Shot of Silence (Justice Again Book 3) by M Comley (best contemporary novels txt) 📗

it any clearer for you, and you’re still not grasping it, are you?

“Shut up. She’s mine. She’ll be back in my bed soon enough, now he’s no longer around to tempt her away from me.”

Whatever! It’s your call at the end of the day. Are we going to stick around here for long?

“Why the rush? It’s not like you have anything planned.”

That shut the bastard up. During his internal conversation, his attention had remained on the female detective who appeared to be in charge of the investigation, and he wondered if she had it in her to figure it all out and to capture him.

Only time would tell.

He watched until the ambulance drove past, taking the love of his life with it.

7

“Right, we’ve got a new lead to follow up on finally, peeps,” Katy began after she’d called the team together back in the incident room. “We need to find out all there is to know about James Boyd. There’s a possibility he’s our killer, according to his estranged wife, who also happens to be this victim’s fiancée.” She pointed at the third victim; she brought the whiteboard up to date as she slotted the pieces together.

“Want me to make a start while you continue, boss?” Karen asked.

“If you would. Our suspect works at Zedex, according to his soon to be ex-wife. We need to find out the facts. At present he appears to be the only possible link between the victims. Unfortunately, Camilla is currently in hospital after attempting to take her own life. If Charlie, Patti and I hadn’t been there…well, I doubt if she’d still be with us. Distressing when a loved one is gunned down because of your involvement with the killer. I fear that’s what was behind her trying to end her life. I wouldn’t want to be in her shoes. I promised her we’d find him, and that’s exactly what I intend to do. No matter what costs are involved. He’s up in the realms of serial killer already, and that after what, a total of thirty-six hours? Let’s get this shithead caught, and swiftly, guys.”

A loud roar went up in response, and a couple of the men thundered their hands on their desks.

“All right, calm down. Let’s make every second count on this one. Each of you knows what you have to do. I know you won’t let me down.”

“Are we going to go see James?” Charlie called over from the vending machine.

“I’m undecided on that one. I’m going to see the chief, see what he thinks we should do. You might as well all know, there’s a letter sitting on my desk, telling me that funding is tight and warning about wasting money unnecessarily. I need to get clarification from the boss what that means exactly. I’ll be back soon. Crack on in the meantime.”

Katy left the incident room and marched up the long hallway to DCI Roberts’ office.

“Hello, Inspector. Is he expecting you?” Trisha asked. “Ouch! That looks nasty.”

“It is. I’m fine, though. I was hoping you could squeeze me in. I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t think it was important.”

“Leave it with me, I’ll have a word in his shell-like.”

Trisha knocked on the chief’s door. He bellowed in response, and she disappeared inside. She emerged a few seconds later and held the door open for Katy to enter.

“He can spare you five minutes, just enough time for a nice cup of coffee, eh?”

“Don’t bother, she won’t have the time to drink it,” Roberts shouted before Katy could even open her mouth.

She rolled her eyes at Trisha. “Thanks for the offer anyway.”

Trisha smiled awkwardly and closed the door behind Katy.

She tentatively took a few steps closer to Roberts’ desk. “I can come back later if you can’t spare the time right now. It’s no biggie.”

“Sit down, Inspector. What do you want to bend my ear about this time?” He looked up, and his eyes widened. “Where the fuck did you get that?”

“I’m fine. A confrontation with the killer, that’s all. Getting back to what you said, bend your ear? Not sure I’ve ever done that. Right, first of all, I want to get clarification on the new budget slashes. Does that include me and my team?”

“Of course it does, why shouldn’t it?”

“Because it takes a lot of time to solve murders, and I’m getting the impression that someone is directly having a go at me.”

“Stop with the woe is me, I used to get enough of that with your predecessor. You shouldn’t take things to heart. We’re all in the same boat. We’ve just got to deal with it and make the most of the funds we have at our disposal.”

“Okay. Can I also say that I don’t appreciate being compared to my predecessor? I’m not saying I had anything against Lorne, you know that. But stop flinging it at me every time I raise a subject or do something which isn’t to your liking.”

He sat back and steepled his fingers, a smirk pulling at his lips. “Okay, guilty as charged. I wondered how long it would take you to have the balls to shoot me down.”

“What? You were bloody testing me?” She rubbed at her forehead, consciously avoiding the bruise.

“I do that occasionally. Now, what can I help you with? What’s going on with the investigation? And how come you let the killer slip through your fingers?”

Katy groaned and then disclosed everything they had up until now, delivering it without taking a breath.

“I see. I take it you’re going to arrest this James Boyd then?”

“Should we? Or should we keep him under surveillance for a few days?”

“Why the dilemma and if he’s killed so quickly already, who’s to say he won’t continue his spree today?”

“Because all we have is hearsay that it could be him. Yes, there are several motives, but you know what CPS is like, if there is no DNA or evidence to back up the claims, we’re thigh high in shit.”

He nodded. “I get that.