Devil in the Detail A.J. Cross (read full novel .TXT) 📖

not my place to advise you on that, except that maybe your mother has a view on it.’

She got to her feet. ‘Tell Dr Traynor that I know I have to talk. That you need help to … sort this out.’

They came out of the room, Judd quietly closing the door. Molly’s mother was waiting in the hallway, her voice low.

‘Did she mention the baby at all?’

‘Yes,’ said Watts.

‘She did? That’s the first time. I can’t get her to talk to me. I think she’s trying to protect me and I’m doing the same with her so it’s a bit hopeless between us at the moment.’

‘What about Mr Lawrence’s family?’ Judd asked. ‘Might they help?’

‘They’ve invited us to their house. They’re nice people. There’s a lot of them so it feels a bit full on for us, if you know what I mean, but we’ve said we’ll go. I think it’s better we go there. That way, if Molly finds it too upsetting, we can leave.’

She opened the door and they stepped outside into frigid December air. ‘I asked Molly if she’d like me to phone one or two of her work colleagues and invite them to come here, but she said no. There’s another worry. She’s very reluctant to leave the house.’

Watts drove, picking up muted sounds from the passenger seat. He opened the glove compartment and handed Judd a pack of tissues. ‘You can’t do this, you know.’

‘What?’

‘Let a case get to you.’

‘I was fine till I saw it.’

He gave her a quick glance. ‘Saw what?’

‘A baby buggy. In one of the upstairs rooms. Brand new. Labels still on it. Molly Lawrence is right. It’s senseless.’

Watts understood what she was saying. He understood the emotion. After years in the job, some cases you didn’t forget. The families. The victims. Some well-off. Others poor. Old. Young. Judd had had a rough couple of days, but he wasn’t about to reinforce her feelings.

‘What we provide in situations like this is sympathetic, calm efficiency. It’s what victims and families need and expect. They need to see us as strong, determined. It’s a big ask but it’s not me doing the asking. It’s what the job’s about. Keep focused on your responsibilities as an officer.’

He pulled into headquarters’ car park. ‘Take an hour. Get yourself a coffee.’

He watched her go, the word ‘senseless’ echoing inside his head. He had hoped that by talking to Molly Lawrence he might get a sense of whatever it was that Traynor had said she might be holding back. He hadn’t. Heading for the building, he recalled her asking where the gun had been found. ‘If I had a pound for every unanticipated question asked by traumatized victim-witnesses …’ He shook his head. It was Traynor’s job to establish whether Molly Lawrence really was holding on to information. Right now, with Judd elsewhere, there was something Watts had to do.

He came inside, went directly to reception, eyeing the front counter staff. ‘Candace Jackson.’

She stopped chatting, looked up at him, her smile fading.

‘My office.’

She followed him as he headed to it and opened the door. Her face told him she had at least an idea what this was about. ‘Sit.’

He took a seat on the other side of the table. ‘What happened at the staff Christmas do?’

Her eyes drifted away from his. ‘I don’t know what you mean by what happened—?’

He pointed at her. ‘You know what I’m talking about. You let your mouth rule your head and decided to tell somebody all about one of the officers here. One of mine!’ He took a breath, reminded himself to watch his tone. ‘A complete stranger by the name of “Sean”. Unless he’s somebody you know—’

‘I don’t!’

He stared at her. ‘I can’t decide whether that makes what you did worse, but right now I want to know what he said to you to set the ball rolling.’ He waited. ‘Come on!’

She bowed her head, shrugged. ‘He just came up to me. Offered to buy me a drink. He told me he worked in a BMW showroom and we talked about that.’

‘And?’

‘He asked what I did, and I told him and … he seemed really interested.’ Her head dipped further.

‘So, you filled him in on your colleagues, including Chloe Judd. You know that’s something we don’t do.’

‘Sarge.’

‘So why did you do it?’

She gave him a look. He was taken aback by the sudden anger in it ‘I’ll tell you why. I’m thirty-three, feel like I’m forty, and I can’t go swanning about like I’m on some professional fast-track!’

‘You lost me when you said you’re thirty-three.’

‘I’m talking about Judd! She’s, what, nineteen, twenty? She’s got no ties, she’s trappy, full of herself, been here no time and now she’s part of your investigative team and earning more than I am!’

He absorbed her words. ‘And that’s why you gave a stranger confidential information about her?’

She gave him a defiant look. ‘I work hard at my job here—’

‘Which is what you’re paid to do.’

‘But all I hear is how well she’s doing.’ She pointed at herself. ‘I’d like a career but I’ve got two kids. I’m a single parent on less than half of what she’s earning and that night out was the first I’ve had in eight months! Plus, she’s after Dr Devenish because she knows his family is well off—’

‘It sounds like Judd isn’t the only one who knows that. It’s still none of your business.’ He waited for her to say something. She didn’t. ‘You resent Chloe Judd because she hasn’t got your problems.’

She looked away, tears coursing down her cheeks. ‘It wasn’t something I set out to do. It just … happened.’ She looked up at him. ‘I heard she got robbed. I’m sorry.’

He sighed. ‘You know this is a disciplinary—’

‘No, please.’ She stared at him and whispered, ‘I need this job.’

He stood. ‘I don’t want to hear another word about bad feelings between you and Judd. Now, get back to work.’ She got up, brushing her face with