Shame the Devil, page 16
‘She stabbed me in the back.’
‘You lied about your involvement with a known criminal, Anna. Molly had every right to report you.’
‘I just don’t think it’s fair I’m being punished for something that happened long before I joined the Met.’ She stared at her hands. ‘I love that job, Matt. It means everything to me. If I’m forced to resign, what am I going to do?’
‘It probably won’t come to that. A slap on the wrists; possibly a demotion. You’re a good officer. It’ll go in your favour.’ Denning didn’t know this and was merely guessing.
‘I can’t face being demoted. Do you know how humiliating that would be?’
‘You don’t have to stay at Islington. There are other stations. It happens. Officers get demoted all the time for various reasons.’
‘Matt, can’t you just put a good word in for me? It would help.’
He sighed. ‘I’m in a difficult position, Anna. How can I give you a reference when it was one of my team that reported you to professional standards? Please appreciate how this looks from my standpoint.’
He could tell from the look on her face that she didn’t agree with him.
‘Don’t you see?’ she said. ‘It would carry more weight if it came from you. It would tell them that you don’t agree with Molly’s accusations.’ She leaned in closer to him. ‘In fact, Matt, you’d be doing me a massive favour by trying to persuade Molly to withdraw them.’ She looked at him pleadingly.
He felt some sympathy for her: at the end of the day, she was a good copper who’d just messed up. He wasn’t even entirely sure of the facts behind the case, except that she’d failed to declare a connection to a suspect in an assault case. Naturally, there was bound to be more to it than that. However, Molly had felt it necessary to formally report the matter to the IOPC. That was a tough decision for any police officer to make: to have to place another officer’s career in jeopardy like that was never easy. Molly had done it and he respected her for it. Even if he knew she secretly regretted the decision, he was still going to stand by her.
‘Anna, I’m sorry you’re in this mess. Really. But you have to appreciate the difficult situation this puts me in.’
‘I’m only asking for a reference. Just speak up for me. I would do the same in your position. It can make all the difference.’
He knew she was right. A word from him could be the difference between a formal reprimand and her P45. As an ex-copper, she’d struggle to find a job that paid as well… ‘Let me think about it, Anna. I’m not going to be pressured into anything.’
She offered him a smile. ‘Thanks, Matt. I would owe you, big time.’
He didn’t know why she was thanking him. He hadn’t actually agreed to do it. There was still a chance he’d change his mind. He wanted to change the subject. ‘Let me think about it. In the meantime, have either Declan Meech or Tony Hallam come up on your radar at some point? Local villains.’
‘Declan Meech is known,’ she said. ‘He’s got a lengthy record, but seems to have been keeping his nose clean of late. Hallam…’ She shrugged. ‘I don’t recognise the name, but I could look into him for you.’
Denning knew this was her way of saying any favour would be carefully considered. But he wasn’t even sure there was anything Anna Klein could say that would be useful, nothing that couldn’t be gleaned from the Police National Computer database. Mind, she had contacts and heard things that hadn’t been made officially. Denning was certain that was where the likes of Tony Hallam operated.
‘Thanks,’ he said. ‘That would be helpful.’ He only hoped he wasn’t going to regret his decision.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Molly hadn’t seen Jon for several months. She was already regretting agreeing to meet him. At least they agreed to meet on neutral territory. Babushka was a trendy coffee shop in Crouch End, near the Broadway. They used to frequent it on weekend mornings, whenever Molly wasn’t working. During happier times, they would sit in the window and people-watch.
He looked tired, like he wasn’t sleeping. Part of her felt sorry for him, but another part of her just didn’t want to know. So much of their relationship had involved her mothering him: making sure he ate and didn’t drink too much or abuse too many substances. She enjoyed her freedom too much to want to return to those days.
‘It’s good to see you,’ he said as soon as she sat down. ‘I ordered a latte for you.’
She spotted the long, thin glass of frothy white coffee on the table. ‘Thank you. How have you been?’
‘Yes, good. I’ve been OK. You?’
It was strained small talk, the kind people made at the start of a first date, but they were both well beyond that stage now. ‘I’m fine, Jon. Very busy at work. In fact, I can’t stay long.’
She knew there was an element of her that wanted a ‘normal’ family life; a husband and kids and a house in the suburbs. She also knew Jon could never give her this, at least not in a way that she would have been comfortable with. This was all part of why they’d split. Since she’d moved out, she’d had a chance to reassess her life: she knew what she wanted, and what she didn’t.
He looked crestfallen, but what had he been expecting? Some kind of reunion? ‘I thought, maybe, we could go for dinner afterwards… talk properly…’
‘There’s nothing to talk about, Jon. I’m staying with Trudi and Charys for now. When I’ve found somewhere permanent then I’ll collect my stuff from your place.’
‘My place. That used to be our home.’ He shook his head. ‘I just wish I knew what I’d done wrong.’
