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Authors: Barry Maitland
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withdrew her complaint and the charges were dropped. I’ll email you the details. You’ve got the later assault and prostitution charges against Rafferty from the PNC, I take it?’
‘Yes. That’s fantastic, Nicole. I’m really grateful.’
‘Make it up to me by coming to Prague, Kathy.’
‘No chance, I’m afraid. It’s already Friday. Next time.’
‘That’s the thing though. There may not be one.’
She hung up and ran a bath, then lay down on her bed, unable to sleep.
When the green digits on her alarm clock reached 5:00 she got up and dressed and took the lift down to the ground floor to get her car.
The forecourt to the accident and emergency entrance was alive, ambulances moving steadily through, the steady pulse of trauma beating through the night. Pip was dressed, standing talking to a nurse at the counter. She gave Kathy an anxious smile.
‘Hi!’ Kathy beamed. ‘How are you?’
‘Fine. Doctor’s just told me I can go. They need the bed.’
‘Great. I’ll give you a lift home. No after-effects then?’
Pip shook her head. ‘It wears off after about eight hours, apparently. Only, I can’t remember much.’
‘Never mind.’
‘Brock was here.’
‘Really? When?’
‘He left half an hour ago. He took a statement. He was very nice about it all.’
They walked together to the front doors. ‘Oh, it’s still dark,’ Pip said. ‘I thought it was morning.’
‘Nearly. What did you tell Brock?’
‘About going into the pub. I stood near Rafferty at the bar, trying to get myself a drink, but it was packed. He was talking to another guy, and I heard him mention Marion’s name.’
‘You’re sure?’
‘Yes. I tried to get closer, and suddenly he turned around and started chatting me up. That’s when I phoned you—I told him I was waiting for a friend.’
They got into Kathy’s car and set off along Uxbridge Road.
‘Go on.’
‘They saw I didn’t have a drink and insisted on buying me one. I know, it was stupid, but what could I do?’
‘He said you spoke to him first.’
‘Yes, that’s what Brock told me, but it wasn’t like that. Rafferty pushed himself into my face, very close. He wouldn’t let me move. The other one too. It was suffocating in there, and deafening. You couldn’t hear yourself think.’
‘What happened then?’
‘I don’t know. That’s all I can remember.’
‘Maybe it’ll come back to you. Do you remember anyone else nearby, anyone who might have seen what happened?’
She shook her head.
When they reached the house that Pip shared, she said, ‘I’ll just get changed and come back with you.’
‘Not today, Pip. You have a long weekend. Take it easy.’
‘I’m not suspended, am I?’
‘Nobody’s suggested that,’ Kathy said.
Not yet
.
Brock was already at the Ealing police station when she arrived. He was reading through a file, a mug of coffee and a bacon sandwich at his elbow. ‘Ah, Kathy. Feel a bit better for a good night’s sleep?’
‘Great. How are we doing?’
‘We start interviewing at 8.30.’ He checked his watch.
‘I’ve got something on their military service.’ She showed him Nicole’s email.
‘Good.’ He read. ‘All part of a pattern, isn’t it?’
‘Any luck with the prints?’
‘Yes, he certainly handled those pills. But that’s all we have. We haven’t found any witnesses, and Pip can’t remember anything useful.’
‘Then there’s me.’
‘Yes, there’s you.’ He patted the report in front of him. ‘I’ve been reading your statement to the duty inspector last night.’
‘And?’
‘You won’t be taking part in the interviews this morning.’
‘But I think—’
He shook his head. ‘Bren’s coming in. He’ll do it with a sergeant from this station.’
There was a rap on the door and a uniformed inspector stepped in. She introduced herself and shook hands, then said, ‘We are honoured this morning.’
For a moment Kathy thought she was making a sarcastic remark
‘Yes. That’s fantastic, Nicole. I’m really grateful.’
‘Make it up to me by coming to Prague, Kathy.’
‘No chance, I’m afraid. It’s already Friday. Next time.’
‘That’s the thing though. There may not be one.’
She hung up and ran a bath, then lay down on her bed, unable to sleep.
When the green digits on her alarm clock reached 5:00 she got up and dressed and took the lift down to the ground floor to get her car.
The forecourt to the accident and emergency entrance was alive, ambulances moving steadily through, the steady pulse of trauma beating through the night. Pip was dressed, standing talking to a nurse at the counter. She gave Kathy an anxious smile.
‘Hi!’ Kathy beamed. ‘How are you?’
‘Fine. Doctor’s just told me I can go. They need the bed.’
‘Great. I’ll give you a lift home. No after-effects then?’
Pip shook her head. ‘It wears off after about eight hours, apparently. Only, I can’t remember much.’
‘Never mind.’
‘Brock was here.’
‘Really? When?’
‘He left half an hour ago. He took a statement. He was very nice about it all.’
They walked together to the front doors. ‘Oh, it’s still dark,’ Pip said. ‘I thought it was morning.’
‘Nearly. What did you tell Brock?’
‘About going into the pub. I stood near Rafferty at the bar, trying to get myself a drink, but it was packed. He was talking to another guy, and I heard him mention Marion’s name.’
‘You’re sure?’
‘Yes. I tried to get closer, and suddenly he turned around and started chatting me up. That’s when I phoned you—I told him I was waiting for a friend.’
They got into Kathy’s car and set off along Uxbridge Road.
‘Go on.’
‘They saw I didn’t have a drink and insisted on buying me one. I know, it was stupid, but what could I do?’
‘He said you spoke to him first.’
‘Yes, that’s what Brock told me, but it wasn’t like that. Rafferty pushed himself into my face, very close. He wouldn’t let me move. The other one too. It was suffocating in there, and deafening. You couldn’t hear yourself think.’
‘What happened then?’
‘I don’t know. That’s all I can remember.’
‘Maybe it’ll come back to you. Do you remember anyone else nearby, anyone who might have seen what happened?’
She shook her head.
When they reached the house that Pip shared, she said, ‘I’ll just get changed and come back with you.’
‘Not today, Pip. You have a long weekend. Take it easy.’
‘I’m not suspended, am I?’
‘Nobody’s suggested that,’ Kathy said.
Not yet
.
Brock was already at the Ealing police station when she arrived. He was reading through a file, a mug of coffee and a bacon sandwich at his elbow. ‘Ah, Kathy. Feel a bit better for a good night’s sleep?’
‘Great. How are we doing?’
‘We start interviewing at 8.30.’ He checked his watch.
‘I’ve got something on their military service.’ She showed him Nicole’s email.
‘Good.’ He read. ‘All part of a pattern, isn’t it?’
‘Any luck with the prints?’
‘Yes, he certainly handled those pills. But that’s all we have. We haven’t found any witnesses, and Pip can’t remember anything useful.’
‘Then there’s me.’
‘Yes, there’s you.’ He patted the report in front of him. ‘I’ve been reading your statement to the duty inspector last night.’
‘And?’
‘You won’t be taking part in the interviews this morning.’
‘But I think—’
He shook his head. ‘Bren’s coming in. He’ll do it with a sergeant from this station.’
There was a rap on the door and a uniformed inspector stepped in. She introduced herself and shook hands, then said, ‘We are honoured this morning.’
For a moment Kathy thought she was making a sarcastic remark
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