by M A Comley
“Hello, Mr. Gallagher. We’re here to make enquiries concerning the death of Mrs. Walker-Scott this morning. All right if we have a quick word in private?”
He heaved an impatient sigh and nodded at his receptionist. “Let them through. I’ll give them five minutes. Apologise to Mr. Jameson when he comes in, Jeanette.”
“Yes, sir.” The receptionist raised the wooden divide in the counter and motioned for them to follow her into her boss’s office.
Gallagher was sitting behind his desk, shuffling papers, when they walked into the room. He didn’t invite them to take a seat. “Get on with it then. Time is money in my line of business.”
“We’ll be as quick as we can, Mr. Gallagher. May I ask if you’ve spoken to Rebecca at all today?”
“What sort of stupid question is that, Inspector? Of course, I bloody well have. What do you take me for?”
“Sorry if my question offended you. I just thought you might have put aside work today to be with your fiancée at such a sad time.”
“How dare you! My time is valuable, Inspector. I have clients who have booked appointments months ago with me. Do you think it would be appropriate for me to just drop everything, just because…”
“What? Your future wife’s mother has been murdered. Was that what you were about to say, Mr. Gallagher?”
“Yes. I’m a professional. I have a reputation to uphold. Of course, I’m devastated by Nadine’s death. I’d have to be a hell of a callous bastard not to be; however, Rebecca understands my position and permitted me to carry on with my day as normal. There is nothing sinister in my decision, I hasten to add. So you needn’t raise your eyebrow at me like that.”
“As long as Rebecca is okay with your decision, then it shouldn’t be a concern to me—you’re right about that. I apologise if I came across as judgemental. I do have a question to ask you, if I may?”
He frowned. “About what? Nadine’s death?”
“No. It’s to do with a contretemps you had a few weeks ago. Do you recall the incident, Mr. Gallagher?”
“Should I? Has Rebecca mentioned this altercation?”
“No, another witness.”
“Ah, I know exactly who that is. That weasel of a man who works at the house.”
“It really doesn’t matter who told me. Can you fill me in on what the disagreement was about?”
“The wedding. Everything that happens in my godforsaken life at the moment is about the damn wedding.”
“I see. Would you care to enlighten us further?”
He sighed again. “It was specifically about the wedding vehicle, if you must know. It’s the one area where our differences mattered.”
“And what was the outcome?”
“I’m not sure there really was one, actually. I’ll get my way in the end.”
“Do you always get your way, Mr. Gallagher?” Lorne asked, a smile stretching her lips apart.
“When I know I’m right, yes.”
“I see. I wondered if Nadine had mentioned to you recently if she was worried about anything, other than the wedding of course.”
“Nothing. She wasn’t really bothered about the wedding, if you must know. She just jumped right in and immersed herself in all the planning. She was one of life’s organisers, had everything under control with military precision. I just wouldn’t budge an inch where the cars were concerned.”
“I see. So you made up after the event?”
“Of course. You show me a family who doesn’t argue now and then when planning one of the biggest days in a relative’s life.”
“I suppose I can see your point there. Are you aware of Nadine having any enemies? Has she fallen out with anyone recently perhaps?”
He shook his head swiftly. “No. But then she wouldn’t have confided in me if she had.”
“Maybe not directly, but perhaps Rebecca has mentioned something over the last few weeks?”
“Nothing.” He waved his hand in front of him. “It really doesn’t matter. Now, if you’ll excuse me I have a client waiting for me, someone who is keen to pay me for my valuable time. Good luck in your quest.”
Lorne smiled tightly at the man, reached over the desk, and shook his hand. “Thank you. If there’s anything you think we would be interested in, please contact me on either of these numbers.” She handed him a business card with both her office and her mobile numbers, then left the room, with AJ close on her heels.
In reception, they passed a suited older man who was pacing the floor. He glared at them as they exited Gallagher’s office.
