SHADOW OVER THE FENS a gripping crime thriller full of suspense (15 page)

Joseph decided not to lie. ‘Unofficially, I believe his death is suspicious, and we have to get to the bottom of it.’ He gave her his most sincere look. ‘We really do need your help.’

‘Then I’ll make sure Elizabeth phones you.’

He thanked her and walked back up the lane to his car. As he walked he rang the guv’nor on his mobile and quickly filled her in on what he’d discovered. Just before he signed off he said. ‘You’re right, ma’am. You really do get more done by working from home.’

* * *

Nikki may have liked the thought of Joseph calling Cloud Fen ‘home’ but she didn’t like the look on the Cat Cullen’s face as she approached her. ‘Okay, what’s the matter?’

Cat seemed reticent to speak, but finally said, ‘I’m a bit concerned, guv, about these murder victims? I’m supposing that you’ve noticed that they are both dead ringers, pun not intended, for the bloke you asked me to find. The bloke who was hassling the sarge?’

‘Not the sort of thing that’s easy to miss, actually.’ Nikki wondered how long it would be before she had to let
all
of her staff in on the full story. ‘Have we got a name for the latest victim?’

‘We think he’s David Ryan, also from the Carborough Estate, ma’am. His wife reported him missing this morning. He fits the description, so we’ve sent a car to collect her. Poor cow, she’s got two little kids.’ Cat jammed her hands into her jeans pockets, then looked up directly at Nikki. ‘Is the sarge involved in this in some way?’

‘He may be, Cat,’ said Nikki carefully. ‘But until we’re certain, I can’t say.’

‘An old case come back to haunt him?’

‘Could be.’

‘Then I’d like to help, ma’am. If there’s anything I can do, you know me, I’d rather slit my wrists than betray a confidence.’

Nikki did know that, and hated keeping those closest to her in the dark, but she had Joseph to consider.

Cat was still speaking. ‘Sergeant Easter is a pretty cool guy in my book, ma’am, and I wouldn’t like to think that he was in deep shit and I’d not helped to dig him out, so to speak.’

‘Then keep trying to find the man that Chris Forbes had been hanging around. Find me Snaz.’ She stopped. ‘But Cat, if you do, don’t you dare try to apprehend him, understand? He could be the most dangerous man you’ll ever meet.’

Cat pulled on her denim jacket. ‘Wilco, guv. I’m onto it, and this time I’ll find something.’ With a determined expression, she turned and left the room.

Nikki walked back to her office, and found Dave studying a computer printout.

‘Great timing, guv. We’ve got a picture coming through. It’s about ten years old, but it’s something.’

Nikki nodded. She was desperate to see what Billy Sweet really looked like. ‘Is it from his old regiment?’

‘No, it’s an unofficial one that I sourced from an Internet site set up by ex-military personnel. An old mate of mine used it to find an old para comrade.’

‘I can’t think that anyone sane would want to tie up with this creep. What’s he doing on a site like that?’

‘He’s not listed as a contact, guv. I was checking out his old unit, and he’s in the background of a group shot that someone posted. There’s a list of names beneath it and the computer search homed in on it.’

‘Good work, Dave. Anything from official channels?’

‘Plenty, I’m working through it now, but as you said, the trail goes decidedly chilly when he got himself discharged and went private. Oh, and before I forget, the super rang down a few minutes ago. Wants to see you.’ A whirring sound interrupted him. ‘Ah, here’s the photo now. It’s been cropped and enhanced to isolate your man.’ He took the sheet from the printer tray, looked at it, then passed it to her.

In one fleeting glance, Nikki believed everything Joseph had ever told her about Billy Sweet.

He looked to be in his mid-twenties, with a deeply tanned face and close-cut blond hair. He was holding what Nikki thought maybe a grenade launcher, and was wearing camouflage fatigues. He was smiling at the camera, but when Nikki looked closer, his eyes made her shudder. It was as if the flash had deadened them somehow, made them look cold and lifeless. But somehow she knew that if she ever had the misfortune to meet this man, this was exactly what she would see.

‘That’s good enough, Dave. Skip the age enhancement.’

