Goodbye My Precious Child Page 6

  “And if it had, I would have killed the son of a bitch who did the deed. Any father would tell you the same thing.”

  “Okay, I’m sorry if my question caused you any offence. I’m simply searching for another angle in which to take the case forward.”

  “Look all you want. I wasn’t there that night, neither was that damn ex of mine. She’s responsible for Millie’s death, no one else.”

  “I understand how upset you probably were when you heard the news…”

  “Lady, you have no idea. That child was as precious to me as she was to my ex. She kept the kids from me.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that; however, as I was saying, I don’t think you can blame Millie’s death on Anna. She was entitled to a life of her own and she left the children in the capable hands of a babysitter. Unfortunately, a family emergency cropped up which meant the children were alone for a short time. That bad luck could have happened to anyone.”

  “Bad luck! Are you for frigging real? Would you call your child being murdered bad luck?”

  “I didn’t say that. Of course I wouldn’t phrase such a vile incident in that way. I was referring to the circumstances that occurred that evening. I do wish you’d stop twisting my words, Mr Randall.”

  His gaze dropped to the table, and he wrung his hands together. Sally could tell he was getting agitated.

  “Okay, I think we’ll leave it there. I’m sorry if coming here today has brought back any bad memories you’ve had to deal with over the years.”

  He glanced up, his blue eyes swimming with tears. “You have no idea what pain I’ve had to deal with. Promise me you’ll find the bastard who did this. He’s been at large far too long as it is.”

  “I can’t make you a promise because of the time issue. For all we know, the perpetrator could be dead by now, but what I can do is give you the assurance that the case will be fully investigated by me and my team. Thank you for agreeing to see us today.”

  Sally and Jack left the room.

  “That was sad,” Jack said quietly as they strode up the corridor back to the reception area.

  “Very. It actually chipped away at my heart. The man clearly let his family down big time, but there is no doubt in my mind how much he loved that child. I’m pretty sure we can discount him from our enquiries.”

  “I’m inclined to agree with you.”

  They reached a junction of corridors. There were a few prisoners standing next to the bars just chatting. Sally kept her head down, not wishing to make eye contact with any of them, knowing how some prisoners got off on intimidating female visitors.

  “There she is, the bitch who got Darryl transferred,” one of the men said, his tone aggressive in nature.

  “Keep walking,” Jack suggested. “Ignore them.”

  Ha! Easier said than done, matey.

  “Not a bad looker, though. Wouldn’t mind meeting her down a dark alley and showing her a good time,” one of the other men shouted after them.

  Sally hesitated for a second or two, but Jack tugged on her arm, urged her to keep walking. Up ahead of them, two prison officers were watching what was going on. One of them gestured for Sally and Jack to keep moving. That was what they did.

  Anger bubbled up inside her, and her cheeks heated up. She sensed the bars closing in on her and was desperate to get out in the fresh air.

  Moments later, she took in a gulp of clean air and leaned against the wall outside the reception area, staring across the car park. “Jesus, my heart is racing. I was determined not to respond to their taunting; it was so frigging difficult for me.”

  Jack rubbed her back. “You did well. If the bars hadn’t been between us, I would have throttled each and every one of those bastards for doing that to you. Arseholes. Maybe you should reconsider any future visits.”

  Sally stood upright and thrust her shoulders back. “And let them win? Not on your nelly. I’m getting stronger every day, thanks to having a loving man in my life. I’ll continue to grow and come back here one day and wipe the floor with those guys. Darryl is still trying to disrupt my life even though he’s over two hundred miles away. I’m determined not to let him do that. Thanks for your support, Jack, it means a lot to me.”

  “You’ll always have that, Sally. And yes, you’re right, you’re growing stronger by the day. Everyone has noticed that at work. We’re right behind you, you know that. The bastard can no longer hurt you, either physically or mentally, take heart from that.”

