Hidden Agenda (DI Kayli Bright Trilogy Book 3)

by M A Comley

  “Go on.” Kayli said.

  “Sarah had a problem with one of our top DJs, accused him of touching her up.”

  Kayli raised an eyebrow. “Does that type of thing happen frequently, Mr. Jackson?”

  He scratched the side of his face. “No, very rarely. I must admit I struggled to deal with the situation when the problem arose. Ryan is one of the station’s stars.”

  “Ah, so you’re telling me you were prepared to take his side rather than Sarah’s. Am I right?”

  “Not exactly. I think I dealt with the matter satisfactorily, if you must know,” he replied defensively.

  “You informed the police? Is that what you’re telling me?”

  “No. It never came to that. We dealt with things internally. To everyone’s satisfaction.”

  “That’s good to hear. May I ask how you reprimanded the DJ?”

  “He was warned of his future conduct.”

  Kayli tilted her head. “I see... and was Sarah okay with that slight slap on the wrist for one of your star DJs?”

  “Yes, in the end.”

  “In the end?”

  He sighed. “The problem escalated before it got better. DJs are like actors, Inspector. They have egos that are super fragile and need to be handled delicately.”

  “I can understand that. However, if Sarah had a problem with one of her colleagues and you appeared to brush it under the carpet rather than deal with the issue adequately, then that could potentially cause more problems in the future.”

  He frowned. “I’m not with you.”

  “Let me clarify that for you: it could have caused the woman’s death.”

  He shot forward in his chair. “No way! Ryan would never do such a thing.”

  “I’ll need to question him myself before I can make a similar judgement, Mr. Jackson. Is he at work today?”

  “Yes, he’s on-air at the moment. Due to come off at around ten a.m.”

  “Good, not long to wait then. Perhaps you can tell me if Ryan has been in bother for this type of thing in the past, during his time at the station?”

  His gaze drifted off to the left and Kayli instantly knew a lie was going to tumble out of his mouth.

  “The truth would be nice, Mr. Jackson.”

  His neck darkened with crimson. “There was a similar incident recorded a few years ago, I seem to remember.”

  “And was Ryan ‘warned of his future conduct’ in that instance too?” Kayli asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.

  “No.”

  “May I ask why?”

  “Because the young girl left the station.”

  “Are you saying that she resigned or that you sacked her?”

  Jackson puffed out his cheeks and shrugged. “No, she resigned. However, she caused such a stink about the incident that it was borderline whether I sacked her or not. She was the total opposite to Sarah in character. Sarah was willing to let me handle the situation, whereas Becky went down another route and got her brothers involved. She and her brothers cornered Ryan in the car park one night and gave him a good seeing-to.”

  “And yet he didn’t seem to learn from his mistake. He still tried it on with Sarah.”

  “I have no idea what goes on in other people’s minds, Inspector. Like I said, he was warned of his future conduct, and that was the end of it.”

  “Okay, I can see that we’re going around in circles here. Do I have your permission to question Ryan after his stint on the air has finished?”

  “If it’s acceptable to him, then yes. Forgive me, I’m not trying to be difficult here. I run a happy ship most of the time and find it very uncomfortable when things become unbalanced because a member of staff has stepped out of line.”

  “I appreciate your candour. Any other incidences that we should know about concerning Sarah Abel?”

  He shook his head. “Not that I can think of, no. Should there be?”

  “Just asking the question, Mr. Jackson. Would you give us permission to speak to all the members of your staff while we’re here? Just in case they’re aware of anything we might find useful that you’re unaware of.”

  Jackson shrugged. “Why not? Although I’m pretty sure that no other problems have occurred that I’m unaware of.”

  “Is there a room we can use to interview people?”

  “Yes, next door, there’s a conference room we use for our daily meetings. I’ll instruct the staff to come and see you one by one. Do you want to start with anyone in particular?”

