THE GUILTY ONES a gripping crime thriller filled with stunning twists

by Joy Ellis

  Jackman shook his head. ‘Suicide. Indisputably.’

  He rubbed at his eyes. Marie thought she had never seen the immaculate Jackman look so dishevelled. He had obviously been up all night.

  ‘Let me explain it — well, as much as I have gleaned from my wreck of a brother and the local police officers. Yesterday morning, Sarah made breakfast for everyone, made sure that the boys were washed and dressed, then got ready for work.’

  ‘Where did she work?’ asked Marie.

  ‘Just outside Lincoln, although her work as a rep took her to various locations. She job-shared with another woman, to give her more time with the boys. That day it should’ve been Lincoln. But she never arrived. She left her car in a shopping precinct car park in Greenborough and took a train to Peterborough, and then on to London. She was caught on CCTV coming out of King’s Cross Station.’

  ‘Did she have some kind of appointment that she didn’t want anyone to know about?’ Marie was thinking of hospitals.

  ‘No, she was caught several times en route to East London, then nothing, until a short time ago.’

  ‘They found her?’

  Jackman nodded. ‘I’m going to have to identify her. James is in no fit state, and both of Sarah’s parents are dead.’

  ‘Would you like me to go with you?’ Marie asked immediately.

  ‘Bless you, but a car is coming for me in about an hour. I’ll be okay — hell, we’ve done enough of them, haven’t we?’

  ‘But not your own family, Jackman.’ She felt a tug of grief, suddenly reminded of her husband’s tragic death.

  ‘Honestly, I’ll be okay. In fact, I know it sounds awful, but I need to get away from my brother for a while. His anguish is tearing me apart. At least I’ll be doing something practical, something that I can do, and it will take the burden off James.’

  ‘Those poor boys,’ whispered Marie.

  ‘I know. Mother is being amazing, and Dad is motoring home from some business deal in Belgium, but I have no idea what’s going to happen in the long term.’

  ‘How old are your nephews?’

  ‘Ryan is eight, and Miles is seven. They are both sharp as tacks, so it won’t be long before they catch on that something has happened.’

  Marie felt overwhelmed by the sadness of the situation. She could imagine the terrible aftershocks. ‘Jackman? How come they are so sure it was deliberate?’

  ‘More CCTV. There was a camera at the rear entrance to a club down by the river.’ He bit his lip. ‘She was all alone, Marie, and she jumped. It was suicide, no question.’

  Marie didn’t agree. She had many questions. The biggest one was why?

  CHAPTER THREE

  Instead of going straight home, Marie drove across her village to the small bungalow where Gary Pritchard now lived.

  She parked her bike next to his Nissan Juke, and pulled off her helmet.

  By the time she turned around, Gary was at the door. ‘Come on in. I’ve already eaten, but I’ve saved you something.’ He left her to make her own way in. From the kitchen she smelled the delicious aroma of beef stew and herb dumplings and immediately her spirits lifted. ‘Oh yes! Just what I need right now.’

  She took off her leather jacket and hung it in the hall, then hurried through to where Gary was placing a bowl of food on the table. ‘I guessed you wouldn’t have eaten,’ he said.

  ‘My hero. I’m starving.’

  ‘You dig in, I’m thinking, by the look of you that you’ve had a harrowing time.’

  ‘Not nearly as harrowing as Jackman. I’ve never seen him so upset.’

  While she ate, Marie told him what had happened. ‘He’s asked me to tell the team first thing tomorrow. He wants them to know before it hits the media.’

  ‘And he’s identifying her tonight?’

  ‘Yes, the car came for him just as I was leaving. It’s too weird for words. What on earth made her do such a thing?’

  ‘You know what they say, you never know what goes on behind closed doors. People are very good at putting on an act. Maybe they had hidden problems and the poor woman couldn’t see a way out.’

  ‘You didn’t see that house, Gary. Everywhere screamed Happy Families, from the pictures and notes stuck on the fridge to the framed photos in the lounge, and you could tell they must have almost lived in the family room, it was full of kids’ and adults’ things all jumbled up together. It was so . . . so cheerful. I don’t think you can easily fake that.’

