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

“Take a seat. I was just about to fill everyone in.” After she’d divulged the sequence of events that had led her to the scene a few hours earlier, she asked, “So, what are we missing, guys?”

A roomful of blank faces stared back at her.

“And we’re sure all the crimes are linked?” Charlie tapped her pen on her pad.

“I’m in Patti’s hands with the final one. She seems to believe they are, and I’m willing to take her word for that until she finds evidence to the contrary. Charlie and I will go break the news to the next of kin while you guys start to do the usual digging. See if Robin Hewitt is linked to the other men. If so, how and when? Karen, while I go over the post straining to be unleashed in my office, can you do an initial check on the victim for me, get his address, where he worked, that sort of thing?”

“On it now, boss.”

“Good. Okay, guys, get thinking hard about this investigation. I’m not saying we’ve been guilty of slacking in the past week or so, but we need to prevent the body count from escalating further, got that?”

The team nodded and got down to business. Katy gathered her greasy bag and the remainder of her coffee and stepped into her office for the first time that morning. She surveyed the post littering her desk and blew out a relieved breath. Not much, thank goodness. She paused to open the window and took in a lungful of air which set her up for the chore ahead.

Twenty minutes later, and Charlie rapped her knuckles on the doorframe. “We’ve got his details, are you nearly finished?”

Katy held up a brown envelope. “Great timing, this is the last one. Let me deal with this, and we’ll be off. One thing I forgot to mention was to get Hewitt’s plate number, see if the ANPR or CCTV can pick him up sometime before his murder. And don’t ask what time we should be looking at, cover the hours between ten and six, if you will.”

“That could take forever to source.”

“I’m aware of that. Your point is, Charlie?”

“Sorry, I was just putting it out there. I’ll get the boys on it. It might take two of them to go through the amount of data in question.”

“I was thinking along the same lines.” She opened the final letter, and Charlie left her to it. She called her partner back. “Charlie, actually, this one concerns you.”

Charlie entered the room. A deep frown had developed. “It does? Have I done something wrong?”

“Nope. Guess again.”

“You tell me. I can’t possibly think what it’s concerning. Should I be worried about it?”

“Depends. It’s notification of your place for the sergeant’s exam.”

Charlie collapsed into the chair in front of her. “Oh heck, my legs have gone all wobbly. When is it?”

“Two weeks. Are you ready for it?”

“Not really. Do you think I am?”

“Undoubtedly. You need to have faith in your abilities. You’ve slotted in well here, as if you’ve been on the force for years. You’re dedicated and willing to learn. You’ve got this, Charlie. I don’t want it to distract you from your work, though, you hear me?”

“Got it. Although I can’t promise it’s not going to be the elephant in the room at times. I think I’m up for the challenge.”

“Think? It’s a bit late for that, hon. The sooner you realise this is around the corner the better. Okay, I’m done here. Are those legs of yours working properly again?”

Charlie stood to test them. “They are.”

“Then let’s get on the road.” Katy emptied her cup of coffee then wiped her mouth.

They stopped by Karen’s desk on the way out to collect the latest victim’s address and a brief rundown of his life, all that Karen had managed to find within the last thirty minutes anyway.

The residential close was eerily quiet.

Katy switched off the engine. “Here we go.” She puffed out her cheeks and hopped out of the vehicle.

They approached the small terraced house in a block of five, on the relatively new estate. The sound of nearby reversing beepers highlighted that the area was still part of a building site. Katy rang the bell.

A few seconds later, a man in his thirties with a long fringe covering half his face opened the door. He had a tiny puppy in his arms. “Hello, can I help?”

“Nicky Wyatt?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Katy held up her warrant card and introduced them. “May we come in and speak with you for a few moments?”

“Oh no, this is about Robin, isn’t it? I’ve had a dreadful feeling all night that something’s happened to him, I’ve barely slept.”

Katy smiled faintly. “It would be better if we spoke inside, sir.”

“You’d better come in. I’ll just put Mr Pip in his basket. Go through to the lounge, I won’t be long.”

Katy and Charlie made themselves comfortable on the tan twin-seat leather sofa. Nicky joined them a few minutes later.

“Okay, give it to me straight, what’s happened?”

“I’m afraid Robin Hewitt’s body was found a few hours ago.”

The man stared at them, no reaction whatsoever for a good few seconds until Katy’s words sank in, then he placed his hands on either side of his face and screamed.

The noise was deafening in the snug room.

“Are you all right?” Katy asked, her nerves shattering into tiny pieces.

“All right? All right? I’ll never be all right again. He was my life. I adored him. We were born to be together, and now…I’ll never see his smiling face. Feel his arms around me to comfort me when I’m upset. Oh fuck, I think I’m going to pass out. I can’t catch my breath.” He clutched a hand to his chest.

“I’ll fetch you a glass of water.” Charlie raced out of the room and returned within seconds. She handed him the glass.

Nicky sipped his drink whilst shaking his head. “Bloody hell. How? Was it a car accident? I told him to get the thing