On Cold Ground (Detective Karen Hart) Read online

  DCI Moorland spotted Karen and lifted his pint.

  ‘Can I get you another?’ she asked.

  ‘No, I’m fine,’ Moorland said, getting up from his seat. ‘I thought once everyone’s here, I’d say a few words about Anthony, unless you’d like to?’

  ‘No, I’m happy for you to do it,’ Karen said.

  There would be a funeral and a remembrance service for Anthony. His family would organise that, and Karen would attend, but tonight was a way of paying their respects to one of their own.

  Moorland had worked with DCI Shaw even longer than Karen had, and had known him well.

  ‘What are you having, Karen?’ Leo asked.

  ‘Just an orange juice, thanks.’

  ‘Sit down. I’ll bring it over,’ Arnie said.

  She left them at the bar and sat at DCI Moorland’s table.

  ‘How are you?’ Moorland asked. ‘It’s been a tough year, hasn’t it?’

  ‘It has. I’m doing okay.’

  He gave a what else can you do? shrug.

  Moorland took a sip of his pint, sighed and said, ‘And then this on top of everything else. Are you any closer to catching who did it?’

  ‘It doesn’t feel like it,’ Karen said, ‘but we’ll get there. Whoever killed him won’t get away with it.’

  Sophie and Harinder arrived. Sophie said hello to Karen, then said she was going to the bar to inform Arnie he was dripping beer on his shoes, while Harinder stayed by Karen’s table.

  ‘Here you go,’ he said, handing Karen back her cracked phone in an evidence bag, along with a release form to sign. ‘I could have waited until tomorrow, but I thought if you’re anything like me, you’d feel lost without your mobile.’

  ‘Thanks, Harry,’ she said, scribbling her signature on the form and handing it back.

  Harinder folded the paper in half and stuck it in the back pocket of his trousers. ‘I had to wipe it.’ He spoke quietly.

  ‘Oh, why?’

  ‘I found spyware installed on the phone’s operating system.’

  Karen stared at him. ‘Spyware? Someone’s been spying on me?’

  ‘It’s more common than you think. Though it’s more sophisticated than the programs I’ve come across before. I’ve made a backup copy so I can look into it tomorrow.’

  She looked around the bar, but no one was listening to them. They were all caught up in their own conversations. ‘What information could have been stolen?’

  ‘Actually, it looks like it was installed so someone could listen in to your conversations by activating the phone microphone.’

  ‘Someone was listening to my conversations? For how long? I’ve always got my phone with me. In meetings. During interviews.’

  ‘Looks like it was only installed a week ago. Did you click any suspicious links in text messages or emails?’

  ‘No.’ Karen shook her head and thought back. She usually spotted spam messages easily, although some could be very convincing. Last month, she’d had a text from her mobile company, telling her to update her payment details. She’d ignored the text and checked her account online instead. ‘I’m sure I didn’t click any links. Does that mean someone physically installed the software?’

  ‘Perhaps. We’ll look into it tomorrow. I had to put a report in because it’s a security breach.’

  ‘Of course. The phone has been playing up – freezing at odd times. I didn’t even consider spyware or the possibility I’d been hacked.’ She pressed a hand to her forehead. ‘I should have realised.’

  ‘Don’t be too hard on yourself. The software is designed to hide in plain sight. Come and see me tomorrow afternoon, and we’ll try to work out how it was installed.’

  Karen nodded. That meant a well-meaning lecture on the danger of clicking on links in text messages or emails. She’d been planning to ask Harinder if they’d extracted any more information from the evidence gathered at the scene, but now she was distracted by the idea someone had been spying on her. Was it a simple scam, or something more sinister? Could it be related to the Cleanser case? Corruption? The thought made her chest tighten.

  She tried to put it out of her mind. She would deal with it tomorrow. Tonight was supposed to be a remembrance of DCI Anthony Shaw. Not of the way he died, but the way he lived.

  Harinder went to get drinks at the bar, and Sophie sat beside Karen. They listened to the officers at the next table recalling an incident where Anthony had shoved open a door during a raid only to find a shocked elderly couple in their bed, rather than the drug dealer he’d been expecting.