“Sorry for the delay, police business,” she said, feeling the need to pay back Gallagher for his bombastic attitude.
On the walk to the car, Lorne was deep in thought. She turned to AJ when they reached the vehicle. “Did you look into how Nadine’s husband died, by any chance?”
“No. I can do that when we get back. Are you thinking that it might have been a suspicious death?”
“Maybe. Truthfully, I’m really not sure what to think at this stage of the investigation. What I do know is that I’m getting increasingly frustrated with the lack of evidence. It doesn’t help that the incident occurred in a country lane, where there are no CCTV cameras. They definitely make our life easier in cases such as this.”
“Something is bound to come our way soon, boss. I’ll look into the husband’s death ASAP.”
Lorne was thankful that the traffic was lighter on the way back to the station, where the rest of the team had been tying up loose ends on a few minor cases. Strange cases that had plagued them recently. Still, the team had managed to wrap up several over the past few weeks: a homeless person who had been knifed and thrown in the Thames by another homeless person who’d accused the man of stealing his cardboard box, and a man who had lost his children in a custody case then kidnapped his wife, only to release her unharmed a few hours later when it dawned on him what damage he was doing to his young children.
Lorne waited by AJ’s desk as he researched the cause of Mr. Walker-Scott’s death. It turned out to be anything but criminal—a brain tumour. “Well, that’s dashed that line of enquiries then,” Lorne stated grumpily.
While the team pored over the evidence, Lorne buried herself in paperwork. At six o’clock, she said farewell to her colleagues and drove home. Every limb and muscle felt weary after her long day. Tony was busy in the kitchen when she arrived at the house. Sheba, her German shepherd, left her bed in the corner and rushed to greet her.
“Everything all right here?” Lorne asked.
“Fine. Shouldn’t it be?” Tony replaced the lid on the bubbling pot of bolognaise sauce and crossed the room to give her a kiss.
“Just wondered. I’ve had such a frustrating day. Do I have time to take Sheba for a run in the paddock?”
“Of course you do. Want me to turn the sauce off and join you?”
“That’d be nice. Just need to get some fresh air. Is Charlie in?”
“She’s bedding the dogs down for the night and then going out with Brandon for the evening, told me not to bother saving her any dinner.” He turned off the gas, and together, they walked across the gravelled yard to the paddock. Sheba immediately went in search of her tennis ball and dropped it at Lorne’s feet.
“Anything you want to talk about, Lorne? Are you missing working with Katy?”
“I don’t think so. AJ has always been an intelligent, good copper. I really don’t think that’s the trouble at all.” She winced.
“What’s that look for?”
“That bitch Claire Knight has issued a complaint against me.”
“What? They’re not going to listen to her, are they?”
“Apparently, they are, because Sean has warned me to expect the complaints team turning up at my office. It’s bloody ludicrous. I suppose it’s caused doubts in my mind without me realising it. I thought it was the frustration of the case, but deep down, I think this has been the real issue for me today. Anyway, what will be will be. I could
always come and work for you if things with the Met go belly up again.”
“Are you kidding me?” Tony’s shocked expression worried her.
“What’s with the face?”
“No way would I hand the reins over to you again. Joe and I have established a pretty good business, and we’re a fantastic team. I wouldn’t want to disrupt that.”
Lorne stood there, her mouth gaping open, until he roared with laughter. She punched him in the arm. “Bloody hell, I thought you were deadly serious then.”
He pulled her roughly into his arms and kissed her hard on the lips. “I’d be an idiot not to welcome you back on the team, Lorne, but mark my words, it ain’t going to happen. What’s Sean’s take on it?”
“He says he has my back, but when the investigation gets underway, I’m just wondering what other snippets the complaints team will dig up from my past. Like how I neglected to prevent my own daughter and father from being abducted by the Unicorn.”
“That’s bullshit, and you know it, Lorne. Your record as being one of the finest inspectors in the Met is sure to throw water on anything they might dig up. No officer is infallible.”
