“But Colin?”
Scunthorpe had shrugged. “We don’t know that you would have found Alan Parker in time to save Mr Reece. That’s something that they’ll look at. I don’t think you have much to worry about.”
“The team… Charlie?”
“Again, we don’t know that it would have made that much difference just knowing that he was already back from Dubai. His wife admits that she had no idea where he was. Okay, nobody picked up on it. It was an error, there’s no denying it, but the chances of us having been able to trace him in time were slim. Tanya, try not to worry. Go home, rest, you still have some sick leave to take. I’ll let you know what the feeling is if I can, and then I’ll be there, at the inquiry. I’ve got your back.”
* * *
They had searched through Colin’s trolley. They found his surname, Reece, and his ex-wife’s address. They had found medals awarded for his time in Afghanistan and his medical discharge papers, his sergeant’s stripes, all wrapped together in his combat trousers. Muddy and dirty and sad.
He had a backlog of service pension that had been unpaid because he had no bank account and no address. Kate was in touch with his ex-wife who said that the money would be placed into an account for their daughter. She would be able to go to university if she wanted, her dad had made sure that her future was secure.
There was enough for a proper funeral, the whole team went, just so that there was a decent showing, but they needn’t have worried. The British Legion did him proud and the United Kingdom Service Personnel and Veterans Agency made sure he had all the honours due to him. Some of the homeless people turned up. They sat at the back of the chapel, Steve was amongst them. They left as soon as the final music began to play.
His ex-wife came, alone. She sat at the front of the crematorium and laid a red rose on the flag-draped coffin. Later she sought out Tanya.
“Thank you, they told me that you did your best to find who killed him. He didn’t deserve to go like that. But then, he didn’t deserve to be abandoned to his PTSD, and he probably didn’t deserve to be abandoned by me. But it was just too hard, after years of being apart so much, then his moods, his tempers, his depression. I couldn’t cope. I let him down. We all let him down. Do you really have no idea what he was doing there, on that riverbank?”
“I’m sorry we can only guess. The man who knew is dead and he didn’t have a chance to tell me.” She would spare this woman the final word Alan Parker had uttered.
“I didn’t bring Leanne. I’ll bring her next week when this is over. She can bring some flowers, say goodbye. She’s little and she has my husband as her daddy. But I won’t let her forget him. He deserves that at least.
Chapter 66
Charlie went up north the day after the funeral. He would need to come back for the inquiry, but there was stuff for him to do with the new house in Liverpool and he couldn’t wait to get back to Carol and Joshua.
They all had a meal together the night before he left. Charlie cooked, and the rest of the team came with flowers and wine and chocolates.
Tanya hadn’t looked forward to the invasion of her home, but in the end it was okay. They didn’t stay too late because she was still recovering. Sue, well-oiled with red wine, had cried a little too long and kissed Charlie a little too enthusiastically, but they’d laughed it off and put her into a taxi.
When they’d gone, and the kitchen had been tidied, Tanya and Charlie sat together in the candlelight.
“So, you’ll get your house back tomorrow. You’ll be glad to get rid of me,” Charlie said.
“Oh, I don’t know, it’s been good having you doing the cooking. You’re better at it than me.”
“Well, thanks for letting me stay. You’ll have to come and see us, up in Merseyside, when we’re settled.”
“Yeah. That’d be good. I think we’ve been here before, haven’t we?” Tanya said. “You’d better make a run for it before anything else happens. I wish I could give you a lift to the station tomorrow, but they reckon it’ll be another few weeks before I can drive.”
“It’s fine. Better to say goodbye here, I reckon. Then you can get on with your stuff.”
She wasn’t sure what stuff she would be getting on with. She wasn’t allowed back into work yet, not even on light duties, but that wasn’t his problem anyway.
As the Uber drew away the next evening, with Charlie giving a final wave out of the window, she turned and went back inside. It seemed quiet and empty knowing he wouldn’t be coming back, but as the silence enveloped her, she smiled.
Her home, her space, her life.
Her battered leather jacket hung on a hook near the door. It was beyond hope, they’d cut the sleeve to remove it. Her wages were in the bank, she had her arranged overdraft and she really did need a new coat.
