

  ‘You want to go out someplace, Sampson?’ I asked my baby as he snuggled up to me on the sofa in front of the crap daytime TV. I needed to get out of here. Find somewhere quiet and peaceful.

  He looked up at me with his tongue lolling out and barked once for yes.

  It was only a twenty-minute journey in the car, but long enough for me to hear the main news headlines, each one a rabbit punch to my stomach.

  Police are actively still searching for those responsible for the murder of a retired police detective and his daughter…

  One Nation leader Anthony Norris accused the Government of back-tracking on its promises on immigration curbs…

  I had to flip over to a random music channel just so I could calm down. The first one was frenetic dance music. Not when I’m in this mood, I thought. I changed it to a different station, one that specialised in middle-of-the road power ballads, not my usual cup of tea but it kind of suited how I felt right then. I left it on for two tracks until we reached the cemetery.

  Only once I had Sampson on his lead, and had crossed the road, did I see Goth-girl standing in front of the tall gates watching.

  Waiting.

  I stopped and tightened my hold on Sampson’s leash. He saw her too, and whined softly.

  ‘Who are you?’ I called. I could see her in the daylight more clearly. It definitely wasn’t Frankie’s sister.

  The girl didn’t say anything. Her dark eyes were shadowed behind thick black smudges of goth make up, her face whitened in a dramatic contrast to her bright red hair. She was still dressed all in black, arms held stiffly by her sides. She turned and went in through the gates.

  I didn’t chase after her, maybe picked up the pace just a little bit, but I knew if she wanted me to speak with her then she’d be waiting, and if she didn’t then like the last couple of times she’d be-

  ‘Gone,’ I said to Sampson as we stepped inside the gates and looked down the long path that bisected the two plots of grave-stones. I glanced left and right but couldn’t see her anywhere, and apart from the expected figure sitting on a bench at the far end, this place was empty.

  I tried my best to push the girl to the back of my mind. There was nothing to panic about.

  For the moment, anyway.

  I continued down the path with Sampson padding alongside me, to where my father was sitting. He didn’t look up and see it was me until we were right next to him. If he was surprised to see me, then it didn’t show.

  ‘It’s been a long time since you came here,’ he said.

  I looked across at the headstones in front of us. My mother’s was six down and three across. Nothing fancy, just a standard tablet with a basic inscription. “Mary Dark- beloved wife and mother.”

  ‘Oh, I come here lots,’ I replied, looking down at him. ‘Just at different times to you.’

  He nodded and looked away. ‘Fair enough. I walk up here most lunchtimes.’

  I shortened my hold on Sampson’s lead, allowing him to nestle at my feet as I sat down on the bench next to my father. For several minutes, we both stared ahead in quiet contemplation. Eventually, my father broke the silence.

  ‘So why today?’ he asked softly, still gazing ahead.

  ‘I don’t know. It was a spur of the moment thing.’

  Out of the corner of my eye I saw him nod.

  ‘You think Mom can hear us?’ I asked him.

  ‘I don’t think, I know.’

  ‘When I’m alone, I talk to her,’ I said. ‘But she never answers.’

  I felt him turn and look at me in profile. ‘She talks to me,’ he said.

  My head dropped. It sounded so sad the way he said it.

  ‘She talks to you too,’ he
added. ‘You just have to recognise the signs.’

  She’d never spoken to me, or sent me any signs. All I got were nightmares. Edward Cryle coming back to haunt me, night after night after night.

  ‘I screwed up,’ I whispered after a short time, changing the subject. ‘I mean big time.’

  He didn’t reply. Then I realised he was waiting for me to continue, probably as surprised as I was that I was opening up to him like this.

  ‘I cracked,’ I said. ‘I went after someone and accused him of all sorts of things without any evidence.’ I deliberately didn’t tell him it was linked with Lloyd’s death but I am pretty sure he guessed that part. ‘Now they want to hang me.’

  He leaned forward and clasped his hands together on his knees, but didn’t say anything.

  ‘I might survive with a vote of sympathy,’ I said, ‘after everything that’s happened.’

  He waited until he was sure I was finished.

  ‘So, Erin Dark is not perfect,’ he said slowly, and paused. At first I wasn’t sure if he was mocking me or not, but then he added. ‘Your bosses aren’t perfect, and neither am I.’ He looked at me. I knew he was referring to his affair with the Madeline-bitch.

  ‘I don’t know what you did or who to,’ he said. ‘But I do know one thing, and that is that you’re good at your job.’

  I laughed softly and shook my head. ‘That’s such a father thing to say.’

  He didn’t even crack a smile. ‘You don’t think I keep tabs on you?’ he said. ‘I still have friends over there. I’ve followed your career from day one and you’ve done me proud.’

  I shook my head and gave a wry smile. Any compliments from him were usually reserved for my older sister languishing in Spain.

  ‘I know what you’re thinking Erin,’ he said as if he’d read my mind. ‘How I seem to always heap praise on Rachel, or fret about Toby. You think I take you for granted, or maybe don’t even notice you. You’re wrong about that. But if you think I have favourites…well, then you are right.’

  His eyes met mine. ‘It’s you. I know a father shouldn’t say that, but…’ he sat back on the bench with a sigh. ‘You remind me so much of your mother.’