Reprobates (28 page)

‘It
’s not as bad as it looks. I’ve just reworded it. You need to write it from a sergeant’s perspective,’ he said inviting her to sit opposite him. He passed the papers over the desk. ‘Now, you have a read of that and let me know what you think. Don’t just agree with my alterations. It’s your application remember not mine.’

Vicky studied the suggested amendments carefully. She could see that where she had put things like
‘I was involved’ he had changed the wording to read, ‘I took charge.’ Which was true. ‘It’s good,’ she said. ‘Let them try to paper sift that. Thanks, boss,’ she said with a smile. She started to rise from her chair.

‘
I want to see it again when it’s typed up,’ Dylan said. ‘And check it. You would be surprised how many people don’t check their application for typing errors or spelling mistakes. Remember typists are human too,’ he said.

‘
Will do.’

‘
Jump one hurdle at a time. Get through the paper sift then it’s onto the role playing and interviews. You can do it, so get positive.’

‘
Give us a shout if you want any help with yours, boss,’ she said.

His look gave her his answer.

There was a knock on the door.

‘Sir,
’ said Paul. ‘I think there is something that you should know.’

‘Go on,
’ said Dylan. Paul’s serious tone cast a dark shadow over his face.

‘You
’re not going to believe this but we’ve found a photo of Penny Sanderson, the cleaner, with Richard Bryant at his home address... And there’s more, he has Warfarin, rat poison amongst his drugs next to a bag of knuckle bones.’

Dylan stopped what he was doing.
‘He doesn’t have a bloody dog... but I do. My God, that might explain a few things. Are you absolutely sure?’

‘I
’m sure, sir. Do you think the cleaner’s involved?’

‘I
’d have said I’d bare my arse on the Town Hall steps if Penny was involved in anything sinister but...’

‘Oh my God,
’ said Vicky. ‘She needs to be spoken to as a matter of urgency.’

‘
Uniform are at her home but she’s not answering,’ said Andy.

Dylan rolled his sleeves back.
‘No, that’s because she’s probably already at our house by now. I’m supposed to be at Prego...’ he looked at his watch. ‘She’s babysitting Maisy.’

Both Paul and Vicky looked to Dylan for direction. He picked up his mobile phone.

***

Jen meanwhile was standing talking to Vittorio at the bar. Her phone vibrated. She picked it up and read the message before tossing it in her bag.

‘Delayed?’ asked Vittorio, who was in his shirt sleeves drying glasses. ‘That man of yours, he works too hard,
amica
. Like him,’ he said casting his eye in the direction of a man sitting at the table in the corner who was working on his laptop.

‘
So tell me something I didn’t know,’ said Jen. Vittorio the manager shrugged his shoulders. ‘Never mind we will look after you until he gets here won’t we, Lidia?’ he asked, flicking his head in the direction of the owner who was making her way from the restaurant. Lidia had the biggest, friendliest smile on her face. She reached out to hug Jen.

‘Oh no,
’ she said sharing glances with Vittorio over Jen’s shoulder. ‘Prosecco is called for here I think Vitto, to cheer our friend up,’ she said.

‘
Sounds like a plan,’ said Jen with a smile.

‘
Salute
!’ the ladies said in unison as they raised their glasses.

Dylan was in his car driving with the speed and experience of someone who had been making instant response calls to police related incidents for a number of years. The unmarked CID car with Vicky and Paul in it followed his vehicle also at speed. They rode as close as safety allowed on his tail lights. Dylan sped down the country lanes of the Sibden Valley under the darkness of the cloudy sky. The heater was blowing warm air to clear the windscreen. Dylan
’s eyes felt dry and burned as unblinking he concentrated hard on the twists and turns of the long, dark country road ahead.

