Raven

by Heather Atkinson

  “You’d better hope I don’t.”

  “Did you get your man?”

  “What man?” he snapped, thinking she was casting slurs about PC Elias. “I don’t have a man.”

  “The one you were chasing outside the ball.”

  “Oh,” he said, clearing his throat. “No. We’ve got another lead in the Needle Killer case anyway.”

  “Didn’t PC Elias say he thought that poor man you were chasing was the Needle Killer?” She smiled inwardly when he appeared thoughtful.

  She fell into step beside him when he continued walking towards reception, looking troubled.

  “Am I likely to be called in again over this?” she said.

  “That depends,” he replied, voice crisp and efficient. Gone was the playfulness she’d seen in him on their date. He was being careful to remain the consummate professional.

  “On what?”

  “Whether you did it.”

  “You think me capable of shooting someone?”

  “I’ve seen you take down men three times your size so yes, I do.”

  “There’s a big difference.”

  “Not really. You have the courage and skill to do what few people could do. In my book, that makes you a good suspect.”

  “What a charming thing to say to the woman you were plying with white wine only very recently.”

  “That courage and skill of yours are two of the things I admire about you.”

  “Oh yes, what are the others?” she said playfully.

  “Everything.”

  “What do you mean, everything?”

  “I like everything about you,” he replied, voice and expression stony.

  Raven was rather touched. “That’s sweet.”

  They were forced to stop when two uniformed officers escorting a handcuffed prisoner crossed their path. Marcus Moore glared at her as he was led towards the cells. Raven forced herself to repress the smirk that twitched on her lips, although her gaze did follow him. Tom missed none of this but decided not to comment.

  “You should know,” said Tom as they continued walking. “I won’t hesitate to arrest you should it become necessary.”

  “I know and that’s one of the things I like about you.” His incorruptibility was rather refreshing after years of Aidan’s edgy violence.

  “Here we are,” he said when they reached the door leading back into reception. “Let’s hope this is the last time we see you.”

  “Is that what you want?”

  “It’s probably for the best.”

  She nodded. “You’re right. Well, goodbye Sergeant Carter.”

  “Goodbye Mrs Gallagher,” he said, watching her leave. As usual she’d given him a lot to think about. He thought it time he did some digging into Raven’s background. He’d been tempted many times, she fascinated him but, as he’d always intended to ask her out on a date, he hadn’t thought prying into her life would be very fair. Now the gloves were off. Something funny was going on and he was determined to find out what.

  Tom headed back to the interview room, knowing his superiors would want to discuss the information Raven had give him.

  “Ah, Sergeant Carter,” said the Chief Constable when he returned. “Has Raven left?”

  “Yes Sir.”

  “Very enigmatic woman. Is Raven her real name?”

  “I don’t know Sir,” he replied. “I just assumed it was.”

  “And what did you make of what she had to say?”

  “I’m surprised, to say the least.”

  “You’ve never had any indication that PC Elias is err, in love with you?”

  “None whatsoever.”

  “Does he have a girlfriend?”

  “I’m not sure Sir.”

  “Has he ever mentioned one?”

  “No but he does like to keep himself to himself.”

  “We need to speak to him about this.”

  There was a knock at the door. Tom pulled it open to reveal a detective sergeant. “Sorry to interrupt Sirs but the DI sent me to tell you SOCO turned something up at PC Elias’s house.”

  “What?” said the Inspector.

  “A weapon. Sniper rifle.”

  “Oh hell,” sighed the Chief Constable.

  Raven drove straight to One Eye’s, where she found her adopted father waiting with Aidan and Damon.

  “Thank Christ,” said Aidan and Damon simultaneously, both lunging forward to hug her, almost crushing her between them.

  “I can’t breathe,” she said, causing them to release her, the two men casting jealous glances at each other.

  “What happened?” said One Eye, stepping forward, taking her hand and leading her to the couch.

