by M A Comley
“No, ma’am.” The group responded in unison.
“Katy, come back to the office with me to collect the file, will you? Good luck, team. Don’t hesitate to call on either the chief or myself if you feel any uncertainty about any of the cases.”
The meeting drew to a close, and Katy followed the super out of the incident room. Sean Roberts stayed behind. Lorne issued instructions to the team then approached her boss and good friend. “You look very distant, Sean. Everything all right with the baby?”
“What? Oh yes, she’s growing fast. No problems there. What do you make of all this, Lorne?”
“Going over the cases, you mean?”
He nodded.
“Well, I do have some reservations, I must admit. It’s never ideal revisiting old cases at the best of times, let alone when they’re likely to highlight a detective’s negligence.”
“That’s my thoughts exactly. Yes, the super has confidence in the team to carry out the necessary thorough investigations, but she’s also expecting swift results on some really complex cases—as is head office, of course—and some of them go back almost a decade.”
“Bloody hell! You mean some folks have been banged up for that long, and they could be totally innocent? Why aren’t we being asked to tackle those cases first?”
“The thought had crossed my mind. Other departments are involved in all those cases, so we’re having to tread carefully there. Apparently, they’ve assembled a crack team of officers to work on nothing else but the convictions. Let’s hope they can sort out the innocent victims and those who seriously need their convictions to be upheld. Not a task I’d relish, that’s for sure. Anyone deemed innocent will be entitled to, and be expecting, compensation, rightly of course. Nevertheless, that compo will need to come from somewhere, and with the department cuts being dished out at present, it doesn’t bode well for the future.”
“I can understand your concerns, Sean. Shit, we’re going to be in the firing line from all sides when this comes out in the press then.”
“Yep, you’re not wrong there.”
“Is that seriously all that’s worrying you?” Lorne asked.
“Yes and no. I’ll come and cry on your shoulder when I’ve sorted myself out. It’s nothing major, just a few life-changing decisions I need to make over the coming months.”
“Oh, that’s all right then, if they’re only life-changing decisions we’re talking about.” Lorne smirked then whispered, “I take it some kind of change in job is on the cards?”
“Maybe. Like I said, I’m weighing up my options—our options as a family—right now.”
Lorne knew when to refrain from pushing Sean too hard for information. She had a feeling his decisions revolved around a possible move out of the area. He’d been back in London for over five years and had served in the Manchester force, like the super and Katy, before then. She’d always been under the impression that Sean loved living in the London area. Maybe his wife was behind his indecision. From what Lorne could remember, Carmen Roberts was born and bred up north, not that Lorne had spent much time with Sean’s wife since they’d come south, what with what had gone on between Sean and Lorne in the past. Not every spouse appreciated exes working alongside each other. Tony was an exception to the rule—he trusted Lorne implicitly, and she reciprocated that trust. Women were different, though.
She patted her own shoulder and winked at him. “It’s always there for you to cry on, at work or at home. You know that, right?”
“I appreciate that, Lorne. Hey, isn’t today lift-off day for Tony’s new business? Your old business reincarnated, I mean?”
“That’s right. He left for work looking like a teenager going off to uni for the first time this morning.”
“He’s collaborating with another former MI6 officer, isn’t he?”
“Yep, Joe Callen and Tony should make a shit-hot team once the right work comes their way. He’s chasing up an infidelity case today. I think that kind of work is going to drive him round the twist, I know it would me. That’s the main reason I returned to the force really—for much meatier cases to solve.”
“I wish them luck anyway. And yes, the day you returned was to our benefit. I can positively vouch for that. You’re still okay with the fact that you returned as a sergeant and not an inspector, aren’t you?”
“Sometimes I miss not being in charge, but mostly, I’m pleased someone else is in the firing line to take any grief you might dish out when a case gets screwed up.”
Sean laughed. “I can totally understand that feeling. I sometimes wish I could hand over the baton to someone else and just sit back and relax for a change. Maybe that’ll come to fruition in the next…”
“Go on? Don’t stop there, you infuriating…”
“Yes, Sergeant? What derogatory name were you about to call me?” he asked, grinning.
Katy reappeared before they could take their conversation any further. “If you’ve finished with my sergeant, Chief? I’m under strict instructions to get this case started immediately.”
“We were just bidding each other a fond farewell, Inspector. Give me a ring if I can be of any assistance, and good luck. I have a feeling you’re going to need it on this one.”
Lorne issued the chief with a scornful glance and whispered. “I haven’t finished with you, Sean Roberts.”
He chuckled and left the incident room as Lorne followed Katy to her office.
Katy threw the file on the desk, removed her jacket, and placed it on the chair behind her. “We’ve got a week to ten days, tops.”
“To solve the case? Jesus, do they expect us to work eighteen hours a day on it?” Lorne sank heavily into her chair.
“Nope, no overtime. They’re just expecting us to pull out all the stops and to dig far deeper than these two goons ever did.” Katy opened the file and began reading out the case information.
“Is that it?” Lorne asked incredulously.
“Yep. Pathetic doesn’t even cover it, does it?”
