by M A Comley
Kayli ran a hand over her face, hesitating for a moment before she broke the news about Paul. “I’m sorry, but I have some dreadful news to share with you.”
“Oh, what’s that?” He sat forward in his chair.
“Paul Potts was found murdered a few days ago.”
“What? Oh my, I can’t believe anyone would do such a thing. He was such a kind man. How do you know it was murder, Inspector? Or was that a dumb question?”
“Not at all. His brother contacted me on Monday this week to report Paul missing. My team and I have been trying to solve the puzzle of his disappearance all week. Then his car was discovered in South Wales in a ravine, and his body was found in the boot of the car. Though Paul was likely unconscious when he was placed in the boot, he drowned in the fast-flowing river at the bottom of the ravine.”
“Oh my, what an evil act. Do you have any clues as to who the murderer might be?”
Kayli took a sip of her coffee and nodded. “We have a fair idea.”
“Aren’t you going to share that information with me, Inspector?”
“If you insist. Prepare yourself for yet another shock. We believe two of his children are the culprits.”
“That’s ludicrous. Why would you say such a thing?”
Kayli sighed. “Their sister is at this moment lying in a hospital bed.”
“Which one? Which sister?”
“Anita. At first, she was being treated as an attempted suicide patient, after she was found with a pot of pills lying beside her.”
“Lordy, and you don’t believe that’s what truly happened to her? She was extremely close to her father, you know. Hang on a second… two children, you said? Are you insinuating that Sharon and Dylan killed their father?”
“Their stepfather, yes.”
“I’m confused. What has led you to believe such a thing, Inspector?”
Kayli ran through the investigation with the sergeant. He shook his head in disbelief several times.
“It seems incredible that they would go to such lengths. Do you know why?”
“No. I’ve yet to establish that fact, although I have an inkling it’s probably to do with money. My team are still looking at that aspect of the case. The thing is, if they’re innocent, why would both of them flee? Neither of them had booked time off from work. They simply took off—Sharon while I was at the care home, waiting to speak to her. Suspicious, right?”
“I should say so. And you’ve followed them down here. Do you know they’re coming here for definite?”
“No. It’s a guess. A member of my team spotted both their vehicles heading this way on the motorway, and Paul’s brother said the family had a holiday cottage in the area.”
“You’re a good detective, Inspector. Do you want to head out to the cottage now?”
Kayli nodded. “If only to check their vehicles are there.”
“Then what?”
She tutted. “I’d like to arrest the pair of them. The trouble is that will be difficult if it’s just the two of us, although I have brought along my trusty Taser, just in case.”
“I can arrange for a couple of colleagues to join us. That wouldn’t be a problem. I have a truncheon that comes in handy now and again.” The sergeant chuckled.
“Excellent. I’ll nip to the loo while you place the calls.”
“First door on the left. Let’s get this show on the road.”
Within ten minutes, three of Sergeant Brent’s colleagues had arrived. Each of them eyed Kayli warily until Brent painted the picture of what was going on for them.
Eager to get to the house, Kayli asked, “Is the property very far from here?”
“Not really. We’ll go in two cars. All right, lads?”
The five of them left the station and hopped into two vehicles: one a police squad car and the other a Vauxhall Astra belonging to one of the officers. Kayli was alone with Sergeant Brent in his vehicle.
“I hope they don’t offer any kind of resistance,” she said, the palms of her hands becoming increasingly slippery the closer they got to the cottage.
“If they do, Inspector, you take a step back and leave them to us.”
There’s no fear of that happening, Sergeant! “We’ll see. Hopefully, the element of surprise will mean they’re unarmed.”
“I know what you told me, but there is still an element of doubt about this whole scenario. No disrespect, ma’am.”
“None taken. If, as you say, you’ve had nothing but positive interactions with the family in the past, then I can understand your reluctance to believe me even after all the evidence I’ve shared to the contrary. If this is all about the money, greed can be a powerful motivator in instances such as this. I’ve dealt with a few similar cases over the years, and they never end well for the person who committed the crimes.”
“Glad to hear it. If these types of cases are prevalent, it makes you wonder how many of the bastards get away with it.”
“In my experience, people have a tendency to slip up when it’s least expected and often get found out in the end. That’s what I prefer to believe, as it would be far too depressing to think otherwise.”
“It’s just around the corner here.”
Kayli inhaled and exhaled a few times as the cottage they were after came into view. It was detached, with neighbours on either side. The houses were far enough apart to give each of the properties plenty of privacy without them feeling too remote. There were four lights on in the property. Kayli let out a sigh of relief. “They’re here. Thank God I haven’t had a wasted trip.”
“Seems that way.”
The pair of them left the vehicle and joined the other officers at the wooden gate leading to the property.
“Do you want to take the lead, Inspector?” Sergeant Brent asked. “Or would you rather I did?”
“I’m happy to go along with anything you suggest, Sergeant. I think the second the siblings lay eyes on me, they’ll realise what’s going on.”
“I’ll take the lead, then. Do you want to hang around at the back of the pack, so to speak?”
