“No, Sir. But it might help if I speak to them.”
“Very well. But you be careful, won’t you?”
She nodded. “Of course, Sir.”
Chapter Sixty-Nine
“Answer the question, then,” the woman snapped. She took off her coat and hung it on a hook next to the door. She frowned as it brushed Patrick’s umbrella and water dripped onto her sleeve.
Jade clutched the rucksack closer to her.
“Who are you?” The woman looked angry.
“She’s Laila’s sister,” Patrick said.
The woman’s eyes narrowed. “Sister?”
Jade nodded. “I’m Jade. You must be Crystal.”
“Are you here for the funeral?
Jade shook her head. “That’s not until next week.”
“So what are you here for? You can’t get her stuff, the police still have her room cordoned off.” Crystal’s gaze went upwards.
Jade placed the rucksack on the floor. She bent to it and unzipped it slowly. She pulled out the envelope Laila had sent her.
“I wanted to ask you about this,” she said.
The woman stared at the envelope, her face pale.
“What’s that?” Patrick asked. He stood up and approached Jade.
She shrank back, holding onto the envelope. The rucksack leaned against the wall.
“Documents,” she said. “Laila sent them to me.”
Crystal’s eyes narrowed. “Where did she get them?”
Jade shrugged. “I don’t know. She told me to keep them safe. They make no sense.”
Crystal stared at the envelope in Jade’s arms. “Give them to me.”
Jade stared back at her. She clutched the envelope tighter. “I just want to ask you…”
Patrick took a step closer. He smelled of garlic and cigarette smoke.
“Hand it over,” he said. “It belongs to the dig, yeah?”
Jade looked from him to the woman. “Laila sent it to me, so it belongs to me.”
Crystal’s gaze was level. “I’m the manager of this project. I suggest you give it to me.” She licked her lips. “I can help you understand what it means and why Laila thought it was important.”
Jade loosened her grip on the envelope. The woman’s eyes narrowed. She put out her hand, like she was dealing with a wild animal that might bite.
Jade grabbed the rucksack. She plunged the envelope inside and zipped it up.
“It’s OK,” she said. “I’ll talk to the university.”
Chapter Seventy
Lesley sped along the A351, Dennis beside her in the passenger seat.
“It’s forty miles per hour along here, boss,” he said, his voice thin.
“It’s an emergency.”
“But I thought you didn’t get a warrant?”
“Not yet.”
They overtook a line of traffic, Dennis shrinking back in his seat as Lesley floored the accelerator. He was breathing heavily.
Oh, calm down, she thought. It wasn’t like there was much traffic along here. She might be missing Birmingham, but getting to and from a crime scene was a damn sight easier in Dorset.
“OK,” she said. “When we get there, we need to present a united front.”
“I don’t know what we’re here for anyway, boss. How can I do anything else?”
She glanced at him. “You’ve seen those documents. You know what my suspicions are.”
He nodded. “Yes, but you said it’s not enough.”
“Once we have the DNA from the axe. Then we’ll have enough.”
“But you know that isn’t evidential.”
“It’ll give us what we need.”
They approached the castle and she slowed, along with Dennis’s breathing.
“I’m damned if I’m parking in that bloody car park again,” she said.
Dennis drew in a breath, but didn’t say anything.
“Sorry, Dennis.” She rolled her eyes. “I’d rather not park in that car park again. Is that better?”
He nodded. “There. There’s a spot in The Square.”
He pointed to a blue Mini pulling out of a parking space in front of the pub that Patrick Donnelly frequented.
“Perfect,” she said.
As she eased into the parking spot, her phone rang. It was Mike.
“I got an email,” he said.
“From Tony Goodall?”
“No boss, from Laila’s sister. She sent it half an hour ago. Her name’s Jade Ford.”
Lesley glanced at Dennis. “I’m putting this on speakerphone.”
“Boss,” Mike said.
“Carry on.”
“So it looks like Laila sent her some documents,” Mike said. “She said Patrick Donnelly was looking for them in Archie’s stuff. Laila found it the night before she died, and she posted it to her sister.”
“Shit.” Lesley slumped back in her seat. “And?”
“It’s evidence that Crystal Spiers was embezzling money from the dig accounts.”
Lesley and Dennis locked eyes. Still on the phone to Mike, she flung open the car door and hurried towards the cottage. Dennis was right behind her.
“Forward it to me,” she said to Mike. “I want to check it before I go in there.”
“Will do.”
Chapter Seventy-One
Jade slung her rucksack over her shoulder and made for the door.
The woman, Crystal, stood in front of her, her legs planted firmly.
“You’re not going anywhere.”
“I’m sorry,” Jade said. “I came to the wrong place. I won’t bother you any more.”
Crystal put out her hand. “Give it to me.”
Jade matched the woman’s body language. “It’s mine. Laila sent it to me.”
Crystal gestured with her fingers. “Uh-uh.”
Jade stepped to one side, hoping to squeeze past the woman. But Crystal moved with her, blocking her way.
Jade moved forward, pushing Crystal towards the door. The woman shoved back. Patrick advanced behind her. She was cornered.
