“Good work, Stephen. Are you heading back to the station now?”
“Yep, unless you want us to do anything else?”
“Nope. We shouldn’t be long here. See you later.”
Lorne disconnected the call and opened the lounge door. Sean glanced her way. “Can I see you for a second, sir?”
Sean joined her in the hallway and leaned in close to whisper, “So much for not giving too much away. What the fuck was that all about in there, Lorne?”
“Forget about that for a second. That was Stephen with some very interesting news about the parents’ house.”
“Okay, you’ve got my attention. This better be good, Lorne.”
Lorne pulled a face at him. “It is. They have a cellar.”
Sean’s eyes protruded. “What? Were you aware of that?”
Lorne growled. “Of course I wasn’t bloody aware of it. But it makes sense, doesn’t it?”
“Shit. I hope your cock-up doesn’t land us in a pile of shit, Sergeant. You should never have divulged what you have to Denis and his girlfriend. Never.” He chastised her, neglecting to refer to her proper title, the one he’d forced her to take.
“Don’t you see, Sean? He’s different from them. Look at the career path he’s chosen to take.”
“What? Are you insane, woman? What the effing hell does that have to do with anything?” He pointed at her. “Are you forgetting that the parents are foster parents? The same could be said about them for goodness’s sake.”
Lorne shook her head. “All right then. Let’s see what your powers of observation are like. Spot the difference between the two homes?”
“Doh! One’s a three-storey house, as we’ve just discovered, and this is a bloody flat.”
“That’s good, for starters. Now really give the question some consideration.” Lorne tapped her foot and crossed her arms impatiently as her anger heated her cheeks.
Sean’s mouth turned down at the sides, and he shook his head in resignation. “Nope, nothing is springing to mind. What are you getting at?”
“The tidiness of the two properties. Anyone would think that Denis and Sam were the foster parents,
not
the other way round. Don’t tell me you didn’t spot that the minute we arrived?”
“Can’t say I did. How strange. I wonder how often the kids stay here? You said even their bedrooms at the Platts’ home were immaculate, right?”
“Yep. There’s more to this than is currently apparent. The question is how do we proceed now?”
“Ask them outright? How often the kids stay here? Why they stay here? Denis also said that his parents hadn’t done any renovations to their property lately, either. What’s that all about? If the neighbour knows, how is it that Denis doesn’t?”
“Which is why I think we can trust him.”
Sean sucked in a breath and pulled a face.
“Don’t look like that, Sean. You said yourself, it seems strange how he doesn’t know work has gone on at the house.”
“What if he’s lying? Being purposefully evasive? I wouldn’t show all your cards just yet, Lorne. Not until we have that warrant in hand
and
had a chance to investigate the house exhaustively.”
“So, what are you suggesting? That we terminate this meeting now?”
“Why not? He’s in a rush to get to work anyway. My advice would be just to change direction and only ask about the kids, then leave.”
Lorne chewed her bottom lip. “I don’t like it, but I do understand where you’re coming from. Maybe I am guilty of letting him know too much—I hope not. He has a kind face, unlike his parents.”
Sean snorted. “Oh, that makes perfect sense then.”
“Piss off, Sean… I mean, sir.”
Sean turned her around and nudged her in the back, pushing her gently into the lounge. “Sorry, something urgent has come up concerning another case. We have to leave unfortunately,” Lorne said, smiling at the young couple.
“I have to finish getting ready for work anyway,” Denis replied. He smiled and stood up.
“One last question, if I may?” Lorne asked.
“Sure.”
“How often do your siblings stay here with you?”
“It varies. Anything from a couple of times a week to once a month. I’m happy to have them here, Inspector.”
“Thank you. I’m glad they have you to look out for them. Would you mind keeping this conversation private, for the time being at least? Just until our investigations have run their course.”
“Okay, providing you’ll keep us informed of your findings. If my parents are guilty of something, I’d like to know about it from you. I’ve been fair with you. Can I ask you be as fair with me in return?”
Lorne held out her hand and shook Denis’s firmly as an unspoken message crossed the divide between them. “You have my word. Thank you for your time. We’ll be in touch soon.”
