What Goes Around

by Ann Bloxwich

  ‘Hey, where’s my bucket? That bitch has nicked my bucket,’ Helen slurred, looking around with unfocused eyes as she climbed into the cab.

  ‘She hasn’t nicked it, I’ve got it. Move over so I can get in.’ Laura squeezed in beside her and slammed the door shut.

  The drive back to Laura’s house was eventful. She lost count of how many times Helen tried to show the taxi driver her boobs, and by the time the journey was over, Laura thought the poor man looked terrified. She gave him a large tip and he sped off, leaving them both doubled up with laughter. The upstairs curtains of next door twitched, so Helen dropped her trousers and mooned at the window. Laura grabbed at her, stumbled and they both fell into the flowerbed, Helen still with her jeans around her ankles. She farted loudly as she got up, which started them off again. Eventually Laura managed to pull herself together enough to find her keys and they staggered into the hallway.

  Laura kicked off her shoes and Helen headed for the kitchen. Laura found her drinking water straight from the tap, her jeans in a crumpled heap on the floor. Laura ignored her and made her way to her bedroom, where she removed half of her clothes before passing out on the bed.

  7

  Alex’s mobile phone trilled, startling him, and waking Jayne. He grabbed it, checked the display and went into the bathroom to take the call. A few moments later Jayne heard the shower running. She sighed and turned on the lamp. The bedside clock read 12 a.m. ‘So much for being on leave,’ she grumbled.

  Alex emerged from the bathroom, a towel around his waist, hair standing on end. ‘I’m so sorry darling. Someone’s found a body behind the Leamore Club in Wolverhampton. Charlie Baldwin’s been rushed into surgery with gallstones, so it looks like I’m in charge.’

  He dressed quickly and attempted to flatten his hair down.

  ‘It’s fine, honey. I’ve got Washington Poe to keep me company.’ She waved a copy of the new M.W. Craven book at him.

  ‘I’ll leave you in his capable hands then,’ Alex smiled as he slipped his jacket on. A car horn sounded from outside, so he kissed Jayne and hurried downstairs, leaving her with her novel.

  ***

  Detective Sergeant Dawn Redwood sat outside Alex’s house, her black Mini Cooper gleaming under the streetlight, wipers going ten to the dozen. The car was her pride and joy, a gift to herself after splitting up with her fiancé, Ben. She watched as Alex strode out of the house, pulling his coat hood up against the heavy rain. He opened the door and folded himself into the car, moving the seat back as far as it would go to accommodate his long legs. He pushed his hood off, causing his hair to stick up all over the place. Dawn laughed and flipped the passenger mirror down so he could sort it out.

  ‘Hello boss, so much for time off huh? Trust Baldwin to get gallstones, crafty bastard. Good job I was still awake.’

  Dawn hit the accelerator and the little car took off like a rocket, making Alex grab the door handle in panic. He gave her a stern look and she eased off the pedal, bringing the speed down to within the limit. He reached forward and pressed the radio button, cutting The Prodigy off mid-chorus.

  Dawn inhaled deeply. ‘You smell nice. Special occasion was it?’ she grinned.

  Alex grinned back. ‘Don’t be so nosey. What about you, were you doing anything special?’

  Dawn shook her head, eyes on the road. ‘No, just chilling with Barney, watching reruns of old television programmes and eating crap. We’re not going away till you come back off leave, so it’s too early to pack yet and we won’t need anything special. I’ve booked a log cabin in the middle of the Cairngorm National Forest where we can hide away. I did look at fancy hotels, but they tend to frown on German Shepherds. If Barney had been a tiny pooch in a handbag, he’d have been okay.’

  ‘Sounds great. What about Ben? Any word from him?’

  Dawn took the next corner too sharply, causing the car to swerve. She corrected her mistake and smiled an apology at her boss.

  ‘Sorry, it still makes me mad. No, and he won’t if he values his balls. Have you got a definite moving in date yet?’ she said, changing the subject. ‘Give me a shout if you need a hand.’

