The instant Lorne ended the call with the kidnapper, she turned to Katy. “We should go and fill Sean in. We need to take this guy seriously from the kick-off.”
“I agree.”
They raced along the corridor. Outside Sean’s office, his secretary greeted them with a puzzled look. “Inspector, Sergeant, I don’t see a meeting scheduled in the chief’s diary.”
“It’s urgent. Is he free?” Lorne asked.
“No. The super is in there with him.”
“That’s even better. We can tell them both at the same time. They’ll want to see us, I promise.”
The young woman rose from her seat and knocked on her boss’s door. “Sorry to interrupt. I have Lorne and Katy here to see you. They insist it’s urgent.”
“Send them in.”
The secretary pushed open the door for Lorne and Katy to walk into the room then closed the door behind them.
“What’s the urgency?” Sean frowned as his gaze drifted between Lorne and Katy.
“I fear we have a grave situation on our hands. A kidnapping. We followed up on an innocent call about a woman’s car being stolen this morning, and it’s kind of escalated quickly from there.”
“Take a seat and fill us in on the events,” the chief instructed.
Lorne told her superiors about visiting Mr. Hardy and the fact he was undecided about getting the police involved in his wife and child’s disappearance. “But now, the decision has been taken out of his hands because the kidnapper has made contact with us directly.”
“Whom did he ring?” Sean asked, his eyes narrowing.
“Me,” Lorne admitted.
Anne folded her arms and placed the forefinger and thumb of her right hand either side of her chin. “Why? What are you suggesting, Sean?” she asked.
“I just wondered. It seems a bit odd to contact Lorne when Katy is still the inspector on the team, until the changeover.”
Lorne contemplated his reply for a split second. “That sounds kind of ominous. You think this is someone I know, Chief?”
“Sounds that way to me. How did he address you?”
Lorne quickly replayed the conversation in her mind. “To start with, he just called me Simpkins. My God! I didn’t even think about that at the time.”
Sean pointed at her. “That’s what I wanted to know. So we’re dealing with someone from a few years ago. How long have you been calling yourself Warner?”
“Tony and I will be celebrating our sixth anniversary this year.”
“So, you need to go through all those you’ve had dealings with in the past and see what comes up.”
Lorne’s mouth hung open for an instant then slammed shut again. “Are you kidding me?”
“No. The sooner you get on with that, the quicker we’ll work out who we’re dealing with.”
Lorne thought his suggestion over for a second. “Okay, supposing you’re right, how does this connect to Hardy? I’ve never even met the man before today.”
“Who says there has to be a connection to him?”
“He’s right, Lorne,” Katy piped up. “If the kidnapper’s aim is to get to you, perhaps they just plucked Hardy’s name out of a hat. The fact that he’s mega rich is probably just a bonus in the kidnapper’s eyes.”
“Whoa, hold on a sec. You think this is wholly about me? Are you both insane?”
“Make that three of us, Lorne,” the super added.
Lorne’s mouth dried up, and her heart sank. “I need to tell my family immediately if that’s the case. I hope to Christ you’re all wrong about this. I can’t go through this living hell again.” Tears misted her eyes, and she swallowed the lump forming in her throat as one specific image filtered her mind. She tried her hardest to rid her mind of the vile image but failed.
Katy reached over and clasped her hand. “You know it can’t be him, love.”
Sean left his chair and sat on the desk in front of her. He reached for her other hand and squeezed it. “Katy’s right. There’s no way this could be connected to the Unicorn—you killed him, Lorne.”
She smiled through her tears and sniffed. “Knowing that bastard, he’ll do his best to make my life unbearable from his grave. Mark my words on that.”
“Tell me what you need, Lorne? Protection for your family? You’ve got it,” Sean said.
She shrugged. “How the hell do I know? We could be blowing this up out of all proportion. The fact that we’re all thinking along the same lines must mean something, right?”
“Okay, let’s back up here,” Anne intervened. “I vaguely remember hearing about the case. Would someone care to refresh my memory of what occurred?”
Sean patted Lorne’s hand, winked at her, and returned to his seat. “He was the mastermind behind a scandal that rocked London—what? About eight years ago now, Lorne?”
