The Cop, page 4
Kathy tightened her grip on the phone, resisting the almost overwhelming temptation to hurl it at the wall.
‘None of that’s true – not a single word. It hasn’t happened. I haven’t seen a psychiatrist. I haven’t seen anybody. Mike wouldn’t allow that. It’s the last thing he’d want. I might say something about what goes on here. I could show my injuries. He keeps me a prisoner in the house. I may as well spend my life in a cell. I don’t go out at all.’
‘Injuries? Are you talking about the self-harm you inflict on yourself to gain attention?’
Kathy shook her head, one way and then the other.
‘I’ve got no idea what you’re talking about. It’s all a lie. Every single word of it.’
‘Oh, come on, Kathy, you can drop the pretence. Mike’s told me what you do to yourself. He’s told me you’ve refused to join him when he visits. And he’s told me you won’t accept visitors at your place, not even me. It’s not healthy, Kathy. You’ve got to start mixing again. What’s cutting off your family going to achieve?’
‘It’s not like that. None of that’s true. Mike’s a liar! You shouldn’t believe a word that comes out of his filthy mouth.’
She paused before responding.
‘Imagine what Mike would think if he could hear the awful way you talk about him. What on earth is wrong with you? You’ve got a good man. A caring man who works hard and loves you despite your many flaws. That’s more than most can claim. Why isn’t that enough for you? Why be the drama queen? Why the constant need for attention? You’ve always been the same. It’s time to grow up.’
Kathy’s shoulders curled over her chest.
‘I need help, Mum. He’s violent, abusive. I don’t know what more I can say to convince you.’
‘Okay, so invite me over. Prove him wrong. Let’s talk face to face, me, you and Mike. Let’s all put our cards on the table and sort this out once and for all.’
‘I can’t do that.’
Her mother groaned. ‘What a surprise, you won’t agree to talk, so Mike was right all along just as I thought. You’ve got to get a grip, young lady. There’s only so long he’s going to put up with your constant game playing.’
‘If you came, I couldn’t say anything. Not in front of Mike, he’d punish me as soon as you’d left. He’d wait until we were alone to show his true colours. I could lose the baby. No, no, he’d make certain I lost the baby! I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.’
‘Do you remember all the lies you told your father and me as a teenager? We couldn’t believe a word you said to us. We were loving parents. We didn’t deserve that.’
‘That was different. I’m not a teenager any more.’
‘Is it different, Kathy? Is it really different? Or are you that same manipulative girl you were back then? You’re still trying to twist everyone around your little finger for the perverse pleasure it gives you.’
Kathy was murmuring her words now. Her whispered voice reverberating with raw emotion as she choked back her tears.
‘One day you’ll find out I’m telling the truth. One day you’ll see beyond his mask. And then you’ll have to believe me.’
‘You do need help, Kathy, that’s blatantly obvious. But not the sort of help you’re implying.’
‘You’ll be sorry one day.’
‘Is there anything else? My bath’s getting cold, I’ll have to top it up as it is. I don’t want to waste the water.’
‘Please don’t tell Mike I called. I’m still your daughter. Will you do that much for me?’
‘I’ll think about it.’
‘Please, Mum, I’m begging you.’
She rose to her feet.
‘If I don’t tell him, and it is an if, it’s only because I think he’s got enough to put up with without your antics. He’s in a high-pressure job, a demanding job. He needs your support, not your criticisms and game playing. Maybe then you’d have a relationship that works for both of you.’
Kathy checked her watch, acutely aware that time was passing a lot faster than she’d like in a better world.
‘So you won’t tell him?’
‘No, I won’t tell him.’
‘Do you promise?’
‘If it means that much to you, yes, I promise.’
‘I wish Dad was still with us.’
‘Don’t even go there! I’m just glad he died before seeing what you’ve become. He liked Mike. He was fond of him. All this would have broken his heart.’