Sam showed Lorne and Sean back down the stairs. Before they got back in the car, Lorne looked up at the window of the flat and saw a pensive Denis staring at her. Lorne waved and jumped in the passenger seat.
“He holds a very dark secret close to his heart, that one,” Lorne stated quietly.
“You think?”
“I know. Look at his reaction when I said about his parents’ car being involved in a suspected crime. It was far from natural.”
Chapter Twelve
To keep her mind off the fact that the Magistrate was taking an eternity to issue the warrant, Lorne threw herself into the paperwork strewn across Katy’s desk. She had given the team clear instructions that the second they received the call from the court, they should interrupt her immediately.
Just after lunch, Lorne’s mobile rang. It was Tony. “Hi, sweetheart. This is a surprise.”
“Not a pleasant one, either, when you hear what I have to say.”
Lorne sat back in her chair and stared out the window at the cloudless blue sky overhead. “I’m listening.”
“I might be a little late tonight.”
“That’s okay. You don’t usually ring me with that kind of news. Why this time?”
“Joe and I have decided to hire some frog suits and search the river.”
Lorne bounced upright in her chair. “Are you
crazy
?”
Tony laughed. “I don’t think so. We’re not going into this blind, love. We’re trained in this type of exercise. Admittedly, it was a few years ago, but nevertheless, we’re assuming it will be like riding a bike. Anyway, we’ve hired all the equipment now. Trust me—I know what I’m doing.”
Lorne bit down hard on the retort threatening to tumble out of her mouth.
Yes, you might have dived before, but that was when you were able-bodied. You’re forgetting about your prosthetic leg!
“Don’t go all quiet on me, Lorne. I know what you’re thinking. I’ll be fine. Joe will be with me every step of the way. If I didn’t feel up to tackling the mission, I wouldn’t do it. Trust me, all right?” he asked for a second time.
Lorne covered the phone with her hand and exhaled a large breath, then she said, “All right. I’ll
trust
you. Only if you promise to ring me after you finish the manoeuvre.”
“I promise. Ring you later.” He blew her a kiss that melted her heart.
“Take care. Love you.” She hung up and again glanced out the window, thankful that it was a calm, warm day for Tony’s exploits.
Sean Roberts walked into the office. “You look pensive. Anything you want to share?” He sat down in the chair opposite.
“Tony called to say he’s undertaking a dangerous exercise today. I could throttle that man sometimes,” she replied light-heartedly.
“He’s a tough guy, Lorne. I’m sure he wouldn’t put himself in any unnecessary danger. He knows you’d kill him.”
“Ha, bloody, ha. Did you need something?”
“Not really. Just sitting around, twiddling my thumbs in my office. Thought I’d come over here and bug the hell out of you instead.”
“You’re all heart. I tell you what you can do.” She grinned broadly.
“Uh-oh, not sure I’m going to like this. What mundane task do you want me to do?”
“You could use your influence and chase up the warrant for me. If I place the call, it usually ends up at the bottom of the pile.”
He glared at her through narrowed eyes. “Is that all I’m useful for?”
She winked at him. “No. I hear you’re also good at treating Acting DIs to a well-earned cup of coffee now and then, too. Milk with one sugar. Thanks.”
He pushed out of the chair and mumbled something incoherent under his breath. He left the office and returned with a vending-machine coffee for her. “I’ll see what I can do with regard to the other order you issued.”
“It was merely a request,” she reminded him, fluttering her eyelashes.
Sean reappeared around ten minutes later just as Lorne was signing off on yet another head office change of procedure. She put the form in the in-tray for Katy’s attention upon her return. “Well?” she asked, more out of hope than expectation.
“Grab your jacket. We have instructions to pick the warrant up in fifteen minutes.”
“Wow! Really? How did you manage that? No, wait, I’d rather not know if it involves you dishing out sexual favours.”
Sean tried to look annoyed at her remark but ended up cracking into a toothy smile instead. “Cheeky mare. It’s done. There’s no need for you to know the ins and outs.”
