Paparazzi

by Jo Fenton

  “She’s with Linda’s parents, Olivia and Mike. Emma usually goes there on a Friday night if I’m at a gig. Linda often goes out with a couple of her girl-friends but last night she said she’d have an early night, as she was a bit tired. I phoned her parents last night after I called the police.”

  I give a brief thought to his in-laws, and how they must have taken the news that their daughter had been murdered. Will they have told their grandchild anything yet? I glance at my watch. It’s almost midday.

  “Have you heard from the family liaison officer yet?” I ask.

  “Yeah. Some woman popped in, then said she was going round to see Olivia and Mike, and she’d see me later.”

  “Do you remember her name?” It’s not that important, and I can ask Finn later, but I’d like to know if it’s someone I can work with.

  “Isabel? Annabelle? Something like that.” He runs a hand through straggly hair. “Does it matter?”

  “I just want to make sure you and your family are being well looked after. Was she a tall lady? Late forties?”

  “I didn’t really notice. Yeah maybe.”

  “DC Janice Rose?”

  “Yeah. Could have been.”

  “She’s lovely. She’ll do her best for you and your family. You can trust her.” I worked with her many times over the years. Janice is a couple of years younger than me and joined the force at around the same time, but she’s never been ambitious. She always just wanted to help people, and has the incredible inner strength to make family liaison work her vocation.

  A nervous flutter in my chest reminds me I must be careful. I can’t afford to get too far drawn in. I need to keep a healthy distance from ex-police colleagues, and this isn’t the way to do it. Getting involved in a murder case was not part of the plan.

  “Sorry. Carry on if you can, about what happened. You said you’d gone into the kitchen.” I hoped I’d distracted him sufficiently for him to carry on now, but I know it will be difficult.

  “Linda was on the floor near the sink. Someone had stabbed her, like, loads of times. It was the worst thing I’ve ever seen, and my poor… Oh God, my poor Linda. She hadn’t stood a chance.” He balls his fists into his eyes. Joanna rests a hand on his shoulder in silence, interrupted only by a tap on the window. Molly opens the back door.

  “You’ve had long enough now,” she says to me and Joanna. “Mr Cassidy, my colleague is going to take you round to your in-laws where your daughter is waiting for you. I’m sure these ladies will resume their discussion with you some other time.”

  Obeying the Sergeant’s signal, we all get out of the car. Molly takes Troy to another car, parked a little further down the road. Joanna and I, sharing a quick glance, head over to Finn, where he’s consulting with the head of the forensic team, another old friend.

  Finn looks up and gives a half-smile. Somewhere between friendly and resigned.

  “Alec, you remember Becky, don’t you?”

  “Of course I do. Becks, my dear, I’d give you a hug, but I’m all geared up here.” He points at his chest to show his full protective suit – worn to prevent him depositing anything inappropriate in the crime scene.

  “Sure, the hug can wait. It’s good to see you, Alec. How’s Deb? And the baby?”

  “All well. How are you? It’s lovely to see you again too. We were worried about you. You disappeared after everything happened, and no one knew where you’d gone.”

  “It took a while for me to pull myself together. And there are a few people I want to avoid, so I changed a few things. Get Finn to send me your number again, and I’ll put it in my new phone. I’ll call you one evening if that’s okay.”

  “That would be great. Who’s your friend?”

  I introduce Joanna. There’s no need for us to stay much longer. I know I can pump Alec and Janice for all the information I need, and my body is beginning to betray me. I’ve been in this crime scene for too long and seen too many familiar faces for one day. I have to leave.

  “Sorry, guys, we need to be going. I don’t want to keep you from your work any longer. We just had to speak to our client, but that’s done now. I’ll call you both in the week if that’s okay.”

  They agree, and Joanna and I head towards my car. I know this area fairly well, as it was part of my patch, so I lead her round the back to avoid the press, who are still hovering at the edge of the tape.

