by Helen Phifer
Riverbank Coffee’s industrial décor and clean white walls were exactly to her taste. The food was good, the coffee even better. It was empty inside; she placed her order then went and sat at a table that faced out onto the fast-flowing water of the River Kent. She was glad the owner wasn’t in yet; she didn’t feel up to polite conversation. As she stared at the swollen banks of the river, she felt her eyes begin to well up.
‘Here you go.’
The voice startled her. She smiled at the girl, who didn’t look much older than sixteen. ‘Thank you, that smells divine.’
Blushing, the girl nodded then disappeared out the back leaving her alone. She stirred the foam and licked the spoon, then picking up the large cup, she blew and sipped. It tasted as good as it smelled: liquid heaven. She shivered as the block of ice which had begun to thaw from around her heart frosted over again. She’d spent seven years protecting herself from people, not trusting anyone. She didn’t know what she was going to do about Josh, but she wouldn’t be taken for a fool; she’d survived on her own long enough without him. She could do it again. Pain shot through her heart and silent tears began to fall. She didn’t blink them away this time; she let them flow. The girl came out from the back room, took one look at her and hurried back inside leaving her to sip her coffee and cry.
Thirty-Eight
Josh walked into the station, knowing he should really go to see Beth. He owed her an explanation. Her voice had been strained when he’d spoken to her, but Paton had phoned to say they’d had a definite match from the prints that Beth had taken from the body. It didn’t matter that it was Saturday; the station was still full of officers, PCSOs and staff.
He didn’t blame the PCSOs for hanging around: the weather was dire, the sky was full of big, grey rainclouds; he wouldn’t want to be out on foot patrol either. He took the steps up to the first-floor office two at a time, eager to get the second girl’s identity confirmed. Then he would phone the mortuary and let whoever was on call know so they could release her body for burial. He thought about what Beth had said, that she wasn’t happy but couldn’t find anything that looked suspicious apart from the trace evidence under both victims’ nails.
Paton and Sykes were already in the office when he entered.
‘Morning, you two. Good news on the ID; at least we can inform her family.’
Sykes nodded. ‘Yeah, it is. Though it’s not the knock on the door you expect. It must be worrying enough that your daughter is leaving to go and live in another country. It’s every parent’s worst fear.’
‘What is?’
‘That they’ll never come home.’
He stared at her; she was right. He didn’t have kids, so he never really thought about the other side of it. To him it was a job that needed to be done. He very rarely let himself get emotional. The last murders he’d dealt with had definitely got to him, but he wouldn’t let that happen again. He turned the kettle on and spooned coffee into three mugs. Carrying the drinks over, he sat opposite Paton and Sykes. ‘Dr Adams isn’t happy with the circumstances.’
Paton sipped his coffee. ‘I can understand that, it does seem a bit odd.’
‘Odd, but not uncommon. I guess the fact that neither of them is local is a bit strange.’
Sykes shrugged. ‘Then investigate some more. We’re not exactly rushed off our feet here.’
He thought about it; on the surface it should be straightforward, but the fact that it was ringing alarm bells with almost everyone he talked to unsettled him.
‘You’re right, I think we should. We can inform the next of kin, but I don’t want the bodies released until I’m completely satisfied both deaths were accidental.’
Sykes clapped her hands. ‘See, that wasn’t hard.’
‘I would have made that decision anyway.’
‘You just needed a shove in the right direction.’
Josh decided that yes, it was his duty to follow through and make sure that every line of enquiry had been followed up.
‘Paton, can you do me some intelligence checks? I want to know if there are any previous reports by either Burton or Bach. One of Bach’s co-workers said she knew the girl was fed up of her employer making advances towards her.’ He looked down as he flipped through his pocket notebook. ‘Marcus Johnson. Can you also do some background checks on him, please?’
Paton was scribbling a list of the names Josh had given him on a scrap of paper, his head nodding. Sam slipped in through the rear office door, taking a seat at the desk she favoured. She didn’t take her coat off, just logged onto the computer and waited for it to load.
