No Right to Kill Read online

  No Right To Kill

  DI Sara Ramsey Book 1

  M A Comley

  Jeamel Publishing Limited

  Acknowledgments

  Thank you as always to my rock, Jean, I’d be lost without you in my life.

  Special thanks to Studioenp for creating such a superb cover.

  My heartfelt thanks go to my wonderful editor Emmy Ellis @ Studioenp and to my fabulous proofreader Joseph Calleja for spotting all the lingering nits.

  And finally, thank you to all the members of my wonderful ARC group for coming on this special journey with me and helping me to grow as an author. Love you all.

  New York Times and USA Today bestselling author M A Comley

  Published by Jeamel Publishing limited

  Copyright © 2018 M A Comley

  Digital Edition, License Notes

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or scholarly journal.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Contents

  Also by M A Comley

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Epilogue

  Letter to you, the reader.

  Keep in touch with M A Comley

  About the Author

  Also by M A Comley

  Blind Justice (Novella)

  Cruel Justice (Book #1)

  Mortal Justice (Novella)

  Impeding Justice (Book #2)

  Final Justice (Book #3)

  Foul Justice (Book #4)

  Guaranteed Justice (Book #5)

  Ultimate Justice (Book #6)

  Virtual Justice (Book #7)

  Hostile Justice (Book #8)

  Tortured Justice (Book #9)

  Rough Justice (Book #10)

  Dubious Justice (Book #11)

  Calculated Justice (Book #12)

  Twisted Justice (Book #13)

  Justice at Christmas (Short Story)

  Prime Justice (Book #14)

  Heroic Justice (Book #15)

  Shameful Justice (Book #16)

  Immoral Justice (Book #17)

  Toxic Justice (Book #18 coming Dec 2018)

  Unfair Justice (a 10,000 word short story)

  Irrational Justice (a 10,000 word short story)

  Seeking Justice (a 15,000 word novella)

  Clever Deception (co-written by Linda S Prather)

  Tragic Deception (co-written by Linda S Prather)

  Sinful Deception (co-written by Linda S Prather)

  NO Right To Kill (DI Sara Ramsey Book 1)

  Forever Watching You (DI Miranda Carr thriller)

  Wrong Place (DI Sally Parker thriller #1)

  No Hiding Place (DI Sally Parker thriller #2)

  Cold Case (DI Sally Parker thriller#3)

  Deadly Encounter (DI Sally Parker thriller #4)

  Lost Innocence (DI Sally Parker thriller #5)

  Web of Deceit (DI Sally Parker Novella with Tara Lyons)

  The Missing Children (DI Kayli Bright #1)

  Killer On The Run (DI Kayli Bright #2)

  Hidden Agenda (DI Kayli Bright #3)

  Murderous Betrayal (Kayli Bright #4)

  Dying Breath (Kayli Bright #5)

  The Hostage Takers (DI Kayli Bright Novella)

  The Caller (co-written with Tara Lyons)

  Evil In Disguise – a novel based on True events

  Deadly Act (Hero series novella)

  Torn Apart (Hero series #1)

  End Result (Hero series #2)

  In Plain Sight (Hero Series #3)

  Double Jeopardy (Hero Series #4)

  Sole Intention (Intention series #1)

  Grave Intention (Intention series #2)

  Devious Intention (Intention #3)

  Merry Widow (A Lorne Simpkins short story)

  It’s A Dog’s Life (A Lorne Simpkins short story)

  A Time To Heal (A Sweet Romance)

  A Time For Change (A Sweet Romance)

  High Spirits

  The Temptation series (Romantic Suspense/New Adult Novellas)

  Past Temptation

  Lost Temptation

  Prologue

  Time is a cruel thief to rob us of our former selves. We lose as much to life as we do to death.

  Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey

  He watched the house, waiting…

  In the safety of his car, he reflected. Wondering if he had the courage to pull this off. To carry out what he was planning to do to the old couple who had befriended him. Shown him love when others had all too often turned their backs on him. Sweat broke out on his forehead, and his hands became clammy. He’d thought long and hard about doing this, so why was he having doubts now?

  The light went on at the other end of the bungalow. He knew the inside of the home well—someone had gone into the bedroom. Should he strike now? Or wait until the couple had gone to bed?

  He decided to leave it a little while. It was only ten o’clock. His stomach clenched and tied itself into knots. Again, he debated whether he was doing the right thing as the elderly couple’s smiling faces entered his mind.

  They had celebrated their sixtieth wedding anniversary only the year before. Welcomed him along with all their family and friends in the small village to join in the fun. Sixty years spent together was such an amazing achievement these days.

