Dark Spaces (27 page)

Jack tried to do the same. He needed to log the notes he’d taken earlier, particularly Dr Hicks’s preliminary findings, but he just couldn’t settle.

He looked up at the whiteboard covered in scribbles, arrows and photographs. Bang in the centre was one of Lydia Morton-Daley. It was a holiday snap given to Jack by her parents. She was wearing denim shorts and a bikini top, shielding her eyes from the sun, half smiling into the camera.

Next to it was a mugshot of Chloe, her face round and white like a mound of dough waiting for the oven.

Jack had been certain she’d killed Lydia. Sure, she’d come up with the story about a mystery rapist, but not until after he’d found the knife with her prints all over it. And where had he found it? Hidden in Chloe’s bedroom, for the love of God. He’d looked at the evidence and come to a rational conclusion. The same conclusion any copper would have come to.

So why did he feel so bad?

He went back to his notes and began to type half-heartedly with two fingers until Kate passed the open door and mouthed the words ‘you okay?’ at him. Though most of the nick knew they were together, they’d agreed not to make it obvious in work.

Jack shrugged so Kate came in, checking around, ensuring the other officers were busy.

‘Is it true then?’ she whispered.

‘Depends what you’re talking about,’ he replied.

‘That Chloe was raped last night.’

Jack rubbed his face. He needed a shave.

‘It’s true,’ he said.

‘Shit.’

Yup. That about summed it up. Not only had he arrested the wrong person for Lydia’s murder, he’d also allowed the real perp to swan around until he struck again.

‘We’re lucky she’s not dead.’

Kate cocked her head to one side. She always looked sweet when she was perturbed. ‘I don’t think you can make that leap of faith, Jack,’ she said.

‘No?’

‘No.’ She splayed her hands on the desk. Her fingers were long and slender, the nails short and clean and perfectly round. ‘Just because it transpires that Chloe was telling the truth about the rapist doesn’t mean she was telling the truth about killing Lydia.’

‘From where I’m sitting it’s the most logical explanation.’

Kate pressed her lips together. They were covered in something with a slight sparkle that caught the light. God, he wanted to kiss her.

‘You only think that because you’re upset,’ she told him. ‘You’re looking for reasons to blame yourself.’

‘Wouldn’t anyone?’

Kate hesitated as if choosing her words with care. ‘Initially, they would, yes, but then they’d start to reassess the evidence.’

‘Don’t you think I’ve been doing that all morning, love?’

She gave him a small flash of the eyes at his familiarity but he was past caring.

‘Sometimes it’s hard to see the wood for the trees,’ she told him. ‘Especially when you haven’t had any sleep.’

He smiled at her and opened his palms, indicating that she should carry on.

‘The sad fact is that girls like Lydia and Chloe are abused all the time. I bet you could go into any mental hospital, prison or drugs rehab and find a victim of rape.’

‘You reckon?’

Kate nodded her head. ‘There are people who take advantage of the weak.’

Jack knew it to be true. Half the working girls in Luton had been lured onto the game by nasty bastards looking for easy pickings in the care homes.

‘But murder?’ Kate continued. ‘That’s a world away from having sex with someone just because you can.’

‘Maybe whoever killed Lydia did it to avoid detection for the rape,’ said Jack. ‘Maybe it was just a straightforward cover-up job.’

‘It’s possible,’ said Kate. ‘But it was hardly straightforward, was it? I mean, why would you carve a message into her?’

‘To fit Chloe up?’ Jack suggested. ‘You kill Lydia then carve her up so you can plant the knife.’

Kate rolled her eyes. ‘Isn’t the most likely scenario that it was Chloe who killed Lydia? She’s extremely ill and volatile, who knows what goes on in that mind of hers.’

‘But what about the rape? I mean, we know it did happen.’

‘Unconnected,’ said Kate.

Jack exhaled. ‘You really think so?’