  “Jeremy told them I shot that woman in the White Rose Shopping Centre.”

  “The lying bastard,” snarled Damon.

  “Not really,” she replied. “I did shoot her.”

  “Oh.”

  “It was just a flesh wound, I didn’t want to do her any permanent damage. It was all part of our ploy to set up Jeremy but he turned it around on me.”

  “They let you go, so his word isn’t enough,” said One Eye.

  “Because I turned it back around on him. It’s fortunate I went on that date after all,” she said with a pointed look at Aidan. “I told them he was jealous because he’s in love with Sergeant Carter.”

  All three men laughed, even One Eye.

  “Did they believe you?” said Aidan.

  “I think so. I played the innocent, bewildered damsel. It seemed to work.”

  Aidan beamed at her and she smiled back, grasping his hand, Tom already a distant memory.

  “When the police eventually find the rifle we stashed at Jeremy’s house,” said Raven. “He’ll be arrested and put away for attempted murder. Nasty things happen to coppers on the inside.”

  “And I’ll ensure my friends get to him and finish him off,” said One Eye. “All nice and neat.”

  “This calls for a celebration,” said Damon. “How about I cook for everyone…alright, maybe not,” he added when his dad frowned. “Let’s go out to eat.”

  “Don’t get ahead of yourself,” said One Eye. “This is far from over.”

  CHAPTER 34

  While the panicky Chief Inspector discussed with an equally panicky Chief Constable whether one of their officers was the gunman they were hunting, Tom pursued another line of inquiry.

  “Hello Marcus,” he said, walking into his cell and closing the door. “I’m Sergeant Carter.”

  He shrugged. “So?”

  “I want to ask you some questions.”

  “Then you’d better call my lawyer,” he replied, leaning back on the thin bed, hands clasped behind his head. “I’m not talking without him.”

  “Off the record.”

  Marcus regarded him with interest, recalling he’d seen him with Raven. “Go on then. I’ve nothing better to do, for the moment.”

  “Thank you. Do you know Raven Gallagher?”

  “You mean the woman you were just with? Long dark hair, big boots, good tits?”

  “That’s her.”

  “Why are you asking?”

  “Call me curious.”

  “What’s she done?”

  “Why do you think she’s done anything?”

  “Because that woman is usually up to something.”

  “So you do know her?”

  Marcus shrugged.

  “It would serve you well to cooperate.”

  “I’m not a grass.”

  “Which leads me to conclude that you know something about her.”

  “Conclude what you like Sherlock. I couldn’t give a shit.”

  “Could she for instance, shoot someone from three hundred yards away?”

  Marcus ignored him, gazing up at the ceiling.

  “Is she capable of setting someone up as being a paedophile?”

  Marcus began whistling, holding up one hand to examine his nails.

  “I don’t believe yo
u’re the Needle Killer.”

  “Seems you’re the only one.”

  “You’re being set up. Don’t you want to take down whoever’s responsible?”

  “Course I do,” he said, deigning to look at him. “But if I grass I won’t last five minutes.”

  “Because you’re afraid.”

  “Of dying, yes. I’m not ashamed to admit it.”

  “You think she’ll come after you?”

  “She?”

  “Raven.”

  When he hesitated, Tom thought he was finally going to start opening up.

  Instead Marcus said, “I’ve no idea what you’re talking about.” With that he returned to perusing the ceiling.

  “You need a friend Marcus and I’m the only one stepping forward.”

  “Why? I don’t get it.”

  “Because there’s something going on here that’s bigger than you. I know that’s probably hard for your ego to take but it’s true. If you want to let it grind you into the dust then go right ahead. Or you can tell me what I want to know and we can start helping each other.”

  Marcus stared at him before saying, “don’t slam the door on your way out Sergeant.”

  Tom sighed and shook his head. “Fine, have it your own way. Let her win.”

  “Sergeant?” said Marcus as he turned to leave.

  “What?”

