by MA Comley
‘Stop. Take a seat. I’ll grab us a coffee each before you begin.’
‘That’ll be nice. I missed lunch today.’
‘Yep, me, too. Pain in the rear if you ask me,’ Hero protested, leaving the office. He returned a few moments later and placed two paper cups on the table. ‘What do you have then?’
‘The answer is: not much. It’s taken me hours to gather this lot. I’ll start with the employees first. All of those we spoke to, with the exception of Miranda, went to the restaurant that night. I rang the restaurant, and yes, there was a table booked for six people.’
‘Did the restaurant confirm all the people turned up? Obviously, Ross didn’t.’
Julie nodded. ‘Yes, all were present, but a couple of them left before they ate. One of them was Laurence, and the other was Nigel Ford. They both left the restaurant around six fifteen.’
‘Okay, that fits with Laurence nipping back to the building, which has already been corroborated with the CCTV footage. We need to look into Ford’s movements after he left the others.’
‘I already have. I rang his wife. She told me that he returned home, and they ended up having a romantic meal together in a restaurant close to their home.’
‘Hmm … that just leaves Miranda Jackson’s whereabouts to figure out.’
‘Nope, I’ve done that, too. Apparently, she went to a Zumba class with a friend, and yes, I rang the centre where the classes are held, and they’ve confirmed she was on the premises until eight that evening.’
‘Great, and Rachel’s sister?’
‘She sounded a bit narked on the phone.’
‘Hmm … narked, eh? I wonder why?’
‘I thought the same. Anyway, she just made me want to dig deeper to see what I can unearth with that family and its extended members.’
‘Didn’t Rachel say her brother-in-law had worked with Ross in the past?’
‘Yes, not sure in what capacity. I’ll dig into that, too. One thing she did tell me was that Rachel suspected Ross was having an affair with his PA, Georgina. She was the one who arranged the room for us at Spalding Enterprise.’
‘I remember. We didn’t really question her much. Put that on our to-do list.’
‘Will do. Don’t forget we have to nip out later to see the pupil.’
‘I haven’t forgotten. I’ve made good headway with this lot, wanted to clear the desk a bit before everything starts to slot into place with the case. I hope I’m not tempting fate when I say that.’
‘I’ll get on and do some extra digging on Rachel and her family. Thanks for the coffee, boss.’ Julie picked up her cup and left the room.
‘Is it number ten, did you say?’ Hero asked, pulling into the cul-de-sac of Mortlake Crescent.
‘That’s right. There’s a woman looking out the window.’
Once Hero parked the car, they both exited the vehicle and walked up the concrete path in between lavender borders that were just sprouting into life.
The woman who had been at the window moments earlier was standing in the doorway, smiling apprehensively at them.
‘Mrs. Lancaster?’
‘Yes, that’s right. Helena is in the lounge. She’s very nervous. Can I ask you to go easy on her? She’s recently lost her grandmother to cancer and is still grieving.’
‘I’m sorry to hear that. She has nothing to worry about. We’ll be gentle with her, I promise.’
Reassured, Mrs. Lancaster showed them into the lounge, where her daughter was sitting on the sofa, stroking a small kitten and listening to her iPod.
‘Helena, these two police officers have come to have a word with you.’ Mrs. Lancaster tapped her daughter on her knee and removed the kitten.
Helena’s eyes widened when she realised she wasn’t alone. She yanked the tiny earphones out and sat up straight in her chair. ‘Sorry. Hello.’
‘Before you start, can I get anyone a drink?’ Mrs. Lancaster asked.
‘No, we’re fine. Thanks all the same,’ Hero replied.
Mrs. Lancaster sat on the sofa next to Helena and reached for her hand.
‘Okay, Helena, I hear you saw two men acting suspiciously. Can you tell me where that was please?’
‘I was in the city centre the other day. I had an appointment at the dentist’s. I walked past the offices you spoke about, and something clicked. I hadn’t really thought about the incident up until then.’ The teenager paused, seemingly to catch her breath.
