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

with me. I’ll call Roberts, see what he says.” Charlie disconnected and immediately rang Roberts. “Hi, I’m very sorry to disturb you, sir, but I have a quandary.”

“Charlie, do you realise what the time is?”

“I do, which is why I apologised about disturbing you. The thing is, there’s been another shooting.”

“What? Where? And yes, you’ve done the right thing getting in touch with me. Why the hesitation?”

“I wasn’t sure if you’d handed the reins over to Katy or not yet.”

“No, that’ll happen in the morning.”

“I see. I’m on my way to the crime scene.”

“Where?”

“Outside a pub, the Wheatsheaf on Saunders Road. Do you know it?”

“As it happens, I do. I’ll meet you there.” Roberts ended the call.

Charlie raced upstairs to get changed and came back down to Brandon waiting for her at the front door. He was holding her coat out for her. She slipped her arms into it and kissed him. “I’m so sorry to be running out on you, again.”

“Charlie, don’t be, it goes with the job, right? I understand that. Do you think it’ll get any easier once you’re a sergeant?”

She pulled on one ankle boot and then the other and kissed him again. “I doubt it, it’ll probably be a darn sight worse, knowing my luck.”

His face dropped. “In that case, I think we’ll need to sit down and have a proper chat about our future at the weekend.”

“What? You’re dumping this on me now? When I have to attend another murder scene? Okay, we’ll talk soon. Just remember one thing, Brandon, before you think about calling off our engagement.”

“What’s that?”

“I love you. I might not always show it but I regard you as my rock. There, I’ve said it.” She pecked him on the lips and rushed out of the front door. Glancing over the roof of the car, she saw him hesitate for a few seconds before he went back inside.

She tried to set aside her personal problems and concentrated on her driving instead. She failed, and her thoughts turned to her mother’s situation and how she had coped all those years being married to her father. She hadn’t realised at the time how much of a bastard he’d been to her. Brandon wasn’t from the same mould as her father, he was a much more placid person. She hoped they could get past this sticky patch. If not, she’d focus on her career for the next ten years and see where that led her. Easy come, easy go, life was too short to be downhearted all the time.

Arriving at the scene, she sought out DCI Roberts who was already organising the uniform team to guard the pub, ensuring the punters remained inside rather than gawping at the victims.

“I’m here at last, sir. Sorry for the delay, traffic!”

“It doesn’t matter. The good news is that we’re dealing with one victim. Ben Thompson has been whisked off to hospital with life-threatening wounds.”

“Damn. Sorry one of them didn’t make it.”

“Can you collaborate with the pathologist—not sure I have anything to say to her at present—while I continue barking out the orders and coordinating the taking down of statements?”

“Leave it with me.” Charlie went in search of Patti.

“We meet again, and so soon.” Patti rolled her eyes. “I take it the victim, and the one who was taken to hospital, both worked at Zedex?”

“They did. They’re the last known colleagues of the murderer. The question is, what is he going to do next?”

“Who bloody knows if he can take two people out under the noses of uniformed coppers?”

“That was my thinking. This is over my head.” Charlie kicked out at a stone close to her foot and sent it hurtling towards a car a few feet away. It hit the metal wheel trim and tinged.

Patti tapped her upper arm with a fisted hand. “Hey, you can pack that in. Don’t go taking this personally. I’ll let you in on a secret.”

Charlie’s brow furrowed. “I’m listening.”

Patti crossed her arms, her paper suit rustling. She lowered her voice so only Charlie could hear. “It’s beyond me, too. I mean, we all get ticked off at work from time to time, but how many of us go around killing off any colleagues who have wronged us? The answer is not many, not from what I’ve seen anyway.”

“By that, what you’re saying is that there’s something far more sinister going on than just a falling out with ex-colleagues.”

Patti tapped her forefinger against her temple and nodded. “Up here.”

“Mental problems? Wait, yes, I see. One of the victims, Rufus, he wasn’t a colleague at all, was he? I get it.”

“Yep. What you’ve got to hope for now is that he doesn’t start delving deeper into who has pissed him off over the years. Hopefully, he’ll settle on the damage he’s already caused and decide to call it quits.”

“God! Can you bloody imagine the death toll if he took that into consideration?” Charlie groaned.

“Nope, it’s too mind-blowing to consider.”

Roberts joined them. “Ladies, have we established anything yet?”

“Lots,” Charlie replied.

“Good. You can fill me in on the way to the victims’ addresses.” He sighed heavily and mumbled as he walked away. “Not something I’m bloody relishing, I can tell you. Chop-chop, Charlie.” He sniggered. “I like that, it could become your nickname.”

Charlie grimaced and widened her eyes at Patti who was shaking her head and pulling a weird expression. “I bloody hope not,” Charlie muttered.

She took off after Roberts.

Charlie caught up with him at his car. “We’ve got two cars. Wouldn’t it make sense to tackle the families separately? I could go to Ben’s home, it’ll be less of a chore for me, dealing with a family who has hope he’ll survive.”

“You’re suggesting I go break the news to Abbot’s family, is that it?”

Charlie nodded.

“You’re smarter than you think, DC Simpkins. You’re right, it does make sense. Even though I would prefer you being with me, you know, to offer backup at a stressful time. If we go our separate ways we’ll get things