‘I need to know if there is any history of complaints from the local Polish community about any incidents concerning females; let’s cover all bases. We will also chase up the roommate who reported Julia missing.’
He looked at Sam; since working so closely together on the last investigation he automatically chose her to pair up with. He didn’t think it was favouritism, not really. If Sykes or Paton had drawn the short straw that fateful day not that long ago it would have been one of them. He liked how they worked together; it was easy. No having to make polite, strained conversation and she wasn’t afraid to tell him when he was wrong. He wasn’t sure if the others would be so forthcoming, and besides, he knew he could trust her and valued her opinion. If she disliked being pulled out of the office to accompany him, she never complained. He thought they made a pretty good team, although maybe he should check with her that she didn’t mind. Somehow, he didn’t think she’d put up with him if she didn’t have to.
‘Is that okay with you? Do you have anything else on that’s more pressing?’
‘Not really, it’s fine by me.’
He drained the last of his coffee, pushing down his guilt about Beth and Jodie so he could concentrate on work. At least he was helping Beth by following up on these enquiries. He was hopeful it might go some way to making up for the mess he was in.
Sam was quiet in the car, which suited him fine. He wasn’t really in the chatting mood either, but he thought maybe he should check she was okay.
‘Is everything all right?’
She didn’t even look at him. ‘Yes, thanks. Well apart from another huge argument with my daughter about this stupid bloody party tonight.’
‘It’s tonight? I didn’t realise it was that soon. She’s still adamant she’s going then?’
‘More than ever since I told her I’d rather she didn’t.’
He shook his head. ‘Kids, eh, who’d have them?’
This made her laugh.
‘Why don’t you go as well? Gatecrash the party and hide in the toilet all night, or something.’
‘Josh, it’s on The Tequila. It’s big, but not that big. She’d see me or wonder who was hogging the toilet all night. It would cause a riot. I suppose we could hire a boat and follow it, you know, just to make sure nothing bad happens. Are you busy later?’
He looked at her in wide-eyed horror, and she laughed so loud it made him jump.
‘You’re so gullible, I’m joking.’
‘You had me there, very funny.’
But she’d planted an idea in his mind. It might not be a bad call. Maybe they could see if anyone was on duty who used the police boat, or at least ask the lake wardens to keep a close eye on The Tequila to make sure there were no more accidents. He had no idea who to contact, but decided to swing by the office at Ferry Nab on their way back. It would make Sam feel better, and Beth would appreciate the fact that he was taking her concerns seriously.
Satisfied with his plan, he dialled the number from the sticky note with Stacey Jefferson’s phone number on, relieved when she answered, because they were almost at The Swan Hotel in Newby Bridge. She agreed to meet them in the car park, and that suited him fine; at least he wouldn’t have to go inside another bar. Lately all his job seemed to entail was speaking to hotel workers and bar staff.
He parked the car, but left the engine running.
A tap on the windo
w surprised him; he hadn’t noticed anyone here. He pressed the button.
‘Stacey?’
She nodded.
‘I’m Detective Sergeant Josh Walker and this is Detective Constable Sam Thomas; can we have a word with you about Julia Bach?’
Her arms were crossed over her body, and he realised she was shivering. She wasn’t wearing a coat.
‘Do you want to get in and out of the cold?’
She hesitated, eyed them both up, taking in their suits and Josh’s police radio in the cup holder, then opened the rear door and scrambled inside.
‘Have you found her?’
‘We might have located her, yes.’
‘Oh, thank God for that. I’ve been so worried; she’s so lovely but very quiet. Did she tell you why she left all her stuff? I bet it was because of that pig Marcus.’
Josh turned around. ‘Why do you say that? About him being a pig, I mean.’