Jade glanced at the umbrella Patrick had hung up. Crystal followed her eyes. She laughed and grabbed it.
Jade bristled. “What? You’re going to hit me with that?”
Crystal lifted it.
Patrick stumbled into Jade. “Crystal, what are you doing?”
Crystal turned to him, her eyes wild. “We can’t let her go! That envelope she’s got in her rucksack, it’s mine.”
“What are you on about?” he replied.
Crystal stared at him.
Now was Jade’s chance. She dived past Crystal, pushing towards the door. She grabbed the handle. She felt Crystal’s hand on her arm, pulling her back.
“No, you fucking well don’t, lady.”
Crystal raised the umbrella and hit Jade across the head. Jade clapped her hand to her eye. She’d hit her with the tip.
There was thumping at the door. “Police! Let us in!”
Jade shoved past Crystal, half blinded, and crashed into the door. “Help! Let me out!”
Chapter Seventy-Two
Dennis matched Lesley’s pace as she sped along West Street.
“If Mike’s right,” she breathed, “then Patrick could be next.”
He panted, struggling to keep up. His face was red, his forehead damp.
At last they reached the front door. Lesley hammered on it. “Police! Let us in!” She could hear voices inside, shouting. A scream?
She turned to Dennis. “What the...?”
He gave her a worried look. “We need to get in.”
“That’s a woman. That’s two women!”
Dennis pushed past her and thumped on the door.
“Police! Open up!”
There was another crash. The door flew open. Lesley almost fell inside. She grabbed Dennis’s arm to stop herself.
A woman was sitting with her back to the doorframe. She had short red hair and she was huddled over a rucksack. Her face was ble
eding.
Who?
Lesley looked past the woman. Crystal was running for the kitchen.
“Stop!” Lesley shouted.
“I’ll get her.” Dennis ran ahead, squeezing past Patrick Donnelly to follow Crystal. Lesley bent to the young woman.
“Are you alright? What happened to you?”
“She…” The woman pointed towards where Crystal had gone. “She killed my sister.”
Dennis reappeared, Crystal in front of him. She wore handcuffs and an expression that could melt iron.
“Bitch.” Patrick, standing next to the easy chair he’d sat in so many times, gave her a kick.
“Don’t,” Lesley warned him.
He glared at her. “You gonna stop me?”
Lesley turned back to the woman slumped against the front door. She was sitting up, her hands dabbing at the wound on her face.
“It’s alright,” Lesley said. “Don’t touch it. Dennis, call an ambulance.”
Dennis was struggling with Crystal, who was trying to get as far from Patrick as she could in the confined space.
“I’ve got enough on my plate here, boss.”
Lesley grabbed her mobile and made the call. Then she squatted to bring herself level with the woman.
“Are you hurt?”
The woman nodded, her eyes rolling in her head. She dabbed at the skin above her eye; the bleeding had slowed. “I’m fine. Where’s…?” She searched the area around them, then reached down and grabbed a red and blue rucksack. She pulled it to her.
“Who are you?” Lesley asked her.
“Jade,” the woman croaked. “Jade Ford.”
“Laila’s sister.”
Jade nodded. “Who are you?”
“DCI Clarke,” Lesley replied. “We’re investigating your sister’s death.”
The woman opened the rucksack, her fingers shaking. She pulled out a brown envelope.
“You sent this to us,” Lesley said.
“Just in case.”
Lesley took it from her. She pulled out a stack of papers.
“What’s that, boss?” Dennis called across the room. He’d got Crystal under control with Patrick’s help. Patrick sat on the sofa, panting.
Crystal stood next to Dennis, occasionally tugging at the handcuffs. He growled at her every time she did. Lesley hadn’t thought him capable of growling.
“It’s the evidence we need, Dennis,” Lesley said.
“The email Mike told us about?”
She showed him the file. “Laila hid it, she sent it to Jade here.”
“She found it in Archie’s stuff,” Jade said. “She was worried someone might hurt her to get it.”
Lesley’s heart felt heavy. “When did she send it?”
Jade shrugged. “I got it the day she died.”
Lesley exchanged glances with Dennis. The last thing Laila had done before she was attacked had been to send this evidence away. To put it somewhere safe. She’d thought she was protecting herself, but it was too late.
Poor kid.
Lesley’s phone rang. Not now.
It was Gail.
“Tell me it’s the DNA.”
“We don’t have a match yet, but I can tell you it’s a woman.”
Lesley felt satisfaction wash over her. She turned to Crystal. “Crystal Spiers, I’m arresting you for murder.”
Chapter Seventy-Three
Lesley threw her bag down on the desk and sat heavily in her chair. She’d stayed at the cottage until Jade had been taken away in an ambulance and a squad car had arrived for Crystal. Patrick had been brought in in another car and was giving a statement to Dennis.
She turned in her chair to look at the board. She’d placed it back behind her desk, shielded from the road outside. Had it helped? It had been Jade’s email that had done it, combined with the axe.
She heard the door open and turned.
