The day had gone as well as Kelly could have expected. The Garmin watch that she’d helped Josie choose for her dad had been well received, and Johnny was in danger of appearing pretty smart for a local mountain rescue guy. She’d chosen a present last minute for Ted: a vintage brandy. For her mother, she’d bought Estée Lauder make-up and a gift voucher for a spa day at a local hotel.
Everybody commented on her ruby ring, and she almost got away with enjoying a whole day without thinking about work. Until she received a call from Craig telling her about Bobby Bailey, followed by one from the magistrate in Penrith informing her that Luke’s arrest was going ahead today. She sighed and informed her guests that she’d have to go in to work after all. They were all welcome to stay, and she wanted them to. Her house had accommodated them comfortably, and even her mother praised her cooking. Johnny had done most of it, in his new flip-flops.
She looked around and was satisfied that everyone was happy.
Having Ted there had led to a mixture of emotions. On one hand it had been easy because they were old pals, but now the parameters had changed. She thought back to how she’d behaved with her dad – well, John. They’d been tactile. They’d lain on the sofa together, they’d held hands hiking up a hill to see the sun set, and they’d hugged when she graduated. Then she’d gone away. Now she looked at her biological father and couldn’t imagine doing any of those things. He’d kissed her on both cheeks when he’d entered her house. He’d complimented her taste in furnishings and said that her home was just like her: it felt good to be around. She’d thanked him and meant it. Her mother had seemed tired all day, but despite that, she looked happy.
There were no phone calls from Nikki bemoaning the hardships of life, and even Josie seemed contented. She sat in the round easy chair that spun, glued to her phone and smiling to herself. Kelly reckoned that her job was done and she’d earned herself a massive tick in several boxes; she could slip away quite easily and return to them all later. The TV was on, and Wendy and Ted chose something made fifty years ago. Kelly went out to the terrace as Wendy explained to Josie just how much could be learned from watching old movies.
Johnny sat on a lounger and looked up to the sky. ‘It’s definitely thawing,’ he said.
She sat beside him. ‘I shouldn’t be too long,’ she said.
‘I’m sure you will be, but it really doesn’t matter. I’ll tidy up.’
‘Thank God I didn’t have any champagne. I need a clear head for this.’
‘How old is he?’
‘Seventeen. Eighteen next month.’
‘You don’t build the contacts needed for those drugs overnight.’
‘I know. You need cash flow too, which he has in spades, I reckon.’
‘Good luck. I feel as though I might have a kip,’ he added.
‘I’m jealous, enjoy. I’ll see you later. Thank you for my present, I love it.’ She looked at her ring and moved it on her finger. It sparkled in the light. They kissed and she forced herself to pull away and stood up. She threw him a blanket and he pulled it over himself.
The drive to Penrith was quiet as expected, and she mulled over in her head how to approach Luke Miles. He had swagger, and the last time they’d spoken under similar circumstances, his arrogance had astounded her, but underneath, she’d also seen innocence. Her instinct was telling her that there was more to all this. The drug squad would be involved as soon as Boxing Day was out of the way, but for now, they only had twenty-four hours to keep Luke until they had to charge him or let him go, and Mr Miles’ solicitor was on his way. That would do one of two things: make her life easier because he could instruct Luke to come clean; or backfire and go the other way because he could recommend minimum cooperation.
They certainly had him on possession, but they had to prove intent to supply, and that was always the kicker. Possession and supply of Class A drugs carried a maximum of life, and Luke was soon to turn eighteen. His age was surprising, given the apparent sophistication of what he was involved with; something she’d learned from her recent conversation with Emma, who’d been beavering away all day. If they could get him to deliver information on who he knew and how, they might be talking big sentences worth the CPS’s time and money.
Over the last few weeks, Luke Miles had either texted or spoken to two people Kelly was very much interested in. One of them was Jenna Fraser, and the other was Faith Shaw. If he’d been dealing regularly for a long time, she wanted to know where he got the gear from.