by Anita Waller
Doris slumped onto the desk. ‘Don’t they get any training in schools these days about interview protocols? She was lovely, a tremendous personality, but she’d drive us mad within a week. And slowly that make-up and spiky hair would come back. I’m sorry, but my vote is a no.’
‘Mine too,’ Kat agreed. ‘She talks too much. And from the way she spoke, she would be relying on her mum to bring her into work every day. I’m sure her mum will want that.’
‘I really liked her as a person, I like people to be different, but not our receptionist.’ Mouse stood up. ‘We’ve half an hour before our young man arrives. Coffee?’
Luke Taylor arrived two minutes early, and shook hands with all three of them. He was tall, with dark curly hair and deep brown eyes; his smile lit up the eyes.
He sat down and waited.
‘Luke, thank you for coming,’ Mouse said. ‘Impressive exam results. You didn’t want to stay on at school?’
‘No. And that’s for several reasons. I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I’ve been earning money by working in a restaurant at night, washing pots, helping with prep, that sort of thing, and I couldn’t face staying on at school. I think working has made me grow up. Apart from all that, if you don’t know what you want to do for a career, how do you decide what A level subjects you want to take?’
Kat glanced to the next point. ‘You’re a driver?’
He nodded. ‘I am. Mum taught me how to make a car move and stop by letting me drive around cemeteries and other such places, and we used to go to a driver-training centre about once a month, from me being sixteen. She paid for an intensive week for my seventeenth birthday, and I passed first time. I’ve now got Mum’s cast-off Citroen, and she’s bought a new one.’
‘You didn’t drive here today?’ She had seen him walking down the road.
‘No, I wanted to walk. I thought it would calm me down, but more than that I wanted to see how long it would take me. Six and a half minutes.’
‘What made you apply, Luke?’
He paused for a moment, as if gathering his thoughts into a coherent mass. ‘I said I didn’t know what career I wanted, but I also knew that one day I would know. And then I did. Your advertisement said receptionist, and full training given. I am hoping that training is in investigative work, and not just reception, because your card was like a lightning bolt. I am quite happy to sit at that desk, but I now know what I need to learn, and it’s not History and Geography. I don’t know if I’m explaining this very well, but I feel this is so right for me.’
‘Don’t worry,’ Doris smiled, ‘you’re explaining it very well. Luke, we’re obviously an equal opportunities employer, and will facilitate anything that an employee would want to tackle. How do you see equality?’
He looked puzzled. ‘That’s a difficult one to answer because equal means equal. I’ll try to explain.’ Again he gathered his thoughts. ‘I’ve kept in touch with most of my friends from school, lads and girls. Some went on to college, some started jobs, some are in sixth form. All of that is irrelevant. They’re just friends. Wayne, my best friend, has parents who came here from Jamaica. He’s not my Jamaican friend. He’s my friend. I have a close friend called Lily, she’s my friend but not my girlfriend. That’s really the only way I can explain it. If we’re alive, we’re equal.’
‘Thank you, Luke. If we were to offer you the position, when are you available to start?’
‘Now.’
‘What about your restaurant job?’
‘I‘ll give them a week’s notice. I can combine the two for a week. I won’t leave them in the lurch.’
Kat stood. ‘Just one final question, Luke, and then we’d like you to wait outside in reception for a few minutes. Will that be okay?’
‘Yes, of course.’
‘Okay, and this is the biggy. You’ll be working with three women. We have frequent visits from two police officers, both women. You will be surrounded and overwhelmed by women. Can you handle it?’
He laughed. ‘Mrs Rowe, I live with two younger sisters, a mum, a nan, and a dog called Daisy. Even the fish is called Esmerelda although I don’t know what its sex is. I haven’t had a dad since I was about eight, so in answer to your question, being around ladies doesn’t bother me at all.’
‘Thank you, Luke. Please wait in reception.’
They turned to one another and all three said, ‘Yes.’
And so began a new era in the Connection saga.
Luke started work on the Monday morning, looking just as smart as he had for the interview.
His first day was spent in Doris’s office, where they went through his training requirements, what he wanted from the job, and what courses he would be happy to take.
