by M A Comley
“I hear what you’re saying, but it sounds rather extreme.”
“That’s because you have no idea how a woman’s mind works, dear man. I’ll be right back.” Lorne ran upstairs to her office and dialled the ward where Tammy was a patient. She spoke to the doctor who had attended to her upon arrival. “This is Inspector Simpkins, doctor. I’d like to ask a few questions about your patient, if I may?”
“Of course. How can I help, Inspector?” Dr. Davies asked.
“I’d like you to tell me what your considered opinion is of Mrs. Killon’s state of health.”
“Funny you should say that, Inspector. While I was examining the young lady, she said that she thought she had suffered from a twinge of cramp and that her husband had overreacted and called for the ambulance. We’ll keep her in for the day for observation, but I can’t see why she can’t be discharged tomorrow.”
“Really, that’s interesting. Actually, it was me—or my partner, in fact—who called for the ambulance. One more question before I go, doctor.”
“Go on.”
“Can you tell me how advanced Mrs. Killon’s pregnancy is?”
“I believe she’s just had her twelve-week scan. The baby is due in December.”
“Thank you. That’s very informative. I appreciate your co-operation. Goodbye.”
Lorne hung up and began slotting the pieces together. She jotted down a few notes and returned to the interview room. After punching the Record button, she announced, “DI Simpkins and DS Childs returning to the room. Mr. Killon, I’m bringing this interview to a conclusion, as other evidence concerning the murder of Jenny Bartlett has come to my attention. You are free to go. Actually, we’ll run you back to the hospital to be with your wife.”
“Really? I can go?” Killon’s eyes bulged in shock.
“Really?” Pete asked just after.
Lorne turned to her partner and winked. “Yes, really. Just give me half an hour to clear things up here, and then we’ll return you to your sick wife’s bedside.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that, Inspector.”
Lorne walked out of the room, Pete and Simon Killon close behind her. She pointed to a chair in the corridor. “Wait there, Mr. Killon. We’ll be with you shortly.”
Then both detectives returned to the incident room. Lorne waved off Pete’s pestering questions then announced her intentions to the team.
“Okay, peeps, listen up. We’ve got this all wrong. Tammy Killon is our murderer.” The room filled with murmurings. “It all adds up. I just need to clarify one last thing, and then Pete and I will go arrest the woman lying in a hospital bed, faking the beginnings of a miscarriage. What kind of evil bitch does that?”
She left the buzzing team and headed into her office to ring the path lab. “Dr. Arnaud, please, before you fly off the handle and have a go at me for disturbing you again so soon, there’s a genuine urgency to my call.”
“I don’t doubt that, Inspector Simpkins. There always seems to be an urgency where you’re concerned. What do you want?”
“I hate to rush your technician, but I need to know a specific thing about the e-mail sitting on the laptop I brought in.”
“I’ll pass your call through to Chris. Hold the line.”
Lorne was thrilled that the end of the case was in sight and that Jenny’s murderer would soon be behind bars.
“Hi, Inspector.”
“Hi, Chris. Okay, I need you to do a simple thing for me, if you will? I’m sure your expertise will give me an immediate answer.”
“I’ll try. What do you need?”
“The incoming e-mail I wanted you to check on, can you tell me the ISP address on it?”
“Hold on a moment. I was just looking into that side of things.”
She heard him tapping computer keys and tapped her pen, matching the beat.
“Here you go.”
“Wait! Let me tell you,” Lorne said.
“All right. What is it?” Amusement was obvious in the young man’s voice.
“It’s the Killon house, yes?”
“Spot on. So he was sending the e-mails to himself, to cover his tracks, pretending them to be from the victim, I presume.”
“Nope. The wife was sending them to the husband. Thanks, Chris. Sorry, I can’t divulge any more. I have an arrest to make.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll get the results out to you in the post this evening anyway. Good luck.”
Pete lingered in the doorway, looking perplexed. “You gonna tell me what you’re thinking?”
