[DI Sally Parker 01.0] Wrong Place

by MA Comley

  “Why don’t people take an interest in what goes on around them anymore?” Sally complained, shuffling papers in her office just before six o’clock struck.

  “Too self-absorbed maybe. I don’t know. What have you got planned for the weekend? Still unpacking?” Jack asked.

  “Nope, that’s all done now. Believe it or not, I’m going on the Broads with my parents. Over the last few months, Dad’s fixed up the cruiser, and this will be the first time it has been fit for use this year. Should be a relaxing weekend, I hope.”

  Jack shook his head and shuddered. “Dry land for me all the way. Can’t be dealing with all that rocking on the ocean lark.”

  Sally laughed. “Idiot. It’s as calm as a millpond on the Broads. The only dicey part is Braydon Water. Now that stretch of water can get really choppy if the weather is bad. You should try relaxing on the boats one day. The kids would love it.”

  He stood up and placed his hands on the back of the chair. “My girls are into the three Ms.”

  Sally narrowed her eyes. “Which are?”

  “Music, make-up, and causing mayhem. Welcome to my world and what lies ahead of me this weekend.”

  Sally chortled. Standing, she slipped on her jacket and reached for her handbag before following Jack out of the office. “And that, my dear friend, is why I don’t intend having children. My life is stressful enough during the week here without having to deal with teenage tantrums at the weekend, too.”

  “Thankfully, Diane has a few years to go before she reaches thirteen. Teresa is certainly revelling in her role, though. I sometimes think life was far easier back in Afghanistan.” Jack tutted.

  Sally punched the top of his arm. “Go on with you, Bullet. You don’t mean that really,” she said, playfully using the nickname his army colleagues had granted him. The Taliban had shot him on four separate occasions during his final mission.

  “Seriously, give me a battle against the Taliban any day of the week, rather than thrashing it out with Teresa about some of the stupid outfits she tries to sneak out in.”

  “Ah, the battle of wills. You should know by now that we girls will win every time on that one.”

  “Yeah, you’d think I would’ve learned that by now, eh? And don’t even get me started on that boyfriend of hers!”

  Sally laughed loudly. “I bet Donna’s parents felt the same way about you when you guys first started dating.”

  He placed a hand to his chest and looked hurt. “What? I was the bloody model boyfriend right from day one.”

  “Yeah, I bet you went rapidly downhill after that, though.”

  Jack shook his head vehemently and grunted his disapproval of her insensitive comment. “No way. To this day, they still insist I was the best boyfriend to ever grace their front doorstep. And there were many, so I’ve been told, frequently!”

  “Oh dear, not quite what you’d want to hear them say about your adoring wife, I’m sure.” Sally chuckled.

  Jack held the door for Sally at the exit of the main building. “Hardly. Their intentions were good, I suppose. Have a great weekend. See you Monday.”

  “I hope it doesn’t prove to be too traumatic for you, love.” Sally opened the car door and hopped in. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure the overnight bag she had quickly packed the evening before was still sitting on the backseat. After placing a Rod Stewart CD in the player, she set off for her parents’ house. She sang along to the disc when We Are Sailing filled the interior.

  Her mother was in the driveway of her parents’ terraced home when Sally arrived. “Hey, Mum. Are you almost ready to set off?”

  “Hello, dear. Almost there. Your father is just securing the place now. You know what he’s like.”

  Sally kissed her mother on the cheek. “Not erecting that roll of barbed wire along the back fence again, is he?”

  Her mother laughed and ushered her daughter inside the house. “Go and see for yourself. He’s rigging up something out there, not sure what. It’s sure to be dangerous, knowing his past attempts at securing this place while we’re away.”

  Nervously, Sally ventured into the small rear garden. “Dad! You can’t do that!” Dex the Labrador bounded towards her and almost knocked her off her feet. “Hello, gorgeous. Have you missed me?”

  Her father, Christopher Tomlin, spun around to face her, still holding a wooden post in his hand. “Why can’t I? A man has every right to protect his property against those louts.”

