Gone in Seconds: Spin-off to the Justice series (Justice Again Book 1) Read online

  Ray decided to push harder on the throttle. The boat surged forward, and the gunman lost his footing. He slammed into the door, and the gun skittered across the floor to Ray’s feet. He bent to pick it up. The guy twigged what was happening and pounced on Ray. The gun went off in the ensuing fight between the two men. It didn’t take long for the other goon to appear, and between them, the two men overpowered Ray.

  They took it in turns to slam their fists into his gut and his face. He doubled over in pain. Sirens wailed behind; yet another police boat was on their tail.

  “Fucking stop messing about. If we don’t outrun them then we’ll all be going down for murder, you hear me?” the gunman shouted in Ray’s face, baring his teeth as his lip curled up into a ferocious snarl.

  Ray swallowed hard. “But I had nothing to do with it.”

  The guy hit his temple with the gun. Ray’s gaze blurred. The boat bumped into a smaller craft coming in the opposite direction.

  “What the fuck are you doing?” The gunman prodded the gun into Ray’s side, into his wound.

  “Ouch! Shit, it’s not my fault, my vision is blurred.”

  The gunman threw his weapon to the other goon. “Watch him. If he moves, fucking kill the bastard. I’m going to have to steer this thing, it’s our only chance of getting out of here.”

  “Do you know what you’re doing?” Ray asked, fearing not only for his own safety but that of his new three-quarter-mill acquisition.

  “Fuck off! How difficult can it be?”

  “It’s harder than you think.” Ray peered over his shoulder. “They’re gaining on us.”

  “Here, you take her then. No funny business or the girl gets it.”

  “I swear. We need to go faster. Brace yourselves.”

  The boat lunged forward at last. Their speed was greater than that of the police cruiser behind them.

  The river widened, much to Ray’s relief. “We’ve got this. They’re losing speed rapidly, cowards.” He laughed.

  “Just get us to shore in one piece. Round the next bend, pull over when you can and we’ll leg it.”

  “Shit! We’ve got no chance of escaping. We’re doomed,” Ray shouted above the whine of the engine.

  “We’re sunk with that attitude. Do your best. Be prepared to jump, Stitch.”

  Stitch stared at him. “Are you fucking crazy? I ain’t jumping off no speeding boat.”

  The other man grasped Stitch’s throat and pulled him close, their noses almost touching. “All right, fucking go to jail then, see if I care. You keep my name out of this, though, or I’ll hunt you down. I have a number of mates doing time.”

  “All right, mate. Less of the frigging threats.”

  “I hate to interrupt,” Ray said, “but the bend is almost upon us.”

  As soon as the boat disappeared around the curve in the river, one of the goons produced a knife. He didn’t hesitate and slashed Ray across the throat. Then the two men raced onto the deck. The girl appeared from below and screamed.

  The boat was out of control. Ray had slumped over the controls and pushed the throttle to its max.

  In his dazed state, he could just make out the two goons standing on the bow getting ready to jump. He didn’t know what happened next.

  The loss of blood sent him into unconsciousness…

  1

  Katy stretched and ran a hand over AJ’s taut muscles. “I wish I had abs like yours.” She snuggled into him.

  He kissed her on the temple and hugged her tightly. “How many times do I have to tell you? There’s nothing wrong with your bloody figure. And look what it has produced, a beautiful daughter.”

  Katy let out a small sigh. “She is perfect, isn’t she?”

  “Just like her mum.” He used all his strength to pull her on top of him.

  Katy stared down at the man she’d lost her heart to over six years before, virtually the day she’d joined the Met police after transferring from the Manchester force.

  They had got engaged and had Georgina within a year of meeting, and now, after a discreet service at the weekend, they were an official couple in the eyes of God, husband and wife for their sins. They were regretting not telling their respective parents. Not so much hers, but his mother and father were bound to chuck their dummies out of the pram. His father was a Member of Parliament and had a reputation to uphold. But AJ had made sure he wasn’t reliant on his family’s wealth a long time ago, hence him joining the police force at a young age. He’d given all that up to become a house-husband and care for their delightful daughter, knowing that Katy, now an inspector again, would be bringing in more of a salary than he could earn.

