by M A Comley
“We’ll see. Are you ready?” She was anxious to leave. Wanted time alone with him in case either of the children said something unfavourable before she had a chance to really get to know him.
“Okay, I’m all yours for the evening. Nice to meet you, Millie and Louie. You, too, Lisa. Give us a shout if there are any problems, and we’ll come straight home.”
Anna smiled, appreciating his thoughtfulness. “Thank you, that means a lot.”
The kids bid them an eager farewell and rushed over to the bay window ready to wave them off. Anna laughed and blew them kisses from the doorway.
“Be good for Lisa.”
“We will,” Louie called out.
Dean was the perfect gentleman. He opened the door to his sporty Audi, and she relaxed instantly into the front seat.
“Where are we going?” she asked, not giving him a chance to insert the key in the ignition.
“You’ll see when we get there. I suppose I should have asked if there was any type of food you can’t eat before I made the reservation.”
“Shellfish, that’s about all.”
“Good. I think we’ll be safe this evening then. I’ll bear it in mind for future dates.”
She was dumbstruck. How did she respond to that when this date hadn’t even begun?
“Your kids… Do you mind me calling them that?”
“No, not at all. What about them?”
“They’re wonderful. Well-behaved, you’re an excellent mum.”
“I’m not saying it’s been easy, but we’ve survived admirably over the years. They appreciate the little things in life. Know there isn’t a lot of money for us to spend on days out et cetera. So when they go out, they make sure they have a good time. Have you ever wanted kids? Sorry, that was a stupid question so early on in the date.”
“No, it wasn’t. One day I’d love to settle down and have kids of my own.”
“Just not other people’s kids,” Anna mumbled her response.
“Now you’re putting words into my mouth. I didn’t say that.”
“Sorry. Let’s talk about something else instead.”
“Like what?”
Anna pulled a face. “Heck, I don’t know.”
They both laughed. Dean drove for another twenty-five minutes and then pulled up outside a posh-looking Italian restaurant.
“Yummy, I love pasta.”
“Good, this place is the top Italian restaurant in the area.”
“Oh my, you didn’t have to do this.”
“Don’t be silly. I wanted our first date to be a memorable one.”
There he goes again, our first date, as if he’s already intending on asking me out on another one.
Once they’d left the car, he hooked her hand through his arm and led her into the restaurant. “I have a table booked for Dean Sutton.”
“Ah, yes, good evening again, Mr Sutton. If you’d care to wait over there for a moment, I’ll see if your regular table is ready for you,” the little man said. He bowed slightly and backed away from them.
“Thank you. Shall we?” Dean motioned for Anna to take a seat.
The maitre d’ promptly appeared again. “Your table is ready now if you’d care to follow me.”
The restaurant was quite empty. Anna assumed it would get busier as the evening progressed. The maitre d’ held the chair out for her and tucked it under her legs once she was ready.
“Can I get you some drinks?” he asked.
“I’ll have a sweet white wine if you have one,” Anna replied, offering the attentive man a smile.
“I’ll have half a lager as I’m driving, thanks, Luigi.”
The man bowed again and left the table.
“Oh no, I forgot about that. I could have called a taxi and met you here.”
“It’s no problem. What do you fancy to eat?” Dean handed her a menu.
Not having been in a restaurant for years, she was out of her depth, even more so when she read the menu and found it was written in Italian. She glanced up to find him staring at her. “I don’t know any Italian. You’ll have to choose for me.”
“Okay, what type of things do you like? Steak, chicken, bolognaise? Don’t tell me you’re one of these women who is constantly watching their weight.”
“I’m not. I mean, yes, I do, but I don’t let it rule my life. What do you recommend?”
“I love pasta and tend to stick with that.”
“I’ll have what you’re having. Anything is fine by me as long as…”
“It doesn’t have any shellfish in it, right?”
She giggled. “Glad to see you were listening.”
“I was.”
He ordered the meal, and they chatted generally until the main course arrived. Dean had decided to skip the starters as he said the portions were on the generous side and didn’t want to overwhelm her.