  “You’re smitten, aren’t you? That one will make a fool of you.”

  Tom’s jaw tensed with anger but he left, slamming the door shut behind him, making Marcus wince.

  This time, when another police car pulled up outside his flat, Jeremy was for once eager to speak to them.

  “Well?” he demanded the moment Tom walked through the door, followed by two constables. “Did you speak to her?”

  “Who?”

  “Raven of course.”

  “Yes, we spoke to her.”

  “And? Is she in the cells? What?” he added when Tom gave him a strange look.

  “Jeremy Elias, you’re under arrest for the attempted murder of Janice Blacklock.”

  “Who the fuck’s Janice Blacklock?” he exclaimed when one of the constables snapped the cuffs on him. “Sarge, what’s going on?” he added when Tom continued reading him his rights.

  “You’ll find out,” was all he said. He looked to his men. “Get him in the car.”

  “This is her, isn’t it?” said Jeremy. “Raven. You let her get to you.” He pulled himself away from the constables attempting to take him through the door. “You let her into your head and now she’s got you doing her dirty work.”

  Tom looked to the constables. “Wait outside.”

  They nodded and left.

  “What are you talking about?” Tom asked Jeremy when they’d gone.

  “I saw how into her you were at the ball. She’s spun you a line and, like a sucker, you fell for it.”

  “What line? Why would she spin me a line?”

  “To get you to trust her.”

  “Why would she bother with a lowly sergeant like me?”

  “Because she knows I’m getting close to lifting the lid on her secrets and she probably thought having you in her pocket would give her some protection.”

  “Then she should have gone on a date with the Chief Constable instead.”

  “The opportunity didn’t present itself and Raven’s all about opportunity.” Jeremy smiled inwardly at the hurt in Tom’s eyes, which he was quick to conceal. He was so plodding and predictable. “You thought you meant something to her, didn’t you? Well you don’t. The only thing she cares about is her husband.”

  “She said she hasn’t seen him in a year.”

  “And you believed her?”

  He nodded. “Yeah.” Jeremy’s sympathetic look annoyed him. “How do you know so much about her anyway?”

  “Because I talk to people, those in the city’s underworld. I’ve heard things.”

  “So you’ve no actual evidence?”

  “No but I’m getting close, which is why she’s setting me up now, before I have the chance. You can’t let her get away with it. If you do, you’re letting a murderer walk the streets and putting an innocent man behind bars.”

  “What evidence?”

  “From Marcus Moore. He’s employed her to take out his rivals.”

  “And why would a man like him ever talk to you? He’s not stayed on top for so long by grassing.”

  “Because he’s afraid his enemies are going to hire her to kill him.”

  Tom shook his head. “Have you any idea how ridiculous that sounds?”

  “Yes but that doesn’t mean it’s not true. Don’t tell me you don’t think that woman’s capable of murder?”

  “Doesn’t matter what I think,” he said, leading him to the door.

  “By the way,” said Jeremy, stumbling along beside him. “You know that man who spilled water on you at the ball?”

  “What about him?”

  “That was her husband.”

  Tom went rigid, Jeremy bouncing off him and against the door jamb.

  “Ow,” he said but Tom didn’t even hear him.

  “How do you know this?” said Tom.

  “I told you, I’ve been investigating her. You must have made him jealous and making a man like Aidan Gallagher jealous is never good. Funny how all this shit starts when he comes back.”

  “I’ve only your word it was Aidan Gallagher.”

  “It was.”

  “Prove it.” Tom’s lips curled into a smile. “You can’t.”

  “Let me go and I will.”

  “Like that’s going to happen. That man wasn’t Aidan Gallagher and Raven isn’t a killer. You’re just trying to cloud the issue to wriggle off the hook.” He grabbed him by the back of the jacket and hauled him through the door. “Get in the car.”

  When confronted at the police station by the weapon that had been found during the search of his house, fury gripped Jeremy at how efficiently he’d been set up.