  “You always were a charmer. I suppose we’d better ring our parents at the weekend. Can’t say I’m looking forward to doing that.”

  “Let’s get used to the idea first, just you, me and Georgina. I love you, Mrs Jackson.”

  “About that, do you think I should change my name at work?”

  “Why not? It’s up to you, no pressure from me.”

  “I’m in two minds about it. Maybe sticking with my single name will keep you guys safe.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Criminals are getting worse, you know that. Every day, the length and breadth of the country, we hear an officer has been either abducted or hurt because they were connected with a certain case. I’d hate for anything to happen to you or Georgina because a criminal did their research into my family.”

  “True enough. Although, if they were that determined to trace us, they’d find a way, no matter what name you go under.”

  “Thanks for putting my mind at ease about that.” She laughed and swiped his chest. “I’d better jump in the shower.”

  “Yeah, which means I have to get up and sort our little munchkin out ready for playschool.”

  Katy bent to kiss him. “You’re the best husband and father around.”

  “I know.” He grinned.

  “You’re also very vain, but I love you all the same.”

  Katy left their three-bedroom semi-detached house, which AJ managed to maintain beautifully, around thirty minutes later and drove to the police station which she affectionally called ‘her other home’. To Katy, the station really felt like the home where she spent more time than her proper home.

  She waved at Charlie who was just getting out of her Ford Fiesta. “Hi, how’s it going today, Charlie?”

  “Hey, I’m fine. Enough about me, did you do it?”

  Katy held up her ring finger. “Yep. Sorry we couldn’t invite you. I hope you understand it was a quiet affair? Just me, AJ and Georgina. We grabbed two witnesses off the street.” She cringed, admitting that fact.

  “Wow, you did? I’m fine about it. I know someone who’ll be disappointed when I tell her, though.”

  Katy cringed. “Your mum, right?”

  “Yep, she and Tony will be devastated they weren’t there to share your happy day.”

  “I’ll give her a call this morning, in between going through the post. It’ll give me a break from the mundane. Do you really think she’s going to be angry with me?”

  “Nah, she’ll be fine. A tad upset, but on the whole, she’ll be overjoyed for you.”

  “Come on, you can buy your new boss a cup of coffee to celebrate her nuptials.”

  They entered the building.

  The desk sergeant, Mick Crawford, acknowledged them with a nod. “Morning, ladies. What a fine day it is.”

  “You’re full of sunshine today, Mick, any reason for that?”

  “Not really. I thought it would make a change to come to work in a positive frame of mind this morning.”

  “Always good to break your routine now and again,” Katy responded, grinning.

  “Cheeky. Have a good day.”

  There was a twinkle in his eye that sent a chill running up Katy’s spine. In the past, if anyone dared to utter those particular words, her day usually turned out to be the complete opposite.

  The
y walked up the stairs, nattering as they went. At the top they found DCI Roberts waiting for them. “Morning, ladies. Did you have a good weekend?”

  “Yes, thanks, boss,” Charlie replied shyly.

  “I did, thanks. I have some news. AJ and I tied the knot.”

  Sean Roberts’ mouth gaped open for a second or two. “No way! Should I be offended that you didn’t invite me?”

  “No one came, not even our parents. Actually, they still don’t know. We’re intending to break the news this weekend, if nothing drastic happens in the meantime.”

  “Bloody hell, have you guys got a death wish? I can’t see AJ’s folks being happy when you tell them.”

  Katy hitched up her right shoulder. “What’s done is done. They’ll have to suck it up, won’t they? It’s our life, as the saying goes, we’re old enough to know better.”

  “Yeah, but it should’ve probably been a grand affair in their eyes, Katy.”

  “Which was why we decided to keep it quiet. We thought long and hard and figured ultimately the day should be about the three of us, and it was perfect, just perfect.”