  ‘What if she was ill, like terminally ill?’

  ‘I wondered that.’ Marie stared thoughtfully at her plate. ‘Maybe the inquest will tell. Oh, and Jackman has requested that Professor Rory Wilkinson carries out the PM in person.’

  ‘I’m not surprised. That man doesn’t miss a thing, no matter how obscure.’

  Gary sat back and crossed his arms. ‘There is another explanation, although it seems a bit unlikely. What about a serious mental health issue? Although, I’d have thought Jackman would have known about that.’

  Marie screwed up her face. ‘If that were the case, I don’t think her husband would be quite so totally shocked and grief-stricken.’

  ‘Maybe we’ll never know. Although for the family’s sake, I hope they get some answers.’ He pointed to Marie’s empty bowl. ‘Want some more?’

  ‘Phew, no thanks, Gary. That was wonderful, and very thoughtful.’ She glanced at her watch. ‘I’d better make a move.’

  ‘You go careful on that great brute of a motorbike.’

  ‘Harvey? He’s not a brute. He’s a pussycat.’

  ‘You call your bike Harvey?’

  ‘So?’

  Gary laughed again. ‘Nothing. It just looks more like Satan or Godzilla to me.’

  ‘Nonsense. That bike purrs like a kitten. I bet I leave here and don’t disturb a single neighbour.’

  ‘I’d be grateful for that. Most of the guys around here are in bed by half eight.’

  She stood up and pushed her chair under the table. ‘Thanks for the supper, Gary. I do appreciate it. See you at work tomorrow.’

  ‘Bright and early. And if you speak to the boss, give him my best, won’t you?’

  Marie nodded. ‘Of course I will.’

  * * *

  Back home, her house seemed empty, and even though she put the lights on it still felt dark, like her mood. Her cheerfulness in Gary’s company had evaporated, and she was left with a dreadful sadness at how suddenly lives can turn around, devastated by a single act.

  Jackman rang at eleven p.m. He sounded exhausted and said how relieved he was that the business of identifying Sarah’s body was now over.

  ‘I’m staying with James again tonight. We have to go to Mother’s first thing in the morning and tell the children. We cannot risk them seeing or hearing something before we’ve had a chance to talk to them.’

  ‘Have you got a professional going along too?’ Marie knew the value of specialist help in cases involving the traumatic death of a parent.

  ‘Laura Archer has offered to go with us.’

  Laura was the force psychologist, and after a particularly difficult case concerning an officer who had been close to Marie, they had all become friends. ‘That’s really good, she’s brilliant. How is your brother?’

  ‘The doc’s given him something to help him sleep, although I doubt it will work. I would have never believed that he would react like this. He’s a strong, direct man, stoic and self-assured, but now . . .’

  ‘The shock must be horrific for him. I know when I witnessed Bill die, it was unimaginable. You are completely consumed by the simple awfulness of what’s happened. You just cannot function properly.’

  Jackman gave a little groan. ‘I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t lay all this on you, it’s not fair.’

  ‘Sod that, Jackman! I’m your friend. You lay all you like on me, you know what a tough old dragon I am. I can simply empathise, that’s all.’

  ‘Tough, yes. Old and dragon do not apply.’

  Ther
e was a hint of the old Jackman in those words, and it gave her heart.

  ‘That’s better.’ She told him she had talked to Gary and that he had sent his best. ‘The team are keeping everything ticking over until you get back, so no worries there. They will appreciate you putting them fully in the picture.’

  ‘No other way, they are my friends as well as my work colleagues.’

  ‘Jackman, you sound out on your feet. Go get some rest, if you can, and keep me up to date with how it goes tomorrow.’

  * * *

  At the same time, in a different part of the county, a family and a few close friends were gathered together in the sitting room of a small farm cottage.

  Dale, who had guided the family since their father’s death, had just returned from the hospital. ‘They have given Mum three months to live.’

  The words caused a stirring of murmured sighs and groans.

