When the Evil Waits by M Lee (top fiction books of all time txt) 📕

Ridpath sighed. ‘I’ve just come to work, boss, I don’t know if I’m up to it.’

Claire Trent stared at him. ‘Let me rephrase that. I need you to look at the Carsley case. Start from the beginning, leave no stone unturned, question all our assumptions.’

‘An alternative investigation?’

‘A parallel investigation.’ Claire Trent leant back in her chair. ‘Listen, Ridpath, the press is hounding me, half of Manchester is hassling me, the chief constable is up my bum checking what I’m doing and I’m worried the investigation is heading down so many blind alleys it’s going to get lost. Turnbull is a good copper but he’s a classic SIO – follows the handbook to the letter and lacks your—’

‘Panache?’

‘—Don’t push it. I was going to say enquiring mind. We need a fresh pair of eyes to look at what we’ve done and see where we went wrong.’

‘And I’m the eyes?’

‘And the warrant card.’

Ridpath thought for a moment. ‘What about the coroner?’ Ridpath saw the look on his boss’s face and answered his own question. ‘You’ve already cleared it with her, haven’t you?’

Claire Trent nodded. ‘She was concerned about your health but I reassured her you wouldn’t be pushing too hard, merely looking over our investigation.’

‘And she agreed?’

‘She wants you to help clear the backlog of work in the Coroner’s Office, and, as this is one of their most important cases at the moment, she has – reluctantly – agreed.’ His boss sat forward again. ‘If you want my five pennyworth, Ridpath, you’re happiest when you’re working, when you’ve got a problem to sink your teeth into. All this sitting at home moping isn’t good for you.’

For Ridpath the penny finally dropped. ‘You put pressure on my psychiatrist to sign me off as fit to work, didn’t you?’

Claire Trent sat back again, smiling. ‘She agreed with me that a return to work was in your best interests… and those of the department.’

‘That’s why she still wants to see me?’

‘She felt she wanted to monitor your progress.’

Ridpath was silent for a moment before he said, ‘I’ll need some help.’

Another smile briefly appeared on Claire Trent’s lips. ‘Who do you want?’

‘Emily Parkinson is wasted as the FLO at Carsley’s house. She knows the case already.’

‘You’ve got her. We need to pull her off that duty anyway.’

‘And Chrissy to do some of the legwork.’

‘Very funny, Ridpath. She’s not that mobile any more.’

‘I don’t need her mobility, I need her mind and her facility with the Police computers.’

‘OK, you’ve got them both.’ A long pause. ‘I’ll need a report on my desk before Saturday.’

‘But that’s only three days away.’

She shrugged her shoulders. ‘Three days is a long time in policing.’

He stood up. ‘I’d better get started.’

She passed across a file.

‘What’s this?’

‘The criminal profiler’s report. Read it quickly. He’s convinced the killer will strike again. And soon.’

He took the file and walked to the door.

‘One more thing, Ridpath.’

He turned back slowly to face Claire Trent.

‘Paul Turnbull is not to know. This is your investigation and you report directly to me. Understood?’

‘How can I access the case files without him knowing?’

‘Find a way.’

‘He’s supposed to be my boss.’

‘I’m your boss and I’m his boss. You have your instructions, make it happen.’

She went back to her report and began writing in the margins.

For her, he was no longer there.

Chapter 15

Emily Parkinson was sitting at her desk, typing an entry into her computer.

Ridpath plonked himself down next to her. ‘Do you have a minute, Emily?’

‘Not at the moment, I have to finish last night’s report as a FLO at the Carsleys. I’m due at the house in…’ She checked her watch. ‘Shit. Thirty minutes.’

‘I think your time as a Family Liaison Officer is over.’

‘No, it isn’t. I’m on the 12–8 shift.’

Paul Turnbull joined them. ‘Emily, you’re off the Carsley job, the guvnor wants to reassign you elsewhere.’ And then, as if noticing that Ridpath was there, ‘Hello, Ridpath, I see you’re back in MIT.’ He chortled to himself. ‘But not back in MIT, if you know what I mean.’

Ridpath knew exactly what he meant. He was back in the office, but not back as a member of the team. What Turnbull didn’t know was that he had already decided not to return even before Polly was shot. Seeing Turnbull’s gurning face in front of him simply confirmed the correctness of that decision. He decided to play it straight.

‘Yes, sir. Started at the Coroner’s Office yesterday, glad to be back at work.’

‘I bet you are. Now, shove off and let DS Parkinson finish her stuff. Just because you’re single now doesn’t mean all the female officers are fair game.’

Ridpath gritted his teeth.

Emily Parkinson quickly covered the tension. ‘Where am I being reassigned, boss?’

Turnbull shrugged his shoulders. ‘Beats me, you’ll need to ask Claire Trent. Why should I know what you’re doing? I’m only the boss round here.’

‘OK, I’ll ask her.’

‘Do that.’

A detective Ridpath didn’t know was hovering nearby. Turnbull finally acknowledged his existence.

‘The car’s ready to take you to the Carsleys’, boss.’

‘OK, about bloody time.’

The detective hesitated.

‘Well, what are you standing there for? Bring it round the front, Sam.’

‘Yes, boss.’ The detective hurried away.

Turnbull took a few steps towards his office, turning back as if he had forgotten something. ‘A word of advice, Ridpath: keep your nose clean. And by clean I mean spotless. Otherwise, I’ll make it my life’s work to ensure you never step inside this office again. Crystal?’

‘As the Rochdale Canal, Detective Chief Inspector Turnbull.’ Ridpath made the rank sound like a swear word.

Turnbull smiled and walked slowly back to his office.

‘He’s got it in for you.’

‘You don’t say? Looks like I’m not wanted in MIT.’

Emily Parkinson glanced around the room. ‘New blood coming in, Ridpath. Turnbull’s creating his little fiefdom.’ She stood up. ‘Anyway, nice chatting. I need to find out what I’m supposed to be working on now.’

‘Don’t bother, give me five minutes and I’ll tell you. Chrissy is joining us too.’

DS Emily Parkinson’s eyes narrowed. ‘What exactly are you up to, Ridpath?’

Chapter