by MA Comley
A few minutes later, Lorne drew up outside the Georgian mansion with the for sale sign outside. “Do you want to come, see if you can pick up any vibes or anything?”
“I’ll do my best.”
The second they got out of the car, Katy, carrying a torch, came around the corner to meet them. She greeted Lorne with a smile and a slight shrug. “Can’t see a thing round the back.”
Carol breezed past Lorne and Katy in a daze. She peered through the window at the front of the house and called out, “Here. They were here.”
Both Lorne and Katy rushed to her side and looked through the paned window at the empty room beyond. Well, almost empty. “How can you tell, Carol?”
She pointed at the chair in the middle of the room. “In my vision, that’s where Gibson was tied up.”
“Really? If that’s the case, where is he now?” Lorne asked mystified.
“I have no idea. Everything comes to an abrupt halt at this house,” Carol said sadly.
“Please try, Carol. It’s important we find them.”
Katy tried the front door. It was locked. “How should we play it? Should I call it in? Without proof of a body, I’ll be a laughing stock if nothing is found at the scene.”
“I understand, Katy. Let’s see if we can gain access to the house first, and then go from there.”
They split up and tried the windows without success.
In the end, curiosity outweighed their sense of right and wrong. Katy picked up a small rock she’d found lying amongst the roses in the front garden. She tapped at the corner of the window with a pointed edge of the stone, and the windowpane shattered.
Lorne took her coat off and bashed at the glass, then she put her hand through and felt around for the window catch. She released it, and they hoisted the sash-window up.
Lorne turned to Carol. “Stay here and keep lookout. Call us if anyone comes.”
“Be careful,” Carol warned as first Katy then Lorne went through the opening.
Katy turned on her torch and scanned the room as the pair of them walked over to the chair. The beam from the torch highlighted the blood pooling on the floorboards behind the chair. Lorne saw something else glisten to the side of the blood and pointed to the spot she wanted Katy to shine the light.
“Is that vomit?” Katy asked, screwing her nose up.
“Looks like it—or a small amount of bile, at least. I think we have the right location. The question is, what do we do about it?”
“Have you tried contacting the girls?”
Lorne nodded. “No reply. All calls go directly to voicemail.”
“Okay, what about if you call their bluff? Tell them you know what’s happened and urge them to do the right thing?”
Lorne pulled her mobile out of her pocket and dialled Fiona’s number. It immediately went into voicemail. Lorne spoke calmly, “Fiona, it’s Lorne. We know what you’ve done. Ring me ASAP to discuss the issue.” Her mouth twisted as she hung up. “Not sure that’s going to help any. What do you think about taking a ride out to the girls’ flat?”
“Fine by me,” Katy replied, already turning to leave the house.
“Katy, what about this?” Lorne pointed back into the room.
“Let’s see what the girls have to say and then decide. If I had my way, I’d be willing to brush this incident under the carpet. As far as I’m concerned, he got what was coming to him—if he’s dead.”
Lorne attributed Katy’s coldness to her own unscrupulous ex-boyfriend who had constantly knocked seven bells out of her. Brushing the idea aside was something that had crossed Lorne’s mind; she just hadn’t had the nerve to voice her opinion out loud.
The more she thought about it, the more the idea appealed to her. At the end of the day, the only people who knew about this incident were people she knew and felt she could trust.
The three of them drove to the girls’ flat. Carol stayed in Lorne’s car while Lorne and Katy walked down the street to the girls’ flat, which unsurprisingly was in darkness. “My guess is that no one is home,” Katy said.
“Hmm…You could be right there. We’ll give it a try anyway.”
Their first observation proved to be correct. Lorne kicked out at a nearby stone. “Nothing else we can do but call it a day.”
“I could see if the station can locate their vehicle,” Katy said, looking equally disappointed.
“That would only draw attention to them. I think we should go home and see if Fiona has the guts to contact me. Thanks for taking the trouble to come out, Katy.”
“No bother. Let me know either way. See you soon.”
Lorne drove Carol back to her house, and then, deep in thought, she drove home.
Tony was waiting anxiously at the door to meet her. “Any news?”
