Table Of Contents

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CHAPTER ONE

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Year: 2008

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CHAPTER ONE

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‘Get off me! Get OFF me! Help me, someone.’

The panicked scream that followed these words was blood curdling, and the man on the doorstep didn’t hesitate as he banged loudly on the front door of the house. ‘Hey! What’s going on in there? Is everything alright?’

Silence for a moment, and then the sound of rushing footsteps down the stairs and the door was flung open.

‘Oh, thank God. Help me. He’s going to kill me.’

The woman in front of him was holding one hand to her eye, her expression wild. The other hand was covering her mouth and nose, trying to stem the blood. He knew her, of course he did. They’d been neighbours for over two years.

‘What’s going on?’ he asked, looking past her to the man standing at the top of the stairs. ‘I heard the shouting from my front garden.’

‘Mind your own bloody business,’ the man snapped, throwing a venomous look at his wife. ‘I’ve had enough of this. I’m out of here.’

He marched down the stairs, pushing past them both as he stormed out of the front door.

‘I’m calling the police this time, Ed,’ the woman shrilled after his retreating back. ‘Do you hear me? I’m not putting up with this any more. I’ve got the children to think about.’

Just for a moment, the man stalled in his stride, his eyes narrowing dangerously as he spun round to look at his wife. ‘You try to stop me from seeing my kids and you won’t know what’s hit you.’

‘You can’t bully me any more, Ed. I’ve been to see people... got help. I’m not frightened of you any more.’

She grabbed the phone off the hall table and punched three numbers into it. 

‘See. I’m calling the police and this time I won’t be changing my mind. Do you hear me?’

‘Do what you want,’ he threw back at her as he stalked off up the path. ‘I don’t give a damn. Do you hear me?’

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‘HARRY?’

PC Harry Briscombe had just got into work, and he turned to see his boss, Sergeant Cowper, beckoning him over to the little kitchen where he was making himself coffee.

‘Sir?’

‘I need to go and check out a burglary at our local MP’s house and we’ve got a domestic coming in. Think you can handle it?’

‘Happy to give it a go.’

Harry felt the surge of adrenalin he always felt when something new came up. He couldn’t’ help it; he just loved his job. That thought jolted a twinge of nerves at the thought of the big change ahead. CID. His dream, come true. He was transferring at the end of the month and whilst he couldn’t wait to start, he knew he’d miss the job and people here. Just when he felt he was finally finding his feet, happy in his comfort zone, he was about to uproot it all and go back to becoming a complete rookie again.

‘Good. It shouldn’t be difficult. You know what they’re like, these bloody domestics—she shouts at him, he shouts at her, he hits her. Waste of time in most cases. The women never bring charges and we end up acting as bloody marriage counsellors.’

Harry had only dealt with one domestic previously and that was exactly what had happened. He couldn’t argue with his boss, but he remembered feeling really sorry for the wife at the time. It was obvious her husband had been a bully and a thug—she’d just been too plain scared to take him on.

Half an hour later, he was sitting looking at the man opposite him in the interview room. The victim, Serena Hamilton, was being examined by the medical officer, so he was taking advantage of the time to interview the neighbour who had witnessed the argument. He opened up his notebook.

‘Thanks for coming in, Mr Mason, we appreciate it. In your own time, can you tell me what you saw?’

‘I didn’t know what to do, you know? I was just leaving the house for work, when I heard the most horrific scream coming from next door, followed by more screams from her, and shouting from him.’

‘What did you do?’

‘Well ... I couldn’t ignore it, could I?  I mean, no one likes getting involved in stuff like that, but... I couldn’t just walk away. I’ve heard them arguing before, but never screaming like that. I banged on the door and asked what was going on.’

‘What did you see when the door was opened?’

The man’s mouth tightened. ‘The wife, with her nose pouring with blood, and him, standing at the top of the stairs looking very threatening.’

‘So you didn’t actually see him hit her?’

‘No... but it was pretty bloody obvious what had gone on. And he definitely threatened her as he left the house.’

‘Oh?’

‘Yeah. Told her that if she stopped him from seeing his kids, she wouldn’t know what had hit her. Poor little buggers looked terrified. They were standing at the top of the stairs and didn’t dare come down.’

Harry was pleased he’d briefly done his homework before interviewing their star witness. ‘We’ve checked them over and they’re fine.’

The man scowled. ‘Physically maybe, but what’s it doing to them mentally, seeing their dad beat up their mum like that?’

‘We haven’t actually established that’s what happened yet.’

‘Jesus... what does a man have to do before you lot put your necks on the line and risk charging him?’

‘I know you’re upset, Mr Mason—’

‘Course I am... so would you be if you’d walked into something like that. You better be going to do something about it. I wouldn’t put it past him to do some serious damage to her next time, the way he was behaving today.’

Harry had seen from the notes that they’d been called out to the same address once before over claims of domestic violence, but that had been six months ago and the woman had done the usual thing of withdrawing her complaint. His boss’s words still rang in his ears. If Cowper knew that, he wouldn’t want to give it the time of day—he’d consider it a complete waste of time. But Harry wasn’t as old as Cowper, or as cynical. He still liked to think he could make a difference.

‘We’ll do our best to establish the facts,’ he said now, ‘and obviously it’s helpful that you're prepared to act as a witness.’

CHAPTER TWO

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KIMBERLEY SIMPSON PUSHED open the door to Whittaker & Mapley Solicitors and walked briskly up to the reception desk.

‘Where’s Ed?’ she demanded of Suzanne, their receptionist. ‘I’ve been trying to contact him for the last couple of hours or more. He was meant to be meeting up with me and Dan Brewer.’

Suzanne looked at her boss nervously, wondering what she was going to make of the news.

‘Erm... I don’t quite know how to tell you this... but he’s been arrested.’

‘He’s what?’ Kimberley looked at her in disbelief.

Suzanne nodded. ‘I’m not sure what’s going on, but he came in here to pick up some papers for your meeting and he was in a foul mood, I could see that. Next thing, just as he was getting ready to go out again, two policemen came in and arrested him.’

‘But—what for?’

Suzanne bit her lip, and Kim guessed she might not like to admit she’d overheard what had been going on in her boss’s office.

‘Suzanne?’

‘It sounded like they were doing him for hitting Serena. Domestic abuse, they said.’

Kim’s mouth dropped open. Then she gave a bark of a laugh. ‘Domestic abuse? Ed? Are you kidding? I’ve never heard anything so ridiculous. He wouldn’t do anything like that. What was his response?’

‘He denied it. Said they’d see it wasn’t the first time she’d falsely accused him... she was always accusing him of something. He said their relationship was on the rocks and she couldn’t accept it, even though he suspected she was having an affair with someone.’

‘Jesus.’

Kim found she suddenly couldn’t look Suzanne in the eye. Did the girl know about her and Ed’s friendship?

‘I left a message on your mobile. Didn’t you get it? He said could you get down there as soon as possible, to represent him.’

‘Sorry, I can’t get to grips with this phone. You’ll have to show me how I pick up my messages. Which police station? Did he say?’

‘Hampstead.’

‘Okay. Can you cancel my appointment with Tim Walford? Leave the afternoon meetings, I should be back for them. I can’t believe this. He always said the woman was a nutter.’

‘Kim?’

‘Yeah?’

Suzanne hesitated. ‘I know you and Ed are close,’ —so she did know— ‘but remember what you’re always saying to me... how important it is to keep an open mind? You weren’t there, and no one knows what goes on behind closed doors.’

Kim knew she was only trying to see both sides of the argument, but she still felt a shaft of anger that the girl could even consider Ed could be guilty of something like that. But then, she didn’t know Ed like Kim did—wasn’t as close to him as Kim was. She could picture his clear-cut features now, the amused light in his eye when he found something funny, the tenderness and concern she’d occasionally witnessed when one of his children had been ill or she herself had been upset. Ed hit his wife?  Of course he wouldn’t.

But even as she thought it, she was dismayed by the sudden memory that seemed to flash from nowhere. She had seen him really angry once, a few months ago... and it had been an eye opener. But that had been another time when Serena had falsely accused him of hitting her—and who wouldn’t be upset about something like that? She wouldn’t let her mind be poisoned against him.

‘Ed would never hit Serena,’ she stated firmly, ‘I know he wouldn’t.  I’d better get down there.’

In the car, her mind churned. She knew things were bad between Ed and Serena. Ed had opened up to her quite a lot recently; concerned at the way their marriage seemed to be deteriorating.

‘We were so young when we got together,’ he’d said moodily in the pub one night, after one of their rows, ‘and she was always such a livewire. At first it added to the excitement of our relationship, you know? She did crazy things—dangerous things that sometimes scared me, but sort of wowed me at the same time.’

‘What sort of things?’

‘I don’t know. Well, yeah, I can think of one. Once, when we were down in Devon on holiday with our uni friends, she ran right up to the edge of the cliff and walked along it with her arms outstretched to balance herself, shouting that unless I promised to love her forever more, she’d throw herself off. She was only kidding, of course, and she had no intention of jumping, but she knew I had a thing about heights and it terrified me, seeing her so close to the edge. It was a bloody dangerous thing to do.’

‘So what did you do?’

‘Promised to love her for evermore, of course.’ He sighed. ‘I knew she manipulated me, but in the early days it just felt fun—different, being with her. These days it’s just hard work.’

Kim had felt uncomfortable being on the receiving end of his confidences but they’d become close these last few months and she knew there was no one else he’d dream of sharing it with. And if truth be known, she was flattered that he chose to turn to her, though she didn’t like to analyse too deeply her reasons for that.

***

IN INTERVIEW ROOM 1, Harry Briscombe observed the young woman sitting opposite him on the other side of the table, plucking nervously at the tissue in her hand. He could sympathise... he reckoned he still felt almost as nervous as the people he was questioning in these interviews. It was important to him that he got it right.

‘Can I get you a drink, Serena?’

She shook her head, then changed her mind. ‘Actually, yes. A glass of water please.’

She spoke in a subdued voice, and he nodded at the WPC, who moved over to a table in the corner where a jug and several glasses were laid out. As he waited for the water to be delivered, he studied her more closely. She was around thirty, he judged, blonde and extremely attractive, with bright blue eyes and pale, porcelain skin that added a translucent glow to her fragile beauty. A beauty that was somewhat marred by the damage to her nose and the visible bruise that was spreading from her cheek bone up to her eye. Her fingers trembled as she took the glass that was handed to her.

