by Jade Winters
‘Callie knows where we stand with each other,’ she said placing the bacon beside the egg. ‘We are just enjoying each other’s company. Nothing more, nothing less.’
Even as she said the words, Astrid knew in her heart it wasn’t true. But she found it impossible to admit her feelings for Callie ran deep to someone like Keri. To do so made her feel weak. She had grown up knowing any kind of emotional attachment soon ended in tears which is why she switched them off. The thought of them being turned on again scared the living daylights out of her.
Astrid’s head tilted as she made out the sound of footsteps moving away from the door.
Shit! Had Elaine heard what she said? That would just about serve her right for putting on a cocky front. She knew she needed it to deal with Keri, but Callie was a totally different kettle of fish. She wasn’t ruthless, she was caring, loyal and an emotional support for those that she loved.
‘So what are your plans now?’ Keri poured boiling hot water into two mugs, took them to the table and sat down. When Astrid joined her she said, ‘Have you got any other juicy stories in the pipe line?’
‘Might have.’
Keri tilted her head to the side and gave Astrid a questioning look. ‘But you’re keeping your mouth zipped, right?’
Astrid wasn’t about to tell Keri her suspicions. The one which wouldn’t stop bugging her. It was about Lexi’s bag. If she had simply fallen over a ledge, her bag would have been with her. But it wasn’t. It had been found nearly a mile away.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Callie watched as Robert’s face creased with concern. He had been speaking with the local coroner for the past twenty minutes. It had pretty much been a one-sided conversation. The coroner did most of the talking. Robert, when he spoke, gave curt answers. Whatever the coroner said last, it had obviously upset Robert.
‘Is it really necessary? You’re going to cut my daughter to bits. Hasn’t she been through enough? All you’re doing is prolonging our grief.’
He slammed the receiver on the handset and looked forlornly at Roxy who sat beside Callie. ‘They’re going to perform a post-mortem on Lexi tomorrow.’
Roxy’s bloodshot eyes widened. ‘Why? I thought the police said there wasn’t any evidence of a crime.’
‘You know what these busy bodies are like. A law onto themselves. I don’t like this one little bit,’ Robert said dragging his fingers through his hair.
‘Neither do I, but there’s nothing we can do,’ Roxy said redundantly.
‘I’m sure it’s just procedure,’ Callie intervened. ‘Their way of finding out what caused her death.’
Callie was sure her death had been an accident now. Robert showed no signs of fearing being caught out. It was only natural to hate the thought of someone slicing your daughter’s body. It was the last act of indecency. So on that front she agreed with Robert. On the other hand, she knew he was going to have no say in the matter. She had died alone. The authorities needed to know how.
‘I thought that would have been blatantly obvious if you’d fallen from a great height,’ Robert said.
Callie still couldn’t believe Lexi had died on Loughrigg Fell. She was discovered hidden in long grass at the base of the fell by a hiker. What Callie found strange was that it certainly wasn’t one of Lexi’s favourite walks. Why would she tell Roxy she was going to hike up Helm Crag and then choose somewhere completely different?
‘Well it’s out of our hands now, we can’t do anything but wait,’ Roxy said.
‘You two look exhausted,’ Callie said. ‘Why don’t you try and get some rest? If anyone calls, I’ll wake you.’
‘We appreciate it but I think we need some time to ourselves. We’re both still in shock.’ Roxy’s bottom lip trembled. The suffering in her eyes was too much for Callie to bear.
If truth be told she wanted to escape from there so she could come to terms with Lexi’s death herself. It wouldn’t be right to break down in front of her parents. They needed all the strength they had to carry themselves through this nightmare.
Robert picked up Callie’s jacket from the sofa and handed it to her. ‘If we need anything, I’ll call you.’
‘Okay.’ Stifling a sob, Callie leant over and kissed Roxy’s clammy cheek and squeezed Robert’s shoulder as she passed him by. If she tried to speak she wouldn’t be able to hold it together.