“Nothing. Something happened at the house we located. What that was, I have no idea. I tried calling Fiona but have yet to receive an answer. I don’t suppose she’s called here while I’ve been out?”
“Sorry, love, no. I’m sure she’ll be in touch when the time is right.” He hooked an arm around her shoulder and pulled her into the house.
• • •
It was several days before Fiona finally plucked up the courage to contact Lorne.
“Hi, Lorne. It’s Fiona.”
“You took your time getting back to me. How are things?”
“Sorry, I’ve been out of town on business. The girls and I are bearing up. How are things there?”
“Cut the crap, Fiona. What have you been up to?”
Fiona cringed at Lorne’s angry tone. “In what respect?”
“I’d advise you to stop messing with me, unless you plan on spending the next twenty years in prison. All of you.”
Panic set in, and Fiona tried to bluff her way out of the situation. “Not sure what you’re getting at, Lorne. Things have been a tad hectic at work since the trial.”
“Here’s another word of advice for you, Fiona: Never kid a kidder. Oh, and just in case you hadn’t heard the latest news, our friendly rapist has gone missing. You know his parents won’t stop looking for him until he’s found, don’t you?”
Fiona was glad that Lorne’s anger had dissipated, but her warning didn’t go unheard. She felt safe in the knowledge that where Gibson had been laid to rest, he would never be found.
“He has? Let’s keep our fingers crossed that he’s gone for good, then.”
“I hope, for your sakes, that you’re right.”
“Thanks for your support, Lorne. We’ll be in touch should we need your investigative skills in the future. I’ll also be glad to recommend your services—both the rescue centre and the PI business—to my friends and associates.”
“Thank you. That means a lot. Look after Linda. And Fiona…”
“Yes.”
“My door is always open, should you need a chat to unburden at any time.”
“You’ve been a wonderful friend, Lorne. We’ll be in touch if we need to. Good luck to you for the future. I hope your businesses go from strength to strength,” Fiona said, and she meant it.
• • •
A month later, Lorne, Tony, and Lorne’s fully recovered father were sitting at the breakfast table, going through the papers.
“Hmm…This is interesting,” her father said before he read out the article that had caught his attention: “The search goes on for the missing stockbroker Graham Gibson, last seen around five weeks ago. We managed to track down the last person to see him, a Ms Linda Carter. She told us that in her role as an estate agent, she showed Mr. Gibson around a vacant property. He seemed excited at the prospect of owning the beautiful Georgian mansion and had promised to meet her at the estate agency the following day to sign the necessary paperwork. Unfortunately, he neglected to show up.
“Meanwhile, Mr. Gibson’s car was found abandoned in the car park at Paddington Station. Lead detective in the case DS Katy Foster told us that it looked likely that Mr. Gibson had gone missing intentionally.
Maybe life had become too stressful for the high-flyer, and he’d thrown the towel in and walked away from his life as he knew it. ‘It’s not uncommon. We hear of these sort of cases happening more and more frequently. Mr. Gibson will remain on the missing list indefinitely.”
“Good riddance, I say,” her father said as he lowered his hand to stroke Henry, who was sitting alongside him. “After the cowardly way he came after you in that car park, he deserves what he got.”
“To be honest, Dad, I couldn’t care less what he did to me—or tried to do to me. What matters are the lives he ruined and tried to ruin.”
“You mean Blackie?” Tony asked, reaching across the table for her hand.
“Yeah, and the girls, of course.”
Tony squeezed her hand. “It’s funny how his body has never turned up though, isn’t it?”
“Maybe the girls carried out the perfect crime after all, huh?” Lorne winked at her father as her mind retraced the events of that night again. She had gone back to the house and cleaned up Gibson’s blood from the floor with some of the disinfectant she used to clean out the kennels. Katy had set up a priority search to locate Gibson’s car. A patrol car spotted it a couple of days later at the station. The case had then become one of a missing person.
Returning a wink, her father replied, “With a little help from their friends.”
The three of them raised their mugs of coffee and clinked them together.
Smiling, Lorne said, “To friends and family.”