‘You betrayed my trust, Jon. You spoke to a journalist, telling her about a case that could have jeopardised a murder investigation.’ She was trying to keep her voice level. There was no point rekindling old arguments and chasing after old fights. They had to focus on the future. ‘But it’s not just that, is it. It’s us: we were never right for each other,’ She sighed, silently berating herself was being so abrupt. ‘Sorry. I didn’t mean for it to come out like that.’
‘You mean the age difference? That never used to bother you.’
Jon was nearly fourteen years older than Molly. It had never been an issue initially, and, if she was being honest, it wasn’t the main reason they split up. ‘It’s more than that. I can’t trust you. And then there’s everything else. You’ve never really accepted what I do for a living. I’m proud of my job. I enjoy and I feel I’m doing something useful for society. But it’s always been a bit of a joke for you. Jokes about uniforms and handcuffs.’
‘That’s not true. I’ve always respected your job. And I’ve supported you. When you wanted to join MIT, I encouraged you.’
She sipped her latte and felt like she was fighting a losing battle. ‘Jon, we can analyse every aspect of our relationship and who said what to whom… try to work out what went wrong and what didn’t. But it isn’t going to change anything. It wasn’t working out and we can’t make it work now.’
He looked like he was going to cry. She wanted to say something reassuring but there was no point in making false promises.
‘I still miss you,’ he said. ‘The house is so empty without you.’
‘Then get a lodger.’ She shook her head. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that to sound so brutal. I just meant you have to accept we’ve both moved on. Sell the house if necessary. Buy somewhere smaller. It would free up some capital. You could use the money to travel.’
But she could see he wasn’t persuaded.
‘We could try couples’ therapy?’
She shook her head. ‘What would be the point.’ She sighed. ‘Jon, I wish you well, but you’ve got to accept that it’s over. For both our sakes.’
His face dropped. The same hang-dog crestfallen look he used whenever they’d had an argument and he couldn’t bring himself to apologise for his behaviour or justify his actions. She was so used to falling for it, it had almost become her default way of thinking. But she knew she’d changed. The same old rut just wasn’t working.
‘We end up going round and round in circles,’ Molly said. ‘It’s like some kind of perverse dance: you piss me off, I forgive you. Repeat ad infinitum.’ She paused. ‘Or I piss you off, you pretend not care. Then same as before. It’s not doing either of us any favours.’
‘I just wonder who put this thought in your head in the first place. You were happy enough for a long time. We both were. Then, suddenly, you tell me the relationship’s over. No warning… it just ends.’
She sighed. He just wasn’t getting it, and – she suspected – he was never going to. ‘Nobody put the thought in my head. I have, and have always had, the ability to think for myself.’
‘I’ve never tried to change you. Why would I? I thought we worked…’ His voice trailed off. For a moment she thought he was going to cry, but he quickly composed himself. ‘So where do we go from here?’ he asked. ‘Your stuff is still in my house.’
‘There’s no room for it at Trudi’s. I’m looking for a place, but it’s not easy. I’m up to my eyes at work and there’s very little available in my price range. I know that sounds like an excuse, but it’s going to take time to find somewhere to live.’
‘There’s no hurry on my part. If you’re stuck, you could always move back in. Take the spare room. We’d stay there as friends, nothing more. At least you’d have a bit of space and you’d be living somewhere familiar.’
Her step-father had once told her, if an offer seemed too good to be true then it probably was. She knew there would be a catch to Jon’s offer – the constant pressure to reignite their relationship. It was clear that everything she’d said had fallen on conveniently deaf ears. Jon had no intention of moving on and she was going to have to live knowing he wasn’t going to let go. Deep down, part of her knew this had all the makings of a long-term problem.
Chapter Thirty-Six
As it was a warm evening, Molly suggested they met in the park. Cassie seemed happy with the suggestion. ‘I was beginning to feel like I was in prison,’ she said, as she and Molly chatted while Cassie pushed Arthur in his pushchair. He looked up at Molly, a flicker of recognition on his face. Molly was beginning to feel like part of his extended family now and that wasn’t necessarily a good thing. ‘I thought if I didn’t get out the flat, I was going to go slightly insane,’ Cassie said. ‘And it’s good for Arthur to get a bit of fresh air. I think he’s looking a bit peaky. What do you think?’
Molly had no idea how babies should look, but if she had to take a punt, he looked fine to her.
‘I think you should stop worrying,’ she said, offering Cassie a warm smile. ‘But I know what you mean about getting some fresh air.’
The weather was still pleasant; summer seemed reluctant to relinquish its cheery grip. Molly was glad to get away from the MIT office. The atmosphere had been growing increasingly stifling as the detectives struggled with the case. Three murder victims on their call, all somehow linked to an incident in a park similar to the one they were in now. Molly wanted to offer Cassie something more than kind words and vague promises. She understood how she felt, or at least she could sympathise with what Cassie was going through. There was some common ground between them: both were being forced to face up to major changes in their lives. But Molly’s feelings about her recent split with Jon were nothing compared with what Cassie was experiencing.
‘Cassie, I’ve spoken to Scarlett. We don’t believe she was involved in Kieran’s murder.’
