Driving Dead

by Stephen G Collier

‘On a layover from New Zealand. I’m on my way back – permanently.’

  ‘Really? You know what’s going to happen when you return?’

  ‘I know, but I need to face it. I’ll be a couple of days. Perhaps we can talk? I didn’t want to just turn up at your doorstep.’

  ‘Right. OK, you’d better ring me when you’re ready and we’ll sort something out.’

  ‘Sorry, Jake, but you’re the only one who can help me.’

  ‘I’m not sure whether I can, but I’ll give you my mobile number. Ring me when you want to come in. When you’re ready to talk.’ Jake reeled off his mobile number.

  ‘Thanks, Jake.’

  ‘You know this isn’t going to be easy.’

  ‘Yes, I know, but as I said I’m ready to face it. I’ll see you soon.’

  He listened to a dial tone for a couple of seconds before he hung up. He recalled that when they visited the pub, the day after Jim’s funeral, Parker told them that she had only returned to the UK, after her disappearance, in order to attend her father’s funeral. It was he, who had used his contacts in the Foreign Office to get her shipped out to New Zealand. Nobody knew where she was and nobody would even dream she was literally the other side of the world.

  When she had left them in the pub, she was still adamant that nobody should know where she was, until she was ready to come back. Now it seemed to Jake that this was the time.

  The most important factor was the letter she’d received from Tyler, explaining himself to her. Jake doubted the sincerity of that letter, but Parker seemed to accept it on face value. That was in the past now, and he realised that Parker was going to be put through some real tough times, when she got back.

  Although he didn’t agree with what she had done and how she went about it, he knew that she needed at least one friend on the force.

  His nightshift had been quiet and uneventful and he had arranged to see Kirsty the following afternoon. Sitting in Kirsty’s office, still recovering from the shift, he was in a quandary as to whether he should tell her that he’d heard from Stephanie Parker. Knowing that Kirsty’s view of her was less than conciliatory, the problem was that, when she did appear on the scene, Kirsty would soon know about it.

  He was also annoyed that the DCI had called Kirsty’s office and demanded she visit him as soon as possible, without first consulting with Jake. He knew, of course, that he wasn’t Kirsty’s keeper, but from an FLO point of view, it was only courtesy that he should have been warned – or asked his opinion. Raking over old wounds certainly wouldn’t help Kirsty’s recovery.

  He sat staring down into his mug, watching the steam swirling around the inside-edge, like a wall of death motorcyclist, before it leached from the confines of the mug into the air. Kirsty made a damn good cup of coffee from the machine that she had in her office.

  He seemed to recall seeing the coffee-maker in her flat, when he was struggling with Tyler. Funny what you remember…

  ‘Penny for them?’ she asked, walking over to him and sitting in the chair opposite.

  ‘Sorry?’ was all he replied, still deep in thought.

  ‘And what does that mean?’ she said, looking at him, and not without some concern on her face. Jake knew he was subdued and wondered what Kirsty might be thinking of this friend she had sitting opposite her. Jake looked up at her.

  ‘You know, work stuff,’ Jake responded with indifference.

  ‘Really? I know you too well, Jake, and can tell when something’s on your mind!’

  Jake continued to look at her. He was still deliberating whether to tell her about Stephanie Parker, but was more concerned with what had happened in the DCI’s office.

  ‘How much did you hear?’

  ‘Not much.’

  ‘How long had you been standing there?’

  ‘Enough to hear you defending me,’ she smiled, ‘which was nice, and kind, but I don’t need you to do it, Jake. I’m a big girl you know. I can look after myself.’

  Jake said nothing.

  ‘Sorry if that sounded a little harsh, after all you have done for me, but I have to move on, Jake. I’ve listened to you and I know I can no longer wallow in the past.’

  Again, Jake said nothing, but continued to examine her face, looking for any sign of a ‘but’. What the hell, he thought, it’s not as if it’s likely they’ll come into contact, is it?

  ‘OK,’ he said, sitting back in the chair. ‘I had a phone call last night while I was on duty.’