‘When you’re ready ... can you tell me exactly what happened in your house this morning?’ Harry asked.

The woman took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, in the manner of someone familiar with that particular method of self-calming.

‘We had an argument.’

‘Do you remember what it was about?’

‘Of course I do. Sorry—I didn’t mean to snap. It’s just all so fresh in my mind still.’ She hesitated. ‘I’ve suspected he’s been having an affair for quite a while now. This morning, I challenged him about it.’

She broke off.

‘And...?’

‘He didn’t like that. He told me I was talking rubbish; he was too busy working for me and the kids to have time for affairs. He asked me why I thought that and I showed him a receipt I’d found for a hotel in London, when he was meant to be in Manchester on business.’

‘Do you have that receipt with you?’

‘Yes.’

‘It would be good if you could let us have that. What was his response?’

‘He said it was an early business breakfast before he headed off to Manchester, and it was easier for him to stay in London the night before. He said he hadn’t told me because he knew how paranoid I was about him being unfaithful and if I’d known he was staying in London overnight I’d have created a scene. But he knows I wouldn’t. I’m not like that.’

She broke off, the tears welling in her eyes as she looked at Harry.  ‘It was my fault—I shouldn’t have pushed him. I know what he can be like when he’s angry. It was stupid of me. Stupid.’

Harry dropped his eyes to the report in front of him, giving her a moment. He didn’t know what to say. He knew the general consensus of opinion among his peers—that the law shouldn’t interfere in domestic problems between husband and wife, better that they sort things out themselves and left the police to deal with more important issues—but it wasn’t something that sat easily with him. He’d read a lot about domestic violence, knew, for example, that a high percentage of murders were included in that category. He also knew that for some unfathomable reason, most victims blamed themselves, which was exactly what Serena Hamilton appeared to be doing.

‘You reported him for hitting you back in April I see, but then you withdrew the accusation. Said you’d made a mistake?’

‘Yes.’

‘Had you made a mistake?’

She hesitated, then said in a quiet voice, ‘No. He... he pushed my head into the bath water when I got back from the police station—held it under until I agreed to withdraw the allegations. I thought he was going to kill me.’

‘These are serious allegations you’re making.’

‘I know they are. You don’t believe me, do you? You’re like everyone else. He’s a respectable solicitor, educated and charming. No one’s going to believe me over him. That’s why I withdrew the allegations last time.’

‘We’re taking your accusations very seriously, I can assure you of that. We’ve already sent someone round to his work to pick him up and I’ll be questioning him after you. But I need to know something from you. You’ve stated that you want to press charges?’

She nodded.

‘We need to know that if we do decide to go ahead and prosecute, this time you’ll stick with those charges. Will you do that?’

Her stricken eyes met his, but her voice was firm as she nodded.

‘Yes. Because this time I have a witness, and I feel that if I don’t—next time he could kill me.’

CHAPTER THREE

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AS SOON AS KIM ARRIVED at the police station, she was shown into an interview room where Ed was sitting, tapping his feet on the floor, waiting for her. He was smartly dressed as always in a navy pinstripe suit, his blond hair combed carefully off his brow, but she could tell from the expression on his face that he was in a state. He jumped up straight away and was about to embrace her, but she frowned and shook her head, even though she felt terrible not being able to give him the support he needed.

‘Can I have a few moments with my client?’ she asked the duty police officer.

He nodded and left the room.

‘What’s going on? What happened?’ she asked as soon as the door was closed.

‘She’s bloody mental, that’s what’s going on,’ he retorted, running an agitated hand through his hair. ‘We had a row. She accused me of having an affair.’

Kim’s heart jolted. ‘Does she know about our friendship?’

‘No, I’m sure of it. Anyway, what’s that got to do with anything? I’m allowed to have friends who are members of the opposite sex.’

‘Yes, but if she’s as paranoid as you’re always saying—’

‘Two business colleagues going out for drinks sometimes after work is hardly proof of an affair!’ He shook his head. ‘She doesn’t know, I’m sure of it. How could she?’

‘Okay.’ Kim sat down next to him at the small table and opened up her briefcase, pulling out a notepad. ‘Give me your side of the story, from the beginning.’

‘What do you mean, my side of the story? Don’t you believe me either?’

‘Of course I do. I just meant, fill me in on the argument before she called the police.’

He sighed, relaxing a little. ‘Okay, I’m sorry, I’m in a state.’ He drew a breath. ‘I was in the bathroom, straightening my tie, and she suddenly stormed in and started on me. She was having a go because I hadn’t put the bins out last night. I told her it was no big deal, I’d do them before I left for work. But that wasn’t good enough. She was banging on about how I should do it now, this minute, in case they came early. It was pathetic and I told her as much. She started shrieking at me not to talk to her like that... like she was stupid.’ He hesitated. ‘Then she pulled out a hotel receipt she’d obviously found in my wallet. It was for that breakfast you and I had in London last week.’

‘Oh, no.’

‘Yeah. I told her that we’d needed to meet up really early before I got my train to Manchester and that it had been easier to stay in London for the night, but she was having none of it. We ended up having a huge row, and next thing I know, she’s storming out into the hall and screaming at the kids that I hit her. She’s mental.’

‘Oh, Ed. Why hadn't you just told her you were staying in London overnight?’

‘Because she’d have thrown a wobbly and we’d have had another row. I know I should have, but it was easier to say I was taking the train straight from work.’

‘What happened then?’

‘I went out into the hall at the same time as the kids came running out of their bedrooms to see what was going on. Then our neighbour banged on the door because he’d heard the noise, and she ran downstairs to answer it. And...’

‘What?’

Ed hesitated and she could see he was picking his words with care. ‘He saw the blood on her face.’

‘Blood?  How did that get there?’

‘Don’t ask me. She must have knocked her head on something—maybe she tripped on the landing. She looked a mess, and of course he looked at me as if I was some sort of monster. I’d had it by then—I walked out as she was phoning the police.’ He shrugged. ‘The rest you know. They picked me up from the office.’

‘Oh, Ed... it doesn’t sound good.’

‘You think I don’t know that? I’m so bloody fuming.’ His eyes glinted. ‘I know I’ve said it before, but I’ve had enough. I’m leaving her and I’m taking the kids with me.’

‘Look, calm down. It’s not as simple as that, you know it isn’t. Especially when they take into account her previous accusation.’

‘But she withdrew that charge, didn’t she? Couldn’t make it stick. I’m not leaving the kids with her. I don’t trust her.’

‘If you take them away from her illegally, it will be you they come after.’

‘Just let them try.’

It was bravado talk, but it was dangerous. ‘Ed, you need to keep a level head. That sort of talk won’t get you anywhere.’

He took a deep breath but she got the impression her words were slowly getting through to him. He exhaled. ‘I know. You’re right.’ His eyes met hers. ‘You mean a lot to me, Kim, you know that. You do believe me, don’t you?’

‘Of course I do. I know you wouldn’t do a thing like that.’

‘No matter how bad the cards might look stacked against me?’

Her hesitation was imperceptible. ‘No matter how bad.’

He took her hand in his and squeezed it, his expression relaxing. ‘I knew I could rely on you, and that means more to me than anything. I’m going to beat her at this, but I’m not a solicitor for nothing. I’ll do it through the courts and mince her. Show her that I’m not going to play her stupid games any longer.’

He was angry, justifiably so, but Kim couldn’t ignore the trickle of unease she felt at his words. She’d known Ed for five years now and they’d been close work colleagues even before it had recently started drifting into a closer relationship, but she knew how single-minded he could be when he got a bee in his bonnet. She’d often joked that few people would get the better of him when he put his mind to something and she knew how much his children meant to him. She almost felt sorry for Serena—even if the woman had brought it on herself.

They both looked up as there was a knock on the door and it opened.

‘Alright if we have a few words now?’ PC Harry Briscombe asked, coming into the room.

‘Before we start this,’ Ed said, ‘where are my children?’

Harry took the seat on the opposite side of the table. ‘They’re at school. Your wife rang a friend, who picked them up.’

‘Right.’

That seemed to relax him a little and Harry decided he’d jump right in before the man got too comfortable.

‘Your wife has made a very serious allegation against you, Mr Hamilton.’

‘Tell me something that doesn’t surprise me. It’s not the first time she’s falsely accused me.’

‘So you deny the accusations?’

‘Of course I do.’

‘Why would your wife lie, do you think?’

Ed’s gaze didn’t flinch. ‘I don’t know. It’s something she does. Her changes in mood can be quick and unpredictable—and if she wants something badly enough, she just goes for it. The truth counts for very little at the time.’ He paused, then added, ‘Just so you’re aware, I’m filing for divorce on the grounds of her unreasonable behaviour and I’ll be going for custody of my children. They’re the only reason I’ve stayed in my marriage as long as I have, but after today, I’ve realised there’s no point trying to go on. God knows what she’ll accuse me of next.’

He seems to have it all off pat, Harry thought, and he could just picture this man’s ruthless performance in court. Was it because he believed what he was saying, or because he’d spent time preparing his defence? Whichever, his words made Harry only too aware of the man’s confident expertise in delivering his message, compared to Harry’s own inexperience—and it was unnerving to put it mildly.

‘Yes, well if that happens, it’ll be a bit further down the line,’ he responded calmly. ‘In the meantime, I’m afraid it’s you having to defend yourself against your wife’s allegations of domestic violence that we’re dealing with here. What do you have to say about that?’

‘What can I say? It’s her word against mine, isn’t it? And she’s lying. She’s done it before and if I don’t put a stop to this now, she’ll do it again.’

‘Your wife tells us that the reason she dropped the charges six months ago was because you held her head under the bath water and threatened to drown her.’

The woman at his side gasped, her eyes flying to Ed in horror, but Harry kept his gaze firmly fixed on the man he was interrogating. His face was pale and he could see a little tick working in the corner of his mouth, but apart from that, he was holding himself rigid, his expression giving nothing away.

‘Another lie,’ he said calmly.

‘How do you account for the bruising to your wife’s cheek—the blood that your neighbour witnessed pouring from her nose?’

‘I can’t account for it. I didn’t lay a finger on her. Maybe she stumbled into the banister on the landing or as she ran down the stairs?’

‘So you admit she was running away from you? Why would she do that if she didn’t feel threatened?’

‘Because someone was knocking on the door—she was going to answer it.’

‘Wouldn’t you agree she must have felt threatened if she was prepared to open the door to a relative stranger and let him see what was going on?’

