have to charge her today and charge her I will, whatever her brief says. She is in her right mind, I would lay money on that. I think she is laughing at us.’
Leila grinned. ‘Wouldn’t be the first time. Certainly won’t be the last.’
‘That’s true. A late drink then, eh?’
‘Ring me on my mobile. In fact, why not come to the flat? I’ll do a few sandwiches.’
‘You’ve got me - I’ll see you later. And please, do look through the files - see if you can come up with someone relatively normal for me to work with.’
Kate watched Leila’s pert bottom wiggle out of her office, and she smiled her first real smile of the day. Leila was sexy and funny. She was also a good friend, and Kate badly needed one of those at this moment in time.
Ratchette is out to get me, she thought. Pat is on his way to a capture and I want to make sure I don’t go down with him.
Well, she had a few cards up her sleeve yet. So they had both better watch out. Kate Burrows was angry and the sooner Kelly and Ratchette realised that, the better.
David Mentorn was a happy child. It was in his nature.
As he staggered across the parkland in his heavily soiled shoes, he was laughing. Jonathan Light, his friend and co-conspirator, was also giggling. Both blond, blue-eyed and of stocky build, the two boys could have been brothers. Today they were playing truant from school. At twelve, they thought they knew more than their parents and teachers and they hopped off now and again for an adventure.
David’s mother was a lone parent, his father having disappeared a few years earlier. She worked in London and commuted there daily. Jonathan’s mother, on the other hand, didn’t work and was known to be here, there and everywhere all day. No one seemed to care what the boys got up to.
As they approached the fence leading to the gravel pits they were still laughing. They knew they could make as much noise as they liked. The mud on their boots was heavy, and when Jonathan started walking like Frankenstein’s monster, David rolled to the ground doubled up with mirth. It was an action he soon regretted.
As he rolled, he could see underneath the bushes. A black bag had been stuffed beneath them. This wasn’t unusual in itself, but a small blue swollen hand was hanging out of it. David immediately stopped his rolling, and the laughter died in his chest.
Jonathan thought he was still joking and kicked him amiably. Then he watched as his friend rose on to his knees and started to crawl away.
‘Look under the bloody hedge,’ David said hoarsely. ‘There’s a person.’
Jonathan looked under the hedgerow and caught his breath. ‘What are we going to do?’
David sat up and swallowed deeply. ‘We’ll have to tell someone.’
Jonathan nodded; all the while his brain was working overtime. ‘We’ll get in right trouble.’
David pulled himself to his feet. ‘Tough, we have to tell. Let’s get one of the workmen from the gravel pit. They’ll know what to do.’
They slipped through the hole in the fence.
‘The police will want to talk to us.’
Despite himself, Jonathan was beginning to get excited. The two lads were now part of something bigger than anything they could ever have imagined.
Kate saw Patrick out of the corner of her eye and felt the familiar pull of him. As he approached her car, she turned to face him. She knew what he wanted, and she was determined that he would not get it.
‘Please, Kate. I just want a word.’
She ignored him. As she unlocked her car she said, ‘Go away, Pat. Haven’t you caused me enough grief?’
He took her arm roughly and walked her towards his BMW. Kate knew she was in full view of the police station and had no choice but to walk with him. Inside his car, she was fuming.
‘How dare you do this to me!’
His eyes were pleading and she knew that she must not look at him. Or listen to him; if she did so, she would be lost. He had the knack of talking her round.
‘I’m
Leila grinned. ‘Wouldn’t be the first time. Certainly won’t be the last.’
‘That’s true. A late drink then, eh?’
‘Ring me on my mobile. In fact, why not come to the flat? I’ll do a few sandwiches.’
‘You’ve got me - I’ll see you later. And please, do look through the files - see if you can come up with someone relatively normal for me to work with.’
Kate watched Leila’s pert bottom wiggle out of her office, and she smiled her first real smile of the day. Leila was sexy and funny. She was also a good friend, and Kate badly needed one of those at this moment in time.
Ratchette is out to get me, she thought. Pat is on his way to a capture and I want to make sure I don’t go down with him.
Well, she had a few cards up her sleeve yet. So they had both better watch out. Kate Burrows was angry and the sooner Kelly and Ratchette realised that, the better.
David Mentorn was a happy child. It was in his nature.
As he staggered across the parkland in his heavily soiled shoes, he was laughing. Jonathan Light, his friend and co-conspirator, was also giggling. Both blond, blue-eyed and of stocky build, the two boys could have been brothers. Today they were playing truant from school. At twelve, they thought they knew more than their parents and teachers and they hopped off now and again for an adventure.
David’s mother was a lone parent, his father having disappeared a few years earlier. She worked in London and commuted there daily. Jonathan’s mother, on the other hand, didn’t work and was known to be here, there and everywhere all day. No one seemed to care what the boys got up to.
As they approached the fence leading to the gravel pits they were still laughing. They knew they could make as much noise as they liked. The mud on their boots was heavy, and when Jonathan started walking like Frankenstein’s monster, David rolled to the ground doubled up with mirth. It was an action he soon regretted.
As he rolled, he could see underneath the bushes. A black bag had been stuffed beneath them. This wasn’t unusual in itself, but a small blue swollen hand was hanging out of it. David immediately stopped his rolling, and the laughter died in his chest.
Jonathan thought he was still joking and kicked him amiably. Then he watched as his friend rose on to his knees and started to crawl away.
‘Look under the bloody hedge,’ David said hoarsely. ‘There’s a person.’
Jonathan looked under the hedgerow and caught his breath. ‘What are we going to do?’
David sat up and swallowed deeply. ‘We’ll have to tell someone.’
Jonathan nodded; all the while his brain was working overtime. ‘We’ll get in right trouble.’
David pulled himself to his feet. ‘Tough, we have to tell. Let’s get one of the workmen from the gravel pit. They’ll know what to do.’
They slipped through the hole in the fence.
‘The police will want to talk to us.’
Despite himself, Jonathan was beginning to get excited. The two lads were now part of something bigger than anything they could ever have imagined.
Kate saw Patrick out of the corner of her eye and felt the familiar pull of him. As he approached her car, she turned to face him. She knew what he wanted, and she was determined that he would not get it.
‘Please, Kate. I just want a word.’
She ignored him. As she unlocked her car she said, ‘Go away, Pat. Haven’t you caused me enough grief?’
He took her arm roughly and walked her towards his BMW. Kate knew she was in full view of the police station and had no choice but to walk with him. Inside his car, she was fuming.
‘How dare you do this to me!’
His eyes were pleading and she knew that she must not look at him. Or listen to him; if she did so, she would be lost. He had the knack of talking her round.
‘I’m
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