  It hadn’t been his fault, and Karen was sure the story had been embellished, but she laughed with the others. It felt good to listen to stories of Anthony’s life rather than remember the last time she’d seen him.

  Soon the pub was full of people talking about Anthony, sharing memories.

  Karen had almost finished her drink when DCI Moorland got to his feet.

  ‘Just a few words,’ he said. ‘I’m not one for long speeches.’

  He was jeered. DCI Moorland was known for his incredibly long briefings.

  He laughed with them, then grew serious as the cheeky comments faded and the room fell silent. ‘We’re all here this evening to remember a fine upstanding officer, Anthony Shaw. I was fortunate to be taken under his wing as a young DC, and he promised to teach me all he knew. First things first, how to make a good cup of tea.’

  Everyone laughed.

  ‘Goodness help you if you added too much milk!’ Moorland shook his head. ‘It’s impossible for me to stand here and tell you all the kind and courageous things he did over the course of his career, so I won’t even try. But on behalf of all those he trained, all those he backed and all those he helped – thank you, DCI Shaw.’

  Moorland raised his glass and said, ‘To Anthony, DCI Shaw.’

  Everyone else did the same. There were a few moments of subdued conversation, and then the noise picked up to the same level as before, as people began sharing stories, laughing and joking.

  Ten minutes later, DCI Churchill walked in. Karen thought it might be time to leave. She had to get back for her meeting with DS Grace anyway.

  ‘Ah, Churchill. Good to see you. I didn’t know you knew DCI Shaw,’ Moorland said, standing and offering to buy Churchill a drink.

  ‘I didn’t know him well, but thought I’d come and pay my respects. No, you sit down. I’ll get these,’ he said, patting DCI Moorland on the shoulder. ‘Anyone else need a refill?’

  ‘I wouldn’t say no, boss,’ Arnie said, holding up his half-empty pint glass. Everyone else said they were fine.

  When Churchill turned and walked to the bar, Leo leaned across to Karen. ‘Do you want to leave? I need to get back home anyway. My wife asked me to pick up something for dinner tonight.’

  Karen didn’t need asking twice. ‘Do you mind dropping me at the station?’

  ‘No trouble at all,’ Leo said, grabbing his jacket and then shrugging it on.

  Karen turned to Sophie and winked. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow. Have fun.’ She looked meaningfully at Harinder, and Sophie’s cheeks turned scarlet.

  ‘Don’t you worry, Karen. I’ll keep an eye on them,’ Arnie said, much to Sophie’s horror.

  Sophie’s cheeks burned. Honestly, they were all so embarrassing. What must Harinder think?

  She avoided eye contact and took a gulp of her rosé wine. Arnie was making smooching noises now. They were determined to humiliate her. She glared at Arnie. ‘That won’t be necessary.’

  She glanced at Harinder and smiled, trying to cover her embarrassment.

  Arnie chuckled and drained the rest of his pint before thanking DCI Churchill, who put a fresh one in front of him.

  Sophie sat with her handbag on her lap. She hadn’t taken her coat off either, because she still felt a bit chilly.

  Through the small diamond-latticed window, she could see the snow coming down heavily. That was a bit of a worry. She hoped she’d be able to get a taxi hom
e later.

  She took another sip of wine and wondered whether she should ask Harinder if he wanted to go and see Dr Michaels tonight. He might find the presentation interesting. Then again, he might think she was too keen.

  ‘Everything all right?’ Harinder asked.

  ‘Oh yes,’ Sophie said, reaching for her glass again. ‘Sorry about that,’ she said, nodding at Arnie, who was now grinning at them, raising his drink.

  Harinder laughed. ‘He’s winding you up because you’re reacting to his teasing.’

  ‘I’m not reacting,’ Sophie said. Then she shrugged. ‘It’s like water off a duck’s back to me.’

  She shifted in her seat so Arnie was out of her eyeline. It could be worse. At least Rick wasn’t here to join in. Sophie glanced at the door. Where was Rick, anyway? He and Morgan were supposed to be meeting them at the pub. She guessed their visit to the Picketts’ house must have taken longer than expected.