  ‘Will do. We were looking at the 21st, but that may have to be pushed back if we don’t clear this up quickly. We can be flexible because Dave’s using his van, so a lot of our stuff has already gone. Joel’s will be done last. We couldn’t get him into respite, so his stuff will need to be packed, moved and unpacked again in the same day. Dave took him over to the bungalow yesterday and they went through where he wants everything. Carol’s bought some frames for his posters and she’s made him some new curtains.’

  ‘Sounds good, I’m looking forward to seeing it,’ Dawn said as they pulled into the Leamore Club car park. It was almost deserted, apart from official vehicles and what Alex assumed were staff cars. A uniformed police officer stood to the left of the building, blowing on his hands for warmth.

  Alex opened the door and got out, his knees creaking in protest. They each grabbed a Tyvek suit from the forensics van and suited up. Neither of them liked looking like giant gnomes, but CSI got upset if you didn’t comply and you were simply not allowed on the scene. They both carried their paper bootees and set off across the gravel. They signed in with the officer guarding the entrance to the alleyway and he moved the crime scene tape to let them through, flashing Dawn a big smile as she passed him. She winked at him, causing him to blush to the roots of his hair.

  ‘I think that young man likes you,’ Alex murmured as they stopped to put their bootees on.

  Dawn grinned, tucking her long black ponytail under her hood. Her dark brown eyes looked black in the spotlights that had been rigged up, and her olive skin gave off a glow.

  ‘Really? I wonder why?’ she joked. She gave Alex a wide grin, contorting her features until she looked like a maniacal gnome.

  ‘You could do worse you know. He’s a nice lad.’

  ‘That’s the problem, he’s a lad. His mum probably still makes his packed lunch,’ Dawn replied. ‘I’m not ready for anyone new yet, but when I am, you’ll be the last to know.’

  ‘That’s the spirit, kiddo,’ he said. ‘Now let’s see what awaits us.’

  8

  The Leamore Club was situated just off Stafford Road, near junction 2 of the M54. The alleyway that ran along the side and back of the club was secluded enough to be popular with those looking to shoot up or get laid. Approximately eighty feet long, with a right-angled turn at the halfway point, the ground was littered with fag ends, used condoms, broken glass and other detritus.

  Spotlights had been rigged up here and there, making it easier to see, and Alex and Dawn picked their way along, trying hard to stick to the foot plates that had been put down to preserve the scene. One side of the alley was bordered by the walls of the club, the other by concrete posts and thick rusty wire which was snapped in various places. Beyond the wire was an overgrown field, usually frequented by dog walkers and kids with nowhere else to go. A small group of teenagers stood in the field around thirty feet away, pretending not to be interested in what was going on but craning their necks all the same.

  Detective Constable Gary Temple leaned against the wall of the club, watching the youths out of the corner of his eye. He wore a faded grey suit jacket, blue shirt and black trousers. His tie was askew, and his black boots were muddy. His light-brown hair had defied all attempts to make it lie flat. He stood up straight when he spotted his superior officers.

  ‘Hello boss, you alright?’ he asked. ‘Shame about DI Baldwin isn’t it?’

  ‘You could say that, Gary. Has anyone spoken to them?’ Alex jerked his head towards the teenagers. ‘Go and have a chat, it’s a long shot but you never know.’

  ‘Okay boss,’ Gary nodded, pushing down the wire and stepping over it. He waved to the youths who looked wary and ready to bolt, but Gary’s easy manner seemed to work as none of them ran off and he soon had them chatting and pointing. Alex doubted that Gar
y would get anything of substance from them, they probably wanted their fifteen minutes of fame, but every avenue had to be explored.

  Alex took a deep breath and continued down the path, his feet crunching the broken glass beneath the footplates. Around ten feet away, a tent had been erected to protect the body from the rain and looked to be a hive of activity. One of the forensics team spotted them and beckoned him forward.

  ‘Dawn, go and talk to whoever found the body. I’m guessing that’s them,’ he said, pointing to where someone sat on a plastic chair. A uniformed officer crouched beside them, trying to get them to drink something from a plastic cup. Dawn nodded and went over.

  Alex approached the tent and waited as a photographer snapped off a few more shots before moving in closer. It was dry inside the tent, but still cold. Little steam clouds escaped from behind the team’s face masks and evaporated into the air.

