Impeding Justice (26 page)

Standing in the observation room she had an
overwhelming feeling of smugness as she watched through the one-way
window. Mark Reynolds stuttered with fear and stumbled over his
words giving what she hoped, would turn out to be vital
information.

The door opened behind her and her father
stepped into the room. ‘Hi, Dad, what are you still doing
here?’

‘
Sean asked me to stick
around for a while. Is that all right with you, love? Of course, I
wouldn’t want to step on your toes or anything.’

‘
That’s great, why on earth
should I mind? It would be an absolute honour and privilege to work
alongside you. The opportunity has never cropped up before, in my
eyes, you retired far too early anyway.’

‘
As long as we get one thing
straight...’

‘
What’s that?’

‘
I’m wise enough to realise
what a fine detective you are and that you are still in charge.
You’ll have to forgive me if sometimes I cross the line; however
you have my permission to rein me in if I do, okay?’

Lorne nodded and extended her hand and her
father shook it, just like he used to during her teen years when
they shared secret pacts. She allowed a moment’s reflection as she
remembered the time he’d arranged a secret holiday to Florida for
all the family and had taken her into his confidence and elicited
her help. Jade tried several attempts of bribery, but hadn’t had
any success in getting the secret from her. Even right up until the
time they sat in the departure lounge awaiting their flight at
Gatwick airport. Her father had told her how proud he’d been of her
and she had learnt at a very young age how important keeping the
"nice" secrets in life can be.

‘
What’s he come up with so
far?’

‘
He’s singing as loud as the
proverbial canary. So far, he’s given a whole list of names and
probable addresses where The Unicorn might be hiding
out.’

Her father’s mobile interrupted them.

Lorne wasn’t paying attention to his
conversation and he startled her when he tugged her arm. ‘Lorne,
listen to me.’

The unmistakable urgency in his voice sent a
shock wave of fear through her. ‘I’m listening, Dad, it’s Charlie
isn’t it?’

‘
No, it’s Jade; she’s gone
into premature labour. She’s on her way to hospital
now.’

‘
What? How come…? Oh, no,
she must have been watching the television and I didn’t contact
her… Is it the shock, Oh, I feel so awful, poor Jade…’

‘
Now, Lorne, you mustn’t
blame yourself, if anything I should have rung Luigi, warned him to
keep Jade away from the TV. He’s hardly the sharpest knife in the
drawer, is he?’

‘
He was probably at work,
Dad.’

She thought the world of Jade’s dishy husband
and hated the way her father always appeared to find some fault
with him. She knew how busy he was trying to build his new export
business in order to make a better life for Jade and their new
arrival. Luigi went out of his way to protect her. He loved her and
treated her like a princess. And his pleasure that she was carrying
his heir, a little boy at that, had intensified his cosseting of
her. Jade’s pregnancy had been a rough time for her, not that she’d
helped matters. Her sister had foolishly carried on riding her
horses, despite falling off one in the early months of her
pregnancy. “My life’s not going to change just because I’m
pregnant.” She’d blasted at anyone lining up to chastise her.

Sam broke into her thoughts, ‘I’ll have to
leave, Lorne. I need to go to the hospital, your sister might need
me. It’ll give me the opportunity to drop by and see how Charlie is
doing too.’

‘
Of course, I wouldn’t have
it any other way, Dad, you get off. Give her a kiss from me and
tell her I’ll be thinking of her. And, Dad, whatever you find out
as regards Charlie, let me know. My stomach keeps going over and
over and my heart is like a piece of lead. I can’t help thinking
Tom may try not to worry me if there's any change. She should still
be sedated, but in case they have found something, you know,
internal injuries that need attention or something like that, you
will let me know?’

‘
I promise. Try not to
worry. I’ll call you later, if I have any news.’

As he headed towards the door, she had an
overwhelming urge to take responsibility for everything. ‘Dad, tell
her I’m sorry. Everything that has happened today has been my
fault. Even Pete’s death…’

Before she knew it his arms came around her.
She needed a release from the heavy knot within her, but she
couldn’t cry. Her tear ducts had dried up. It had been a
tear-draining day. Instead she took strength from him, felt it
passing between their linked bodies.

‘
Lorne, if you keep thinking
that way, you’ll never track down The Unicorn.’

‘
I know, Dad, self-pity
never got anyone anywhere, right?’

He smiled as she recited a saying he’d used
countless times to keep her on the right track through her days at
Hendon. Her police training days had been tough going, maybe the
instructors had given her a hard time because of the rank of her
father, but she’d rung home in tears many times when things hadn’t
gone her way.

‘
That’s my girl. I’ll call
you later. Keep focused. Charlie and Jade are in safe hands.
Remember that, Darling, do you hear me?’

‘
I hear you, Dad, loud and
clear.’

She watched him walk from the room as she
took on board what he’d said and spoke sternly to herself.

No more self-pity, Lorne. Focus on catching
the bastard that has succeeded in turning your whole life upside
down and hurting all those you love.

Chapter Fifty-Three.

Lorne pulled out her notebook and began
scribbling down a, “to do list”, which grew as she listened to “the
singing canary”. The shrill of her mobile made her jump.

‘
Cherie, ’ow are
you?’

Jacques Arnaud’s sexy accent made her smile
and unexpected butterflies took flight in her stomach. ‘I’m fine,
Jacques, honestly.’

‘
You always say that even
when you are not. Never kid a kidder, Lorne, is that ’ow the saying
you English ’ave, goes?’

‘
It is. But has anybody ever
told you, in England it’s the women who have the reputation for
being nags?’

‘
Nag? What is this? Are you
calling me a ’orse?’

She laughed and shook her head in dismay.
‘Never, Jacques. Let’s just say that there are two meanings to the
word. Call it English homework and go look it up in the
dictionary.’