“Sir.” She stood up and smoothed down her skirt. Her hair was out of place and her blouse had come loose.
Carpenter approached her, hand extended. “I hear congratulations are in order.”
She swallowed and took his hand. “Thank you, Sir.”
“You did well.”
“We didn’t get that warrant, Sir.”
He raised an eyebrow. “From what I’ve heard, she was in the middle of attacking somebody when you got there. You prevented another crime, potentially another murder.”
She felt a chill run down her. “Sir.”
They hadn’t even known about the existence of Jade Ford, let alone that the young woman had come to Dorset and put herself at risk. What kind of sisterly bond made a person do that?
The Super dropped her hand. “You’ve made a good start,” he said. “Despite everything.”
“Despite everything, Sir?”
“You’re supposed to be getting some rest and recuperation.” He chuckled. “Mind you, I want you to work hard while you’re here.”
She smiled. “I can do that, Sir.”
Working hard would be her rest and recuperation. She didn’t need to be mollycoddled, or taken care of. She just needed to get on with the damn job and put the memories of the bomb attack behind her.
Chapter Seventy-Four
“Come on Millie, we’ll be late.”
Susan beckoned to her daughter, who was dragging on her coat. They had a meeting with the school, aimed at helping Millie settle back in. She wouldn’t be returning until next week. But in the meantime, they’d assigned her a support worker. Someone to keep an eye on her and watch out for her welfare. And they had an appointment with the woman this afternoon.
She pulled open the front door and turned to see Tony walking up the path. Her face froze.
He smiled. “Susie.” His smile dropped. “I’ve got news.”
“I already know,” she said.
“Dorset Police called you?”
She nodded, then glanced at Millie. “Not here.”
He reached out a hand and stroked the side of her face. She let him. Let Millie see. Just a stroke.
“I’ve got something I need to tell you,” he said.
“You’re involved, aren’t you? They brought you into their investigation?”
“It’s more complicated than that.” He looked down. His feet shifted on the path, his body language uneasy.
“Oh my God.” Susan stared at him, her body hollowing out.
He’d only been with her because of the case. She’d been a route to Crystal.
“I thought we had something,” she said.
“What do you mean? We still do.”
“I’ve read about officers like you. They groom a woman. To get closer to the case.”
His jaw hung open. Tears welled in his eyes. “I can’t believe you think that of me.”
“You didn’t?”
“No.” He grabbed her hand. “Susie, I had no idea. I didn’t know Crystal Spiers was working with your husband. I only found out two days ago. If I’d known, I would have told you.”
“Oh.”
“We’re still engaged, aren’t we?”
“Shh.” Millie was behind her, muttering to herself. Susan beckoned to her daughter. “Come on, Mils.”
She turned back to Tony. “Can this wait? We’ve got a meeting.”
“I love you, Susie,” he said. “I love Millie, too. We can be a family. I don’t expect things to happen as fast as they have been. But I can wait.”
She nodded. She was crying too.
“We’ll be OK, Susie. Millie will be OK. I’ll do whatever it takes.”
She took his hand. “So will I, Tony.”
Chapter Seventy-Five
Lesley walked into the office, feeling like it was her first day all over again.
She’d spent the weekend trying to make a home out of her cottage. She’d wanted to go back to Birmingham, but Terry hadn’t answered her calls and neither had Sharon. Part of her was tempted to go anyway, to confront him and to seek her out.
But her daughter needed space. And she didn’t want to face her husband right now. The letter from the solicitor hadn’t arrived yet, but when it did, she’d be ready.
She walked past the bank of desks where her team sat. Dennis sat back in his chair as she passed. “Morning, boss.”
“Morning, Dennis.” She noticed the swear box was still gone. She looked at the space where it had been and raised an eyebrow.
He smiled. “In the drawer, boss.”
“Good.”
She looked across at the two constables. “Busy?”
“Paperwork, boss,” said Mike. “You know how it is.”
She laughed. “I damn well do.”
Dennis opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it again.
She continued into her office. Dennis followed her, closing the door behind him.
“Everything alright?” she asked.
The board was still behind her desk, but it had been cleaned. The photos of Laila, Archie, Crystal and Patrick: all gone.
“Who did this?” she asked.
“PC Abbott, boss.”
Lesley looked out through the glass. PC Abbott was nowhere to be seen. She would be out in her squad car, doing what uniformed constables normally did.
“I want to add her to the team,” she told him.
“We’ve already got enough guys.”
“That’s exactly it, Dennis. Guys. She brings some balance to the team.”
“You can’t recruit her just because she’s a woman.”
She gave him a look. “This is not me being politically correct, Sergeant. This is me identifying an officer who can contribute something to this team. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with those two DCs out there, they’re good coppers. But she can bring something else.”
His face darkened. “Not my decision, I imagine.”
“I’ve already spoken to Carpenter,” she said. “Don’t worry, she’s not going to be a detective, not taking the exam. But she will be working with us in a support capacity.”
He sniffed. “I’ll tell the guys.”
“You do that,” she said.
The Corfe Castle Murders (Dorset Crime Book 1) Page 24