  Harinder grinned, and tilted his glass to chink it against Sophie’s.

  She decided she would ask him after all. If they left in the next few minutes, they’d get there in time for the start, and she really did want to hear what Dr Michaels had to say.

  She’d just gathered up the courage to ask Harinder if he wanted to go with her when they were interrupted by a young PC. Sophie couldn’t remember his name, but she’d seen him around the station a lot recently, once talking to Karen and once talking to Churchill.

  ‘Sorry to bother you,’ he said. ‘Do you know where Karen is?’

  ‘She’s gone back to the station. She has a meeting.’

  He looked through the window at the snow-covered car park. ‘I didn’t think she’d brought her car.’

  ‘She didn’t. She’s gone with DC Clinton. He had to go home anyway. He promised his wife he’d pick something up for dinner.’

  ‘What?’ Arnie said, suddenly tuning in to the conversation. ‘I think you must have misheard, Sophie.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Leo’s wife left him months ago. She lives abroad now – Spain, I think.’

  ‘Maybe she’s come back,’ Sophie said. ‘Didn’t you hear him?’

  She turned to Harinder, who shrugged. ‘Sorry, I wasn’t really listening.’

  ‘So you’re sure Karen’s gone back to the station?’ the PC asked urgently.

  There was something about his manner, the tension in his expression, that set off alarm bells. Sophie looked at her handbag, imagined the beautiful, crisp white tickets tucked inside the inner pocket, and then looked at Harinder. ‘I’m sorry. I’m going to have to go back to the station too.’

  ‘Oh, okay. I’ll take you,’ Harinder said, putting down his lemonade.

  ‘No, it’s fine. You stay here.’ Sophie studied the young, fair-haired PC. ‘Are you going back now?’

  She remembered his name: PC Ray Watts. He’d been working when they found the first body. She remembered seeing his name on the witness reports.

  Ray licked his lips nervously. ‘Yes, I need to find Karen.’

  ‘Then I’ll come with you.’

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  Leo had just pulled out of the pub car park when Karen dropped her wallet in the footwell. She lifted her bag and shifted her legs to the side, looking for it in the dark space.

  Leo switched on the light between the two sun visors, and as he did so, he dislodged a yellow Post-it note, which fluttered down and landed on Karen’s knee.

  She picked it up, and her whole world shifted on its axis.

  ‘Have you found it?’ Leo said, craning his neck to look for oncoming traffic before pulling on to the main road.

  But Karen couldn’t reply. Her gaze was fixed on the Post-it note.

  ‘Leo,’ Karen said slowly, ‘why do you have Anthony’s address written down?’

  She ran a finger over the writing, feeling the indentations in the surface of the paper.

  Leo glanced at the Post-it. ‘Oh, it came off one of the files, so I stuck it behind the visor, planning to take it back later.’

  But Karen didn’t believe him. She stared down at the word Montagu in the address. DC Leo Clinton wrote his a’s with the arc above the letter. The same way as the person who’d left the Post-it note on her desk.

  ‘I’m closer than you think,’ Karen said.

  ‘What?’ Leo looked in the rear-view mirror and then glanced at Karen. ‘What are you talking about?’

  ‘It’s you, Leo. You left the Post-it on my desk.’

  Leo gripped the steering wheel. She knew. There was no point denying it now.

  He didn’t say anything straightaway, staying silent, eyes on the road as he tried to work out his next move.

  He’d underestimated her. That much was obvious. The note on her desk had been a step too far. He wasn’t ready yet.

  He glanced across and saw realisation dawning on her face. She looked pale, haunted.

  She’d never understand. He wasn’t a monster. The murders had been a job, nothing more. His hand had been forced. If he hadn’t been trapped, forced to commit those crimes . . .

  Could he try and talk her round? Tell her the Post-it had been an ill-considered joke, and he’d regretted it, taken it back? No, he could grovel, lie and twist the facts, but she was on to him now.

  The first act was over. It was time for Sparrow to step out of the shadows.

  He raked a hand through his hair. It might be hopeless, but he had to try.

  ‘Look, Karen. I know it looks bad.’