  When we get in the car, I put the radio on. I’m suddenly exhausted. It’s been a long time since I had to deal with a crime scene in any form, and I’d almost forgotten the intensity of action and emotion. The radio is a good option, as it defers significant conversation. I notice Joanna glancing at me as she puts her seatbelt on, but she refrains from comment. We accomplish the drive home in a companionable lack of conversation – just the occasional discussion if a song comes on that we both like. That lasts until the News comes on. I turn the volume up.

  “…and Manchester musician Troy Cassidy is distraught today after finding his wife murdered in their home. The police are investigating, and there are no suspects at this time.”

  “Standard News report really,” says Joanna. “It doesn’t tell us anything we didn’t already know.”

  “True. The question is, do we leave this to the police, or try to investigate ourselves?” My mouth is dry. I know this is not our job, but I need to know Joanna’s reaction.

  “Murder is very much in the police domain. We might help, but I think we should concentrate on Penny.”

  “What if they’re connected?” I slam on the brakes as a youth walks out in front of the car without looking. “Bloody idiot. Do they not teach kids how to cross roads these days?”

  “He’s too busy looking at his phone. He’s not even noticed that you had to do an emergency stop to avoid hitting him.”

  “You’re bloody right.” I pull over and wind down my window. “Hey you!” I bellow. I see from the corner of my eye that Joanna puts her hands over her ears. The lad doesn’t look up from his phone. “I’m going to get out and give him what for.” I click the seatbelt release button at my side.

  Joanna puts her hand on my arm. “Don’t, Becky. It’s not worth it. This is not a safe area. He’s probably got a knife.”

  “How do you know about the area?” I ask.

  “A bit of research, combined with common sense. It just looks run-down. Small terraced houses. Graffiti. Junk in front yards. Come on. Belt up. Lock the doors, and let’s get back to mine for a coffee. Or maybe something stronger.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  We stop en route for a drive-through McDonald’s and take it back to Joanna’s for lunch. Seated in the kitchen, we have a few mouthfuls to settle the worst of the hunger pangs, before I resume our earlier conversation.

  “So, we focus on Penny then?”

  “Yes, but I think we should have another chat with the police. Do you think your friend Finn would want to meet up with us?”

  “He’s going to be dead busy, but I can ask.” I take out my phone and tap out a message.

  A minute passes, during which we continue eating. Then my phone vibrates.

  “Hi Finn, are you okay? How’s it going?”

  “As well as expected. Janice is with Troy and his daughter and in-laws, so they’re being looked after, and she’ll get back to us if they say anything that might be useful.”

  “Great. We were just wondering if there’s anything Joanna and I could help with? Maybe something a bit out of your usual sphere?”

  “What do you have in mind?” His tone is dry, revealing his scepticism.

  “We’re working on it. Will you have any time to join us later, and we can discuss it?”

  “Yeah, why not? When I get off duty, and who knows what time that’ll be. I’ll aim for around eight though. Are you at yours?”

  “No, at Joanna’s.” I give him the address. “Message me when you leave. I’ll go home for a while in between.”

  “I’ll bring food for me, but don’t wait to
eat. You know what it can be like.”

  “Sure. We’ll eat first, and maybe have some chocolate when you arrive, to stop us dipping into your dinner. See you tonight.” I end the call.

  “So what do we have in mind?” I ask Joanna.

  “That’s a damn good question, hen. It’s half past two now. That gives five and a half hours to come up with something that won’t make Finn feel like we’re wasting his time. You know him better than I do. What would he accept?”

  “Something between a basic premise and a full-blown plan. The closer to the latter, the happier he’ll be.” I grin. “At the moment, I’ll settle for a workable premise!”

  We spend the next hour tossing ideas around before we come up with something that might work. Another hour to fill in a few details, and although we’re a long way from the thorough plan that Finn would prefer, we’ve got a decent proposal for him.

  ***

  I return home to have dinner with my family. It’s been a long day, and I need a few hours’ rest before meeting up with Finn.

  “Mum, what time is Wendy coming?” Cheryl asks as I step through the door. “You’ve been out for ages.”