It was nearly half past eight when Dylan
’s car reached the driveway of the house. His heart that under extraordinary police related circumstances stayed calm started to beat erratically in his chest. The lights in the house were on and everything appeared as normal. As Dylan got out of his car the CID car pulled in behind him. Dylan looked back at his colleagues as he walked down the pathway. As he put his key in the door he felt a tremor inside. Maisy could be heard sobbing. He felt a moment of relief. Max raced down the stairs to greet him. Instinct told Dylan that Maisy and Penny were upstairs. He grabbed hold of the handrail and raced up the stairs two at a time. Vicky and Paul with a well-practiced search sweep checked all the rooms downstairs. Dylan pushed open the door to the nursery and found Penny sitting with Maisy on her knee, reading a book. His daughter’s sobbing ceased. Relief overwhelmed him but the mask of the detective served him well. Maisy had her dummy in her mouth. At first she blinked her eyes unbelievingly at seeing her daddy standing before her. Her lashes were wet. Then a big grin spread across her face. She spit the dummy out and sat upright on Penny’s knee. She reached up to him.

‘Jack,
’ Penny said, her pale white face looked startled. ‘What are you doing here? Jen’s waiting for you at Prego.’

‘
Shall I take her?’ he asked quietly, reaching out for Maisy.

‘
No, I can manage. I was just going to get her teething gel. She will be fine once I’ve found...’ she said as she struggled to get to her feet from the low seat with Maisy in her arms. Dylan put his hands swiftly out for Maisy and pulled her to him before Penny could protest further.

‘
When I find the gel,’ she said, opening the top drawer of the dresser and fumbling around frantically. Shuffling footsteps could be heard climbing the stairs and Penny looked over Dylan’s shoulder. She saw Vicky at the doorway and Paul behind her.

‘
What’s happening?’ she said.

‘
I want you to come with us,’ said Vicky stepping inside the nursery. ‘We need to ask you some questions Penny about a serious matter. Probably down at the station would be best.’

‘
What questions?’ she said looking bewildered. ‘Can’t we do it tomorrow? I’m looking after Maisy. Can’t you see that?’ she said looking backwards and forwards to her, then Dylan.

‘It
’s quite urgent, Penny,’ said Vicky. ‘And if you’re wondering where your boyfriend Richard Bryant is, he’s locked up for murder.’

‘I
’ll look after Maisy. Penny you go with them,’ Dylan said holding his daughter close.

‘
Richard? But he wouldn’t hurt a fly. What’s all this about, Jack? Am I being arrested?’

‘
No, not at this moment in time, but I think it’s best we talk at the station,’ said Vicky.

Penny willingly went with the officers.

‘I don’t see how I can help you,’ he heard her say as they went down the stairs.

***

Dylan found Jen in the lounge area of Prego. She was sitting laughing surrounded by Vittorio, Lidia, Kelly, Sarah and Eugene Regis.

‘
Dylan! They all know Eugene and he knows you and Maisy? Maisy? What are you doing here?’ she said jumping off her stool. A little unsteadily she walked towards Dylan and held her arms out for her daughter.

‘Eugene,
’ Dylan said with a nod of his head.

‘He
’s been telling me all about him and Vicky...’ she said with a puzzled look on her face. ‘She’s a dark horse. She never said she was going out with him. Where’s Penny?’ she said looking over his shoulder towards the door. ‘Is everything alright?’ she whispered.

Dylan reached for Jen
’s hand and when he found it he squeezed it tightly. His face was serious.

‘I
’ll get you a drink,
amico
,’ said Vitto. ‘You look as if you could do with one.’

‘
Let me take the little one,’ said Lidia. Used to Lidia, Maisy was happy to be carried off to the foyer of the Waterfront Hotel anticipating with excitement the attention she knew she would get there from the staff.

‘
Jen, we need to talk,’ said Dylan. ‘Excuse us Eugene, Vittorio.’

‘
Of course.’

‘
If you need me?’ Eugene said to Dylan.

‘Thank you,
’ he said.

‘
If you would like to come this way, sir. Your table is ready for you, Mr Regis,’ Vittorio said.

***

Jen looked flushed. Her chin quivered; her knees shook. ‘Could I have a drink of cold water, please?’ she said as Kelly who was behind the bar brought a glass of Jack Daniel’s and Coke and placed it on the table in front of Dylan. Dylan gently withdrew his hand from Jen’s and placed two hands upon either side of her face. He gathered her towards him and held her close. ‘I think you’d better sit down,’ he said gently. ‘I have something to tell you.’ The couple sat facing each other. Dylan now held both Jen’s hands in his.