Lorne shot out of her chair and rushed towards him. She planted a kiss on his cheek as she passed. “Not right now. Come on, man, stop dawdling. We have a murderer to arrest.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Lorne’s excitement escalated as they drew closer to the hospital. She could tell by his clenched hands in his lap that Pete’s frustration was growing, and it had nothing to do with her driving ability.
Simon Killon sat in the rear of the car, blowing out a relieved breath now and then. Lorne felt sorry for what she was about to put the man through once they arrived at their destination.
As Lorne entered the ward, her gaze never wavered from Tammy Killon’s face. It was an absolute picture from the moment they stepped onto the ward.
“Tammy, love, you’re never going to believe it—the inspector has let me go. You’re looking much better, sweetheart. Isn’t that wonderful news?”
Tammy’s gaze darted around the room, and her composure crumbled. But she tried her hardest to fight it. “That’s brilliant news. I told them you were innocent, Simon. Yes, the doctor said I can go home tomorrow. The baby was playing up, that’s all.”
“I remember when I was three months pregnant. My daughter gave me hell.”
Simon smiled at Lorne. “My wife’s not quite that advanced yet, Inspector. Gosh, I don’t envy you having a problem pregnancy in the months to come, love.” He grabbed his wife’s hand and kissed it.
“Oh, yes! Silly me, my mistake. I forgot you told me the baby was due in January.” Lorne moved closer to the bed. “I was slightly puzzled by seeing a scan photo of the baby pinned up on your wall, so I took the opportunity, when I enquired about your well-being earlier, to ask the doctor when the baby was due. Funny that he told me it was due in December. Now, I really wasn’t good at maths in school, but even I can work out that makes you three months pregnant, Tammy. Why the lie?”
Simon dropped his wife’s hand. “Is that right, Tammy?”
Tammy’s eyes narrowed, and she glared at Lorne. “Yes, it’s true.”
“Let me fill things in, if I may? You killed Jenny because you felt she was getting in the way of your relationship with your husband.” Lorne raised a hand to stop Simon’s interruption. “You couldn’t handle the fact that Simon relied on Jenny as a friend. How am I doing so far?”
Tammy folded her arms and seethed but said nothing.
“You arranged to meet Jenny at the crime scene. We’ve traced the time of the calls made between you two, so there’s no point in you denying it. Things didn’t go according to plan, though, Tammy—or did they? What happened? Tammy, do you want to fill in the gaps for everyone?”
Tammy snarled at her husband. “You’re such a wimp. I told you to get shot of her, and you refused to do it, so I had to take matters into my own hands. I watched you come out of that restaurant like a loved-up couple, and it stuck an imaginary knife in my chest. I knew I had to get rid of her once and for all.”
Simon’s eyes misted up, and he stumbled back from his wife’s side. “How could you? If what the inspector says is correct, then how could you kill Jenny whilst pregnant with our child?”
“It’s because of the child I did it, you fool.”
Simon charged at his wife, his outstretched hands clamping around her throat.
“Pete, get him off her,” Lorne pleaded.
Her partner wrestled with Simon, who thankfully relinquished his grip quickly. Simon dropped into th
e chair and began rocking as he sobbed and repeated Jenny’s name over and over.
“You’re a callous bitch,” Lorne hissed at Tammy. “I’m arresting you for the murder of Jenny Bartlett.” She dug in her pocket for her cuffs as she added the rest of the arrest speech. She slapped them on the woman, who merely grinned back at her. “Simon, you’re not aware of this, but your darling wife also sent you the e-mails, and I suspect she carried out the damage on your property. I’m right, aren’t I, Tammy?”
“Yes, yes, yes. It’s all true, and I don’t regret a single moment of it. That bitch is out of my hair, and I have my husband back.”
Lorne shook her head. The woman was mad, clinically unbalanced, if she thought her husband would have anything further to do with her after this revelation. “May you rot in hell, Tammy.”
Simon sneered at his wife. “You sicken me. You’ll never see the baby when it’s born. I’ll make sure of that.”
