by M A Comley
“You wanted to see me? I’m the practice manager, Maureen Pitt.”
“Yes, I’m not sure if you’re aware, but in the early hours of Friday morning, Brenda Godfrey lost her life in a fatal incident.”
The woman nodded. “We were told by her husband on Friday afternoon. It was a dreadful shock to us all. She was well loved here, not only by the doctors and other receptionists, but by the patients, as well. She’ll be sorely missed. Of course, if there is anything I can do to help with the investigation, please feel free to ask.”
“I’m not sure there is after that statement. I was wondering if Brenda had recently had any problems at work. Maybe she’d fallen out with a patient, and perhaps they’d taken umbrage with her over something work related?”
“No, nothing. She was one of the milder tempered amongst us. Nothing fazed her at all. She treated everyone as her equal, from the doctors to the patients.”
“I see. Well, there’s nothing else to ask, in that case.” Over the woman’s shoulder, a young blonde had joined the receptionist. Her gaze locked with Kayli’s for a second or two before she turned away and disappeared behind the shelves of patient notes. Kayli had the feeling she’d seen the young woman before, but had trouble placing her.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t help you. I hope you find the person responsible for this heinous crime. Brenda didn’t deserve to go out that way. No one does.”
“We’re closing in on that person. Thanks for your help.”
Kayli and Dave walked out the front door. Kayli stood on the doorstep, her mind working through a Rolodex of images as she sought out the answer to where she’d seen the girl on reception before.
“What’s wrong?”
“Did you see her?” Kayli asked, her eyes scanning the car park.
“Who are you talking about?” Dave replied, shaking his head in confusion.
“The girl behind the reception desk, not the original woman we spoke to, the other one.”
“I didn’t notice her.”
“Your powers of observation have always been your downfall, partner.” All of a sudden, something slotted into place. “My God, I know her now! She was the girl sitting at the bar talking to Lincoln the first and second time we called in to see him at the bar. “I want a word with her.” She pulled open the door and approached the receptionist again. “Sorry to trouble you. The young woman you were speaking to just a minute ago, where is she?”
“Melinda? She went to the toilet.”
Kayli’s heart raced. “Where is it?”
“Why?” the receptionist asked, a baffled expression settling on her face.
“Just tell me, please. We’re wasting time.”
The receptionist stood up and pointed at a set of double doors leading into the surgeries. “Through there, on the right.”
“Thanks. Dave, with me.”
They rushed through the doors and found the toilet with a silhouette of a female on the wall. “Stay here,” she ordered. Sensing something was wrong, Kayli immediately dropped to the floor to look under the cubicle doors, but all the cubicles were empty. Jumping to her feet, she yanked open the door, spun a perplexed Dave around, and pushed him ahead of her. “She’s not there. Quick, before she gets away, Dave.” He bolted through the double doors, passed through the reception area and out to the car park, with Kayli hot on his heels. An old Ford Anglia was just about to leave the exit. “Stop her, Dave.”
He leapt over the knee-high stone wall and caught up with the vehicle in the main road, but instead of stopping the car, the woman slammed her foot down on the accelerator and hurtled towards Dave.
“Stop!” Dave shouted his hand raised in front of him.
The car picked up speed, and Kayli shouted to her partner, “Get out of the way, Dave! She’s not going to stop.”
Dave stood his ground, and moments later, Kayli saw him catapult into the air and heard him cry out. My God, she’s probably killed him. She ran back inside the surgery. “Get a doctor out front right away and call an ambulance.” She then sprinted back out and across the car park to her partner to inspect the damage. Though she tried to run faster, fear made her muscles grow taut. “Dave! Dave, I’m here. Are you all right?”
He groaned. She lowered her head to try to hear what he was saying, but his words were indecipherable.
A young man with a medical bag knelt down beside her. “What happened?”
“Your receptionist mowed him down. Please help him,” Kayli pleaded.
“What? You must be mistaken. None of our receptionists would do such a thing.”
