Dead Inside

by Noelle Holten

  ‘Hi, Mark. You forgot the homicide. It’s Lucy Sherwood from Markston Probation. How are you?’ Due to the nature of the individuals she worked with, Lucy, like many of her colleagues, used her maiden name for professional purposes.

  ‘Hey, Lucy! Great to hear from you! I know, I know. I still can’t get my head around homicide – why can’t they just say murder? Though I suppose DAMU is probably not the best acronym for a team like ours, is it?’

  Lucy heard him laugh down the phone.

  ‘All’s fine here … just the usual – overworked and under-resourced. To what do I owe this pleasure?’

  Lucy felt her cheeks get warm and knew she was blushing. She seemed to blush every time she spoke to Mark. He was so kind to her and made her feel like her opinions mattered, the total opposite of Patrick.

  ‘I had an interesting supervision session with Robert Millard.’ Lucy heard the groan that Mark tried, unsuccessfully, to hide.

  ‘OK, are you concerned that something is going to kick off?’

  ‘A little. I just wondered if you could flag Louise’s address and maybe do a safe-and-well check?’

  ‘The address is already flagged, but I’ll log this, and note that a safe-and-well check needs to be done. I can’t promise it will be today, we’re a little short staffed, but it is noted. We have a few new additions to the team, so maybe that will help. For now, though, we have to rely on the field teams to pick these up, depending on the other priorities.’

  ‘Cheers, Mark. That will at least put my mind at ease. I would hate to think he goes around there and something even more serious happens. Louise does have a personal alarm, but we both know she doesn’t use it. I’ll record all this in his case records and make contact with Sharon Bairden; she’s still the victim’s advocate in the unit, right? Hard to keep up with all the changes. Mr Talbot also failed to show up for his pre-sentence report and, because he has bail conditions, I informed the court and expect a warrant to be issued soon. Soooo, anyway, spill. Who are the newbies, what are they like, and when will I meet them?’

  ‘We know why Mr Talbot failed to report, I’m afraid. Someone should have contacted you. I can’t go into too much detail because it’s an ongoing investigation, but needless to say, it’s one less report you’ll need to write. About the newbie: DC Maggie Jamieson is with us from the Major and Organised Crime Department.’

  ‘Whoa! You can’t tell me what’s happened to Talbot? And nice to see you keeping it professional. I take it there are other people in the room with you then?’ Lucy laughed.

  ‘I’ll definitely keep you posted on Talbot, but I don’t have too much info myself. You know me, Lucy, I’m always professional.’

  She could just imagine Mark glancing around the room to make sure no one of authority was eavesdropping.

  ‘Of course, right, I best get back to work. I should be over at the police station soon for a catch-up. Keep me posted on any developments concerning Robert Millard and thanks for the heads-up on Talbot.’

  ‘Yeah, sorry ’bout that. I’ll have to find out why probation wasn’t contacted. Looking forward to seeing you though. Make sure you bring me a latte, or I’ll have you arrested at the enquiry desk.’

  Hearing his laugh made her smile. Lucy sighed as she hung up the phone. If only Patrick could be more like Mark.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Maggie’s first encounter with her immediate superior did not go as she expected. She found herself sitting with her new colleagues near the back of a large briefing room, listening to the details of the murder her team would be investigating.

  ‘Good morning, everyone.’ Her boss, DS Jim Hooper, looked around the room, stopped at Maggie, giving her an uncommitted nod, then carried on outlining details of the gruesome murder.

  ‘This is what we know so far. A taxi driver called 999 at 4 a.m. this morning, to notify us that he stumbled across the victim’s lifeless body while he stopped for a break—’

  Maggie’s take-charge instinct kicked in and she interrupted Hooper mid flow. ‘Has the driver been questioned by the responding officers or will we be interviewing the witness?’ She immediately regretted her decision.

  ‘If you let me finish,’ he glared at her then looked down on the desk at a piece of paper in front of him, ‘DC Jamieson, I’ll give you all the information you and the rest of your colleagues need.’

  Maggie felt her neck burn with embarrassment.