Lorne cringed when she heard his rant because she feared that his wife was sick enough to kill her unborn baby just to spite him. She’d already stripped him of one of his dearest friends. What was stopping her killing another human being who could stand in the way of their relationship? When cornered, the ones we love do the strangest things, inevitably leading to blind justice.
NOTE TO THE READER
Thank you for reading Blind Justice; I sincerely hope you enjoyed reading this novella as much as I loved writing it.
If you liked it, please consider posting a short review as genuine feedback is what makes all the lonely hours writers spend producing their work worthwhile.
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CRUEL JUSTICE (Justice #1)
#1 Best-selling novel in two categories, Police procedurals and Women sleuths in both US and UK and Amazon top 20 novel in 2013.
The headless body of a wealthy widow is discovered decomposing in Chelling Forest. Then a second victim is found. Detective Inspector Lorne Simpkins and her partner, DS Pete Childs are assigned the case. Before they can discover the identity of the killer they must make a connection between the two victims.
After a third murder, Lorne receives a grisly surprise. Clearly, a vicious serial killer is on a rampage…and Lorne has become the killer’s fixation.
Lorne can’t allow her failing marriage or her new boss—a man with whom she shares a sensuous secret—keep her from focusing on her job. She must catch the macabre murderer, or risk becoming the next victim.
IMPEDING JUSTICE (Justice #2)
For eight long years, Detective Inspector Lorne Simpkins has tracked the vicious criminal known as The Unicorn. But the killer has frustrated MI6 at every turn and remained successful at Impeding Justice.
When Lorne is targeted in a trap that results in the death of her partner, the tragedy shakes her confidence to the core. Before she has time to recoup, her teenage daughter is kidnapped. More than Lorne’s professional reputation rests on her bringing The Unicorn to justice.
FINAL JUSTICE (Justice #3)
A ruthless killer returns—and former DI Lorne Simpkins is forced to revisit her ugly past.
After suffering a breakdown and quitting the force, Lorne Simpkins finds herself embroiled in an MI6 covert operation to hunt down her old enemy, a sadistic and merciless criminal whose ambition is to become the world’s richest man.
Lorne tracks the madman through France, attempting to thwart his plans and bring her long-time nemesis to Final Justice.
FOUL JUSTICE (Justice #4)
Detective Inspector Lorne Simpkins is back on the force. Before she can get comfortable with her new partner, newly-promoted DS Katy Foster, the two are assigned a tragic murder case that looks like a robbery gone wrong. However, when another wealthy footballer’s family meets the same deadly fate within twenty-four hours, it is clear the crimes involve something far more sinister.
Keeping her focus on unravelling the complex case isn’t easy for Lorne when she learns news that throws her personal life into a spin—her fiancé, M16 agent Tony Warner, is involved in a dangerous covert operation in Afghanistan.
But innocent people are dying on her patch, and someone must catch the killers. Lorne can’t allow this Foul Justice to prevail.
GUARANTEED JUSTICE (Justice #5)
Retired DCI Lorne Simpkins thought she knew what she wanted when she started an animal rescue centre with her husband Tony. Although saving and retraining exploited dogs is fulfilling, Lorne can’t help but feel that something vital is missing from her life. Linda Carter is brutally raped and left for dead in an alley. By some miracle, she survives, but now she lives each day terrified by the perpetrator’s final threatening words—that her sister, Fiona, will be his next victim.
The sisters decide to adopt a guard dog and contact the rescue centre. During a home check to see if the girls and their flat are suited for a German Shepherd, Lorne witnesses Linda’s horrendous injuries. The young woman knows the identity of her rapist—wealthy, playboy Graham Gibson—however, the police haven’t made an arrest. The shocking story turns into a life-altering moment for Lorne. She decides to become a Private Investigator, and urges the girls to let her take up their case. Little does she know that more victims will come forward to accuse Gibson of rape.
Lorne is determined to see this vicious criminal behind bars, but is anyone ever guaranteed justice?
