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

live around the corner. If they lived farther away then I wouldn’t have told her over the phone for fear of either of them crashing. Sorry, I’m wittering on. My mind is racing ahead. He was found, was it a heart attack? I thought he seemed a little peaky a few days ago, but that wore off. He assured me he was fine and that he didn’t want to visit the doctor. Now he’s dead. Why didn’t he listen to me? Stubborn bloody man.”

Charlie returned and placed a mug on the table next to Mrs Bird. “There you go, I’ve made it nice and sweet to ease the shock.”

“Thank you, dear, that’s most kind of you.”

Katy struggled to find the words to tell the woman the truth without causing her further distress. “No, it wasn’t his heart, at least not initially. Your husband was attacked, which led to him being murdered. I’m sorry, I know that’s not what you want to hear.”

Mrs Bird stared blankly at her, her hands clenching and unclenching in her lap. A noise sounded in the hallway. Her gaze drifted to the door, and two young women entered the room. They hugged their mother, sobbing and crying in disbelief.

Amy Bird appeared to gather strength from her daughters’ appearance. “There, there, loves. Everything is going to be all right. Come, sit with me. The inspector was just about to tell me what happened to your father.”

The three of them squeezed onto the easy chair, Amy taking her seat while her two dumbstruck daughters balanced on either arm.

Katy smiled tautly at the two daughters. “I’m so sorry to have to share this news with you all this evening.”

“What happened? Is he going to be all right?” one of the newcomers barked.

Her mother patted her knee. “No, sweetheart, he’s gone.”

“Gone? As in, dead?”

Their mother nodded. “Yes, let’s hear the inspector out, Gemma, she’s trying to do her job.”

“I need to know how he went,” Gemma replied. She placed an arm around her mother’s shoulders.

“Your father was found in the car park behind the shop,” Katy said. “The pathologist is still at the scene. I won’t be able to share her findings with you just yet, not until a post-mortem has been carried out.”

Gemma shrugged. “What have you told us except that he’s dead? Don’t you think we have a right to know?”

“Of course you do.” Katy sighed. “I appreciate how difficult this is for you all. What I can tell you is that we’re dealing with several other suspicious deaths in the area which have occurred in the past week to ten days.”

“Suspicious in what way?” the other daughter asked.

“All the men were murdered, we’re presuming by the same suspect.”

“What?” Gemma leapt to her feet and crossed the room to stand in front of Katy and Charlie. “You’re telling us he was murdered? How? Why? Why him? What are you doing about it? Shouldn’t you be out there trying to find his killer instead of being here with us?”

“Gemma, please, sit down,” Amy said, her tone stern but gentle.

“No, Mum, I want answers and I don’t hear any forthcoming so far.” She faced Katy again and, hands jabbing at her hips, she demanded, “Well?”

“Gemma, we’re doing our best. Since the first murder occurred, our investigation has been at full pelt, I promise you.”

“And the murderer has been allowed to commit yet more murders. To rob families of their loved ones, why? Because you’re inept at your job, is that it?”

“Gemma, either you apologise for your outburst or I’ll send you home,” her mother chastised.

“Send me home, Mother? I’m not bloody ten.”

“Then stop acting as if you are and give the officers some room. You’re intimidating them and upsetting me further in the process. Show some respect, I’ve just lost my husband.”

“And I’ve just lost my father. A man I loved dearly and who I’ll miss until God takes me from this earth. Why? Why him? I keep asking the question but I’m not receiving any plausible answers. Why not?”

Her sister left her seat and guided Gemma back to their mother’s side. They both sat heavily once more.

“Please, while I understand the anger and trauma you’re experiencing right now, I can assure you, my team and I have all been working flat out on this investigation this week.” Katy wanted to add that she’d barely seen her own family since the first murder had happened. Her frustration level kicked up a notch.

“And do you have anyone in mind?” Gemma’s eyes narrowed during her question.

“Not yet. That’s not quite true, we have a possible suspect in mind. The problem is, we’ve been unable to act upon our suspicions because the suspect’s alibis have always checked out.”

“Alibis?” Amy queried.

“Yes, for when the incidents occurred. The pathologist can always give us a rough timeline. You can help us gather more information to add to the mix, if you’re willing to answer our questions this evening.”

“About what?” Amy asked.

“Yeah, about what?” Gemma repeated.

“Can you tell us if your husband has mentioned someone possibly following him lately?”

“No, he never mentioned anything like that. Had he mentioned it, I would’ve told him to get in touch with the police. Are you telling us you believe someone was possibly stalking him?”

“Maybe. It’s not something we’re willing to rule out yet. A nugget of information that has come to our attention this week is that all victims are linked.”

“Linked how?” Gemma was quick to jump in.

“We believe they all knew each other. We have suspicions that something possibly happened in their past that has come back to haunt them now. Can you think of anything in your husband’s past that could be the catalyst to all this?”

Amy tucked the end of the towel back around her neck to secure it in place. “No, I can’t think of anything. Maybe if you told me who the other victims are that would jog my memory.”

Gemma glared at Katy and demanded, “Are you saying our dad was guilty of being part