  ‘Oh, and?’

  ‘It was from abroad. Came in about midnight.’

  ‘For you, personally?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘I didn’t know you had any relatives abroad.’

  ‘I don’t.’

  ‘Come on then. Don’t keep me in suspense,’ Kirsty also sat back in her chair, waiting.

  Jake was reluctant to come straight out with it, which might have given her the idea she knew who he was talking about. ‘It was Stephanie Parker.’

  Kirsty didn’t respond immediately, then murmured, ‘Oh.’

  Jake glanced out of Kirsty’s office window. He got up from the chair and walked towards the window with cup in hand. Leaning forward, he looked skyward. ‘Looks like more rain is coming.’

  ‘Yeah, in more ways than one.’

  Jake turned to meet Kirsty standing behind him. Too close, he thought. He side-stepped her and wandered back to the chair.

  ‘What did she want?’ Kirsty asked, following him.

  ‘She’s coming home.’

  ‘When?’

  ‘Lands at Heathrow tomorrow.’

  ‘That was quick.’

  ‘Yeah, she rang me from Hong Kong airport.’

  ‘I hope she doesn’t want you to pick her up.’

  ‘No, her mother’s doing that, but Steph wants to answer to the big bosses. I think she wants to come back to the force.’

  ‘Will they let her, do you think?’

  ‘I don’t know – they can be quite fickle. Whatever happens, she has got to answer for what she did. The book is never closed on those sorts of things.’

  ‘What can she be done for?’

  ‘Misconduct in Public Office, that’s a common law offence, punishable by life imprisonment. Then of course there are offences under the Conduct Regs. Failing to appear at court, for one. Bringing the force into disrepute for another, and a shed load of other stuff they could throw at her.’

  ‘It may not end well for her. Why would she want to come back?’

  ‘She told me that she’s ready to face whatever she needs to.’

  Kirsty was silent for a moment. ‘What does she want you to do?’

  ‘Don’t really know, other than let the bosses know she’s back.’

  ‘Mmm…’ was all Kirsty said. It was her turn to stare vacantly out of her office window.

  ‘Are you going to meet her?’

  ‘She’s asked, yes.’

  ‘Have you agreed to?’

  ‘Probably. Want to come along?’

  ‘Are you kidding?’

  ‘Just thought I’d ask.’ He smiled briefly.

  Kirsty moved away from the window and sat back at her desk.

  Jake watched her randomly push papers around and put them in piles. He moved towards the front of her desk. ‘Look, Kirsty, don’t worry about it, or her. I thought it best, that you should know, despite any misgivings I may have had.’

  ‘OK, I understand. Thanks, Jake, but you know how I feel about her.’

  Jake nodded and drained his coffee. ‘I’d better be going.’

  ‘Right. I’ll try not to think about it. Ring me later?’ Then she quickly added, ‘If you want to talk?’

  ‘Yes, OK.’

  He turned to go.

  Kirsty got up from her desk and met him at her
office door. She took his arm gently. ‘Thanks for telling me, Jake.’

  ‘That’s OK. No problem.’

  ‘Look, what are you doing tomorrow?’

  ‘It should be my rest day. Why?’

  ‘How would you like to come and see me lecture at the university?’

  ‘I probably wouldn’t be good company,’ Jake said quickly.

  ‘It’ll take your mind off things. And what’s going to happen when Stephanie gets back.’

  Jake thought for a moment. Is she trying to make it easy for me? Is she fed up of waiting? ‘OK,’ he said quickly. ‘What time?’

  ‘I’ll pick you up at 9:30.’

  ‘OK.’ He turned back to go, but not before Kirsty kissed him lightly on the cheek. Jake felt himself flush. He left quickly.

  16

  The auditorium was in the oldest part of the hospital in Billing Road. It had tiered seating for about 200 people. Jake looked around at the walls of oak panelling that reached to just over halfway up the walls, above which hung huge paintings of various important alumni.

  ‘Never been in here,’ he said, as they both entered the room.

