by M A Comley
“Gosh, you scared the life out of me. Sorry, yes. I asked to see Sharon Potts, but the receptionist wouldn’t allow me to speak to her during working hours. I wouldn’t normally go over someone’s head like this, but I have news of a family emergency that Sharon needs to be made aware of. Is it possible for me to see her?”
“Oh dear, I’m sorry to hear that. I’m sure we can make an exception to the rule in this instance. Let me try and locate her for you. Marjorie, can you have a wander around for me, see if you can find Sharon? I’ll watch the desk in your absence.”
The disgruntled woman left her seat and marched up the hallway, disappearing around the corner at the top.
“Sorry to cause this much trouble,” Kayli said, glancing out the front door at the garden beyond.
“Honestly, it’s fine. I hope you won’t think I’m being nosy if I ask what the emergency is, Inspector.”
“Can I ask how well you know Sharon?”
Mrs. Addison’s brow creased. “She’s worked here for about two years, so pretty well.”
“Are you aware that she has a sister?”
“Of course. Has something happened to Anita?”
“I’ve just come from the hospital. Anita tried to take her own life this morning.”
Mrs. Addison gasped. “Oh no, that’s dreadful.”
“Yes, and on top of what has happened to her father, the family aren’t having much luck at present.”
“You’ve lost me. Their father?”
It was Kayli’s turn to frown. “He was reported missing the other day. I’m the SIO on the case. I had to inform Anita Potts and her uncle Samuel that we had discovered Paul Potts’s body. We believe that’s why Anita tried to end her life.”
“Goodness me! That’s terrible. How that family has suffered. Poor Sharon, carrying such a burden and continuing to work as if everything at home is just fine.”
“I suppose people deal with grief differently. Some openly weep, while others choose to shove it aside and get on with their daily lives.”
Kayli paced the area for the next ten minutes until a breathless Marjorie finally returned.
“Well? Where’s Sharon?” Mrs. Addison asked.
Marjorie held her arms out to the sides. “I’ve hunted high and low for that girl and can’t find her anywhere.”
“Stay here. I’ll go and look for her,” Mrs. Addison stated sharply, looking anything but happy with the receptionist.
“Do you want me to come with you?” Kayli offered.
“You might as well. I’m sorry about this.”
Kayli had trouble keeping up with the taller woman’s long strides. She poked her head quickly into every room they came to.
“Nothing. Where on earth could she have gone? I thought she was assigned to the ground-floor patients this week, but maybe I’m wrong about that. Let’s try upstairs.”
They took the stairs up to the second level and repeated the process of searching every room, until something caught Kayli’s eye. “Wait!” She pulled on Mrs. Addison’s arm, halting her mid-stride.
“What is it?”
“Mrs. Wilson. What’s her first name?”
“Mabel, I believe.”
“Can you check, just to make sure for me? I’ll explain why in a second.”
“Let me check.” Mrs. Addison poked her head back into the room she’d just left and asked the old lady sitting in the chair, “How are you doing today, Mabel?”
“I’m fine, dear. Always fine. Your staff always look after me so well.”
“Enjoy the rest of your day, Mabel.” Mrs. Addison stepped back into the hallway. “It’s definitely Mabel. May I ask why?”
Kayli withdrew the small pot from her jacket pocket and gave it to the woman to examine. “Oh my! Where the dickens did you get this?”
Kayli ran a concerned hand over her face. “It was found beside Anita at her house.”
“Are you saying she took these tablets to end her life?”
“Slight correction—attempt to end her life.”
“What does this mean? That Sharon stole these tablets and gave them to her sister to take to help her sleep?”
“That’s something along the lines of what I was thinking. Would you mind asking Mabel if she’s noticed any of her tablets missing lately?”
“Without hesitation.” Mrs. Addison opened the door for the third time in as many minutes. “It’s only me again. Mabel, can you tell me if you’ve misplaced any of your medication lately?”
“Yes. I did. But Sharon said that I wasn’t to worry, that she would pick up a repeat prescription for me.”
“Has she done that for you yet?”
“Yes, she brought me my new pills yesterday. I only had one sleepless night, thank goodness. Such a lovely girl, so helpful and such a sweet, kind soul she has.”
“As long as you’ve got a replacement prescription. Thank you.”
“Not at all, dear. Thank you for employing such attentive staff.”
Mrs. Addison closed the door, and her eyes widened in anger. “I want to know what’s going on here, Inspector. The quicker we find Sharon Potts, the better, I think. Don’t you?”
“I agree.”
They continued their search with gusto this time. Unfortunately, they came to the same conclusion that Marjorie had earlier—Sharon was no longer on the premises.
“Do you have a clocking in system for the staff?” Kayli asked.
“Not really. They sign a register every time they either arrive or leave the building. In case we have a fire, you see. It’s the law.”
“Can you show me that register?”
“It’s at the reception desk.”
Together, they rushed back to the desk. Mrs. Addison flicked through the current pages in the register and pointed to Sharon’s name. “There, she started her shift at midday. There is no reason for her to go missing.”