Kathy pressed her fingers to trembling lips, tearing up again as she lowered her hand. ‘Goodbye, Mum, I hope you enjoy your bath. I won’t be contacting you again.’
6
Probationary Police Constable 134 Christopher Dawson was very much hoping he wouldn’t receive an answer as he knocked reticently on the Conner’s front door at 8.15 p.m. the following Tuesday evening. He wished he was almost anywhere else, doing anything else, but he had a job to do. Stress came with the territory. It’s what he’d signed up for. No one had told him policing was easy. He had no choice but to do his job.
Dawson stood on the doorstep rubbing his hands together, tapping a foot against the cold and telling himself he may not receive an answer. But all too soon a white light shone brightly in the hallway, the door opened and Inspector Michael Conner stood to face him with a dour expression that said a thousand words. He looked different out of uniform – an ordinary man rather than the superman the young constable had built up in his mind. As if his identity were intrinsically linked to the blue cloth, one thing on duty when upholding the law and another thing entirely here in his private life.
‘What can I do for you, constable? I hope you’re not going to piss me off any more than you already have. That wouldn’t be a good idea. Not unless you want to be directing traffic for the rest of your less than glittering career.’
Dawson took a deep breath, desperate to retreat but standing his ground.
‘Sorry to bother you, sir. But a neighbour—’
Conner took a single step forward, placing his face only inches from the young officer’s, not allowing him to finish his sentence and refusing to look away.
‘Just spit it out, lad, before you get rooted to the spot. It’s been a stressful evening. You’re only making things worse.’
Dawson blew out a short breath which steamed in the cold night-time air.
‘We’ve er, we’ve received a report of a female screaming at this address, sir.’
Conner pressed his lips together, shaking his head and sneering. ‘Oh, for fuck’s sake! I know where this crap has come from. It’ll be that nosy git living next door, again. I’ve explained to him what’s happening more than once. I’ve spelt it out in simple language that even that moron should be able to understand. I think he must be getting senile or something. I’d like to shut him up once and for all. The man’s a fucking menace.’
‘Can I come in and talk, sir?’
‘No, you fucking well can’t. Everything is just fine and dandy, no problems here. I suggest you piss off and leave me in peace. There’s a good lad. Best be on your way.’
Dawson felt his face reddening as his pulse began to quicken, dark sweat patches forming under both arms despite the chill.
‘I can’t do that, sir. You know that. I’ve got a job to do.’
Conner laughed, head back, Adam’s apple protruding in his throat.
‘Well, aren’t you the little do-gooder, PC Plod? Stay there, don’t move an inch, and I’ll go and get the missus. You can speak to her in person if that makes you happy. She’s as mad as a fucking hatter, but you might get some sense out of her if you’re lucky. Perhaps then you’ll be satisfied and get some idea of the shit I’m dealing with on a daily basis.’
‘Thank you, sir. You know it makes sense.’
Conner glared at him, turning away without a response, striding down the hallway before disappearing into the sitting room to his left, slamming the door behind him.
Kathy stood cowering, half-hidden behind a floral armchair, making herself smaller. ‘I d-didn’t ring the police. Honestly, I didn’t r-ring. It wasn’t me. I wouldn’t make that mistake again. Not after the last time.’
Conner placed his face next to hers, foreheads touching, hissing his words, spraying her with tiny globules of warm saliva that made her cringe.
‘I know you didn’t ring, bitch. You can stop shuddering. There’s something you need to do for me.’
Kathy nodded, moving her head back a few inches before wiping her face with the sleeve of her cardigan.
‘What is it? Just tell me what to do, and I’ll do it. Anything you say.’
He sighed.
‘Right, you’re going to pull yourself together and then you’re going to tell that moron standing at the door that you’re absolutely fine. In fact, you’ve never felt better in your entire life. We had a minor disagreement, and you got worked up about nothing at all. Whoever called the police was mistaken. There is nothing whatsoever to worry about. Do you think you can manage that much for me? Do you think that’s within your gift?’