  “Do we get to see any photos?”

  “Soon, I promise.”

  “Okay, now you’ve dealt me that shock first thing in the morning, I suppose we’d all better start our day. How are you settling in, Charlie?”

  “Really well, I think.” Charlie faced Katy for reassurance.

  “Best partner I’ve had, apart from her mother, that is,” Katy assured him with a satisfied smile.

  “Good to hear. You have huge shoes to fill, make sure that fact doesn’t overwhelm you, Charlie. If you need any guidance, don’t be afraid to ask Katy, or me, come to that. My door will always be open for you, should you need it.”

  Charlie’s cheeks coloured up. “Thank you, sir.”

  Katy smiled, and the three of them separated.

  “He’s mellowed over the years, hasn’t he?” Charlie murmured.

  Katy pushed through the door to the incident room, disappointed to see they were the first to arrive. “He has. Your mum told me he used to be a right bastard to her when he first showed up. You know they had a fling years ago, don’t you?”

  “Yeah, Mum told me she passed Sean up to be with Dad, and look how that turned out.”

  “How is your dad?”

  “Still wandering through life in a confused state. He picks up a job here and there and the odd woman along the way, too.”

  “You don’t sound too impressed by his behaviour.”

  “I’m not. I keep out of his way most of the time. I love him, of course I do. I don’t think I like him too much, though. Does that sound harsh?”

  “Not in my eyes. By all accounts, he didn’t treat Lorne very well when they were married.”

  “You don’t have to tell me that. They thought they hid the arguments and the snide comments from me. Nothing could be further from the truth. I suppose that’s why I rebelled as a teenager.”

  “Shit! You should’ve told Lorne, she would have probably left your dad sooner rather than put you through all that turmoil.”

  “She did her best for me, they both did, in their own way.”

  Katy decided that Charlie seemed uncomfortable discussing her mother and father’s relationship so called a halt to the conversation. “I’ll be in the office. White with one sugar, when you get around to buying the coffees.” She smiled and pushed open the door and let out an agonised groan. Her desk was overflowing with damn paperwork. Most of it belonged to her predecessor who had thrown in the towel and left it for Katy the day she’d retired.

  She opened the office window, the heat hitting her with force. She sat behind her desk and sifted through the post first. Charlie came in a few minutes later.

  “Here you go. I’ve even brought you a digestive biscuit. Now, you can take that as sucking up to the new boss or you could see it as a friend sharing their lot with you. Either way, you’re welcome.”

  “Thanks, as much as I appreciate the gesture, please don’t make a habit of it. I still have a few pounds of baby fat to shift, and yes, Georgina is five now.”

  “Oops, hey, you look fine to me. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

  “Thanks. Now I know what a good liar you are, just like your mum. Talking of which, I’m going to ring her now.”

  “I’ll leave you to it. Send her my love, tell her I’ll ring her in the next couple of days.” Charlie smiled and left the room.

  Katy sipped her coffee. It was just to her liking—her new partner was going to stand the test of time, after all. She nibbled on the tempting biscuit and picked up the desk phone to dial the number which she took from her mobile contacts.

  “Hello.”

  “Why hello, would it be possible to speak to the lady of the house about a new cosmetic range we’ve developed from dog poo?” Katy couldn’t hold back the laughter any longer.

  “Katy Foster, is that you?”

  “No, it’s not. Guess again.”

  “What? You definitely sound like her. Who is this?”

  “This is Mrs Katy Jackson, ha, fooled you.”

  “Bloody nutter. You had me going there. Wait…you haven’t?”

  “I ruddy well have.”

  “Oh, Katy, I’m so thrilled for you. Hang on…Tony, come here, you’ll never guess what…Katy and AJ have got married. Isn’t it exciting?”

  “It’s the best news ever, Katy, congratulations, love,” Tony shouted from somewhere off in the distance.

  “Thanks, guys. I was a little doubtful about ringing you, thought you’d tear me off a strip for not inviting you to the wedding.”