She nodded after doing a quick calculation in her head.
Sean continued, “If I remember rightly, it was how Lorne and Tony got together.”
She winced, and the heat in her cheeks quickly returned. “Not exactly. That happened in France, when we hunted him down. That’s beside the point anyway.”
Sean winked at her again, as if apologising for causing her to be embarrassed. “He threatened all sorts, kidnapped Lorne’s daughter, Charlie, and... well, he did a lot of things to the women he’d forced to be part of a human-trafficking ring, shall we say.”
“Ah, yes, I remember now. The case made you reconsider your career in the force as I recall, Lorne. I do hope, if we find out there is a connection to this man, that you’ll be stronger this time round. We need you. I’m not being selfish by taking Katy’s predicament into consideration when I say that, either. This team is rock solid and the best team I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with, and that’s down to you, both of you. I would see all that hard work unravel if we lost you in particular, Lorne,” Anne stated with a slight smile.
Lorne thrust her shoulders back and exhaled a large breath. “No fear of that, ma’am. I’m in a totally different place personally than I was back then. My marriage to my first husband, Tom, was in tatters, for a start. I want to assure you that Tony and I have never really had a bad argument. Oops, have I just tempted fate there?” Everyone’s laughter cut through the icy atmosphere that had cast a shadow over the room. “Charlie has recovered from the ordeal and is a vibrant, self-assured person now, too. Of course, I’d prefer keeping my family out of the situation altogether, but I’ll ensure they’re vigilant in their daily duties from now on. I don’t think they’ll want any protection, Sean. I’ll certainly ask the question when I get home tonight, though, just to make sure.”
“There’s no need for reassurance on your part, Lorne. We’re all aware of your capabilities at tackling difficult cases. All I ask is, if you feel things are getting on top of you, don’t be afraid to shout out for help or advice. There’s no ‘I’ in team. Remember that going forward, okay?” Anne said.
Lorne nodded. “I will. Anyway, let’s see how this case develops first. We might be barking up the wrong tree.”
“So, what did the caller say? How did he end the call? With high expectations?” Sean asked.
“Not really. He said that the ‘fun’ will begin at seven tomorrow. I better be here when he makes the call. Although, he did contact me via my mobile so it might not really matter where I am. It makes sense to be here rather than at home. I have a feeling he has a lot of running around lined up for me.”
Sean smiled and turned his attention to Katy. “Okay, serious question to you, Katy. Are you going to be up for this? The only reason I ask is that you’re looking awfully pale.”
Katy shook her head. “Seriously, I don’t have a clue. Providing there is a loo around, I should be okay. If not, then I’ll be in the shit!”
“I think you should take a backseat, work alongside the rest of the team here at the station, while I work alongside Lorne.”
Lorne’s shoulders slumped, and a groan escaped her lips.
Everyone turned to look at her.
“Crap, really?”
Sean appeared stunned by her comment and seemed just about to open his mouth to object when she burst into laughter.
“Kidding! Just proving that I haven’t lost my sense of humour,” she added with a wink.
“Well, we did okay on the last case together. It would be good to team up again.”
“If you say so, boss.” Lorne said sarcastically, continuing to wind Sean up, until his glare bore into her. “Of course, I’m looking forward to it.”
Anne clapped her hands together in one brief slap. “That’s a deal then. I hear you two used to be a crack team when you both started out.”
“We’ve had our ups and downs over the years, that’s for sure,” Sean stated, his face expressionless.
“That we have. Hopefully, any differences we’ve had over the years have been well and truly ironed out now. A lot of our issues revolved around your predecessor, ma’am,” Lorne said.
“Well, at least you know where you stand with me, Lorne. Let’s see if we can bring this case to a swift conclusion without anyone losing their lives, shall we? That’ll be a novelty for your team, won’t it?”
Lorne winced at her words. They were harsh but true, considering people usually died before the murder squad had reason to turn up. Lorne didn’t think the super had meant for the words to come out the way they had. “We’ll certainly do our best. Won’t we, partner?” Lorne directed her question at the chief.