‘He’s a creep; he’s always standing too close to you when he speaks. His eyes never look at your face, always your cleavage. Thank God it’s cold and we all wear roll-neck jumpers in this weather. He brought in a uniform of tight, white shirts with low necks that we had to wear in the summer. They were bloody awful. I’ve never been so glad to see the back of the warm weather, and I hate the cold.’
‘We spoke to Andrea; she said something similar. Have you not thought about reporting him?’
‘For staring? He doesn’t do anything you could report him for, at least I don’t think so. Plus, we need the money. He pays pretty good wages and most of the time he’s okay. Staff accommodation is pretty cheap as well; he only takes a tenner a week out of your wages. Some places take up to eighty. Did Julia tell you why she left?’
‘There’s no easy way to tell you this, Stacey, but we’ve found a body floating in the lake and it’s highly possible that it’s Julia.’ He watched her face, feeling cruel. He didn’t want to tell her it was a definite until the family had been notified. Her jaw slackened as her mouth fell open; her eyes opened wide as they brimmed with tears. Sam glared at him as she reached over and patted Stacey’s arm.
‘We don’t know for definite yet; it’s a possibility though. Do you think you could talk us through the last time you saw her before she left?’
Stacey moved her head up and down. ‘She told me she was going to see a friend about a job she’d heard might be available, working on one of the boats in the marina. I can’t believe it. I mean, how did she get into the lake? No one in their right mind would go into the water this time of year. It’s flipping freezing.’
Josh rubbed the side of his head, the dull throb inside his brain signalling he was in for a real killer of a headache. This seemed to be the consensus: why would two healthy young women go into water so cold it would kill you in minutes? There had to be more to this than they’d figured out.
Thirty-Nine
The setting sun set the sky aglow; hues of red, orange and pink spread across it and The Tequila Sunrise looked like a fairy tale all lit up with thousands of tiny white lights. Banners and balloons were hanging from the side and the mast. It looked amazing even if he said so himself. He and James had worked hard on it all afternoon. Thankfully, the driving rain and wind had subsided over the course of the morning and it was a perfect autumn evening.
Ethan hadn’t wanted to help; he hadn’t been back on the boat since the morning he’d found the girl in the lake. He was tired and hadn’t slept much either. He’d finally dozed off to be woken by James continually phoning him this morning. He’d ignored him for the first hour until after the tenth call, when he’d given in and James had practically begged him. He’d also asked another of their old school friends, Marcus, to pitch in. This was a big charter, and there were to be lots of teenagers on board the boat tonight. It crossed Ethan’s mind to wonder why their parents would be letting them anywhere near The Tequila if they knew the girl found dead had last been seen on here drinking before she died. James was so matter of fact about it all; he didn’t seem to care one bit. Marcus was no better most of the time. What was it with these rich kids? Maybe they needed to live like a normal working class person for a while, to see what life was like when mummy and daddy couldn’t afford to pay for everything. He wasn’t jealous, or bitter, it was just a fact. He would have loved it if his parents had been able to afford to buy him nice things, but they didn’t even buy each other stuff. They’d both worked hard all their lives, and Ethan had the same work ethic, although he wasn’t so prudish about being working class when James offered to buy the beers. Besides, they were friends and friends didn’t care whether you were rich or had acne. The whole point of being friends was because you liked each other the way you were, no strings attached.
‘Christ, if I had a pound for every time you were daydreaming or skiving, I’d be rich. What fantasy land are you in now?’
He turned to look at James, shaking his head. ‘You’re an idiot, you already have enough money. I don’t even know why you bother doing this. It’s not as if you need the cash, and is it really worth the hassle?’
Marcus stopped what he was doing, turning to watch them both.
‘I do this because it’s easy money and you’re almost guaranteed an easy lay. All those gorgeous, young women drunk on champagne and desperate to lose their virginity. It’s only right to oblige. Who am I to say no? I see it as my civic duty. Who wouldn’t want to sleep with me?’
Marcus laughed. ‘You might as well just advertise a shagfest and be done with it.’