  A stream of swear words appears in my brain, as if in a cartoon bubble. I’m ashamed to admit, even to myself, that with everything else that’s happened today I’d completely forgotten about my daughter’s troubles. I pull myself together to check my phone. Wendy sent a quick WhatsApp after our call this morning, confirming that she’d be with us around 7pm.

  “I’d better get dinner going. Wendy will be here in about an hour and a half.” I delve through the kitchen cupboards.

  “What are we having?”

  “Do you fancy Spag Bol?” It’s one of Cheryl’s favourites, and there’s mince in the fridge.

  “Sure.”

  “Any developments today?” I ask.

  “A couple of my friends messaged to say they’d heard I’d been blocking certain people. They wanted to know why, and whether they were on my hit list.”

  “Did you tell them?”

  “I just said that I was tightening up security, and that they were safe, but they might want to consider who their real friends are, and block those who didn’t meet that standard.”

  “Ouch. That’s a bit harsh, love. Were they okay? And who are we referring to here?”

  “I don’t think you know them, Mum. It’s just a couple of girls I chat to in Chemistry. They’re my lab partners. They’re nice. I called them afterwards to explain a bit more, cos I realised that message sounded a bit horrible.”

  “Okay, good. You’re not aiming to alienate your real friends here.” I get the vegetables out of the fridge. I’d quite like to have eaten and washed up by the time Wendy arrives. “Where’s your dad?”

  “He’s in the study on his laptop. He had a call from someone earlier and disappeared in there. That was about two hours ago. He’s not emerged since.”

  “Can you check on him, please?”

  She nods and leaves me to ponder on Matt’s mysterious call. I wonder if it’s the elusive Roger Taylor.

  I’m frying mince and onions by the time Cheryl returns with Matt.

  “Everything okay?” I glance round. Cheryl’s white, and Matt looks stressed. He’s not supposed to get stressed. He’s still recuperating.

  “Hey, what happened?”

  “I was talking to Roger on the phone. There’s been a bit of an issue. We’ve been back and forth for the last couple of hours. Chezz overheard me.”

  “What did you hear, love?” I add tinned tomatoes to the pan, but watch discreetly as she rubs tears from her cheeks.

  “Dad said something about dealers and terrorists, and that ‘all hell was going to break loose if this gets out’.” She turns to Matt. “What’s going on? You’re a pharmacist, and you’re off sick.”

  There’s a moment’s silence. A pregnant pause, as it’s sometimes called, and I know why. It’s as if we’re all awaiting the birth of something earth-shattering.

  “It’s nothing for anyone to worry about. Just forget you heard it please, Cheryl.”

  The contractions dissipate. Birth is postponed.

  “How can I forget that, Dad? What are you involved in?”

  “I sometimes do some work for a government organisation, particularly related to drug delivery logistics. Sometimes controlled drugs go astray and get into the wrong hands. I just give some advice from time to time.”

  Okay, so the baby popped out after all. I suppose it was important for Cheryl to know, and Matt’s explanation makes it sound quite innocent really.

  “Are we all safe here? Is Ali safe?” Cheryl goes over to her dad, and he puts his arms around her and gives a hug.

  “I would never do anything to endanger you, or your sister, or your mum. I just need you to keep shtum about this though. Don’t discuss it with your friends, or with Wendy when she gets here. Government bodies don’t always talk to each other, so a senior police officer wouldn’t know about this, and it’s not appropriate to tell her, okay?”

  Cheryl agrees, and I send her to wash her face and hands before dinner. I wait until she’s gone from the room.

  “Did Roger say anything about me?”

  “Not today, but we’ve already discussed you. He’ll want your help when he’s ready. And you’ll know soon enough when that is.”

  “You know I went to that gig last night?”

  “Yes. I meant to ask, how did it go?”

  “It was okay.” No need to go into details just now. “But that lead singer of the top band from last night got home to find his wife dead.”

  “Oh my God. How awful. Was she ill?”