‘I’d argue that it could have been for more manipulative reasons. Maybe she wanted to be able to call him as a witness if she needed him.’

‘You seem to have an answer for everything, Mr Hamilton.’

‘I’m used to asking questions and looking for answers, Constable Briscombe. It’s what I do.’

There was an air of belligerence about him that got to Harry. A smart-arse lawyer, who thought he knew everything, was his impression; but he held himself in check, knowing he needed to be impartial at this stage of the proceedings. There was a slim chance that things might not be quite as they seemed, and that the man could be feeling justifiably angry.

‘My client has been living under some stress with his wife for a while,’ the solicitor at his side put in, perhaps realising that Ed’s attitude wasn’t doing him any favours. ‘Although today’s events have come as a shock to him, you can see he’s had plenty of time to think about their situation in general, and sadly he’s come to the conclusion that for the sake of their children, the marriage must end.’

‘Ah yes... Ms Kimberley Simpson, I believe?’

Harry switched his penetrating gaze to encompass her and though she smiled at him, he could tell it was forced.

‘Yes, that’s right. I work with Mr Hamilton and I’ll be representing him.’

‘I’m not so sure you will be, Ms Simpson.’

‘I’m sorry?’

‘According to Mrs Hamilton, she claims to suspect that you and her husband are having an affair, and as such, you could be called upon as a witness should the matter go to court. I think, in the circumstances, Mr Hamilton might be advised to choose a new solicitor to represent him.’

The woman looked as if she’d been punched in the stomach. ‘What! Ed and I are work colleagues and friends. And that is all.’

It didn’t take being a policeman for Harry to suspect that she was being somewhat economical with the truth. Her darting look in Ed Hamilton’s direction gave away more than she realised.

His gaze shifted from one to the other of them. ‘I’m afraid a lot of these cases are based on one person’s word against another’s. At the end of the day it will boil down to who comes up with the best witnesses and who the jury believe, should it go to Court.’

He could see that had unnerved Edward Hamilton and couldn’t suppress the small stab of satisfaction that he’d rattled the man. And what he was about to say next was going to knock him off his perch even more.

Now...’ He looked at a piece of paper on his desk. ‘I’m afraid for the time being, Mr Hamilton, I think it would be in everyone’s best interest if you were to stay somewhere else for the time being? Your wife’s requesting a Restraining Order preventing you from seeing either her or the children until this matter’s settled. She’s asked us to organise a lawyer to act for her.’

‘What? She can’t do that—I have rights.’

‘The court will decide what rights you have—’

The words were barely out of his mouth before Ed Hamilton had jumped up from his chair, a look of sheer fury on his face. ‘Are you charging me at this point, or am I free to go? If I’m not allowed to have Kimberley as my solicitor then I need to find another one. I’ll have my signed statement in your office later today.’

Harry returned his gaze steadily. ‘I have one more question, before you go,’ he said. ‘Your wife says you argued over a receipt she found showing you’d been staying in London when you’d said you were going to Manchester? Is that the case?’

‘It was part of the argument, yes. I had a business breakfast.’

‘Your wife seems to think you were meeting another woman?’ Harry was careful not to look at Kimberley Simpson as he said the words.

‘I know she does, but she’s wrong. Kimberley had an important meeting that day with a doctor who’s being sued for malpractice, and she needed my input. I stayed at the hotel, but she didn’t. You can check that out for yourself if you want... it was the Hunter’s Hotel in Piccadilly. They’ll confirm the reservation was for one, even if the breakfast was for two.’

Which didn’t necessarily mean Kimberley couldn’t have slipped in unnoticed, Harry thought, standing up and bringing the interview to a close.

‘I think we’re about done for now,’ he said pleasantly. ‘Your wife will be taken to the hospital to be properly examined and once we have the opinion of the doctors with regards her injuries, we’ll be back in touch to let you know where we go from here.’

‘Fine. But if you press charges, you’ll be making a big mistake. My wife’s a compulsive liar—you wouldn’t be the first man to be taken in. Come on, Kim, I need some fresh air.’

After they’d left, Harry moved over to the window to watch them exit the building. There was no substance to the man’s veiled insinuations at all—he hoped he was a better cop than to be taken in by a pretty face. But if there was truth in her accusations, then despite the fact he was prepared for resistance from his boss, he intended seeing it through to the end. He wasn’t going to stand by and let her be bullied out of pressing charges.

CHAPTER FOUR

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OUTSIDE ON THE PAVEMENT, Kim cast Ed a concerned look. ‘Are you okay?’

‘What do you think?’

‘I’m sorry. It’s so horrible.’

‘I should have seen it coming. She’s been spoiling for a fight, the last couple of weeks. I should have recognised the signs from last time.’

‘What do you think she’ll do?’

‘Oh, she’ll get her penny’s worth out of it and then she’ll drop the charges I expect. She can’t afford to let them run—she needs my income too much.’

He ran a frustrated hand through his hair and Kim felt her heart go out to him. ‘Do you really think she’ll drop the charges?’

‘Yeah. I’ll calm her down like I did last time—except that this time, I’ll file for divorce and apply for custody of the kids in return for her getting a comfortable living. I think she’ll agree. She doesn’t want to work, so she needs my money.’

Unwittingly, Kim remembered what the Constable Briscombe had said about why she’d dropped the last set of charges, and she found herself trying to visualise that scene. Could she imagine Ed doing something like that? Holding someone’s head under water in anger? The thought made her feel sick.

‘It won’t be an easy ride though,’ Ed added. ‘I know that. She’s so unpredictable. I was reading about narcissistic psychopaths the other day—how they love-bomb you one minute and then treat you like shit the next—it’s her to a tee. Except these days, there’s not much love-bombing going on, and I’ve had enough. I’ve always worried about the effect it would have on the kids if we split up, but now I think it would be worse for them if we stay together. You can understand that, can’t you?’

‘Of course I can. It’s been obvious for a while that things aren’t right between you.’ They’d reached Kim’s car and she flicked the remote. ‘Are you coming back to the office?’

‘Only to pick up my car. I need to get some stuff from the house before I’m banned, and there’s something I want to do.’

Kim cast him a worried look. ‘Is that wise... going back to the house when they’ve told you not to?’

Ed’s lips tightened ominously. ‘They haven’t issued any Restriction Order, yet so they can go whistle if they’ve got a problem with it.’

‘Where will you stay?’

He shrugged. ‘I’ve got a couple of mates who I know would put me up but I’m not sure I want to involve them at the moment. I’ll probably ask my parents.’

‘I’ve got a spare room you can use if you want.’

The offer was out before Kim knew it, and she bit her lip, knowing she would probably have done better to hold her tongue.

‘It’s nice of you to offer, but I don’t really want to involve you in all this, either.’ His gaze held hers steadily and he seemed to be saying so much in that look. ‘We’ve become good mates over the last few years and sometimes I’ve been tempted to take it further, but... it wouldn’t have been right, and I wasn’t even sure you felt the same.’

The last sentence seemed to hover in the air between them, more a question than a statement. It was what she’d been longing to hear for what felt like an eternity and she was about to say as much, when her attention was caught by the sight of Serena emerging from the police station. She spotted Kim and Ed at the same time as they spotted her, and her eyes filled with rage as she ran over to Kim’s car and yanked open the passenger door. She completely ignored Ed sitting in the passenger seat, her gaze fixing accusingly on Kim instead. Kim bit back a gasp at the bruising on her face and swollen eye.

‘You know what? You’re welcome to the bastard because this time I’ve had enough. But take a long, hard look at my face before you decide to step into my shoes. Because I’m telling you now, it’s not a nice place to be. As for you Ed, this time I’m going ahead with the charges and you won’t bully me into dropping them. They’re taking me to the hospital now to check my injuries, so you’d better get a good defence prepared.’

Before either of them could respond, she drew back from the car and slammed the door shut. In front of them a police car had pulled in, and with a final, almost pitying look at Kim, she opened the passenger door and climbed in.

An awkward silence followed the scene.

‘I’m sorry about that,’ Ed finally said.

‘No need,’ Kim said quickly, but she couldn’t deny she was shocked. Shocked at the physical signs of abuse on Serena's face and shocked by the other woman’s words too. She hated herself for thinking it, but how well did she really know Ed? Was he capable of carrying out that sort of violence? Had she been letting her feelings for him get in the way of assessing the situation rationally?

No! She felt immediately disloyal even considering it.

‘Come on,’ she said, starting the engine. ‘Let’s get you to your car so you can pack your stuff while she’s at the hospital.’

But conversation was forced as they drove, and she sensed his relief was as big as hers when she finally dropped him off.

CHAPTER FIVE

––––––––

‘WHAT DID THE HOSPITAL say?’ Harry asked WPC Sarah Davidson when she returned to the office an hour and a half later.

She offloaded her bag onto her desk and pulled out some paperwork. ‘No signs of sexual abuse, but her injuries were confirmed as recent physical trauma to her nose and face. I’ll write up a report.’

‘Do you believe her when she says she’ll go ahead this time and prosecute?’

‘I think so, but she’s obviously frightened, even though her anger and concern for her kids seems to be carrying her through at the moment. My guess is she’ll need a lot of support and we’ll need to make sure she gets it.’

Harry sighed. ‘If we charge him, we need to know she won’t back out this time. I’ve just been filling Cowper in and he was adamant about that. Says it’s a waste of time in most cases, and costly if we get it wrong and fail to deliver.’

Sarah looked indignant. ‘With all due respect to Sergeant Cowper, I totally get why women find it difficult to press charges. We can’t protect them or their children twenty-four hours a day—and if my husband held my head under water because I’d reported him for abuse, I’d certainly think twice about doing it again. You can’t blame her for feeling anxious about it.’

‘I don’t... all I’m saying is that we don’t want it collapsing at the first hurdle, or worse, at the final hurdle. It has to be a water-tight case from the start, otherwise Cowper won’t recommend taking it forward.’

‘And what do you say, Harry? Are you just another man who thinks it’s not the police’s business what goes on behind closed doors? That she probably brought it on herself?’

‘No. I don’t happen to agree with that train of thought at all. If he’s guilty, I’ll see he pays for it.’

Sarah smiled. ‘Good. Anything I can do to help?’

‘I don’t think so, at the moment. I’m going to head off to question her other neighbours—see if anyone else heard anything or suspects that things aren’t right in that household. At least her next-door neighbour says he’s prepared to act as a witness. Then, once we’ve got as much info as we can get, Cowper said to leave it a day or two and interview her again—to make sure she’s not backing out.’