As if in slow motion, on hearing what he was telling her, Jen closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. She was quite clearly not able to comprehend what he told her. He could only watch her chest rise and fall quickly as her face gave away nothing. Dylan talked on. He leaned towards her seeing her distress and eventually held her tightly when he
’d finished. Her head fell on his shoulder. He saw her open her eyes wide and look up into his face. The light threw a faint shadow, so that her forehead and eyes seemed more dim and elusive than her mouth. Jen said nothing but she didn’t take her eyes off him. Neither of them saw the waitress approach them with the glass of cold water. Jen was paralysed and voiceless. Her lashes wet.

Dylan took the glass from Kelly
’s outstretched hand and held it to Jen’s lips. Some of the water ran down her chin onto her neck. Jen put her hand up to catch it and Dylan offered her his handkerchief.

‘
She okay? Can I get you anything else,’ said Kelly.

‘She
’ll be fine, thanks. We’ll be fine,’ said Dylan.

It was all beginning to make sense to Jen. All the attention Penny had been showing in Dylan
’s work. But she could never forgive her for the danger she had put them in.

Dylan
’s phone bleeped. ‘Jane Simpson’s fingerprints have been identified from marks lifted from the mirror in a jewellery box at Kirsty Gallagher’s house,’ he read.

‘
What is it?’ Jen asked. ‘Do you need to go?’ her eyes were suddenly full of anxiety.

‘
No, no it’s not important,’ he said. ‘You are. Are you okay?’

‘I
’m just glad I know you’re not going anywhere tonight.’ she said.

It had been established that Jane Simpson had been at Kirsty Gallagher
’s home. How did she know her? Would this turn out to be another case of joint enterprise? Who else was involved? Dylan’s head was spinning as he sat at the breakfast table.

‘
What’s going on in that head of yours?’ Jen said.

‘
Just trying to understand who murdered who and why?’

‘Jack, I
’ve been thinking. Penny can’t be involved with these people. Maybe the new love of her life wasn’t all she thought but... I can’t believe she doesn’t care about us. Me and Penny... we’ve been through too much together. There has to be a reason.’

‘We
’ll it’s eluding me. After they’ve interviewed her I hope I’ll have some sort of explanation for you.’

Jen
’s face took on a look of torment. ‘At this moment in time I want to rip her head off her shoulders. She was supposed to be my friend. I’ve been used, haven’t?’

‘It
’s looking that way.’

‘
How can you be so calm about it? Do you think Richard Bryant has been to our house when we were at work.’

Jen sat down next to him and he held her hand.

‘Try not to think about it.’

‘No, I can
’t believe that she would do it… not knowingly. He’s basically a stranger to her and we are, were, her friends.’

‘
She thinks the sun shines out of his backside. Remember, he is probably just using her to find out what we, the police know about him and his so-called friends. When she finds out about the other women in his life her world is going to implode. I guess that’s when it’ll sink in just what she’s done.’

‘
Will she go to prison? Her kids Carly and Toby what will happen to them?

‘
Assisting offenders? Maybe. I don’t know.’

‘
She had better stay away from me.’

‘I
’m sure she won’t come anywhere near. We can’t change anything about what’s happened but it does show how vulnerable you, we can all be. Let’s not let it fester. I’ll keep you updated.’

‘
You look very smart,’ she said as she held onto his suit jacket lapels, before kissing him goodbye. ‘Definitely Chief Inspector material,’ she said. Her face was puffy, her eyes looked red and sore.

‘
Not very subtle,’ he said, touching her face. He kissed her nose. ‘Vicky’s done with her application and I’ll get round to mine before the due date.’

Jen looked at him with suspicion in her eyes.

‘I promise.’

‘
Good. Tell me something. Be honest. Do you think I am naive?’ Jen’s lips turned down at the corners.

‘
Sometimes,’ he said quietly.

Jen held onto him a little longer than usual.
‘I’ll try and get some answers for you, Jen.’ He said.

***

Nothing could be as clear and as tranquil as the morning drive into work. There had been a heavy dew, and the grass in the Sibden Valley sparkled with it.