He nodded. “If there’s nothing else, perhaps you ladies wouldn’t mind leaving the super and me to get back to our meeting.”
Katy and Lorne walked towards the door.
Lorne couldn’t help firing another cheeky shot over her shoulder at him. “Don’t forget to set your alarm early, boss. If I have to be here at seven, then it’s imperative that my partner is here alongside me at the beginning of my shift.” She left the room before he could respond.
Katy chuckled as she and Lorne made their way back to the incident room. “You’re asking for trouble if you keep winding him up like that.”
“Yeah, but it’ll be worth it. He shouldn’t be so easy to wind up.”
“What’s next?”
Lorne pushed through the door. “I don’t want us to take this case for granted. I think we should spend the afternoon going through my old cases just in case we’re wrong about the Unicorn element.”
“We’ve got a couple of hours before the end of our shift. Why don’t we pick a year each, work back the eight years to the present date.”
“Great idea. The quicker we can come up with a positive ID for this Warrior chappie, the faster we can get the Hardys home safely. I’m trying to recall if I’ve ever had a case involving someone called Warrior, but nothing is coming to mind.”
During the remainder of the shift, the team worked like an express train and established five possible names they could delve into the next day. All the people were still alive but confined to prison, not that it mattered. Villains could still carry on with their illegal activities from behind bars. Lorne studied the list to refresh her memories of each of the suspects and their crimes and whether they’d had partners who might have escaped Lorne’s net. That was looking at things logically, of course. The Unicorn’s face still popped up now and again to poke fun at her.
“Okay, that’s sorted for tomorrow. Thanks for all your hard work, guys. You get off home. I have one vital call I want to make before I head off.”
Everyone shut down their computers, quickly tidied their desks, and left. Only Lorne, Katy, and AJ remained.
“Are you ringing Hardy?” Katy asked, resting her weary body on the edge of the desk closest to Lorne’s.
“Correct. He’s got to play ball with us now.” Lorne picked up the phone and dialled his office number.
“Hello,” he answered.
“Mr. Hardy, this is...” Surprised he’d answered the call himself, she glanced up at Katy and winked. “Detective Inspector Lorne Warner. We met earlier today.”
“Ah, yes. So you’re now fully aware of the situation, I presume?”
“We are. I can totally understand your hesitation not to trust us earlier, given the circumstances. I hope that won’t be the case going forward.”
“I’ll do anything that is necessary to bring my family home safely, Inspector. I’m going out of my mind with worry.”
“I assure you, sir, my team won’t let you down. We’ll do everything in our power to bring your family home to you. I need to ask you a few questions, if I may?”
“Such as?”
“Can you shed any light on who we’re dealing with? I know the man goes by the name of Warrior, but that’s all I know.”
“I have no idea. This has all come as a total shock for me.”
“I hope you don’t mind, but my partner and I took the liberty of scouting around your property today as we were in the vicinity, and I have to say one thing struck us as being very odd.”
“Oh, what was that, Inspector?”
“Your lack of security. Can I ask why?”
“We’ve recently moved. I have it in hand, but the work isn’t due to start for a week or two. The firm I’m using is supposed to be the best around, but they told me that a high volume of burglaries in the region lately has meant they have a backlog of contracts to fulfil before they get to mine.”
“I see. That explains it perfectly. I’m sorry there was a delay.”
“Me, too. The guilt is keeping me awake at night. All I can hear is a mantra playing over and over in my mind... ‘if only.’ Had I been fortunate enough to have a crystal ball in my possession, this terrible incident could have been avoided.”
“There really is no point in blaming yourself, Mr. Hardy. Until we have proof otherwise, we need to look at this case as a spur-of-the-moment act, unless you can give us a reason to treat it as something else, that is?”
“I’m not with you.”
“I need to ask if you’ve upset anyone enough for them to abduct your family.”
“I’m in a high-risk business. Sometimes the need to use cut-throat tactics is high up on my agenda. I can probably name several hundred possible candidates if you’re looking along those lines. I’ve been in this business for nearly fifteen years. As you can imagine, my enemies would stem back to the beginning of my career. Please, please don’t ask me to name everyone whom I’ve ever fallen out with businesswise, because I’m sure I would find it an impossible task.”