‘Apparently, she’s been taking advice from the Women’s Refuge and Citizen’s Advice Bureau,’ Sarah said. ‘She’s adamant she won’t back out this time, and I believe her.’

Kim was clearing her desk for the day, when her mobile rang and she saw it was Ed. She picked it up quickly. ‘Hi,’ she said. ‘How are you doing? I thought you’d be coming in this afternoon.’

‘Sorry. I couldn’t face it.’ He sounded moody, but she could hardly blame him. ‘I rearranged my appointments and took my stuff round to my parents. It hasn’t been an easy afternoon.’ He sighed. ‘Don’t fancy a drink, do you? I could do with a bit of cheering up to be honest.’

‘Come over to mine,’ she said impulsively. ‘I cooked a lasagne at the weekend and there’s plenty for two. It’ll be quieter for you.’

‘Thanks, Kim. That would be great. My parents had already arranged to go out tonight, so I’d be eating alone.’

‘It’s settled then. I’m just leaving and should be home about seven. See you then?’

When she opened the door to him an hour later, she was shocked at his appearance. He looked tense and depressed, and it was as much as she could do not to pull him to her and give him a reassuring hug.

‘You look awful,’ she said.

He managed to twist his lips into some semblance of a smile. ‘Thanks for the compliment.’

‘I’m not good at compliments. You know that. How did it go at the house?’

He nodded. ‘Okay. I did what I had to do and packed up some stuff, but Serena got back just as I was leaving. It wasn’t pleasant. She’s still making noises about bringing charges.’ For the first time, Kim could see it was beginning to worry him. ‘I never thought she’d do it, but now I’m not so sure. It could ruin my career if she did that—and she knows it.  Why would she do that? She’d suffer as much as I would if I lost my job.’

‘It’s probably just her anger talking.’

‘What’s she got to be angry about? I’m the one being slandered here!’

He checked himself with an obvious effort. ‘Sorry—I don’t want to take it out on you—but I’m so angry I could throttle her.’

The expression on her face must have changed because he looked suddenly horrified as he realised what he’d said. ‘Not literally, obviously. You won’t repeat that to the cops, will you? You know what they’re like... they’d use it to tear me apart.’

‘Of course I won’t. I know it was only said in the heat of the moment. Now come on, you can open the wine while I dish up the lasagne. Let’s change the subject and not talk about Serena, shall we? And after supper, maybe you’ll have a look at the new mobile phone I’ve got—show me how the bloody thing works. No point having a techie friend and not making use of him.’

The lasagne was good and so was the wine—and Kim knew she’d drunk more than she probably should have. They talked about work and mutual interests, gently teasing each other with an ease born of the friendship that had developed over the years, and for a while it was enough. But afterwards, as they sat chilling in her lounge, they seemed to drift back to the subject.

‘Nothing I ever did was good enough,’ he said broodily, staring into the glowing embers of the wood-burner. ‘We went to Kenya on safari for our honeymoon. I did it as a surprise for her because I thought she’d love it—and I didn’t skimp on the cost either, even though money was tight then. All she did was moan the whole week about snakes and spiders that we never saw, and the dust thrown up by the open safari vehicles as we tracked the animals. Told me I was a control freak because I hadn’t consulted her on whether she’d like that sort of holiday. It never even occurred to me that she wouldn’t.’ He turned to look at her. ‘I can’t see you reacting like that.’

Kim laughed. ‘That would be my dream come true, but I guess we’re not all alike.’

‘And thank God for that.’

His expression stilled as their eyes met, and he raised a hand to coax a wisp of hair off her face. Kim caught her breath. It was a definite step over the line that had governed their relationship up to now, and one of those defining moments when she knew that what happened next could possibly determine her whole future.

‘You said there’d been things you needed to do at the house,’ she said hurriedly, delaying the moment. ‘What were they?’

He shook his head. ‘Probably best you don’t know. I don’t want to involve you in any of this.’

‘Ed...’ she looked at him, worried. ‘You haven’t done anything stupid, have you?’

‘Of course not,’ he soothed. ‘It might just give me some leverage when the time comes, if she does go ahead and try to press charges. Don’t worry... I’ve not done anything illegal, as far as I’m aware.’

‘I don’t like the sound of it.’

‘It’s nothing for you to worry about, really.’

He clearly wasn’t going to tell her and she shrugged, realising she’d have to take his word for it.

‘You’re a great friend, Kim...’ He hesitated. ‘You know how I feel about you, don’t you?’

His voice had deepened and she thrilled to the sound of it, but part of her held back, knowing that it didn’t feel right. Not yet.

‘Ed—’

‘No, let me speak. I know this isn’t great timing but I couldn’t say anything before because it didn’t seem right while I was trying to make things work with Serena. But now this has all blown up, I know that she and I are over, and there doesn’t seem much point denying how I feel about you. I get you might not feel the same...’

She wanted to say that of course she did, but for some reason the words stuck in her throat.

He looked at her astutely. ‘It’s freaked you out, this stuff with Serena, hasn’t it?’

‘No—’

‘Then show me... show me that you don’t believe I could do the stuff she’s accusing me of. I need you to believe in me, Kim.’

His hand came up to draw her towards him, and just for a moment his eyes burned into hers, before he lowered his head. She knew immediately that he hadn’t been lying. There was a desperation to his kiss that showed her how much he needed to know she was on side. And then that need changed to a different type of need, and her own rose to match it. Her last thought before all conscious thought was thrown to the wind, was that of course he was innocent.

Ed wouldn’t hurt a fly.

CHAPTER SIX

––––––––

‘HOW’S THAT DOMESTIC violence case coming on?’ Cowper asked, approaching Harry’s desk with a frown. ‘It’s been three days now.’

Harry looked up from where he was studying a missing persons report. ‘The wheels are turning... slowly. She got the Restraining Order, much to the husband’s disgust.’

‘Well, we’ll need to make a decision soon on whether we’re going to proceed or not. How did you get on interviewing the neighbours?’

‘I put the report on your desk yesterday. Didn’t you see it?’

‘Must have got buried. What did it say?’

‘Not much, to be honest. Neighbours on the other side said they’d heard shouting on occasions but not to the extent where they felt they needed to intervene. The guy who witnessed it this time reckoned he’d almost gone over once or twice before when they’d been rowing, but said he felt awkward about interfering. This was the first time he’d done anything about it.’

‘Pity. If we had more on file, we’d have more to go on.’

‘We have got the other episode she reported. It would count for something, surely? You’re not thinking about letting him get away with it?’

Harry couldn’t help showing his frustration at the thought, and Cowper shook his head, sighing.

‘Things aren’t always as straightforward as we’d like them to be, Harry. You’ll come to see that. We need as much proof as we can get—and more—to make this type of case stick. And I’ve already told you the reasons why... cost, man hours and reputation. It doesn’t look good when we go through all the motions of taking it to court only to have the whole case collapse on a technicality, or because she pulls out. I’ll get myself a coffee and go through the file—take a view after that.’

At seven o’clock that evening, Harry let himself into his flat. It was an early night for him and he toyed with the idea of watching a film, but his heart wasn’t in it. The truth was he couldn’t get the Hamilton case out of his head. Half a dozen other issues had come up during the day that had prevented him from digging deeper, and he somehow felt he was letting Serena Hamilton down by not going the extra mile for her. After reading through the notes, Cowper had expressed reluctance to prosecute because, as he’d put it, ‘at the end of the day, whilst the neighbour may have heard the screaming and shouting, he didn’t actually witness the husband hitting the wife’, and Hamilton’s lawyers will make that the basis of their whole defence if they’ve got any sense. It might feel watertight to you, Harry, but it isn’t. I’ve seen these things fail all too often with a clever solicitor.’

‘But surely common sense dictates it had to be him. Who else was it going to be who hit her... one of the kids?’

‘It wasn’t witnessed and who’s to say she didn’t hit her face on the banister as the husband suggested? It’s not an impossibility and it could open up enough of a loophole to cast doubt. And that’s all his defence needs.’

Harry moved into the kitchen and poured himself a beer while he cooked a steak and prepared a salad, something he’d done often enough to perform on autopilot.

He wished he had someone to vent his frustration to. He just didn’t feel that Cowper was taking Serena Hamilton’s allegations seriously enough. It was at times like these that he missed living with his grandmother, which he’d done since he was a small boy. She was such a sharp, astute woman and her own father had been in the police. They’d had many lively debates about the wrongs and rights of the world while he’d been doing his training, and he was sure she’d have an opinion or two to offer.

‘Follow your instincts,’ she always said to him, ‘they rarely let you down. But keep an open mind for that rare occasion when they do.’

He wasn’t sure quite how that fitted into this particular situation, but he resolved that the next morning he’d dig a little deeper into Ed Hamilton’s background... see if there was anything at all he could find that might add some weight to his wife’s accusations.

He’d just finished eating his meal when his mobile rang. It was Cowper.

‘Are you busy?’

‘Erm... no, not particularly.’

‘Well, I’ve got a little job that I think you might enjoy. They’ve just brought Edward Hamilton in for breaking the terms of his Restriction Order. Apparently, he forced his way into the house and tried to take his children. You up for dealing with that?’

Yes! Harry thought. ‘You bet,’ he said. ‘Anything in particular I need to say or do?’

‘Just take a statement from him and remind him he can go to jail for breaking the terms of the Order—although he’s a solicitor so he’ll already know that. The kids are still with their mum and there’s not much we can do at this stage, except give him a bollocking and tell him that if he does it again, we will bang him up.’

‘Okay. I’ll report back to you tomorrow.’

He ended the call and went to get his jacket. Breaking the Restraining Order was a massively stupid thing to do—especially when you knew the consequences of that as well as someone like Edward Hamilton did. It showed complete arrogance and disregard for the law—that as a lawyer he was supposed to be upholding—but he was just digging a deeper hole for himself in the long run. Perhaps this was his first mistake.

‘Kim? I need you to do me a favour.’

Ed sounded almost desperate over the phone, and Kim turned the volume on the television down as she took the call.

‘What’s up?’

‘The police have arrested me.’

‘What? What for?’

There was a pause. ‘For breaking the terms of the Restraining Order.’

‘Oh, Ed, no... why did you do that?’

‘Look, I don’t have time to go into it now. They’ve allowed me one call and I’ve made it to you because I know you’re the one person who won’t let me down. I know it’s a big ask, but there’s something I need you to do for me—something I hope will settle this bloody mess with Serena once and for all.’