“Okay, enough work talk. I spoke to Katy today and invited her over for a barbecue at the weekend. Hope that’s okay with you?”
“Of course. I’ll ask Joe and his wife, shall I? What about Jade and her husband and the boys, too?”
“Why not? It’s been ages since we’ve had one.”
“Had what?” Charlie asked, coming into the paddock and pecking her mother on the cheek.
“A barbecue. Do you want to ask Brandon to come?”
“Awesome! Love your barbecues. Hey, if there’s food around, Brandon will sniff it out anyway. Count us both in. What day?”
“How about Sunday?”
Everyone agreed, and they all stepped back inside the house to eat dinner. Afterwards, Lorne rang Jade, but unfortunately, the invite came as too short notice for her and her family to attend. But they promised to catch up for a family gathering soon. Lorne slapped her head, remembering she had forgotten to include a very special person, and dialled another number.
“Hi, Carol. Sorry I missed you today. I arrived home from work late, long day.”
“I know. You work too hard, Lorne. What can I do for you?”
Lorne smiled at her psychic friend’s understanding. “Do you and Ted fancy coming to a barbecue this weekend, Sunday to be precise?”
“That would be lovely. Anything I can do to help? Shall I make a couple of cakes or cheesecakes?”
“Super! I love your caramel cheesecake, but only if you have the time to prepare it.”
“Of course. Just a second…” The line went quiet for about a minute, then Carol said, “Are you working on a new case, Lorne?”
“I am. Hey, I could definitely do with some help on it, too. Spirit help, that is.”
“They’re circling. They’re telling me that not everything is as it seems. Hang on—I’m seeing a car crash, two people in hospital, and a woman lying in the undergrowth. Oh my, the poor lady is dead.”
Lorne shook her head. “Okay, you’re spot on about the victim. I wonder how the other people fit into the equation.”
“The spirits have dispersed now, dear. You know what it’s like; they flit in and out when it suits them. Hopefully, they’ll give me more information that I can pass on to you by Sunday.”
“That would be a great help if they could, love. It’s a trying case. I better go. See you Sunday if not before.” Lorne jotted down on a scrap of paper the two clues Carol had given her. She had a feeling they might come in handy somewhere farther down the line—Carol had never let her down before. She wasn’t always capable of summoning up any relevance to cases, but when she did, she was truly a force to be reckoned with. Over the years, Carol’s advice and clues from the spirit world had helped capture some truly vicious criminals. Some people refused to accept that there was an afterlife, but Lorne had received so much evidence that she was a firm believer. One such spirit had even shown itself to Lorne. She shuddered at the memory of Noelle Chesterfield, whose spirit had led Lorne and Katy to her killer. That kind of evidence was very hard to ignore.
CHAPTER FOUR
Over the next few days, the team repeatedly went over every piece of evidence that came their way, but sadly, they failed to pinpoint anything of use. It was abundantly clear that they would be reliant on DNA evidence to help solve the case.
The weekend came and went all too quickly. The barbecue was an absolute blast, and it was clear that AJ and Katy doted on their new addition, even though most of their conversations highlighted their lack of sleep and the constant changing of dirty nappies.
The look on Charlie’s and Brandon’s faces reassured Lorne that the youngsters wouldn’t be tempted to follow suit anytime soon. But then, she should have had more faith in her daughter. Charlie wasn’t like other girls her age; she had always considered things carefully before succumbing to anything new. Anyway, all Charlie and Brandon seemed to talk about were plans regarding the next agility show they would be attending with their respective dogs.
Having the gang back together again was wonderful, and having Katy by her side, preparing the final touches to the food, made her realise how much she was missing her dear friend and partner. Only two of Lorne’s partners had been really important and worthwhile throughout her career.
She believed Pete Childs, who had sadly been killed by the Unicorn over ten years ago, was still around her, protecting her in troubled times. Carol had confirmed that suspicion on more than one occasion.