James joined in. The only one who didn’t think they were funny was Ethan, who scowled at the pair of them.
‘Wankers, both of you. I’m amazed you can even fit below deck with the size of your heads.’
‘How would you know how big it is?’ More raucous laughter, then James continued. ‘No, you’re the wanker. All alone in your smelly cabin filled with ancient issues of Playboy with the pages stuck together.’
Now Ethan was really annoyed with him; how dare he? He turned to leave, and James shouted after him. ‘Sorry, don’t take any notice. I’m being an idiot. Blame Marcus, he’s a bad influence.’
Ethan hesitated. He could leave and go back home to his damp little room, or he could stay, put on the tuxedo James had loaned to him, smile at people all night, hand out glasses of cheap champagne and pretend to be nice. It was better than being on his own, and James always paid him a hundred quid cash in hand. Better than a kick in the teeth, as his dad used to say. For a hundred quid he could put up with these two idiots for another couple of hours.
Forty
After talking to Stacey, Josh nipped back to the station with Sam to check in with everyone and do a team briefing before jumping in the car again and heading to Ferry Nab car park. If this was summer, they’d be hard-pressed to find a space on a grass verge somewhere miles away to squeeze into, but the lake warden’s office was only a short stroll away from their space.
Josh pushed the door handle of the office; it didn’t move.
‘Shit.’
Sam peered through the window. ‘I think there’s someone in. It’s dark inside but I can see movement at the back.’
Josh rapped his knuckles against the glass. They waited as hurried footsteps crossed towards the door. It opened and he was surprised to see Sergeant Karen Taylor, out of uniform, on the other side.
‘Well of all the people to open this door, I didn’t expect to see you here.’
She grinned at him. ‘What do you want? I’m helping out; they’re short-staffed. My son works here.’
‘A huge favour. I don’t know if you can help or not, but thought it was worth asking.’
‘You’d better come inside; he’s just out the back. Is it a personal favour or police business?’
Sam answered, ‘Both.’
Karen led them through to the staff room at the back of the building. A young man turned to see who she was bringing in. He had two mugs of coffee in his hands.
Sam smiled. ‘Looks
as if we timed this right for a change; mine’s not too strong with two sweeteners and he’ll have a strong coffee with a heaped spoonful of sugar.’ She added, ‘please,’ as an afterthought.
Karen introduced them. ‘Cal, this is Josh and the cheeky one is Sam.’
He grinned at them both. ‘What brings you here? Are you that desperate for a brew you’ve had to come find her?’ He pointed at his mum.
Josh began to explain. ‘No, not at all. I need a favour if you can do it. I don’t know if you do this sort of stuff. I’m sure you’re aware of the two bodies that have been found in the lake recently.’
Cal nodded. ‘Yes, I wasn’t on duty for either of them. It’s so sad.’
‘The thing is, although both post-mortems haven’t found anything suspicious around their deaths, both the pathologist and I are suitably concerned that they could be. This is between us. I don’t want to start a panic, but both victims are blonde women from out of town. It’s either a tragic coincidence, or they were targeted. One of them was last seen on a boat called The Tequila Sunrise the other was on her way to the marina to enquire about a job on a boat, which could have been the same one. Are you familiar with it?’
‘Yes, very. The owner is a bit of an idiot. He seems to host a lot of parties on there.’
Josh glanced at Sam, who looked miserable. ‘Is he flouting the conditions of his licence?’
Cal shook his head. ‘Oh, no, not from a business side of things. Everything is all above board when it comes to the private charters he takes out sailing. We’ve never been able to fault him for that. It’s more his, er… personal entertaining that is the issue.’
‘That’s very interesting. Can you not revoke his licence or whatever you do?’
‘It’s being looked into; safety on the lake is paramount. If two deaths are being linked to the boat, I’m pretty sure it will speed things up.’
Sam’s eyes lit up. ‘Can you tell him not to take the boat out tonight?’