Tanya climbed up to the little office next to her bedroom and logged on. She wouldn’t go mad. Just a jacket, maybe a new pair of boots. She had to replace the damaged stuff after all, and what was the point of the overdraft if she didn’t use it?
While she waited for the computer to boot, she went back downstairs and poured a glass of wine. She was halfway up the stairs when the doorbell chimed. She frowned, glancing at her watch. It was after seven, at this time of night it could only be either Jehovah’s Witnesses or sales. She climbed a couple more stairs, carefully juggling the glass in her injured hand. The bell rang again.
She sighed, stomped back down, and opened the door.
Serena stood on the doorstep, a huge backpack beside her. A taxi had parked beside the kerb, the driver standing near the open door.
“Aunty Tan.” The girl was in tears. “Can you pay him? I haven’t got enough cash and he won’t take my card.”
“Serena – what the hell?”
“Dad’s gone, walked out and gone to live with his secretary. It’s my fault. Mum won’t talk to me. It’s horrible at home. I can’t stay there. It’s hideous. I’ve come to live with you.”
The End
List of characters
The Team:
Charlie Lambert – Detective Inspector
Charlie is tall and good looking. He is married to Carol. They have one baby who he dotes on. Carol is suffering from post-natal depression and Charlie struggles to support her and commit to his career. He is a family man from a large Jamaican family. Looking for his first high profile case as he climbs the professional ladder. Relocated to Liverpool after the ‘angels’ case. But held back to cover when Tanya goes to Scotland.
Robert (Bob) Scunthorpe – Detective Chief Inspector
Late fifties. Decent and honourable senior officer. Married. One son. Six feet tall with dark hair beginning to go grey. Supports the officers under his control, but is realistic about what is required of them to do the job and bring him results. Helped Tanya Miller in her early service with him.
Tanya Miller – Detective Inspector
Early thirties. Slim and fit, vain, shopaholic. Younger daughter in the family with one sibling. Always in the shadow of her brilliant older sister as they grew up. Now that both parents are dead she has all but lost touch with Fiona who lives in Scotland with three teenage daughters and a doctor husband. The results of always being an extra have made Tanya selfish and ambitious, always striving to prove herself.
Sue Rollinson – Detective Constable
Young, keen, hard worker. Unmarried, from a largish family, father dead, mother an estate agent.
Paul Harris – Detective Sergeant
A plodder. Recently married and a bit of a bloke. Doesn’t really get the whole PC thing. Lives in a rental flat with his wife Nicole.
Kate Lewis – Detective Constable
Fifty, heading for retirement. Content with her life and achievements but refuses to be sidelined due to her age and lack of professional progression. Happily married with three teenage daughters. Accepting that she has stalled in her career. Skilled with the computer and a good organiser. Very fit, takes part in marathons and triathlons
.
Dan Price – Detective Constable
Young and insecure. Quiet and keeps his head down. At just under six foot, with dark blonde hair and blue eyes, he is good looking. Lives at home with his parents and one kid sister who is still at school.
Simon Hewitt – medical examiner
Tall, good-looking, dark brown hair and grey eyes with just the beginnings of laughter lines fanning out from the corners.
Moira –mortuary receptionist
Late thirties and dedicated to ‘protecting’ the mortuary staff from hassle. Abrupt and unfriendly but tolerated by outsiders and affectionately so by the mortuary staff as she runs the place so efficiently.
Jonathan Bartlett – Senior Fire Officer – Bronze commander at the warehouse fire. Tall, in his forties, professional.
Tony Lyle – fire investigator
If you enjoyed BURNING GREED featuring DI Tanya Miller, why not check out BROKEN ANGEL, in which the shopaholic detective appears for the first time?
An eerie corpse dressed as a bride, a killer playing a macabre game, and a woman detective prepared to follow her instincts. Enter DI Tanya Miller, the missing persons specialist brought in to investigate the disappearance of a woman from a motorway services. Someone is playing a sick game, and she’s determined to catch him, no matter what it takes.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07DTGFS1H/
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DTGFS1H/
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Try out these compelling suspense thrillers also by Diane Dickson, available now on Kindle:
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Burning Greed Page 19