Skinner's ordeal bs-5

by Quintin Jardine

  `Pops,' she whispered. 'Sarah told me. About what you went through with Kevin O’Malley and about the things he uncovered. She told me about Mum, and the accident.' She looked at him solemnly, and took his right hand in both of hers.

  `You mustn't feel guilty about the fact that she was driving your car. There isn't a day of my life goes past when I don't miss her, or wonder what might have been. But what might have been wasn't, and that's that. It's all in the past, and over the years we've coped, you and I. Pretty well, I'd say.

  `So while I'm glad that you've spilled all those unhealthy suppressed memories out of their box, promise me that you won't torture yourself over Mum's death. In fact, promise me that you won't think of it anymore.'

  Bob smiled at her. 'Sweetheart, you're asking me to do the impossible. O'Malley made me face a truth so awful that I've been hiding from it for sixteen years. Your mum was murdered, by mistake, instead of me. There's no way I can just set that aside.'

  He glanced across at Sarah. 'But don't you two worry about me being tortured by remorse.

  I might feel that way over Roy and Alison, but I feel none at all about Myra. I'm a copper, and I can focus all the guilt on the person who cut that brake pipe.

  I'll tell you what I am going to do, Alex. I'm going to find out who that person was, and if he, or she, is still alive, I am going to make them wish most earnestly that they were dead!

  I'm not going to do it for you, or for me, but for your mum. Because like every victim, she deserves justice, and that's what she's going to get… even if it is sixteen years late. If I just set aside what I know now, I might as well take early retirement.'

  `Bob,' said Sarah quietly. 'You won't turn this into a mission that will dominate your life, will you?'

  He frowned at her. 'No, of course I won't. You know damn fine that my life belongs to you two, and to the wee fella upstairs. Anyway, don't start on about it being a mission. Like I said to Alex, there was a crime and I'm a policeman.'

  `But, honey, that isn't your job anymore.' Her voice rose. `You're Deputy Chief Constable.

  Delegate it to Andy, and to CID, just like any other crime.'

  The coldness of his sudden stare pierced her, and made her stomach flip over.

  `Just like any other crime!' he repeated, softly and incredulously. He shook his head.

  `That's my wife you're talking about, Alex's mother — and she was murdered. If you believe I'm capable of passing it down the line like some bloody shoplifting offence, then you don't really know me.

  And if you're selfish enough to expect me to do that,' he said, with a heavy sadness, 'well, Sarah, I'm not sure that I really know you either.'

  She drew a sudden gasping breath, as hurt and anger, mixed together, flashed in her eyes.

  Suddenly, the silence in the room was almost palpable. Andy and Alex stared at them in consternation, as a retort formed on Sarah's lips, ready to burst out… and, at that moment, the telephone rang.

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  Document ID: fbd-97d9cc-4e8d-c84c-1a9e-706d-93df-3560ee

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  Document creation date: 01.03.2012

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