He wasn’t wrong either. When it arrived, Anna’s meal was huge. Pasta bolognaise with a portion of garlic bread. “I’ll never eat all this. Crikey, I could feed myself and the kids on this for a whole week.”
He roared with laughter. “A slight exaggeration on your part, I think. Eat what you can.”
Anna’s mobile rang halfway through the meal and her home number popped up on the screen. “Sorry, it’s home, I have to get it.”
“Of course. Be my guest.”
“Hello.”
“Anna, I’m so sorry to disturb you. Oh God, I don’t know what to do…”
“Lisa, calm down. What’s wrong?” Her heart raced as she stared at Dean.
His brow was wrinkled with concern.
“It’s my dad. He’s had a heart attack. I need to get to the hospital, Mum needs me.”
“Oh God, I’m sorry to hear that. Of course you must go. I’ll come back to the flat now.”
“Okay, I’m so sorry to spoil your evening. The kids are both in bed.”
“It’s all right. You go, I’ll be there within thirty minutes. Make sure the door is locked behind you. Let me know how your father is when you get the chance.” Damn why had they come this far for a meal?
“I will. If you’re sure you don’t mind?”
“I’m sure.” Anna ended the call. “I have to go. I’m so sorry to spoil the evening like this. Lisa’s father has had a heart attack.”
“Damn, it’s no problem. I’ll settle the bill and take you home.”
“Are you sure? God, I hate to do this, but there’s no way I can leave the kids alone.”
He raised a hand to prevent her saying anything else. “No need to apologise. Let’s go.”
Twenty minutes later, they arrived back at the flat to find an ambulance outside, its emergency lights rotating, lighting up the close where they lived.
“Oh God. No…” Anna ran into the flat. “Louie, Millie, what’s going on?” She barged into the bedroom to find Louie standing at the end of his sister’s bed while two paramedics were on either side of it. One of them was performing CPR on Millie.
“No! What’s wrong with her?”
The other paramedic rushed to be with her. “Louie called nine-nine-nine and said that an intruder got into the house and…well, Millie was suffocated. We’re doing our best to revive her now. I have to prepare you for the worst.”
Anna glanced at her son. Tears streamed down his face. She reached out her arms, and he ran into them.
“I’m sorry, Mum. I went to the bathroom and when I came back a man was standing over her, pressing down on the pillow. I shouted at him and chased him. I rang nine-nine-nine like you told me to. She’s gone, Mum.”
Millie is gone…
The paramedic stepped away from the bed and shook his head.
Anna dropped to her knees and let out a spine-chilling scream, followed by, “My baby is dead.”
1
“You’ll sit down and eat a wholesome breakfast before you set off for work, Wifey.”
Sally Parker shook her head at her new husband. “I’ve heard about newlyweds pil
ing on the pounds. I’d rather not if it’s all the same to you. A yoghurt will do for me. It’s far too hot for anything else anyway.”
“Trust me. You’ll enjoy what I’ve knocked up. Sit down and stop complaining.”
Sally glanced up at the clock on the wall. It was telling her that if she didn’t leave in fifteen minutes, she would be late for work. If that happened, she’d feel out of sorts for the rest of the day.
“Sit,” he ordered a second time.
She huffed out a frustrated breath. He turned back to the food he was preparing and flicked the switch on the kettle.
“At least let me make the coffee. I feel useless sitting here like a spare part.”
“My kitchen, my rules.” He peered over his shoulder and grinned then he poured the boiling water into two mugs and stirred them.
Sally picked up an unopened letter from the centre of the table. “When did this arrive?”
“Sorry, I forgot to tell you. Yesterday.”
“It’s from the bank, confirming my account has changed to my new name.”
“Excellent news. One chore down, only dozens to go.” He deposited a bowl of fresh fruit, topped with Greek yoghurt and a drizzle of honey, in front of her along with a mug of instant coffee.