  The coroner spotted him and stood up.

  ‘Evening DI Peachey, nice night for it.’ Matthew Farrow said, pushing off the hood of his Tyvek suit. His cheeks were pink from the cold and his thick mop of ginger hair was flattened against his scalp. He pulled up his face mask and propped it on his forehead, his green eyes, usually so full of mischief, looked serious for a change.

  ‘Hello Faz. What have we got?’ Alex asked, crouching to look at the body. The woman was lying face down, head twisted to one side at an unnatural angle. Her naked body glowed blue in the harsh lights, a perfect contrast to her red hair, which spilled across her face.

  ‘She’s not been here long, the body’s still pliable, no sign of rigour yet. There was no attempt made to conceal her, but they’ve been careful not to leave any obvious evidence,’ Faz said. ‘The damage is horrendous, as if the killer wanted to totally obliterate her face. Her nose is caved in, her cheekbones and jaw look to be broken and the back of her head has more dents than your car. There’s probably a lot more damage underneath all the blood. Her fingernails are torn, as if she’d clawed at the ground, but I’ll take samples and hopefully she’s scratched the bugger as well. I’m sorry to say that this poor woman suffered.’

  ‘Can you see an obvious cause of death?’ Alex asked.

  ‘There are ligature marks around her neck, and her eyes show signs of petechial haemorrhaging, so I’d go with asphyxiation at this stage. I’ll know more when I get her back to the morgue.’ Faz shook his head. ‘Such a pity, I bet she was quite a beauty.’

  ‘Well, someone didn’t like the way she looked,’ Alex replied. He walked back along the alleyway, deep in thought. Faz kept him company, there was nothing more for him to do until the body was on his table.

  ‘How soon can you do the post-mortem?’ Alex asked.

  ‘I’ll check when I get back, but probably Monday morning. I have two guests booked in at the moment, but I’ve finished with them and they are being collected tomorrow. It’s almost Christmas, so I’m expecting a rush on middle-aged men who can’t cope with the prospect of seeing their mothers-in-law on Boxing Day,’ Faz mused. ‘Why are you here anyway? I thought you were on leave.’

  ‘I was, but DI Baldwin’s got gallstones, so I got the short straw.’

  ‘I’ve told him time and again to sort his diet out. If I’d known he suffered from gallstones, I’d have whipped them out for him. I may even have given him a sniff of anaesthetic first.’ Faz smirked.

  ‘Well, he’d better not linger on the sick for too long or I’ll send the wife round. She’s stressed out about this move as it is, and me being called in has buggered things right up.’ Alex stood back to allow the mortuary staff to pass with the gurney. They loaded the victim onto it and wheeled her towards the car park, where a private ambulance waited.

  The two of them followed the gurney across the car park, where Dawn stood with Gary. The witness had been dispatched with the uniformed officer and Dawn waited to drop Alex off. Faz shed his coveralls, revealing a smart black suit and a bow tie.

  Dawn whistled at him. ‘Wow, looking good Mr Farrow. Auditioning for the next James Bond movie, are you?’

  ‘DS Redwood, lovely to see you again. If I were a single man . . .’ Faz said, his eyes twinkling.

  ‘You’d still have no chance.’ Dawn laughed.

  ‘Ouch! You certainly know how to kick a man when he’s down.’

  Dawn punched him playfully on the chest. ‘You know I love you really. What was the occasion?’

  ‘Steph and I went to a Casino Royale night with her mate and her husband. To be honest it was boring, loads of chinless wonders, all trying to outspend each other. Right, I’m off before my wife replaces me with Daniel Craig. See you on Monday, Alex, give Jayne my love and say hello to Joel for me. Goodnight Gary.’

  He turned and walked briskly across the gravel to his car.

  ‘What did the witness have to say?’ Alex asked, turning to Dawn.

  ‘He said he came outside for a crafty fag, heard a noise and went to have a look. He saw the woman and rang us on his mobile. He says his boss is pissed off at him, when he told her about the body, she made him wait till closing time and the place was empty before calling us.’

  Alex did a double-take. ‘Really? Why was that?’

