by M A Comley
“Grudgingly, perhaps. You were totally unprofessional—there, I’ve said it.”
CHAPTER TWO
Lorne’s blood coursed through her veins. Instead of snapping at Pete, or putting him in his place, she inserted the key in the ignition and drove back to the station. She knew he was right—what she had said to Mrs. Timmins had been out of character, but she had a reason for that. Her own daughter, Charlie, was becoming a challenging teenager, hanging around with a gang of friends that Lorne didn’t like much, talking back at every opportunity, and pushing Lorne’s buttons by being disrespectful. But if anything happened to Charlie, Lorne knew she would be devastated and blame herself. Teenagers could be a handful at times. However, she knew in her heart that she would never give up on her daughter. She was lucky in that her husband, Tom, was a house husband and cared for Charlie most of the time while she was the breadwinner in the household. It didn’t mean that she cared any less for her daughter than Tom did.
After parking the car, Lorne turned to face Pete. “Can we call a truce before we join the rest of the team?”
“Fine by me,” Pete replied without looking at her.
Lorne punched his arm gently. “I hate it when we fall out. I’ve admitted I was wrong. What more do you want?”
“If you’re asking, you can buy me a bacon roll and a doughnut for lunch.”
Lorne chuckled. “Always thinking of that stomach of yours, aren’t you?”
“A man’s gotta eat. All the better when it’s a freebie.”
They left the car and walked into the station and up the stairs. The rest of the team were hard at work on their computers.
“We have a report of a missing girl but no sign of the Lynx at the location. We don’t have to be geniuses to figure out that this guy has abducted yet another girl. Let’s try and find her before she ends up in the mortuary like the other three victims.”
“In broad daylight, ma’am?” AJ asked.
“We’re not sure. The mother was quite evasive. Apparently, the fifteen-year-old girl went out nightclubbing with friends last night. The mother noticed she was absent around eight this morning. I’m presuming the girl went missing either last night or in the early hours of this morning. We just don’t know at this point. The call came in that the Lynx’s car was spotted in the area this morning, so that’s our dilemma. Either way, I wouldn’t put it past him to have taken her. I want everyone to leave what they’re doing and track down the girl’s friends. We need to find out what went on during their night out and if they came into contact with the Lynx. Other than that, we have nothing. I’ll be in my office.”
She left the team in Pete’s capable hands and grabbed a coffee from the vending machine en route to her office. After sipping at the hot liquid, she knew she had to make two calls, both of them to her least-favourite people. She called DCI Roberts first.
“Hello, sir. I just wanted to bring you up-to-date on how the investigation is going.”
“Go on, Inspector,” he replied in his ever-present abrupt manner when addressing her. Sean Roberts had recently returned to the station, years after he left the Met to head north following promotion. He and Lorne had been lovers before she dumped him for Tom. It was a little awkward to have him return to the station as her superior around the time her marriage to Tom was imploding.
Lorne swallowed. “Well, it looks like the Lynx has pounced again—another teenager. We’re doing our best to track him down, but with few clues to go on, it’s proving to be an impossible task, sir.”
“Impossible for you? Are you telling me you want to hand the case over to someone else? Because that’s the impression I’m getting here, Inspector. Please clarify that for me.”
“No, sir. I was just making you aware of what has taken place. My team and I are doing our utmost to catch this bastard.”
“Then try harder. I don’t want excuses. I want a result. A swift result, at that. This case has had your attention for weeks now, Inspector. Don’t think I haven’t noticed.”
Lorne rolled her eyes up to the ceiling. There was no point in arguing with him. He was right, but she would be buggered if she would admit that to him. “We’re on it, sir. We feel as if we’re getting close now.”
“Three bodies down and one abduction.”
“I’m aware of that, sir. I best get on.”
“You do that. If you need any overtime sanctioned, ask me.”