‘Yes, I think so.’
He shook his head, slowly, deliberately.
‘Oh, you know so, bitch, you know so, thinking’s not enough.’
Kathy lowered her gaze. ‘Yes, yes, that’s right, I know so. I definitely know so. Just like you said. Anything you say.’
Conner clutched her tightly by a forearm, digging in his thumbs, pulling her upright so that she was balancing on tiptoes.
‘Right, time to get it done. I want him gone and quickly. Do not fuck this up, Kathy. It won’t go well for you if you do.’
She focussed on the floor. ‘I’ll do my best.’
He increased his grip a little tighter.
‘Oh, I know that, Kathy. Because you know the consequences of screwing up again. Now get out there and put on an award-winning performance. I’ll be watching and listening to every single word that comes out of your stupid mouth. If there’s even the slightest suggestion that there’s a problem, you’ll pay a heavy price. It would mean the worst punishment you’ve ever experienced.’
Kathy fastened the top two buttons of her cardigan, opened the lounge door with quivering fingers and made her slow, weary way down the hall towards the front door. A part of her wanted to call for help. A part of her wanted to scream for help and tell the young officer the grim reality of her situation in graphic detail he couldn’t choose to ignore however much he wanted to. But experience held her back. She’d made that error before. That’s what she told herself. Her manipulative bastard husband would find some way of explaining whatever she said away, as if nothing at all of significance had happened. He’d worm his way out of it just as he always did. He’d get away with his crimes and blame her in the process. He was good at it, skilled. Such things defined him. There was no escaping the fact. She had to do precisely what he’d ordered. Nothing less was acceptable.
‘Hello, officer. Sorry to leave you standing in the cold. How can I help you?’
Dawson forced a quickly vanishing smile, asking himself why she’d taken so very long to enter the hall.
‘I just wanted to make sure you’re okay, Mrs Conner. A neighbour thought he heard you screaming earlier in the evening. He seemed genuinely concerned that you may have been injured in some way.’
Kathy adopted a puzzled expression, folding her arms across her chest.
‘Oh, really, he needn’t have concerned himself. There’s absolutely nothing to worry about, nothing at all.’
‘Were you screaming?’
What could she say to that? That’s what she asked herself as she stood and stared with a blank expression on her face.
The constable’s eyes narrowed.
‘Are you okay, Mrs Conner? Is there anything I can do to help you? All you have to do is ask. I’m here to assist you if I can.’
Kathy tugged at her hair before lowering her hand, holding his gaze right up to the time it was no longer comfortable. ‘I’m absolutely fine, thanks. Nice of you to ask. I get worked up sometimes, over not very much at all. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. It’s not a matter for the police; my husband’s looking after me. What more could I want than that? He really is a wonderful partner.’
Dawson took a contact card from the top pocket of his navy tunic, held it out, but then withdrew his hand quickly when she didn’t accept it.
‘You can ring me at any time at the station if you need to. I’m sure you know the number as well as I do. If you need any assistance of any kind, please don’t hesitate to call.’
Kathy felt her facial muscles tighten, changing the contours of her face. Why isn’t he going away? I’ve said what I needed to say. Why on earth isn’t he going?
‘That won’t be necessary, but thank you anyway. It’s nice of you to think of me. But I’m sure you’ve got much more important things to be getting on with. I’ve got my very own police officer here in the house. Why would I need you or anybody else?’
Dawson was about to speak again, still not entirely persuaded, when Inspector Conner suddenly re-entered the hallway, walking towards them, loose-limbed, attempting to portray as relaxed a persona as possible.
‘Are you happy now, constable? Are you going to piss off and leave us in peace? Surely, there must be some criminals that need catching once you’ve had enough of wasting your time here. What do you say, Kathy? Should PC Dawson fuck off and let us get back to the telly?’
‘Yes, yes, he should. I’ve wasted enough of his time already.’
‘Did you hear the lady, constable? I think she made herself crystal clear, don’t you?’