  Swallowing hard, he shook his head. I can’t do this! Not to them. But he had to. He’d run out of options. His mind drifted back to the party the family had held in their honour, how much everyone cherished them. The couple had been childhood sweethearts, only ever had eyes for each other, a rarity in this day and age.

  Why had he overheard Ted spouting his mouth off down at the pub? That’s what this was all about. His desire to have what the couple were hiding in their home. Ted had repeatedly told his friend, whilst sitting at the bar, how much he detested banks, even went as far as to call them thieving bastards—he found it hard to trust them enough to look after his money.

  With his heart pounding, he wiped drool away with the sleeve of his jacket. Money was an excellent motivator for people without much to celebrate in their lives. He worked hard when he was employed. All right, he always messed up and got the sack regularly, but when he was at work, he’d enjoyed the camaraderie he’d shared with his workmates. The trouble was, that lately he spent more time out of work than in employment. Any money he had went on the necessities in life, like keeping a roof over his head and paying the bills. There was never enough to go around to spend on things that put happiness in his heart.

  Inhaling a large breath, he plucked u
p the courage to leave his car. He scanned the area quickly, closed the door softly behind him and dashed across the road, the outside light of the house acting as a beacon, enticing him closer.

  Once he reached the porch, he took a final glance around and then rang the bell. Moments later, Ted opened the door and seemed genuinely pleased to see him.

  He almost turned back and walked away, but the lure of what was waiting for him inside proved impossible for him to ignore.

  Ted stepped back, inviting him into his home, the way he always did. Guilt wrapped itself around his heart. He had to push that aside and concentrate on making his goals achievable. He had a vast debt to pay. That was why he was doing this, no other reason. He thought of Ted and Maureen as members of his family. But if he didn’t do this, his life would be on the line.

  Killing them would mean his own salvation…

  Chapter 1

  Always punctual, Detective Inspector Sara Ramsey arrived at work half an hour before her shift was due to begin. She was surprised to find her partner, Detective Sergeant Carla Jameson, already working at her desk.

  “Blimey! Did you shit the bed or something?”

  Carla’s dainty nose wrinkled. “Crap, you can be so uncouth at times, boss.”

  Sara laughed. “I’ll consider myself reprimanded with that remark. What are you up to?”

  “Tying up a few loose ends. You know me, hate it when I’m drowning in paperwork. Makes it hard to concentrate when another case drops on my desk.”

  “I admire your conscientiousness. Wish everyone on the team possessed the same work ethic. Sadly, that’s not the case. Anything on the wires overnight?” Sara asked on her way to the vending machine. She returned with two cups of coffee and placed one on the desk next to Carla.

  “Thanks. All quiet as far as I can tell. Mind you, I last viewed the computer an hour ago. A mass murderer could have struck in that time.”

  Sara shook her head and tutted. “Hardly. Not on our patch. Nothing that gritty happens in sleepy Herefordshire, in case you hadn’t noticed.”

  Carla’s eyebrows rose. “I think you’re forgetting the masked hold-up at the bank we had recently. Plus, the incident concerning the man who deliberately ran down his wife because she was seeking a divorce.”

  She raised her hands in defeat. “All right, maybe those couple of incidents slipped my mind. Anyway, an hour, you said. What time did you get here this morning?”

  “Around seven. Andrew had a meeting in London and needed to get on the road by six. You know what I’m like. Once I’m awake, that’s it for the day. Thought I’d be better off coming in early.”

  “What was the alternative?”

  Carla shrugged. “An early morning run or tidying up the house, neither of which appealed to me at six this morning. The only other option left open to me was to start work early.” She took a sip from her coffee and pulled a face. “Crap, you forgot the sugar.” She opened the drawer beside her and withdrew a packet of granulated sugar and a teaspoon.

  “No, I didn’t. I ordered one sugar as usual,” Sara objected adamantly.

  “The damn machine must have run out again. I keep telling Will and Barry to stop filling their coffee with five sugars, selfish shits!”

  Sara tasted her own coffee and shuddered. “Stick one in there for me. I’ll need to ring the vending machine people, ask them to top it up again.”

  “You’d be better off telling the boys to buy their own bag of sugar.”

  “I’ll do that as well. Right, I’ll be in my office should you need me. There’s bound to be a mountain of paperwork vying for my attention after the weekend.”

  “Crampons at the ready. I poked my head in the office earlier, on the off-chance you were in.”

