breath.
‘Sally?’
She nodded and they headed for the Costa Coffee shop at the entrance. ‘At least we only had to see the minor version of a Post-Mortem,’ he said as Sally downed half her coffee in one gulp and came up coughing because it was too hot.
‘Yes, not the best part of the job,’ she gasped.
‘How did the father cope with identifying the body yesterday?’
Sally sighed. ‘He was awful. Shouting and angry at everybody. But Foxy calmed him down. I think it’s his wonderful Scots accent that does it. He’s like a Glaswegian teddy bear.’ She laughed and then looked thoughtful. ‘It’s Jenna I’m worried about. She doesn’t really exist for her Dad at the moment. Losing a child is always terrible, but he can’t seem to comfort her and she doesn’t have anyone else to support her, as far as I can see. I’ll try to locate a gran or someone. Might even have a go at contacting the estranged mother, though that could be a waste of time after five years.’ She took a more careful sip of coffee. ‘How can a mother leave her kids like that? If Paul and I ever split up, I’d take the kids whatever happened. Poor little Jenna. And poor little Carly.’
Dan shook his head in sympathy. Grief took people in different ways, and it was hard to know what to do for the best when there was an awkward character like Alan Braithwaite to deal with, and no mother or close adult to offer support.
‘At least we have a cause of death and we should have a closer time of death later this afternoon. So, it seems like the girl was in a fight, but somehow her assailant got behind her to strangle her. We need to check out the suspects for any marks or bruising and find out what she was holding that broke in her hand.’
He thought for a minute, stirring the froth on his drink.
‘Will you go and tell the father what the post-mortem has shown so far?’ He had a feeling it would come better from Sally rather than him, and a visit was always better than a phone call.
They spent another few minutes in the coffee bar, and Dan realised that this was the first time he had been able to spend a few quiet minutes with calm, competent Sergeant Ellis. It was hard to get a conversation going other than about work, though. He’d had no idea that she had children, nor that she had a husband called Paul. He knew so little about his colleagues, and he had to admit, that was his own fault. He’d been grieving too, in his own way, so he hadn’t gone for a drink after work, even when they had asked him. He had asked no personal questions of anyone on the team and answered none. In short, he’d been a dick. And the fact that he was able to admit this to himself was the best sign yet that he might be getting over his broken heart.
Dan dropped Sally off back at the station to collect her own car and headed for the main office to catch up with Gould and Knowles. He hoped they’d been able to bring Jed Abrams in as requested and had tracked down Jamie May. He squeezed the Audi in next to a patrol car and sent up a prayer that they didn’t scratch it.
He allowed himself a little wince at the way last night had played out with Chas Lloyd, and the all-too-familiar flush crept up his neck as he thought about her. He trotted up the stairs, burying it to be processed later under “To be dealt with when I stop feeling like a total jerk”. He needed to be clear-headed. Jed Abrams was hiding something and he was going to give it up today.
Chapter 14
Date: Tuesday 25 th April Time: 12:37 Sally Ellis, the Braithwaite home
Sally rang home as she walked towards her car, wedged into too small a space in the corner of the staff car park. It was her punishment for getting to work late. Her mother answered the phone and told her that the twins were in fine form destroying the Lego castle she had been building with them, and that she would stay with them until Paul got home from work. Sally laughed, Her family were what kept her sane. She
‘Sally?’
She nodded and they headed for the Costa Coffee shop at the entrance. ‘At least we only had to see the minor version of a Post-Mortem,’ he said as Sally downed half her coffee in one gulp and came up coughing because it was too hot.
‘Yes, not the best part of the job,’ she gasped.
‘How did the father cope with identifying the body yesterday?’
Sally sighed. ‘He was awful. Shouting and angry at everybody. But Foxy calmed him down. I think it’s his wonderful Scots accent that does it. He’s like a Glaswegian teddy bear.’ She laughed and then looked thoughtful. ‘It’s Jenna I’m worried about. She doesn’t really exist for her Dad at the moment. Losing a child is always terrible, but he can’t seem to comfort her and she doesn’t have anyone else to support her, as far as I can see. I’ll try to locate a gran or someone. Might even have a go at contacting the estranged mother, though that could be a waste of time after five years.’ She took a more careful sip of coffee. ‘How can a mother leave her kids like that? If Paul and I ever split up, I’d take the kids whatever happened. Poor little Jenna. And poor little Carly.’
Dan shook his head in sympathy. Grief took people in different ways, and it was hard to know what to do for the best when there was an awkward character like Alan Braithwaite to deal with, and no mother or close adult to offer support.
‘At least we have a cause of death and we should have a closer time of death later this afternoon. So, it seems like the girl was in a fight, but somehow her assailant got behind her to strangle her. We need to check out the suspects for any marks or bruising and find out what she was holding that broke in her hand.’
He thought for a minute, stirring the froth on his drink.
‘Will you go and tell the father what the post-mortem has shown so far?’ He had a feeling it would come better from Sally rather than him, and a visit was always better than a phone call.
They spent another few minutes in the coffee bar, and Dan realised that this was the first time he had been able to spend a few quiet minutes with calm, competent Sergeant Ellis. It was hard to get a conversation going other than about work, though. He’d had no idea that she had children, nor that she had a husband called Paul. He knew so little about his colleagues, and he had to admit, that was his own fault. He’d been grieving too, in his own way, so he hadn’t gone for a drink after work, even when they had asked him. He had asked no personal questions of anyone on the team and answered none. In short, he’d been a dick. And the fact that he was able to admit this to himself was the best sign yet that he might be getting over his broken heart.
Dan dropped Sally off back at the station to collect her own car and headed for the main office to catch up with Gould and Knowles. He hoped they’d been able to bring Jed Abrams in as requested and had tracked down Jamie May. He squeezed the Audi in next to a patrol car and sent up a prayer that they didn’t scratch it.
He allowed himself a little wince at the way last night had played out with Chas Lloyd, and the all-too-familiar flush crept up his neck as he thought about her. He trotted up the stairs, burying it to be processed later under “To be dealt with when I stop feeling like a total jerk”. He needed to be clear-headed. Jed Abrams was hiding something and he was going to give it up today.
Chapter 14
Date: Tuesday 25 th April Time: 12:37 Sally Ellis, the Braithwaite home
Sally rang home as she walked towards her car, wedged into too small a space in the corner of the staff car park. It was her punishment for getting to work late. Her mother answered the phone and told her that the twins were in fine form destroying the Lego castle she had been building with them, and that she would stay with them until Paul got home from work. Sally laughed, Her family were what kept her sane. She
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