[DI Sally Parker 01.0] Wrong Place

by MA Comley

“To thrash that son of a bitch.”

  “You’ll do no such thing. You hear me?” She finally looked him directly in the eye.

  “Why not? Jesus, look at the state of you! He can’t get away with that, Sally.”

  “It’s over with. Just leave it alone, Jack.”

  “I will not. If you don’t report him for assault, then I’ll do it.” Jack’s face grew redder and redder as he spoke.

  “You can’t do that without my permission. Please, don’t subject me to any of that crap. I’ll deal—I am dealing—with it in my own way.”

  “Seriously? No further action is going to come his way? With respect, boss, you need your head examined. I know what the bloody guy has put you through during the course of your marriage. Admittedly, this is the first time he’s left any physical signs of abuse, but surely that’s all the more reason to go after the fucker.”

  “Jack, I appreciate your concern, but I brought this on myself.”

  He threw his arms out to the side and let them slap against his thigh. “Spoken like a true victim. Have you heard yourself?”

  She flinched. “Don’t let us fall out about this, Jack. I’ve stated that I no longer want to discuss this matter. Kindly abide by my wishes.”

  “Yeah, I will, after I’ve taught the pillock a lesson or two.”

  Sally tried to smile, but the pain in her cheek made her wince. “Heroic words that I really appreciate. However, I’d rather just focus on my work. That man has taken up too much of my valuable time over the years. I have no intention of letting him invade my thoughts a moment longer. Is that all right with you, partner?”

  Jack sighed heavily. “If that’s what you want, Sally. I’ll tell you this, though, if ever that guy crosses my path, I won’t hesitate to give him a good hiding. No man should lay a hand on a woman. Ever. Those that do are bloody cowards.” He paused for a few seconds then added, “One last question and then the matter is closed between us.”

  Sally prepared herself for the question she knew her astute partner was about to hit her with next. “Go on.”

  Jack lowered his voice, “Is that all he did, Sally? Not that giving you a black eye isn’t enough. What I mean is—”

  She held up her hand to prevent him from saying the actual words. “I know full well what you’re getting at. And no, it didn’t happen.” Sally swallowed and quickly shifted her gaze from Jack’s. I hope to God he believes me. There’s no telling what he’d do to Darryl if he ever learned the truth.

  “Your word is enough for me. I still wish you’d let me have a few words in his ear.”

  “It’s best left alone. I think he’s on his way to the States now anyway,” she lied, hoping to deter her partner further.

  “And when is he likely to return?”

  Sally tutted and shook her head. “I’m not his keeper. I have no idea, nor am I concerned. Now, let’s forget about this and get back to work.”

  Jack shrugged reluctantly. “Yes, boss. What’s on the agenda today?”

  “Well, I want to chase up the pathologist and see if the results from the other victims have come back yet, plus I need to ensure they’re treating Dorling’s room at the B&B and his car as a priority.”

  “Okay, I’ll keep the momentum going with the team, make sure we can piece the evidence together without the usual flaws the barristers like to tear us apart with on the stand.”

  “Good idea. Let’s nail the bastard down completely. One last thing before you get stuck in, Jack. How are things at home?”

  A cloak of sadness shrouded his features. “We’re still trying to come to terms with things. We’ll get there. Let’s just say the atmosphere was a little less fraught at home last night between all parties concerned.”

  “That’s a start. I’m sure things will turn out for the best, Bullet. Hey, maybe I should call you Granddad Bullet from now on?”

  The startled look on Jack’s face made her chuckle.

  “Jesus, you can be so warped at times. I’ll tell you one thing; this past week, there have been moments when I’ve wanted to be transferred back to the frontline in Afghanistan. At least out there, I could be sure who the enemy was, most of the time anyway. That can’t be said about my home life right now. One minute, Donna seems at peace with Teresa’s predicament.” He clicked his fingers. “Then the next, she’s breaking down in tears, devastated beyond words. I’ll never be able to figure you women out.”

  “Ha! I doubt if you’re alone there, Jack. Most men don’t have a clue what goes on in a woman’s complex brain.”

