by M A Comley
“Do you know who shot this person?”
“Not yet. But some valuable clues have just come our way that my team is chasing up as we speak. It’s only a matter of time before something breaks in these cases. I’m certain of that. How are you holding up, Jacky?”
There was silence on the other end of the line for a few seconds before Jacky sniffled. “One minute, I’m fine, and the next, I’m a mess. I try not to show my emotions in front of the baby, but sometimes, they catch me out. I miss her terribly. We were always at the end of the phone for each other. I doubt my life will ever be the same again, Inspector.”
“That’s regrettable. I have a brother who I’m exceptionally close to, and if I lost him, I’m sure I’d be feeling the same as you are. Maybe once the funeral has been held and Carmen is laid to rest, things will be different. Don’t quote me on that, though, as I’ve never lost anyone close myself before. Please, try and hang in there.”
“I will. Thank you. I just feel so alone.”
“What about Lincoln? Has he rung you at all?”
Jacky groaned. “Has he heck. Not a solitary call. Not that I was expecting him to.”
“That’s strange. I know things were a little tense between you at the hospital, but I thought he would have realised how upset you were and stayed in touch. May I ask who is sorting out the funeral arrangements?”
“That task has landed on my shoulders, not that I’d want it any differently. I don’t think men are up to the task of organising things like that, do you?”
Kayli nodded as if Jacky were in the room with her. “I think you have a valid point there. Jacky, is there something you’re not telling me about Lincoln? Your reaction to him at the hospital seemed a little—forgive me here if I read the signs the wrong way ... but I felt you were a tad harsh on him. Is there a reason for that, or was it simply because you were upset about Carmen?”
Her question was met with another silence and a large sigh. “I suppose I was just thrashing out at someone. Carmen didn’t tell me anything as such, only that recently Lincoln had been a little distant from her. She put it down to the promotion, but I’m not sure myself. I know I told you to dig deep on him. Did you do that?”
“We did and found nothing. I’m not sure if you think that’s a good or bad thing?”
“I’m torn. Damn, I wish I could be more helpful in that respect.”
“I didn’t ask at the hospital. Were you aware that Carmen was pregnant?”
“No, that was the first I’d heard about it. Maybe that’s why I’m an emotional wreck and struggling to deal with things. Because I’ve not only lost the sister who I adored, but I never got to meet my niece or nephew. That’s a very bitter pill to swallow, Inspector.”
“I can totally understand how you must feel regarding the baby. Such a travesty to lose both of them that way. Look, I have to get on now, but I want to assure you that I’ll be keeping a watchful eye on Lincoln. In fact, I’m going to visit him this afternoon. Perhaps you can tell me the name of the pub he manages in town?”
“It’s one of those rowdy places in the town centre. I’ve not visited it for a while because it’s just not my scene. It’s called the Watering Hole.”
“Brilliant, thanks for that, Jacky. You take care of yourself, and hopefully, I’ll be in touch soon with some good news.”
“Thank you, Inspector. Maybe that will ease the loss I’m feeling.”
Kayli hung up and left her seat. She opened the window wider to try and clear the tiredness that was gnawing at her mind.
Dave stuck his head around the door a few minutes later. “Are you okay? Thought I better check on you in case you had nodded off over your paperwork.”
“I’m fine. Just getting a touch of fresh air. How are things going out there?”
“Slowly, very slowly. We’ve managed to contact about three quarters of the names on the list, but it’s been an utter waste of time so far.”
“What about Donna? Any luck trying to track down the bike?”
“She’s doing well. Has about five names on the list so far. She’s in the process of checking; she hasn’t overlooked another one, aware of how important that information is to the case.”
“She’s a treasure. You all are. I know I don’t tell you guys that enough.”
Dave hitched up a shoulder. “We’re all just doing the jobs we’re paid to do.”
“No, you don’t, and you know it, matey. Take today for instance—you must feel as tired as I do, but we’re still plodding on.”
“It’s once in a blue moon, boss. If we didn’t love the job, I doubt we’d put ourselves through it. Do you need a coffee to give you an extra kick?”
“I need something. Thanks, that would be great, and then—providing you’re up to it—I think we should go and visit Lincoln James.”
Dave frowned. “Any specific reason?”
“I’ve just taken a call from Jacky, and it reminded me that we should still be counting him as a possible person of interest in this enquiry.”
“I won’t disagree there. Maybe he can point us in the direction of someone who owns a Harley.”
“I agree. Right, a quick coffee, then we’ll shoot off.”
~ ~ ~
Thirty minutes later, Kayli and Dave parked on double yellow lines outside the Watering Hole. “Put the sign on the dashboard to prevent any over-officious traffic wardens from giving us a ticket, Dave.”
They left the car and walked into the bar. There were mirrors everywhere, which gave the impression that the room was larger than it actually was. The place was pretty busy, with around fifty customers sitting either at the bar or around the surrounding tables. Kayli wondered if the bar attracted the people working in nearby shops and offices during their lunch hour, although several people appeared to have boutique bags on the floor at their feet. The bar sparkled as they approached it. All the pumps were polished, and the glasses sitting at the back of the bar glinted under the lights. There were four serving bartenders; one of them was Lincoln. He didn’t notice Dave and Kayli until he took the money from the customer he was dealing with and looked up to see who was next. His eyes almost popped onto the bar in front of him.