“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.” Lorne hung up, gulped down a couple of mouthfuls of coffee then tackled the next mammoth obstacle in her life: dealing with the infamous French pathologist. Every woman in the station drooled over him, and yet she only loved to hate him and his arrogant ways. “Hello, Dr. Arnaud. This is DI Simpkins. Are you free for a chat?”
“Ah, the inspector calls. Chat? Over the phone or in person? I’m very busy, Inspector.”
Lorne closed her eyes. Why do the men in my life, whom I’m forced to deal with daily, have to sound so acerbic? As far as she could tell, all she was guilty of was carrying out her job properly. She’d had no complaints against her to date. She thought back to her earlier meeting with Mrs. Timmins and shuddered. That had been an exception to the rule.
“I appreciate that. Aren’t we all? Anyway, I wanted to know if you had the autopsy results back on Jennifer Stroud for me?”
“I have. Wait a moment.”
She heard paper rustling and him muttering in French, obviously cursing. She recognised one of the words he murmured from what she had learnt at school, during and after, her boring French lessons: merde. She tapped a pen on her desk and took a sip of coffee while she waited.
“Ah, yes. Here we are. My initial findings are that the girl drowned. She had consumed large amounts of alcohol. If you remember, there was a vodka bottle found alongside her body outside the bath. If she hadn’t drowned, no doubt the blood lost from the wounds to both wrists would have killed her anyway.”
“Are you putting this down as a suicide or a murder?”
“Murder. I found bruising to her temple. Someone held her under the water.”
“How terrible. Thanks, Doc. I know the MOs to each crime have been different, but I’m still going to link this crime to the other two girls, if only because of their ages.”
“I would do the same. Is that all, Inspector?”
“Yes, except to say that we believe the Lynx now has yet another teenager at his disposal. We can only imagine how this will end if we don’t find the bastard.”
“Then you better get on and stop wasting both our time.”
“Thanks, I will. Goodbye.”
She said the last word to the dial tone. He was such a bombastic bastard. Why the hell did he have to show up on my patch?
CHAPTER THREE
“Gather around, team. Let’s have a recap on what we have so far. I’ve just called the pathologist, and he’s confirmed that Jennifer Stroud was murdered, even though her death was set up to look like a suicide. Her parents are understandably beside themselves after finding her lying in the bath like that. According to Arnaud, she had bruising on her temple, leading him to assume that someone held her under the water until she took her last breath. Someone slipped up. Was it the Lynx or one of his gang members who screwed up? That’s what we have to find out.”
“How? We don’t even know who or how many men he has at his disposal,” Pete grumbled, folding his arms, his head sinking into his broad chest.
“Then we need to keep revisiting the evidence we have, Pete. Something will come to light sooner or later. It has to.”
“Sooner would be preferable,” he replied under his breath.
“Complaining about it won’t help us solve this case or rescue the latest victim. So, let’s ditch the bloody negativity and start thinking positively about this, okay?”
“Whatever,” her dissatisfied partner moaned.
AJ raised his hand to speak. Lorne smiled and nodded for him to proceed. “Are we sure all three victims can be linked to the Lynx,
ma’am? What if we’re wrong and there’s another murdering scumbag walking the streets out there?”
“Good point, AJ. I know all three victims were brutally murdered in different ways, but just because the girls are all teenagers and look similar is enough to make me think we’re going along the right lines with this one.” Lorne posted the photo of Lisa Timmins on the whiteboard, alongside the photos of the other three victims, and the resemblance was striking. “You see? All blonde with similar facial features. It’s hard to dismiss it as proof when it’s staring us in the face like that. We need to get this girl’s photo out there quickly. At least we’re dealing with an abduction this time and not a dead body like the other three occasions. Why? I have no idea. Maybe he’s upping the ante for his endgame. Who the heck knows what goes on in this guy’s warped mind? Any news on that drug bust yet, AJ?”
“I’ll chase it up, ma’am. The CID team I contacted seemed to think that the Lynx’s supply chain had been compromised when the raid took place.”
“Were any arrests made?” she asked, her mind working rapidly.