‘I can’t do that,’ Kim said in horrified tones when he’d finished explaining. ‘How can you even ask me? It must be totally illegal. What if I get caught?’

‘You won’t. There won’t be anyone around. Serena will be driving the kids to school. She’ll be gone almost an hour, round trip. No one will know you’ve been there.’

‘But... even if I did, I don’t know anything about—’

‘I’ll talk you through it. It won’t be that difficult. Look, I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t desperate. You know I wouldn’t. I hate that I have to involve you, I really do. But can’t you see how this could change everything? For you and me too?’

Her heart flipped. Was he saying what she thought he was?

There was a long silence.

‘Oh, forget it,’ he said. ‘I was only doing this to give us a chance... I thought after the other night you felt the same.’

Kim immediately felt swamped by guilt. She thought back to their lovemaking that night and how totally consuming it had been. They hadn’t repeated it though, as Ed had said that in the current circumstances it would only be adding fuel to the fire. But there’d been a tacit understanding between them that once this was all sorted...

‘I do feel the same, you know I do, but... Ed, it’s a huge ask. If I got caught...’

‘I know. You’re right—I’m sorry, I’m not thinking straight. Don’t worry about it. I’ll see if they’ll let me make another call—try and think of someone else.’

Why did she feel she was letting him down so badly? She could ruin her whole career if she got caught.

‘No—I’ll do it,’ she said quickly, before he could hang up, or she could change her mind, ‘but you’ll have to give me a blow-by-blow account of what I need to do. I’ll never figure it out for myself. Hang on while a get a pen and some paper.’

‘No, don’t worry. I’ll drop round after I leave here. Go through it with you then. Thanks Kim, I appreciate it.’

At the police station, Harry took the stairs up to the interview room two at a time. He’d had a briefing from the PC who’d responded to the call-out and felt reasonably confident about the direction his line of questioning would take, though he was well aware that Ed Hamilton was far more practiced at these Q&A sessions than he was.

In the room, he sat down and placed his case notes on the table.

‘We meet again, Mr Hamilton.’

‘So we do, Constable Briscombe.’

He was impressed that the man had remembered his name, but then again, a solicitor’s life was made up of detail.

‘You don’t need me to tell you the serious implications of breaking a Restraining Order, I’m sure?’ he said, taking a seat and rearranging his papers.

‘No,’ the other man returned calmly, ‘but there were extenuating circumstances.’

‘Which were?’

‘I had a phone call from my son saying that his mother had frightened him and his little sister and had sent them both to bed with no supper. And they were hungry. While we were talking I heard Serena screaming at him for using the phone and then the line went dead. I tried to call her back several times but she didn’t pick up. Obviously, I was worried and I couldn’t be sure how long it would take you lot to get round there if I phoned you—or if you’d go at all, even—so I took matters into my own hands and went round to investigate. Of course, as soon as Serena saw my car she called the police and tried to stop me from entering, but I’m afraid I was having none of that. I needed to check the kids were okay.’

‘I understand from the officer who attended the scene, that you threatened to break the windows if she didn’t let you in and that you barged in in a rage and laid into her when she tried to stop you from going upstairs?’

‘I was worried about the kids and wasn’t going to be fobbed off. And it depends what you mean by laid into her. I moved her out of the way so I could pass, but I was careful not to use excessive force, bearing in mind her previous allegations.’

‘Maybe your idea of excessive force isn’t the same as most people’s?’

‘I wouldn’t say that and I don’t like what you’re implying.’

‘I think most people would call a punch to the stomach and throwing her into the wall more than the use of reasonable force. Wouldn’t you agree?’

There was a significant pause. ‘Yes I would. But if she’s claiming I did that to her, then she’s lying again.’

‘Mr Hamilton, your wife has been examined and she has a confirmed head injury—a large lump on the side of her head which she says was caused when her head hit the wall. Are you seriously expecting us to believe it came from nowhere?’

‘Maybe you missed it first time round when she went to the hospital? I don’t know—I have no answer for how she received that injury. As I say, if someone pushed her against a wall, it wasn’t me.’

‘And are you saying it was this same mysterious person who attacked her the other day too?’

Their eyes clashed.

‘No.’

‘So, moving on, you then went upstairs to find your children?’

‘Yes.’

‘Where they were in bed, asleep and unharmed, I understand?’

‘Well, I’d driven over from my parents in Saffron Walden. Things had obviously calmed down by the time I got there.’

‘But you tried to take them anyway?’

‘I was worried about their safety, constable—as you should be. In fact, I’d like to formally record my concern here and that I’ll hold you personally responsible if anything happens to them. I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes with the press in those circumstances, either.’

His words wrong-footed Harry, as they were intended to. Nobody liked the idea of having something like that on their conscience, or having the media breathing down their necks when things went wrong. He pushed the thought to one side, pressing on with the job in hand.

‘You must have known you wouldn’t be allowed to keep them if you took them?’

‘I wasn’t thinking straight. The minute I saw them I just knew I needed to take them for their own protection. I’ve realised we can’t go on covering over the cracks.’

‘Your children are still with their mother, I believe?’

‘Yes.’ His displeasure about that was made obvious by the tightening of his mouth. ‘I was going to take them to my parents—their grandparents, but your lot arrived before I could move them.’

‘Your son doesn’t back up your version of events. When he was questioned, he said that he loves his mum and wants to stay with her.’

Edward Hamilton’s lips tightened even more. ‘He’s eight-years-old. Children are easily manipulated.’

‘You realise the seriousness of your situation, forcing your way into your home like that? You’ve broken the terms of your Restriction Order and that’s something we don’t take lightly. I’m sure you’re aware you can even go to prison for that?’

For the first time in the whole interview, Harry felt he was one step ahead as he saw the confidence in the other man’s expression falter.

‘That could be ruinous for my career.’

Harry didn’t quote the obvious, that he should have thought about that before breaching the Order. Instead, he stood up, bringing his part in the proceedings to a close.

‘I’ll get someone in to take a formal statement from you about tonight’s activities. On this occasion we’re letting you go. That won’t happen if you breach the Order a second time. I’m now heading over to see your wife, to have a chat with her.’

‘Well good luck with that,’ Ed Hamilton said sourly, ‘she’ll do her best to bad mouth me, I’m sure.’

As Harry pulled up outside the Hamilton’s home, he couldn’t help noticing the twitching of curtains in the house next door. Was that their witness? Had he seen anything of that night’s events too?

Walking up to the front door, he tapped quietly on the wood and waited. Serena Hamilton didn’t keep him waiting long.

‘Hi,’ she said in a subdued voice, standing aside to let him in. She closed the door behind him and he noticed her quick, nervous sweep of the street before she did so.

‘I was just about to make myself some tea. Would you like a cup?’

She had an accent that was as precise and well spoken as her husband’s, but he guessed that was where the similarities ended. She didn’t have his air of confidence—and her eyes were doing a good job of looking anywhere but at him as she made the offer of tea.

‘That would be good, thanks.’

He followed her into the large, modern kitchen and watched as she filled the kettle with filtered water and removed two mugs from their hanging tree. He didn’t push her, waiting instead until they were both sitting at the large, cream-coloured table in the breakfast area.

‘I’ve questioned your husband over tonight’s incident, Mrs Hamilton. Needless to say, his version is somewhat different to yours.’

She nodded as if she’d expected that. ‘I’m sure it was. Where is he now? Have you arrested him?’

Harry hesitated. ‘We’ve let him go with a caution. I don’t think he’ll be bothering you again.’

Her stare was apprehensive. ‘I wish I could be as sure. He’s already really angry with me for reporting him.’

‘He knows he’ll be in serious trouble if he comes back. I understand you didn’t want to go to the hospital to have your injuries verified?’

‘I didn’t want to leave my children—they’re upset enough about all this.’

‘Do you mind if I take a quick look at them?’

Serena Hamilton’s eyes were keen. ‘To make sure they’re still safe, you mean? What’s he been saying about me? That I’m not a fit mother?’

‘It’s usual practice in an incident like this. Could you lead the way?’

When he put his head around the doors, Harry could see that the children had dim night-lights on, showing that they were both fast asleep and their rooms were spotless. Picture perfect bedrooms, he thought, as she closed the second door quietly behind them.

‘They look angelic, don’t they?’ Serena said, the first hint of a smile cracking her face. ‘But they’ll be demanding little monsters in the morning. It’s for them that I’m doing this, you know. It’s not good for kids to grow up with parents who fight. I know that from experience.’

‘Your parents were divorced?’ Harry asked as they made their way back down the stairs to the kitchen.

She shook her head. ‘It would have been better for us children if they had been.’

Harry thought for a moment, considering how to broach the next matter. ‘I’m afraid I have to ask you a couple of sensitive questions that your husband has raised with us.’

‘Fire away, nothing he can say would surprise me.’

‘He’s intimated in his interviews that you have quite severe mood changes?’

Her eyes flashed agitatedly. ‘That’s not true. I’m not saying I don’t get a bit low sometimes—I think anybody would, being married to Ed. He has exacting standards and lets you know when you don’t live up to them. But I’m not the fruit cake he’s trying to make me out to be.’

‘You say this isn’t the first time your husband’s hit you. How long has it been going on?’

She shrugged. ‘You lose track of the time, but several years.’

‘And you only reported it the once?’

‘It all felt too much. He’s a solicitor... how can someone like me beat that? I was terrified I’d lose the children. They’re all that matters to him and he’s always said that if we split, he’d move heaven and earth to make sure I didn’t get custody of them.’ Her eyes filled and she wiped them with a tissue. ‘That’s why he’s latched onto this moods issues thing— but if anyone’s got mental issues, it’s him, not me.’

‘But this time, if we prosecute, you’ll go through with it? We need to know that, because it’s a costly exercise both in terms of money and ti—’

‘Yes, I will.’ The interruption was emphatic. ‘I won’t back out this time. I need him out of our life and I’ve realised this is the only way I can do it. I’ll do whatever you want me to.’

‘All we want, from you both, is the truth, but on the basis of what you’ve reported and the evidence we’ve collected so far, I’d say we have a fair chance of a successful prosecution if we do go ahead. It’s not down to me though, I’m afraid. We have to wait for the powers that be to decide.’ Harry rose from the table. ‘You said your husband pushed you into the wall, causing you to bang your head. Could you show me where?’

