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

what people saw, if anything.” Katy scanned the area. It was built-up. High-rise buildings on both sides up and down the busy street.

“What are you thinking?” Charlie probed.

“Honestly? I’m not sure. If the shooting wasn’t a drive-by, then where was the bastard hiding?”

Charlie blew out a breath. “Jesus, that’s going to be impossible to ascertain, isn’t it?”

“Nothing’s impossible, although I admit it’s going to test us, but what’s new? Look how many windows are facing the scene. We need to get the trajectory of the bullets and then see where that leads us.”

“Not an easy case to solve either way, without bloody witnesses,” Charlie mumbled.

Katy tutted. “I was thinking along the same lines. Let’s get cracking. Dig deep, partner.”

Charlie headed off towards the crowd while Katy spun around and entered the building thirty feet behind her. Over by the reception desk, she found two people. One was a man in his late fifties to early sixties. His steel-grey hair was messed up, as though he’d been constantly running his hands through it. The other person was a woman in her thirties with shocking pink hair. Bending over to make sure the man was all right, Katy figured the woman was unaware that her miniskirt had ridden up her thighs and the cheeks of her arse were on show. Katy averted her eyes and approached the pair.

She produced her warrant card. “Hi, I’m DI Katy Foster. I take it you’re the doorman who witnessed the incident, is that right?”

“Yes. I’m Frank Windsor. Terrible, terrible thing to happen. She was such a nice lady as well. It still hasn’t registered with me yet.”

The young woman stood upright and straightened her skirt. “I’m Claire. Poor Frank tried to help her but…”

“Please, try not to upset yourselves. Did you see anything?” she asked Claire.

“No. I heard a faint noise but didn’t realise what was going on until Frank staggered back in here and shouted at me to call the police. Not sure how I managed to do it, let alone tell the woman on control what was going on. Why would anyone want to do such a dreadful thing, and in broad daylight as well?”

“That’s what we intend to find out, Claire. Are you up to telling me what happened, Frank? No pressure, I appreciate how difficult this must be for you, but the sooner we get the information we’re after, the sooner we can punish the person responsible for killing your colleague.”

“I understand that. My brother used to be in the force, I’m well aware of how these things work.”

“That’s good to hear. In that case, you’ll appreciate the urgency behind me asking these questions at this distressing time.”

“I do.” He picked up a glass from the floor beside him and downed the amber liquid. “Something to steady my nerves.”

“I quite understand. I would like you to run through the events leading up to the shooting, if you wouldn’t mind?”

Frank stared up at her and scratched at the stubble decorating his chin in patches. “I saw Grace coming back from lunch and opened the door for her. I came down the steps, thought I’d get some fresh air. My intention was to join her and have a quick natter on the way back. It’s part of our routine, you see. She always had a kind word for me. I would never pester anyone, if they didn’t want my company, she did. I regarded her as a dear friend, and now…”

“I’m so sorry for your loss. I appreciate how hard this has hit you, it’s never easy to witness the passing of a friend.”

“Passing? She was killed. She didn’t just die, she was bloody murdered, for God’s sake,” he bit back. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to snap. I’m hurting. My heart is breaking because she has a husband and two kids. That’s where she was coming back from—she met up with them for a Christmas shopping trip. She just told me she hadn’t had time to eat and said she’d bought a coffee and a roll to eat when she got back to her desk. I keep thinking that if she hadn’t stopped off for that she would’ve been tucked up inside the building a good ten minutes before the incident happened. Such a shame. Hindsight and all that.”

“Did you see anyone suspicious hanging around, you know, during your morning shift?”

“I’ve tried to recollect if I had but all I keep thinking about is the shock on her face as she went down. My heart went out to her. I rushed towards her to try to help her, and that’s when the second shot went off. I didn’t know what to do for the best. I was torn between diving for cover and remaining there to try and help Grace, but her eyes…they were staring at me without seeing me. I knew then that she was dead. I rushed in here and yelled at Claire to call nine-nine-nine. I picked up my coat and went outside again. I know I probably shouldn’t have covered her over, but at the time all I wanted to do was shield her from the onlookers. By the time I got back, there was a small crowd gathered around her. What the hell is wrong with people? If Grace was a stranger to me, I’d be buggered if I’d stand around gawping at her. I stayed with her; I knew I shouldn’t touch her, otherwise I would have got down beside her and put her head on my lap. To see a friend, go down like that, someone as nice as her, with a bloody family… I can’t tell you how much it hurt, still hurts.”

“I know. We’re going to do all we can to arrest the person who did this.”

“I don’t know how you’re going to do that. I certainly didn’t see anyone odd hanging about. Where were they? Look around you. The number of places where they could possibly hide must be in the thousands, mustn’t it?”

“True