“Yes, two men were arrested. I’ll ring CID and find out how things stand, if you like?”
“You do that, AJ. This might be why he’s altered things. Okay, back to work, peeps.” Lorne entered her office just as the phone rang. “Hello, DI Simpkins. How can I help?”
“I want my men back,” a gruff voice demanded.
She covered the mouthpiece and bellowed for Pete to join her.
He appeared in the doorway seconds later.
“Get a trace started. It’s him.”
Pete rushed out of the room.
“And what do I get in return? The girl you abducted this morning?”
“You think you’re so smart, don’t ya, Inspector?”
“I have my moments. It seems a fair exchange to me.”
“Two for the price of one? You think that’s fair? Nah, not in my book, but I’m willing to oblige on this occasion.”
Lorne’s suspicion rose. He’d agreed to the exchange far too easily. “Name the location and time, and I’ll be there.”
“Not so fast, Inspector. I intend having some fun with the girl first.”
“Do that, and the deal is off. I’ll fast-track your guys through the system and into court before you get the chance to lay one finger on the girl.”
“Feisty bitch, ain’t ya? I’ve heard about your reputation. I’ve got news for you, Inspector: I don’t appreciate being threatened.” She heard the phone clatter and a thwack before the girl screamed.
“Stop! No more. Leave her alone,” Lorne shouted into the phone.
The Lynx’s laugh filled her office before he ended the call. Lorne ran out to see if Pete had managed to trace the call. He shook his head despondently. Lorne smashed her fist on the nearby desk. “Damn. Right, he’s agreed to an exchange.”
“Exchange? Don’t tell me you’ve agreed to release his men?” Pete’s eyes widened when she nodded.
“I had to, Pete. Our main priority is to return the girl to her mother.”
“And set two of his scumbags free in the process. You think that’s gonna stop him from pouncing on another unsuspecting teenager?”
“I hear what you’re saying, Pete, but what other option do we have? I’m all ears, open to suggestions.”
Pete shrugged his shoulders and shook his head.
“As I thought, there isn’t an alternative to this. Don’t worry, I have no intention of letting him get away with this. We’ll have backup teams on hand when the exchange is made. Grant me with some sense, partner.”
“When is all this going to happen?”
“No idea. He’ll get in touch when it suits him, I should imagine. Until such a time, we’ll do our best to find him and his gang. Right team?”
Clenched fists and an enthusiastic roar filled the room. Pete, however, sauntered back to his desk, shaking his head.
Stubborn old fool. I know what I’m doing, Pete. Don’t start doubting me now, matey!
CHAPTER FOUR
The next few hours were frantic for Lorne. The time flew past, and before she knew it, Pete was standing in the doorway of her office, asking for permission to send the team home. Frustrated, Lorne nodded, although she had no intention of leaving work herself anytime soon. “Aren’t you calling it a day?” he asked, returning to her office after he’d dismissed the team.
“Nope. You leave if you want to, Pete. I want to be here for when that jerk calls back.”
“You’re intending to spend the night here?”
“If I have to. Why?”
He shrugged. “Just wondering what Tom’s going to say about that.”
“Do you think I care?” She held her thumb and forefinger an inch apart. “I’m this close to preventing another of the Lynx’s victims ending up on a slab. It’s a no-brainer to me, Pete.”
“Whatever. It’s your life. I’m outta here.”
“I’ll see you in the morning.” She watched her partner leave the office and felt a pang of loss wrap around her heart. If she hadn’t spoken to Mrs. Timmins the way she had, she was sure Pete would have remained by her side overnight. She made a mental note to make it up to him at the earliest opportunity. She spent the rest of the night staring at her phone, willing it to ring. Of course, it didn’t. Lorne finally fell asleep at her desk at five in the morning. The ringing telephone woke her at just gone six. She shook herself awake and answered the call on the second ring.
“You’re eager. I’ll give you that. Unless you’ve stayed there all night.”
