Lorne smiled and vigorously nodded her agreement. “Hear, hear.” She clapped. “I couldn’t have said it better myself.”
At five o’clock that evening, Lorne shooed the team home. Some of them, notably AJ, showed their disdain for being ordered to go home, while others looked relieved to call it a day after their thirty-two-hour shift. She pulled into the drive and got out of the car. Leaning against the closed door, she shut her eyes and raised her face to the warm evening sun, letting the slight breeze tickle her skin.
“Hey, you.” Hearing Tony’s voice came as a welcome relief. He kissed her. “You haven’t got time to take in the sun’s rays.”
“Haven’t I? Why?”
“I want my dinner.”
Lorne shook her head. “Charming! After the long shift I’ve just embarked upon, you’re expecting me to come home and cook!”
He shrugged. “Unless you fancy burnt offerings again for dinner?”
“Where’s Charlie?”
“Packing. She’ll be leaving in a little while for her weekend away.”
“Damn, is it Friday already?”
“Yes, Lorne. Come on. I have some news for you.”
Lorne hesitated before walking towards the house. “Is this good or bad news?”
“Both. I’ll tell you over a coffee.”
Charlie was sitting at the kitchen table, stroking Sheba when they entered the back door. “Hi, Mum, I hope it was worth it.”
“The long shift? Definitely. Are you ready for the off?” Lorne noticed the overnight bag at her daughter’s feet.
“Yep, just having a final cuddle with Sheba. I wish she was coming with me. You will look after her over the weekend, won’t you? You won’t be spending
all
your time in bed, I hope?”
Lorne laughed. “Not at our age, love. She’ll be fine with us.”
“I’m going to take off now and leave you to it then. Have fun, kiddos.” Charlie hugged Lorne then Tony. She pulled away and wagged her finger. “Nine months down the line, I don’t want to be hearing the patter of tiny feet around the place. You hear me?”
“You cheeky mare, I should be saying that to you, not the other way around. Anyway, I couldn’t take the stress of having another child as demanding as you running around the place.”
“Who’s the cheeky one? Hmm… we’ll see. Love you,” she called over her shoulder and ran out the back door, leaving a forlorn-looking Sheba staring after her.
Lorne sat in the chair Charlie had just vacated and proceeded to pet Sheba while Tony made a coffee.
When Tony joined her at the table, Lorne said, “Okay, I want the good news first.”
He looked down at his mug. “We solved the case.”
“That’s brilliant news. Today?”
“No, yesterday.”
Lorne frowned. “Why didn’t you tell me when I rang last night?”
“Be fair. I didn’t really get the chance to.”
“I’m sorry, love. I feel guilty now.”
He placed his hand on top of hers. “There’s no need.”
“Okay, what’s the bad news?”
“He’s dead. We fished Alec Edmonds out of the river.”
Lorne gasped. “Oh no. That’s terrible. Was it foul play, do you suspect?”
“We don’t think so. Looks like he lost his footing and fell into the river. He was intoxicated, remember. Of course, we’re waiting on the pathologist’s report to verify that. Poor bloke.”
“I bet his fiancée was distraught, wasn’t she?”
“I ended up calling for a doctor to sedate her.”
“I’d be the same if I ever I lost you, Tony.”
He leaned over and kissed her. “Do you want to show me how much I mean to you upstairs?”
Lorne hesitated, her stomach growling through hunger. “Crap, can we eat first?”
“It’s all in hand. Come with me, young lady.” He locked the back door and grabbed her hand as he passed, pulling her upstairs behind him. He pushed open the bedroom door. The bed was covered in pink and red rose petals, and on top of the quilt was a tray filled with oysters, strawberries, and champagne.
I guess I won’t be going hungry after all.
Chapter Nineteen
After spending a restful, romantic weekend with Tony, Lorne ventured into work on Monday morning on a high.
AJ was at his desk, as usual, when she walked into the incident room.
“How’s things? Have you heard from Katy?”
“Did I hear my name mentioned?”
Lorne turned to face her partner and crossed the floor to hug her. “You’re back. That’s stating the obvious, I know. I take it your dad’s all right now?”
Katy smiled. “He is. Not fully out of the woods yet. The hospital said he needs a heart operation to unblock a few valves. They’re keeping him stable, and he’s improving daily, so Mum insisted I should come back to work.”
“That’s great news.”
Katy ran a hand over her face. Lorne grabbed it and pulled it towards her. “What’s this?” She stared at the glistening diamond sitting on Katy’s ring finger.
“Doh! What does it look like, numpty?”
AJ left his desk and joined them. He threw an arm around Katy’s waist. “I asked Katy to marry me before she went to Manchester. She was mulling it over when she got the call from her mum.”