  ‘And I think we’ve finally come to a watershed moment.’ His tone was serious and everyone looked at him in silence. ‘We need to decide. Do we fight on and hopefully bring her some kind of justice before she dies, or do we call it a day and allow her last days to be peaceful, with no more talk of retribution?’

  ‘How can we give up now? After all these years of trying!’ Liam exclaimed. ‘This family is not, and never has been, about conceding defeat.’

  ‘You said it yourself though, all these years of trying, and where has it got us? Our dad is dead, our mum not long for this world, and all we’ve achieved is more heartbreak. I think it’s time to let go.’ Yvette, the younger of the two women, was near to tears.

  ‘We can’t give up on Brendan!’ Liam spat back.

  ‘He gave up, didn’t he?’ said Kenny sadly.

  ‘Because he was a good-looking young lad incarcerated in a prison full of psychopaths! God knows what happened to him! You’d have given up too! But we don’t have to do the same.’

  ‘Liam! Brendan is dead! What are we fighting for? Justice for our brother? Or to make you feel better?’ Susie echoed her sister’s sentiments. ‘Let’s make Mum’s last days happy. Let’s treat her to the things she loves, spoil her rotten and enjoy our time with her.’

  The argument went on for over an hour, then someone asked Dale why he was so quiet.

  ‘Because I’ve been waiting for one of you to make the most obvious statement, but as yet I’m still waiting.’ He threw them a look of sadness, tinged with contempt. ‘I know I asked the question, but the answer should have been, “We’ll do whatever our mother wants.”’

  For a while there was silence. Then Yvette ventured, ‘So has she told you?’

  ‘She has. Although she doesn’t want us to do anything that we are not happy about, I expect this family to act as one in respecting her wishes. Is that clear?’

  There were murmurs of assent.

  ‘She wants justice for Brendan. She wants us to fight on, even after she dies. She cannot bear to think of her beautiful boy in his grave with the label “murderer” hanging over his head. She wants a posthumous pardon and says we must never rest until that happens.’

  No one spoke, then Liam jumped up and punched the air. ‘Justice for Brendan! Let’s make our mother proud!’

  CHAPTER FOUR

  It was late afternoon when Marie left DI Pete Lawrence’s office after an hour-long discussion about the fraud case they were working on. As she walked back to the CID room, she noticed that Jackman’s door was ajar. She frowned and went to check who was inside.

  ‘Jackman? What on earth are you doing here?’ Marie asked.

  Her boss was leaning forward, peering at his computer screen, the printer disgorging reams of paper. ‘Oh, hi, Marie.’ He gave her a weak grin. ‘I know, I’m not supposed to be here, but I needed a few minutes away from all the trauma. My office was the only place I could think of where I could gather my thoughts in peace.’

  ‘And gather a whole lot of other stuff too,’ she said, pointing at the growing mountain of paper.

  ‘Just something that’s bothering me.’

  Marie thought he looked much better than the night before, but he still had that awful haunted look in his eyes. She wasn’t sure how to ask, so she simply said, ‘How did it go with the boys?’

  ‘As bad as you’d imagine, I guess. Probably the worst thing I’ve ever had to do. You have to be so careful how you explain the concept of death. I’m so glad that Laura was there to guide us. I’m sure James and I would have made a terrible mess of it between us.’

  ‘I doubt that very much. I’ve seen you talking to children. You have a very gentle manner, and you don’t talk down to them either.’

  ‘Not too sure about that.’ He puffed out his cheeks and exhaled. ‘The worst is yet to come. Nothing has sunk in yet. They seemed to accept it rather too well. When we’d finished they asked if they could go back to the horses. Laura said they grieve in a more sporadic way than adults, sad one moment, then excited and happy the next. It’s quite disturbing.’

  ‘So where is James now?’ Marie asked.

  ‘He’s staying at Mother’s tonight, with Ryan and Miles. Father is home as well. We agreed it’s best for the children to have adults around them all the time in case they need to talk or ask questions.’ He ran a hand through his hair. ‘I’m going back too, just for this evening. Laura has given me a whole heap of things to watch out for, and told me ways of answering their questions so that they don’t blame themselves for what’s happened.’

  ‘Why would they do that?’