Dave took it back and stared at it. ‘Fair gives you the willies, doesn’t it? He’s holding that weapon like anyone else would hold a baby, like he loves it.’

‘But his eyes are not exactly loving, are they?’

‘Straight from the freezer, ma’am.’ Dave gave a theatrical shudder. ‘There’s definitely something missing from that young man.’

‘The human part, I think. Print off a load of these, Dave, but only give them to the team. Much as I’d like to swamp the streets with them, I need a bit more proof before I go public.’ She pulled out her phone. ‘And Cat will definitely need one.’

Cat let out a little whoop of delight into her mobile. ‘Great! That will certainly help. On my way back up, ma’am.’

‘I’ve got to see the super, pick it up from Dave. And for the time being this is just between us. Good hunting.’ She closed her phone and turned to Dave. ‘Did the super say what he wanted?’

‘No, ma’am. But he sounded pretty harassed.’

‘Wonderful. I’d better get up there.’

‘Guv, how much does Cat actually know?’

‘Not nearly as much as you, although I can’t leave her in dark for much longer.’

‘Don’t worry, I won’t be gossiping. I’m too damned busy.’

* * *

When Nikki reached the super’s office, he was not alone. Standing by the window, with a sheaf of papers in his hand was Chief Superintendent Ian Walker. Not a man who had ever endeared himself to Nikki, in fact she disliked him intensely, and the feeling was probably mutual.

‘Sorry. I’ll come back later.’ She made to leave, but to her annoyance the super called her back.

‘We both need to talk to you, Nikki. Have a seat.’

She looked from one to the other, and felt a sinking feeling in her gut. Just like the old days! ‘Something wrong, sir?’

‘We don’t know. We have some serious concerns, and would like your opinion.’

The chief placed the papers on the desk, perched on it, just a few feet from her face, and stared directly at her. ‘DS Joseph Easter. I understand he’s on sick leave?’

Nikki nodded uneasily. ‘That’s correct, sir. Superintendent Bainbridge thought he might be stressed by his recent discovery of the body in Salmon Park Gardens.’

‘And what do
you
think about him, Inspector?’ The man’s eyes glittered like a hawk spotting a juicy plump pigeon.

‘I think he’s had a rough few days, but all things considered, I believe he is handling everything exceptionally well.’

‘So you don’t think that he may have returned to active duty too soon?’

‘Not at all. He’s functioning perfectly well. In fact, as we speak he is working from home on some statistics for the superintendent, voluntarily, of course.’ She smiled benignly.

‘Mm.’ To Nikki’s relief, he stood up and returned to his eerie by the window.

‘Sir?’ Nikki turned to Rick Bainbridge. ‘What’s happened? Why the third degree?’

The super shook his head. ‘It’s nothing like that, Nikki. We are just worried about him. About his mental state.’

‘Look at this from our point of view,’ chipped in the human bird of prey. ‘A man who has suffered serious trauma recently returns to work, and in three days is confronted by a broken body in the river, an execution-style slaying, and then falls over a recently butchered man in the park. Do you blame us for asking his senior officer as to whether he’s holding up or not?’

Nikki gritted her teeth so tightly that her jaw ached. ‘Of course not, sir, I’m just not sure that you are listening to my opinion.’

‘There is another thing,’ said the chief, completely ignoring her comment. ‘And I’m referring to last night’s murder. I have spoken personally to both the scene-of-crime officers and the pathologist, and other than blood evidence belonging to the victim, DS Easter’s prints are the only others there. There is nothing to be found on the body, and the scene is free from any other contamination or evidence.’

Nikki’s eyes narrowed. ‘And what exactly does that mean?’

‘Think about it, Inspector. But before you do, is it true that the sergeant was upset by some man leaping in front of his stationary vehicle the other day?’

‘What on earth has that got to do with the murders?’

‘The man in question looked very much like the two dead men, didn’t he?’

Nikki heard the sound of blood rushing in her ears. She had no idea how the chief had got hold of his information, but she really didn’t like where the conversation was going. ‘There was a vague resemblance, I suppose.’