Lorne placed a hand over her chest. “So that’s what was on your mind. Jesus, I had a horrible feeling for a minute there that you were pregnant.”
Katy and AJ quickly glanced at each other and started to laugh. “We are!” they said in unison.
“What?” Lorne fell into a nearby chair and stared at them both, her mouth hanging open.
“You don’t look overjoyed by the news, Lorne,” Katy said, looking concerned.
“But… but what about your job?”
Katy raised an eyebrow. “You coped all right raising a child and being an inspector at the same time.”
“Urm… hardly! I hate to dash your dreams, but actually, I didn’t. Tom raised Charlie. He was a stay-at-home dad, if you remember.”
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. We have a few months yet before we are forced to make any drastic decisions on that front.”
“Whatever Katy decides to do is okay with me,” AJ added, supporting his fiancée.
“I’ll add my support if you need it, too. You know that,” Lorne added, not sure if she actually meant the sentiment or not.
The rest of the team arrived, drawing a halt to their conversation. Karen called Lorne over to her desk not long after their shift began. “Here you go. I think you’ve been waiting for this.”
Lorne looked down at the scrap of paper on which Karen had scribbled a name and address. “Thanks, Karen. You’re a star.” She walked into Katy’s office and stood in the doorway, shuffling her feet.
“Go on, out with it,” her partner said.
“Do you mind if I pop out for an hour or so? It’s to do with the case, I promise.”
“Okay, I’ll be tied up with this shit for a while anyway. One thing before you go—the remand centre where Mrs. Platt is residing at present just rang me.”
Lorne flopped into the chair. “And? Has she tried to top herself?”
“Nothing like that. She requested to speak to a psychiatrist over the weekend.”
“Surprise, surprise. I had a feeling she’d try and pull that one.”
“Hear me out, Lorne. The woman made a full confession about all the murders, the tradesmen and the kids.”
“Never! Really? Can we get her to repeat that in a statement? You know we can’t use anything she says to a doc, don’t you?”
“I’m aware of that. Now, shut up and listen. First, she said the electrician, plumber, and the plasterer were all killed because they discovered the skeleton in the cupboard, plus they all pissed her off by talking constantly to her about their wonderfully happy families.”
“Jesus! What a twisted sick bitch. What about the kids whose remains are yet to be identified? Is she willing to give us their names? That will save us months of trying to identify them.”
Katy nodded. “They’re going to work on her about that. She did offer us one of the identities, though—that of the skeleton in the cupboard.”
“Who does it belong to?”
“Denis’s sister. Or the person he grew up thinking was his sister, Jill.”
“No! That’s going to come as a bloody shock to him. He thought she’d packed her bags and left for greener pastures.”
“Here’s the clincher. When the psychiatrist asked her why they killed all the kids, her reply was it was all Denis’s fault.”
“What? Why? Christ, this just keeps getting better. Go on, surprise me.”
“They blamed him because he refused to
die
.”
Lorne sat back in her chair and covered her mouth with a hand. Tears sprang to her eyes. Dropping her hand, she whispered, “They’re insane. There is no other word for their state of mind, is there?”
“Yeah, I was thinking along the same lines. Let’s just hope they don’t try and pull that card when they go to trial. Are you all right?”
“I will be. Can I shoot off now?”
“Go. Drive carefully.”
Lorne pulled up outside the small terraced house and knocked on the door. The woman in her early fifties had a worn, kind-looking face. She seemed anxious to meet Lorne, but after Lorne assured her everything would be okay, the woman finally agreed to accompany her to Denis’s house.
Sam opened the door to Lorne and raised a questioning eyebrow. “Hi, Sam. Is Denis up to receiving visitors?”
“I’m not sure. He’s still devastated by what he found in the loft the other day. We’ve had a horrendous weekend. He’s wracked with guilt, Lorne.”
She patted Sam on the forearm and winked. “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think this visit would help him recover.”
“Is she some kind of therapist?” Sam asked, looking at the woman standing apprehensively alongside Lorne.
“In a way.” She winked again and added, “Trust me. Have I let you down before?”
“No, you haven’t. Okay, come upstairs.”
With each step they took, Lorne’s heart beat faster. Finally, they entered the lounge.
Denis was sitting on the sofa, flipping through an old photo album. He looked up and tilted his head, seeming surprised to see Lorne standing there.
He rose from his seat and shook her hand. “Hello, Lorne. What are you doing here?”
“Hello, love. I think you better sit down again.”
He did as she suggested. Lorne linked arms with the woman and steered her gently across the room. “Denis, I’d like you to meet your mum.”
The two people stared at each other for a second or two. Then Denis’s mother dropped to her knees in front of him and held out her arms.
Without hesitating, he fell into them. “Is it true? You’re my real mother?”