As Callie stepped outside into the crisp morning air, she inhaled deeply and clamped her eyes shut to stop the tears from escaping. The fact that Lexi would never walk up that path again hit her with a jolt. The laughter that Callie never tired of hearing would never sound in her ears again. The world had lost someone unique that day. There would never be another Lexi Palmer. Callie’s phone rang.
‘Astrid,’ she said putting the phone to her ear.
‘How are things?’
‘They’ve asked to be left alone.’ Callie spoke as she made her way down the path. It was hard to push her thoughts aside, but it was something that needed to be done. The only route open for her if she didn’t was down. If that happened she doubted she’d be able to drag herself back up again.
‘Can I meet you at your place? I have something I need to talk to you about.’
Callie heard the caution in her voice. ‘Is it something bad?’
It was several seconds before Astrid spoke. ‘I’m not sure yet.’
On the drive home, Callie didn’t know what to think. How would she react if Astrid told her she was going home? After all Lexi had been found, there wasn’t going to be much to report on now. Maybe the funeral, but she could come back for the day to cover that. Then what? There was no point wishing for the impossible. That somehow they could work things out between them. Astrid’s life was in Manchester and Callie’s was here.
Astrid was waiting outside her apartment when she arrived home. They briefly kissed each other before going inside.
Callie didn’t wait for Astrid to start. She was too tired and grief stricken to be playing games. ‘Look I know what you want to talk about. Don’t worry, I’m cool with it.’
Astrid frowned. ‘With?’
‘You leaving. I know you haven’t got much to do here now.’ Callie shrugged her jacket off. ‘But I want you to know I have no regrets.’
‘Um … me neither. But that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about.’
It was a sobering realisation that she had made the wrong assumption. ‘It isn’t?’
‘No. Not yet anyway.’ Astrid’s eyes zeroed in on hers. ‘Did Robert or Roxy say anything that seemed a bit odd or out of place when you were with them?’
Callie frowned. ‘Like what?’
‘I don’t know. You know them,’ she said impatiently. ‘What was their behaviour like?’
Callie shrugged. ‘As would be expected when you just found out your daughter had died. Grief stricken.’
‘It’s just…’
Callie let out a long sigh. ‘Just what?’
Astrid grabbed her with both hands. ‘Don’t you think it’s a bit strange that Lexi’s bag was found at the youth club?’
In truth, Callie’s mind had been in such a tizzy she hadn’t even given it much thought. ‘I suppose so.’
‘That’s what I thought.’
‘You don’t still think Robert had something to do with her death, do you? That he put her bag in the bin?’
‘All I know is that something doesn’t sit right with me. Somebody took her bag and dumped it. At first I thought it was that Darren kid, as it appeared shortly after I spoke to him. But after finding out about Robert’s last encounter with Lexi, I don’t know.’
Callie gave herself a brief moment to consider what Astrid was implying. ‘Whoa, hang on a minute. Aren’t we getting ahead of ourselves? This isn’t a murder case. Lexi fell while out walking. And I’m sure that’s exactly what the post-mortem report will show once it’s been performed.’
‘Trust me on this, Callie. This was not an accident. A killer is on the loose. I j
ust don’t know who.’
‘I think you’re being a bit paranoid. Who would want to kill Lexi? She was only sixteen. It’s a small village. Not some big city like London. School kids don’t get murdered there. They have accidents. Or die from an illness.’
Astrid watched Callie steadily. ‘There’s a first time for everything.’
Callie flopped onto the sofa and lay down. She wanted to close her eyes and never wake up. Partly because she was exhausted and partly because the day’s events were more than she could bear. ‘On this one, I think you’re wrong,’ she said wearily.
‘When’s the post-mortem?
Callie grimaced. ‘Tomorrow.’
‘Okay. Let’s wait and see then.’
‘Come and lay with me?’ Callie said, suddenly feeling afraid and alone.
‘I haven’t got time. I thought I’d hang out around the police station. See if someone will talk to me.’
It’s started already. She’s pulling away from me, Callie thought with a frown.
