No Going Back by Casey Kelleher (black male authors TXT) 📗

she turned in a bid to get away. She was attacked from behind shortly afterwards. There are several gaps along that particular walkway. The attacker could have joined the pathway at any point. And maybe they hadn’t seen you so far back, walking behind Shelby. Maybe they’d been too preoccupied with what they were about to do. Shelby didn’t get another look at her attacker after that. Not throughout her ordeal, or afterwards. The only time she saw your face was when she turned and saw you when she first entered the path. It wasn’t you, was it? Someone else got to her first?’

Jay-Jay hung his head in his hands then, relieved that DC Murphy had finally sussed it out. She wasn’t just messing with his head. She was being genuine and really didn’t believe that it was him.

‘I didn’t do it,’ he said, his voice quiet then, cracked. ‘I didn’t attack Shelby Cooke, and I didn’t murder that other woman in Richmond Park. And I certainly didn’t take anyone’s kid.’ Jay-Jay shook his head, glad to get this all over with, finally. ‘I couldn’t tell the Boland brothers that I hadn’t gone through with the job, because I knew if I did that, I wouldn’t get paid. So, I kept my mouth shut and let them believe what they wanted. Only they didn’t pay me anyway once they saw my mugshot all over the TV. They didn’t want to be associated with me.’

‘The only thing I can’t work out is why you were caught on the security cameras outside the hospital. After Riley was taken. That bit doesn’t make sense to me. So, you’re going to have to enlighten me, Jay-Jay.’

Jay-Jay nodded and took a deep breath. ‘I had the stupid brainwave of fleecing the old boy, Pete, Shelby’s dad. Russ Boland told me that he was good for the money. And that Shelby was his most prized possession. That he’d do anything for the girl. And well, I need the money.’ He scoffed then, realising how stupid he had been to get involved any further than he already was. He’d only made things worse.

‘That’s why you saw me on the camera. Hiding in the car park. I didn’t know his address, but I knew he’d be visiting his daughter. So, I waited. I got there stupidly early, but I figured camping out there was better than going back to the shithole of a squat anyway. I was hoping to catch him on his own. I was going to cut him a deal. Exchange some information that I had. For a fee, of course.’

Jay-Jay shrugged; he knew how calculating it sounded. ‘I was counting on that job with the Bolands. I’ve got fuck all to my name. No food, no money. Christ, you saw the cesspit of a place I’m dossing down in. I’m sleeping on the floor of a hovel, surrounded by wine bottles full of strangers’ piss. I was desperate…’

Lucy didn’t interrupt. She waited, allowing Jay-Jay to speak.

‘I knew something was up almost straight away. Pete Baker turned up with his wife and son-in-law. I knew what they looked like, because I’d done my research. That’s where I’d been all night, looking the family up at the internet café beforehand. Shelby likes to put it all out there, doesn’t she?’ Jay-Jay said, raising his eyes, his hands clasped together tight now.

His expression was solemn, Lucy noticed. As if he was ashamed and that he wished he’d never got involved with any of this in the first place.

‘I watched as the three of them tore into the hospital car park and ran from their motor, and straight away I knew. I pieced it together and I knew what had happened. At first, I didn’t link it. But earlier, I saw someone come out of the side of the hospital fire exit a short while before that. Holding what looked like a rolled-up blanket. I dunno, it was still dark, and I wasn’t sure… I mean, she was dressed like a nurse, so I didn’t twig at first. But then all hell let loose a bit later, and suddenly you lot were everywhere. Blue lights flashing, sirens. Cops crawling all over the place. And I just wanted to get the fuck out of there before I had that pinned on me too.’

‘Wait a minute, you saw someone leaving from the side entrance? Someone who you thought was a nurse?’ Lucy said, narrowing her eyes. ‘And when did you find out that Riley had been taken?’

‘A little while after that. Later that morning. I saw Shelby and Ashley, and yourself, on the news. And that’s when I knew for sure.’

‘And you didn’t think to say anything? You didn’t think that if you came to us, that we would be able to eliminate you from our enquires?’

‘You are joking? You lot were out for blood, dead set at pinning all this shit on me. I had no alibi, and the prime witness has had all but a fucking oil painting made up of me. The Boland brothers have fucked me over and don’t give a flying shit about the repercussions of a job that they sent me on. They’ve washed their hands of me. And I’d just got out of prison for GBH and assault. I’ve got previous. Who was going to believe me?’

‘I was,’ Lucy said with complete conviction. ‘Because if there’s one thing I know, it’s that things are not always how they first appear. And my job isn’t just to lock up anyone who fits the bill, Jay-Jay. That’s not how I work. My job is to catch the person responsible for committing the crime. And I believe that all of this wasn’t you. It doesn’t fit. But you haven’t made any of this easy for yourself,’ Lucy added honestly. ‘You ran and you hid, and you made yourself appear like a guilty man.’

But despite her words, she knew Jay-Jay was right. He was their main focus, and all