  Kayli smiled. “That’s very helpful, thank you. No, however you want to do things is fine by me. We’re willing to let your staff go about their normal duties during our time here. All right if we get things underway now? Time is of the essence, after all, and we have a killer to find.”

  He left his chair and rushed out the door.

  Kayli and Dave waited patiently for him to return a few moments later. “Everything is set up. There are seven members of staff on site at present. Some of them are dealing with what’s going out on-air right now, but if you don’t mind waiting around, they’ve all agreed to see you.”

  “Excellent news.” Kayli helped Dave with his crutches, and they repositioned themselves in the office next door.

  Jackson held open the door for them. “Make yourselves at home. Tammy said she’d like to go first, to get it over with. I’ll send her in.”

  “Thanks, that’ll be great.”

  Jackson closed the door.

  “What do you make of him? A bit shifty in my book,” Dave pointed out as soon as they were alone.

  “Not sure. He comes across as though he’s the type who finds it hard to deal with difficult circumstances, such as a harassment charge. But who knows? Make sure you get everyone’s name down correctly and we’ll do thorough checks on all of them when we’re back at the station.”

  “Will do. I must say I’m rather keen to hear what this superstar DJ has to say for himself.”

  “Me too. Do you know him?”

  Dave shook his head and lowered his voice. “To be honest with you, I find this station’s music kind of trashy. They’re not exactly with the times. Stuck in a rut and only tend to play music from the eighties and nineties.”

  Kayli chuckled. “Get you. I didn’t realise you were ‘down and with it’ and prefer the music of today battering your eardrums.”

  He closed his eyes and tilted his head from side to side. “If you must know, I have a super-eclectic taste in music. I quite often have opera playing at dinner parties in my house.”

  “Ooo... get you. Of course, I wouldn’t know that, having not attended one of your soirées before.”

  “Ouch, sorry. Maybe we can rectify that when Mark comes home.”

  She sighed and mumbled, “If he comes home. Crap, did you have to mention his name? I was doing well this morning.”

  “Sorry. I’ve got your back if the questions dry up,” he replied as the door opened and a young girl with spiky red hair, wearing dungarees entered the room.

  “Hi, I’m Tammy Colt. You wanted to see me?”

  “Yes. Why don’t you take a seat, Tammy?”

  “I know this is about Sarah, and can I just say before we start how devastated we all were to learn of her... death?”

  “It is appalling. However, our intention is to make the person who did this pay for that crime by putting them behind bars. Now, what can you tell us about Sarah?”

  “What’s there to tell, except that she was a really nice person and that she’ll be missed around here?”

  “Did you know her long?”

  “A couple of years. She sort of took me under her wing when I first started here. She was a very kind person. Why would anyone kill someone that kind?”

  “We don’t have all the answers yet. First, we have to pin down the culprit. Hopefully, they’ll be able to enlighten us. By what people have told us about Sarah’s character so far, it’s hard for us to fathom. Tell me, did you know much about the problems she had with one of t
he DJs?”

  Tammy’s gaze dropped to the table, and she nodded. “A little bit. She was very evasive about it, although when I saw the two of them together, the air became very frosty between them.”

  “Are we talking about the same person? Was it Ryan?”

  “I believe so. Ryan Wilson.”

  “Can I ask if either you or any of the other female staff have had a similar problem with this Ryan?” Kayli heard the young woman swallow and sensed a denial coming next. “It’s okay, you can be as honest as you want to be in this room. We have no intention of dropping anyone in it, if that’s what you’re concerned about, and it will aid our investigation. Someone with malice killed your colleague, and we need to question any likely suspects.”

  “I understand. He touched me up once, not long after I heard that Sarah had put in a complaint to the boss.”

  “Interesting. How did you respond to his unwanted advance?”

  She shrugged. “I’m a bit feisty when someone touches me like that. I grabbed hold of his hand and bent his fingers back. Told him if he ever touched me inappropriately again, I’d make sure my boxer brother knew where he lived.”

  Kayli smiled at the woman’s ballsy behaviour. “Do you have a brother? I’m sensing not.”