‘I really do,’ she said. ‘It’s a red herring. Obviously the defence will seize on it, but it’s a red herring all the same.’

‘So where do we go from here?’ he asked.

‘You’re the senior officer in the case.’ She winked at him. ‘But if it were me, I’d demand Chloe’s records going back to the year dot, then we can all see how crazy this girl is.’

‘I bet they’d make interesting reading.’

‘Too right,’ said Kate. ‘Oh and I’d also haul in that shrink of hers for questioning, insist he stop protecting Chloe and start explaining what exactly is wrong with her.’

At last Jack smiled. Harry Piper was just the type of man Jack detested. Smug and over-entitled. If he were a copper he’d be on the fast-track programme. Dragging him into an interview room would give Jack great pleasure.

Standing in the reception area of the police station, Lilly was fired up.

After her conversation with David, she’d dashed back to the shower, then headed straight out to speak to Jack. She was determined to make him see that Chloe’s rape proved beyond all doubt that she wasn’t involved in Lydia’s death.

‘Can I help you?’ asked the copper without any enthusiasm. Front desk duty was everyone’s most hated job.

‘I’d like to speak to Officer McNally,’ said Lilly. ‘He’s with the MCU.’

The lad (and he was most definitely still a lad) ran his finger along a list of names and extension numbers.

‘Is he expecting you?’

‘Not exactly.’ Lilly watched the finger hovering over the phone. ‘We’re working a case together and it’s vital I see him.’

The lad sighed. He might only be seventeen, but he was clearly already weary of everyone and his wife declaring their case urgent.

‘Tell him it’s Lilly Valentine.’ She slid her card across the desk. ‘He’ll want to see me.’

The lad gave a shrug and dialled the number.

‘No answer,’ he told her.

‘He could be away from his desk,’ Lilly pointed out. ‘You should try his mobile.’

The lad sighed even more theatrically and punched in the number for Jack’s mobile phone. As he waited for an answer, he picked at a scab on his neck until it began to bleed.

‘Gone to voicemail,’ he said.

Lilly tried to be patient and smiled. ‘Could you call one of his colleagues and find out where he is?’

‘I don’t know who his colleagues are,’ he said. ‘It’s a big station.’

Lilly bit her tongue. It was hardly Scotland Yard and it wasn’t beyond the wit of man to try someone else in MCU. Was there any wonder so many people had no faith in the police if this disinterested teen was their first point of contact?

She was about to spell out what the copper should do when she spotted a WPC she recognized skipping through the snow outside the door. Lilly abandoned the extra from
The Inbetweeners
and headed after the WPC. Someone had tried to clear away a path outside but it had frozen over in the night and made the pavement more treacherous. Lilly cursed as she tried not to fall on her arse.

‘Excuse me,’ she called out to the younger woman who was moving with impressive speed towards the car park. ‘Hello there.’

Damn, what was the WPC’s name? Lilly had met her first in court and then again at the Grove when the knife had been found in Chloe’s room. God, Lilly’s memory was hopeless. And it should be easy to conjure up, because she remembered it rang a bell.

Kate. Lilly snapped her fingers. That was it. Kate.

‘Hey, Kate,’ Lilly yelled.

The WPC was almost at the entrance to the car park when she halted and turned. She squinted at Lilly and frowned.

‘Sorry to bother you.’ Lilly trotted towards her, slipping and sliding, her arms flapping. ‘I don’t know if you remember me.’

‘Of course I do.’

‘Oh good,’ said Lilly. ‘It’s just that I’m looking for Jack McNally and I wondered if you might know where he is.’

The WPC didn’t smile. ‘You used my first name.’

‘Sorry,’ said Lilly, with a nervous laugh.

‘How did you know my first name? Did Jack tell you?’

Blimey, this one was hostile. Lilly was used to it of course. As a defence brief she was rarely greeted with warmth. ‘I think Jack used your name when we met at the Grove,’ said Lilly. ‘It kind of stuck in my mind.’

