knew each other.’
‘There’s nothing from his flat. Nothing that places him at the scene,’ DCI Lewis said.
DI Mayne sighed, he looked like he wanted to kick something.
‘It’s a setback but that’s all it is. We keep working it,’ the boss said, ‘we bring him back when we’ve cause.’
‘He’s out on licence,’ Shap said, ‘we could do him for resisting arrest.’
‘I want to do him for murder,’ DI Mayne said sharply. ‘Lisa, get rid of him.’
Of course it had to be her, she’d messed up and now she’d be the one to have her nose rubbed in it, releasing Matthews from custody, watching him walk.
‘Do you want me to have a word with Lisa?’ Janine said to Richard on her way out.
‘She’s gone already,’ Richard said, ‘but, I’ll deal with it. I’m seeing her tomorrow.’
‘She’s a good copper, you know, she shows promise.’
Richard gave her a look.
‘We all make mistakes,’ Janine said.
‘Yeah,’ he said, ‘and we have to accept the consequences.’
Chapter 22
Norma recognized the sense of dislocation, the numbness from before. She was eight months pregnant at the time. She’d been into town that morning round the department stores, buying the final few items on her list. The nursery was finished, pale green walls with white and yellow woodwork, curtains that she had made herself. The material had a white background with drawings of animals on, all sorts, like those in the ark.
She had considered NCT classes but Don was dubious. ‘They’re obsessed with natural childbirth,’ he said, ‘they’ll spout ridiculous nonsense about intervention. You’d be better off going to the hospital classes.’ So that was that.
She was putting the changing mat and the nappies away in the alcove cupboard in the nursery when she felt the cramp. Was this a Braxton Hicks? Norma had read plenty of books about pregnancy and labour. When she went to the toilet she found blood in her knickers. A show? First babies were usually late but perhaps this one was an exception. Should she wait to see if labour started? Her mind buzzed with indecision. She felt another cramp deep inside but there was no tightening across her abdomen, just the dragging feeling that came and went quite quickly. She rubbed her belly, tracing the baby. She knew the head was partially engaged, and the round bump she could feel at the top was most likely the baby’s bottom. She wanted to ask Don what to do but had no way of contacting him apart from leaving a message with the office at the medical school and then hoping someone would actually pass it on.
There wasn’t a lot of blood but it was more than just spotting. As for a ‘show’ she would have expected something more substantial as the plug in the cervix came away. She’d talk to the midwives before doing anything else.
When she rang the number she had, they advised her to come in. ‘Just so we can check everything is OK.’
She called a taxi and didn’t have any more discomfort so by the time she arrived she was pretty sure that she wasn’t in labour and was starting to feel a little foolish.
The midwife listened to her account and asked a few questions before inviting Norma to get up on the examination couch, where she gently pressed her abdomen and then listened with a stethoscope. She asked Norma to wait where she was for a moment.
The moment stretched on into minutes and Norma stared at the ceiling and the fluorescent light. She wanted to wee. Perhaps it was a urinary infection?
The midwife returned with a doctor who also listened with a stethoscope and then asked Norma when she had last felt the baby move.
Last night? This morning? ‘I’m not sure. I don’t know,’ she said, her voice high and wavering.
‘I’m a little concerned,’ the doctor said, ‘we can’t make out the baby’s heartbeat so we’re going to take you through to ultrasound and get a scan.’
She knew then it was too late. If there’d been any chance for
‘There’s nothing from his flat. Nothing that places him at the scene,’ DCI Lewis said.
DI Mayne sighed, he looked like he wanted to kick something.
‘It’s a setback but that’s all it is. We keep working it,’ the boss said, ‘we bring him back when we’ve cause.’
‘He’s out on licence,’ Shap said, ‘we could do him for resisting arrest.’
‘I want to do him for murder,’ DI Mayne said sharply. ‘Lisa, get rid of him.’
Of course it had to be her, she’d messed up and now she’d be the one to have her nose rubbed in it, releasing Matthews from custody, watching him walk.
‘Do you want me to have a word with Lisa?’ Janine said to Richard on her way out.
‘She’s gone already,’ Richard said, ‘but, I’ll deal with it. I’m seeing her tomorrow.’
‘She’s a good copper, you know, she shows promise.’
Richard gave her a look.
‘We all make mistakes,’ Janine said.
‘Yeah,’ he said, ‘and we have to accept the consequences.’
Chapter 22
Norma recognized the sense of dislocation, the numbness from before. She was eight months pregnant at the time. She’d been into town that morning round the department stores, buying the final few items on her list. The nursery was finished, pale green walls with white and yellow woodwork, curtains that she had made herself. The material had a white background with drawings of animals on, all sorts, like those in the ark.
She had considered NCT classes but Don was dubious. ‘They’re obsessed with natural childbirth,’ he said, ‘they’ll spout ridiculous nonsense about intervention. You’d be better off going to the hospital classes.’ So that was that.
She was putting the changing mat and the nappies away in the alcove cupboard in the nursery when she felt the cramp. Was this a Braxton Hicks? Norma had read plenty of books about pregnancy and labour. When she went to the toilet she found blood in her knickers. A show? First babies were usually late but perhaps this one was an exception. Should she wait to see if labour started? Her mind buzzed with indecision. She felt another cramp deep inside but there was no tightening across her abdomen, just the dragging feeling that came and went quite quickly. She rubbed her belly, tracing the baby. She knew the head was partially engaged, and the round bump she could feel at the top was most likely the baby’s bottom. She wanted to ask Don what to do but had no way of contacting him apart from leaving a message with the office at the medical school and then hoping someone would actually pass it on.
There wasn’t a lot of blood but it was more than just spotting. As for a ‘show’ she would have expected something more substantial as the plug in the cervix came away. She’d talk to the midwives before doing anything else.
When she rang the number she had, they advised her to come in. ‘Just so we can check everything is OK.’
She called a taxi and didn’t have any more discomfort so by the time she arrived she was pretty sure that she wasn’t in labour and was starting to feel a little foolish.
The midwife listened to her account and asked a few questions before inviting Norma to get up on the examination couch, where she gently pressed her abdomen and then listened with a stethoscope. She asked Norma to wait where she was for a moment.
The moment stretched on into minutes and Norma stared at the ceiling and the fluorescent light. She wanted to wee. Perhaps it was a urinary infection?
The midwife returned with a doctor who also listened with a stethoscope and then asked Norma when she had last felt the baby move.
Last night? This morning? ‘I’m not sure. I don’t know,’ she said, her voice high and wavering.
‘I’m a little concerned,’ the doctor said, ‘we can’t make out the baby’s heartbeat so we’re going to take you through to ultrasound and get a scan.’
She knew then it was too late. If there’d been any chance for
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