“Hello, Lincoln. We were in the area so thought we’d drop by to see you.”
“Oh, right. You’ve caught me at a busy time.”
“We can see that. Maybe you could spare us five minutes in your office?” Kayli asked, her gaze drifting along the bar at the customers sitting along its length. Most of the people were in either groups or pairs. However, there was a lady sitting alone at the end of the bar, whose gaze wandered Kayli’s way now and again as she sipped her drink.
“Okay, you win. Fran, cover me while I talk to these people. I’ll be in my office if you need me. I shouldn’t be too long.”
A young woman with dyed scarlet hair nodded and took over serving the customers in Lincoln’s area as he walked the length of the bar and exited it. Kayli and Dave strolled in the same direction to meet him.
Lincoln led them through a door, down a narrow corridor, and into a cluttered office. “Excuse the mess. I don’t have time to tidy up, as you can imagine. This place is heaving most of the time.”
Kayli smiled tautly. “No problem. We’ve been in worse places than this.”
They all took a seat around the dusty desk. “What can I do for you, Inspector?”
“This is just a courtesy call if you like, to see how you’re dealing with your loss?”
“I’m lucky in that this place keeps me occupied fifteen hours a day. I deal with my grief after I cash up at the end of my shift. I can tell you it’s not easy.”
“I can imagine. Maybe it would be better if you took some time off. I’m sure no one would blame you for doing that under the circumstances.”
His head dropped, and he stared at the desk. When he looked up again, Kayli noticed the tears welling up in his eyes. “I did take time off to visit her yesterday. You know, at the mortuary.”
“No, if anything, it made me feel much worse. It enforced upon me how much I’ve lost, not only Carmen, but the baby, as well. She didn’t tell me. I had no idea I was about to become a father. I’m confused by that. Why didn’t she tell me?”
“According to her friend Dawn, Carmen was waiting for the right time to present itself. She was going to tell you after she’d had the twelve-week scan. She also wanted you to get used to the idea of her promotion, I believe.”
He shook his head in disbelief. “That baby was mine as much as it was hers. I had a right to know.”
“There’s no denying that. Maybe there was another reason Carmen kept the secret from you.”
He frowned. “I have no idea what that might be. I hope you’re not suggesting something, Inspector?”
“Not suggesting anything. I’m just offering up a possible answer to your question. Were things okay between you?”
“Yes. We loved each other.” His gaze drifted off to the left, indicating that he was lying.
“Did you?” Kayli pushed, her desire to pin him down outweighing her need to treat him with kid gloves, considering he seemed to be going about his daily business as usual.
He glared at her. “What are you insinuating? That I didn’t?”
“Merely asking the question. Don’t forget, I was there when you had that little contretemps with Jacky at the hospital. That’s raised a few questions in my mind, I can tell you.”
“Well, it shouldn’t. I loved her with all my heart. We had plans to get married next year.”
“How far had those plans got?” Kayli challenged.
“Carmen was dealing with everything. It’s more a woman’s big day rather than the man’s, isn’t it?” he replied sharply, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. “Wait a minute ... you’re not saying that you think I had anything to do with Carmen’s death, are you?”
“Until some evidence comes our way to the contrary, we have to keep an open mind on that.”
He flung himself back in the chair and interlocked his fingers behind his head. “This is incredible. I don’t believe this is happening. I’ve lost not only my girlfriend, but also my baby, and yet you’re intent on flinging this shit at me. What the heck have I done to deserve this? All because her grieving sister lashed out at me? You now see me as some kind of monster who would deliberately drive my girlfriend off the road? It’s ludicrous beyond words! I feel I need to remind you that whilst the accident was happening, I was here, and you know something further? I have over a hundred people or more who could vouch for that. I guess you haven’t thought through that particular line of questioning thoroughly enough before going down that route, eh, Inspector?”
“Like I said, it’s early in the investigation, and everyone involved in the case will be treated as a person of interest.”
“I’m sure Jacky doesn’t appreciate that, either. Oh wait, by the embarrassed look on your face, I take it you’ve told a lie there. Jacky is in the clear, am I right?”
Kayli sighed. He was a slick bugger. She’d underestimated him. “No, Jacky isn’t being regarded as a suspect in our investigation.”
He chewed on the inside of his mouth, and his lips twisted into a sneer. “Do you realise how wrong that is? If you continue to think this way, I’ll be forced to issue a complaint to your superiors. Your handling of this case is laughable if you think I could kill Carmen. I repeat, I have a lock-tight alibi. However, according to you, that doesn’t seem good enough.”
“I didn’t say that, Lincoln. There is no point in you getting irate about this, either. All I’m doing is my job at the end of the day.” Kayli shrugged. “We’ve dealt with cases before where a spouse or partner has actually paid someone else to get rid of their partner.” She hadn’t—she just wanted to gauge his reaction.
Lincoln glanced at Dave and pointed at Kayli. “Jesus, is she for real? How the fuck do you put up with her talking such claptrap day in, day out?”