“I completely understand. Maybe I can ask you about deals you’ve carried out this year in that case. I’m not sure if you have partners in your firm or not. Perhaps one of them might be carrying a grudge. Anything along those lines? The more information we have at the beginning of the investigation, the better chance we have of catching the culprit, as I’m sure you can appreciate.”
“I do appreciate that. The only person that really comes to mind is Jordan Richman.”
“And who is that?”
“A former partner of mine. He screwed up a major deal we had a lot of money invested in. I was livid when the client sought out and signed a lucrative contract with one of our major competitors.”
“Well, that would be a start. He’d certainly count as an interested party from our perspective. We’ll make contact with him and bring him in for questioning. Do you have his address?”
“Wait a moment. Let me check his file.” A drawer opened, and paper rustled. Then Hardy picked up the phone again. “He lives out in the sticks, travels into the city every day. His address is 28 Foxcroft Road, Leatherhead.”
“Surrey? He travels in every day, you say? That’s quite a commute.”
“Yes, it’s about an hour. He lives in a converted barn complex I think you’ll find.”
“Is there anything else you can tell me about him? Is he married?”
“Yes, wife and two small children. Would he really do something as vile as this if he had kids of his own?”
“Desperate people do desperate, and often, vile acts, Mr. Hardy. We’ll look into Richman in the morning. In the meantime, if you can come up with some other names you might think would be of interest to us, I’d appreciate it.”
“I’ll do my best and ring you in the morning. I’m going home for the first time since my family was taken. Maybe a shower and a good night’s sleep will help me cope with this ordeal better.”
“That’s the ticket. Try and rest when you can. I’ve had orders from this Warrior person to be at my desk at seven a.m. I’ll be in touch soon. Don’t worry; you will be informed of our progress along the way. Sleep well.”
“Thank you and good luck.”
Lorne hung up. “Can you delve into this in the morning, Katy? I think we’ll need to pay Mr. Richman a visit at his residence. If he still works in London, he’s sure to set off early.”
“What if I can catch him at the office instead?”
“That’s just it, I don’t have a clue if he’s found another job in the city or not. It’s best to ring him first thing to find out. Maybe you and one of the boys can pay him a visit, while I’m otherwise occupied with Warrior.”
“Makes sense. What also makes sense is us calling it a day now. I don’t envy you having to tell Tony the news when you get home.”
Lorne’s mouth twisted. “Fingers crossed he’ll be fine.”
Charlie and Sheba, the German shepherd they’d recently welcomed into their home, were exiting the back door of the house when Lorne pulled into the drive.
“Hey, you, where are you off to?”
“Mum! I told you, we’re inspecting that agility club.”
“Of course, silly me. Sorry, sweetheart. I’ve had a pig of a day. Is Tony in?”
“He is.” Charlie sniggered and kissed her mother on the cheek.
“Oh no. Don’t tell me he’s been experimenting in the kitchen again.”
“Okay, I won’t. But he has. Good luck,” Charlie shouted over her shoulder. She placed Sheba in the back of the kennel’s van and hopped behind the steering wheel.
Lorne watched her daughter drive out the gate and prayed for her safe return after the disturbing images that had resurfaced during the day. She didn’t hear the door open behind her, and when Tony’s arms wrapped around her, she squealed with fright. Turning quickly, she looked at him.
“Hey, that’s not exactly the welcome I was hoping for, especially as we have the place to ourselves tonight with Charlie out on her doggy mission. Are you all right?”
“Let’s go inside. I have something to tell you.”
He backed up and muttered, “Crap! That sounds bloody ominous.”
Lorne inhaled and exhaled a few silent breaths then smiled when she ordered him to sit at the kitchen table. “Can I switch off the dinner for a while?” she asked, surveying the bubbling pots on the stove.
He shrugged. “Do what you want. Looks like the beef I was cooking is off the menu anyway.”
