Taunting the Dead (30 page)

Lee stared him out. ‘Don’t think you can knock me to the floor again, big boy.’

‘You touch her again and I swear to God, I’ll kill you!’

‘Touch who?’ Lee frowned. ‘What the fuck are you going on about?’

‘I’m talking about my wife.’

‘I haven’t done anything to your wife.’

‘Listen here, you little fucker. If it wasn’t for the cameras, I wouldn’t be held responsible for my actions.’

Unable to work out what he was on about, Lee continued. ‘Give me some money and then I’ll be on my way.’

‘You’re getting nothing from me.’ Shaun shook his head and then took a step away. ‘Not a fucking penny.’

‘I want five grand by lunchtime tomorrow or else my old man gets to know the truth.’

‘Like who really killed Steph Ryder?’

Lee took a deep intake of breath. It didn’t go unnoticed by Shaun, who moved in closer.

‘You thought I wouldn’t work it out? I must admit, it took me a while but it was so obvious when it did click.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘I didn’t kill Steph. You know that I didn’t kill Steph. And if you know that I didn’t kill Steph, then how the fuck would you know who did?’

Lee began to blink rapidly.

‘The only way you would know is if you were there.’

‘Five grand.’ Lee looked Shaun straight in the eye hoping to get the better of him. He couldn’t fuck up again. ‘Or everyone will know.’

‘How about you keep your mouth shut for nothing or everyone will know that you killed Steph.’

‘Five grand.’ Lee repeated.

‘Two words. Fuck. Off. You’ve done enough damage hitting out at my wife and –’

‘I haven’t done anything to your wife,’ Lee interrupted.

‘Shaun, what’s going on?’

Shaun swung round as he heard Carole’s voice behind him. Shit, trust her to appear now. He gave her a false smile, hoping it would pacify her. ‘I’m sorting something out. You go in. I won’t be long here.’

Shaun speaking to Carole gave Lee enough time to wriggle out of his grasp and get back in his car. He screeched off before he could threaten him again.

‘That was Lee Kennedy, wasn’t it?’ Carole asked as she joined him on the pavement. ‘Christ, we’ll have had the whole family on the doorstep soon.’

‘I got in touch with him to see if he could put the word out. See if he could find out who attacked you.’

Carole sighed. ‘Let it drop, now.’ She wrapped her arms around his waist. ‘I’m okay. That’s all that matters, surely?’

‘You could have been killed.’

‘That’s a little dramatic coming from someone who let rip on one of the druggies. And besides,’ she kissed him gently on the cheek, wincing slightly in pain. ‘It got us to sit down and talk, didn’t it?’

Shaun hugged her. Yes, for once, it had served its purpose. Last night they’d cleared the air. Steph’s death plus the assault had made both of them think about what they had and what they could lose. Like a lot of couples in long marriages, they’d taken each other for granted. Together they realised they’d been given a second chance.

‘Yes, you’re right,’ he said. ‘Come on. Let’s get you in out of this cold weather.’

Before he went back inside the restaurant, Shaun took one last look up and down the street to make sure that that freak had gone. He couldn’t see him anywhere.

But, one thing was certain. He knew Lee Kennedy wouldn’t give up. If he’d killed Steph and come back to see him after a good beating, either he had to come up with the money to keep him sweet – which he couldn’t – or he was going to have to sort him out.

At four p.m., Allie was in Nick’s office updating him with their findings. ‘We need to check out this secret compartment, sir,’ she said. ‘We need to interview Phil Kennedy again, see what his take is on him screwing around with Steph Ryder. It could be his baby. We need to question Terry Ryder about the alleged assault. And we need –’

‘Of course Carole Morrison could be lying to cover up her own tracks,’ Nick broke in.

‘I doubt –’

‘If she is having an affair with Ryder, she could want him for herself. Maybe she saw an opportunity to do away with the competition.’

Allie shook her head. ‘Maybe Ryder assaulted her because she knows too much? Maybe she was about to say something that would land him in it. I’m not sure but we’ll need to question them both again – Carole Morrison to see if she knows any more than she’s telling me and Ryder about the alleged assault. We need to dig deeper.’

‘Allie.’ Nick hung up his coat before turning back to her. ‘I know I told you to use your womanly charms but don’t you think you’re taking things a little too far?’