  Sally’s heart raced erratically. She observed his day’s work with discomfort. He’d placed ten six-foot wooden posts about a foot from the back fence, burying the rounded end in the earth, leaving the pointed end exposed. “What if someone gets impaled on one of those, Dad?” She shook her head in disbelief as a vile image filled her mind.

  “That’s their problem, love, not mine. If people didn’t turn their hand to robbery, then there wouldn’t be any need for this. Have you seen the statistics of burglaries in this area over the past few months? Have you?”

  “Yes, Dad. Compared to other areas in the country, this is still one of the safest areas to live in.”

  “Oh, is that so? And tell me, what case are you working on at the moment, love?”

  Sally sighed heavily. “You know full well what kind of case I’m involved in, Dad. Don’t try and justify your actions using that kind of information.”

  “I’m not. All I’m doing is protecting my property—something the police around here seem reluctant to do since that mob moved in across the road from us. Your mother refuses to burden you, but our lives have been a living bloody hell for months now.”

  Sally approached her father and rubbed his forearm. “I’m sorry, Dad. I had no idea.”

  “No, because your mum wanted to keep it from you due to the stress that bastard of a husband has put you under. Well, we’ve been under a tonne of stress ourselves.”

  She kissed her father on the cheek and hugged him. Tears pricked at her eyes as guilt surged through her veins. “I’m sorry. I’ve been so wrapped up in my own problems, I’ve neglected you two. I’ll make sure I have a word with the right people when I get back to work on Monday. How’s that?”

  “I guess that will have to do. Thank you. I’ll just insert this one, and then we can head off. Although I doubt I’m going to be able to relax much during the weekend.”

  “You will, Dad, once you’re out on the water. You know how relaxing it can be out there.”

  “Usually, I’d agree with you, but…”

  “You’re under orders. I’ll make a call and get a patrol car to keep an eye on the place during their shift. How’s that?”

  “It’ll have to do for now. I’d like you to use your influence and get the shits moved out permanently. Can you do that?”

  “Like I said, Dad, I’ll see what I can do on Monday. Now, come on. We should get a move on before it gets dark.”

  “Nonsense, the clocks went forward last weekend. We have an extra hour to play with in the evenings. Give me two minutes here. You can help your mother finish packing the car if you would.”

  “You win. Two minutes, right?”

  He nodded and resumed rigging up his lethal security device, mumbling all sorts of derogatory remarks about the neighbours opposite.

  She knew she’d been caught up in her own problems. She wondered how she could have missed what they’d been subjected to over the past few months. She would make sure she made amends for neglecting her parents after the weekend. People had a right, especially when they were close to retirement, to live a peaceful and stress-free existence.

  “Any luck, love?” her mother asked, hope swimming in her pale-blue eyes.

  “Nope. You know there’s no shifting him once he’s got something like this fixed in his mind, Mum. While we’re alone, how are you feeling? Are the hot flushes under control now you’ve started on the HRT?”

  “Not yet, dear. I’d rather not pop any form of pills—you know me—but the doctor insisted that my life wo
uld be more bearable if I took them. I’ve yet to see any difference.”

  “I suppose you’ll need to wait a few days before the drugs get into your system. Stick with it, Mum.” Sally gently hugged her.

  “I will. You’ll have to excuse my tetchiness this weekend. I hate not being able to sleep properly.”

  “No need to explain or excuse your moods, Mum. I totally understand. I’m sure Dad does, too. I need to make a quick call. I’ll be right back.” Sally went into the living room and rang the station to make the arrangements for a patrol vehicle to drive past her parents’ home during their absence. When she returned to the kitchen, her parents were both drinking tea. “We haven’t got time for that, you two. We should be getting on the road.”

  “You’re right, of course, dear.” Her mother tipped her cup of steaming liquid down the sink. Her father, on the other hand, took the time to finish every last drop of his drink. Sally huffed and puffed, but her obstinate dad ignored her. In the end, she took it upon herself to load up the car, aware that her father would most likely come along a few minutes later and repack everything again. He was regimented in everything he did, which infuriated the hell out of Sally and her mother, especially when they were in a hurry to get somewhere.