“Makes sense to me.”
“Then onwards, men and lady. We have a couple of nasty villains to apprehend.”
The five of them marched towards the house and up the narrow concrete path, an outdoor light close to the front door highlighting their surroundings. The pretty garden was well tended, and a lot of the rose bushes on either side of the path were still in full bloom. Kayli detected their scent as she walked. She hid herself behind two of the thickset officers as the sergeant rang the bell.
“Hello, Sergeant. What are you doing here?” Dylan asked in a confused tone.
“Hello, Dylan. Nice to see you again. Do you mind if we step inside for a moment?”
“Do I have any option? Actually, I do. Bugger off.” Dylan tried to slam the door in their faces, but the officers surged forward.
The door slammed against the hall wall. Dylan tottered a little and ran the length of the hall and into a room at the end.
Kayli struggled to see what was going on and decided to leave the men in the house and try to find her way around to the back of the property. It was dark at the side of the house, and she caught her face on several overhanging bushes before she emerged into the back garden to find a bewildered Sharon looking at the house. “Hello, Sharon. There’s no point running. It’s over now. We know what you’ve done.”
Dylan flew out of the back door and stood next to his sister. Holding a large kitchen knife in his hand, he glared at Kayli.
Kayli held out a hand. “It’s pointless running. Why don’t you put the knife down, and we’ll talk about this, Dylan?”
“Some hope of me doing that, bitch.” He glanced over his shoulder as the back door opened and the officers ran towards him.
“No! Stop!” Kayli ordered.
The men piled into each other as the front two stopped about four feet from Dylan. He reached for his sister’s hand. Her gaze was shifting between t
he officers, her brother and Kayli. As Dylan looked at his sister and reassured her everything was going to be all right, Kayli removed her Taser from the back of her trousers and pointed it at him.
“Drop the knife, Dylan.”
“Or what? You’ll shoot me?” He laughed, an evil, ridiculing laugh that infuriated Kayli.
She had no hesitation in pulling the trigger. Dylan dropped to the ground as fifty thousand volts surged through his body. Sharon screamed and dropped to her knees beside her brother, unsure whether to touch him or not. She looked up at Kayli, her eyes narrowed as her lips thinned into a straight line in anger.
“You bitch. You’ve killed him.”
“Hardly, Sharon. Cuff her, lads.”
Kayli waited until both suspects were cuffed before she retrieved the Taser darts. She had released her hold on the trigger as soon as Dylan dropped to the ground, ensuring that the stun used was of minimum force. Pleased with her actions, she left the suspects and walked over to the sergeant. She held out her hand for him to shake.
“Looks like you didn’t really need our help after all, Inspector.” He smiled and winked at her.
“Nonsense. I couldn’t have done it without your backup. Thank you to you and your colleagues. I need to get these two banged up in a cell overnight. Do you have the facilities to do that at the station?”
“No, I’m afraid not. Nearest large station is Saint Austell. I can escort the suspects there for you or get my colleagues to.”
“That would be wonderful. I’ll contact my station and arrange for them to be picked up first thing in the morning.”
“What will you do now?”
“Find a cheap hotel for the evening and head back at dawn.”
“I’ll say this, Inspector. I’ve never had the honour of working alongside such a ballsy female officer as yourself. Do you have any fear?”
Kayli cringed. “Not sure whether to take that as a compliment or not.” She leaned in close and whispered, “I recently whipped the Taliban’s arse over in Afghanistan, so bringing these two down was a piece of cake.”
His mouth dropped open. Kayli laughed and stepped away from the crowd to place the call to the station.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
After ringing the station and arranging for a police van to pick up Sharon and Dylan Potts in the morning, Kayli found a small motel to rest her weary head for the night. She ate a swift meal of a chicken burger and chips in the restaurant then retired to her room. She had a quick shower, dried her hair then slipped into bed. Before her eyes began to droop, she sent a text message to Mark, telling him that the arrest had been made and that she was safely tucked up in a motel room. No sooner had she sent the message than her phone rang.
“You didn’t have to ring me. I understand that you’re busy, love.”
“Nonsense. I cleared it with the boss beforehand. Glad you’re safe. How did the arrest go?”
“It was eventful. Nothing too taxing compared to what we’ve recently had to endure. I’m going to get some sleep now. I want to be on the road at six. I’ll drop by the house and get changed before I go into work.”
Mark tutted. “You’re a bloody workaholic. You should take the day off, the amount of hours you’ve put in today.”
“You worry too much. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“I know when to stop nagging you.” He sniggered. “Goodnight. Sleep well.”
“I have a feeling I will. Love you.” She hung up. But before she switched off the light, Kayli rang Dave. “Hi, it’s me. A quick update for you.”
“Are you all right? Where are you? Still in Cornwall?”
“Yes. The arrest has been made, and both suspects are sitting in a police cell in Saint Austell. I’ve rung our station, and they’re sending a van to pick them up. I want to be on the road by six in the morning. Just wanted to let you know I might be a bit late into work. Pass that on to the DCI if she comes to hunt me down.”