‘Hey, don’t look so dejected,’ Astrid said. ‘We can meet up later. I need to be out there gathering what information I can.’
Callie sighed. ‘Do you slow down for anything?’
‘No. Bad things happen but the world keeps spinning. If I don’t report on the news, there’s always someone more eager to take my place.’
‘Like Keri.’
‘Exactly.’
Callie didn’t care. About her story. About Keri. About anything. After today, nothing seemed important anymore.
Astrid dropped her bag on the floor and crossed the room, taking Callie in her arms. She pressed her lips against her forehead.
‘Don’t worry about me. Go to work,’ Callie said trying her hardest to hide her tears. She didn’t want Astrid’s sympathy.
‘I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. I’m not going anywhere.’
‘Why not? Didn’t you just say you don’t slow down for anything,’ Callie said crumbling in her arms.
‘For anything but the woman … I love.’
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Astrid watched the brief news conference from the back of the room. By the look on the senior police officer’s face, she knew it was more than sadness at a senseless accident. She had seen that look too many times to remember. It took less than thirty seconds to confirm that she was right. Lexi’s death had been no accident. The officer informed the packed room that the post mortem had revealed a stab wound to Lexi’s abdomen. One consistent with a Swiss Army knife.
Though Lexi died from internal bleeding, she hadn’t fallen. She had been stabbed and then pushed to her death.
The silence was deafening for a brief moment then the questions came thick and fast.
Do they have a suspect? Is her father being brought in for questioning? What about the teacher? Was she pregnant? Who was the baby’s father?
Astrid slipped out the back door. She needed fresh air. The crowd had been stifling. She glanced at her watch. Callie would be picking her up soon. She’d gone to do a few errands at work while Astrid attended the press conference.
‘I watched your face as he called this a murder investigation. You didn’t seem the slightest bit surprised,’ Keri said walking towards her.
‘Didn’t I?’
‘No, which tells me you know something that I don’t.’
‘What could I possibly know, Keri?’
‘You tell me. Seems my story about Snowflake will be a hit. It kind of fits, doesn’t it? The murder of a child theme.’
‘Do you really think you can hurt Callie by telling the world her mother’s in prison? It’s 2016, Keri, not the fifties. You’d be hard pressed to find anyone to blink an eyelid at the story.’
‘You think? Well what if I told you, the story isn’t just about her mother now. It’s also about her beloved father.’
‘Her dad?’
‘That’s just it. He wasn’t her dad.’
Astrid half laughed. ‘Oh, for fuck’s sake Keri, stop this rubbish.’
‘It’s not rubbish. It’s true. Why do you think I held off running the story? I was waiting for confirmation. This story is so juicy my mouth’s watering just thinking about it.’
‘You wouldn’t dare.’
‘Wouldn’t I?’
Astrid could only imagine what this would do to Callie. If it were actually true about her dad, there would be no consoling her. To find a mother then to lose a father, for a second time. She wasn’t even sure she could withstand that.
‘Would you really be that cruel? Callie’s at rock bottom. Finding out about her dad would finish her off.’
‘Then help her.’
When Astrid told Callie she loved her, she meant it. She would do anything to protect her. Anything. And that included whatever Keri demanded.
‘How? Just spit it out. What do you want?’
Keri rounded on her. ‘All the research you have on my father. And I want you to forget you ever heard anything about him.’
‘Your father?’ Astrid said incredulously. ‘Who the hell is your …’
She stopped and clamped her hand over her mouth. ‘Oh shit,’ she mumbled.
There was only one person she was researching. Lloyd Jenkins. Keri was his daughter? How could she not have known? What kind of a journalist was she? She had dropped the ball big time.
‘Lose your story or your little Snowflake loses her sanity. The choice is yours. You’ve got until midnight.’ She dug into her bag and brought out two sheets of paper. ‘Or Snowflake’s story goes viral.’
Headlights from Callie’s Jeep flooded the small car park.