NOTE TO THE READER
Thank you for reading Guaranteed Justice; I sincerely hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I loved writing it.
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If you fancy something a little saucy why not pick up one of the short erotic stories I have written under the name of Tiffany Towers http://tiffanytowers1.blogspot.fr/
CRUEL JUSTICE (Justice #1)
The headless body of a wealthy widow is discovered decomposing in Chelling Forest. Then a second victim is found. Detective Inspector Lorne Simpkins and her partner, DS Pete Childs are assigned the case. Before they can discover the identity of the killer they must make a connection between the two victims.
After a third murder, Lorne receives a grisly surprise. Clearly, a vicious serial killer is on a rampage…and Lorne has become the killer’s fixation.
Lorne can’t allow her failing marriage or her new boss—a man with whom she shares a sensuous secret—keep her from focusing on her job. She must catch the macabre murderer, or risk becoming the next victim.
Amazon US | Amazon UK
IMPEDING JUSTICE (Justice #2)
For eight long years, Detective Inspector Lorne Simpkins has tracked the vicious criminal known as The Unicorn. But the killer has frustrated MI6 at every turn and remained successful at Impeding Justice.
When Lorne is targeted in a trap that results in the death of her partner, the tragedy shakes her confidence to the core. Before she has time to recoup, her teenage daughter is kidnapped. More than Lorne’s professional reputation rests on her bringing The Unicorn to justice.
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FINAL JUSTICE (Justice #3)
A ruthless killer returns—and former DI Lorne Simpkins is forced to revisit her ugly past.
After suffering a breakdown and quitting the force, Lorne Simpkins finds herself embroiled in an MI6 covert operation to hunt down her old enemy, a sadistic and merciless criminal whose ambition is to become the world’s richest man.
Lorne tracks the madman through France, attempting to thwart his plans and bring her long-time nemesis to Final Justice.
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FOUL JUSTICE (Justice #4)
Detective Inspector Lorne Simpkins is back on the force. Before she can get comfortable with her new partner, newly-promoted DS Katy Foster, the two are assigned a tragic murder case that looks like a robbery gone wrong. However, when another wealthy footballer’s family meets the same deadly fate within twenty-four hours, it is clear the crimes involve something far more sinister.
Keeping her focus on unravelling the complex case isn’t easy for Lorne when she learns news that throws her personal life into a spin—her fiancé, M16 agent Tony Warner, is involved in a dangerous covert operation in Afghanistan.
But innocent people are dying on her patch, and someone must catch the killers. Lorne can’t allow this Foul Justice to prevail.
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A Time To Heal (a romance novella)
Family Liaison Officer, Chloe Fullerton is helping hero pilot, Captain Steve Ewing, recuperate from injury after he landed his stricken plane, avoiding a major disaster.
Chloe’s sworn off love ever since she lost the love of her life. But the spark between her and Steve makes her feel she may yet love again. There’s turbulence ahead though—Steve’s ex-wife is determined to wreck his and Chloe’s blossoming relationship.
Novella approx 33,000 words.
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A Time For Change (a romance novella)
Based on a true story.
Danielle Pires’s life is going well. She has a boyfriend who wants to marry her and is building a reputation as a talented and hard-working interior designer. Keen to expand her portfolio, Danielle is delighted by a request to breathe life back into the Victorian Mansion that handsome Scott Jordache is renovating.
Her parents, meanwhile, have organised a surprise Caribbean cruise to give her a much-needed break.
Danielle sets sail only to discover Scott aboard the same ship, but mysteriously travelling under a pseudonym. Intrigued, she feels torn between mistrust and being drawn in by his charm.
Should she let herself fall for Scott or return to the security of the man she left at home?
33,000 words.
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A Twist in the Tale
Six short stories with a twist at the end.
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High Spirits
This is a true account of a paranormal experience I encountered when I moved into my first house in France.
The cover is a true picture relating to the story.
This story is 5000 words.
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GUARANTEED JUSTICE
M A Comley
Published by M A Comley
Copyright © 2012 M A Comley
Kindle Edition, License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Kobo.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.