“Yes, darling. I’ve been searching for you for the last twenty-nine years. They stole you from me.”
“When? How?”
“One step at a time. Let’s just rejoice at being reunited after all these years.”
Lorne kissed Sam on the cheek and waved farewell before quietly sneaking out of the room. She prayed that all the arduous memories Denis had stored in his mind would dwindle into obscurity once he realised how powerful a real mother’s love truly was. His healing would take time, but Lorne had every faith that the kin
d and gentle man would one day recover fully from his torturous ordeal, with Sam and his real mother by his side.
Note to the reader
Thank you for reading
Dubious Justice
; I sincerely hope you enjoyed reading this novella as much as I loved writing it.
If you liked it, please consider posting a short review as genuine feedback is what makes all the lonely hours writers spend producing their work worthwhile.
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Also by M A Comley
CRUEL JUSTICE (Justice #1)
#1 Best-selling novel in two categories, Police procedurals and Women sleuths in both US and UK and Amazon top 20 novel in 2013.
The headless body of a wealthy widow is discovered
decomposing in Chelling Forest. Then a second victim is found. Detective
Inspector Lorne Simpkins and her partner, DS Pete Childs are assigned the case.
Before they can discover the identity of the killer they must make a connection between the two victims.
After a third murder, Lorne receives a grisly surprise. Clearly, a vicious serial killer is on a rampage...and Lorne has become the killer’s fixation.
Lorne can’t allow her failing marriage or her new boss—a man with whom she shares a sensuous secret—keep her from focusing on her job. She must catch the macabre murderer, or risk becoming the next victim.
IMPEDING JUSTICE (Justice #2)
For eight long years, Detective Inspector Lorne Simpkins has tracked the vicious criminal known as The Unicorn. But the killer has frustrated MI6 at every turn and remained successful at Impeding Justice.
When Lorne is targeted in a trap that results in the death of her partner, the tragedy shakes her confidence to the core. Before she has time to recoup, her teenage daughter is kidnapped. More than Lorne’s professional reputation rests on her bringing The Unicorn to justice.
FINAL JUSTICE (Justice #3)
A ruthless killer returns—and former DI Lorne Simpkins is forced to revisit her ugly past.
After suffering a breakdown and quitting the force, Lorne Simpkins finds herself embroiled in a MI6 covert operation to hunt down her old enemy, a sadistic and merciless criminal whose ambition is to become the world’s richest man.
Lorne tracks the madman through France, attempting to thwart his plans and bring her long-time nemesis to Final Justice.
FOUL JUSTICE (Justice #4)
Detective Inspector Lorne Simpkins is back on the force. Before she can get comfortable with her new partner, newly-promoted DS Katy Foster, the two are assigned a tragic murder case that looks like a robbery gone wrong. However, when another wealthy footballer’s family meets the same deadly fate within twenty-four hours, it is clear the crimes involve something far more sinister.
Keeping her focus on unravelling the complex case isn’t easy for Lorne when she learns news that throws her personal life into a spin—her fiancé, M16 agent Tony Warner, is involved in a dangerous covert operation in Afghanistan.
But innocent people are dying on her patch, and someone must catch the killers. Lorne can’t allow this Foul Justice to prevail.
GUARANTEED JUSTICE (Justice #5)
Retired DCI Lorne Simpkins thought she knew what she wanted when she started an animal rescue centre with her husband Tony. Although saving and retraining exploited dogs is fulfilling, Lorne can’t help but feel that something vital is missing from her life. Linda Carter is brutally raped and left for dead in an alley. By some miracle, she survives, but now she lives each day terrified by the perpetrator’s final threatening words—that her sister, Fiona, will be his next victim.
The sisters decide to adopt a guard dog and contact the rescue centre. During a home check to see if the girls and their flat are suited for a German Shepherd, Lorne witnesses Linda’s horrendous injuries. The young woman knows the identity of her rapist—wealthy, playboy Graham Gibson—however, the police haven’t made an arrest. The shocking story turns into a life-altering moment for Lorne. She decides to become a Private Investigator, and urges the girls to let her take up their case. Little does she know that more victims will come forward to accuse Gibson of rape.
Lorne is determined to see this vicious criminal behind bars, but is anyone ever guaranteed justice?
ULTIMATE JUSTICE (Justice #6)
A ship wreck—
Dozens of bodies washed ashore—
Clear evidence that evil has made port in London.