“Do you happen to know what car she drives?” Kayli asked, her heart pounding.
“I don’t. Marjorie, do you know?”
“I think it’s a small car. Like a Fiat. I could be wrong, though.”
Kayli ran towards the doors. “Thank you, ladies. You’ve been very helpful.”
“Wait… where are you—” The door swung closed behind Kayli, cutting off what the manager was calling out after her.
Kayli drove back to the station faster than an express train could have carried her. She ran up the stairs to the station two at a time, her short legs not quite managing three steps in her haste. She barged through the door and into the incident room. Her three team members all looked startled by her entrance.
“Bloody hell, where’s the damn fire?” Dave shouted.
“Donna, get me a glass of water while I catch my breath, will you?”
Donna shot out of her chair and delivered the glass of water within seconds. “Are you all right?” she asked.
“I will be in a minute.” Kayli gulped down the cool liquid and placed a hand over her rapidly beating heart. “I think I know who the killer is.”
“What? Who?” Dave asked, swivelling in his seat to face her.
“God, I hope I’m wrong, and I bloody well could be.”
“Who?” Dave demanded, more urgently this time.
“The stepsister, Sharon Potts.”
“No way!” Dave said, his face twisted in confusion.
She produced the pill pot and slammed it on the desk. “Yes way! The paramedics who attended the callout found this container sitting alongside Anita.”
“And? Lots of people take pills to end it. What are you getting at?” Dave replied when Kayli paused to take a breath.
“The name printed on there is Mabel Wilson.”
The three team members all sat forward in their seats, their interest piqued.
“The doctor told me that when Anita woke up, she was disorientated and only managed to say one word: Sharon. Originally, I thought she was concerned about Sharon, so I said I would shoot over to where she work
s and inform her that Anita is in hospital and that she’d attempted to take her own life. When I arrived, Sharon was nowhere to be found. While I was standing in the reception area, I thought I saw someone watching me, but when I turned to look, that person had vanished.” She took a large gulp of water then continued, “Anyway, the manager of the home searched for Sharon, and I volunteered to tag along. I spotted a patient named Mabel Wilson. The old lady confirmed that some of her tablets had gone missing in the last few days.”
“Whoa! So you think Sharon took them and gave them to Anita?” Dave said, sitting back in his chair and interlocking his fingers on top of his head.
Donna narrowed her eyes. “Gave them to Anita or forced her to take them?”
Kayli pointed a finger at Donna. “Glad to see someone is keeping up with my way of thinking. We all know that Anita was in a vulnerable state. What if Sharon forced her to take the pills against her will, and that’s what Anita was trying to tell the doctor when she mentioned Sharon’s name?”
“That’s a pretty big what-if,” Dave replied.
“I know. Believe me, had Sharon been at her place of work, I doubt I would have gone down this line. The fact is I felt someone watching me, and when we searched the premises for Sharon, she was no longer at work. Too much of a coincidence for me.” Kayli took another sip of water. “And that’s not all. This is the most condemning lead yet. When I asked the manager what type of car Sharon drives, the receptionist told me it’s—”
“A blue Fiat,” Graeme finished for her.
“Correct. Now do you see why I’m so damned excited, Dave?”
He nodded. “Yep. I should have known you wouldn’t go jumping the gun without something more substantial to back up your claims. What now?”
“We need to track her down. I doubt she’ll go back home.”
“What about her brother? Do you think he had anything to do with it? You know, the pills, or even the bigger picture, possibly involved with the father’s death?”
“I think we have to err on the side of caution here. They share a house together, and they appear pretty close. My thinking is that he had to know what was going on. Don’t forget, someone drove Paul Potts’s car to that destination. If Sharon was following the vehicle in her car, then it seems a given that Dylan should be involved too. Again, at this point, it’s all speculation. Graeme, I really need you to look at the ANPR and CCTV footage from a different angle now if at all possible. We need to place both the brother and the sister at the scene.” Kayli stood up and walked towards Donna’s desk. “Can you put in a request for a search warrant for Sharon and Dylan’s house, Donna? It’ll be good to have that in place for when we need to get in there.”
“What about the brother? Do you want to pay him a visit?” Dave suggested.
“I’m thinking along those lines, Dave. I need to set up a surveillance team outside their house in case Sharon returns. We need an outside team for that as we have too much work to do between us around here. I’ll have a word with the desk sergeant, see what he can come up with on that front.”
“How is the kid doing now?” Dave asked. “Anita, I mean.”
“The doctor gave her a sedative, and she was moved to the women’s ward. Samuel has promised to ring me when she wakes up.”
“What if Sharon turns up at the hospital to finish off the job?”
Kayli nodded. “I’ll arrange for someone to guard Anita’s room just in case. Donna, once you’ve sorted out the warrant, can you look up what car the brother drives for me? Then I think we should put out an alert on both vehicles. Actually, hold fire on the brother’s car until Dave and I report back. Give me five minutes to have a word with the desk sergeant, Dave, then we’ll pay the brother a discreet visit.”