  ‘Children often do, apparently. They take some insignificant thing that they’ve done wrong, and decide that’s the reason their mummy died, ergo, it’s their fault.’

  Marie’s heart went out to Jackman and his family, yet lurking in the background was the suspicion that something was terribly wrong about this carefully planned suicide. But now wasn’t the time to discuss her fears. ‘You know where I am if you need me. Day or night. Just don’t take on more than you can handle, and do use the support that is offered to you.’

  ‘Yes, Mother.’ He threw her a rueful smile. ‘Of course I will. The whole family needs to talk about how we manage in the short term. It’s too soon for future plans, but we need to do what is best for the boys, and get James back down to planet earth. We’re meeting tonight.’

  ‘Good luck. I’ll be thinking of you.’ She stared at the pile of paper. ‘What is all that?’

  ‘I’m not sure.’ He stared hard at her. ‘It could simply be because I’m a detective, but I don’t like the feel of this at all. In fact, it stinks.’

  Marie nodded. ‘Then we need to talk, just as soon as you’ve sorted out your family. Because I feel exactly the same.’

  A look of relief spread over Jackman’s face. ‘Thank heavens for that! At least I know I’m not being paranoid.’

  ‘That remains to be seen. I’m a detective too, don’t forget, and we both distrust every situation until we’ve seen the evidence, so let’s not make assumptions. Maybe we’re both being paranoid.’

  Jackman gathered up the printouts and pushed them into a folder. ‘Bedtime reading.’

  ‘About Sarah?’

  He nodded. ‘And suicide. If you had known her, Marie, you’d understand why I believe this suicide is not what it seems. It can’t be.’

  Marie needed no explanation. ‘Okay, then we’d better do what we do best, and find the truth.’

  ‘I’ll see you sometime tomorrow, and thanks again, Marie. It’s good to know we are on the same wavelength.’

  She smiled. ‘Aren’t we always?’

  * * *

  That night, dinner was an acutely painful affair. The children were uncharacteristically badly behaved, but none of the adults had the heart to tell them off. Apart from a few desultory words, James hardly seemed to notice them, and it was almost impossible to drag more than half a sentence from him about anything.

  Jackman felt he should try to keep the whole thing afloat, but realising he was failing miserably, whispered in
his mother’s ear that maybe they should allow the boys to go up to their room and watch a film before bed.

  She readily agreed and ushered the two boys upstairs.

  ‘I don’t know what to say.’ Jackman’s father took a long swallow from his wine glass. ‘It’s not their fault, those poor little children are a mess.’

  As is their dad, thought Jackman. He caught his father’s eye and nodded towards James.

  The older man looked helplessly back at him, and Jackman knew that James wasn’t the only one out of his depth.

  ‘Uh, come on, son. Why not talk to us? We are all here for you, you know,’ their father awkwardly waded in.

  James responded with a silent shrug. ‘I don’t understand. I just don’t understand. How could she? And why? In heaven’s name, why?’

  Jackman had never seen his big brother so helpless. It was more than shock and disbelief; it was as if James’ whole world had tilted on its axis and sent him into freefall.

  ‘We don’t know why she did it, James.’ Jackman placed his hand on his brother’s arm, ‘But I’ll do everything in my power to find out. I promise you that.’

  James looked up, his eyes full of tears. ‘The worst thing is that I know that no matter what I do, I’ll never see her again.’

  Their father stood up and stiffly went over to his son. He cradled James to his chest like a child. He didn’t speak, he clearly had no words, but instead he made a soothing noise.

  Jackman couldn’t remember their Dad ever cuddling him, not even as a toddler.

  After a while, James’ sobs died down to a soft snuffle, and their mother returned and sank back down into her chair.

  ‘I’ve got them ready for bed and they’re watching a cartoon, but I don’t think they’ll stay awake too long. They’re so tired.’ She looked at James, and then up to her husband. ‘I’ve lit the fire in your study, darling. Why don’t you take James there, give him a little brandy and have a chat? Rowan and I will clear these things away.’

  Jackman nodded in agreement, then watched as his zombie of a brother followed his father from the room.