  Hooper posted a picture on the investigation board and a chorus of gasps could be heard around the room. It wasn’t a pretty sight and Maggie regretted having that cream cake when she first arrived.

  ‘As I was saying, the victim – Drew Talbot – was found lying on his back blocking the path not far from the entry into Beacon Park. The witness indicated that no one else was around and given the time, it is unlikely that anyone else was about – though we’ll still need to confirm that. An empty syringe was sticking out of his neck. His arms were outstretched beside him – palms up – and his hands completely pulverized. You can see from the pictures.’ He pointed at the screen. ‘It looks as if someone took a hammer or a similar implement and battered both hands to a pulp. A large pool of blood gathered underneath his head, the top portion of his legs and his groin area. Initially it was unclear where the wounds were located, but his jeans had two slices on the upper inside thigh of each leg. The wound across his windpipe was easily identified.’

  Maggie tapped her pen on the desk and glimpsed at the pictures that were being passed around the room. She made a note to have a closer look once the briefing was finished. Her fascination with crime scene pictures was well known at her old office, but she didn’t want her new team to learn that just yet.

  Hooper continued, ‘With the arrival of the pathologist, photographs of the male victim were taken and evidence collected. A wallet found in the back pocket of the body determined that the victim’s name was Drew Talbot – although a formal ID is yet to be made.

  ‘PC Reynolds, I’d like you to work with the handover team to track down and notify Mr Talbot’s family after the briefing. Mr Talbot had recently appeared in court under a charge of grievous bodily harm, and he has a history of violence against partners. I understand that Lucy Sherwood was supposed to be writing a report—’

  ‘I think Mark told her earlier that Mr Talbot would not be making the appointment, but he didn’t go into too much detail.’ Maggie looked at Mark.

  ‘That’s right, guv. Lucy called to let me know that her pre-sentence report had not attended for interview. That’s when I advised that Talbot wouldn’t be making his appointment and, because of an ongoing investigation, I couldn’t share anymore information with her yet. Not sure why someone didn’t contact probation.’

  ‘As he was one of our nominals, that would have been down to one of you lot. We’ll call it crossed wires and move on, shall we? Fiona Blake, the Home Office pathologist, noted that there was an injury to the back of the victim’s head. She believed that Mr Talbot was attacked from behind and knocked unconscious. It appears he was then rolled over onto his back, a syringe stuck in his neck – we will have to wait for toxicology to find out what substance he was injected with – his hands were mashed to a pulp and the three cuts were then made. Any one of them could have led to his death. That’s where we are at. So, what are your initial thoughts?’

  Maggie jumped straight in. ‘Do we have the time of death established? And do we know where Mr Talbot’s victim was during the relevant times?’

  ‘Talbot’s ex-partner is in hospital with a broken cheekbone, broken jaw, broken arm and strangulation marks around her neck. She is barely able to stay awake for more than an hour at a time and is heavily medicated; we don’t believe she is directly involved, but we will need to interview her family and friends, in case they decided to seek their own revenge. Estimated time of death is any time between 12 a.m. and 4 a.m. when the body was found. Anyone else?’

  ‘The injuries would suggest to me that this was personal. The
injuries on his hands indicate someone was clearly angry with Mr Talbot and took that anger out on his body. Could the killer have been making a statement against Mr Talbot’s abuse?’ Maggie said. Hooper looked at her and she thought she saw the makings of a smile forming on his face.

  ‘Interesting observation, Jamieson. That’s a line of enquiry I would like you to explore further. You and Mark can look at people close to Talbot’s ex-partners and see if you can eliminate any of them as persons of interest. Kat? Pete? Mark? Do you have anything you want to add?’

  ‘Fuck sake, guv. I can just about keep my breakfast down at the minute.’ Taking a deep breath Kat added, ‘Were there any other witnesses or vehicles around the area at the time?’

  ‘Only the taxi driver. Pete can trawl CCTV to see if there were any cars or people acting suspiciously during the times noted and let you know.’

  ‘OK, guv. I can go out and interview anyone we come across,’ Kat said.

  Pete made note of his task and sighed. He had been hoping to get out in the field more.