Cassie nodded her acceptance. ‘To be honest with you, I didn’t really think she was. I suppose I was clutching at straws.’
‘That’s not to say she wasn’t the person who phoned that evening. It’s possible she still had feelings for Kieran, but not enough to want him dead. I can’t go into too much detail about an ongoing murder investigation, Cassie, but we now have a lead. We think we know why Kieran was murdered, and hopefully it won’t be long before we catch the person responsible. I know that isn’t going to bring him back, but at least it will offer some kind of closure for you.’
‘You know why he was killed…?’ Her voice was brittle. For Molly this was about a murder victim, but for Cassie this was her partner they were discussing. The man she’d decided to spend the rest of her life with and bring up a child with. To her, Kieran Judd was more than just another anonymous body on a mortuary table. ‘I still can’t believe that someone would deliberately kill Kieran. It was different when I thought he’d been killed by mistake, that the man upstairs had been the intended target… But Kieran. He was the gentlest, kindest man… There can’t be any reason why someone would want to kill him.’
Molly told Cassie about Noah Daniel’s death, but kept the details light. At the very least she felt Cassie deserved to know the truth about why her partner had been killed. Besides, the story was already appearing in the press. It wouldn’t be long before the truth started leaking out.
Cassie sat down on a bench and stared into space. ‘Kieran used to have nightmares, but never told me what they were about. Now I realise that might explain it.’ She rubbed Arthur’s head affectionately. ‘I wish he’d told me.’
‘He probably wanted to put the whole thing out his mind and make a fresh start. There’s no suggestion Kieran was to blame, but I imagine he would still have felt at least partly responsible.’
‘Then why didn’t he tell me? I’d have been sympathetic. It was an accident.’
‘I don’t know, Cassie. Guilt can affect people in different ways. Even when they have nothing to feel guilty about, it still affects them, deep down.’
‘I keep going over it in my head,’ Cassie said. ‘What happened that day. I can’t imagine what that poor little boy’s parents must have gone through.’
Molly had tried not to think too hard about it, but, like Cassie, she just couldn’t chase the thoughts from her head: an enjoyable trip to the park; children and teachers both looking forward to it. Some welcome spring sun and a chance to have some fun. Then the day ending in tragedy. So many people’s lives ruined because of one brief moment.
‘I just can’t believe Kieran kept it to himself. I wish he’d told me. Maybe I could have done something to help.’
‘I doubt there was much you could have done,’ Molly said softly. ‘You were there for him. You and Arthur.’
Cassie was staring into space. Arthur was making noises in his pushchair.
‘Have you found somewhere else to live yet?’ Molly asked. She wanted to convince herself that her concern was genuine rather than motivated by her own desire to take over Cassie’s tiny flat. But she couldn’t ignore the fact that she’d found herself thinking about the flat more and more. Knowing that if Cassie and Arthur had to move out, then someone was going to take the place over, and if it wasn’t Molly then it would simply be let to someone else…
‘I’m going to move in with a friend,’ Cassie said. ‘She said I can stay for as long as I like. She and her husband have just split up, so in a way it’s probably more about her needing a bit of company as much as her doing me a favour. And the rent will come in handy too.’
‘And she’s OK with Arthur coming too?’
‘Oh yes, she loves kids. Arthur will be spoilt rotten.’
Molly was happy for her. After what she’d been through, she deserved a lucky break. They stopped by a pond and Cassie took a clear plastic bag of breadcrumbs out of her handbag and gave a handful to Arthur, telling him to throw them at the ducks. It took him a moment or two to understand, and it was only after he saw his mummy do it that he followed suit. Molly stood and watched for a few minutes. The normality of it. The reassuring nature of a child enjoying life.
‘And you’re sure this has something to do with what’s happening now? Why?’
‘We don’t know why it’s happening now, but we’re pretty certain it’s connected to Noah Daniel’s death. Cassie, can you think of anything that happened in the run-up to Kieran’s murder, apart from the phone call, that might be relevant? Was he behaving any differently? Did he seem concerned about anything?’
She stared into space before answering. ‘No. Like I’ve already told you, there was nothing. This whole thing happened out of the blue. A ring on the doorbell one evening and then…’
She didn’t need to finish the sentence. Molly knew how it had panned out. A normal evening that had ended with her whole life being ripped from under her. And now the endless barrage of questions, though, if she were honest, so much of this could have been done over the phone.
‘I know it seems exasperating,’ Molly told her. ‘But we need to make sure we cover everything. Now we are clearer on what’s motivated the murders, we’re in a better position to find the person responsible. This might feel like slow progress, but there will be a breakthrough soon. I promise you.’
Cassie looked at her and she saw the pain in her eyes. ‘Do you really mean that, Molly? Or is this just you fobbing me off to make me feel better?’
And in her heart, Molly couldn’t say if it was.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Denning called another briefing first thing the following morning. With the team struggling to focus, there were cups of coffee on most desks. Denning had already had two cups and was contemplating a third whilst he waited for the caffeine to kick in.