“You worry too much. I’m sure it’ll be fine.” She opened the oven door and was greeted with a plume of smoke that gave way to the blackened piece of topside she’d been looking forward to cooking for their Sunday roast. She switched off the oven, closed the door, and went to sit next to him. She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “I love you for at least trying to help out, hon. Not every man would think of cooking for his wife after a long day at work himself.”
“Okay, now that you’ve softened me up, hit me with it.” His face beamed with the brightest of smiles.
Again Lorne was reminded how lucky she was to share her life with him. They’d lived through so much anguish over the years after his tussle with the Taliban in Afghanistan. He’d been captured during a covert operation, and they had tortured him and ultimately cut off his leg. Tony had overcome the disability well, and instead of tearing their relationship apart, the adversity had only made it a thousand times stronger. Lorne had never loved her first husband, Charlie’s father, Tom, with as much intensity as she loved Tony. She had always said that she and Tony were true soulmates.
“Well, the first part I think you’ll find interesting.”
“Stop procrastinating and get on with it.” He gripped her hand gently in his.
“Okay. I’ve been promoted... again!”
He laughed and shook his head. “And you think I’d be disappointed to hear you say that? I couldn’t be more delighted for you, darling. You deserve to be an inspector, with all your experience.”
Lorne’s head fell onto the table as the huge breath left her body. She pulled upright again and saw the love shining in his eyes. “I’m so bloody relieved to hear you say that. I know we made promises at the start, when we first bought this place. I just feel I’ve negated on those promises.”
“Don’t be foolish. Hey, so what’s going on with Katy? Is she leaving?”
“No. We’re just swapping roles for now. That might change once the baby is born, but I somehow doubt it.”
“Are you saying that you doubt she’s going to find motherhood easy?”
“I’m not speaking ill of my friend. Don’t put words into my mouth, hon. I’m just saying if she’s struggling with morning sickness now, the odds are she’s going to find dealing with a newborn a darn sight harder. Speaking from experience, it’s bloody hard bringing up a child, a demanding role too many people in our society today take lightly. I’m not saying Katy hasn’t thought things through properly, and I know that once the child is born, AJ is going to step in and take over, but I do wonder if they fully appreciate the demands involved in bringing up a child.”
“Well, maybe this will be the making of them. Put it this way—it will either make them stronger or tear them apart.”
Lorne shook her head. “I really didn’t want to get into this tonight. I’m truly not speaking out of turn here, just telling it how it is. The poor girl is really struggling to cope with the important changes her body is going through. Anyway, that aside, I’m extremely glad and grateful to have your agreement on this. It means the world that you support my decisions.”
“That’s a given, Lorne. The same way that I appreciate your backing on me starting up the PI business you set up. We’re a team, full stop. What’s really going on here?”
“You know me so well. I’m incredibly lucky to have found you.”
“Yeah, we go together like cheese and biscuits, salt and vinegar...”
“All right, enough of the food analogies.” She swept a hand over her face. “Something happened at work today.”
His brow furrowed, and his grip around her hand tightened. “Like what? A new case? Something to do with the team?”
“A new case. Oh hell, again, I’m just going to come out and tell you what’s on my mind. Once it’s out in the open, we can debate it, all right?”
“Of course. What’s wrong, love?”
“I think the team’s newest case has something to do with the Unicorn.”
He withdrew his hand from hers and slumped back in his chair. Confused, he stated, “It can’t be. He’s dead. You killed him!”
“Tony, you don’t have to tell me that. You know how I have a tendency to work on gut instinct? Well, right now, that instinct is super high, almost off the scale, to be honest.”
“You better tell me the whole story. What’s the case?”
She spent the next twenty minutes going over every detail of the case.
“Well, the similarities are there,” he said. “I can’t dispute that. I think you need to hold back those suspicions until you’ve had a chance to look into this Richman’s background first and any other probable candidates that Hardy comes up with overnight. You say you’ve got to be at work at seven in the morning?”
“Yep, that’s when the ‘party’ is going to begin.”
“Eek, I don’t envy you there.”
Lorne fell silent, lost in her own convoluted thoughts until Tony left his chair and knelt on his good knee beside her, forcing her to look into his face.