“I’m not going to argue the toss with you, Doctor. Just do what you can to help him.” Hearing a siren in the distance, Kayli breathed a sigh of relief. Seconds later, the ambulance drew up beside them, and two paramedics joined them.
“Step back, miss. We’ll handle it from here,” the female paramedic assured her.
The second paramedic pulled Kayli gently to her feet. “He’ll be fine.”
“Will he? Please save him—he can’t die,” she pleaded to anyone prepared to listen to her.
The doctor stood aside after he’d apprised the paramedic of Dave’s condition.
Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Kayli removed her phone from her pocket and dialled the station.
Donna answered her call. “Boss? Are you okay?”
“I am, but Dave’s been run over. They’re taking him to hospital now. Jesus, one of the receptionists did this, Donna.”
“Shit! Why?”
“She was running from us. I think she’s the killer.”
“Crap. Have you got a name for me to check, boss?”
“No—shit! Yes. Damn, all I’ve got is Melinda. Hang on a second, Donna.” She scanned the area. “Doctor, what’s Melinda’s surname?”
“It’s Walton,” the doctor replied, his brow furrowed in puzzlement. “I’m sure this was an accident. She wouldn’t have deliberately run your partner over.”
“Wanna bet? She did! I saw it with my own eyes.” She tutted and held her phone to her ear again. “Donna, get a bulletin circulated. Melinda Walton is driving an old light-blue Ford Anglia. There can’t be many of those on the road. I want her found immediately. Get control on the case right away.”
“I will, boss. I’ll do the background checks on her and try and source her address for the patrol vehicles. Should they pick her up if they find her?”
“Yes, but tell them to be careful. She’ll probably be armed and dangerous. I could run back into the surgery to get her address, but for all we know, she’s given them a false one anyway, plus I want to stay with Dave. I’ll be at the hospital until I know Dave is going to be okay. As it stands, it’s touch and go. Crap! Can you call Suranne for me, make her aware of the situation, Donna? She’ll want to be with him. I don’t think I could tell her without breaking down. He’s a mess. Poor Dave. He was only doing his frigging job.”
“Stay positive, boss. That’s all we can do for now.”
“I’ll try. Good luck. Let’s get this bitch ASAP, Donna.”
As Kayli ended the call, the paramedics were loading Dave into the back of the ambulance. “I’ll follow you, if that’s okay?”
“Of course. We’ll be taking it easy, but he’s pretty stable now.”
Kayli heaved a relieved sigh. “Thank God for that.” She turned to the doctor, who looked bewildered still. “Thank you for your assistance, Doctor.”
“You’re welcome. Not that I did much. I hope he’s up and about soon.”
“Thanks, so do I.” Kayli raced back to her car and started the engine. She drew up behind the ambulance as it was pulling away.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
An agonisingly slow ten minutes passed before they arrived at the A&E Department. She parked on a grass verge, not concerned if the hospital parking attendant was officious or not. She needed to stay with Dave every step of the way. The paramedics wheeled her unconscious partner through the short corridor into triage, where a
nurse held up her hand, blocking Kayli’s admittance.
“Sorry, you can’t come in. Why don’t you wait in the family room? A doctor will be along to see you once your friend has been assessed.” She pointed down the corridor behind Kayli.
“Thank you. Please take care of him.”
“Guaranteed.” The nurse smiled and went through the doors, leaving Kayli feeling lost and alone. Her chin dropped, and she walked towards the family room, where she sat down in the nearest chair and buried her head in her hands. A few moments later, a familiar voice sounded beside her.
“Kayli ... he’s not ... dead, is he?”
Her head shot up, and wiping the tears from her cheeks, she shot out of the chair. “Hello, Suranne, thanks for coming. No, he’s not dead. The last I heard, he was stable.”
They hugged, clinging to each other like long-lost family members who’d been reunited after twenty years apart. They parted and sat down.
“I had to come. Mum is looking after Luke. Donna said he was in a traffic accident. How did it happen?”
