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

Katy smiled at her. “I believe you. I’ll survive a few surface bruises and scratches. I’m more concerned about how you’re going to cope going forward.”

“Despite my father’s death, I’ve been coping all right. I’ve thrown myself into work, which has helped and prevented me from sitting at home dwelling on his death and what happened to my mother all those years ago.”

“I can imagine. I’ll get someone to drop you back home. If you’ll give them the information about the fifth man, his name and address if you have it.”

“I do have it, I just can’t remember it off the top of my head. Thank you for believing in me. I know you don’t have to, and I think other officers would feel differently to how you do.”

“Okay, then you’re free to go. You have my number. If you think of anything else relevant to the investigation or what happened to your mother, please let me know.”

“I will. I promise you.”

Charlie ended the taping session, and everyone rose from their seats and left the room.

Katy thanked the solicitor for attending and then spoke to the desk sergeant. “Ray, have you got a car available to run Miss Crawford home?”

“I can sort that out for you immediately, ma’am, leave it with me.”

“Thanks.”

Katy went back to Charlie and Nadia. “If you take a seat, a uniformed officer will give you a lift home ASAP. Just a reminder, give them the address for Keith before they leave, if you would.”

“I will. Thank you for understanding, Inspector. I’ll wait to hear from you regarding the other details you mentioned.”

“I’ll arrange for you to be evaluated shortly. Speak soon.”

Nadia sat on the seat closest to the door, and Katy and Charlie walked upstairs to the incident room.

Charlie flopped into her chair. “What do you think? Before you answer that—”

“No, it’s not what I think that matters, you tell me what you think.”

“I was just going to say, I understand you asking her to take a psych eval, but isn’t there an illness where someone does something unknowingly? Like they switch off and allow another personality to take over?”

“Maybe. There’s a condition called Split Personality Disorder or whatever it’s known as nowadays, but I’m not sure how far the person would go. I need to do some research. You go home, I’ll work through and get things organised.”

“No way. I’m here for the duration. Will you be able to contact a shrink at this time of night? Oops…it’s now morning.”

Katy spun around and glanced at the clock. It was one-thirty. “Shit, I didn’t realise that was the time. Looking on the bright side, not long to go before our shift is supposed to start, right?”

They both laughed.

“There is that. Shall I get us a coffee? We’re going to need one to help us stay awake,” Charlie proposed.

“Good idea. I’ll boot up your computer, and we can bounce some ideas around.”

13

By the time the rest of the team had arrived, Katy felt she knew every clinical term possible for what they were conceivably dealing with.

Charlie had nipped out for a bacon roll each at around seven when they knew the café would be open. Which gave them the sustenance needed to continue their working day.

Katy filled the team in on what had come up over the past few days: the murder of Ellis Bird, the fact his wife was sitting in a cell still—she’d get around to interviewing her within the next couple of hours. The interview with Nadia had hampered things there the day before. There was no getting away from the fact that Amy Bird knowingly covered up the murder of Nadia’s mother twenty-four years previously. Plus, now they had the final man’s name—there was work to do there as well.

“I think we need to put this man under surveillance. My thinking is that either he’s the murderer, knocking off all his friends, or he’ll turn out to be the final victim.”

“Should we haul his arse in for his part in Nadia’s mother’s murder?” Graham asked the obvious question.

“That’s our ultimate dilemma. If we do that and he’s out of the scene, how are we going to catch the murderer, if he’s not the guilty party? Am I talking nonsense? My brain’s gone to mush.”

“No, I get where you’re coming from,” Charlie backed Katy up.

“Good. So, who’s up for sitting in their car for God knows how long?”

Graham tutted. “Okay, I’ll do it. Patrick, are you up for it?”

“As long as I don’t have to listen to bloody U2 all day long like the last time I paired up with you.”

“All right, guys, cut it out. I need you to take up your post now. Ring me if anything happens. We have a few loose ends to sort out in your absence.”

The two men leapt to their feet and exited the incident room.

Karen coughed and cleared her throat. “All right if I chip in with something in light of what you told us, boss?”

“Go ahead, Karen, feel free.”

“What about the sister, Penny?”

Katy tilted her head. “What’s on your mind?”

“Could she be the killer? She has the motive to kill her father because of the abuse. Not sure about the other men, though.”

“Hmm…it’s a thought. Do some digging for me. Let’s see if she’s still up in Scotland for a start. I forgot to ask Nadia if her sister was aware of how her mother died. Maybe she kept the secret from her sibling.”

“That’s a definite possibility if Nadia is telling us that she’s kept it hidden for all these years.”

Katy went over to the whiteboard and added all the facts they’d gathered overnight to the other information noted down. “I’m going to visit the chief, keep him up to date.”

“Want me to ring the psychiatrist on call?” Charlie offered.

“Yes, if you would, Charlie. Tell them that the matter is an urgent one and we need that psych report ASAP.”

“I will.”

“I’ll be back in