“Whatever—and I mean whatever—shit comes our way, Lorne, we’ll deal with it. Together. I’ll always be here for you, no matter how much someone tries to come between us. We’ll remain solid. Okay?”
She smiled and touched her forehead to his. “That really isn’t my concern right now, Tony, although the guarantee you’ve just given me is very reassuring. It’s Charlie I’m worried about. With us both out, she’s a sitting target running this place by herself.”
“By herself? Are you forgetting Carol’s input? Hey, with her psychic powers, I predict Charlie will have a dozen guardian angels watching over her once Carol is aware of the problem. Maybe you should have a word with her, see if she can see any link to the Unicorn?”
“That’s a great idea. I might call her after dinner. Okay, enough doom and gloom. How did your day go?”
He kissed her on the lips, walked back towards the cooker, and turned on the gas under the saucepans containing the vegetables once again. “Well, we finally managed to track down Shirley Black.”
“That’s brilliant news. Where was she?”
“Hiding out with her lover.”
“Oops, not so brilliant news for the hubby then.”
“Exactly. I don’t need to tap into Carol’s abilities to foresee what direction that marriage is heading in.”
Lorne chuckled and crossed the room to join him. She placed an arm around his waist and stirred the gravy with the wooden spoon. “Has anyone told you lately what a wonderful wife you’d make?”
“Ha! What? Serving up burnt offerings every night? I suppose I should get my act together soon if you’re going to accept that promotion.”
“Are you sure you don’t mind?”
“Did you seriously have doubts that I would, Lorne? I know you’re an independent lady, on the verge of being stubborn most of the time, but I also know that your love for the Met ranks highly in your life. I’d be the dumbest fool around if I ever stood in your way over that, love.”
“That’s not quite how I would have put it myself. However, you have hit the nail on the head.” She placed her hand over her heart. “I don’t see my career as just that, never have really. You know how some writers and artists say their chosen career paths were a calling? I feel pretty much the same way. I was born to be a copper, to rid this world of the vilest of criminals. The trouble is, I don’t ever think that will be accomplished in my lifetime.”
“You sound like one of those superheroes—which one would you be now?” He thought over the options for a while then snapped his fingers. “I know! The Dark Angel of the Night.”
“What? Are you serious? You make me sound like a superprossie!”
They both laughed raucously and together dished up the dinner.
After their passable meal had finished, Tony washed up the dishes and instructed Lorne to do what necessary paperwork she’d brought home, so that they could spend a few hours together curled up in front of the TV, making the most of their time alone.
Lorne didn’t need telling twice. She went in the living room, removed two spare sheets of paper from the printer, and sat down at the kitchen table again. She wrote out a list of the names the team had gathered, covering all the angles in case her intuition about the Unicorn turned out to be wrong.
At the top of the list, she placed Bella Croft, whom she jailed after her involvement in the Internet dating case that had been thought up by, of all people, her sister Jade’s psychiatrist. Lorne shuddered as she recalled her sister’s lucky escape.
Then she noted down Felicity Randolph, who had formed a bizarre witches’ coven under the guise of drawing together a team of women who’d been ill-treated by their partners to exact their revenge.
Next on the list was a powerful man, and upon reflection Lorne actually moved his name to the very top. Joseph Syposz had run a number of illegal businesses, which included forging residency documents for illegal immigrants.
She discounted Danny Smalling, the man guilty of killing his girlfriend, Noelle, who’s spirit had led Carol to help convict him. Lorne didn’t think he would have it in him to retaliate. The last names she added to the list were another truly probable couple who had used the foster care system in the UK to feed their lust for abusing children. But Courtney and Cathy Platt had proven to be only the tip of the iceberg.
After compiling the list, she jotted down a plan of action for her team to carry out the next day while she would be otherwise engaged with Warrior. The tasks included completing thorough background checks on Richman, sending Katy and another member of the team to question him, and getting Karen to ring around all the prisons where the listed suspects were residing at present, to see if there had been any kind of incidents lately involving those particular prisoners.
The only lingering doubt she had was what to do about the Unicorn scenario?