There was an old wives
’ tale that a corpse would bleed when the murderer was brought into its presence... how he wished that superstition was true; it would certainly make his job a lot easier.

The police station yard was full of cars and he was thankful for his allocated parking spot. It seemed everyone was in early with as much desire to get the job in the bag as he was.

‘What came out of the chat with Penny last night?’ Dylan asked as soon as he saw Vicky.

‘
Well she’s obviously besotted by Richard Bryant. In her own words she said, “I’ve never loved anyone like...” and you can guess the rest. We locked her up on suspicion of theft of documents from the police station, which she was well pissed off at. Her house is about to be searched shortly,’ Vicky said. ‘Oh, she knew about the gun. She was told it was an imitation, she says. How’s Jen taking it?’

‘
Not good. Apart from blaming herself one minute, she wants to kill Penny the next.’

***

At the morning briefing Dylan shared with the team the fingerprint information and asked, ‘Do we have any other connections that we know about, between this group?’

There was nothing forthcoming. The room was silent but the atmosphere was brimming with expectation. They awaited updates from Forensic with anticipation.

‘I want an Anacapa Chart creating showing the links we have established between Derek Harper, Jane Simpson, Richard Bryant, Barrington Cook and now Penny Sanderson, the two deceased Kirsty Gallagher and Billy Simpson and also include anyone else who is linked by telephones, vehicles or premises. It may just show us the relationship between these people and others we don’t know about yet,’ he told Ruth who was the person doing the Crime Pattern Analysis. ‘At least then we will have a visual check that is readily available for all, as new evidence and data unfolds.’

Dylan was satisfied he had the people responsible in custody, what he now needed for the Courts was the true interpretation of what had happened and why. He always got impatient, when things were going well. He wanted to sprint to the end, but he knew
‘it would all come out in the wash.’ Jane Simpson would have to be produced from prison and arrested and interviewed in respect of the Kirsty Gallagher murder. Arrangements would have to be made with the Courts and the Prison authorities for her to be remanded to police cells for questioning. This wasn’t simply a couple of telephone calls. It would require written reports incorporating specific details of her detention arrangements. Dylan set Vicky and Paul on with it. ‘Good experience, lots of red tape,’ he told them with a glint in his eye.

That delegation allowed him to look at the advertisement for Chief Inspector and he set about typing up his own application. Using operational incidents he had commanded to emphasise his personal skills and necessary requirements of the next rank. To his amazement on completion, he was quite pleased with it. He didn
’t have the luxury of some time to spend re-writing it. However, he was satisfied the content supported his application. But before being sent off to HQ it would have to go to the Divisional Commander for his support and comments. Dylan addressed the envelope that he’d marked Personal and Private to Chief Superintendent Walter Hugo-Watkins’ secretary, Janet. This way at least he knew it would be recorded and be dealt with in accordance with force procedural time constraints. He wished he could see the look on Hugo-Watkins face when he read it. One of shock, perhaps? Hugo-Watkins would already be nurturing his favourite applicants for the next rank. Dylan was already questioning the integrity of the system and he had only completed the first stage of the procedure. But the deed was done as he’d promised Jen it would be. It was double space typed and sent as officially directed. He would pop it to Janet tonight before he left. Back to reality he told himself as he looked at the brown A4 envelope. Who was he kidding, really? Detective Chief Inspector Jack Dylan?

The Incident Room outside his office continued to be industrious.

‘Boss, update from Forensic. We have confirmation that it is human blood in the handle of Bryant’s stiletto knife and not only that they are confident of getting a profile,’ Detective Sergeant Paul Robinson said.

‘
Good.’

‘
I can go one better, boss, Forensic have put Kirsty Gallagher in Bryant’s van by way of her blood.’ Vicky smiled sweetly at Paul.

‘
That’s great news. I knew it. I wonder? What if we produce Harper and Bryant at the same time as Jane Simpson is in? We could cell them up so they could talk to each other, having made sure they know the others are in the cells, of course.’