  Eventually, they set off on the half-hour journey to Reedham. In between her father’s constant complaining about the troublesome neighbours, Sally went over the weekend plans. They could dump their bags on the boat then go in search of a local pub to enjoy an evening meal before it grew too late, and pubs along the river tended to get crowded, even in the spring.

  They excitedly walked up to the boat. “Here she is. A great paint job, even if I do say so myself,” her father boasted, his chest inflating with pride.

  “I agree. An excellent job, Dad. Time to eat—I’m starving. We can admire your handiwork more tomorrow, when it’s lighter, eh?”

  After placing Dex on board the boat, they drove back to a lovely pub they’d spotted on the way. Sally walked arm in arm with her parents towards the glass-fronted public house, which thankfully, didn’t appear to be too busy judging by the lack of cars in the car park.

  “Looks like we’re in luck. There’s a table by the window,” her mother pointed out.

  “You grab it, and I’ll order the drinks,” Sally said.

  Her father glared at her. “This is on me, love. You put your money away.”

  Sally leaned in and whispered, “I’m all right, Dad. We’re both tight for money at the moment. My wages are due to hit my bank next week. This is my treat.”

  Her father sighed reluctantly. “Let’s go halves then. How’s that?”

  She held out her hand for him to shake. “Deal. Let’s not worry about the trivial things in life this weekend. Agreed? Let’s ensure Mum has a good time.”

  “Agreed. It’ll be nice to get away from the daily stresses for a few days.”

  Sally ordered the drinks from the barman and threw an arm around her dad’s shoulders. “Are things really that bad?”

  “We’ve just agreed not to talk about it, love.” Her father gave her a wink.

  “Maybe it would have been wiser for me to have moved back home with you guys rather than take on that tiny flat. Financially, it would have helped all of us out, wouldn’t it?”

  “Too late thinking like that now. I’m sure circumstances will change once the weather starts to improve, for me anyway.”

  “Fingers crossed, Dad. It’s been a long winter for you this year. I’m sorry there are such shitty people in this world who always rip off the good guys.”

  The barman appeared with their drinks, and Sally paid him in spite of her father’s protest. “It’s the world we live in, love. It certainly makes you wary going forward. Tough when you’re in business, though. Still, it’s something I need to try and get my head around if I want to trust further customers.”

  “Tough indeed,” she agreed. At the table, with her parents sitting opposite her, Sally raised her glass. “To the future. May it be far brighter and hassle-free for us all.”

  They clinked their glasses together and sipped their well-earned drinks. “What’s on the menu? I fancy a bit of steak. What about you, guys?”

  Her mother smiled. “I think I’ll have the chicken, dear. Chris, what do you fancy?”

  “I’ll join Sally, I think. Steak and chips would go down a treat right now.”

  Sally put the food order in at the bar and returned to find her parents with their heads together, talking quietly. She sat down, feeling a little awkward under their intense gazes. “Everything all right? You two seem mighty serious all of a sudden.”

  Sheepishly, her mother said, “I told your father that Darryl called you the other night.”

  “Mum! The pair of you need to listen to what I have to say very carefully. I have no intention of letting that man near me ever again.”

  Her father raised an eyebrow.

  “Don’t look like that, Dad. I mean it. I cringe whenever I think of him. What an absolute idiot I’ve been over the bloody years to put up with his vile temper and abuse.”

  “You should have let me thrash the living daylights out of him when I wanted to,” her father stated, staring down at his pint.

  “And what good would that have done, Dad? Nothing—that’s what. I’m rid of him. We’re rid of him. If he wants to ring up now and again, then that’s up to him, but I assure you he’ll be receiving the same answer every time. No! He could send me all the roses from Kew Gardens to try and get back in my good books, but it won’t work. We’re finished. Now stop worrying about me or my decision-making. We all have regrets in our pasts; Darryl is mine. Let’s leave it there, all right?”