‘It wasn’t a push—he threw me. He was so angry.’

She led the way into the hall, to the bottom of the stairs. ‘I was trying to stop him from going upstairs here and he punched me in the stomach, then flung me against that wall there. By the time I’d rallied, he was already upstairs telling the kids to get dressed again. The police turned up just in time before they actually left.’ She touched the side of her head gingerly. ‘The lump’s still there and massive, if you want to feel it?’

Harry shook his head. ‘There’s no need. It’s already been documented by the officers attending the scene.’

‘You know, the first time I met you, I was worried because you looked so young,’ Serena Hamilton said, her eyes sombre. ‘I wasn’t at all confident that someone like you could take my husband on. He can be very convincing... it’s his job, after all. But I can see now you’re an intelligent guy. Please don’t be taken in by him.’

Harry didn’t miss the desperation in her voice, and wouldn’t have been human if he hadn’t felt a small sense of satisfaction that someone had faith in him and thought he was doing a reasonable job. But he also knew the importance of remaining impartial until all the facts were in.

‘We’ll do our best to get the right result,’ he said.

As she showed him out he stopped for a moment to look at the array of photographs on the hall table and it struck him forcibly how wrong that statement was that a photo never lies. Looking at the Hamilton family, all beaming out at him from the large frame in the middle of the table, you’d never have imagined the ugliness that was going on beneath the surface.

And the happiest and proudest looking of them all, was Edward Hamilton.

CHAPTER SEVEN

––––––––

IT WAS 8:15 IN THE morning, and Kim sat huddled in her car, a few doors up from the Hamilton’s, waiting for Serena Hamilton to leave the house.

She couldn’t believe she was doing this and every instinct was telling her that she shouldn’t be. Yet what choice did she have? She loved Ed and she needed to do this for him to show him she believed in him. And he was right. He couldn’t ask anyone else to do it, because no one in his or her right mind would agree.

She looked for the hundredth time at the set of instructions on her lap. After they’d released him from the police station last night, he’d come round to hers and given her a spare house key—something that was a violation of his Restraining Order in itself. He’d also given her a detailed description of what she needed to do. She hoped to God that the information he’d given her was correct, and more importantly, that her task would reap the sort of reward he was hoping for. If it didn’t—or if she got caught in the process—the recriminations didn’t bear thinking about.

They’d made love again last night for the second time and it had been amazing, but Ed had made it clear that they probably still needed to be low-key about their relationship, until all this was over. He didn’t want Serena using the information to muddy the waters, and Kim understood that. Although nothing had happened between them prior to all this trouble, she had no doubt Serena’s solicitors would have a field-day if they found out.

She tensed, sinking lower in her seat as Ed’s front door opened and Serena and two young children exited. She watched them climb into their car, her heart racing. This was it... the point of no return.

She sank even lower, averting her head as she realised with panic that the car was heading her way. Oh, man! She wasn’t designed for this sort of stuff. What if Serena recognised her?

Still time to back out, she thought. Ed might never speak to her again, but she couldn’t really believe that. He’d been really apologetic last night about involving her.

‘If there was any other way I could do it, I would. I hate that I’m dragging you into this, but I wouldn’t put it past the police to be watching me... waiting for me to make another mistake. And this could be crucial to getting me off.’

And in the after-glow of their lovemaking, she’d been only too eager to help.

But that was last night and today was the reality of it. Could she do this?

Unbidden, the image of Serena's bruised face swam before her eyes. How had that happened if it hadn’t been Ed? Was it really possible that she’d knocked herself on the banister? Possible, yes... likely, no. She felt sick at the thought it could have been Ed—but she knew him, didn’t she? They’d been mates for several years before the nature of their relationship had begun to change and she simply couldn’t see him doing something like that.

She braced herself. He didn’t deserve what Serena was putting him through, and she was the only one who could help him.

She left it a full five minutes after Serena had driven past before swinging into action. Taking a deep breath and making sure no one was around, she opened the car door and walked calmly up to Ed’s front door. Within the space of a minute, she’d entered the house and de-activated the alarm with his fob.

Her heart was pounding so heavily she felt sick but she didn’t give herself time to think about the enormity of what she was doing. Studying Ed’s plan, she worked her way methodically through the list, carrying out his instructions to the tee. She had just put the last item in the shoulder bag she was carrying and was about to make a speedy escape when the sound of the doorbell made her jump.

Shit.

Should she make a run for it out of the back door that she could see through the kitchen? But maybe it was only the postman or a delivery, and if she did that, she wouldn’t be able to reset the alarm to cover up that she’d been here. She’d prepared herself for this possibility; she just needed to keep her bottle.

Her mouth was dry as she made her way to the front door but her heart completely plummeted when she saw the uniformed policewoman standing on the doorstep.

‘Hello,’ she said. Her card showed her to be WPC Sarah Davidson and her tone was pleasant enough, but Kim didn’t miss the sharpness of her gaze.

‘Hi... can I help you?’ she blustered.

‘We had a phone call from Mrs Hamilton’s neighbour that someone had entered the house. You may be aware that there are a couple of issues surrounding the Hamiltons at the moment? Can you tell me who you are and what you’re doing here?’

Ed’s bloody neighbour has a nose that is way too big for him, Kim thought agitatedly. How the hell was she going to talk herself out of this one?

‘I’m uh... a friend of Ed’s. I was just picking up a couple of bits for him.’

The policewoman’s gaze dropped to the canvas bag in Kim’s hand. ‘Perhaps you wouldn’t mind letting me see what’s in the bag?’

Kim found herself clutching onto it more tightly. ‘It’s private stuff that belongs to Mr Hamilton. I don’t feel it’s for me to let you have it? Do you have a right to take it?’

‘I think in the circumstances, I do. You could be removing anything from the house. Give it to me please.’

Reluctantly, Kim handed it over and the WPC cast a quick eye over the contents. Her gaze narrowed. ‘I think in the circumstances, Miss...?’

‘Simpson,’ Kim supplied, biting her lip.

‘Simpson...’ the woman repeated. ‘You’d better accompany me back to the station. I think the investigating officers might be very interested in what we have here.’

Back at the station, Harry was busy filling Sergeant Cowper in on the previous night’s activities.

‘So you believed her version of events then?’ Cowper said when he’d finished.

‘I think the facts spoke for themselves. Mrs Hamilton had further documented injuries of a red mark to the stomach where he punched her and a large lump to the right side of her head. Plus we caught him in the act of breaking the Order. Do we need more evidence than that?’

Cowper sighed, but inconceivably to Harry, he still seemed reluctant to give the final go ahead to pressing charges. What was the matter with the man? Harry was beginning to wonder if there was a hidden agenda going on that he wasn’t a part of. Or maybe Cowper had just got too cynical over the years.

‘Sir, I really don’t see how much more evidence we need.’

‘A witness would be good for a start. If we had that, I wouldn’t hesitate.’

‘But we’ve got the neighbour—’

‘Who saw sod all when it comes to it.’

‘I’d dispute that. He witnessed the immediate aftermath—’

‘Did he witness anything last night?’

Harry sighed. ‘No. I did question him after I left Mrs Hamilton’s house, but he was apparently out at the time of the incident and only got home after the police arrived.’

‘So he’s no use to anyone then, is he? I know you want to do right by this case, Harry, and so do I... but believe me, when you’ve been around as long as I have you’ll realise that these domestics are a minefield. Start getting involved, and I’m telling you, when they get all lovey-dovey again and make up—we’ll be the ones with bloody egg on our faces.’

‘I really don’t think that’s going to happen in this case—’

Harry broke off as there was a sharp tap on the glass door and WPC Sarah Davidson entered, waving what looked like a canvas shopping bag at them.

‘Wait ‘til you see what Ed Hamilton was trying to sneak out of the house. I just caught his girlfriend trying to remove these. I wonder why?’

She handed the bag to Sergeant Cowper and both men peered in as he opened it wider.

For a moment neither of them said anything, then their eyes locked.

‘What did I just say about needing a witness?’ Cowper said. ‘Get these to the tech team and let’s see what’s on them, then we can decide what we’re going to do next.’

‘Holy shit!’ Harry muttered in a flabbergasted tone, peering over the technician’s shoulders as they ran the film. He shook his head, his eyes meeting Sarah’s. ‘Can you believe what we’ve just seen?’

She too was looking dumbfounded. ‘No, I can’t. Bloody hell, who’d have thought that? But where did he get hold of these cameras? I’ve not seen anything like them before.’

‘Oh, they’re around now for those in the know, and becoming more popular than you realise,’ Harry said. ‘I’ve got a mate who’s really into this sort of stuff. He reckons a few more years and it won’t just be us spying on the nation—this sort of thing will be common place in people’s homes as added security protection.’

‘Well, no wonder he wanted to get hold of them.’

Harry straightened up. ‘Right,’ he said in a firm voice. ‘I’ll fill Cowper in, but I’m sure he’ll want to bring them both in now. Do we know where the wife works?’

‘She doesn’t. She’s a stay-at-home mother apparently.’ There was a hint of derision in Sarah’s tone and Harry looked at her in surprise.

‘Nothing wrong with that in my eyes... I’d have loved to have had my mum at home with me.’ He broke off abruptly, realising that he’d said more than he ever usually did on the subject.

‘Yeah, well some of us can’t afford the luxury of that.’

Harry remembered, too late, that although she was only twenty-two, Sarah was a single mum with a three-year-old son. She’d commented often enough on the difficulties of juggling motherhood, childcare and work, and without the help of her own mother would have struggled against enormous odds, he knew.

‘Okay, let’s go and clear this with Cowper, then I’ll pick up Edward Hamilton and you get the wife. You okay with that?’

‘Sure.’

‘Don’t let onto either of them what this is about,’ Cowper instructed as they prepared to head off. ‘We’ve got Kimberley Simpson in Interview Room 2 and she’s been barred from any contact with Hamilton until we give her permission, so the chances are he won’t know for sure why we’re calling him in again. I’ll question her while you’re bringing the Hamiltons in.’

CHAPTER EIGHT

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ED HAMILTON LOOKED pretty hacked off as Harry led him once again to the interview room, but after he’d sat through the videos they put in front of him, his face was as white as a sheet.

‘So, Mr Hamilton, obviously these videos throw a whole new angle on this matter.’

Harry was sitting across the table from him, looking far more composed than he felt. Cowper had insisted that Harry conduct the interview as he’d been handling the investigation, but he’d also said he would sit in on this one, and Harry felt highly conscious of his boss occupying the chair next to him—assessing his performance as he saw it. ‘Can you say, for the record, when these cameras were installed?’ he asked.