  Curling her lip, Sara rolled her eyes up to the ceiling and walked across the incident room to her office. The office overlooked the park opposite. Every morning, Sara passed the first few minutes of her day gazing out the window at the green open space opposite and the view of the Brecon Beacons in the distance. She hadn’t been in the area long, but she already considered it her home. She’d transferred from Liverpool—a tough patch to patrol—to possibly one of the most laid-back areas an inspector could wish to work in. Her eyes misted up when she thought about the real reason she’d come south. After what had happened, she realised how much she missed her family.

  Her mother and father had been a tower of strength to her in the past eighteen months since she’d landed on their doorstep. But after years of independence, she had found it difficult to live under someone else’s roof, abiding by their rules. A developer was constructing a new-build site of twenty houses in the village next to her parents’, so she’d jumped at the chance of putting down a deposit on one of the first houses that had been erected on the site.

  Her parents had been a little disappointed when she’d first told them of her plans, but after a few frosty days, they’d finally given their blessing. Sara had moved into her two-bedroom house only a few months ago with Misty, her tortoiseshell cat.

  She left the window and slipped behind her desk to finish her coffee. There’s no point in me getting all maudlin. That won’t bring him back. She was where she belonged, returned to the family fold now. Living in this area was a whole world away from the life she’d had in Liverpool. Her parents were now enjoying their retirement, safe in the knowledge that she no longer served in a force with a substantial crime rate that was increasing year on year.

  The only downside to her parents’ retirement plans was that her father had an ongoing problem with his heart that the specialist at the hospital was keeping a regular eye on. Other than that, she was enjoying working in Hereford and living close to her family, even if the godawful memories reared their head now and again.

  Sara glanced up from her paperwork when Carla opened the door. “You spoke too soon.”

  She tilted her head and frowned. “I did? About what?”

  “About nothing juicy ever happening around here. Looks like we have a double murder on our patch.”

  Sara collapsed against the back of her chair. “What?” she said in disbelief. “You’re kidding me?”

  Carla’s mouth turned down, and she shook her head slowly. “I wish I was. An elderly couple stabbed to death in their home.”

  “Shit! Okay. Get the details, and we’ll shoot over there now. I take it the pathologist is already at the scene?”

  “She is, along with her team.”

  “Give me five minutes to at least finish opening the post, and I’ll be with you. Is anyone else in yet?”

  Carla glanced at her watch. “Nope, but they shouldn’t be long, it’s eight-fifty.”

  “We’ll get on the road once someone else arrives. You know how much I detest leaving the phones unmanned.”

  Carla left the room. Sara tried not to dwell on the crime too much as she completed her first task of the morning. With that out of the way, she left her desk, slipped on her jacket and joined the rest of the team in the incident room. “Morning all. I take it Carla has brought you up to date? We’re going to take a ride over there, to see the crime scene for ourselves.”

  “Morning, boss. Anything in particular you want us to tackle in your absence?” asked DS Will Rogerson.

  “Why don’t you start the background checks on the couple? Carla will give you the details before we leave.”

  Will left his chair and wandered over to Carla’s desk where she scribbled down the information for him. Once Carla had handed over the sheet of paper, Sara said, “Are we ready to rumble, partner?”

  Carla unhooked her jacket from the chair, drank the rest of her coffee and nodded. “All ready.”

  “See you later, guys,” Sara called over her shoulder as they made their way through the swing doors.

  “Crap, it’s only just registered with me. I only live a few villages away, so do my parents,” Sara said, halting the car outside the victims’ bungalow in Bodenham.

  “This is probably a o
ne-off. No point getting yourself worked up about it.”

  Sara raised an eyebrow at her partner. “I hope you’re bloody right on that one. Otherwise I’m going to get it in the neck from my parents.”

  “Why?”

  “I can just imagine the conversation now. ‘We never had these types of crimes in our area before you moved down here!’”

  Carla laughed. “I think all parents would say that in this case, not just yours.”

  They exited the car and prepared to show their IDs to the uniformed officer standing close to the cordon. “DI Sara Ramsey and DS Carla Jameson.”

  The young male officer hoisted up the tape, enabling them both to duck under it.

  “Is the pathologist inside?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Walking up the winding path to the bungalow, Sara couldn’t help but admire how beautifully manicured the lawn was and how tidy the borders of the front garden were. The property was detached, surrounded by its own grounds with a single garage at the side with what Sara presumed was the couple’s car, a maroon-coloured Ford, sitting in the drive. “Nicely tended garden.”

  “Yep. I thought the same. The couple obviously cherished it,” Carla agreed.

  Sara opened the front door and called out, “Hello, anyone in here?”

  “Do not come in here until you’re togged up, got that?”

  Sara recognised the voice of Lorraine Dixon, the local pathologist.