  “No. But it did the trick. I don’t think I’ve been alone in a room with him since.”

  “He doesn’t sound all that brave to me,” Dave piped up.

  “I don’t think he is. Probably one of these pricks—excuse my language—that takes satisfaction in flouting his status to get what he wants from a woman,” Tammy replied.

  “Do you know if he has a regular girlfriend? Or if he’s on the lookout for one?”

  “I don’t know. Not heard anything either way on the grapevine. Saying that, I think if he had a girlfriend, he wouldn’t treat women that way... or would he? I bat for the other side, if you know what I mean. Mainly because I can never figure out what goes on in a man’s head.” Grinning at Dave, she added, “No offence.”

  “None taken. In my defence, I’m not like normal men. My boss can vouch for me there.” Dave glanced at Kayli.

  She raised her eyebrows at him. “Moving on...” She chuckled. “No, seriously, he’s a good man. His fiancée and son seem to think he’s all right, anyway.”

  Dave looked mortified until Kayli winked at him. He shook his head and glanced down, ready to take more notes.

  “Do you think any of the other female staff members have had similar interactions with him? Or do you think after you reprimanded him he’s mended his ways?”

  “Hard to say. Maybe they’ll confide in you when you question them. Do you think he’s the one?”

  “Who killed Sarah?”

  Tammy nodded, her eyes wide with expectation.

  “I doubt it. Sounds to me like he’s a chancer, but nowadays, all murderers don’t come from the same mould. It only takes one minor incident to trigger someone’s anger, and bam! Another victim ends up on the slab in the mortuary.”

  “Do you think that’s due to people being angrier these days? I witness at least two road rage episodes on the way home from work every night.”

  “It’s hard to say what triggers people’s anger. All I know is that crime rates are escalating, and the reasons why they’re rising are becoming more and more bizarre with each passing day.”

  “That’s so sad. I guess we should all be more vigilant going forward then.”

  Kayli nodded. “I’d certainly advise it, especially to women. Getting back to Sarah, do you think she had any problems with anyone else around here?”

  “I don’t recall hearing anything. We all tend to get on really well as a group. Just the odd dickhead, like Ryan, who chances his arm trying to screw things up.”

  “Okay, then I’d like to thank you for sparing us the time. You’ve been really helpful.”

  Tammy smiled. “Only speaking up for a friend. Do your best to find the culprit, Inspector. Sarah was so young. It’s not right that someone should rob her of her life and be allowed to get away with it.”

  “You have my word that we’ll do everything in our power not to let that happen.”

  Over the next half an hour, Kayli and Dave interviewed the rest of the staff. Two more women came across as being very cagey when voicing their concerns about any possible sexual harassment that might have come their way. While the men couldn’t understand what the line of questioning was all about, each of them had assured Kayli that they had never witnessed any form of harassment at the station.

  That left two people they needed to speak to, Ryan Wilson and Danny Talbot. The next person to saunter into the room was the bigshot DJ himself. As soon as she laid eyes on Ryan Wilson, Kayli’s hackles on the back of her neck stood to attention. He had blond hair, which he probably dyed to make himself look younger. But upon closer inspection, the crow’s feet around his vivid blue eyes gave away his real age.

  Kayli introduced herself and Dave. “Hello, Mr. Wilson. Thank you for dropping by to see us. This shouldn’t take long.”

  “Please, call me Ryan. Everyone does.” He fell into his chair and casually placed one leg over the other, his right ankle resting on his left knee.

  In Kayli’s eyes he oozed cockiness and she found herself searching for ways to bring the jerk down. She sensed Dave getting agitated beside her too. “Very well, Ryan. Are you aware of why we are here today?”

  “There’s a rumour circulating that you’re on the lookout for Sarah Abel’s killer. You seriously think any of us would be capable of doing that, Inspector?”

  “Well, someone killed her. This is the obvious place to start. Wouldn’t you agree, Ryan?”