“Excellent news on the arrest. I can understand you wanting to be here tomorrow instead of taking the day off.”
“Yep, I want to interview these two as soon as possible. Any news on the phones?”
“Before we left the office, the tech guy rang and said he could place both phones at the ravine where Potts’s body was discovered. Bloody idiots—their intentions might have seemed clever to begin with, disposing of the body where it wasn’t likely to be found for a while, but they didn’t think to cover their tracks in other aspects.”
“People look for the perfect murder, but very few ever think their plans through thoroughly enough to successfully achieve their aim. Or maybe it’s a case of the A-Team being shit-hot again, Dave.”
He laughed. “I’m willing to go along with you on the last part of your statement.”
Kayli chuckled. “Okay, I’m hitting the sack now. Goodnight and see you in the morning.”
“Gotcha. Well done, Kayli.”
She ended the call, set the alarm for five thirty, plugged her phone to charge and snuggled down underneath the quilt.
~ ~ ~
The alarm going off made her pull her pillow over her head. “God, is it that time already?”
She groaned, switched the alarm off and shot out of bed and into the bathroom. With no toothbrush or toothpaste with her, she felt unclean as she hit the road. She took the packet of two complimentary biscuits with her to eat in case hunger struck on the long journey ahead.
At around nine thirty, she parked outside her home and entered the house quietly so as not to wake Mark. She needn’t have bothered, because he was sitting up in bed, reading a car magazine when she popped her head into the room.
She blew him a kiss from the doorway. “I need to clean my teeth before I kiss you. You should be asleep anyway.”
“I’ve only been awake for half an hour. I’ll go back to sleep once you leave for work. It’s good to see you in one piece.”
“It’s good to be home. Let me visit the bathroom, and we’ll have a quick chat before I go.”
“I’ll nip and make us both a coffee.”
She smiled at his thoughtfulness. When she came out of the bathroom a few minutes later, her mouth minty fresh, Mark was still pottering around downstairs. She went down to find him. “What are you doing? I don’t have time for this.”
Mark was standing at the stove, frying eggs and bacon in a pan.
“Nonsense. It’ll take ten minutes for you to scoff this. Now sit!”
Kayli collapsed into the chair while he dished up the breakfast. “Are you not joining me? I feel really bad now.”
“Nope. It’s still the middle of the night for me. Don’t feel bad. Just enjoy it.”
Kayli was hungrier than she realised and wolfed down the breakfast in a matter of minutes, much to Mark’s amusement. “That was delicious. You’re definitely a better cook than me.”
“Nonsense. It was bacon and eggs, for goodness’ sake. So now that you’ve caught the suspects, will you be interviewing them today?”
“Yep. I’m hoping they’ll be at the station by mid-morning. That gives me enough time to piece everything together and to hit them with the facts, although not all of them. I prefer to keep certain things concealed until the court case.”
“I’ll never understand how you manage to wrap a case up so quickly.”
“It amazes me at times. I’m surrounded by the best team, and I suppose we’re in tune with each other.”
“You mean you rely on your team and treat them as equals, unlike other DIs.”
She smiled and nodded. “It’s definitely a team effort. Just like our marriage. Your support means everything to me, and I also appreciate that you’re a dab hand in the kitchen too.”
“Flattery will get you everywhere, Mrs. Wren.” He leaned over to kiss her. Their lips met for a few fleeting moments before Kayli pulled away.
“I better get on the road. If I stay around here much longer… well, we both know what will happen.”
She stood and t
ucked the chair under the table. “Leave the dishes in the sink. I’ll do them when I get home later.”
“Nope. I’ll do them before I take to my bed. Have a good day and give the suspects hell from me.”
She pecked him on the cheek and sprinted out the door. Kayli arrived at the station at five minutes to ten, much later than she had anticipated.
The team stood and applauded her the second she stepped into the incident room. “Hey, you lot can pat yourselves on the backs too. This case wouldn’t have been solved so swiftly if you guys hadn’t been on form.”
“Thanks. We really appreciate that, boss,” Donna called out, heading towards the vending machine. Then she deposited a cup of coffee on the desk next to Kayli.
“Thanks, Donna. Okay, any news on the suspects? The desk sergeant was on his break when I came through reception.”
“I keep checking on their progress,” Dave informed her. “They’re about half an hour away.”
“That’s excellent news. Gives us time to pull the case together before the interviews begin.”
“Who are you intending to start with?” her partner asked.
Kayli took a sip of coffee and thought over his question. “I thought I might give Dylan a shot first.”
“You think he’s going to be the tougher nut to crack?”
“Possibly. We’ll soon see. Is the interview room ready, Dave?”
“All sorted. I made sure of that on the way in this morning to save my old legs a bit.”
“Brilliant!”
They spent the next half an hour pulling together all the case notes and critical evidence. The desk sergeant rang her soon after they’d completed their task.
“I’m going to start the interviews right away, Sergeant. I’ll see Dylan Potts first. Can you transfer him to the interview room? Dave and I will be down shortly.”