Dawson nodded. ‘Yes, I heard her, sir.’
‘Then that should tell you all you need to know.’
‘I’ll be on my way, sir. Thank you for your time, Mrs Conner.
You know where I am if you need me.’
‘She’s not going to need you, son, she’s told you that. Now piss off and do something useful for once in your life.’
‘Goodnight, sir, I’m sorry to have bothered you.’
Michael Conner’s contempt was palpable as he slammed the door shut and shoved Kathy back in the direction of the lounge. ‘Did you like him, bitch? Did you like your knight in shining armour? Or did you decide that he’s as fucking useless as you are?’
7
Detective Sergeant Sarah Hodgson was tucking into a much-anticipated prawn and mayo sandwich when Christopher Dawson spotted her across the busy police canteen. He waved exuberantly, approaching her table with a mug of steaming tea in one hand and a plate of double egg and chips in the other. ‘Can I have a quick word please, sarge? There’s something that’s bothering me.’
Hodgson swallowed a mouthful, washing it down with a slurp of tap water, smiling without parting her lips. ‘Yeah, no probs. Pull up a chair and take the weight off.’
Dawson shifted uneasily in his seat. ‘I’ve got to be honest, sarge… I was in two minds about saying anything at all.’
‘If something’s bothering you, you need to tell me. I’ll help if I can. How does that sound?’
He frowned, linking his fingers in front of him as if in prayer. ‘I was called to Inspector Conner’s home a couple of nights back.’
‘And?’
‘A neighbour rang in to say he’d heard a woman screaming. There was one hell of a racket apparently. It had all calmed down by the time I got there. I don’t feel I got to the bottom of it.’
‘I read the paperwork. You spoke to Mrs Conner, she said she was okay, and that was the end of it, yeah… job done.’
Dawson’s eyes narrowed.
‘I think there may be more to it, sarge. It’s been playing on my mind ever since. I can’t shake off my misgivings. I only wish I could.’
‘Okay, tell me more.’
‘I checked the records. It was the fifth time we’ve been called to the house in a little over eighteen months. Twice by Mrs Conner herself and three times by the same concerned neighbour. It was the second time in less than a fortnight. If we were dealing with anyone else we’d have done something long before now, wouldn’t we? We’d have taken a formal statement, maybe made an arrest. I’ve completed the domestic violence training. It seems obvious. The woman needs help.’
Hodgson tapped the table three times.
‘Now look, I know where you’re coming from, but you need to be very careful what you’re insinuating. I checked the records myself a while back. I was as concerned as you are until I knew the full story. Assumptions can be dangerous in police work. Situations can be far more complex than they first appear. You need to understand that this is one of those cases.’
Dawson unlinked his hands then sat back in his chair, still far from persuaded.
‘So, what’s it all about?’
‘Mrs Conner is suffering from serious mental health issues. Paranoia, depression, flashbacks, anger issues – even hearing voices. Inspector Conner has told me all about it. It’s terrible really. I knew her before she got ill. She was a lovely girl in those days, full of life, bright, intelligent, with a great sense of humour. She wanted to be a primary school teacher. She’d even applied for the course. Then it all went horribly wrong.’
‘So, what happened to her?’ Hodgson’s expression darkened.
‘It all started when she lost the baby. They were both desperate to become parents, but she had an unexplained miscarriage. It sometimes happens when it’s least expected. It hit them both hard, but in Mrs Conner’s case the grief triggered a complete mental meltdown.’
He frowned hard. ‘Can grief do that?’
‘I’m no expert but, yeah… it seems so. Her decline was sudden and dramatic, from what I’m told. The baby’s loss blew their lives apart. Mike seems to have come to terms with what happened to some degree, but Kathy can’t move on. She hasn’t been the same since. That one event seems to have ruined their lives.’
Dawson swallowed a gulp of tea, his mind travelling back in time. He was there again, at the Conner’s house, looking Kathy Conner in the eye.