“Wow, this looks amazing. It must have taken you ages to prepare,” she replied, ignoring what he’d mentioned about the chore she had deliberately placed to one side. Did it really matter that she wasn’t in the right frame of mind to alter her name just yet? Yes, she was dying to get rid of her ex-husband’s name, but the thought of changing everything over was a truly daunting task she couldn’t cope with right now. She had every intention of doing it in the near future in her personal life but had decided it would be better to keep things as they were for work—less complicated that way. Simon had made his feelings known about that in the past few days, which had led to their first marital tiff. This was his way of making it up to her.
“You’re worth the effort. Our marriage is worth the effort. I’m sorry for shouting off my mouth last night. It’s your decision, and I shouldn’t try and dissuade you otherwise.”
“As I already told you, I’ll change everything personal. I just think it’ll be better if I stick with Parker at work, at least for now.”
He prevented her from taking her first mouthful of breakfast with a kiss on the lips. “Ignore me. You’re your own person, Sally. I’ll never force you to do anything against your will, I promise you.” He sat in the chair next to her.
She placed a hand over his. “I know you won’t. Honestly, I’m dying to get rid of Darryl’s name at the earliest opportunity, but it’ll simply be easier for me to remain Parker at work.”
“I know.” He tucked into his mango and pineapple. “What’s on your agenda today?”
“The usual, looking through the rest of the cold case files and deciding which one to delve into next. I think there are still over forty-odd cases for us to investigate which that confounded Falkirk messed up.”
“Damn, I don’t envy you one iota. Want to hear what I’ll be up to?”
“Of course. This is wonderful by the way.” She smiled and ate a few stoned cherries along with the yoghurt.
“Your dad and I are off to the auction house to see if there are any bargains to be had.”
“What? Have you finished renovating all the other houses in your portfolio yet?”
“Almost. Your dad is brilliant at calling in favours from his mates. He’s amazing, I love working with him. He’s so knowledgeable about the houses in this area. Especially with the background needed about the relevant builders. Anyway, I don’t want to bore you with the finer details of the business.”
“Nonsense, I’m interested. Have you decided whether to give up your job yet?”
Over the past few months, Simon had become dissatisfied with his role as the area’s one and only pathologist of any note. He sighed and took a sip of his coffee. “Still undecided, erring on the side of giving it up in favour of working with your father full-time. He’s a fabulous man, but then, you already know that, right?”
“Yeah, he’s pretty cool. Do you think the dynamics would change if you two were together constantly? Or is that me overthinking things?”
“I don’t know. We all need to sit down and have a good chat about the future, I think.”
Sally glanced up at the clock again. She rushed down the last few spoonfuls of her breakfast and dropped the bowl in the sink then drained her cup. “I’ve gotta fly.”
“Go. I’ll clear up. I’ll fling the dirties in the dishwasher, don’t worry.”
She kissed him and gave him a hug. “You’re amazing. Thank you for being you. Don’t ever change.”
He caught her by the wrist and looked her in the eye. “I won’t, I promise. You’re safe with me, never forget that.”
“I know. Thank you.”
He left his half-eaten breakfast and walked her out to her car where he kissed her again and hugged her tightly. She felt secure in his arms. Something she’d never felt in Darryl’s. If he’d ever laid hands on her, it was during sex or when he wanted to control her. She shuddered at the thought of what she’d allowed him to put her through.
“Are you all right?” Simon asked, concerned.
“There must be a slight nip in the air. That’ll teach me to dress more appropriately for the British weather.”
Simon narrowed his eyes, as though he didn’t believe her, and opened the car door for her to get in. “Ring me during the day, if you get the chance.”
“I will. Have fun with Dad. Don’t spend too much money.” She bit down on her lip, regretting telling him what he could and couldn’t do with his own money. She needn’t have worried, though. Simon didn’t even react to the words. “See you later.”
“Fancy chicken or steak tonight?”
“Steak would be nice. I’ll have something light for lunch, if I get the chance to eat, that is.”
Sally drove off and looked back in her mirror to see him standing on the steps to his grand manor house that she now considered to be her home as well. It had taken a while.
