Ultimate Dilemma (Justice Again Book 2) by M Comley (best books under 200 pages txt) 📕

“Okay, cards on the table, Miss Crawford. We’re no further forward with your father’s case. Umm…this evening we were called out to another scene.” She watched the woman intently, hoping to see some kind of reaction. She was left wanting because there wasn’t one.

“Another scene? What are you saying?”

“This evening we encountered another murder scene.”

Her hand flew up and covered her chest. It rose and fell rapidly while she gathered her composure. “Oh no, that’s terrible. What, and you believe this is connected to my father’s? Is that why you’ve come here tonight?” She recovered and reached for her mug of coffee, taking a small sip.

“In a roundabout way, yes.”

“How? What am I missing? Or more importantly, what aren’t you telling me?”

“The victim was Dale Peters.”

“No! My father’s friend? But he was only at the funeral last week and now, he’s…he’s gone as well. What does this mean?”

“It means we’re now investigating two gruesome murders, the second one even worse than what happened to your father. Do you have any thoughts on the matter?”

She shook her head slowly; it rapidly gained momentum. “No, should I? Again, I’m not liking the tone of your voice, Inspector. What are you saying? That you think I had something to do with both murders?”

“No, not in the slightest. We simply have a serious dilemma and believe both murders have to be connected. We’re here to ask you if you know of any reason why that would be likely.”

“I can’t think of any reason. I’m as appalled to hear of Dale’s death as I was to see my father lying in this very room with his throat cut. Someone did this, and I was hoping you would have had some news about who that person was by now.”

“As were we. Your father’s case has gone cold very quickly.”

“Are you telling me you’ve given up?”

“No, we’d never just give up. What I’m saying is the leads that we had surrounding your father’s investigation have led us nowhere. However, now a second murder has been committed, and the fact that the two victims knew each other has given us another trail to follow.”

“I see. And yet you’ve chosen to turn up on my doorstep and insist on grilling me as though I have something to do with both deaths. Let me say this in simple terms: nothing could be further from the truth, I assure you. The news you’ve delivered about Dale has come as an enormous shock to me.”

“Did you know him?”

“Not really. Not that I can remember. He and my father used to be friends when I was younger. I’m not sure what happened to end that friendship, but they seemed to drift apart for some reason.”

“Please, if you can cast your mind back to around that time, at least it’ll point us in the right direction. At the moment, we’re struggling to make sense of why two people who knew each other have been murdered.”

“Can you tell me how Dale was murdered? You said it was gruesome.”

“That’s right. No, I’m afraid we can’t disclose that. I’m sure once the press get hold of the details it’ll be all over the media within the next few days.”

“If that’s so, then what’s the harm in you telling me now? I have a stake in this case, don’t I? As in, he died in connection to my father’s death. Oh God, hark at me. I’m sorry, this is all coming out wrong. I don’t want to hear the ins and outs of Dale’s death, why would I? My God, I don’t even know why I damn well asked.”

“I did wonder. As I said, we can’t divulge such information. All you can do to help with the investigation is to think back to when your father and Dale were friends and try and tell us if anything happened back then that could reflect on why someone might want to kill them both.”

“I’ll have to think about it. You see, in all honesty, because I lost my mother at such a young age, I’ve tended to block out my childhood. Can you understand that?”

“I think I can. You were four at the time she died, yes?”

“That’s right. I suppose I thought blocking her out would be less painful. I don’t know if that was the right way of going about things or not. I missed out on having a mother at a very young age. To some kids that might be classed as traumatic.”

“Did you have access to a counsellor back then, can you remember?”

“I don’t believe so. My father knew what was best for me.” Her gaze dropped to the mug she was holding, and she stared at it for a long time then added, “He took over the role of being both mother and father. I suppose most parents would do the same if they found themselves in the same boat.”

“I suppose. Speaking with Penny, she seemed to raise some doubts about the way your father raised you both.”

“Did she? Penny has always had certain views about our father, views that I wouldn’t have necessarily agreed with over the years. She left home as a teenager.”

“And yet, you chose to remain living with your father. May I ask why?”

She shrugged. “Apart from the financial side of things, I can’t tell you if there was a specific reason behind my wanting to stay with him. Maybe I felt he needed me. Perhaps we needed each other. I don’t really know.”

“Are you telling me you had a different kind of relationship with your father than your sister had with him?”

She continued to stare at her mug, but her foot tipped over to the side and righted itself numerous times before she responded, “Perhaps. It’s hard to tell.”

“Is there something you’re not telling us, Nadia?” Katy tried to coax her.

The young woman gulped and shook her head several times. “No, definitely not. I’d like to get back to normality as soon as possible. I’m struggling to do