‘
I will do that, don’t you
worry and if I find out it is derogatory then I’ll be straight down
there to sort you out, you little tinker.’

‘
Promises, promises.’ She
closed her eyes fearing his response, as the candid words caught
her off guard. He didn’t always understand the subtleties of
harmless flirting.

‘
I’ve told you before, Lorne, it would be an absolute ’onour
to
sort
you out. There’s nothing I would like more than
to tame a woman with a spirited nature.’

Her pulse quickened, his accent, which he emphasised,
knowing how it affected her, even at a moment like this, had her
legs wobbling. She backed onto the nearest chair, covered the
mouthpiece and drew in three deep breaths ordering her heart to
calm down. ‘Sex, that’s all you
Frogs
think
about.’

‘
It is difficult not to think of sex, when we
Frogs
are surrounded by such beautiful women, non?’

‘
Come on, Frenchie, back to business. Why are you calling
me? I know you’re not ringing
just
to annoy
me.’

‘
Aha, you give up so easily,
yet another round to me, I think.’

‘
Get on with it, you
irritating piece of…’

‘
Now, now, Cherie, no need
to get aggressive. That’s a sign of being a bad loser and you
wouldn’t want that tag ’anging around your pretty little neck now,
would you?’

‘
Jacques!’

‘
All right, Miss grumpy
knickers and what lovely knickers they probably are, too. I know
I’d like to…’

‘
Jacques!’

‘
Okay, okay, I can see I’m
trying too ’ard to make you laugh. I am just kidding you know!
Still, I ’ave two things to tell you, actually there are three.
First, I ’ave released Pete’s body to the funeral home and second,
Laura Crane. I’ve just finished the post mortem. Death is
attributed to poisoning, but I found no suggestion of a
struggle.’

‘
By that, I take it you mean
her death points to suicide?’

‘
It looks that way to me,
yes. If she ’ad been forced to take it she would ’ave ’ad marks on
’er neck or ’er wrist as she would ’ave struggled very ’ard, the
body suffers terribly when Cyanide is ingested.’

‘
Still, she was obviously
terrified to have resorted to it, probably weighed up what lay
ahead of her and felt she had no alternative. Was there something
else, Jacques?’

‘
I’m genuinely concerned
about you, as a colleague I mean. No funny business.’

‘
I know you are, Jacques.
That’s very sweet of you and I appreciate your concern but there’s
no need. Did you see what happened on TV?’

‘
No, thank God! I learned of
it afterwards as I was in the middle of the Crane post at the time.
’ow is sweet, Charlie?’

She brought him up to date on the injury and
how she worried more for Charlie’s mental health.

‘
She’s strong, just like ’er
mother. She comes from a family with spirit and determination. She
’as that to ’elp ’er pull through.’

‘
I hope so, but my problems
don’t end with Charlie, now my sister has gone into premature
labour! It may have been the shock of seeing everything as it
unfolded on the TV. Dad’s on his way to see her now. Tom’s with
Charlie. I feel bad because I can’t be there with them. I never
thought I’d say this, as it doesn’t seem right to do so at such a
time, but my priorities lie here at the moment. It’s imperative I
find the bastard who has caused my family unit to
implode.’

“
Mon
dieu
! ’ow far gone is,
Jade?’

‘
She’s only just reached
eight months. I hope the little guy will be okay!’

She wiped
away another bout of tears. He had such an easygoing nature and the
kind tone to his voice gave the impression he felt everything she
did. It was easy for her to open up to him. He had become her
confidante, her shoulder to cry on. Pete had misunderstood their
relationship, or had he? Had he seen something neither she nor
Jacques had ever bargained on?

Well, she had work to do and no time to waste
speculating. She brought the conversation to an end, promising to
keep him informed of how Jade and Charlie progressed.

* * *

　
Having dispatched
their captive to the boot, Ramon pulled up outside an enormous
white mansion set deep in the heart of the Kent countryside.
Speaking into the intercom on the wall, he gave their identity and
requested entrance to see the judge.

‘
His honour, Judge Winwood,
is not at home at present.’ A tinny voice responded.

‘
Then, we will come in and
wait until he is. You know your instructions are to give my boss
access whenever he wants it. Now,open up…’

The gate swung open.

They drove through at a normal pace, but as
they encountered the guard Clovelly started to bang and kick,
making a racket which would disturb anyone’s peace of mind. Ramon
put his foot down sending pebbles flying and the guard leaping back
on to the grass verge. The car screeched to a halt under the
covered columned entrance to the house.

* * *

Simon lay still. His head ached. He needed to
think. At Uni the other students relied on his genius and many a
time he’d brought off successful excursions without any detection
from night security. He’d even perfected lock picking, not that,
that helped in his present predicament. At least they had left him
in the car, which gave him time to sort something out. The noise
he’d made had obviously caused them to make a quick sprint up the
driveway. Had the guard heard him? Would he come to his aid?

His anxiety shortened his breath. The air inside the hood
stifled him. His throat dried. Fear loosened his bowels. He
clenched his buttocks.
Christ,
he couldn’t shit himself… the humiliation.

Enough time had passed since the car doors
had slammed to assure him they’d all gone inside the house. There
hadn’t been a sound for some time to indicate any of them had
remained outside to guard him.

He heard crunching feet on the pebbled drive
that froze him in fear. He listened to the rhythm. The sound
indicated only one footfall and, not coming from ahead, but towards
the back of the car.

The journey from the gate ran through his
mind. The car hadn’t turned around so he assumed they’d pulled up
outside the house with the boot facing the way in which they had
come. When the men had left the car, they hadn’t walked past the
boot, but away from it in a forward direction. And not many steps
at that. Which meant the house was probably very near.