She put the radio on to accompany her on the journey and arrived at the station within fifteen minutes to find her partner, Jack Blackman, reversing his car into the slot adjacent to hers.
He waved and left his vehicle. Munching on a McMuffin, he asked, “How’s it going, Sally?”
“You’ve got to be kidding? Why are you eating that muck first thing in the morning? Oh, and yes, it’s going well, Jack. How about you?”
“Don’t start. I need a boost this morning. Another sleepless night due to a teething grandchild, nothing new there. And for your information, there’s no need for me to watch my weight. I’m the same weight now as the day the army recruited me at the age of eighteen.”
She sniggered at his defensive retort and then gave him a sympathetic smile. “Ouch, poor you. Have you thought about wearing earbuds?”
“Nah, they’d be uncomfortable, can’t stand things like that in my ears. I’ll survive.”
“On the subject of what you choose to eat first thing, I can’t believe a man like you, who’s keen on exercise and keeping himself fit, would resort to eating shit like that.”
They entered Wymondham station and walked up a flight of stairs to the incident room. Jack grumbled all the way behind her. Near the top, he asked, “Hey, when’s your honeymoon supposed to start?”
“Simon has to get time off work. He’s taking a few days off now, but I mean, it’s more difficult to arrange a fortnight off. I have to arrange the same. The whole wedding was an out-of-the-blue thing, as you know.”
“Hopefully, you’ll be able to get away soon. It would do you good having a break. You seem happy enough.”
She laughed. “I am. He’s such a sweet man. Don’t tell him I told you that, though.”
“No fear of that. For your information, men detest being called sweet…just saying.”
Sally ran a small te
am which had been specifically tasked with investigating cold cases with dubious convictions. Predominantly ones that had initially been investigated by a DI Falkirk who had since retired and lost his lucrative pension for dereliction of duty.
Some cases had been harder to deal with than others. So far, they’d successfully released a few innocent prisoners and banged up people who’d thought they’d got away with their crimes for decades. In some respects, their job was a lot harder than if they’d remained in the murder squad. The clues were certainly more difficult to find in a few of the cases. In others, the missed clues had stuck out like sore thumbs.
“Morning, all. Everyone bright and breezy this morning, are we?” she shouted as she entered the incident room.
“I am,” Detective Constable Joanna Tryst replied swiftly. No change there then. Joanna was always cheerful around the office.
“So-so for me, boss,” Detective Constable Jordan Reid replied, not looking up from his computer screen.
“And what about you, Stuart?” she asked the final member of her team, Detective Constable Stuart McBain, who was thirty-seven but acted a lot older. He was Scottish with a broad accent that Sally sometimes had trouble understanding.
“Aye, fine and dandy, boss. Never better.”
“Good. Let me see what awaits me with regard to the post first, and then we’ll decide what cases to tackle next.”
Jack had already collected a coffee for each of them from the vending machine and handed her a cup which she took into the office. Thankfully, her new role came with less mundane paperwork to sort through, something other inspectors were forced to endure. By the time she’d finished her first coffee of the day, she’d also opened all her mail and dealt with the ten emails awaiting her attention.
She rejoined the rest of the team, and together they went through the files stacked on one side of the office, gathering dust. It had been a few months now since the Cold Case Division had been formed. She was relieved to be working with the same team she’d dealt with before. Although Jack had dug his heels in at the beginning, she felt he was enjoying his role now that they’d managed to arrest a few perps and released a couple of innocent people, such as Craig Gillan, a man who had falsely been accused of killing his own wife. She was still in touch with Craig who was now back with his adult children. They’d bought a property with around ten acres of land, which they’d filled with all sorts of animals, not far from where she lived now. The last she’d heard, Craig had taken delivery of ten more alpacas and was intending to start a breeding programme with them. Sally couldn’t be happier at the way his life had turned out. That was why she loved her job so much. Without her team’s intervention, the man would have still been wasting away in prison. He’d given up any hope of getting out alive before she and her team had plucked his case from the pile.