Kayli finished her glass of water and left the incident room. Her head was thumping along with her heart.
The desk sergeant’s smile dissipated when he saw Kayli’s serious expression. “Everything all right, ma’am?”
“I could do with some assistance if you have a couple of spare bodies, Ray.”
“You only need to ask, ma’am. You know that. What do you need?”
“I need a couple of plain-clothes officers in a discreet car to carry out surveillance on an address. Do you have anyone who fits the bill?”
“I do. Jot down the address for me, and I’ll get that sorted ASAP. Do you need anything else from me?”
Kayli smiled. “Yes, I have a witness in hospital I need to keep safe. Anita Potts. Would it be possible for you to send an officer to guard her room for me? No one in or out of the room except her uncle, the nursing team or me.”
“I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Of course. Consider it done.”
“You’re an absolute legend. That’s the trouble with running a small team at times. My lot all have tasks they need to do in my absence.”
“No problem. I completely understand. Is this to do with Paul Potts’s murder? Are you saying that you think the person we have in custody is innocent?”
“Yes, that’s the way the enquiry is going, Ray. Hopefully, we’ll have a definitive answer by the end of the day.”
“Samuel will be relieved.”
Kayli smiled and patted him on the arm.
Dave hobbled into the reception area.
“Are you ready for the off, partner?” Kayli asked.
“Ready. Not sure if the body is able, but it’s the only one I’ve got.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
When they arrived at the pub, the place was experiencing the afternoon lull between the lunchtime and evening sittings. Kayli walked up to a man in his fifties, who stood erect with his shoulders back. The stance made his rotund belly protrude more than it would have otherwise.
She flashed her ID in the man’s face. “DI Kayli Bright, and this is my partner, DS Dave Chaplin. Are you the manager of this establishment, sir?”
His brow wrinkled a little. “I am. Why would the police be knocking at my door, so to speak?”
“We’d like a chat with a member of your staff if he’s available.”
“Who might that be?”
“Dylan Potts. Is he on the premises, sir?”
“To be honest with you, I’m not sure. He was here serving at the lunchtime session, and he’s due to work a shift this evening. I tend to let my staff have some time off during shifts. May I ask what this is about?”
“We’re investigating a crime and wish to speak to him in connection with it. Do you know where he goes on his time off?”
“Home, I believe. You could try there. If he’s not there, then I really have no clue. I don’t keep tabs on what my staff get up to during their downtime, Inspector.”
“Thank you, sir. You’ve been most helpful.” Kayli and Dave began to walk towards the exit.
“What’s the investigation? You never did say,” the manager called after them.
Ignoring the man, Kayli continued out to the car. She slammed her clenched fist on the roof. “Damn. We need to go to the house.”
“I have a suggestion to make if you’re willing to listen.” Dave smiled impishly.
“Don’t look like that. When don’t I listen to your suggestions?”
He rolled his eyes. “All right, no need to get antsy on me. I was only trying to lighten the mood.”
Kayli tutted. “You can be such a pain in the rear at times. Get on with it, Dave.”
“Donna’s looking into what car Dylan drives, right?”
“Yes. What are you thinking?”
“Ring Donna, see if she’s got the information yet, then we drive past the house to see if the car is there first before we reassess the situation and what we should do next. If it turns out that Sharon and Dylan are both involved in their stepfather’s death, then we need to be cautious. The last thing we want is to go marching in there unarmed.”
“I think you’re right. Let’s go. If his car is there, then we’ll place a call for backup and get armed officers to join us.”
“Maybe he abused them as kids, and they waited this long to exact their revenge.”
“Maybe. I can’t discount your suggestion at this point because I don’t know enough about the victim. What other motive is there?” Kayli asked.
She saw her partner shrug out the corner of her eye. “No idea. Who knows why family members kill their kin sometimes? Could be all manner of reasons.”
“Money?”
“It’s possible. We don’t know what state Paul’s finances were in. Something we should look into when we get back to the station, perhaps?”
“Worth a shot. We looked into the backgrounds of each of the family members on our radar, and nothing showed up that should raise our suspicions with the kids as far as I can recall.”
“I was thinking that. It’s all a damn mystery. Let’s hope Anita can start filling in some blanks for us when she wakes up, because at the moment, we’re treading water and not getting very far.”
Dave rang Donna. She told him that Dylan’s vehicle was a Suzuki Jimny and supplied the registration number. They were ten minutes away from the siblings’ house when Kayli’s mobile rang. Using the Bluetooth connection, she answered the phone. “DI Bright speaking.”
“Hello there, Inspector. This is Sylvia Addison, the manager from the Nightingale Care Home.”
“Hello again, Mrs. Addison. What can I do for you?”
“When you left, I ran through what happened and realised I should have informed you about several strange things that have occurred around here lately.”
“Strange? In what way?”
“We’ve had a few instances noted down regarding some of the residents complaining that money has gone missing—only a couple of people. We’ve also had a few incidents where patients have had valuables taken, such as jewellery and even cases where more medication has gone missing.”
“Were these incidents investigated internally, or did you call the police in?”