“We were chasing a suspect. Dave stood in front of the suspect’s car to prevent her from leaving the scene, and she put her foot on the floor, drove right at him.”
“Intentionally? You say the driver was a she? How could anyone—let alone a woman—do that?”
“It’s beyond me, love. I shouted for Dave to get out of the way. No doubt he intended to at the very last moment, but the woman put her foot down and aimed at him. It was terrible to watch.”
“I bet. What injuries has he sustained? Any idea?”
“Not sure. I think at least a broken leg. It was bloody and at an odd angle. The paramedics were brilliant, on the scene within minutes. There was no delay getting him here.”
“That’s a good thing, I think. Christ, I just can’t believe that a woman could do this. A suspect you say?”
“Yes. Dave’s told you about the cases we’ve been working on recently, yes?”
Suranne nodded.
“Let’s just say that Dave got off lightly compared to her other victims.”
“Crikey, the murderer ran him down.” Suranne shook her head.
They sat in silence, grasping each other’s hands, until the doctor entered the room. Kayli introduced herself and Suranne to the young male doctor, who had a kind-looking face.
“Here’s where we stand. Mr. Chaplin has a broken leg, and we suspect a couple of broken ribs. We’re going to send him down to X-Ray to confirm that, plus we’ll need to do an MRI, then he’ll be going straight into surgery. He’s stable for now, but we need to act fast. There’s no telling if he’s suffered any internal bleeding during the accident.”
“What are his chances, Doctor?” Kayli asked.
“Right now, I’d say they are fifty-fifty. It depends what the surgeon finds when he opens him up. I need to get back now. I’ll keep you up to date as and when I can.”
“Thank you,” Kayli and Suranne replied in unison.
The doctor left the room, and they hugged each other again. Kayli was determined not to think negatively about her partner’s chances.
After an hour, Kayli’s patience was wearing thin, and she began to pace the floor in the family room.
Suranne sighed. “Kayli, why don’t you go? I’ll stay here. I’m sure you’re chomping at the bit to get out there and find this woman.”
Kayli smiled. “I am. I’m torn. I also want to stay here with you, to hear any news first-hand.”
“I’ll ring you as soon as I hear. Go. I would rather you were out there tracking this woman before she can harm anyone else.”
Kayli reached for Suranne’s hand. “Only if you’re sure. I can be back here within half an hour, all being well.”
“I insist. That’s how Dave would want it. I’m certain of that.”
Kayli hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, and rushed out of the hospital. Back in the car, she placed a call to Donna using the hands-free function. “Donna, I’m on my way back to base. Any news?”
“Yes, boss. I didn’t want to disturb you until I was sure, but we think we’ve located the car.”
“That’s brilliant news. At the woman’s address?”
“No, that’s the thing. The woman held up another car and has swapped vehicles.”
“Shit! Do we have eyes on her?”
“Graeme’s tracking her on the cameras, and we’re relaying the information to the patrol cars. They’re not far behind her, boss.”
“Excellent news. What area? I want to be there when they arrest the bitch.”
“Going out towards St. Agnes on the Ashley Road.”
“I’m on my way. Keep me informed. Is there a patrol vehicle at her address in case she turns up there?”
“Yes, there are two. One either end of her road, boss. I’ve also instructed a SOCO unit to pick up the vehicle and take it in for inspection.”
“Well done, Donna.”
“Boss, what’s the news on Dave?”
“He’s still in surgery. Not sure how long that’s going to take. Suranne ordered me to leave and track down this woman. She’ll ring me if there’s any further news. It’s fifty-fifty for now, Donna. Let’s keep this positive momentum going. Dave wouldn’t want us to be distracted by what’s happening to him.”
“Agreed. He’d be urging us to arrest this woman. I’ll let you know as soon as I hear anything regarding her location, boss.”