  “Well, now that you mention it, I am a bit miffed. Have we upset you?”

  “Oh, Lorne, it’s nothing like that. Even our parents didn’t attend. We haven’t told them yet. We’re doing that at the weekend.”

  “Oh my God, you’re taking a major risk there.”

  “I know. Enough about me, how’s life down on the farm?” Katy chuckled.

  “It’s hardly a farm. We’re in the process of building more kennels, and I know we said we wouldn’t create a rescue centre again, but I think that’s the route we’re taking. How’s the new recruit settling in?”

  “How cool. I knew you would. She’s doing fabulously well. I’ve put her forward for her sergeant’s exam. Not sure if she’s told you that or not, oops! Maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned it.”

  “Don’t be silly. Of course she’s told me, we were both thrilled to hear it. Fingers crossed for her. It’ll make a difference to her financially. They could do with the money as Brandon doesn’t earn that much being a plumber.”

  “I thought they did well?”

  “Depends who you work for, I suppose. He works in the family business, and I think it’s struggling. But I haven’t told you that.”

  “My lips are sealed, you can count on me. Does Tony love it there?”

  “Yep. He keeps having a go at me, insisting we should’ve moved to Norfolk years ago. Now we’re living next door to Sally, it’s just perfect.”

  “What’s the betting you get roped in to doing some police work up there?”

  “Funny you should say that…Sally has asked me and Tony if we fancy delving into a case she’s just solved. The perp has killed numerous victims over the years, and apparently there are likely dozens more the police don’t know about. She wants us to try and find out who the vics are.”

  “Really? Sounds intriguing and daunting at the same time. Will you do it?”

  “We’re still debating it. It’s probably on the cards, though. Carol rang the other day, told me to pass on her best wishes to you and also wanted to mention that she’s available if you should need her and her psychic abilities going forward.”

  “Umm…well, you know how I feel about that side of things. Let me ponder that for a while. I know Charlie is close to her, I can see her possibly twisting my arm to use her in the future.”

  “She’s a good egg, don’t dis
count using her out of hand.”

  “I won’t. I’m not as against the idea as I used to be. We’ll see what happens. Right, I’d better crack on with this damn paperwork, you know what it’s like first thing in the morning around here.”

  “Hey, I bet it’s preferable to mucking out the kennels on a daily basis.”

  “I doubt it. At least you get to play ball with the inmates afterwards.”

  They both laughed.

  “True enough. I’m always on the end of the phone if you need my help with anything, you know that, don’t you?”

  “I do. Now bugger off. Have a good day.”

  “I can take a hint. Speak soon, and send my congratulations to AJ and Georgina, too. Don’t forget you have an open invitation to visit us.”

  “I appreciate that more than you know, Lorne. It was lovely catching up. Much love.” Katy ended the call, and the phone rang immediately. “DI Katy Foster,” she replied without hesitation.

  “It’s Mick on reception, ma’am. There’s been a major incident that I think you would be interested in.”

  “I would, would I? Which is?”

  “Sometime yesterday afternoon, there was a crash on the Thames.”

  “Okay, what does that have to do with the Murder Squad, Mick?”

  “All right. I’m hearing things on the grapevine that I think you should be hearing.”

  “You’re not making any sense. Run that by me again, if you would?”

  Mick ran through what they knew about the incident and sighed. “Now do you see?”

  “Okay. Charlie and I will go over there now. I take it the pathologist and SOCO will be finished by now, right?”

  “I think SOCO are still at the scene.”

  “Thanks for the info.”

  Katy left the office and surveyed the incident room, pleased to see the rest of the team had arrived and had got to work.

  “Listen up, folks. News just in that an incident occurred on the Thames yesterday afternoon. Charlie and I are going to take a trip out there to see what actually went on. Karen, can you see what you can discover on the system? Ring me as soon as you find anything.”

  “I’ll get on it now.”

  Katy and Charlie left the building and drove to the crime scene.