‘We have all taken online courses over the last couple of years, and have our own certificates in our offices, but collectively it’s a pretty impressive bunch. They are timed courses – when you’ve passed one section, you’re sent the following part, so it makes it learning that stays in the brain. Primarily you’re our meet and greet person, and that could continue for some time, but occasionally we get surveillance jobs in, or jobs that require interviewing people, but you won’t be thrown into that. Kat is our most skilful negotiator, and she’ll see to your training in people management.’
‘Thank you, Mrs Lester. I’m happy to take whatever courses I can, and I’m sure you’ll guide me through which ones I need at what times. And I’m sorry, but I can’t call you Doris. It will have to be Mrs Lester. You’re like my nan, and I could never in a million years call her Geraldine. I’m okay with Kat and Beth, but not you.’
There was a hint of redness in his cheeks, and Doris laughed. ‘Call me whatever you want, Luke. I answer to most things. The girls, you may have noticed, call me Nan, even though Kat is no relation to me. Beth, of course, is my granddaughter. Just wait until the day comes when she gives you permission to call her Mouse, then you’ll know you’re a proper friend. And on that day, you can start to call me Nan. Deal?’
‘Deal,’ he agreed. ‘My mum knows Kat, thinks she’s awesome. Erm… I thought I’d better tell you that because of everything that happened with her husband. Mum told me the story. She goes to Kat’s church.’
‘Luke, everybody around here knows what happened with Leon Rowe – don’t let it worry you. Kat has got over it, and is now with a lovely man. You’ll meet him eventually; he pops in if he’s working around here. Actually, I’d better fill you in on our police friends. DI Carl Heaton is Kat’s fiancé, and we work closely with DI Tessa Marsden, and her DS, Hannah Granger. They pop in every so often for coffee and doughnuts and a natter, usually a brainstorming session when a case is slowing down. In addition to all of these we have Martha, Kat’s baby, nearly one now, and sometimes Kat brings her in just so that she can spend some precious time with her. Everybody other than these people tend to be clients. We get a lot of people who ring us first, so it would be unusual to have someone walk in without an appointment. Now, let’s discuss IT. I assume you’re pretty smart with it?’
‘I think so. I can usually work out any issues, and I like computer work.’
‘Then here’s something you need to know. In amongst all these certificates there’s one for the level of IT I have achieved. It’s high. It’s the same in Beth’s office. It’s not the same in Kat’s office.’
‘She doesn’t like computer work?’
‘She’s scared of it. At least once a week she complains the Internet is broken, and she’s broken it. She has no confidence in her abilities, although the Kat of a couple of years ago isn’t the same person who is here now. I’ve trained her bit by bit, and she can handle most things, but occasionally stuff does go wrong. You need to know this so you can sort her out. She preaches most Sundays in front of a large congregation, can stand up and talk to any size audience – she’s an amazing woman. But she would happily live without her laptop. That is why we log all appointments on to the computer, but also keep a physical diary so that Kat can
just open it to the correct date and see what’s in for that day.’
‘No problem. My head’s buzzing with all of this. My mum was going to throw me out onto the streets yesterday afternoon, I was bouncing.’
Doris nodded, and slowly turned towards him. ‘Occasionally, Luke, it can be quite dangerous. We started the business initially because Beth was shot down the side of the old Rowe pharmacy across the road. We ended up staying with Kat for a while, and our friendship grew, but guns and knives have featured in our investigations. It’s not all about being nice to people and helping them, we always have to be aware of dangerous situations. Obviously we will never knowingly place you in danger, but we will always make you aware.’
‘And I didn’t think today could get any better,’ he said with a laugh. They both heard the security buzzer, and Luke stood. ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘my first visitor.’
3
The snow fell again on ground that had started to revert to its usual green around three o’clock that morning, and by five, the body that had been propped up against a tree began to seriously resemble a snowman. The wind had caused the snow to drift, and almost all of the slumped shape was no longer visible under its mantle of white. Only the shoes, sticking out of the blinding whiteness, indicated that maybe a snowman hadn’t been built in the early hours of the morning.
