Read Online A Deadly Imperfection: Calladine & Bayliss 3 by HH Durrant - Free Book Online
Authors: HH Durrant
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being a right pain about this and she couldn’t understand why. Any normal person would want to know about their past, their real parents, but him….
‘Do I bring Lydia?’
‘Not if you want to talk,’ she shot him a look. ‘It won’t go away you know, it’ll eat away at the back of your mind and end up keeping you awake nights.’
‘What will?’ Imogen looked up. ‘Got a problem, Guv?’
‘Yep, the one over there glaring at me,’ he replied pointing at Ruth. ‘Imogen, contact DI Greco at Oldston nick and tell him what you’ve got on the two missing girls. I’m going home for a bit to think. Don’t ring me unless it’s urgent.’
Chapter 7
‘He wouldn’t talk to me, not a word,’ Lydia Holden slammed her brief case down on the table and folded her arms. ‘He wants to see you, Tom. He’s insisting, and he won’t give me anything until I persuade you to visit too.’
‘I’ve told you before, I’m not going to see that thug in prison, so sorry, I can’t help.’ Calladine was emphatic. The man had tried to kill him, here in this very room, surely she could understand. ‘Besides it wouldn’t do – I’m a cop, remember? When Fallon comes up for trial I’ll have to give evidence – so no, I can’t go visit him, not even for you.’
‘You won’t go, you mean. You’re just being difficult, Tom. I need this story, you know that. You know what it would mean for my career so I can’t see why you’d refusing to help me.’
Calladine sighed – he’d known it was bound to come to this. Lydia’s obsession with his cousin had reached an all time high. She was like a starving dog with a bone. God knows what she expected Fallon to tell her. He was hardly going to incriminate himself in other crimes, was he, and that’s what talking candidly to Lydia would mean.
‘My advice is drop it, drop the story and certainly drop Fallon. You shouldn’t go back - you’ll be called to give evidence too. It was you that brought him here that day.’
‘I did not,’ she protested. ‘He hijacked me and my car, how can you say that to me, Tom?’
‘Because it’s what happened. You deliberately went out that day to find him. You spoke to his wife, stopped her on the street and spun her some yarn about dogs to win her trust. Just like Marilyn that, she was always far too gullible. Fallon will have a crack defence team working for him. He won’t go down without a fight, that and your cosy little visits to Strangeways will be something they’ll use.’
Those full, pink lips pouted at him in that way they had. He hated arguing with her but this was something they just couldn’t agree on.
‘You’re just being stubborn. I don’t think you want me to achieve success, do you? You want me to go back to being a provincial hack so that I can be at your beck and call forever more. Well that’s not going to happen, so get used to it. I’ve had enough,’ she threw at him. ‘And why are you all dressed up – where are you going?’
‘I’m not dressed up, just got my blue suit on, that’s all.’ He was trying to decide between two ties, one a gift from Lydia, the other one his mother had given him. ‘Ruth’s asked me round for something to eat.’
‘Am I not invited?’
‘No – it’s a work thing,’ he lied
‘Well in that case I’m going up to bed and I don’t want company!’ With that she flounced off in the direction of staircase. ‘You’re not even going to try to put things right, are you? Tom Calladine?’ She shouted down to him. ‘You’re an idiot and I’m disappointed in you.’
‘I said I’d be there at seven,’ he said doing his best to ignore her rant. ‘I can’t let her down.’ He heard the bedroom door slam shut, winced and decided on the tie from his mother.
***
‘You’re a difficult man to pin down,’ Rocco told the man sat at a huge desk in a dimly lit
‘Do I bring Lydia?’
‘Not if you want to talk,’ she shot him a look. ‘It won’t go away you know, it’ll eat away at the back of your mind and end up keeping you awake nights.’
‘What will?’ Imogen looked up. ‘Got a problem, Guv?’
‘Yep, the one over there glaring at me,’ he replied pointing at Ruth. ‘Imogen, contact DI Greco at Oldston nick and tell him what you’ve got on the two missing girls. I’m going home for a bit to think. Don’t ring me unless it’s urgent.’
Chapter 7
‘He wouldn’t talk to me, not a word,’ Lydia Holden slammed her brief case down on the table and folded her arms. ‘He wants to see you, Tom. He’s insisting, and he won’t give me anything until I persuade you to visit too.’
‘I’ve told you before, I’m not going to see that thug in prison, so sorry, I can’t help.’ Calladine was emphatic. The man had tried to kill him, here in this very room, surely she could understand. ‘Besides it wouldn’t do – I’m a cop, remember? When Fallon comes up for trial I’ll have to give evidence – so no, I can’t go visit him, not even for you.’
‘You won’t go, you mean. You’re just being difficult, Tom. I need this story, you know that. You know what it would mean for my career so I can’t see why you’d refusing to help me.’
Calladine sighed – he’d known it was bound to come to this. Lydia’s obsession with his cousin had reached an all time high. She was like a starving dog with a bone. God knows what she expected Fallon to tell her. He was hardly going to incriminate himself in other crimes, was he, and that’s what talking candidly to Lydia would mean.
‘My advice is drop it, drop the story and certainly drop Fallon. You shouldn’t go back - you’ll be called to give evidence too. It was you that brought him here that day.’
‘I did not,’ she protested. ‘He hijacked me and my car, how can you say that to me, Tom?’
‘Because it’s what happened. You deliberately went out that day to find him. You spoke to his wife, stopped her on the street and spun her some yarn about dogs to win her trust. Just like Marilyn that, she was always far too gullible. Fallon will have a crack defence team working for him. He won’t go down without a fight, that and your cosy little visits to Strangeways will be something they’ll use.’
Those full, pink lips pouted at him in that way they had. He hated arguing with her but this was something they just couldn’t agree on.
‘You’re just being stubborn. I don’t think you want me to achieve success, do you? You want me to go back to being a provincial hack so that I can be at your beck and call forever more. Well that’s not going to happen, so get used to it. I’ve had enough,’ she threw at him. ‘And why are you all dressed up – where are you going?’
‘I’m not dressed up, just got my blue suit on, that’s all.’ He was trying to decide between two ties, one a gift from Lydia, the other one his mother had given him. ‘Ruth’s asked me round for something to eat.’
‘Am I not invited?’
‘No – it’s a work thing,’ he lied
‘Well in that case I’m going up to bed and I don’t want company!’ With that she flounced off in the direction of staircase. ‘You’re not even going to try to put things right, are you? Tom Calladine?’ She shouted down to him. ‘You’re an idiot and I’m disappointed in you.’
‘I said I’d be there at seven,’ he said doing his best to ignore her rant. ‘I can’t let her down.’ He heard the bedroom door slam shut, winced and decided on the tie from his mother.
***
‘You’re a difficult man to pin down,’ Rocco told the man sat at a huge desk in a dimly lit
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