Taste of Fury by M Comley (dark academia books to read txt) 📗

Charlie smiled and they continued along the litter-filled balcony. Charlie pointed at a group of needles over in one corner.

“Disgusting, why am I not surprised, given our environment? The sooner we get out of here the better, this place is giving me the heebie-jeebies.” They stopped outside the flat they were after, and Katy covered her hand with her sleeve to knock on the door.

Unfortunately, the door remained closed. She had to risk it, she rapped on the door with her bare knuckles, but that too proved to be a waste of time. “No luck. Either she’s not home or she’s choosing to ignore us.”

“Worth asking the neighbours?” Charlie suggested.

“You go left, I’ll go right.” Katy took three steps and knocked on the door to the next flat.

The door was answered quickly by a young woman with bright red dyed hair. She wore a low top and shorts. “Yeah!”

Katy produced her ID. “You haven’t done anything wrong,” she added quickly, sensing the woman was about to shut the door in her face.

“Damn right I haven’t and neither has he, for a change. What do you want? Be quick, the kids are wanting their breakfast.”

“I’ll be quick. I’m making enquiries about your neighbour, Megan Johnson.”

“Who? Which side is that? We keep ourselves to ourselves, best way around here.”

Katy pointed to next door. “Do you know much about her?”

“Not really. See her now and again. Never spoken to her.”

“Can you tell me if she lives alone?”

“Nope. Next question.”

Katy resisted the temptation to heave out an impatient sigh. “Have you seen her with anyone else?”

By this time the woman was looking totally bored. “Nope. Next.”

“What about someone who is disabled?”

“Are you taking the piss? How would someone get up here in a wheelchair when the lift never bloody works?”

“Okay, I’ll leave you to it. Thanks for your…” The door slamming shut in her face prevented her from finishing her sentence.

She marched back to see if Charlie had fared any better with the other neighbour. “Thanks, that’s a big help. Sorry to have disturbed you.”

The old lady, bent over slightly with age, smiled at Katy as she joined them. “That’s all right, dear. I like to do my best where the police are concerned. I never know when I might need your services.”

“Thanks all the same. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday.”

“You too, although saying that, you’re working, not much fun for you, is it?”

“We get by,” Charlie replied.

They walked away and started down the stairs. “How did you get on?” Katy asked.

“The woman said she knew Megan well enough to say hello to, but couldn’t really give me much in the way of useful information.”

“That’s a shame. I got the same reaction from the other neighbour, sort of. Did you manage to ask her if Megan’s disabled brother lives there as well?”

“I asked, but the woman couldn’t give me a definitive answer.”

They reached the car before either of them spoke again. “Jump in, let’s get out of here.”

Charlie slid into the car and fastened her seatbelt. “Where to now?”

“Back to the station to put our heads together.”

“About the brother?”

Katy turned to her and nodded. “Amongst other things.”

They both remained lost in their thoughts during the twenty-minute journey back to the station. Katy had Charlie well-trained by now because as soon as they entered the incident room, her partner homed in on the vending machine to buy the coffees.

Charlie placed a cup in front of Katy who had already booted up the computer. “I’m out of my depth a touch on this one, you know, with regard to the brother being disabled, it’s not something I’ve had to deal with either professionally or personally before. Do you have any knowledge on the subject?”

“No, not really. I’m sure we can work it out between us.”

“Ha, it could be a case of the blind leading the blind then, hang tight.” Katy blew on her drink and took a sip. “Let’s see what Google can come up with when I type in ‘where are disabled people likely to live?’”

Charlie leaned over to view the search results. “I suppose it depends on the severity of his condition.”

“Yep, you’re right. He could be in an assisted-living place with support on site or he might be living independently, if he’s only partially disabled. Ugh… see, told you I’d be out of my depth, is there such a thing as being partially disabled?”

Charlie smiled. “I don’t think so. A person is either disabled or able-bodied, in my opinion.”

Katy rolled her eyes. “Of course. Glad I said that to you and not someone else who would likely take offence.”

Charlie looked at the results on the screen again. “There’s another option that isn’t listed up there.”

Frowning, Katy asked, “Go on, what are you thinking?”

“That possibly another member of the family is caring for the brother.”

“They’d have to be an absolute angel to put their own life on hold for someone who wasn’t their immediate family, I mean either the parents or a sibling. Maybe they had another brother or sister, perhaps? Can you recall the article mentioning that?”

“No, I don’t think so. What about an aunt or uncle, perhaps? Do we know who took on being the kids’ guardian after the parents died?”

Katy brought up the article and between them they scan read it to try to find the answer, but unfortunately, the information wasn’t listed. “Damn. Where the fuck could we find out?”

“Would it come under Social Services? I’m not sure, I’m just throwing it into the mix.”

“Possibly. I have a contact there.” Katy dashed into her office and found her friend’s number. She returned to the incident room, flopped into her seat and dialled Tania Quinn’s mobile. It rang several times and then went into voicemail. “Bugger, nice to know someone gets a Sunday off, unlike some I could mention.”

In the meantime, Charlie had carried out a search of her own and come up with an emergency number for Social Services. She picked up the phone and rang the