The Major and Organised Crime Department office at Stafford Police Station had never felt so claustrophobic. DC Maggie Jamieson tried to catch her breath. She prided herself on being able to remain objective but when something personal happened, her judgements were clouded, and she couldn’t let that happen now.
During a past case – the Raven case – Maggie’s friend and colleague, Dr Kate Moloney, had received sinister gifts and notes. Markston Police Station had taken the items and logged a complaint but with no trace evidence and no direct threats, the matter hadn’t been pursued. Maggie thought Kate should take more care in protecting herself, but Kate wouldn’t listen. So when her boss, DS Nathan Wright, relayed the message, ‘Just had a call come in. Police are already on the scene. Body of a female has been found. Initial description sounds just like your friend, Dr Moloney. I’m so sorry, Maggie …’ his words hit her like a brick to the face.
This can’t be real. He could be wrong. But Maggie knew that Nathan wouldn’t have said it if he didn’t believe the victim could be Kate. Something more must have been said in the conversation. He knew about the stalking and had expressed his own concerns at the time. Nathan also knew that although Dr Moloney had been with the Domestic Abuse and Homicide team for only a little over a year, Maggie had fond feelings for her that went beyond the realm of friendship. He was the only person she’d shared this with.
Time stood still as Maggie processed the words in her head. She stared at her colleague, willing the words to be something different. But she knew they wouldn’t change.
Keep it together, Maggie. She pulled herself into action.
‘Well why are we standing around here? Let’s go! I’ll call Markston on the way.’ Maggie’s head was spinning as she signalled to Nathan to follow. She grabbed her coat from the back of her chair and checked she had her mobile in her pocket. They ran to the pool car and she didn’t bother to argue with him as to who would be driving. Her main concern right now was locating Kate.
As she fumbled with the seatbelt, Maggie took slow, deep breaths. It wouldn’t do anyone any good if she was panicking. She reached into her pocket and, with shaking hands, scrolled through her contacts until she found Markston Police Station Domestic Abuse and Homicide Unit – the DAHU. She pressed connect.
It felt like forever before someone answered.
‘Domestic Abuse and Homicide Unit. PC Kat Everett speaking. How can I help?’
‘Kat, it’s Maggie. Is Kate there?’
There was a pause before Kat returned to the line.
‘Hey. No. She’s not in her office. Do you want me to take a message?’
‘Is she due in today?’
‘Hang on …’
Maggie heard a muffled voice call out,
‘Does anyone know if Kate is due in today? Maggie’s looking for her.’
Seconds passed but it seemed like hours.
‘Sorry, can’t help. No one knows where she is. Has something happened? Your voice sounds strange …’
Although she herself had automatically made the connection, Maggie wasn’t sure how much Kate had told her colleagues about the stalking situation. She didn’t want to upset anyone unnecessarily, so she decided she’d hold back on what had been discovered. It would help her keep her own feelings in check.
‘No. I’m just looking for her. Has she mentioned anything out of the ordinary lately? Actually, don’t worry about that; if she does happen to come in, can you ask her to call me right away?’ Maggie noticed Nathan giving her sideways glances, but he didn’t interrupt.
‘She’s not said anything to me, but I’ll pass on the message. Are you sure there’s—’
Maggie didn’t let Kat finish her sentence and pressed the end call button. She knew Kat could tell something was happening, but there was no time to mess about with causal conversation. Kate was her priority now.
‘Well?’ Nathan remained focused on the road and Maggie was grateful he was so calm as she wasn’t sure she could handle her blood pressure rising any further.
‘She’s not at work and no one there knows where she is. I’m going to try her mobile again.’
Maggie found Kate’s number and waited as the phone rang once.
Twice.
Then three more times before voicemail kicked in. Shit! ‘Hi Kate. It’s Maggie here. Could you do me a favour and call me back as soon as you get this?’
‘We’re nearly there. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves until we see the body, OK? I know how you feel about Kate … beyond your working relationship. Are you sure you’re OK?’ Nathan’s voice was soft and she appreciated his concern, but he seemed to have forgotten that he was the one who’d contributed to her anxiety.
‘I’m fine. You’re the one who has me so riled up. Why did you have to say it looks like Kate?’ Maggie rubbed her temples, and seeing the strain on Nathan’s face she instantly realized he regretted his words.
‘I know. I’m sorry. It’s just that with the stalking incidents, and then the description of the victim, it was out of my mouth before I could stop myself.’
Nathan may not have intended to upset her, but her heart was racing, and her chest felt like it was being held in a vice.
Why didn’t I push the stalking incident with Markston? If something has happened to Kate, I will never forgive myself. Maggie didn’t have a lot of friends and she was fiercely loyal to those she did have.
Nathan veered left sharply as they headed down Queensway Lane towards the village of Hartley. They had been told only the bare minimum: the body had been found in a park, face down, by the playground where the local kids played. Two teenagers had stumbled across it when they’d cut through the park to reach the bus stop. As they approached the area, Maggie could see that the forensic pathologist, Dr Fiona Blake, had also just arrived with her assistant, Charlie. She was putting on protective clothing, and Nathan parked behind her vehicle.
He had barely stopped the car before Maggie jumped out and rushed towards Dr Blake. ‘Hey, Fiona. Have you heard any details on the identification of the body?’
‘Hi Maggie.’ She looked past Maggie and waved to Nathan. ‘No. All I know is that it looks to be a young female, long black hair. Black boots and a long black skirt with a black and white striped top. No personal items were found near the body.’
Maggie tensed. The description could easily be Kate. The clothing had a familiar ring to it.
Dr Blake must have sensed her fear. ‘What’s up, Maggie? Is there something I need to know?’ She handed Maggie and Nathan a suit each and nodded. ‘Get those on you while we chat.’
Maggie took a deep breath as she put on the required forensic suit and waited for Charlie to leave before speaking. ‘Did you know that Dr Moloney is being stalked? The description you’ve just given sounds exactly like an outfit I remember Kate wearing. No one knows where she is at the moment.’
‘Oh. I’m sorry, I know you’ve worked closely with Dr Moloney but you know my motto: no assumptions. Let’s see what we have first. Are you going to be OK?’ She squeezed Maggie’s arm.
‘Yeah, I’ll be fine.’ Maggie hoped her colleagues believed her. The truth was, she felt anything but fine. Her stomach tensed, and she felt like she could throw up at any moment.
‘Shall we get to it then?’ Dr Blake gestured towards the crime-scene cordon that had been set up around the perimeter.
With each step she took, Maggie fought to contain her feelings. As they signed in, Maggie looked over her colleagues’ shoulders and caught a glimpse of the body.
Black combat boots. Exactly like those Kate wore every day. The victim lay face down. The grass was soggy under their feet and a mist hovered over the grass, shrouding the body like a secret waiting to be uncovered. The crime-scene tent was being erected and Maggie couldn’t tear her eyes away.
A scream caught in her throat as she grabbed Nathan’s shoulder to stop herself from falling.