“Is the exchange on?”
“You tell me. Is it?”
“Yes, there was no doubt in my mind. You didn’t have to hurt her.” She could hear the girl whimpering in the background. You bastard! Wait until I get my hands on you...
“Glad to hear we think along the same lines, Inspector. Here’s the thing: I want my men set free first before I release the girl.”
Lorne gasped. “That wasn’t part of the deal. We agreed to an exchange, nothing else.”
“Are you really in a position to barter with me, Inspector? You know I’ll think nothing about killing the girl, just like the others.”
“I can’t do it. It’s not right for you to go back on your word.” She decided to call his bluff. “What’s another girl’s body in the grand scheme of things?”
“What utter bullshit you spout at times. I know when someone is treating me like a fool, and this is one of those times, Inspector. You’re going to regret doing that.”
“No, wait! Okay, you win. I’ll release the men first thing, without charge. I want the girl back by ten o’clock this morning, though. Do we have a deal?”
“We do. I’ll check back at nine-o-five to make sure you’ve upheld your side of the bargain.”
“I never go back on my word, Mr...?”
“Nice try. The Lynx will do, for now.”
Lorne was about to respond when he hung up. She looked at her watch: 6:05. That meant she had under three hours to plead with the inspector in CID to release the men. She knew what a daunting task that would be and immediately left the office to fetch a cup of coffee to make her more alert before she placed the call.
Five minutes later, she exhaled a large breath and dialled the number.
“CID.”
“Hi, this is DI Simpkins from the Murder Investigation Team. Is it possible to speak to the person who is dealing with the two men arrested for drugs yesterday?”
“Sorry, ma’am, you’ll have to be more specific than that. We busted several people who fit that bill yesterday.”
“Damn. I have no idea of their names. All I know is that they’re linked to the Lynx. It’s a bit vague, but that’s all I have. Sorry.”
“Ah, now I’m with you, not that I can help much. The inspector in charge won’t be in his office until eight thirty to nine. Between you and me, it’s usually closer to nine.”
Lorne sighed and threw her pen across the room. �
��Crap, really? That’s going to be too late for what I need. Is there any way around this?”
“Depends what you need, Inspector. I could call him at home, if that will help? I’ll have to suffer his wrath, though.”
“I couldn’t ask you to do that. What about if I ring him direct? It’s really important, dare I say a matter of life and death.”
“Well, if it’s that important, then I’m sure the boss won’t mind me handing out his home phone number. Not sure he’ll appreciate being woken up at this ungodly hour, though, Inspector.”
“Tough. Like I’ve said already, this truly is a life-or-death situation.”
The officer reeled off the number, and after thanking him, Lorne disconnected the call and rang the inspector at home.
A groggy voice answered after a short delay. “Hello? This better be good at this bloody hour.”
“Forgive me for calling you so early, Inspector Grant. I’m DI Lorne Simpkins from the MIT. I’m ringing in connection with a couple of suspects you arrested yesterday.”
“What? Can’t this wait until I get into the office?”
“I’m sorry, but it really can’t. I need those men released by nine this morning.”
She heard the man grunting as if he was struggling to sit up in bed. “Are you crazy? Why the fuck would I release those two?”
“Because if you don’t, the Lynx is going to kill another girl he’s holding hostage, and I, for one, would hate to have her death on my hands. Wouldn’t you?”
“I need more than that, Inspector, before I authorise any release. You’re aware of how much drugs we found on these men, I presume?”
“Er... no, I’m not.” Lorne closed her eyes, fearing what she was going to hear next.
“A bloody kilo of cocaine, and you’re expecting me to turn the bastards loose.”
Lorne ran a hand over her face. “Bugger, I had no idea. What a bloody catch-22 situation we find ourselves in.”
“Um... let me correct that for you, Inspector. You might find yourself in a dilemma, but I certainly don’t. I refuse to let these guys go. If I let them off, what kind of message is that going to send to the gangs of London for fuck’s sake?”