Harry Hardy, feeling aware of his fifty-eight years, walked the grounds of Chatsworth every morning for a couple of hours, just looking, before heading into the kitchens for breakfast. Her ladyship insisted they all have breakfast, especially in the winter months. He spotted the snowman and wondered who the bloody hell had been out so early making one, but then saw the shoes pointing towards the sky. He stared at the mound of snow for a minute or so, then climbed the small incline towards it. He took one look and knew he wasn’t going to get his breakfast that day. He took out his walkie-talkie and pressed speak.
‘Harry?’
‘Frank, we’ve got a problem.’ Frank would know it would be a problem; Harry rarely used his walkie-talkie, preferring to sort any issues out there and then.
‘You need help, Harry?’
‘Police help. There’s a body. I’ve touched nowt,’ Harry said, ‘but I can see the shoes, and they look like ladies boots to me.’
‘Where are you?’
‘B road. Just past the cattle grid, heading towards the house. That little copse of trees, set up from the road. She’s leaning against a tree.’
‘You okay?’
‘Aye, I’ll be fine. I’ll stay here, but I reckon we’ll not have visitors this early, especially with all this snow. It’ll only be staff arriving.’
‘I’ll call you back. Over and out.’
Harry waited, staring at the snowflakes increasing in intensity. If they didn’t hurry, the boots would be covered soon. The wind had picked up, causing the flakes to whirl around and whipping up the snow already lying on the ground.
His receiver crackled and he heard Frank’s voice. ‘They’ll be with you as quick as possible, Harry. I’m sending young Davy over with a thermos of coffee. Reckon you might need it.’
‘Tell him to be careful, Frank. It’s treacherous underfoot. You told His Grace?’
‘Not yet. It’s my next job. Your coffee comes first. Let me know when the police arrive. I’ll be over to join you when they get there.’
‘Thanks, Frank. Over and out.’
Harry stood a distance away from the body, his footsteps being filled in by the falling snow. He could see Davy in the distance and he waved.
Davy made it without slipping, and handed over a carrier bag. ‘There’s a bacon sandwich for each for us, and two flasks of coffee. Mr Norman says I’ve to stay with you, but he didn’t want us getting cold.’
‘Aye, he’s a good boss. It could be a while; I should think the roads are pretty bad. Heaven only knows where the police are coming from, but there’s not been a deal of traffic on the roads to open them up yet.’ He checked his watch. ‘Good lord, it’s only half past seven. I feel as though I’ve done a full day’s work already.’
Harry took a bite of his sandwich, already cooling in the bitter air.
Davy put his to his mouth, but then caught sight of the reason he was there, the body propped against the tree. ‘Shit,’ he said, and slowly put the sandwich back into the tinfoil it had just been in. ‘You’ve not checked if it’s actually dead?’
‘No. She’s dead. If she was alive the snow around her nose and mouth would have melted. Don’t be scared, lad, she can’t hurt you.’ He could tell how uncomfortable Davy was. ‘Let’s have a drink of coffee, we need to warm up. We’ll go higher and get out of this, we’re right in the snowstorm here. It could be a long wait.’
They skirted the body and climbed slightly higher up the incline and into the shelter of the circle of trees. The snow wasn’t so thick, and they cleared it from a tree stump, split the carrier bag and placed it over the top. ‘That’ll stop wet arses,’ Harry said with a grin to the young lad, who was clearly uncomfortable with the situation. They faced the back of the tree where the body was, and Harry hoped Davy would be able to finish his breakfast and drink the coffee. It would make him feel better.
They chatted for nearly an hour, bacon sandwiches and coffee consumed in that time. It was a welcome sound when they heard sirens, and Harry spoke into his walkie-talkie again. ‘They’re here, Frank, just arriving. I’m going down to meet them on the road.’
DI Tessa Marsden was first out of the car, and walked across to the tall well-wrapped up man who appeared to have the situation under his control. A younger version of him stood by his side.
She held out her hand. ‘DI Marsden,’ she said, ‘and the officer trying desperately to put on her wellingtons is DS Hannah Granger. We have other cars following, but it’s a nightmare getting here. Please stay put, I need to check things out. You haven’t touched the body?’