‘You can tell that from the set-up details, but for the record, it was a few days ago, when my wife accused me of physical violence. I went straight out and bought them after my interview here and installed them before she took the Restriction Order out on me.’

‘Was she aware they’d been installed?’

‘No.’

‘And why did you install them?’

‘Because I knew there must be more to her accusations than met the eye.’

He looked bemused, and Harry could see that some of the horror of that video was still reeling in his mind.

What must it feel like to see your wife punching herself hard in the stomach, and then moving over to the wall and physically slamming her head against it, not once, but twice, he wondered? It threw the whole original accusation on its head, he realised. Had she done the same thing that day? Punched herself in the face to make her nose bleed? His mind reeled, guilt creeping in that he’d been so quick to jump to conclusions. He felt a new respect for his boss, who hadn’t been quite so hasty in forming his opinions.

‘Has your wife ever done anything like this before?’ Harry asked.

Ed shook his head, his voice drained. ‘I don’t know. She cut herself a couple of times when we were at university but I never got to the bottom of it. She always made out that it wasn’t that big a deal—a stress release, she called it—and although I knew it wasn’t exactly healthy, I didn’t understand enough about it myself back then to fully realise the implications. But the kids—the way she shook Sam after she’d snatched the phone off him—’

He broke off, his expression haunted.

‘She was certainly very angry. You said you were worried about the children. Has she ever given you serious cause for concern in the past?’

‘No. I don’t know what’s got into her at the moment. Well, maybe I do now after seeing those films. God, what a mess. When I put the cameras in I’d planned to go round there one night and have things out with her—hopefully record her saying something that would show up the lies she’d been telling at the same time. But when she made the second set of accusations last night, I knew I needed to get the cameras out of there quickly to show that I hadn’t done what she’s accusing me of.’

‘Why didn’t you just tell us about them instead of sending Ms Simpson in?’

‘Because it all blew up so quickly and I’d put them in without her knowledge. I wasn’t sure you’d accept them and I needed to see what was on there.’

Harry didn’t say anything for a moment, concentrating instead on how he was going to phrase his next question diplomatically. But there was no easy way.

‘Obviously, in view of what else showed up on the webcam, we’ll be speaking to your wife and your next door neighbour, Carl Mason.’ He hesitated. ‘I’m sorry if that came as a shock to you, but were you aware they were so close?’

That was a definite understatement for the passionate scenes the camera had picked up in the hall and lounge, but thankfully, Ed Hamilton hadn’t gone as far as placing one in his wife’s bedroom.

‘I had no idea... although I had begun to wonder recently if there might be someone —’

He broke off as the realisation obviously hit him. ‘They planned the whole thing, didn’t they? The argument—him turning up at the front door to conveniently witness what I’d supposedly done to her?’

‘It does look that way. Obviously we’ll be questioning them both about that. Someone’s already gone to bring your wife in. You could probably press charges.’

Ed shook his head, his lips buttoned tight. ‘What would that achieve, except to upset the kids even more? She needs help, surely? Counselling, or something. I’ll try to use this as leverage to make sure she gets it. She hasn’t seen the footage yet then?’

‘No. Obviously we’ll be having serious words with her about what she’s done.’

Ed looked overwhelmed, his usual air of confidence totally depleted. ‘I need to think things through.’

Harry paused. ‘Do you have any other questions?’

Ed shook his head.

‘In that case—’

‘Actually, there is one thing. Where’s Kim... Miss Simpson? I want to make it quite clear that she was entering the house at my direct request and with my permission.  I asked her to go in and remove the cameras. She didn’t want to. I hope that’s not going to be a problem for her?’

‘Well, we talked to her about the inappropriateness of what she did, and certainly can’t condone it, but in the circumstances, we’ve let her go. I don’t think there’ll be any further action.’

‘Thank you.’ Ed rose to go. ‘There are no winners in this, are there?’ he said wearily. ‘Case solved for you, but for us it’s just starting. Am I alright to go now?’

‘PC Davidson will show you out. We’ll hang onto these films for the time being, but you’ll get them back.’

Ed nodded. He still looked shell-shocked. ‘Thanks. There’s no hurry. I shan’t be using them again, that’s for sure.’

‘Well done, Harry,’ Cowper said when Ed had left. ‘You handled that well.’

‘Thanks,’ Harry said, relieved that his boss was pleased.

But privately he acknowledged that a lesson had been well and truly learned that day—the importance of keeping an open mind. Life wasn’t always what it seemed.

CHAPTER NINE

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KIM LEAPT UP FROM HER chair the minute Ed walked into her office.

‘How did it go?’ she asked. ‘What did they say?’

‘First off, I want to give you a big hug,’ he said, walking into the room and closing the glass door behind him. ‘And I don’t give a damn who sees it. If you hadn’t done what you did for me today—and if you knew how bad I felt, having to ask you...’

He kissed her soundly.

‘What did they show?’ she asked when he released her. ‘Was there anything useful on there?’

‘Useful? It was a minefield...’

When he’d finished telling her, the horror on her face said it all. ‘Oh, Ed, I can’t believe it.’

‘Neither could I,’ he said grimly. ‘If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes—her actually smashing her head against that wall... it was horrific. But how she must hate me, to go to those lengths to try and cause trouble for me.’

His gaze met and held hers. ‘I know I haven’t been shown at my best over all this, Kim, and I wouldn’t blame you if you washed your hands of me, but the reality of losing my kids over a pack of lies just got to me. It’s not the ideal situation for you to inherit.’

The questioning light in his eyes was unmistakable and Kim’s face softened. ‘I’ve seen you in action when you’re fighting for something you believe in and I’d have you fighting my corner any day. But there’ll be a lot to sort out over the next few months and I understand your main priority will be your kids. Let’s just take it slowly, shall we, and see how it goes? Once that’s sorted we can start to think about us. There’s no rush.’

And there isn’t, she thought. He’d been right yesterday when he’d said it was all getting to her. Of course it had got to her and she hated to think that even for the briefest of moments she’d doubted him. The shift in their relationship had got off to an ugly start and the foundations needed to be cemented again. She had no doubt that they would be, but it might take some time. If they came through this, she reckoned they’d survive anything.

And if they didn’t—she’d handle that when the time came.

Harry switched off his computer and stuck his head round Cowper’s door. His boss had been up in London most of the day and was flicking through the post that had been left in his tray.

‘I’m heading off, if there’s nothing else you want me to deal with?’ Harry said.

Cowper looked up. ‘Alright for some, working part-time. How did it go with the wife after I left?’

‘Yeah, okay. She crumbled when we presented her with the evidence. Started off trying to bluff it out, saying they were fake films, but she knew she didn’t have a leg to stand on. Turns out she and the neighbour have been involved for the last year and he’s been putting pressure on her for them to move in together. But he’s only renting his house and he’s unemployed at the moment. I think they hatched up the plan so that they could blackmail the husband into agreeing to pay her a good whack of maintenance and make sure she got custody of the kids. She knew with his job it would be the kiss-of-death if he got done for wife battering.’

‘Dangerous tactic. Particularly against someone with his level of determination. It was never going to work.’

‘Agreed, although the alternative could have seen him struck off. He might have given in, I suppose.’

‘Well, let that be a lesson to you, Harry. It’s all too easy to form opinions in our job but cases aren’t solved on opinions.’

‘I’ve already realised that, believe me.’

‘You handled yourself well though. I was impressed. They’re lucky to be getting you in CID.’

‘Thanks. I hope so—it’s been my ambition since I was about ten.’

‘Well, no accounting for some people’s tastes. Wouldn’t touch it with a barge pole myself. Now, bugger off home and be sure to be in early in the morning. I’ve got a great job for you tomorrow—them upstairs want to know how many drivers we stopped in the last year for minor traffic offences. Think you can handle it?’

‘I’ll try,’ Harry said, putting on his jacket. He grinned. ‘And you question why I want to move to CID?’

‘Fancy a quick drink, Harry?’ Sarah Davidson asked as he threaded his way through the desks to the lift. He knew she felt as bad as he did about being so ready to condemn Ed Hamilton and knew that at some point they’d have the discussion. But not tonight.

‘I would, but I’ve got a date tonight... with my grandparents, before you get too excited,’ he added.

‘And life doesn’t get much more exciting than that,’ she quipped. ‘We’ll take a rain check then. See ya.’

‘Yeah.’

He stepped into the lift and pressed G. He was still high from the buzz of it all and, pathetic though it probably sounded, he knew that sense of elation would be with him for a while. He wanted to share it with the people closest to him and wasn’t embarrassed to admit that it was his grandparents who occupied that slot. They knew how much this career meant to him—how doggedly he’d pursued this path, despite his parents’ active discouragement. But if he’d had any doubts at all about his chosen career, this week had crushed them forever.

Bring on the change—he couldn’t wait!

THE END

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YOU’VE FINISHED ... Before You Go!  This novella is a Prequel to my first book in the series, Cry From The Grave. For a little teaser, just flip to the next page after my message.

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DEAR READER,

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my novella – a prequel to the Harry Briscombe series. I do hope you enjoyed it and that it’s given you a flavour of what my follow up books will be like. When I wrote the first book in the series, Cry From The Grave, it was never intended to be a series but I had so many lovely comments from readers who had really liked the police team, and Harry in particular, that I decided to give into the requests to feature them in another book.  And so The Jagged Line was born!  That was followed by a stand-alone romantic suspense book (Shadow Watcher), that just needed to be written, and I am now working on my fourth Harry Briscombe novel, which I hope will be published towards the end of this year. I must admit, the more I get to know Harry, the more I love him ... he’s an ordinary sort of guy doing his job ... but with hidden depths that give him great appeal. My books aren’t heavily police procedural – as well as the investigation there is always a personal tragedy going on, to draw us into a life that could so easily be happening to someone we know.

The thing I love most about being an author (apart from the actual writing!) is the lovely emails and FB posts, not to mention reviews that I get from you, the reader. I’ve been genuinely amazed at the feedback I’ve received and can’t thank you all enough. I try to answer every message I receive and keep in touch with many of you on my FB page. I also have a closed group on Facebook for anyone who might be interested in being an advance beta reader for my ‘work in progress’, and if you feel that’s something you might enjoy, then do please come along and join us here: http://bit.ly/2INYpZw.  I post fairly infrequently, although things hot up as launch time approaches – and every bit of feedback I receive is much appreciated.