  ‘You admit you wrote the note and left it on my desk.’

  ‘Yes,’ Leo said. Would she fall for it? He wasn’t ready for it all to end yet. ‘It was a stupid thing to do. I’m sorry. I just thought it would be funny, but now I know it was a really, really horrible thing to do, and I’m very sorry.’

  She turned – her expression serious, her eyes hard – and said, ‘I don’t believe you.’

  ‘What don’t you believe? That I wrote the note? I know it’s out of character. It was nasty. I didn’t mean to hurt you.’

  She shook her head. ‘The person who killed Anthony . . . there’s hardly any evidence at the scenes. All the murders were well planned and immaculately clean. They were carried out in places where there isn’t good CCTV coverage. The killer managed to get in and out of buildings without being seen. They left minimal forensic evidence. They knew how we work. Leo . . .’ She stared at him. ‘Did you kill them?’

  He laughed as he wiped away the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. ‘Me? I don’t even like squashing spiders.’

  But he knew she didn’t believe him. The game was up. He put his foot down on the accelerator, and they sped along Welton Road, past the turning for Nettleham.

  ‘What are you doing, Leo? Where are you going?’

  ‘I think we need time to talk.’

  Outside the pub, Sophie put her hand on Ray Watts’s elbow. ‘What’s going on? Why are you following Karen? Why do you have such an interest in what she’s doing?’

  ‘I don’t know what you mean,’ Ray said. ‘I just wanted to talk to her.’

  ‘About what?’

  ‘About work, something private.’

  ‘Don’t play me for a fool. Something’s going on. I’ve seen you hanging around the station like a bad smell.’

  ‘That’s not very nice.’

  She stared up at him. ‘You’re as subtle as a brick. Now, tell me why you’re so interested in Karen and why you’re looking for her.’

  He said nothing.

  ‘Did you know DCI Shaw?’ Sophie asked, putting her hands on her hips and narrowing her eyes.

  ‘No, not personally.’

  ‘Then what are you doing here?’

  ‘A couple of the people at the station mentioned it. I thought it would be nice to pay my respects. I might not have worked with him, but he was a colleague all the same.’

  ‘You’re up to something, Ray. I’m going to find out what it is.’

  ‘You�
��re overreacting,’ he said. ‘Can we talk about this at the station?’ he asked, hunching his shoulders against the cold wind as the snow swirled around them. ‘It’s freezing out here. Let’s just get in the car, all right?’

  ‘No, it’s not all right. Why are you looking for Karen?’

  ‘I’m worried about her.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘After everything she’s been through, I just want to make sure she’s all right,’ he said.

  ‘Have you got a crush on her?’ Sophie asked.

  His cheeks pinkened. ‘No.’

  His phone rang, and as he pulled it out of his pocket, Sophie got a glimpse at the screen. DS Grace.

  He walked away from her, talking quietly so she couldn’t hear.

  DS Grace was the officer in charge of the corruption enquiry. Was Ray somehow involved in the corruption? She’d seen him talking to Churchill. Was he reporting back? Was Grace somehow tied up in this too?

  The possibility that the officer meant to be looking into the corruption was corrupt herself made Sophie’s head spin.

  She needed to get to Karen and warn her. She wished Morgan or Rick were here, but she could ask Harinder to help. She turned, ready to run back into the pub, when Ray called, ‘Wait!’

  He grabbed Sophie by the arm and hung up.

  She snatched her arm away and glared up at him. ‘What are you caught up in?’

  ‘It’s not what you think.’

  ‘Then tell me.’

  He sighed. ‘I can’t tell you. It’s more than my life’s worth.’

  ‘Then I’m going inside, and I’m going to tell everyone in the bar that you’re up to no good.’

  ‘No, wait, please.’ He put his hands up and then gave an exaggerated sigh. ‘All right, fine. Look, DS Grace asked me to keep an eye on Karen.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Because she’s worried about her.’

  ‘You and DS Grace are in cahoots. You’re part of this corrupt network of officers,’ Sophie said.

  Ray shook his head. ‘No, you’ve got it all wrong. We’re the good guys. We’re trying to protect Karen.’