Reprobates by RC Bridgestock Page B

we have been able to establish so far is that she says she disturbed an intruder who attacked her and she was in fear for her life. It appears she pulled a weapon out of the knife block, on the kitchen work surface and stabbed him more than once. There are two stab wounds to his back but we haven’t moved him, so I can’t tell you if he has any other injuries. He was pronounced dead at the scene by the paramedics who came to attend to Ms Simpson. I’ve got uniform commencing a log of attendees and taping off the immediate area.’
    ‘ Anyone asked for the D.I. to be called out yet?’ asked Vicky.
    ‘ No, that’s your shout Sarge.’
    Vicky ’s lip curled up at the corner.
    DC Wormald was busy giving their names and collar numbers to Police Constable Tracy Petterson who was now collating attendees at the scene. A necessary documentation to record persons present at various times at a crime scene.
    Blue lights announced the arrival of the on-duty uniform Inspector, Justin Gaskin. He screeched his car to a halt and unfolded his large frame from the vehicle before swaggering over to the pair. ‘Sounds like one evil burgling bastard met his match to me,’ he said in his bombastic manner. ‘Been inside yet? Let’s have a little looksy shall we?’
    ‘ No, you won’t have a looksy. You know the score. Andy and I will be the only people entering the crime scene – this is CID’s responsibility and I’m in charge,’ said Vicky who stood her ground in front of him.
    His bulging green eyes leered at her from under bushy, red eyebrows. She quivered inside. ‘Come on, we need to know what we are dealing with, nobody needs to know, kid.’ His giant frame over-shadowed her.
    ‘ Yes they will, because it will be on record and another thing, I don’t think Dylan will take kindly to someone contaminating a crime scene just to be nosey, do you?’
    Justin Gaskin was a egoist. Standing six feet and seven inches tall to Vicky ’s five foot ten he looked down on her and she looked up at him with a steely glare.
    ‘ Okay, if that’s how you want to play it act...ing Sergeant Hardacre,’ he said with a snarl.
    ‘ With due respect, sir, it’s a murder scene. It’s my call as the senior detective and we don’t play at it.’
    ‘ She needs a strong man like me to control her,’ he said to DC Wormald out of the corner of his mouth. Andy looked at him with the contempt his words deserved.
    Vicky was right. Gaskin knew it, and although he outranked her, she was the on-duty senior detective in charge. Vicky had the expertise and responsibility for the crime. Without awaiting a response from him she asked control to call out DI Dylan to meet her at the scene and arranged for the crime scene investigator to attend, along with their scene supervisor.
    Inspector Gaskin stared at her through his designer glasses, and although his face was the colour of his hair he remained outside the taped area.
    Vicky stood with Andy. ‘It is rumoured Avril Summerfield-Preston was one of his conquests,’ she said out of the corner of her mouth.
    ‘ Not so bright then is he?’ asked Andy.
    ‘ Rumour has it Dick Rogers copped them in a compromising position once.’
    ‘I ’ve heard that rumour too. You’d better watch your back with Gaskin though, he’s as vindictive as his hair is red,’ he said looking troubled.
    ‘ Thanks for the heads up. Come on, we, as the detectives need to get suited and booted and without disturbing anything get a visual overview of the body in situ before Dylan arrives so we can brief first hand.’
     

Chapter Ten
    Maisy had got into a habit of waking in the early hours, much to Jen ’s despair. It was one o’clock in the morning and she was trying to soothe her daughter back to sleep. Dylan could hear Jen moving around the nursery, and the broken hum of conversation as she walked to and fro past the nursery door.
    Jen crept back next to him in bed twenty minutes later.
    ‘ She off?’
    ‘Just. ’ Jen