Of course I’d love to know if you enjoyed this little novella. Do feel free to contact me via Twitter, FB or even dare I say, leave a review  – every author loves getting reviews – they’re immensely helpful in giving readers a flavour of what’s to come.

Thanks again for taking the time to read Behind Closed Doors and I do hope you go on to enjoy the other books I’ve written. In the meantime, please enjoy the extract of Cry From The Grave that follows.

With best wishes,

Carolyn

If you would like to be notified of any new books by Carolyn Mahony in the future, you can sign up to her website at www.carolynmahony.com.

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CRY FROM THE GRAVE

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PROLOGUE

THE BRIGHT SUNLIGHT glistening through the leafy avenue gave promise of a beautiful day, but even though the warmth brushed her skin, Hannah Walker shivered as she walked up the path to her front door. She remembered the first time she’d walked up this path with Ben, full of excitement at the prospect of moving in with him. Was it really only seven months ago? 

She opened the front door and pushed the pram over the threshold, her eyes skimming the pristine, luxuriously furnished flat conversion. It did nothing for her now; but then, why should it? She’d had no input into the décor. Ben had chosen it all. Her glance fell on the telephone sitting on the hall table. One phone call – that was all it would take...

Hardly aware of what she was doing, she started to walk towards it.

‘Is that you, Hannah?’

She stopped in her tracks.

‘Leave her out in the garden, the fresh air will do her good,’ Ben said, coming into the hall and eyeing her steadily. ‘Then you and I can make up before I leave for my appointment.’ 

Was he serious? Hannah lifted her hand unconsciously to where clever makeup hid the bruise on her cheek. She wasn’t about to antagonise him further.

‘It’s okay,’ she said, avoiding his gaze as she parked the pram in the hallway. ‘She’s due a feed soon.’

‘I said put her outside – she’ll be fine in the back. You and I need to talk and I don’t want her interrupting things.’

He was testing her, showing her who was boss, and after their argument earlier she knew better than to aggravate him further. She despised herself as she backed wordlessly out of the flat and did as he said.

You’re a coward, Hannah Walker, why don’t you stand up to him?

She parked the pram beneath the apple tree and leaned in to kiss Sophie on the cheek, breathing in the soft warmth of peachy skin, the familiar sweet baby scent that never failed to soothe her.

‘You have a nice little snooze out here,’ she murmured, smiling at the droopy blue eyes, battling to stay open. ‘Mummy will come and get you very soon.’

She retraced her steps slowly. She didn’t want to make up. He’d gone too far this time.

Inside the flat, Ben was standing by the lounge window staring at Sophie through the glass. He turned as Hannah came in and walked towards her. Without saying a word, he lifted his hand to her cheek and traced the bruise lightly with his thumb. ‘I’m sorry for this, babe,’ he said finally, his expressive blue eyes contrite. ‘I didn’t mean to hurt you, but I’ve got a lot on my plate right now, and you did push me.’

She kept her own face expressionless as she tried to ease out of his hold, but his hands dropped to her shoulders, drawing her resisting body tighter into his arms. ‘Let’s go and make up,’ he whispered, nuzzling her neck. ‘It’s all this lack of sex, it’s getting to me.’

He began to edge her clumsily into the hall. She could feel his arousal and shrank from it. 

‘The doctor said I should give things time to heal,’ she said quickly. ‘I don't feel ready yet.’

‘You’ll be fine. Come on, I'll be careful.’

His grip tightened as he backed her into the bedroom and her panic rose.

‘No, Ben, I don’t want to.’ 

She managed to shove him off, something snapping as she faced him. ‘I can’t just forget what you did, even if you can. There was no excuse for it.’

‘So, what...?’ His expression was ugly. ‘You’re going to punish me now by withholding sex? Is that what this is all about, Hannah? Well, like hell you will ...’

Afterwards, she kept her eyes closed, imagining herself a million miles away. She wouldn’t look at him. Wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing he’d hurt her.

‘You’re about as responsive as a bloody marble statue,’ he grumbled, throwing off the bed sheets and getting up. ‘I’d get more enjoyment from a blow-up doll.’

She didn’t answer.

‘Don’t ignore me, Hannah.’

She opened her eyes. ‘It hurts me,’ she said coldly. ‘You know what the doctor said –’

‘Oh, spare me all that six weeks bullshit. Dave and Laura were back in business after a fortnight. You just don’t want me touching you. Admit it. Well don’t blame me if I do what your father did and start looking around!’

He picked up his clothes and stalked off to the bathroom, leaving Hannah staring bleakly after him. 

After a while, she rose and went into the lounge to check on Sophie through the window. She looked so peaceful and innocent sleeping there in her pram. It soothed Hannah’s heart just looking at her. 

She moved back into the bedroom and sat on the bed, waiting for Ben to finish in the shower. Across the room the mirror on the dresser wasn’t kind to her. She stared hard at her reflection, comparing it to the smiling photo on the wall. She looked a mess. Her blonde hair hung lankly around her shoulders and she had huge dark circles under her eyes. The slim figure she’d always taken for granted, had been replaced by lumps and bumps that still hadn’t diminished since giving birth. No wonder Ben had gone off her. 

But there was more to it than that, she knew. Losing a bit of weight and glamming herself up wasn’t going to make any difference. He was jealous of Sophie, resentful of the way she’d disrupted their life and come between them. It was becoming so obvious. 

When he’d hit her that morning his anger had seemed to burst from nowhere, his hand lashing out before she’d even known what was happening.

‘Don’t defy me, Hannah. It’s about time you realised who’s running the show here – who’s paying for the food on our table. I don’t give a toss that she’s only three weeks old. I need you at this client’s dinner tonight – and my needs come first. Always. Is that clear?’

He’d hit her before but this was the first time he’d done it when he was sober. It was a shocking awakening – stripping away the pathetic excuses she’d previously clung to that he didn’t know what he was doing until she couldn’t deny the unpalatable truth any longer. She, who’d been so condemning of her own mother’s weakness in taking her father back, was no better a judge of character herself. 

Tears filled her eyes and she rubbed at them fiercely. She was so tired; she didn’t have the energy to cope with all this now. 

But you need to cope with it, Hannah. You need to think of Sophie.

She looked up as Ben strode back into the room. 

‘So, I’ll meet you at Green Park tube at seven-thirty,’ he said, reaching for his tie and executing a perfect knot in the mirror.

Hannah’s eyes met his reflection stormily. ‘I don’t know who you expect me to get to baby-sit at such short notice. Your mum’s made it obvious that she’s not interested and I haven’t seen any of my friends in ages. I can’t just randomly phone someone up and expect them to...’

‘I’m not interested in how you do it. Just do it. Phone an agency if you have to.’

He picked up his jacket and eyed her coldly. ‘You’d better be there or I’ll be seriously pissed off, I’m warning you. I’ll see you later.’

And he was gone, swinging away without a backward glance. The kitchen door slammed as he went out into the back garden, and she felt a slight easing of the tension in her stomach. Across the hall and through the lounge window she could see him stopping to bend over the pram. Not a single hair on his gleaming blond head was out of place – his lean face, still tanned from his recent business trip to Cannes, was eye-catchingly perfect. He looked every inch what he was – the suave, up and coming City stockbroker. 

She looked at him in his impeccably cut Armani suit and realised how easily she’d been duped; how cleverly his outward perfection concealed the imperfections that lay beneath. 

‘That’s fantastic Han,’ he’d said when she’d broken down in shock and told him she was pregnant. ‘No more talk about gap-years with your friends after uni now, eh? You’ll be too busy bringing up our child. You’d better move in with me so I can make sure you’re looked after properly.’

But being looked after properly had somehow turned into, ‘where I can control you’, and as his job had got more sociable, so his drinking had increased, until she realised she’d become trapped in a nightmare of her own making. 

But not anymore, she resolved, jumping up from the bed and turning away from the sight of him in the garden. This time he really had gone too far – and it wasn’t just about her any more.

She crossed to the wardrobe, hauled out her jeans and a tee-shirt and headed for the bathroom. Her heart raced at the enormity of what she was about to do. It wouldn’t be easy. She hadn’t seen her mother since her father’s death five months ago and their parting had been bitter. But she’d understand – wouldn’t she?

She hesitated, her glance falling on the phone again. Should she call her mother? Explain?

She rejected the idea. Easier to do it face-to-face. However upset her mother was. She wouldn’t throw her back out on the street.

Ten minutes later she was dressed and headed for the garden. A quick look around confirmed that Ben’s car had gone. Now she’d made up her mind, she just wanted to be gone. She’d feed Sophie, then leave, and by the time Ben got back that evening, there’d be nothing he could do about it.

Slipping the brake off the pram she leaned in. 

‘Come on poppet, time to...’

She broke off, staring blankly at the little dent in the mattress where her daughter should have been. Her heart jolted.

‘Sophie?’

She jerked her head up and looked around. The sunny garden with its flowering spring bulbs looked pretty as a picture but there was no sign of her daughter anywhere. And the peaceful silence felt suddenly hostile.

‘Sophie!’

Panic gripped her. She felt disorientated, remembering with a rush of relief seeing Ben leaning over the pram, before realising in the next breath that he had a meeting in London and would never have taken Sophie with him. 

Where was she? Her mind was muddled. Had she already taken her in?

Think...

But it seemed the more she tried to remember, the more jumbled up her thoughts became.

She started to run back towards the flat. 

No, no – the road.

She changed direction, her feet flying over the short tufts of grass, her breath coming in suffocating gasps as she raced out through the back gate onto the pavement. 

The long, leafy street was deserted.

‘Sophie...’

The scent of baby lotion clawed at her senses, squeezing her heart.

‘Are you all right, Hannah?’

It was her neighbour’s voice, coming from a million miles away.

Hannah spun round. ‘Sophie’s gone. She’s gone.’

‘What do you mean?’ 

But already Hannah was swinging away, choking on the sobs as she raced down the path into the quiet, deserted flat. She knew it was pointless, knew she hadn’t brought her in, but still she checked every room, flinging open each door before rushing back out into the sunshine to check the pram one final time.

And it was only as her blurred vision locked on the little indentation in the mattress – the only proof her daughter had ever been there – that she finally gave vent to the scream lodged in her throat, the shrill sound echoing through the quiet neighbourhood as the full horror of what had happened washed over her.

Someone had taken her baby... 

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