‘No, ma’am,’ Harry said. ‘I walked up to it because at first I thought it was a snowman, but then I saw the boots. I realised if it is indeed a dead body, that accounted for no melted snow.’
Marsden nodded and walked up the incline. She kept the thought to herself, but it crossed her mind that if this were a living person, out of her head on alcohol or drugs, she’d kill her anyway, to pay her back for the bloody nightmare of a journey they’d just had. But she knew. She didn’t need to bend down and feel for a pulse. The body was definitely dead.
Hannah joined her and they looked around. ‘Crime scene tape around all the trees?’ Hannah asked.
Tessa nodded. ‘And down to the road, across it and I’d say about twenty yards the other side of the road. That’s going to bugger up life a little bit for anybody using this road to go through Chatsworth to Rowsley, but it can’t be helped.’ She turned her head at the sound of further sirens, and walked down to the road to meet the rest of the team.
They immediately sealed off the area, and Harry and Davy were invited to sit in Tessa’s car and get warm. She switched on the engine, gave them a smile, and said she would be back to talk to them shortly.
In the distance, Harry could see the stocky figure of Frank, with a second figure walking by his side. He glanced up at the incline towards Marsden and wondered whether to tell her or leave her to find out who the second man was; Davy seemed to read his mind. ‘Don’t tell her,’ he laughed. ‘Let’s see how she handles it.’
The forensic team had erected a tent over the body, a tent that was already showing the beginning of a snow pile on its roof. Death was confirmed; a female, aged around forty, killed by a ligature that was still around her throat.
Tessa watched from the outside as flashes told her scene photographs were being taken, and when they stopped, she popped her head through the opening. ‘Anything to give us a start?’
‘Not yet. They’d be assumptions in this weather, and I don’t do assumptions.’ The man stood and turned towards Tessa. He took off a latex glove and shook her hand. ‘Martin Robinson, start
ed in the job yesterday and already we’re in the presence of royalty.’
‘Royalty?’
‘Chatsworth, Duke of Devonshire and all that. My last job was inner city Birmingham, no royalty there.’
She smiled. ‘Well, it’s good to meet you. DI Tessa Marsden, and DS Hannah Granger, wherever she is, is my second in command. And I can’t see the Duke getting himself involved in this.’
He flashed his dark brown eyes at her, and pulled on a fresh glove. ‘PM tomorrow at nine. Will you be there, DI Marsden?’ His smile dared her to say no, but that was never going to happen.
Oh most definitely, she wanted to say. ‘Yes. I’ll be there. Have you come across any sort of identification on her?’
‘Nothing so far. I’ll let you know if we do,’ and he turned back to the cadaver, continuing the meticulous work he had already started. Marsden stood and watched him for a moment, then shook her head. Something to be appreciated at some other time, she thought, especially with a back view as good as the front one.
Hannah joined her and reported that all the crime scene tape was now up, diversion signs were being sorted, and the snow had temporarily stopped. She had initiated a search in the trees that formed a semi-circle behind the body, and the refreshments truck had arrived. ‘I’ve told everybody they’ve to get a hot drink,’ she said, almost belligerently, as if daring Tessa to disagree with her.
‘Quite right. It’s damn freezing. They’ll work better if they don’t feel frozen through to their bones.’
There was a shout from one of the PCs working in the trees and he came around towards Tessa and Hannah. ‘Handbag, ma’am,’ he said. ‘I’ve left it in situ and warned the others not to tread on it. It’s in deep snow.’
Tessa and Hannah followed him around to where he pointed, and Tessa knelt in the snow. She carefully scraped it clear, still leaving it where it was, then opened the front flap using her pen. It was a messenger style of bag; the front flap had a magnetic fastener, it simply went from back to front, clicked, and sat in place. It was made of fabric, now wet fabric. She teased out the purse and opened it. Inside were several cards, but only two with a name on them, a debit card and a credit card both for the use of Nicola Lynne Armstrong. Tessa took a quick photograph of them and put them back in the purse. It was as she replaced it in the bag that she found a letter to Nicola with an address in Baslow.