  “Thanks, Jack. I know you’re right.” She tapped a pointed finger at her temple. “It’s the crap dwelling up here that is proving to be a bugger to shift. I’ll get there eventually. He definitely did a number on me. I know I’m safe now, but there’s going to come a time when he’ll be walking the streets again. That’s when I sense my life will be turned upside down.”

  “The prison will keep you informed about when he’s up for parole. That’ll give you a heads-up about the future, won’t it?”

  She placed her hand over her pounding heart. “But in here, I just know that I haven’t heard the last of him. Not only that, I’ve brought Simon into the equation now, put his life in jeopardy, if you will. Please don’t tell me I’m thinking irrationally about this.”

  Jack hooked his arm through hers, encouraging her towards the car. He didn’t speak again until they were inside the vehicle. “I wouldn’t dream of telling you that you’re being irrational after what that fecker put you through. What I need you to understand is that there are people around you who love you and would bend over backwards, break the law if they have to, to ensure your safety. Got that?”

  She turned and smiled at him, then placed a hand over his. “Thank you, I appreciate that more than you know. The last thing I want, however, would be for any of you to lose your jobs because of him. Let’s not waste any more breath on the bastard. Let’s get back to the station.”

  “Agreed. If anything should crop up in the future, we’ll deal with it then.”

  They punched fists.

  “Deal.”

  Ten minutes from the station, Sally’s mobile rang. She beamed when she saw who the call was from. “Hello, Lorne, I was thinking about you last night. Are you all settled now?”

  Lorne Warner let out a crazed laugh. “Hardly, but we’re getting there. How are you?”

  Sally shrugged, even though Lorne wasn’t there to see her do it. “I’m fine. Just been to the prison to see an inmate about a new case we’ve opened up.”

  “Shit! How did that go? Are you all right? I know how much you hate going to that place.”

  “So-so. There was an uncomfortable incident, but my brilliant partner, Jack, helped me overcome it. Enough about me. When do you think you’ll be up to having visitors?”

  “As long as you’re sure you’re okay, no matter how busy I am, you know I’m always here for you.”

  “Thanks, you’re an amazing friend, Lorne.”

  “How about coming over for a barbecue this weekend? We’re celebrating after discovering the boxes with all the plates in.” Lorne laughed.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Nothing, a family joke.” She lowered her voice to add, “Someone forgot to write on the boxes what the contents were.”

  “Oh heck, seriously? That someone being your darling husband, I take it?”

  “Bingo! Bless him. Maybe it was payback for landing him with the onerous chore in the first place, I don’t know. You’ve got the address?”

  “I have. What time shall we come over? Oops, I take it Simon is invited, too.”

  Lorne chuckled. “Of course he is, as long as he’s not one of these pathologists who is keen on pointing out what part of an animal we’re eating.”

  Sally chuckled, her heart so much lighter now that she was speaking to one of her dearest friends. “Nope, he’s well-behaved in that department. We’ll bring a few bottles of wine with us. Anything else? Can I tempt you with a shop-bought salted caramel cheesecake I’ve just discovered at Tesco
’s? It’s lush.”

  “Sounds perfect to round off a meat-laden barbecue. See you around twelve on Sunday then?”

  “Can’t wait to see you both again. I know it’s only been a few months since our wedding, but it seems a lifetime ago. Have I told you how excited I am to have you living close by?”

  “Not lately. We’re super excited to be here, not that we’ve ventured out much since our arrival. Hopefully the last of the boxes will be sorted by the time you come.”

  “Relax, don’t work too hard for our benefit.”

  “You might regret saying that, we’re both knackered.”

  “Are you sure you want us to come this weekend then?”

  “Definitely. See you Sunday.”

  “Okay. Love to both of you.” Sally ended the call, aware of the soppy grin she had fixed in place.

  “It’ll be nice having her living close to you. Maybe she can drop by the station now and again,” Jack said.

  “Maybe. I know how much you admire her and her work ethic.”

  “What’s not to admire? She was one of the Met’s finest coppers.”

