Read Online Murder Ring (A DI Geraldine Steel Mystery) by Leigh Russell - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Leigh Russell
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grumbled. ‘He’s been saying that all afternoon.’
‘Come on,’ Jack urged his brother. ‘Show us how to kick a ball.’
He handed the flat football to Theo and sat down, watching as his brother kicked the ball repeatedly against the wall.
‘That’s great, Theo. You keep it up.’
‘He can do that for hours,’ Rosa said proudly. ‘The doctor said exercise is good for him.’
‘I ought to get him a new football,’ Jack mused. ‘That one’s shit. Of course a new ball’s going to be full of air, and really hard. It’ll make a lot more noise as it hits the wall.’
He looked at Rosa and grinned.
13
T HERE WASN’T MUCH else Geraldine could usefully do that night. Realising how tired she was, she followed Adam’s advice and went home. Once there, she regretted having left her desk. Although she had no appetite she fixed herself some supper, and switched the television on. There was nothing worth watching so she picked up a book and tried to read. But whatever she did, it was impossible not to think about the case. The general mood at the station had been upbeat, most officers seeming to agree with Sam. Even if they hadn’t yet managed to put David’s killer behind bars, at least they now had a suspect. The trouble was, Geraldine wasn’t convinced they were after the right man. She had a number of reservations going round and round in her mind. It was maddening. Eventually she gave up trying to read and jotted down her questions. The next morning she would go into work early and raise them with Adam. With that decision made, she went to bed and fell asleep almost straight away. It had been an exhausting day.
The following morning she requested an early meeting with Adam. He greeted her even more coldly than usual. At pains to present a calm and measured outward appearance at work, she suspected he was mortified by his outburst the previous day. She wanted to assure him that she wouldn’t tell anyone about it, but she wasn’t sure how to approach the subject. In the end she decided not to mention it at all. He would learn for himself that she was discreet. Instead of referring to his conduct, she read him her list of concerns.
‘First of all, Leonard Parker had only just left prison. Where would he have got hold of a gun?’
‘He could have got it anywhere, once he left. Remember he’d been out for over twelve hours when David was shot. It doesn’t take long to source a gun if you know where to look. And criminals talk. They may be scum, but they network, same as everyone else. Probably better than most.’
‘Secondly, what happened to David’s jacket?’
‘Ask Lenny. I thought we agreed the killer could have taken it.’
Geraldine frowned. ‘So the mugger asked him to take off his jacket before shooting him? Really?’
Adam shrugged. ‘Makes sense to me. It’s perfectly feasible. It was an expensive jacket, according to the wife.’
‘Well, finally – and this is really the most important – I’ve looked into Lenny’s background. He’s never been involved in any gun crimes. He robs houses, not people on the street. He’s never mugged anyone.’
‘Not that we know of. Look, Geraldine, we’re not the judge and we’re not the jury. No one’s asking you to convict this man of murder. But we do need to find him, and we need to bring him in, because right now he’s the only suspect we’ve got. So get out there and track him down. We need him brought in yesterday.’
‘I just don’t believe he’s a killer, Adam.’
‘No one is until the first murder.’
Leonard Parker’s mother lived in a poky one-bedroomed flat in Acton. Geraldine and Sam drove there, accompanied by a couple of constables. They set off before the rush hour hoping to avoid the traffic. The earlier they turned up, the more likely they were to surprise their suspect. The armed response team was already in place by the time they arrived.
Lenny’s mother came to the door in a grubby dressing gown,
‘Come on,’ Jack urged his brother. ‘Show us how to kick a ball.’
He handed the flat football to Theo and sat down, watching as his brother kicked the ball repeatedly against the wall.
‘That’s great, Theo. You keep it up.’
‘He can do that for hours,’ Rosa said proudly. ‘The doctor said exercise is good for him.’
‘I ought to get him a new football,’ Jack mused. ‘That one’s shit. Of course a new ball’s going to be full of air, and really hard. It’ll make a lot more noise as it hits the wall.’
He looked at Rosa and grinned.
13
T HERE WASN’T MUCH else Geraldine could usefully do that night. Realising how tired she was, she followed Adam’s advice and went home. Once there, she regretted having left her desk. Although she had no appetite she fixed herself some supper, and switched the television on. There was nothing worth watching so she picked up a book and tried to read. But whatever she did, it was impossible not to think about the case. The general mood at the station had been upbeat, most officers seeming to agree with Sam. Even if they hadn’t yet managed to put David’s killer behind bars, at least they now had a suspect. The trouble was, Geraldine wasn’t convinced they were after the right man. She had a number of reservations going round and round in her mind. It was maddening. Eventually she gave up trying to read and jotted down her questions. The next morning she would go into work early and raise them with Adam. With that decision made, she went to bed and fell asleep almost straight away. It had been an exhausting day.
The following morning she requested an early meeting with Adam. He greeted her even more coldly than usual. At pains to present a calm and measured outward appearance at work, she suspected he was mortified by his outburst the previous day. She wanted to assure him that she wouldn’t tell anyone about it, but she wasn’t sure how to approach the subject. In the end she decided not to mention it at all. He would learn for himself that she was discreet. Instead of referring to his conduct, she read him her list of concerns.
‘First of all, Leonard Parker had only just left prison. Where would he have got hold of a gun?’
‘He could have got it anywhere, once he left. Remember he’d been out for over twelve hours when David was shot. It doesn’t take long to source a gun if you know where to look. And criminals talk. They may be scum, but they network, same as everyone else. Probably better than most.’
‘Secondly, what happened to David’s jacket?’
‘Ask Lenny. I thought we agreed the killer could have taken it.’
Geraldine frowned. ‘So the mugger asked him to take off his jacket before shooting him? Really?’
Adam shrugged. ‘Makes sense to me. It’s perfectly feasible. It was an expensive jacket, according to the wife.’
‘Well, finally – and this is really the most important – I’ve looked into Lenny’s background. He’s never been involved in any gun crimes. He robs houses, not people on the street. He’s never mugged anyone.’
‘Not that we know of. Look, Geraldine, we’re not the judge and we’re not the jury. No one’s asking you to convict this man of murder. But we do need to find him, and we need to bring him in, because right now he’s the only suspect we’ve got. So get out there and track him down. We need him brought in yesterday.’
‘I just don’t believe he’s a killer, Adam.’
‘No one is until the first murder.’
Leonard Parker’s mother lived in a poky one-bedroomed flat in Acton. Geraldine and Sam drove there, accompanied by a couple of constables. They set off before the rush hour hoping to avoid the traffic. The earlier they turned up, the more likely they were to surprise their suspect. The armed response team was already in place by the time they arrived.
Lenny’s mother came to the door in a grubby dressing gown,
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