‘Go on. Please, there’s no need for you to be nervous. You’re not in any trouble.’
‘I know. I don’t like snitching on folks, though,’ Helena replied, throwing a sideways glance in her mother’s direction.
‘I understand, but these are extenuating circumstances. A man was killed, and we’re keen to stop someone else from being hurt. When did you see this vehicle? A Toyota, right?’
‘I had the dentist last Friday. That’s when I saw it.’
‘Did you happen to see the driver? Could you identify him?’
‘What? In a line-up? Not sure I’d want to go through that ordeal.’
‘If I showed you a book with criminals in it, would you be able to pick him out from that, do you think?’
Both Helena and her mother let out a relieved breath. ‘Yes, I could, I think. Actually, there were two men in the car.’
‘Have you ever seen these men before?’
‘Should I have? This was in the middle of the city. Sorry for being cheeky. No, I hadn’t seen them before.’ She hesitated and faced her mother.
Mrs. Lancaster looked puzzled. ‘Whatever is the matter, child?’
‘There was a white man and a black man inside the car. The white man had one of those awful goatee beards and blond hair, and the black man …’ She hesitated for a second then continued. ‘He had a very thin face and short-cropped hair.’
Hero raised an inquisitive eyebrow.
‘Sorry, I’m not sure if I should use the term ‘black’,’ Helena said with uncertainty.
‘It’s fine,’ Hero reassured her. ‘And you say the car was just sitting there? Were the men doing anything?’
‘No, just talking. The white man seemed angry and was waving his arms around. The black man had his head bowed as if he was ashamed. He looked like I do when Mum is telling me off. Does that even make sense?’
Hero smiled at the girl’s analogy. ‘Of course. That’s brilliant and really gives us something to go on, Helena. Is there anything else you can add? Like what condition the car was in, new or old? Any identifying scratches or dents on it? I suppose it’s too much to ask if you saw the number plate of the vehicle.’
The girl shook her head, and her mouth turned down. ‘No, I didn’t get the number plate. I saw a few scratches on the passenger door if that helps.’
‘It does. That’s brilliant. No worries about missing the number plate. You’ve been very helpful. One last thing. Did these men notice you watching them?’
‘No. At least, I don’t think they did.’
Hero rose to his feet and approached the teenager with an outstretched hand. ‘Thank you. What you’ve given us could break this case wide open. We haven’t had much to go on to date.’
Helena smiled briefly and turned to face her mother, who slung an arm around her shoulders. ‘Well done, love. See? I told you it wouldn’t be too bad. People are often scared of the police, but they’re only there to protect us.’
‘Your mum’s right, Helena. But we wouldn’t be able to do our job properly if smart people like you didn’t contact us and supply us with valuable information.’
‘I’m glad I could help. I hate the thought of that man’s killer getting away with such an awful crime.’
‘Likewise. We better be off. The hunt will be on for these two men now, thanks to you. I’ll get one of my colleagues to drop by with some mugshots, if that’s okay?’
‘Just give us a ring when someone wants to come round, Inspector,’ Mrs. Lancaster said, leading them back to the front door.
‘We’ll do that. Thanks for all your help. Have a good weekend.’
Hero and Julie left the house and drove back to the station. En route, Julie rang ahead and asked Sally to try to trace the car that belonged to the two men.
When they arrived, it was too soon for Sally to furnish them with an answer. Hero ordered Jason to search the CCTV footage first thing Monday morning then dismissed the team for the weekend.
Hero, knowing he was on a promise with Fay, stopped at the off-licence to buy a bottle of their favourite wine. Fay spotted the bottle the second he stepped through the front door, and she smiled appreciatively. His wife looked as if she’d had a nightmare day with the kids.
He kissed her on the lips, hugged her tightly, and whispered in her ear, ‘Everything okay?’
‘Nothing that wine and a cuddle won’t fix later.’
He held her at arm’s length. ‘Is dinner all prepared?’
‘Of course.’
‘Right, I’ll take over while you put your feet up for half an hour.’
Fay smiled. ‘There’s no need for that. I appreciate the offer, though.’