  “I’m inclined to agree with you on that, although I suspect it’s not the brain that worries most men. It’s the unbalanced hormones that have a tendency to strike fear into most men, me included, I have to admit.”

  Sally laughed. “Shoo… I have work to do.”

  After Jack left the office, she picked up the phone and dialled Simon’s number.

  He answered after the second ring. “Ah, Inspector. You must be psychic I was just about to call you.”

  “You were? With good news, I hope.”

  “A mixture of news, shall we say? Right, first things first, I need to find the report of Maddie Webster.” Sally heard paperwork being shuffled before he spoke again, “Here it is. As suspected, the DNA results have confirmed that the bodily fluid on the victim indeed belonged to the same offender.”

  “That’s excellent news. Why am I sensing there’s a but in there somewhere?”

  “Ever the cautious one, while the evidence clearly links the two crimes, you’re aware, as I am, of the need for factual evidence to back up the DNA. As I recall from our last conversation, you had very little to go on. Is that still the case?”

  “I’m afraid it is. Which is why I wanted you to examine Dorling’s room and vehicle as a priority. Any luck on that front?”

  “The team have been at the guesthouse all night, much to the disgust of the landlady. Sadly, they didn’t really find much, only traces of Dorling’s DNA. No trophies from either victim or anything of that ilk.”

  “Well, that doesn’t necessarily prove anything, does it? It only means that the victims were never in his room. What about his car?”

  “We’ll be carrying out a thorough search of the vehicle over the course of the next few days. I’ve sent a member of my team out this morning to gather samples of the soil where the two victims’ bodies were found, to see if it matches anything we might find on Dorling’s tyres. One thing I will say about his room…”

  Sally’s brow wrinkled as she frowned. “What’s that, Simon?”

  He let out a large sigh. “I sent four guys to the address, and not one of them managed to find any evidence of blood on Dorling’s clothing, either clean or in his laundry, which was scattered around the floor. That fact alone struck me as odd. Do you agree?”

  Sally nodded as if the pathologist were sitting in the room with her. “Yes, I agree, very strange. Maybe he disposed of the clothes before he went back to his room.”

  “At this point, anything and everything could be possible. I just wanted to make you aware.”

  “Maybe he dumped his clothes in the B&B’s wheelie bins. Did your guys check that?”

  “I asked the same question. Unfortunately, the bins were emptied yesterday.”

  Sally slapped the desk hard enough to make her palm sting. “Damn. Why isn’t anything in our jobs simple?”

  Simon chortled. “A question I’ve asked myself a hundred times over the years, Inspector. So to recap, yes, the deaths of Brenda Fisher and Maddie Webster are connected. I’m still awaiting a few results back from the third victim, Alexina Graham. My instinct tells me that all three victims will give us the same DNA. The redeeming point is that the suspect is now locked away. We just need to come up with more evidence against him to make a conviction stick.”

  “Yeah, that’s the tricky part. Of course, he’s denying ever knowing the first victim. I didn’t tackle him about Maddie Webster, as we didn’t have the results back. May
be I’ll take a ride out to the remand centre and throw that at him today.” Sally tapped a pen against her chin.

  “That’s up to you. My suggestion would be to postpone your meeting with the suspect until we have the results back from both the car and the latest victim. The more you can sling at him, the better, I’d say.”

  “You’re right. Okay, I’ll wait to hear from you on that before I schedule a visit. I don’t need to tell you how important it is to get the results back quickly, do I?”

  “No, you don’t, Inspector. Right, I have a double PM to perform, a murder-suicide case. I’ll be in touch shortly.”

  She ended the call then rang her parents’ home.

  “Hello, Mum. How are things?”

  “Hello, dear. What, with the neighbours, do you mean?”

  “Yes. Any improvement, or are swords still drawn as far as Dad is concerned?”

  “You know your father as well as I do. Once he’s got his mind set on something, all sorts of stubbornness is stirred into the mix.”

  “I know. Umm… I was wondering if I could drop by tonight? Maybe stop over even?”

  “What? Why are you asking? Of course you can. You know there’s always a bed for you here, love. Is everything okay?”