‘Excuse me?’ Allie raised her eyebrows to show her annoyance.

‘You seem to be on some personal vendetta.’

‘But you asked me to –’

‘What? You haven’t got a mind of your own?’

‘I believe my instincts are –’

‘Sometimes what we want to believe is not always the truth. Carole Morrison could be a suspect just as much as Terry Ryder. You still need to stay objective, Sergeant.’

Allie couldn’t believe her ears. It was Nick who’d told them to get under Ryder’s skin, to find out everything she could about him. What was this tack, all of a sudden?

‘I thought I
was
being objective,’ she pointed out. ‘I’ve been going over things from every possible angle. If you’re questioning my integrity, sir, then I –’

‘If
I’m
questioning?’ The warning look on Nick’s face told her she was going too far. ‘Close the door for a moment, Allie.’

Allie did as she was told, the same when he motioned for her to sit down.

‘What is it about Terry Ryder?’ said Nick.

‘I’m not sure,’ she replied, hardly daring to look at him. Even the sound of Terry’s name was enough to make her blush. ‘There’s something about him.’

‘Something about him?’

‘I can’t explain it but it’s like he has this… power.’ Nick waited for her to elaborate but she couldn’t. ‘There’s just… something.’

‘So, you think he attacked Carole Morrison? She’s now telling you there’s a compartment hidden in a wardrobe. Did you see anything when you looked through Steph’s clothes on Saturday?’

‘No.’

‘And did any of the other officers?’

‘No.’

‘But you chose to believe her over Terry Ryder. Why?’

‘I don’t have any reason not to. And from the sound of it we wouldn’t have seen the compartment anyway. It was built to be missed.’

‘But what makes you certain that she isn’t involved in this too?’

‘I saw what he did to her!’

‘So –’

‘Do you think I’d put myself in danger for that… that bastard!’

‘Are you asking me or was that a rhetorical question?’

Allie felt tears of frustration brimming. She tried to calm herself. ‘I saw what he did to Carole Morrison,’ she repeated.

‘You don’t have the proof that it was him.’

‘Then let me get it for you.’

‘How?’

‘Let me question him about this compartment first before getting a search warrant. If he won’t let me look, it could mean he’s got something to hide.’

‘So when we go back with a warrant and he’s moved whatever is supposed to be in this compartment to somewhere else, what will happen then?’

‘There might not be anything in there!’

‘Exactly!’ Nick drummed his fingers on the desk for a moment. ‘Have you any idea how long the investigation into his affairs has been going on? I already have the DCI breathing down my neck to solve this case and move away from Ryder so we can continue surveillance on the car washes and his dirty money. One false move from you and that could all be put in jeopardy.’

Allie thought Nick was going to refuse her request. She breathed again when he nodded.

‘Okay, but do it with a warrant and only search that room. And I sincerely hope you find something. If Ryder thinks we’re on to him, he could go to ground. And Allie?’

Already at the door, she stopped.

‘No mention of the alleged assault either. We’ll play this nice and calmly.’

Head held high, Allie left Nick’s office and walked to the only place she knew she would find a minute’s peace. She locked the cubicle of the toilet and slapped her hand on the wall a few times, hoping to rid herself of her excess energy. Fuck. Fuck. FUCK!

How dare Nick say that she was getting too close! Damn him. Couldn’t he see that she was using it to her advantage and not simply for her advantage?

But his insinuations made her wonder if she was really behaving in a professional manner. Had she got too close in the hope of finding out the truth? Or had she let Terry Ryder manipulate her, like she knew he intended?

Damn that man for getting underneath her skin.

‘Allie, are you okay?’ Sam asked as she knocked gently on the door. ‘You’re not feeling sick again?’

‘Sick of this case.’ Allie opened the door and glanced at Sam sheepishly. ‘Do you think we should always follow our gut feelings, Sam?’

‘Of course we should.’ Sam frowned. ‘Why, you’re not doubting yourself, are you?’

‘I don’t know.’ Allie sighed. ‘I’m not sure I know anything right now.’

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

‘You look tired,’ Mark said when Allie finally got home that evening around eight. ‘I have a glass of wine with your name on it and I’ve ordered in some food.’