‘I’ll keep them out of your hair for a while then. How about that? I’ll even bathe them after dinner, too.’
She pecked his cheek. ‘You’re one in a million, Hero Nelson.’
He felt his cheeks warm up. He flung his jacket on the back of the sofa and got down on the floor to play with Zoe and Zara, who were trying to piece together what appeared to be a difficult puzzle for a four-year-old to work out. Louie was sitting on the sofa with his schoolbooks surrounding him.
‘What are you up to, Louie?’
‘Just finishing off my homework, Dad. Nearly done now. It’s been a bit hard to concentrate this evening.’ His eyes drifted down to his siblings, and Hero instantly understood what he was getting at.
After studying the picture on the box lid, Hero turned over one of the pieces lying facedown and inserted it into the picture. ‘There you go, girls. That should put you on the right track now.’
The twins grinned a toothy smile, and each picked up a piece that adjoined the missing piece their father had just inserted. They chatted animatedly, discussing which piece should go where and in what order. Ten minutes later, he marched the kids up the stairs in his usual style, to wash their hands before dinner. ‘Are you looking forward to going out tomorrow?’
Louie was the first to wash and dry his hands. ‘I know I am, Dad.’
‘I’m looking forward to having a nicpic,’ Zara stated, her eyes widening at the mention of food.
They were lucky in that all the children had good appetites and rarely turned their noses up at anything put in front of them, unlike the horror stories Fay conveyed from the other parents she met at the school gates every day. Most of them said that mealtimes consisted of their kids throwing mega tantrums and tipping their food on the floor if they really didn’t like something.
How some people deal with difficult kids, I’ll never know. Yes, Fay might have hinted at having a day from hell with the children, but in the grand scheme of things, Hero knew that in truth the kids had probably been a little more demanding than usual, that was all.
‘Come on then, tiny people, it’s time for dinner. Anyone know what we’re having.’
‘Me, me, me … spagnetto blognaise,’ Zoe said, struggling to get her tongue around the difficult words.
Hero laughed. ‘That’s close enough. Our favourite, eh, kiddos?’ He cringed at the mess he predicted lay ahead of them once the twins began tucking into their meals.
Fay winked at him while he helped the kids into their chairs and tied a tea towel around each of their necks for added protection. Over dinner, they discussed their hectic days at school. The meal lasted longer than normal because the twins insisted they were big girls who did not need their spaghetti cut up into manageable pieces. Hero and Fay laughed at their attempts to twist the pasta onto a fork for the first ten minutes. Then Hero insisted they intervene, fearing that dinnertime might last until gone midnight if he didn’t.
True to his word, Hero bathed the kids, leaving Fay to clear up the spaghetti sauce that had splattered every uncovered surface within three feet of the twins. Hero and Fay finally flopped onto the sofa at around seven twenty, and both expelled a large sigh of relief.
‘Remind me to put spaghetti bolognaise on hold until the twins are in their teens. I’m worn out, and we have a picnic and outing to wade through tomorrow,’ Fay complained, taking a sip from her well-earned glass of wine.
‘Sorry to heap the picnic onto you, Fay. I’ll help out where I can, I promise.’
She pushed away from his chest and kissed him. ‘I know you will. Plus, the others will be here bright and early to spread the load. Actually, in spite of all the extra work involved, I’m looking forward to having a family excursion for a change. Grateful that you’re not going on a TA outing.’
‘May I ask why? I mean about the TA part of your statement.’
‘I worry about you. You put your life in danger twenty-four-seven as it is being a copper, to then go and play soldiers at the weekend … well, my nerves are in tatters when you’re away. Let’s put it that way.’
He ran a hand over her cheek. ‘Why have you never mentioned this before?’
‘Because I know how much you love it. I’m not asking you to give it up, by any means. Oh, no, just ignore me. It’s your life. You must do what makes you happy.’
Hero sat upright and swivelled to face her. ‘Fay, it’s our happiness as a family that matters, not just mine. You should have told me you felt this way. You’ve never once spoken out against me going off at the weekend. I had no idea.’