  ‘Mark, can you speak to the pathologist and see if she can shed some light on the exact cause of death, and then chase up toxicology?

  ‘Maggie, you and Kat can interview Wendy Parker; her daughter is the victim of domestic abuse at Talbot’s hands,’ Hooper said.

  Mark gave him a thumbs up and gathered his papers.

  ‘That’s it then. You all know what you need to do. Keep me informed of any developments … oh, and Maggie – welcome to the team.’

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Patrick had made sure Lucy knew exactly how he felt about her bloody note when he’d texted her back earlier. He wondered if Lucy’s sister, Melody, would also be coming over. A bit of eye candy would make it easier to tolerate the whole situation.

  Unlike Lucy, Mel looked after herself. She had big tits she liked to put on show and wore short skirts to accentuate her long, toned legs. Even though she was a solicitor, Patrick liked her down-to-earth personality. He often wondered if he had chosen the wrong sister. He made his way to the bathroom, the thought of Mel still stuck in his head.

  There were only a couple of hours before he had to collect Siobhan, so he jumped in the shower in an attempt to sober up. Lucy would have a go at him if he was drunk and he couldn’t be bothered with the hassle. If the nosy bitches that hung around the school gate smelled alcohol on him, that social worker would start her home visits all over again. He wouldn’t put it past any one of those tramps to ring social services. Lucy would go ballistic.

  Back downstairs, he picked up the post, sat down in his favourite chair, and went through the envelopes. Bills, bills, and more bills. He threw them on the coffee table for Lucy to deal with when she got home. He thought about looking for a job, but remembered how quickly he had lost the last one. The row with his old colleague that had spiralled out of control. The way people had laughed at him, taken the piss. A good kicking is what they deserved.

  Patrick’s main concern was his kids – Siobhan and Rory – and anyway there was no need to work if Lucy continued to pay for everything. They were struggling financially, but he wasn’t going to just take any job. He wanted his kids to be proud of him. He saw the way they looked up to Lucy. Patrick was hoping that Rory would visit again soon, though he knew Rory’s mother did her best to poison his son’s mind against him.

  Another stupid bitch.

  It was no secret that Patrick loved his drink, so why did the women in his life always make an issue out of it? They knew what they were getting from the start. Beer was his drink of choice, but, if truth be told, he’d drink anything. It let him see things more clearly, made everything quieter, even if it did sometimes make him angry or sad. Fuck Lucy – what does she know?

  Today he felt a bit down and Lucy’s constant moaning didn’t help. Patrick was no fool. He had a rage inside, he’d had it from a very young age. He couldn’t help it. It was his parents’ fault. After all, witnessing his mother being beaten and getting a few hard slaps at the hands of his father would be hard for anyone. What did people expect? His father wasn’t selective though – he beat all his children equally. Fair is fair, he used to say.

  Patrick clenched his fists. He used to promise himself he’d never treat a woman the way his father treated his mother. Promises he found hard to keep. He didn’t care what anyone said – he wasn’t like his father.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Maggie and Kat arrived at Wendy Parker’s house after going to the hospital to check on Drew Talbot’s ex – Heather Parker. The nurses had confirmed that Heather had been in the hospital for the last three weeks and, with the recent infection she had from her injuries, there was no way she could have left the hospital in her condition and the only person who had visited her since she was admitted was her mother, Wendy.

  They knocked and waited for Mrs Parker to answer the door.

  ‘I’m coming,’ a frail-sounding voice called out.

  The door could use a bit of WD-40, thought Maggie, as it squeaked open. The haggardlooking woman inside had grey hair, tightly piled in a bun on the top of her head, and wore a pair of slacks with a neat blouse.

  ‘If you’re selling something, I’ll save you the time. I’m not interested.’

  Maggie smiled. ‘Are you Mrs Parker?’

  ‘I am.’

  ‘My name is DC Jamieson, and this is my colleague, PC Everett. Would it be OK if we came in and had a chat?’

  She noticeably relaxed at the sight of their ID. ‘Of course. Please, make yourselves at home. Would you like a cup of tea or coffee?’