  “I’ve never seen it before,” he said.

  The Chief Inspector didn’t appear convinced.

  “You know someone broke into my home and vandalised it,” continued Jeremy. “They obviously planted that too. I mean, why would I keep something like that?”

  “I don’t know. Perhaps to shoot innocent people?”

  “That wasn’t me and even if I was guilty of that, which I’m not, how could that even be the weapon? SOCO were all over my house when the shooting took place.” He wanted to throttle the man when he remained silent, hoping he’d snap and blurt out a confession. Well it wasn’t going to happen. “I’ve been swabbed for firearms discharge residue and it was negative. I haven’t fired a gun. I’ve never fired a gun.”

  “You could have worn gloves.”

  Jeremy sighed and slumped in his seat. The man was a moron at the best of times and, unfortunately, it looked like he wanted him to be guilty. “I’m being set up by Raven Gallagher.”

  “What are you feelings about Sergeant Carter?”

  The sudden change of subject threw him. “Sergeant Carter? Well, I respect him.”

  “Does it run any deeper than that?”

  “I don’t understand Sir.”

  “Are you in love with him?”

  Jeremy gaped at him before recovering himself. “No.”

  “Perhaps this elaborate story about Raven Gallagher is just that, a story. You saw her on the Sergeant’s arm at the ball and you were jealous.”

  “I was not Sir. I respect Sergeant Carter but that’s it. I’m not gay.”

  “When was the last time you had a girlfriend Constable?”

  “What…I…quite recently,” he said, blushing.

  “How recently?”

  “It was…err…three months ago.”

  “What was her name?”

  “What does it matter?”

  “Her name?”

  “Sally.”

  “Sally what?”

  “I can’t remember.”

>   “You dated her and you can’t remember?”

  “It was only casual.”

  “Surely you asked her last name?”

  “If I did I can’t remember. What does my ex-girlfriend’s last name matter anyway?”

  “Raven alleges you warned her off the Sergeant at the ball. You also conveniently spilled lager on him, getting him out of the way so you could talk to her in private. Apparently you threatened her.”

  Jeremy couldn’t believe how wrong his grand revenge was going. It was slipping further from his grasp. The way things were going, he’d be lucky to stay out of prison. “As I’ve already said, she’s setting me up. I’m getting close to…”

  “Exposing her. Yes you’ve already said. But you’ve not come up with a single shred of proof to support your claims.”

  “Ask Marcus Moore.”

  “Marcus Moore is currently in the cells, under suspicion of being a serial killer. Hardly a reliable source.”

  Jeremy took a deep breath, preparing to use the ace up his sleeve. It probably wouldn’t get Raven into trouble, it seemed she’d done too good a job at brainwashing them all. But it might set him free, then he could get his revenge and leave this Godforsaken place. He had some money left from the sale of his parent’s house, he’d go abroad. He’d had enough of this country, it had brought him nothing but pain.

  “Alright, I can’t prove anything against Raven. But I can prove I didn’t shoot that woman at the shopping centre.”

  “There’s also the case of the sniper rifle in your shed.”

  “Have you found my fingerprints on the weapon or anything to connect it to me, other than the fact that it was found in my shed?”

  “No,” replied the Inspector.

  “Because it’s nothing to do with me. So, if I prove I didn’t shoot that woman then you have to let me go.”

  “Nothing would give me greater pleasure Constable. I’m not enjoying this.”

  “The neighbour’s house across the street from the flat I’m staying in has CCTV. You’ll see I didn’t go in or out of the building when the shooting took place.”

  “You could have gone out the back way.”

  “There isn’t a back entrance to the building Sir, only a twenty foot drop onto concrete. If I’d tried going out that way, I’d be in hospital now with broken legs.”

  The Inspector thought before nodding. “Alright Constable Elias, we’ll take a look at the footage. But you’ll wait in one of the cells until it’s done.”