“Do you think they simply discarded the case in order to sink their teeth into something more profitable? Bearing in mind they were on the take, I’m imagining a lot of backhanders going on, correct?”
“Looks that way.” Katy flung herself back in the chair and crossed her arms.
“Okay, I can see how pissed off you are about this, Katy, but that frame of mind is only going to prove detrimental taking this case forward. You and I can do this—I know we can.”
“I have no doubt about that, Lorne. The problem is it’s almost six months since Noelle went missing. What if some kind of lunatic has the girl trussed up in chains somewhere? Granted, she might be dead already or simply run off without letting any of her friends and family know, but I have this terrible image of her being held captive and kept at a vile perpetrator’s beck and call, sex wise.”
“Then you have to squeeze past that image and think positive about the outcome. If this young woman is still alive, we will find her. If on the other hand, she has been killed, then we’ll do everything in our power to find her body so her parents can lay her to rest. Her parents are still alive, aren’t they?”
Katy nodded and sat forward to study the file again. “Yes, I have their address here. We should visit them first, I guess.”
“I would. Maybe we should see if they’ve called the station on a regular basis first, trying to keep abreast of the case.” Lorne reflected on when the Unicorn had kidnapped Charlie years ago and how she’d felt at the time. She didn’t sleep and lived on her nerves until she herself had rescued her baby. A scenario like that would consume any decent mother.
“Okay, can you get in touch with the desk sergeant and ask him if he knows anything about the case?”
“I’ll get on it now. I’ll chase up missing persons, too, see how advanced things were regarding their input.”
“Good idea. Let’s do all the groundwork this morning and start visiting relatives and friends of the missing girl straight aft
er lunch. What’s your gut feeling on this, Lorne?”
She shook her head slowly. “My gut instinct isn’t really picking up anything right now, to tell you the truth. Maybe that’ll alter as we talk to more people connected with Noelle.”
“Let me know what you find out. I better shift some of this lot before I throw myself into the case.” Katy held up the pile of post and let it flutter to the desk like autumn leaves. “Come and rescue me in an hour if I haven’t surfaced by then, okay?”
“Best of luck with that chore. I’ll report back soon.”
Lorne sat at her desk in the incident room and rang the desk sergeant to ask if he was aware of the case—he wasn’t. Then she rang a contact in the missing person’s department. “Debra, it’s Lorne. Any chance I can bend your ear for a few seconds?”
“Of course, Lorne. What do you need?”
Lorne gave her friend a brief outline of the case.
“Yes, I remember the case well.”
“You do? That’s fantastic. What I really want to know is if the parents have been in touch lately to see how things were progressing.”
“Funny you should say that. No, they haven’t,” Debra admitted, a note of sadness evident in her voice.
“Don’t you find that kind of strange?”
“Yes and no.”
Lorne sighed. “Meaning what exactly? Go on, surprise me.”
“The last I heard, Mr. Chesterfield contacted me to say it would be the final call he’d be making.”
“Any reason why he should give up so easily?”
“I tried to get the information out of him, but he was very reluctant to answer. Do parents simply give up searching for their daughters like that, Lorne? I know if I ever found myself in that same position, I wouldn’t dream of chucking in the towel like that.”
“I’m of the same opinion, Debra. Maybe there’s an underlying reason the Chesterfields gave up so easily. Anyway, thanks for your help. The inspector and I will be going out to see the parents after lunch. I’ll be sure to ask what their reasons were for giving up hope so quickly. If I learn anything of interest, I’ll get back to you.”
“That’d be great, Lorne. I do so hate these cases left dangling with no resolution.”
Lorne hung up and relayed the news to Katy.
“Strange. I’m almost done here.”
“Shall I ring the parents and see if it’s convenient to see them this morning?” Lorne asked, halfway out the door already.
“You read my mind. Make it about eleven if you can. Maybe we’ll sneak in a pub lunch afterwards. How’s that?”
“Only if you’re paying. I’m skint,” Lorne called back over her shoulder.
The butterflies gathered in her tummy as she placed the call. “Is that Mr. Chesterfield?”
A moment’s silence greeted her. She almost repeated the question, then finally, the man replied, “Yes, that’s me. What do you want? We have double glazing, and we don’t need either a new car or a modern kitchen in a sale.”
“Glad to hear it,” Lorne said light-heartedly. “I’m sorry to disturb you, Mr. Chesterfield. My name is Detective Sergeant Lorne Warner. I’m with the Metropolitan Police. I’m calling to see if it would be convenient for my inspector and me to come and visit you this morning.”
“Regarding what?”
Lorne was taken aback by the venom in his words. “Your daughter, Noelle.”
Lorne heard the man inhale a large breath when she’d said his daughter’s name. The line remained silent for a few seconds.
“Have you found her?” he asked eventually.
The way the man whispered his question made the hairs stand up on the back of her neck and told her how much he cared for his missing daughter in spite of Lorne’s misgivings about the parents’ lack of pestering the police for any news. “Not yet, Mr. Chesterfield. Your daughter’s case is being revisited. Is it possible to drop by this morning about eleven?”