  “I just can’t believe, given that you’re a copper, that you have never pressed charges against the scoundrel. I could call him something far nastier than that but not in your mother’s presence.”

  “Love is blind, Dad. At least it used to be—not anymore, I can assure you. Now please, can we leave it there and talk about something more positive, like having fun this weekend? Where are you planning on taking us? Do you know?”

  “Can’t say I’ve got an exact itinerary as such. We’ll see where the old girl takes us, shall we? Whoops, I meant the boat, not your mother.” He leaned over and kissed his stunned wife on the lips.

  Sally’s mum appeared mortified by his comment. “Bloody cheek. I’m glad you cleared that up.”

  Sally laughed as the stresses of the week floated off into the ether. “I’m just looking forward to sitting down with a good book—I have Linda Prather’s latest, Beyond a Reasonable Doubt, on my Kindle—and drifting along. That is if you don’t mind driving, Dad?”

  “You carry on, love. Enjoy your time off. You need to recharge your batteries after moving last weekend and dealing with a tough case this week. I’m happy to take the helm and lead you two ladies astray.”

  Her mother gently cuffed her father around the head. “I think you’ll find you used the wrong terminology there, dear.”

  Her father placed a finger to his lips. “Did I?”

  Sally kicked her father’s shin under the table. “Yes, Dad. I’m with Mum on this one. Yummy, here comes dinner.”

  They laughed and chatted like old times during their meal, which was exceptional and well worth the extravagant amount it had cost them. None of them had room for a dessert, which helped keep the costs down for the evening. They left the pub at around ten and drove back to the boat. Dex was eager for a wee, so Sally picked up the torch and walked him along the riverbank for about thirty minutes. She missed not having her dog with her full-time and intended to make sure they spent a lot of time together on and off the boat that weekend. When they neared the boat, she stopped and bent down for a cuddle with her pal. He moaned joyfully in her ear and turned over on the damp grass so that she could tickle his tummy. “Come on, you. It’s bedtime, and we have to make up the beds yet.”

  Aboard the small cruiser, she found that her parents had alrea
dy made the beds.

  “Fancy a cocoa before you call it a night, love?” Sally’s mum asked.

  Sally wrapped her arm around her mum’s waist. “Just like old times. Sure, why not?”

  By the time six o’clock on Sunday evening came around, Sally and her parents had large grins stuck firmly in place, and the stress wrinkles embedded in their faces were less visible. It had been a memorable weekend for all of them. Even Dex was sprawled out, exhausted from all the attention and long walks he’d received in the past forty-eight hours. When they arrived back at her parents’ home, Sally insisted on carrying out a thorough inspection of the property with her father, just in case the neighbours had seen them go off for the weekend. But nothing at all seemed out of place, and there were no bodies impaled on the spikes in the back garden. After squeezing her parents tightly and saying farewell, she jumped in her car and headed back to her flat just as a patrol car came towards her. She waved at the two uniformed officers in the car, who returned her greeting and gave her a thumbs-up.

  Once she’d arrived home and unpacked her bag, she had a bath. Then she fell into bed, feeling more relaxed than she had in over five years. She vowed to go on more trips with her parents over the coming months, to make up for the time she’d spent apart from them while she was with Darryl. She had so many wrongs to right, not only with her parents but also with the friends she’d lost contact with. It’s time to start afresh, girl.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Scott pulled on his jacket and admired his reflection in the hotel’s full-length mirror. “She’ll be clawing at your shirt later on this evening. Who could resist you when you exude so much magnetism?”

  He laughed at himself then went in search of his prey. He’d spotted a busy pub along the high street. He tended to zero in on those, where he had less chance of being recognised should the police come asking questions.

  He strode confidently through the lounge bar of the Royal Oak and approached the young woman serving a couple of male customers. He could tell instantly that she was flirtatious in nature. However, he knew to play it cool for a while—like he always did, just in case one of the chaps at the bar was her significant other.