“Do you want to calm it down, mate? Like the inspector has already stated, if we didn’t ask the questions, we wouldn’t be doing our jobs properly. There is one question I’d like to ask ...” Dave turned to face Kayli, who nodded, giving him the go-ahead to proceed. “Do you happen to know anyone who rides a Harley-Davidson?”
Lincoln scratched the side of his head. “No. Should I?”
“A bike was seen close to the scene before Carmen hit the barrier.”
“Then what are you wasting time questioning me for? You should be out there searching for that damn bike. Bloody hell, are you lot that incompetent you don’t see a clue when it’s presented to you?” He banged his fists on the desk and stood up. “I think we’re done here.”
“No. We’re not. Sit down, Mr. James, and try and hold on to that temper of yours,” Kayli ordered.
Lincoln dropped into his chair, leaned back, and stuck his feet on the edge of the desk. “Go on then, continue with your pathetic questions, wasting my time when I have a super busy business to run.”
“That’s very generous of you.” Kayli sighed. “One last question. Do you happen to know a man called Adam Finley?”
Lincoln bounced upright in his chair and leaned across the table at them, his eyes as wide as headlights. “Yes, I know Adam. What about him? Is he something to do with this?”
Kayli felt Dave’s gaze on her. She pressed on regardless of whether her partner felt she was doing the right thing or not. “Adam Finley lost his life last night on the same stretch of road as Carmen.”
“He what? You’re fucking having me on.”
“May I ask how you know Adam?”
“Jesus! He was my best mate.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Kayli looked at Dave sharply then back at Lincoln. “Your best friend?”
“Yes. Oh my God! How can both of them be dead within forty-eight hours of each other?”
“That’s what we’d like to know,” Dave piped up, a frown of suspicion creasing his brow.
Lincoln fell back in his chair and shook his head. “Jesus, I can’t believe this is happening. How did he die? An accident?”
“No. He was the victim of a drive-by shooting.”
“He was shot? Here? In Bristol?” he asked, disbelief etched into his expression. Sudden tears sprang to his eyes and toppled onto his cheeks.
Kayli wondered if the man’s tears were for their benefit. It struck her as odd that he hadn’t shown as much heartache when the doctor announced Carmen’s death. What’s your game, buster? Whatever it is you’re up to, I intend finding out what it is and soon!
Dave nudged her leg under the table. “How long have you and Adam been friends?”
“Since secondary school. We went through school together, started going on double dates with the girls in our late teens, and have remained best buddies ever since. I can’t believe he’ll never walk into my bar again.”
“I’m sorry for your loss. Of both Adam and Carmen—we mustn’t forget her in this scenario too. As they were both close to you, can you think of anyone who would want to hurt you? Have you made any enemies? Running this place perhaps?”
Lincoln shook his head and stared at her. “No. Not that I can think of. Are you suggesting someone has killed them to get back at me?”
Kayli shrugged. “It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve had to deal with an investigation that went along those lines. Perhaps you can give us a few names of people Adam has fallen out with?”
“No, I can’t, because I don’t think he ever fell out with anyone, not to my knowledge anyway. He was a great guy, would’ve given you the last tenner in his wallet if you were in dire straits and needed the money. I can’t understand why anyone would intentionally target him. It’s unconscionable that someone would do that.”
Something just wasn’t sitting right with Kayli, but the more she thought about what was irking her about this man, the more frustrated she became. Why hadn’t Car
men’s and the baby’s deaths been as devastating? Was he that heartless? Yes, he had known Adam longer, but could that really and truly be a reason not so show emotion when the woman you shared your home with suddenly dies? “Try and think. I know how upsetting this news is for you to take in, but we need you to give us something to go on in order to get this investigation underway.”
He shook his head. “I can’t think of anyone who would have that much hatred in them to do this, Inspector, and that’s the truth. Whether I’ll be able to give you a name in a day or two, well, that’s a different story. This news has been hard to digest.”
“Okay, we’ll get on in that case. I’ll leave you one of my cards should you think of anyone whom we should speak to.” She slid a card across the desk, but he made no attempt to pick it up. Lincoln stood up and walked towards the door. Reluctantly, Kayli and Dave followed him back out to the busy bar. “We’ll be in touch soon.”
Lincoln nodded but said nothing more.
As Kayli and Dave left the bar, she noticed that Dave was breathing heavily. She didn’t tackle him about his anger until they were sitting in the car. “Are you sensing something odd about this, Dave? It’s not just me, is it?”
“I know what I’d do if I were in charge of this case.”
She raised an inquisitive eyebrow. “Go on, surprise me?”
“I’d haul his arse in for questioning.”
Kayli sighed. “On what grounds?”
His mouth twisted as he thought, then he flung his hands up in the air. “I don’t know. Obstructing a police enquiry?”
“That wouldn’t stack up. He’s hardly done that, matey. What are we bloody missing here?”
“I don’t know, but it’s beginning to tick me off.”
“Let’s get back to the station. Maybe we’re both just too knackered to think straight on this one.”
“I don’t think that’s the case. Maybe we should consider putting a tail on him.”