Buried (DC Jack Warr #1) - Lynda La Plante Page 0,35
He had to go to Burnham-on-Sea to see his Aunt Fran.
Ridley continued, oblivious to Jack’s dilemma. ‘Today, I need you all back on Missing Persons please ‒ expand the search radius from Aylesbury. Jack, my office.’
*
Jack shut Ridley’s office door behind him. This was the only other time Ridley’s door was ever closed ‒ when he was in a private meeting. Ridley stood by his expanse of windows, with his back to Jack.
‘I don’t need to know exactly where you are all the time, Jack, but I do at least need to know what island you’re on.’ Ridley moved behind his desk, stuck his hands deep in his pockets and held Jack’s gaze. ‘I mean, that’s just about respect, isn’t it?’
Jack had no choice. ‘My parents set off on a world cruise yesterday. It’s unlikely Dad will come back.’
‘And you didn’t tell me this, because . . .?’ Jack didn’t answer. ‘I won’t tolerate officers who try to pull the wool over my eyes and don’t take the job seriously. I don’t think you do take this job seriously, Jack, that’s one problem me and you have got.’ His tone softened. ‘How long’s the cruise?’
‘Four months.’
‘That’s no time at all, is it? I’m sorry, Jack, I really am. You OK to be here?’
‘Yes, sir. I want to work. In fact, I’d like to be the one who goes to Taunton and interviews Connie Stephens. If I hadn’t seen Ester face to face yesterday, I’d never have figured out that Connie’s B & B was probably going to be called The Grange. That came out of a bit of chat over a cuppa. I’m getting to know these women one by one and so, I’d like to keep control of all the interviews if that’s OK with you, sir.’
Ridley took no time at all to change his mind completely and agree that Jack could go to Taunton to interview Connie. His focus and commitment was all Ridley ever wanted. And now he felt as though his protégé finally had it.
‘Thank you,’ Jack said. ‘I get the strong feeling, sir, that on this one, we have to go backwards in order to go forwards.’
Even as the words left Jack’s mouth, he wasn’t sure if he was referring to the Rose Cottage case, or to his own search for his birth dad.
CHAPTER 10
On the evening of the diamond raid, Dolly’s only plan had been to make absolutely certain that Harry went down for the crime. She hadn’t even considered where the diamonds might end up – she certainly had no intention of putting herself at risk to steal them. No, this was pure revenge.
But when she learnt of Shirley’s involvement, things started to go horribly wrong. No one Dolly cared about was meant to be at the event, but Shirley, when asked by her new boyfriend to model the jewellery they were intending to steal, had agreed, not knowing that Micky Tesco was one of Harry’s gang.
As soon as Dolly learnt that Shirley was at risk, her plan for revenge vanished in the blink of an eye and was replaced with a desperate need to protect her friend. She knew for a fact that Harry’s gang would be armed.
By the time Dolly arrived at the event, chaos had already taken hold. Police were racing into the building and glamorous people in black ties and ball gowns were flooding out, heels in hand, fear in their eyes. But Shirley was nowhere to be found.
A gunshot echoed from inside the building. Before Dolly knew what she was doing, she found herself running down the back alley and in through the open kitchen door. Dolly had seen many sights she’d rather forget, but none was more harrowing than that of Shirley, dolled up to the nines and as beautiful as ever, lying dead on the kitchen floor in a growing pool of her own blood.
It took Dolly a good ten seconds to realise the horror of what she was seeing. Behind her, Shirley’s low-life boyfriend was frozen to the spot.
As Micky recovered from the shock, he raced forward, pulled the jewels from around Shirley’s neck and disappeared out of the kitchen door. Rage filled Dolly’s heart and she charged after him like a woman possessed.
As Micky ran, he stuffed a dark blue cotton bag into his leather jacket, along with the broken necklace, jumped on his motorbike and raced away. Dolly was right behind him as she launched herself into her car and sped after the motorbike.