They sat at the kitchen table. The conversation flowed but she couldn’t tell Mark about her day. They both knew she couldn’t discuss certain aspects of it at any time but Mark sometimes added another dimension that she’d missed, especially when working so closely. And she had been working too closely on this one.

Her eyes brimmed with tears as she recalled what happened to Carole Morrison. ‘It’s such a mess, Mark,’ she told him, unable to tell him about the assault. ‘I should be used to the sights that I see all the time, but everyone is still an individual. I don’t understand people at times.’

Mark reached across the table for her hand.

‘I know you think I’m mad because I want to do this job,’ she continued. ‘But it’s because I’m able to get to the bottom of such atrocities that I want to do it. I want to hunt down the bastard who murdered Steph Ryder and ask them,’ she paused and shook her head trying to rid herself of the images within, ‘“why did you hit her again and again? Twice may have been enough, once even because of the force. But why over and over and over again? Why had she made you so mad?”’

‘Do you have any leads?’ Mark asked. ‘Is it Ryder?’

‘Anything’s possible at the moment.’ Allie sighed and sat back in her chair again. ‘It all seems so… so pointless.’

They moved through to the living room. But at half past ten, Allie’s mind still refused to switch off. She sat on the sofa, feet curled up underneath her, wine glass at her side. Mark sat across from her on the armchair, feet up on the coffee table, slippers cast aside. He was laughing at some sitcom. He glanced over in her direction and she smiled as if she’d caught the joke but she wasn’t listening. She was trying to pick holes in Carole Morrison’s story. Each time she came back to the same conclusion. Terry Ryder was covering something up and it was only a matter of time before they put together the rest of the clues.

Checking out the hotel room had been a minor detail that she’d been thankful for but she couldn’t yet rule out that he’d used a different name. Or that he had checked in with someone else, using their name. It would take time to figure out but she’d put Matt onto it first thing in the morning. Get him down to the hotel in Derby and also get him to check with any known associates of Terry’s from the list he’d given to them.

What she couldn’t get out of her mind was what Terry had done to Carole. Surely Carole couldn’t be lying? She had seen her at The Gables barely an hour earlier. And if she was telling the truth, there’d be evidence, blood to check in the family room.

Was Terry Ryder really capable of lashing out at a woman like that? It had been obvious that he didn’t love Carole, that he thought of her as a piece of meat that he could use and abuse on his say-so. And what about this so-called secret compartment? Could they have missed something? And did Nick really think she’d cocked up?

Mark sat watching Allie while she was deep in thought. He half expected to hear the whirrs and clicks inside her brain as she worked through things. Sometimes he didn’t mind so much that she’d chosen to go into the police force after the attack on her sister. The majority of cases involved men or victims of domestics and were sewn up pretty quickly. There had been one case involving a serial killer in Stafford and Allie had worked on that as part of a larger investigation, but most of the time she was able to cope ‒ if the killer was caught.

If the killer wasn’t caught, that was when Allie became unbearable. He’d lost count of the friendships she’d ruined over the years as she’d put off her social life to sift through another pile of case notes, revisit another witness in person. She would work her fingers to the bone going over and over old ground until there was nothing else to check. Only then would she admit defeat.

The first time it had happened was when a seventeen-year-old girl was strangled and dumped on wasteland off the Tunstall bypass. Allie had only recently moved over to the murder squad as a detective constable. Mark had come home to find her in a heap on the bathroom floor, crying inconsolably and wishing she could do more for her family. She wanted to catch the bastard, couldn’t understand why they hadn’t. Even as he’d held her, he’d known she was crying over losing her sister.

She’d been like that on several occasions since, could be like that for days, a black cloud hanging over her when she was at home. Nothing he did could shake it, not until she was ready to accept there wasn’t anything more to be done. He bore the brunt of it, whatever. Because he loved her. Because he’d known Karen before the attack and had seen what it had done to her, ripping the dreams of life away. He’d seen their father, Roy, die of a heart attack, brought on by the constant fight to find the monster that had left his elder daughter for dead. It had consumed him as much as it consumed Allie now, for when he’d died, she’d taken on his burden. Every new case, every new DNA sample, every new attack was a reminder because she questioned everything, checked everything constantly, waiting for the attacker to slip up. What she really needed was closure, to rid her of the guilt of being late. Mark doubted she’d get it now. Not after fourteen years.