  ‘It’s quite imposing, I have to say. I much prefer it to talking to students in the morgue.’

  ‘How often is that?’

  ‘Not often, but you know I’ve been looking at doing something else and this just came up at the right time.’

  Jake nodded. ‘You’ve taught in here before?’

  ‘Yes, but I like to get in among the students, not me looking up at them all the time.’

  Jordan had been annoyed that Kirsty, after Jim’s death, was aggrieved with her employer who, while appearing sympathetic outwardly, made it clear they were concerned about Kirsty not being at work.

  After she had returned from compassionate leave she was called to see the Chief Executive. A dour, bespectacled, fifty-year-old, hospital administrator.

  When he’d removed her from her position with no compassion as to her personal circumstance, she had resolved to find something better to do, preferably somewhere else.

  By chance, she had been approached by the university to provide some training to student nurses and doctors, as the university thought that it might take her mind off her recent trauma. It kept coming up in the press and media; some ridiculous speculation by some investigative journalist trying to make a name for themselves who thought they were onto a scoop.

  Jake knew that Kirsty hated her situation as it was so well known, never out of the press for more than a few weeks at a time. They had no consideration at all for the grieving widow. On one occasion he told a hack, trying to doorstep her to piss-off, which got him further into trouble. Freedom of speech and all that bollocks, which would be fine normally, but not on that occasion.

  Jake thought that the hospital management’s attitude was bizarre, but knew that Kirsty didn’t have the mental capacity at the time to fight it. People of a certain type like to kick you when you’re down, Jake had told her. He was spitting feathers about it and wanted to go and complain to the Commissioning Group, but Kirsty stopped him, before it got them into further trouble.

  Jake sat at the back of the room listening to Kirsty. She was very engaging with the students, making sure that they had understood all she was telling them.

  She’d been teaching for fifty minutes, standing in the pit in her white doctor’s coat, talking to twenty students scattered around the auditorium.

  ‘So, Professor,’ asked a student near to Jake.

  ‘Just Doctor, not Professor.’ Kirsty smiled. ‘Go on?’

  ‘What happens if the religion of the deceased does not allow for a post-mortem to be carried out?’

  ‘That is a good question and quite difficult to answer. However, in such circumstances it is possible for the PM to be carried out using an MRI scanner. There may be some issues for me particularly as a forensic pathologist. It would stop an autopsy being carried out, particularly with a murder or unexpected death. In the end, it is a decision for the coroner alone. And also an MRI PM may have to be paid for by the deceased’s family. There is some information in your books and a wealth of information on the internet.’

  The student nodded and thanked Kirsty.

  ‘Any further questions?’ Kirsty looked around the auditorium. ‘No? OK then. I’ll see you all next week – don’t forget we’re at the mortuary and not here. Thank you, everyone.’

  The students in the auditorium gathered their bags and laptops and made their way out noisily. Kirsty remained behind, as she tidied her notes and closed down her laptop. Jake waited for her to finish tidying up and saw that she was approached by an older woman, who he’d also seen sitting at the back of the room before he’d sat down.

  As soon as her shadow fell across Kirsty’s desk, she looked up and immediately recognised the person standing in front of her. ‘Tanya! When did you get back in town?’

  ‘Oh, I suppose it’s been about six months or so. I’ve not had time to meet up with old friends, but now things have settled, I thought I’d come and listen in, when I found out where you were.’

  ‘Thanks. What did you think?’

  ‘Very thorough, but as a toxicologist, my examinations tend to be a bit more microbial.’ She smiled.

  Dr Tanya Nicholls was a tall brunette in her late forties, wearing a dark green suit and white blouse. Her shoulder-length hair was held in a ponytail with a green hairband, and she carried a Burberry, leather shoulder bag. ‘Do you want to get a coffee or something? If you have time?’

  ‘Yes, that’ll be good. I’m parched after all that talking. I usually bring in a bottle of water, but always forget to use it.’ She held up the bottle she’d picked up from the table.

  Tanya smiled. ‘You’re a good lecturer,’ she said as they walked out of the auditorium.