“That’s great. I really appreciate your astonishing powers of persuasion, Sean. Let’s rally the troops then. I want to go in there heavy-handed. We’ll take Stephen and Graham with us. Can you let them know? I’ll ring Patti and get her to meet us at the address with her team.”
Sean left the office, and Lorne reached for the phone. “Patti, it’s me. We’ve got the go-ahead. Can you join us at this address?” She reeled off the Platts’ address.
“As it happens, I’m between PMs right now. Are you heading over there now?”
“We are. I’ll see you there. Thanks, Patti.”
When Lorne and Sean arrived at the property, Patti’s van pulled up at virtually the same time. Stephen and Graham joined them a few seconds later.
Lorne turned her back on the house. “Okay, I’ve already spotted Mrs. Platt at the window. She’ll realise something is up with us arriving in a convoy. Be ready for it to kick off. Let’s go.”
Lorne approached the house with the rest of the team a few steps behind her. Then she thumped her fist on the front door. When the door remained unanswered, Lorne opened the letterbox and called out, “We know you’re in there, Mrs. Platt. I saw you.” She stood up again. After she received no reply, Lorne instructed Stephen and Graham to go round the rear of the property.
Lorne watched her two colleagues jog up a nearby alley, then she strained her ear against the front door. Eventually, she heard both male and female voices shouting, and what sounded like the back door being broken down. “I think they’re in. Shall we break the front door down, too?” she asked Sean.
Without replying, he gently pushed Lorne aside and shoulder-barged the door, only to rebound off it and cry out in pain. “Ouch!”
“Get out of the way, Sean,” she told him, trying to keep the amusement out of her tone. The bottom half of the door was made up of two separate panels. Lorne recognised those as the weakest points of the door. She turned to face Patti and her team, spread her arms out either side to hold onto the brick façade surrounding the entrance, and kicked her heel at the door. It took several attempts to splinter the wood. Sean took over then; he knelt and squeezed his hand through the door, hoping to find the lock low enough on the inside. He failed, but Stephen opened the door not long after to let them in. They rushed through the house to find Mrs. Platt sitting at the kitchen table, her head buried in her hands.
“The husband? Is he around?” Lorne asked Graham, standing behind the woman.
Graham shook his head. “Haven’t seen him, boss.”
“Mrs. Platt, where’s your husband?”
She raised her head and glared at Lorne through narrowed, cold eyes for a few seconds before she spat on the floor, missing Lorne’s feet by inches.
Hmm… and there was me thinking you were a house-proud bitch!
“I’ll ask you one final time.
Where
is your husband?”
“Out,” the woman bit back venomously.
Lorne observed her long and hard—she was lying. Lorne turned and whispered in Sean’s ear. “She’s lying. We need to find the entrance to the cellar and quickly, before he destroys any evidence.”
“Okay, leave her to me. Where do you think the entrance is?”
Lorne sucked the inside of her mouth. “No idea.” She turned to look at the suspect and watched her eyes intently for a while. Every now and then, they wandered off to the right, towards the back door. Lorne walked over to the sink and threw back the carpet runner to reveal a trap door. “Here! Sean, Stephen, come with me. Graham, watch her like a hawk. Tie her to the chair if she gives you any problems.”
Lorne eased open the door and peered down the hole.
“Run, Courtney, run,” Mrs. Platt warned her husband.
Lorne felt like swiping the smug look off the woman’s face. “You’ll regret doing that, Mrs. Platt,” she said, then descended the stairs, pepper spray in hand, after the other suspect. Sean and Stephen clomped down the stairs in hot pursuit after her. When they reached the bottom, it was evident all the renovation work had taken place down there. Mr. Platt was nowhere to be seen, though. Lorne touched her lips with her finger, telling the two men to be quiet, while they listened for any form of noise giving away the man’s hiding place.
A slight noise at the rear of the room caught her attention. She tiptoed towards the area, her finger on the top of the spray. Sean and Stephen moved with her. Lorne pointed at a small door as they rounded the corner. Her two colleagues nodded. Lorne reached for the ancient brass doorknob and slowly turned it. She was surprised it moved. Suddenly, the door flew open, and Mr. Platt ran at them, a metal bar raised above his head. He was screaming, his eyes blazing like an inferno, his mouth twisted into an angry snarl.