Kayli pressed the disconnect button on her steering wheel to end the call. Focus, girl. No thinking about Dave—or Mark, for that matter. Concentrate on bringing this bitch in and punishing her for what she’s done. Suddenly realising her location, Kayli took the next left and pulled up outside Lincoln James’s bar. She raced into the building.
Lincoln looked up at her, a mixture of fear and puzzlement dancing across his features. “Hello, Inspector. What can I do for you?”
She rushed toward the bar, reached over, and grabbed the front of his T-shirt. She hauled him to meet her. “Who is she to you?”
“Who? I haven’t got a clue what you’re talking about.”
“The blonde you were having a drink with at the end of the bar the other day when we came in. Who is she?” She sneered as she spoke. She had been pushed too far over the last few days, and someone had to suffer.
He scratched his head. Kayli grabbed him again, tighter, ensuring that if he had any hairs on his puny chest, she caught some of them in her grasp.
“Ouch, you’re hurting me. I think you’re referring to Melinda. I can’t be sure, though. Do you have a photo?”
“Stop wasting my time. You know damn well I’m talking about Melinda Walton. Who is she to you? No bullshit, James. I’m warning you—you’re teetering on the edge of me hauling your arse in to charge you. So spill.”
He tried to step back out of her grasp, but she held firm. “All right. I’ll tell you if you loosen your grip.”
Kayli unfurled her fingers slightly. “I’m waiting.”
He heaved out a breath that swept over her face. “She’s my girlfriend.”
“She’s what?”
“My girlfriend. We’ve been seeing each other for the past three months.”
“But you were living with Carmen. You sick shit! Do you know what damage you’ve caused?”
“I have no idea what you’re going on about. Melinda and I are going to be together now ...”
“Now that Carmen is out of the way? Is that it?”
He gulped, and his gaze dropped to the bar. “It wasn’t planned. It just happened.”
“Look at me, dickhead. You’re frigging unbelievable. Whose idea was it to kill Carmen? Yours or hers?”
He shook his head, and his eyes widened in fear. “What? What are you talking about? Carmen had an accident, an unfortunate accident.”
“You’re bloody naïve if you think that, James. We’ve been investigating her murder from day one, and you knew that!”
“I thought it was an accident you were investigati
ng. I can’t believe what you’re telling me.”
“Utter bullshit!”
His gaze drifted around the bar when Kayli raised her voice. Everyone was staring in their direction, murmuring to the person standing next to them. “Can’t we do this in my office?”
“I’ve got a better idea. Why don’t we do this back at the station instead?”
“What? I haven’t done anything wrong.”
“Accessory to murder, for a start. You’re coming with me.” Still gripping the front of his T-shirt, she climbed onto the bar with the aid of the stool next to her and landed on the other side. She unhooked her cuffs from the back of her trousers and slapped them on his wrists before he had time to react.
“You’re making a big mistake.”
“We’ll see about that.” She held her thumb and forefinger in front of his face. “We’re this close to capturing your bitch of a girlfriend. You’ll both be behind bars, where you belong, before the day is out.” She turned to face their audience. “The show is over, folks.”
She pushed him along the length of the bar. “I’m innocent, I tell you. Completely innocent. You’re making a big mistake. My solicitor will kick you off the force for this.”
“Whatever. The satisfaction I’m feeling right now isn’t about to be undone by your worthless lies or threats. You disgust me.”
Kayli lifted his arms higher up his back, making it difficult for him to contemplate running or trying to escape. Once they were out of the pub, she placed him in the back of the car and jumped behind the steering wheel. She knew how risky it was taking him in by herself, but she had to get Melinda, and Lincoln was her only link. To get to the station faster, she flipped on her siren.
At the station, she tore Lincoln James from the vehicle and pushed him through the entrance to the station. “Sergeant Donaldson, put this man in a cell until I’m ready to question him later.”
The sergeant rushed around the counter to collect the suspect. As soon as he was safely in the sergeant’s hands, Kayli bolted out to the car again and continued on her journey out to St. Agnes. En route, she rang Donna to make her aware of the situation with Lincoln James.