  Kirsty looked around for Jake and saw him coming down the stairs towards them. He joined them as they arrived at the door. Kirsty checked to make sure she had collected everything.

  She introduced Jake to Tanya and explained to her who he was.

  They made their way to the hospital restaurant, and the two women chatted idly, catching up with their past news. Jake just listened. It had been a long time since he’d seen Kirsty so animated. Apparently Kirsty had not seen Tanya since leaving medical school, as they had majored in different subjects. Jake offered to get them tea and cake as they found a table and sat down, surrounded by her students studying alone or in groups.

  Jake brought the tray of drinks and sat down next to Kirsty and said, ‘How long has it been since you’ve seen Kirsty, Tanya?’

  ‘Yes, I’m eager to know what you’ve been up to, Kirsty said.

  ‘You know I went to work for this big American company?’

  Kirsty nodded, as she took a sip from her tea.

  ‘I did that for about eighteen months. Awful company, worked you into the ground. Early starts and late finishes, so I wasn’t happy. But I stayed out there doing some minor jobs. Married a Yank doctor. Lasted all of five minutes – he was banging some nurse at the hospital, all the time he was seeing me and after the wedding. Took me twelve months to find out about it – and twelve months to screw him to the floor in the divorce settlement. Married again,’ she paused, ‘I did some time at a crime lab and really couldn’t settle. Adopted a daughter! Got back here in the UK about two years ago. Worked in microbiology for King’s in London, but now I have this new job as senior toxicologist in the department for this other private company. And that’s it in a nutshell – the life and times of Tanya Nicholls!’

  Jake smiled. ‘What made you come back to the UK?’

  ‘Boredom, and the incessant backslapping that the Yanks seem to be so good at. All that fist punching the air and high fives. Gets on your nerves eventually.’

  Jake noticed that seemed to depress her a little. The sparkl
e had gone out of her eyes, after she’d talked about her divorce.

  ‘You’ve not done any NHS work then?’ Kirsty said, changing the subject.

  ‘Nah – no money in it.’

  ‘Thanks for that vote of confidence, Tanya,’ Kirsty mocked.

  ‘You’ve got to remember that I’ve not worked in the NHS at all. All my work has been private.’

  ‘And you have an adopted daughter?’ Jake said.

  Tanya looked at Jake. ‘Yes, she’s a bit of a handful, even now.’

  ‘How old is she?’ he inquired.

  ‘She’s twenty-five, going on sixteen,’ Tanya laughed. ‘But less about me. How about you, Kirsty?’

  ‘It’s been difficult over the last twelve months.’ Kirsty hesitated.

  ‘Yes, I’m sorry, I saw it all on the news – terrible. How are you coping?’

  ‘There are a few days that are good, but most times it’s bad, very bad. Not so much now, but all the same. I have a good friend. He’s seen me through the bad times.’ She indicated Jake.

  ‘Him?’ quizzed Tanya.

  ‘Yes, he’s my Family Liaison Officer.’

  ‘Oh, not… ?’ Tanya let the question hang.

  ‘No, no, nothing like that. And it’s not something I can get into right now, if you know what I mean.’

  ‘Of course, I understand. But would you, you know?’ Jordan saw an intent look on Tanya’s face as she studied Kirsty.

  ‘I don’t know right now. Possibly. He is quite cute.’

  ‘Cute?’ exclaimed Jake. ‘I am sitting here, remember?’

  They laughed.

  ‘I suppose you’re married then? The good ones usually are – either that or you’re gay.’

  Jake cleared his throat. ‘I’m divorced.’

  ‘We’ve supported each other, through our problems, Tanya. So let’s leave it at that.’

  ‘He’s a free man then?’ Tanya responded with a naughty smile and a wink.

  ‘We’ll see,’ was all that Kirsty replied glancing at Jake.

  Tanya studied her watch and eyed them both. ‘Well, I’ve taken up enough of your time. Must be going. It’s been really great to catch up, Kirst. Perhaps we could arrange a dinner or something? You know – a girlie night out?’