  ‘That would be lovely. I’ll have a coffee – milk, no sugar – and PC Everett will have a cup of tea if it is not too much trouble. Milk and one sugar.’ Kat looked almost surprised that Maggie had remembered how she liked her tea.

  ‘Is this about Drew? Was it him that was attacked? It’s been all over the news. I won’t be at all upset to hear that someone finally gave him what he deserved.’

  Kat piped up, ‘Yes, I’m afraid it was Drew. We just have a few questions for you.’

  ‘For me? What in the world would I know about this?’

  ‘Standard procedures, Mrs Parker.’ Maggie stood up to help the woman with the tray of tea. She looked like she might fall over.

  ‘Oh. Thank you. I can normally manage, but I’ve been having dizzy spells lately. Old age, I guess … and please, call me Wendy.’

  ‘OK, Wendy. Can you tell me where you were on Monday between the hours of midnight and four a.m.?’ Maggie watched her eyes.

  ‘Are you having a laugh? Look at me. I’m in bed before nine most nights. I can barely lift a tray of tea. How do you expect me to have inflicted all those injuries that the news reported? And the size of him! I’d need a ladder to hit his head … pffft.’

  ‘Please just answer the question, Wendy, so we can eliminate you from our enquiries. Did you ask anyone to hurt Mr Talbot? Or do you know of anyone who would want to hurt him?’ Maggie asked reluctantly.

  ‘Absolutely not! How dare you even insinuate such a thing. Do you know what HE did to my daughter? Do you?’

  Trying to calm the situation, Kat changed the subject. ‘We do know, and it was a horrible assault on your daughter. But as I’m sure you understand, we have to ask these questions. Mr Talbot’s family need answers too.’

  Wendy seemed to soften at the mention of other victims. ‘It was awful … just awful what that man did to my girl. I could see the imprint of his hands around her throat in the bruises.’

  Maggie handed her a tissue and patted her knee.

  ‘We’re so sorry, Wendy. At least he will never be able to hurt anyone again.’

  ‘It’s all my fault. My fault. I turned her away when she came here. I thought she just wanted money for drugs. Why did I do that?’

  Seeing the anguish in Wendy’s eyes, Maggie’s throat tightened. She could only imagine what Wendy was feeling. If someone had hurt her, both her parents would have the same view. ‘We’re sure you
did what you thought best. How were you to know what was happening?’

  ‘My head knows that. My heart says: a mother should know.’

  ‘This is not your fault, OK?’ She smiled and patted the woman’s knee again. ‘But like my colleague has just said, you must understand how Mr Talbot’s family are feeling. We just need to help them get closure too?’

  ‘I understand. But I am still so angry with him. Walking about here when he was out on bail. No shame or remorse. And my daughter, lying battered and bruised in the hospital. It wasn’t fair and I wasn’t the only one who thought that either.’

  Maggie looked at Kat. ‘What do you mean you weren’t the only one? Could you have said something to someone and maybe they took matters in their own hands?’

  ‘Did you not hear me before? Don’t be daft. I don’t have many friends and the ones I do have wouldn’t hurt a fly. I’m tired now, so if you’re not going to arrest me, I’d like you to leave. As far as I’m concerned, the man who hurt my baby got everything he deserved.’

  Kat handed Mrs Parker a card. ‘Thanks for your time. If you think of anything else, our number is there. You can call at any time.’

  ‘We’ll be in touch.’

  Kat and Maggie returned to the pool car.

  ‘What did you make of that, Kat?’

  ‘She was angry, but I don’t think she had anything to do with Talbot’s murder. Way too frail. She’s just concerned about her daughter. Do you think she was involved?’

  ‘My gut instinct is no, she wasn’t. But can we rule her out completely? I mean, she sure has motive. You saw her daughter. What Talbot did to her was vicious. I don’t think we should cross her off the list just yet.’

  CHAPTER TEN

  Finishing work without any further major incidents, Lucy arrived home tired. When she opened the door, she was met by an excited Siobhan. Well, at least Patrick remembered to pick her up.

  ‘Hey, sweetie! Where’s your dad?’