‘
That’s devious, boss,’ Vicky said. ‘So I’m guessing we would listen in and record their conversation? They’ll have to be produced from prison to the cells because of the new evidence, to give them an opportunity to make comment if they wish, won’t they?’

‘
CPS won’t like it. Will they accept it as evidence if it’s not under caution?’ asked Paul.

‘
Probably not,’ said Dylan. ‘But we might glean something from their conversation that we can put to them in interview. They wouldn’t feel so restricted during the night in the police cell would they and they might just try to make contact as they do by shouting to each other.’

Dylan knew that any conversation the prisoners had would be unsolicited so it would be a decision for the trial Judge as to its admissibility in court. It was worth the risk and an opportunity he couldn
’t miss. He would write up his decision in his policy book. He took out his pen and opened the policy book at a new page.

‘
The suspects charged in connection with the murders of Billy Simpson and Kirsty Gallagher need to be produced from their respective prisons to police cells so that they can be afforded the opportunity to make comment, should they wish to do so, on new evidence in connection with the offence charged and also the one that they are still suspected of. Derek Harper will also require producing from prison to police cells to afford him the opportunity also to comment on new evidence in connection with the offences he is charged with. Whilst it is necessary to question them about the new evidence, out of their presence in one police cell area arises an opportunity to take note of any unsolicited conversations that may arise by the defendants shouting to each other and whilst being unaware of police presence in the cell area corridor.’

Vicky Hardacre rang Dylan from Penny Sanderson
’s home. ‘Ned is nearly having a coronary at the sex aids that he is having to seize as exhibits.’

Dylan smiled.
‘Anything else of note?’

‘
We have more police documents marked confidential, print outs from our computers, it seems she’s been helping herself.’

‘
So we basically have theft of paper to charge her with?’

‘Yes. She
’s mortified at being here but I don’t honestly think she knows a lot more than she has already told us according to DC Wormald who has just interviewed her.’

***

‘I’m going to shoot off and see how Jen’s doing,’ Dylan said. He was on his feet when his telephone rang. He hesitated. In his head he could hear Jen’s voice telling him to ‘leave it.’

He strode out of the door. He had his promotion application in his hand and passing Janet
’s office he popped it in her in tray. Janet acknowledged Dylan but kept on typing.

Rita was heading towards him down the corridor.

‘And before you say anything, this thing that Ned Granger decided to put in my temporary store, fully blown up I might add,’ she said. ‘This should come with a government warning, not an instruction manual.’ Rita stood a full sized blow-up doll in a full set of lacy white underwear in front of him, from where it had been tucked under her arm. The blonde Marilyn Monroe lookalike appeared nothing like the picture on the booklet. Rita grinned and her smile made her look younger than her fifty years of age. ‘How does that?’ she said pointing to the plastic effigy, ‘look remotely like that?’ she said moving her pointed finger to the image on the manual that was tied to the doll’s wrist by a plastic handcuff. The doll’s short, blonde, curly, nylon wig looked like something only a granny would wear and her puckered red lips that were formed in a perfect ‘O’ were indented with a two inch wide hole. But her eyes that were blue like it said, it was true, were the funniest of all as they stared back at her, cross eyed.

‘
Knowing Ned he will have put it there to shock you.’

‘
Shock me? He should know I’m too long in the tooth to be shocked by anything I find in my property store, Dylan,’ she said matter-of-factly. Then her face softened. ‘Is Jen okay? What a blow for her, if it’s true what Penny has done.’

‘She
’ll be alright. I think the most frightening thing for her is that she trusted Penny to look after the most precious things in her life and although she didn’t hurt Maisy I think she might have indirectly nearly killed Max.’

‘
But why would she do such a thing?’

‘
I don’t know the full details yet, but the only thing I can think is that she was so infatuated with Richard Bryant that she did everything she could to please him. Including the sex toys and getting information from our works computers for him.’

‘
Why did he want that sort of information?’

‘
I don’t know. I think we are only just seeing the tip of the iceberg with this gang, Rita and we’re just scratching the surface of that. Goodness knows how big the distribution network is. By the way, that inflatable isn’t that bad looking. Not when you’ve seen what I’ve seen lurking in dark corners in nightclubs around here, believe me,’ he laughed.