  “Does Donna know about this infatuation you have?”

  “What? Bloody hell, don’t even joke about things like that. She’d string me up if she thought I was keen on another woman. I was talking professionally. Any serving officer would feel the same way as I do about your best buddy, wouldn’t they?”

  Sally turned and raised her eyebrows at him. “You keep telling yourself that, matey. Good luck if Donna ever finds out. I hope you don’t have a tree in your back garden.”

  She laughed as the colour drained from his face.

  “Jesus, remind me not to show you any sympathy in the future if you turn the tables on me like this.”

  She punched his arm. “I’m winding you up, Bullet, lighten up. Maybe you’re onto something, though. I mean about trying to persuade Lorne to visit us at the station. She’s got an amazing gut reaction to cases that very few of us possess. If we’re truly stuck on a case, perhaps she could be persuaded to take a look at it for us.”

  “DCI Green would have a field day with that. He’d probably pull you up on it, too, condemning you for using an outside source, and that in turn would make him doubt your abilities. Is that what you want?”

  “Ugh…you might have a point there. It wouldn’t take much for him to think that. He’s an odd one at the best of times. Maybe we’ll put that idea on hold for now.”

  They continued the rest of the journey listening to the radio.

  They breezed through the station and into the incident room to find the other team members busy at their computers.

  “We’ll just grab a coffee and then fill you in on what we learned today,” Sally announced, heading towards the vending machine. After depositing Jack’s coffee, she perched on the desk closest to Joanna.

  She ran through the reception they’d received from Seb Randall and told the rest of the team how upset he still was about his daughter’s death.”

  “Do you think that’s why he’s a serial offender?” Joanna asked. “Are you saying he feels secure in there, rather than facing up to things in the outside world?”

  “I reckon so. It’s a sad reality when someone fails to come to terms with a tragedy such as a child’s death. Understandable, though, in some cases. Sitting there staring at the bars all day would drive me nuts and make me consider my life more. I don’t know, each to their own, I guess.”

  “I’m with you. At least on the outside you’d be able to immerse yourself in some form of distraction, like a hobby or something along those lines,” Joanna agreed.

  “Anyway, I’ve come to the conclusion that he had nothing whatsoever to do with his daughter’s death. Although, he didn’t once talk positively about his ex, but then who does?”

  Joanna tapped her cheek with her pen. “Should we discount him, though? What if he wanted to take his revenge for his ex out on the child? Is that even feasible?”

  “Maybe we’ll keep him on the substitutes list for now. He could have been pulling a fast one on me and Jack. Who bloody knows with these prisoners? Most of them set out to mess up an investigation anyway. I must say, in this case, I got the impression he was genuine enough.”

  “I agree,” Jack shouted across the room.

  The phone rang on Joanna’s desk. She answered it and handed the phone to Sally and mouthed, “It’s Louie Pickrel.”

  Sally nodded. “Hello, Mr Pickrel.”

  “Are you the officer I should speak to regarding my sister’s case?”

  “That’s right. Detective Inspector Sally Parker. When would it be convenient to have a chat with you, sir? Your mother mentioned you’re on the road a fair bit.”

  “I am. I have a day off booked in a few days. I have a dentist appointment in the afternoon but I could squeeze you in during the morning, if that suits you?”

  “Wonderful. What day?”

  “Thursday. Where? At my house or the station?”

  “My partner and I can come out to see you if it’s more convenient.”

  “Fine. My address is sixty-three Fordacre Road, Acle. Just around the corner from my mother. Do you know it?”

  “We’ll find it, don’t worry. Shall we say ten o’clock?”

  “That suits me. I’ll see you then. Goodbye, Inspector.”

  “Goodbye, sir.”

  Sally pulled a face. “Not sure how to read him from that phone call. He was very business-like. Sounded as though he was talking to a client.”

  “Professionals have a tendency to be like that,” Jack suggested.

