Jasmine, Rose Petals and Murder: A gripping crime fiction full of mystery and suspense by Sam Christer

Author:Sam Christer [Christer, Sam & Christer, Sam]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Jentas Books
Published: 2024-04-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 32

Brighton

Back at the police station, Kate makes coffees for her and Wendy. Not because either of them needs any more caffeine, but because she’s putting off ringing Steve.

She’s also delaying calling her boss to say that, despite her very clear instructions to the contrary, she didn’t persuade Ciara O’Cleary to come in voluntarily for questioning and didn’t then arrest her on the spot.

‘Thanks,’ Wendy says, taking the coffee mug from her and watching Kate return to the desk, butted face-to-face to hers. ‘Soooo – are you going to call him and say what we talked about?’

‘I am. Right now. Right this minute.’

I’m not. He’s going to be an arse and kick off big style, I know he is. I’m not ready for that.

Hoping to further delay the unpleasantness, she taps the spacebar of her computer to illuminate the screen, then logs into her inbox. There’s a follow-up email from Professor Collins. A long list of links to research papers, some emails and phone numbers for medical experts and a few words of advice: ‘I hope all of the above is helpful. If I were you, I’d start with Emil Vestergaard, he’s lecturing in London at the moment. I’ve left a message on his mobile that you might call.’

‘Come on, mate,’ Wendy urges, ‘get your big-girl pants on and make that call.’

‘I will, I will. Stop nagging.’

Or just don’t ring him at all. Totally ghost the shithead. That’s what he deserves.

Kate picks up her mobile and sees she’s missed a call from Amita. She holds it up to show Wendy. ‘Annie Oakley. I’d best return her call first.’

Her friend shakes her head in mock despair.

‘With any luck, I’ll get voicemail,’ Kate says as she rings.

Three seconds later, she hears ‘DI Khan.’

‘Ma’am, it’s Kate Darroch, I’m returning your call.’

‘Where are we with O’Cleary?’

‘Well, I finally caught up with her at her flat, and we had quite a chat actually –’

‘Be brief,’ Amita snaps. ‘The CPS wanted a break – code for a private bitch about us – and they’re walking back into the room as we speak.’

‘In short, O’Cleary refused to come in voluntarily. She said some things though, that –’

‘Am I hearing you right?’ the DI fumes. ‘You were instructed to bring her in, either voluntarily or arrested, so why didn’t you?’

‘Ma’am, I wanted to double-check with you first. Aside from what O’Cleary told me, DC Lynch and I have discovered some information about the Irwins that casts serious doubt on O’Cleary being guilty.’

‘What do you think is more important in a murder investigation, DS Darroch – you having your doubts, or you following the clear orders of your SIO to bring in the number one suspect for questioning?’

Shit, when she puts it like that!

Kate lets out an exasperated sigh. ‘Following your orders, ma’am.’

‘I’m beginning to despair of you. You dodged disciplinary action by saying you were close enough to this woman to make a positive difference in the case, but it doesn’t seem to be working out like that,

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