  “No. Not at all. But then I ain’t a copper with a suspicious mind.”

  Kayli chewed the inside of her mouth, trying to keep her temper in check. She could tell he was going to be a tough cookie to handle and was suddenly glad she’d brought Dave along instead of Donna. “If we didn’t possess suspicious minds, half the crimes committed in the UK would remain unsolved.”

  He shrugged. “I suppose. Anyway, what can I do to help? I was shocked when I heard what had happened to Sarah. She was a lovely girl.”

  “We keep hearing that. Obviously, the killer didn’t have the same impression of her. Otherwise she wouldn’t have been brutally murdered.”

  “I wasn’t aware her death was brutal. What happened?” Ryan asked, tapping his fingers on his ankle.

  “We’re not at liberty to divulge the details. What we have gleaned from the other staff members is that you had a problem with Sarah. Care to tell us about that, Ryan?” She smiled as he dropped his foot to the floor and fidgeted in his chair.

  “I think someone has been telling you lies, Inspector.”

  “Have they? Your boss was the first to fill us in on the harassment charge Sarah laid at your door. Are you calling him a liar?”

  He flung his arms out to the side then ran a shaking hand through his wavy hair. “All right. I might have tried it on with her once. I thought she gave me the come-on. It was a genuine mistake, and I regretted my actions immediately.”

  “Really? Only we heard that not long after the incident with Sarah, you tried it on with another female member of staff. Do you have a problem keeping your urges under control, Mr. Wilson?”

  “No, I frigging do not. Some of these girls should be grateful that someone makes their day for them. It’s not like they’re raving stunners fighting off other men.”

  Kayli tutted. “Grateful? What type of logic is that? Are you saying that all women should be happy if you deign to show them any form of attention?”

  “Yeah, like I said, they should appreciate it.”

  “Doesn’t that thought process belong in the Stone Age, Mr. Wilson?”

  “No, not at all.”

  “May I ask if you are in a permanent relationship at present?”

  Ryan fidgeted even more before he answered. “I started seeing someone a couple of weeks ago, if you must
know.”

  “Perhaps you can tell me how you’d feel if your steady girlfriend confided in you that someone at work was harassing her?”

  He ground his teeth and shook his head. “I’d be livid and want to smash the bloke in the face.”

  “Strange reaction, considering you were accused of doing the very same thing around here, Ryan, don’t you think?”

  His eyes narrowed. He looked at Dave for help then back at Kayli. “I get your point. Never really thought about it before.”

  “I’m glad to see you being so remorseful, even if it is too late for Sarah to witness.”

  “I said that I regretted my actions immediately, Inspector. What more can I say?”

  “And yet you went on to harass another staff member within a few weeks. That kind of behaviour doesn’t sound very remorseful to me. Maybe I’m missing something?” Kayli turned to face her partner. “Can you help me out with this, Dave?”

  He shook his head. “I’m inclined to agree with you, boss. Disgraceful behaviour and one that in the past has led to worse crimes.”

  “Whoa! Now wait just a second. I didn’t kill Sarah, if that’s what you’re bloody implying.”

  “We weren’t, but thank you for pointing that out. Any idea where Sarah lived?”

  “Nope. Should I have?”

  “I just wondered if you or any of your colleagues had visited her flat.”

  “No. We don’t tend to socialise as a group that often, only at Christmas. I wouldn’t know where she lived.”

  “Okay. Did you ever see her being friendly with anyone else at the station?”

  He fell silent for a moment. “Only Danny Talbot. I think he used to give her a lift home when she was in dire straits. Always seemed pretty keen to help Sarah out, if you know what I mean.” He tapped the side of his nose.

  “Are you insinuating that he liked her?”

  “I think he more than liked her. Not sure if it went anywhere, though. I think Sarah had recently split up from her fella. Hey, have you had a word with him? You know what it’s like when someone gets jilted. Maybe he killed her. I heard he’s in the navy. His training would give him access to ways of killing people in combat, wouldn’t it?”