  “Okay. Make a note of that appointment for me, Joanna, if you would. Thursday at ten, sixty-three Fordacre Road, Acle. I’m intrigued to hear what he has to say. I hope he remembers clearly the events of what took place that night. I’ve dealt with people in the past who were children at the time a crime was committed, and their memories have been a touch sketchy. Hopefully, Louie Pickrel will be as efficient as his manner. Right, back to the here and now. Where are we with regard to tracing the babysitter and the neighbours?”

  “I have a couple of the neighbours. I’ve arranged to pay them a visit. If you’re too busy, I don’t mind going out to interview them,” Joanna replied.

  “When have you arranged to see them?”

  “Tomorrow.”

  “In that case, Jack and I will do it unless anything else crops up in the meantime. Have you checked into their backgrounds?”

  “I’m in the process of going through that now.”

  “Good, get as much information as you can for us today. If there’s anything suspicious, we can hit them with it when we visit them. The babysitter?”

  Joanna nodded. “I contacted Lisa this morning. She was reluctant to agree to a visit, but I wore her down eventually. I slotted her in for four this afternoon. I hope I did the right thing, boss.”

  “Of course you did. The sooner we get these interviews out of the way the better. Right, I’m going to spend the next few hours in my office going over the file. I want to ensure I touch base on everything before I reinterview these people.”

  “What do you want the rest of us to do?” Jack asked.

  “Keep doing the background checks. Find out how long the Pickrels lived at that address. It’s possible we could be dealing with a mistaken identity. Highly unlikely, but you never know. Also, I’d like someone to search the archives for similar crimes in the area around that time.”

  “I can do that,” Stuart volunteered.

  “Good. Search before and after the crime date, Stuart.”

  “How long either side, boss?”

  “Why don’t we go for a couple of years?”

  “Wow, okay, I was thinking a couple of months. Leave it with me, I’ll see what I can do.”

  “Rightio. I’m going to give this case until the end of the week with all of us working on it. If we draw a blank, then I’m going to suggest splitting up the team and starting another case. How does th
at sound to you guys?”

  Jack nodded. “Sounds fair enough to me.”

  The rest of the team agreed and got on with their work. Sally went through to her office and spent the next few hours going over the slim file and making notes. The E-FIT of a man sat prominently in front of her. He looked like any other regular guy, no distinguishing features. No bushy eyebrows that met in the middle that her gran always used to say signified a killer on the streets. Nothing. Studying the picture, she could understand why Falkirk hadn’t shown it to the press, or could she? She was in two minds about that one.

  An idea struck her. She rang one of her many contacts for help. “Phil Edmunds. How can I help?”

  “Hey, you, it’s Sally Parker. How’s it going?”

  “Quiet, in desperate need of a juicy murder story to boost my salary. As it stands, no bonus on the cards for me for the first time in months. How are things with you, Sally? Still working the cold cases that arsehole screwed up?”

  Sally sniggered. Phil wasn’t the type to mince his words, he never had been. He was an excellent journalist, one she could trust with her life if it came to the crunch. He’d helped her out on a few cases in the past. They had an understanding, one that worked both ways sometimes. Not too often in Sally’s direction, though. “Unfortunately. Can you spare me a few minutes of your valuable time?”

  It was a genuine question, but Phil laughed anyway. “You’re a scream. Shoot. What do you need from me?”

  “If I mentioned the name Todd Stockard, would it ring a bell?”

  “Ha! I ain’t Quasimodo.” He laughed again.

  “Sorry, that one flew right over my head. Did you crack a funny?”

  “Obviously not. Shall we forget I said anything? Todd Stockard, you say. Yes, I remember him. He left here about ten years ago. The boss got fed up of him overstepping the mark all the time. One warning too many. In the end, he suffered the terminal chop.”

  “Damn. Any idea where he is now? What county he’s in?”

  “Still in Norfolk last I heard. I think he gave up being a journalist and became a novelist. Tough job that, not sure I could make the transition.”