ULTIMATE JUSTICE (Justice #6)
A ship wreck—
Dozens of bodies washed ashore—
Clear evidence that evil has made port in London.
The horrific case piques the interest of P.I. Lorne Simpkins. It doesn't take long before Lorne learns that young, helpless women are being caged and sold to the wealthy and salacious. Old wounds are wrenched open when she suspects a cover-up by the very authorities that should be keeping lawful order. Can she trust the self-serving journalist bent on making the human-trafficking ring his next big story? When her daughter is involved in a life-threatening accident, it's difficult for Lorne to keep her head in the game. But Lorne and her ex-MI6 husband, Tony, are determined to end the repulsive slave trade and bring the criminals to justice—even if it means Lorne ends up locked in a cage herself.
VIRTUAL JUSTICE (Justice #7)
Internet Dating—A Stalker’s Paradise
P.I. Lorne Warner is back in Virtual Justice, the seventh installment in the Justice series.
The body of a strangled woman draws Lorne into an intricate investigation that expands swiftly when a second innocent is murdered. A serial killer is on the loose, plucking victims from Internet dating sites. But when a third victim—this one male—is discovered, Lorne is forced to admit her worst fears…she is on the trail of a serial killer duo.
Lorne’s personal life grows complicated as her sister, Jade, struggles to come to terms with their father’s death. Lorne suggests drastic measures to cure Jade’s grief.
The answers are out there, but will Lorne solve the crimes and find the killer before the next victim dies?
HOSTILE JUSTICE (Justice #8)
Enticed back to the police force, Lorne again teams up with Katy, her former partner. Things are no longer the same between them, though. Katy is now Lorne’s superior which could prove detrimental to their latest investigation.
The crime itself is perplexing: Four small boys discover the corpse of a woman in an abandoned warehouse. CCTV footage shows the woman was abducted in broad daylight by two hooded men. When questioned, the woman’s husband swears she had no known enemies and he thought she was on holiday at the time of her death.
During the investigation a personal problem unfolds for Lorne when her teenage, daughter, Charlie, attends a friend’s eighteenth birthday party—with dire consequences.
TORTURED JUSTICE (Justice #9)
Revenge…some cups spilleth over.
DS Lorne Warner and DI Katy Foster are investigating the murder of a man killed with
an unusual weapon. The case takes a turn when two brothers disappear within the vicinity of the murder.
Lorne and Katy quickly determine that they may be after a group of serial killers out for their own sort of justice.
EVIL IN DISGUISE—Based on True Events novel
Caught in an abusive marriage, Jenny Slater desperately hopes there is more to life than the lies she tells to hide the bruises. Her three children have no idea their father is a monster, and Jenny struggles with the decision to tell them of her torment, which she can no longer bear alone.
Jenny’s pen pal in the States is the only person aware of the truth.
When Helen pleads with her to visit, Jenny is undecided about leaving England when her family is at odds. However, when a letter from a mysterious source arrives, seeking Jenny’s help, she flies to the States. Her attempts to save another trapped soul only entangle her in another manipulative relationship.
TORN APART (Hero Series #1)
Everyone understands about the no-go districts—areas of the city so overrun with gang violence even the police stay away. In this book, the first in a new series, DI Hero Nelson sets out to combat the issue.
When Saskia Hartley and her nine-year-old son are run down outside a restaurant, DI Nelson knows it is no ordinary hit-and-run incident. He's looking at a homicide case…and the evidence points to the brutal Krull Gang. When two prostitutes are murdered, but little interest is given to the women on the Krull's payroll, Nelson connects the dots.
DI Nelson has to decide whether he's dealing with a turf war or something far more sinister.
END RESULT (Hero Series #2)
Before DI Hero Nelson has the chance to get used to his new role as a father to brand-new twins, a murder investigation steals his attention. When a second victim is discovered on his patch, Hero has his eye on a single perpetrator for both murders—but the suspect has a solid alibi for both crimes.