Death on the Lake by Jo Allen (rocket ebook reader txt) 📕

Faye liked that. He could tell by the way she sat and thought it through with a little smile on her lips. ‘Okay. You’ve made a neat connection. But Miranda wasn’t in the dale at the time. The boys confirm she didn’t return until an hour after they’d thought Summer had gone home. And why would she be worried about talking to Summer, even if she knew what it was about?’

‘Maybe she wanted to put the past behind her.’ Jude shrugged. ‘I think I’d like to ask her about it.’

Faye thought about it a moment longer. ‘I don’t imagine it’ll do any harm. But don’t do it yourself. Get someone junior to call and pretend they’re just tying up some loose ends.’

‘Fine. I’ll do that.’

‘I’ll get on then.’

‘One other thing.’ Jude half turned away from her, because he knew what she’d say. ‘There’s an old man who lived up at Martindale. George Barrett. He died of a stroke at the weekend. Ashleigh and I happened to be there just after he was found.’

‘And?’

‘It was almost certainly natural causes, but I’ve got a suspicious mind. There’s a post-mortem due and I’ve noted that he seemed unusually distressed. No more. But given the context of two deaths so close together I put a note about it on the file on Summer’s case. ’

‘Jude. Really. I know you have to consider everything, but you surely aren’t suggesting we spend precious time and resources on—‘

‘Just a note on the file,’ he hastened to reassure her. ‘It was to cover all bases. Because you never know.’

‘Hmm. I’d better let you get on.’ She swung out of her seat. ‘Let me know what Mrs Neilson says. And let me repeat. Don’t do anything up at the Neilsons’ place without running it past me first.’

As she left, Doddsy slipped in. ‘Thank God. That was a narrow escape,’ he said, as the door closed behind him.

‘What from Faye?’

‘Oh, God, no. Far worse than that.’ And there was a tap on the door, which swung open before either could reply. ‘Too late,’ he said, under his voice. ‘Morning, Lorraine.’

Lorraine Broadbent was one of their former close colleagues, a detective sergeant Jude had worked with when he was a mere constable but who’d never really had the taste for long hours when they conflicted too much with the demands of single parenthood and elderly parents. Since those days she’d shuffled sideways from one desk job to another until she’d landed up working her way to retirement in the backwater of the Professional Standards department.

Professional Standards meant trouble. A call from Lorraine could be like a knock on the door from the Grim Reaper for your career. Jude sat back and looked across at Doddsy, who seemed equally apprehensive, and the image of Adam Fleetwood swam into his mind and out of it again. Adam had a grudge but everyone knew it. He didn’t anticipate much trouble from Lorraine. ‘Morning.’

‘I love the way everyone looks terrified when I come into the room.’ She glanced from one to the other. ‘Don’t look like that, Doddsy. I’d expected you to have a clear conscience. But it’s not you I’m after.’

‘Glad to hear it. I’ll head down and get coffee then. Leave the two of you to it.’

She waited until he’d left the room. ‘I was passing, so I thought I’d save myself an email.’

And enjoy the sense of power, no doubt. ‘Who’s got it in for me this time?’

‘I won’t sit down,’ said Lorraine, as though he’d asked her. ‘I don’t have the time. Too bloody busy clearing up other people’s messes.’ She peered at him over her glasses. Lorraine was one of those people who did their best to pretend they had more important things to do than anyone else. Fair enough: keeping the law accountable was a justifiable end. ‘I’ll come straight to the point. I’ve had a complaint.’

‘I bet you have.’ He sat back.

‘Oh, are you expecting one? That doesn’t look good.’

‘Everyone who’s ever sent anyone down is expecting a complaint. You ought to know that. Is it serious?’

‘It depends what you mean by serious. From your point of view, Jude, the good news is that it’s anonymous, so we won’t be able to go back to the complainant for details. Even if we can work out who it is, and I suspect you’ll know straight away, by going out of their way not to provide contact details, the complainant has expressed a wish to remain anonymous and therefore we are unable to contact them unless they come back to us. The data protection laws may turn out to have done some good after all, if only to you.’

‘Right.’ She was enjoying herself a sight too much for Jude’s liking. There was no need to speak to him directly about an allegation that couldn’t proceed. ‘So someone’s making up stories and you’ve no proof. We’ve been here before.’ Everybody had.

‘If you don’t want my help and support, fine. It’s not an official notification but I thought you’d like to know. In case it gets nasty.’

He should let it go, but he couldn’t. ‘What am I supposed to have done?’

‘Do you want to take a guess?’

‘What, and incriminate myself? No thanks.’

‘Fine. It came by post this morning. If they’d sent it online they’d have had to say who they are, but oh.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘Some people think they’re smart. It’s assault, and inappropriate contact with the vulnerable member of the public.’

‘What? When?’

‘I don’t know. You’re the one who was there. Allegedly.’ Lorraine had always found it easier to meet her targets inside the organisation for minor misdemeanours than outside for serious crimes.

‘I was there.’ There could be only one thing she was talking about. ‘But I don’t recognise this description of events.’ Fury rose within him, with Lorraine, with Becca, wth himself. He should have sent Ashleigh back with Becca and stayed behind himself. Becca might have got just as