“Fuck off, the lot of you,” he shouted, swinging the bar in front of him.
Stephen and Sean separated and jumped on the man. Stephen wrestled with his arm, trying to disarm him. Once they’d grappled Platt to the ground, Lorne jumped up and down on his forearm until he relinquished his grip on his weapon. She removed the cuffs from her pocket and slapped one on his flailing wrist. Sean and Stephen gripped his other arm and pulled it down to meet his other one. Lorne encircled his wrist in the other cuff, and they all let out a sigh of relief. The man cursed continually until they forced him up the stairs. Mrs. Platt left her chair and ran to her husband, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing his cheek over and over again. Lorne felt sickened by the display of affection. The only saving grace she could see was that Mr. Platt instantly calmed down when he was in his wife’s arms. She would never understand the meaning of such a volatile love.
Patti stepped forward and squeezed Lorne’s arm. “You done good, girl. Is it all right if we start our examination now?”
Eyeing the couple, watching their response, Lorne nodded. “Why not? The sooner we get on with things, the quicker we can throw these two behind bars.”
“For what? Having a cellar?” Mr. Platt let out the worst demented laugh Lorne had ever heard a suspect let loose.
“We’ll see, shall we? Get her away from him,” Lorne said, ordering Graham and Stephen to separate the suspects. Just then, another person entered the kitchen from the hallway. Lorne was surprised to see who the visitor was. “Denis? What are you doing here?”
“Do you know her? How do you know her?” his mother demanded.
Denis’s gaze remained on Lorne; the young man seemed confused. “She called me. Said I had to come over here and help them. I had no idea what she was talking about. Are you arresting them?”
“Yes, Denis. Do you want to talk in the front room?”
He nodded, and Lorne motioned for him to go ahead of her. She closed the door behind them and pointed at the sofa. When they were seated, Lorne noted how much Denis’s hands were shaking. He tried hard to disguise the trembling, but Lorne spotted it easily. “Are you all right, Denis?”
“I’m confused. I have been for years.”
“Confused about what, Denis?”
He inhaled a shuddering breath and turned to face her. Tears glistened in his eyes, threatening to spill onto his cheek. Lorne placed her hand on top of his. “I know you’re not part of this Denis, if that is what’s worrying you. I can recognise an innocent man when I see one.”
“Thank you. Be careful of them. They’re manipulative. My whole life has been one of manipulation. The minute I think I’ve found peace, this happens. Lorne, I have one favour to ask of you.”
“What’s that, Denis?”
“Please, please let Sam and I look after the children. Please don’t let them go back into care. They trust us. They haven’t opened up to us yet, but I think it will only be a matter of time. They need us, need a loving home, someone they can trust not to…”
“Not to what, Denis?”
“I’ve said too much. Please give me your assurance that you’ll do everything you can to let me take the kids home?”
“I have no jurisdiction over what social services do, Denis. By all means, I can have a word on your behalf. But seriously, do you think you’re up to looking after the children?”
“Yes, I’m up to the job. They spend most of their time with us anyway.”
Lorne rose from the sofa, aware she needed to get the Platts back to the station and interviewed. That had to be her number one priority. “Look, let me sort things out with your parents first, then I’ll give the lady at social services a ring. All I can say is I’ll do my very best for you.” She handed him one of her business cards. “I’ll give you a call later. Denis, ring me if you need to talk to anyone, okay?”
“Thank you. What charges are you arresting them on?” he asked quietly, his eyes cast down to the floor.
“Murder.”
His head snapped up, and his gaze met Lorne’s. “Murder? Both of them?”
“Unless one of them tells us the other person wasn’t involved, yes.”
“Murder,” Denis mumbled quietly again and shook his head.
“I have to get on now, Denis.”
He shook hands with Lorne then walked with her out of the lounge, but instead of following her into the kitchen to where his parents were, Denis left the house by the front door.