The WPC stared hard.

‘I need to speak to him about the Chloe Church case,’ she said. ‘There have been some developments.’

The WPC folded her arms. ‘You mean the rape.’

The way she said the words, so blunt and cold, made Lilly shiver.

‘You think Jack should drop the charges against your client,’ said the WPC.

Lilly folded her own arms and stared right back at the other woman. Being suspicious of the defence was one thing, but this was taking the piss.

‘I think I should speak to the officer in the case about it,’ she said. ‘And that would be DI McNally.’

‘He won’t change his mind,’ said the WPC.

‘I beg your pardon?’

‘Jack and I discussed it earlier.’ She gave a smile. Well, not really a smile, more the pulling of her facial muscles into the facsimile of one. ‘He’s pushing on with the charges against your client.’

Lilly felt her jaw slacken and instantly clenched her teeth. Jack had been running it past this pair of frosty knickers? Why? She wasn’t even on the team, was she?

‘We’re both in complete agreement about the fact that the rape is unimportant,’ the WPC added.

‘Unimportant?’

‘I think Jack described it as a …’ The WPC scratched her temple. ‘Ah yes, now it’s come to me. He described it as a red herring.’

Lilly was incredulous. Jack was one of the most intelligent and thoughtful coppers she had ever met. It was the thing she most loved about him. Or had been. The old Jack would never have used any of those words about a brutal attack on a vulnerable child. Then again the old Jack would never have used this piece of stone as his sounding board.

‘So where is he?’ she asked.

The WPC gave that weird pretend smile of hers. ‘I believe he’s making an arrest.’

‘Who?’

‘I don’t think I’m at liberty to tell you that.’

‘Never mind, love.’ Lilly caught sight of Jack’s car pulling into the car park. ‘I’ll ask him my bloody self.’

I have to suck in my cheeks to stop myself laughing. When you know people are watching you have to react in a certain way. Like when Jack’s looking at my mouth. I use lip balm so they’ll stick together just a fraction of a second.

But this is all so funny that I’m struggling.

First of all the ex accosted me outside the station. She looked ridiculous tottering about in the snow. I thought she might fall at one point, which would put me in a difficult position, wouldn’t it? Leave her in the slush or touch her.

I tried my utmost to explain to her that there was no point harassing Jack because he’d already made his decision about the fat girl, but some people just don’t listen.

Then when Jack arrived, she almost leapt at him, making some very snide comments about me I might add. Apparently, he shouldn’t be discussing the case with ‘a junior officer’. He was about to put her firmly in her place when lo and behold she spotted the nasty little shrink in the car.

‘Is this a joke?’ she screamed.

‘No joke,’ Jack replied.

‘Then do you mind telling me why the hell you’ve arrested Harry?’

Honestly, I thought she’d jump out of her (not very firm) skin.

‘Perverting the course of justice,’ said Jack.

Then she made this choking noise in her throat and for a second I thought she might have some sort of fit.

‘And what exactly is he supposed to have done?’ she yelled.

‘I don’t think this is the time or place to go into it,’ said Jack.

‘Fine.’ She put her hands on her hips. ‘I’ll see you inside.’

Then she bent forward and spoke to the shrink through the car window. ‘I don’t know what this bullshit is about, Harry, but rest assured I’ll sort it out.’

Like I say, too, too funny.

We watch her now, sloshing her way back to the station entrance, the bottoms of her trousers getting soaked through.

‘Someone’s very cross with you today,’ I say.

‘She’s always bloody cross with me,’ Jack replies.

‘I don’t understand it,’ I say. ‘You’re just doing your job. It’s nothing personal.’

He nods but carries on watching her receding figure.

‘You’d better get His Lordship booked in pronto.’ I nudge Jack with my hip and cock my thumb at the shrink still sat in the back of the car. ‘We don’t want Miss Valentine to blow a gasket.’