Don't Turn Around: A dark, thrilling, page-turner of a crime novel (Detective Jennifer Knight Crime Thriller Series Book 1) by Caroline Mitchell Page B

I’d known. You don’t make it easy for people to know you, Jennifer.’
    The comment was harsh but accurate. Jennifer nodded, twisting her tissue.
    ‘Have the undertakers collected his body yet?’
    Steph hovered uncomfortably. ‘It’s not straightforward. There was a fire. His death … it wasn’t natural causes.’
    Charlie’s pleas for help replayed in Jennifer’s mind. I don’t want to die . Why hadn’t she listened, instead of walking away? The realisation was too much to bear. She needed to get outside, as the walls began to close in. Grasping the desk, she tried to stand, but the air left her lungs as she fell into depths of confusion. This isn’t real. None of this is real, she whispered, as blackness descended on her, weakening her legs and loosening her grip. Steph shouted for Will and he bundled through the door, dropping his belongings on the floor.
    Steph ushered him in. ‘Help me get her onto the chair, I think she’s fainted.’
    Jennifer blinked as she came to, seconds later. Will’s ashen face exhaled in relief and Steph put the phone back on the receiver.
    ‘Are you OK? We were just about to call a medic.’
    Jennifer rubbed her face as she tried to conceal her embarrassment. ‘Sorry. Low blood sugars. I’m fine,’ she lied.
    ‘Will, can you stay for a few minutes? I have to go to briefing,’ Steph said.
    ‘Of course,’ Will said, dragging a spare chair to sit beside Jennifer, who was cradling her head in her hands.
    Steph briefly returned to place a cup of hot sweet tea on the desk in front of her, and closed the office door as she left.
    ‘Do you know what’s happened to Charlie?’ Jennifer asked, taking slow, controlled breaths.
    ‘I do, but I’m not sure if telling you is a good idea,’ Will replied.
    ‘Just tell me. I’m going to find out anyway, it may as well be from you.’
    Will handed Jennifer the cup of tea and she took a sip. Satisfied she had gathered her composure, he began to speak. ‘He shouted for a while after you left, then it all went quiet. CCTV showed him standing, staring at his cell wall. He refused a medic and his clock was running out, so they had to let him go.’
    Officers were only allowed to keep prisoners for as long as necessary and twenty-four hours was the maximum amount, unless an extension was applied for, and only with very good reason.
    ‘About an hour after that, a call came in to say there had been a fire at his address. It was very strange. When the firefighters got there, the house was fine, but Charlie …’ Will frowned, unsure whether he should continue.
    ‘Tell me.’
    ‘It was as if he had been set alight, but nowhere else was affected, not even the chair he was sitting on. His legs … all that was left was his legs, from the knees downward. Everything else was just soot. It’s very grisly. The people that found him are going to be offered counselling.’
    Jennifer looked up from her hands, a depth of emotion behind her eyes ‘Did he have any implements, anything that could have lit the fire?’
    ‘No, nothing, but they’re launching an investigation as it’s still counted as a death in custody because it was so soon after release. PSD may need to talk to you, as you spoke to him.’
    Jennifer blotted her face with a tissue, her stomach churning at the thought of being interviewed by the Professional Standards Department. What on earth was she going to tell them? She looked at her watch. ‘Right, well, I’m off to briefing.’
    ‘You can’t be serious? You’ve just had a shock.’
    ‘I’m absolutely fine. Now if you’ll excuse me.’ Jennifer pushed back her chair, hoping the briefing would provide her with some answers.
    Will grabbed her arm and firmly sat her back down. ‘Jennifer, wait.’
    ‘I’m OK, Will. We weren’t that close any more, in fact, I hadn’t seen him in years. It’s just the fire – it brought back memories.’ Jennifer twisted the tissue between her fingers.
    ‘I don’t understand.’