“If you must. I’d like to warn you that my wife has been ill lately and would appreciate it if you’d refrain from building her hopes up about finding Noelle. She’s been to hell and back since our daughter disappeared.”
“Of course. I can understand that. The last thing we’d want to do is to cause your wife any more heartbreak than she’s already experienced, but I think it’s essential that we still visit you and run through the details of the case again.”
“Very well. Can I ask why the case is being revisited?”
“To be honest, the detectives involved have been suspended, and it’s the usual process to go over their cases with a magnifying glass, just to ensure everything was conducted in the proper manner.”
Mr. Chesterfield gasped. “You mean Noelle’s case was being investigated by incompetent coppers?”
Lorne detected the note of anger. She hadn’t intended to rile Mr. Chesterfield before they’d had the chance to run through the case with him and his wife. “We’ll go through the details when we arrive, if that’s okay with you?”
“Very well. Don’t expect an easy ride, Sergeant, will you? If your associates have screwed up, then I’ll be looking at chewing the balls off someone to compensate.”
“That I can clearly appreciate. All I ask is that you give us a chance to rectify any wrongdoing and to help move the case forward.”
“I agree, Sergeant. We’ll see you at eleven then.” He hung up without giving Lorne the chance to say farewell.
She had a feeling the visit to the Chesterfields’ home was going to be a rather prickly one.
CHAPTER TWO
“This is it.” Lorne gestured at the detached house tucked away in the corner of the neat residential cul-de-sac in Islington. “That’s funny. The first house I owned is just around the corner from here.”
“Small world. Okay, let’s get this over with.”
“They’ve been through a lot. Let’s give them a little slack if they start tearing lumps out of us, agreed?”
“Agreed. To start with, at least. I’m not here to take mountains of crap, though, Lorne. I want to make that clear from the start.”
“All right. Let’s see how things pan out.”
When they got out of the car, the front door of the property opened immediately. An agitated gentleman in his early sixties stood in the doorway, awaiting their arrival.
“Looks like a stormy welcome ahead,” Katy said out the corner of her mouth as they approached the house.
The detectives flipped open their ID wallets to introduce themselves. Mr. Chesterfield checked the faces and names thoroughly then stepped back so Lorne and Katy could enter his home.
“I’m Glen, and this is my wife, Diana. This is DI Foster and DS Warner, dear, the ones who called this morning.”
“Take a seat, ladies. Would you like a coffee?” The frail-looking woman tried to smile, but the corners of her mouth refused to lift.
“No, thank you,” Katy replied, dropping into the sofa at the same time as Lorne. “Mr. Chesterfield has made you aware of why we’re here, I take it?”
The woman’s terrified gaze connected with her husband’s. She reached out a trembling hand for support. Mr. Chesterfield crossed the room and perched on the side of the armchair next to his wife. One hand clutched hers while the other nestled comfortingly around her shaking shoulders. The woman’s hands began to tremble more once they were all seated.
“Are you all right, Mrs. Chesterfield? Your husband said you hadn’t been too well lately,” Lorne said.
“As well as any mother can feel when her child has gone missing,” she replied, tears welling up in her sad green eyes.
Mr. Chesterfield pulled a tissue from the box on the side table and handed it to his wife. She smiled weakly at her husband. The gesture broke Lorne’s heart. She knew only too well what the pair of them were experiencing after going through a similar ordeal with Charlie over six years ago.
Crap! Where has the time gone? Any mother or father in the same situation would feel the same, wouldn�
�t they? Lorne swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. “We’re aware of how painful our visit is going to be for you, and we’re truly sorry about that, but if you’ll just bear with us and go through Noelle’s case notes, the inspector and I will make sure we do everything to bring a swift conclusion to your daughter’s disappearance.”
“We’re still very bitter about the way the force has treated us, so you’ll have to forgive me if you feel the wrath of my sharp tongue during the course of this visit,” Mr. Chesterfield said. He squeezed his wife’s shoulders then released his arm. Sitting forward, he rested his elbows on his thighs and clenched his hands together.
Lorne let Katy take over asking the questions. “I take it, even before my partner contacted you, you didn’t have much confidence in the two officers looking into the case?”
“Not really, Inspector, no.”
Lorne took out her notebook while Katy gently urged, “If you felt they weren’t doing right by you or your daughter, may I ask why you didn’t take your concerns higher, in the form of a complaint?”
Mr. Chesterfield shrugged then stared at the detectives. “Don’t your lot usually close ranks? What would have been the point, except to put us through much more heartache than we were already being subjected to?”
“The complaints procedure is there for cases such as this. However, I completely understand your reluctance to go down that route. All I can do is apologise for the way you’ve been treated. I hope we can right that wrong for you—we certainly intend doing our best,” she said compassionately. She cleared her throat then asked, “Can I ask if you’ve had any form of contact with your daughter since the day she disappeared?”
“No, nothing. As far as we know, none of her friends have heard from her, either. They promised they would ring us right away if she got in touch with them.”
“We’ll be dropping by her friends—those we’re aware of—over the next few days. Did the officers in charge give you any indication of where the case was heading? Give you any hope that they were on to a suspect at all, before they stopped their investigation?” Katy asked tentatively.