  Relief flooded through her. “Yes, Mum. I’ll tell you about it later. I just need somewhere to stay for a few days, that’s all. Give my love to Dad. I’ll be there around six thirty, unless something crops up here in the meantime.”

  “How wonderful. I’ll cook your favourite for dinner. Roast chicken with all the trimmings.”

  “Yummy, I’ll have a light lunch in that case. Thanks, Mum. Love you.”

  “I love you, too, dear. See you later.”

  For the rest of the day, Sally and her team followed procedures to try to place Dorling or his car at the crime scenes. Sally set the arduous task of searching through the CCTV footage to Joanna. But disappointingly, nothing of any relevance showed up on any of the cameras in the surrounding areas.

  At six o’clock, Sally ordered the team to pack up and go home. After Sally had bid them all farewell, she was collecting her handbag and jacket when Jack appeared in her office doorway.

  “Want me to come home with you? Check the coast is all clear?”

  “That’s sweet of you, Jack. However, I’ve decided to stay at my parents’ for the next day or two. I rang Mum earlier.”

  “You wouldn’t be telling me a fib now, would you?” he asked, one eye half-closed and tilting his head.

  “No. It’s true. Thanks for your concern. You get off and tackle your mess at home and leave me to deal with mine, okay?”

  “Grr… did you have to mention that? I might just have a sneaky one at the pub before I entrench myself in the battlefield. I can still walk you out to your car, though, right?”

  “That’s a deal.”

  They left the building together then went their separate ways at their vehicles. On the thirty-minute journey to her parents’ house, Sally prepared herself for the barrage of questions, along the lines of what her partner had subjected her to earlier in the day.

  She pulled up in the drive and glanced across the street at the troublesome neighbours’ house. All was quiet, thank goodness. At least if a disturbance occurred during the evening, she would be on hand to deal with it.

  Trepidation seeped into her veins as she placed her key in the front door and entered the house. Dex was the first to greet her. She knelt and made a fuss of her dog, who was pretty vocal and seemed pleased to see her. Tears of happiness welled up in her eyes. She hugged him, stood up, brushed down her suit, then walked into the kitchen, where she knew she would find her mother.

  Not looking up from stirring the pot on the stove, Janine welcomed her daughter. “Hello, love. You’re just in time. I was about to dish up.”

  “Smells beautiful, Mum.” Sally approached her mother and planted a light kiss on her cheek. “Can I do anything to help?”

  “What the…” her father’s thunderous voice made them both turn in his direction.

  “Don’t start, Dad, please?”

  Her mother gasped and grabbed her arm. “How the heck did that happen? Did someone object to you arresting them?”

  Damn! Why hadn’t she prepared a tale like that on the way over here?

  Sally shied away from her father’s stare.

  “What in God’s name?” Sally’s father pressed in spite of her plea.

  She shook her head. “I’m okay, Dad.”

  “There’s no fooling me, child. You should know that by now.”

  Sally pulled away from her mother and sat down at the kitchen table. Her mother turned off the gas beneath the pot on the stove then pulled out the chair next to her. She clasped Sally’s hand in her own. “What is it, love? What aren’t you telling us?”

  Sally’s gaze went over her mother’s head and locked with her father’s. His face had darkened, resembling a threatening storm cloud, but there was a glimmer of a kind smile lurking in his eyes. He knows!

  He raised an eyebrow. “Your mother asked you a question, Sally. Kindly do her the courtesy of answering it.”

  She knew when her father spoke in that off-tone of his there was no hiding place. Such places had been absent during her childhood, too.

  Her mother turned sharply to look at her father. “Don’t speak to her like that, Chris. Show some compassion in your old age.”

  Sally squeezed her mother’s hand. “It’s okay, Mum. Dad’s right. I shouldn’t keep this from you. I should have told you what he was like before.”

  “You’re not making any sense, love.”

  “Hush, Janine. Let her speak.”

  Sally flinched at her father’s unexpected harsh words. “This didn’t occur during working hours, Mum. This happened last night at my flat.” Sally’s father sat down on the other side of her and grabbed her free hand. All of a sudden, a tsunami of emotions overwhelmed her. Her voice cracked when she continued, “It was Darryl.”