‘Remember, midnight,’ Keri said, waving her hand in the air at Callie.
Still stunned and numb, Astrid climbed into the passenger seat when Callie brought the Jeep to a standstill next to her.
‘I can’t believe it, Astrid. You were right about Lexi.’
‘Doesn’t make me feel any better though.’ Astrid’s eyes traced Keri walking back to the church hall, before disappearing behind a set of doors.
‘What did she want?’ Callie said.
‘Keri?’
‘Who else?’
Your sanity. ‘Nothing. We were just talking about Lexi.’
‘Did you tell her your theory?’
The research on her laptop suddenly felt like a ton of bricks. If she broke the story about Lloyd Jenkins, it would catapult her back into mainstream media and bring down a corrupt MP. It’s what she’d been working for all these years. A way to get back into the fold. But at what cost?
She glanced over at Callie. Hadn’t she lost enough? If she did go and see her mother, it would be up to her to tell her about her father. It wasn’t up to Keri to plaster her business all over the internet.
‘No.’
‘I think you should go to the police.’
‘You do?’
Astrid held her breath. How to tell her that she was through with the story? Not just that but the corruption, the lies the secrets. She was twenty-five and should be happy, enjoying herself. Not being taken down by a crook’s daughter. She had no one to blame but herself. Getting close to Callie had cost her a year’s work. She just didn’t have the fight in her anymore. It didn’t matter how much corruption she exposed, more was just around the corner waiting. This was the final blow. Astrid had finally lost faith in humanity.
***
Back at the B&B Astrid downloaded the information she held on Lloyd to a memory stick. It was best not to think about what she was doing. It wasn’t as if she was going to change her mind. Like I have a choice. This was the second time she had been burnt when trying to get a story out.
It was tough going against the grain. Even tougher going up against an MP’s daughter.
‘Let’s be quick about this.’ Astrid handed her notepad and memory stick over to Keri. ‘I’ve copied all the files on here and deleted them from my computer.’
Keri sat on her bedroom floor. Legs crossed in a yoga pose. She glan
ced up at her. ‘Rushing back to Snowflake?’
Astrid ignored her comment. ‘Now you have it, do I have your word that you’re not going to write about her?’
‘As God is my witness,’ Keri said scanning her notes. ‘I’m really sorry that it came to this, but blood is thicker than water as they say.’
‘You really are his daughter, aren’t you? How could you help someone like him? He’s as corrupt and rotten as a corpse in the ground.’
‘Because it would have ruined his life if it got out.’
‘He should have thought of that before he started taking back handers.’
Astrid couldn’t believe that she had at one time considered Keri to be an attractive woman. Sure on the outside she had the beauty but her insides were rotten to the core.
Somehow, Astrid managed to not kick her on the way out. She dreaded to think what she was going to do with the names in her notepad. Her phone rang and she closed her eyes. She knew who it was. Ross.
‘Why haven’t I heard from you?’ he barked down the phone.
‘I …’
‘Speak up. I can’t hear you. What happened at the press conference? Have you got any leads? There must be someone the police are looking at. Have you spoken to anyone close to the case?’
‘Ross,’ she said attempting to speak over him. ‘Ross!’
‘What?’
‘I’m not on the story anymore.’
‘What are you talking about? You’ll stay there until I tell you you’re not on the story. Got it?’
‘No.’
‘What d’you mean “no”? Are you forgetting who’s in charge here?’
‘I’m sorry, but it’s my final decision.’
‘It is, is it, then guess what?’ he shouted. ‘You’re fucking fired. That’s my final decision.’
Astrid combed her fingers through her hair. It was what she’d expected, wasn’t it, so why did it hurt so much? A single tear rolled down her cheek and she wiped it away with the back of her hand. She hadn’t cried since she was ten. It was the time her foster mother took her kitten away from her and drowned it in the toilet. It was then she had sworn that she would never let another living thing get her to feel for it. It had been working out fine until now. Until Keri, just like her foster mother, had found her weakness and used it against her.