‘Your detective skills must take a nosedive the second you step through the front door then. Honestly, ignore me, love. You keep doing what makes you feel happy. A happy husband makes for a… damn, I can’t think of anything that rhymes with husband off the top of my head.’
He laughed. ‘The saying is a happy wife makes for a happy life and less strife. As we’re laying all our cards on the table, I was going to tell you that I’ve decided to give up working with the TA anyway. Now don’t look like that – this has nothing to do with what you’ve just confided. It’s time, and I’m not getting any younger. That large motorway incident we had to deal with last month took a toll, not just on me physically, but mentally, as well. It certainly put life into perspective.’
‘Is that why you’ve avoided going recently?’
‘Yes, that and the fact that I want to spend more time with you and the kids. Which is why I suggested we go on this family outing. I’m conscious that the oldies should see more of the grandchildren, too, before it’s too late for them.’
‘What about Cara? Will she continue with the TA?’
‘I doubt it. She’s not had the same zest for life since losing Darren to that madman, Myers. Maybe we should all start to pay more attention to what’s important in our lives and rein in trying to help others for a change. Now that makes me out to be a selfish bugger, but you get my drift.’
‘Not selfish at all. Don’t be too hard on yourself, Hero. Have you discussed this with Cara?’
‘No, I’ve been trying to search for the right time. I’ll see if the opportunity arises to tell her tomorrow. I’m sure she’ll be okay with my decision. Now, are we going to take this wine upstairs?’
Fay leaned over and gave him a lingering kiss before she stood up, pulled him to his feet, and led him up the stairs.
7
Hero stretched and gathered Fay in his arms. ‘Hey, why don’t we postpone today and spend the day in bed instead. Better still, palm the kids off onto Cara and their grandparents.’
Fay wriggled out of his grasp and ran towards the en suite. ‘No way. I’m quite looking forward to today now. The sun is shining, and there is love in my heart. What’s not to like about that?’
‘You soppy mare. Okay, I better shift my arse, too. The others will be arriving soon, an
d I want to take Sammy for a long walk before we set off at ten.’
‘Oh no, we forgot to let him out last night before we came to bed.’
Hero flipped back the quilt, rushed out of bed, slipped into his towelling robe then shot down the stairs. Sitting in his basket, looking sorry for himself, was Sammy. Hero scanned the kitchen floor but couldn’t see any signs of his pal having relieved himself. He patted Sammy on the head. ‘You must be bursting, boy, come on.’
Hero leaned against the doorframe as Sammy did his morning business then went in search of his ball, which he dropped at Hero’s feet. He dutifully threw the ball for the next few minutes until he heard the doorbell ring. He rushed inside to find his mother and father and Cara standing on the doorstep, laden with shopping bags and Tupperware containers.
‘Well, open the door, lad. Let us in to get the preparations started,’ his mother chastised, brushing past him before he had a chance to say hello.
‘Sorry, I was in the garden with Sammy. I’ll go and get dressed. No doubt the kids will descend on you soon enough.’
Hero ascended the stairs as Fay and the kids appeared at the top.
‘Nanny, Granddad, and Auntie Cara are here,’ Louie cried as he raced down the stairs and into Cara’s arms.
Fay gripped the twins’ hands and led them down safely. The last thing they needed was any mishaps before their adventure could begin.
Once Hero had showered and changed, he joined the others in the kitchen. It was a hive of industry. Fay had given each of the children a small job to do – nothing messy, just gathering supplies and placing them in a carrier bag, while the adults prepared the salads and pasta dishes for the picnic.
‘Hmm … looks like everything is all in hand here. Mind if I take Sammy out for a walk?’
‘Ha … any excuse to get out of the hard work,’ Cara teased.
Fay smiled. ‘Go, you’ll only get under our feet. We’ve got everything in hand here.’
An hour later, with Sammy walked and fed and everything for their picnic lunch prepared, they set off on their little adventure. The kids were buzzing in the backseat of the car. Several times, Hero and Fay glanced at each other and smiled contentedly.