  Her mother’s free hand clutched at her chest while her other squeezed Sally’s hard. “No. He wouldn’t.”

  “Yes, he would,” her father stated. “This has been going on for years, hasn’t it, love?”

  Sally couldn’t bear to look her father or her mother in the eyes.

  “What? Is that right, Sally? Look at me, child.” Sally’s mother placed a finger under her chin and forced Sally to look at her.

  “Yes, Mum. I’ve always hidden it from the pair of you. I didn’t want to shatter the illusion you had of him.”

  “Ha! I had no illusions other than that he was a charmer who enjoyed cheating on you,” her father said.

  “Why on Earth didn’t you tell me you had doubts about him, Chris? I always thought the pair of you got on well together.”

  “I tolerated him for Sally’s sake. You know that old saying about keeping your enemy closer, well, that’s what I was doing with him. I was waiting for the day he physically hurt you in a place we could all see, and now that day has come, nothing would please me more than to teach that shitbag a lesson or two about how to treat women. Damn! Why didn’t you just come out and tell us this was going on, Sally? I’ve had to suppress the desire to thump him for years, but I couldn’t do it while you still loved him.”

  “I appreciate that, Dad. I really do. All you need to know is that we’re finished now. You know what cowards men who abuse women are. Once the truth is out in the open, they rarely stick around to face the consequences.”

  “Okay, I understand what you’re saying, but surely the divorce put an end to any contact between you, didn’t it?” her father asked.

  “Yes, or so I thought. He turned up drunk at the flat last night. Rather than disturb the neighbours, I foolishly let him in. It wasn’t until I asked him to leave that he lashed out.”

  Her father’s eyes narrowed. “What else did he do, love?”

  Sally sat back in her chair, releasing her hands from her parents’ grasp, and stared at the table.
She heard her father curse under his breath and scrape his chair back, almost tipping it over in his haste to reach his car keys hanging up on the rack. Sally glanced up in a panic and silently pleaded with her mother to stop him.

  “Sit down, Chris. I refuse to let you go after that piece of filth. He’s not worth it.”

  “It’ll make me feel a darn sight better.” He placed his hands on the worktop, extended his arms, and bowed his head.

  Sally left her seat and walked across the room. She threw an arm around his shoulder and gently rested her head against his. “Please, Dad. Don’t make this worse than it is. I’m fine.”

  He swallowed hard. “You don’t look fine. I can’t let him get away with this. You can’t let him get away with this. That’s it—you should press charges against him for assault.”

  Sally stepped away from him and shook her head. “I can’t do that, Dad. I wouldn’t be able to go into work every day knowing that people were whispering behind my back, treating me like a victim.”

  “Is that all you care about? What people will say?”

  “It’s an impossible situation, granted, but I’m asking you to abide by my wishes and not to jump in feet first only to regret your actions later. He’ll get what’s coming to him in due course.”

  “I’m shocked. Shocked that you would let a… man like that roam the streets in the knowledge that he could attack another woman, or even kill someone. How could you let that happen, Sally?”

  “Don’t try and make me feel guilty, Dad. I know him. He wouldn’t do such a thing.”

  He twisted out of her grasp and stared at her, a deep frown creasing his brow. “Are you insane? Who understands what goes on in a twisted, perverted mind like that? Certainly not you. Otherwise, you would have left the bastard years ago.”

  “Now, Chris, don’t go getting all worked up. Remember what the doctor said about keeping your stress levels to a bare minimum.”

  Tears of guilt filled Sally’s eyes. “I’m sorry. Please, Dad, I’d rather just forget about things, if it’s all right with you. If you’d rather I didn’t stay here, just say, and I’ll find a hotel somewhere for a few days.”

  “That’s nonsense, Sally. Of course we want you to stay.” Her mother left the table and joined them. “Stop it, Chris! I will not allow you to drive my daughter away in her hour of need. Do you hear me? She’s a grown woman who can fend for herself. We need to take a step back and let her deal with the situation to the best of her abilities.”