The other was Katy. Initially, Katy had been a tough new-kid-on-the-block know-it-all, but a few weeks in Lorne’s presence had put an end to that unwanted behaviour. Katy had risen through the ranks and been promoted to inspector within a few years. But when she’d started going out with AJ and had fallen pregnant soon after, Katy had spoken to DCI Roberts and decided to relent her role of inspector and return to detective sergeant. In a flash, Lorne had been promoted to inspector, in charge of her fabulous team once more.
After a tiring, but fun-filled weekend, Lorne drove into work on Monday morning with a sense that something interesting was about to come their way regarding the case. That something appeared in the form of a phone call from Patti around eleven that morning.
“Patti, damn, I thought you’d forgotten all about us.”
“Do you want this information or not?”
“Go on, I’m listening,” Lorne said, stifling the chuckle tickling the back of her throat.
“I have some interesting news about the weapon that was used to commit the crime. I found a tiny patch of blood on it that didn’t match the victim.”
Lorne sat upright in her chair, her interest shooting up several notches. “And?”
“Before I tell you that, I have something else that showed up during the PM. Under the victim’s fingernails on her right hand, I found tiny particles of skin and blood. I assumed she clawed her attacker during the altercation.”
“Excellent news! None of us were expecting that. What else do you have for me?”
“After we matched the blood on the weapon to the blood under Nadine’s fingernails, we ran it through the database and have a name for you: Jack Duggan. Does it ring a bell?”
Lorne shook her head as if Patti were in the room with her. “Sorry, no. Should it?”
“He’s a convicted criminal. We have him down for an ABH and a robbery conviction back in 1996.”
“Cool. We’ll track him down and haul his arse in then. Thanks so much, Patti. You’re an absolute star. Not sure what I’d do without you.”
“There’s no need to go OTT, Lorne. Just arrest the bastard and get him banged up. That’s all the thanks I need.”
“That’s a deal. Anything else?”
“Isn’t that enough?” Patti tutted and hung up.
“Oops.” Lorne left her desk and stepped into the outer office to share the news with her team. �
��Listen up, gang. I’ve just got off the phone from the pathologist. She’s identified the DNA of skin and blood under the victim’s fingernails and matched it to a small patch of blood on the metal bar. Jack Duggan. All we know about this man so far is that he was convicted of ABH and robbery back in 1996. AJ, can you begin the search? Let’s try and trace the man by the end of the day, okay?”
“Yes, boss. I’ll see what I can dig up about him now.”
The feeling of expectation drove away Lorne’s frustration. She left the information in AJ’s capable hands and went back to her office.
AJ knocked on her door nearly an hour later, and by the expression on his face, Lorne could tell that the news he was about to deliver wasn’t good. “Hit me with it, AJ.”
He threw himself into the chair opposite her and shook his head. “There’s not a lot to tell, boss. I’ve tried the electoral roll; however, nothing is showing up there.”
“Damn, how infuriating.”
“I’ll keep trying. Maybe he’s changed his name. That’s the only thing I can think of.”
“That wouldn’t surprise me in the least. Prisoners are opened up to a whole new world of deceit inside. I’m sure lots of them make improper connections and come out with a new identity. Keep digging, see if there’s a death certificate for this man. If there isn’t, then that’s what has likely happened.” Lorne slammed her fist onto the desk, making AJ jump.
“I’ll keep at it. Leave it with me.”
“Check into his prison record while you’re at it, see what kind of friendships he built up on the inside. You never know—that might eventually lead us somewhere. Get one of the others to check with border control and emigration, see if he’s possibly down as leaving the country.”
AJ stood up and left the room.
Lorne looked up at the sky through her window, deep in thought. She was disturbed moments later by the phone on her desk ringing. “DI Warner.”
“Lorne, it’s me,” DCI Roberts said. “Any chance you can come and see me?”