‘I put it to you, Inspector, that there was a marked similarity! I find it very worrying to have two men murdered in this town, who both resemble a man who has upset one of my officers.’ Walker slowly blinked his hooded eyelids.

‘Surely you can’t think that Joseph has anything to do with these deaths?’

‘The killings were carried out by a military-trained assassin. Sergeant Easter, as I believe you already know, has a military background. And thinking about it, he was also in the vicinity of the first murder, in fact he is the only person identified on the railway station’s CCTV around the time of death.’

‘
You,
sir
,
are accusing Joseph of double murder?’

‘No, I’m not, but I’m going to have to suspend him pending further enquiries.’

‘What!’ She jumped up.

‘Nikki, please.’ The super stood up, his eyes begging Nikki to calm down. ‘Just hear us out.’

She flopped backward like a rag doll, and stared up at Rick Bainbridge. This wasn’t happening. ‘Suspension?’ was all she could say.

He looked sadly at her. ‘For his own sake, until we are satisfied that Joseph is in no way involved in all this, he must be relieved of his duties.’

‘Involved?’ Nikki’s voice was husky.

‘Joseph has to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. We have to rule out that he has not suffered more trauma than we suspected.’

‘Sir, I know I’m no shrink, but Joseph is not capable of something like that, and he is perfectly well-balanced.’ Her temper was rising again, and it was getting hard to hold it back. ‘God! Just because he cried after he’d fallen headlong over a horribly mutilated man, you all seem to think he’s a fruitcake! I’m telling you, anyone would have cried, I would and you would! It was a natural reaction. There’s nothing wrong with Joseph’s brain.’

‘It’s not his brain we are talking about, Nikki. It’s his mind. And you know that.’

She did. And she knew an awful lot more than the super or the bloody chief, but for the time being, she needed to keep that very close to her chest.

A heavy silence descended over them, then the super said, ‘He’s still staying with you, isn’t he?’

‘Yes, sir,’ she muttered. ‘For as long as he wants.’

‘Then I’ll come over and see him this evening. I’ll explain everything, and we are all just going to have to work doubly hard to sort this out.’

‘This will devastate him, sir. After all he’s been through, he’s a bloody hero, and this is what happens. Great force we work for, I don’t think!’

The tall, bird-like man at the window coughed loudly. ‘I am still here, Inspector. And I suggest you save your vitriolic comments for the mess room.’ He held her gaze fixedly. ‘Or the sergeant may not be the only one in hot water.’

Nikki bit her tongue and decided that if anyone ever wanted to murder the chief, she’d probably go find them a suitable weapon. But then again, she didn’t want to get thrown off the case, for Joseph’s sake she had to find the killer. Which meant it was time for humble pie, no matter how sick it made her feel.

‘I’m sorry, sir. It’s just the shock. Sergeant Easter is a damned good officer, and all this seems surreal, but I shouldn’t have lost my temper, I realise that.’

‘Apology accepted.’ Then he added, in a pompous tone, ‘On this occasion.’

‘Thank you, sir.’ She looked down, trying hard not to follow it up with “You self-opinionated, arrogant git.” ‘May I go, sir? I need to get my head round this.’

The super nodded. ‘I’ll see you tonight. Around seven,’ he paused, ‘and Nikki, I’d appreciate it if you left it to me to break the news to Joseph. Correct procedure and all that?’

‘Oh, you’re welcome, sir.’

* * *

Having spoken to Janna Hepburn-Lowe and finally getting something positive out of her, Joseph felt better about his enforced sick leave. Maybe he really could put the time to good use, and perhaps it was safer for everyone else if he kept a low profile until someone got a handle on Billy Sweet.

He made himself a coffee, and as he stirred in a spoonful of sugar, admitted to himself that he was having difficulty even thinking about what had happened the night before in Salmon Park Gardens.

He took his coffee to the study, placed it on the desk and pulled a music album from Nikki’s CD rack. As the melodic strains of Coldplay wafted around the small room, he tried to fathom what had caused his ridiculously over-emotional reaction to what had happened. Sure it had been a shock, but he’d seen far worse on the battlefield and not turned into a blubbering bag of jelly.