  ‘They had a Ladies night on tonight, you know, male strippers and such, so the place was packed. By the time the first uniforms got here there were only a handful of people left in the car park, and most of them were bladdered. They did manage to get names and addresses off them though.’

  ‘Is she still here? I want a word with her!’ Alex looked furious, but Dawn shook her head.

  ‘No, she left before we got here, she must have slipped out with the last few stragglers. Don’t worry, the witness gave us her details. She’ll be here first thing tomorrow so we can talk to her then. They have CCTV, so we can check the cameras as well.’

  ‘That will have to do for now. Gary, did you have any luck with those kids?’ Alex asked.

  ‘They were more helpful than I expected,’ Gary said. ‘They saw people in the alleyway on and off all evening. There was a lot of activity between 5.30 p.m. up to 9 p.m., then around 10.30 p.m. they saw one person, too dark to tell if it was a man or a woman though. They went along the alleyway towards the car park. Then around 11 p.m. there were two people, a man and a woman. From what they said they were having very noisy sex.’

  ‘Any chance that they could have been witnessing the murder?’

  Gary shook his head. ‘No, they said the man went back inside again afterwards, through a door at the far end of the club and the woman headed round to the front doors. I’ve had a quick look, that door leads to the back of the stage, so the strippers would’ve used it to get in and out of the club.’

  ‘Did they see anything after that?’ Alex asked.

  ‘No. A couple of their mates had to go, so they all walked up to the chippy on Station Road. By the time they walked back our lot had turned up, so they stood in the field to see what was going on. The club had an extension on until 12 a.m. because of the Ladies night, so it didn’t close until 12.30 a.m. There weren’t many people left by then, the actual show finished around 11 p.m., then there was a disco on. There were a lot of taxis about, it might be worth speaking to some of the local firms to see if they noticed anything. I know it’s a stretch but . . .’

  ‘No, it’s a good idea,’ Alex interrupted. ‘See if anyone ordered a taxi but didn’t show up. Our victim might have booked one earlier in the evening.’

  ‘Okay boss. Anything else?’ Gary put his notebook in his pocket and fished out his car keys, hopefully.

  ‘No, that’s it for now,’ Alex said. ‘Let’s go home and get some sleep while we can. It’s going to be an early start, so I hope you haven’t got any important plans.’

  ‘Jo and I were going shopping for wedding rings,’ Gary protested. ‘It’s only three months till we get married and she says I need to get more involved, so I promised I’d go tomorrow. She’s going to kill me.’

  �
��She’ll understand, she’s marrying a copper after all, so she’ll need to get used to it. If we can make some headway in the morning, I might be able to let you slip away for a couple of hours in the afternoon.’

  Gary’s face lit up. ‘Oh, thanks boss, Jo will be pleased!’ He looked like he’d won the lottery and Alex laughed and gave him a friendly shove.

  ‘Get off home now, I’ll see you in the morning. Give Jo a kiss from me.’

  Gary rushed off, a spring in his step. Alex remembered what it was like to have exciting plans and he envied Gary a little bit.

  ‘You get off too, Dawn, I’ll grab a lift with one of this lot.’

  ‘You sure? I can hang around and keep you company,’ Dawn offered. ‘McDonalds on the Stafford Road is open all night, I can go and get some coffee if you like.’

  ‘Go on then, I think we’ll be needing it.’

  9

  The sun shone brightly through the bedroom window and Laura awoke with a groan. She tried to sit up, but the room swam violently so she lay back down. After a few minutes, she attempted to sit up again, more slowly this time. Her eyes were sore, and she realized that she’d forgotten to take out her disposable lenses before going to sleep. She managed to stand but her feet felt like someone had taken a blowtorch to the soles. She felt her stomach rushing up to meet her, so hobbled to the bathroom as quickly as she could, before throwing up. It was nearly half an hour before she felt confident enough to let go of the toilet bowl and make her way downstairs.

  Helen was in the kitchen making breakfast, dressed in just her vest top and knickers, singing tunelessly along to a Bon Jovi song that was playing on the radio. She spotted Laura and laughed before placing a mug of black coffee in front of her. Laura tried to pick the mug up, but her hands were shaking too much, so she set it back down and leaned over it so she could slurp at the hot liquid.