  I take a minute to connect the dots.

  “No. Bloody hell, no. She’d been murdered. That’s why I’ve been out all day. Joanna and I seem to have got ourselves involved. We’re meeting with Finn after eight, when he’s finished work.”

  He glances at the clock. “In that case you’d better get dishing up, if we’ve got to eat before Wendy gets here.”

  ***

  Wendy arrives on the dot of seven, just as I’ve finished loading the dishwasher. I open the door to her, and we hug. It’s been far too long since I’ve seen her. She’s been my friend and mentor since I was eighteen, and seeing her now reminds me how much I’ve missed her these last few months.

  “Come on, Missus,” she says, stepping back. “You and I will catch up properly next week over a bottle or two of wine. How does that sound?”

  “Fantastic.” I smile at her. “For now, though, Cheryl’s in the lounge. Why don’t you go and find her, and I’ll get the kettle on?”

  By the time I join them, armed with tea and Jaffa Cakes, Wendy’s scrolling through Cheryl’s phone and frowning.

  “Everything okay?” Watching her look through the photos half-triggers a thought, but it drifts away before I can catch it.

  “These girls seem to be more tech-savvy than I’d like. What they’ve done with these images looks quite professional. I had to look closely to see the signs that the photo was fake.” Wendy takes a mug of tea and puts it on the coffee table. “Thanks. Would you ladies mind if I contacted your school head? I won’t mention any names. I can just say that it’s been brought to my attention through a police investigation that illegal activities have occurred in the realm of cyber-bullying. Would that be okay?”

  Cheryl nods. “I think so, as long as they can’t pin anything on me. I don’t want them to have any excuse to target me.”

  “I just want to come into the school for an assembly or something and talk about cyber-bullying, how it can be traced to the perpetrators, and the lengthy penalties attached. A very general warning, with a request that all bullying activities must stop immediately, otherwise further investigations will ensue, and the guilty parties will find themselves with a criminal record, and possibly imprisonment in a juvenile detention centre.”

  “Do you think that would help, Cheryl?” I ask.

  “I’m sure it
would be a start. Those stupid bitches might think twice if they think it could affect their careers. Do you think you could persuade the head to send a letter home to all the parents about the penalties related to cyber-bullying? It would horrify a lot of the mums and dads.”

  “And others wouldn’t believe their little darlings could possibly be involved. It’s worth a shot though. Wendy, do you think that’s reasonable?”

  “I’ll ask if a letter home to all the parents could be part of the remedy for this. As you say, Becky, many of them won’t believe it of their kids, but others might decide to take more of an interest in their teenagers’ online activities.”

  With a plan of action agreed, Wendy reviews my daughter’s new security processes, and approves them. By the time she leaves, it’s almost eight. My phone pings as I watch her get into her car. Finn has sent me a WhatsApp.

  “Just left work. Picking up grub. See you at Joanna’s in twenty minutes.”

  I check on Cheryl before I leave. She’s in her bedroom playing games on her iPad.

  “Are you okay? You’ve had quite a day.” I drop a kiss on her forehead.

  “I’m fine thanks, Mum. Are you off out again?” She lifts her eyes briefly from the game. “You look nice.”

  “Thanks.” I hope she doesn’t see me blush in the dim light in her room. “Yes, back to Joanna’s to meet with a police officer in charge of a case that we’ve got involved in.”

  “Is it to do with Troy Cassidy? I heard it on the radio this afternoon.”

  “I’m afraid so, yes.”

  “Good luck. I hope you find the killer. Can you imagine if it was just some jealous girl wanting him for herself?”

  “That’s certainly a line of enquiry, Chezz. Thanks.”

  “I can’t imagine being that obsessive with anyone, but you see it on films and in books all the time.”

  “You might be right. Anyway, I have to go. I’ll see you in the morning if I’m back too late tonight.”

  I pop my head into the study on the way out. “Matt, you need to rest. Let Roger sort it out for now. You can do some more tomorrow.”