The horrific case piques the interest of P.I. Lorne Simpkins. It doesn’t take long before Lorne learns that young, helpless women are being caged and sold to the wealthy and salacious. Old wounds are wrenched open when she suspects a cover-up by the very authorities that should be keeping lawful order. Can she trust the self-serving journalist bent on making the human-trafficking ring his next big story? When her daughter is involved in a life-threatening accident, it’s difficult for Lorne to keep her head in the game. But Lorne and her ex-MI6 husband, Tony, are determined to end the repulsive slave trade and bring the criminals to justice—even if it means Lorne ends up locked in a cage herself.
VIRTUAL JUSTICE (Justice #7)
Internet Dating–A Stalker’s Paradise
P.I. Lorne Warner is back in Virtual Justice, the seventh instalment in the Justice series.
The body of a strangled woman draws Lorne into an intricate investigation that expands swiftly when a second innocent is murdered. A serial killer is on the loose, plucking victims from Internet dating sites. But when a third victim—this one male—is discovered, Lorne is forced to admit her worst fears... she is on the trail of a serial killer duo.
Lorne’s personal life grows complicated as her sister, Jade, struggles to come to terms with their father’s death. Lorne suggests drastic measures to cure Jade’s grief.
The answers are out there, but will Lorne solve the crimes and find the killer before the next victim dies?
HOSTILE JUSTICE (Justice #8)
Enticed back to the police force, Lorne again teams up with Katy, her former partner. Things are no longer the same between them, though. Katy is now Lorne’s superior which could prove detrimental to their latest investigation.
The crime itself is perplexing: Four small boys discover the corpse of a woman in an abandoned warehouse. CCTV footage shows the woman was abducted in broad daylight by two hooded men. When questioned, the woman’s husband swears she had no known enemies and he thought she was on holiday at the time of her death.
During the investigation a personal problem unfolds for Lorne when her teenage, daughter, Charlie, attends a friend’s eighteenth birthday party–with dire consequences.
TORTURED JUSTICE (Justice #9)
Revenge... some cups spilleth over.
DS Lorne Warner and DI Katy Foster are investigating the murder of a man killed with an unusual weapon. The case takes a turn when two brothers disappear within the vicinity of the murder.
Lorne and Katy quickly determine that they may be after a group of serial killers out for their own sort of justice.
ROUGH JUSTICE
After two detectives are suspended, the Met is forced to return to all the cases the partners investigated. The cold case of a missing university student, Noelle Chesterfield lands on DS Lorne Warner’s desk.
Because Noelle was working her way through school as a pole dancer, Lorne and her partner DI Katy Foster find themselves with plenty of suspects on their radar. However, when the leads run dry, they call in the services of an unusual ally to find the missing student and give her devastated family some peace.
BLIND JUSTICE (a Justice 20,000 word novella and prequel to Cruel Justice)
DI Lorne Simpkins and DS Pete Childs are called to investigate the death of Jenny Bartlett, who’s decomposing body is found in a wooded area. When Lorne informs Jenny’s parents of her death they are understandably shocked but also confused by the news as they were under the impression their daughter was out of the country, working as a volunteer in Africa.
Delving deep into Jenny’s personal life leads Lorne to Jenny’s former boyfriend, Simon Killon, after Lorne discovers they had a secret liaison in a restaurant shortly before her death. But is he guilty of Jenny’s murder?
After learning what traumas Simon himself has encountered lately, Lorne has her doubts that he’s the culprit. However she finds it hard to disprove the evidence pointing in his direction.
FOREVER WATCHING YOU – A DI Miranda Carr thriller.
With everything to live for, wealthy cosmetic entrepreneur Anneka Morton is on the cusp of launching a brand-new range of products... but her husband reports her missing just days before the launch party.
When intrepid Detective Inspector Miranda Carr arrives at the crime scene, the clues indicate that Anneka was abducted from her own home. Without a body, she suspects foul play from a cosmetics competitor. However, DI Carr’s case gets turned on its head when Anneka’s body is found, and the last person Miranda suspected goes on the run.
Miranda hops on a plane to Portugal with her boss, DCI Caroline Gordon, and enters into a joint covert operation with Interpol to arrest and extradite Anneka’s murderer.
EVIL IN DISGUISE – Based on True Events novel
Caught in an abusive marriage, Jenny Slater desperately hopes there is more to life than the lies she tells to hide the bruises. Her three children have no idea their father is a monster, and Jenny struggles with the decision to tell them of her torment, which she can no longer bear alone.
Jenny’s pen pal in the States is the only person aware of the truth.
When Helen pleads with her to visit, Jenny is undecided about leaving England when her family is at odds. However, when a letter from a mysterious source arrives, seeking Jenny’s help, she flies to the States. Her attempts to save another trapped soul only entangle her in another manipulative relationship.
TORN APART (Hero series book 1)
Everyone understands about the no-go districts—areas of the city so overrun with gang violence even the police stay away. In this book, the first in a new series, DI Hero Nelson sets out to combat the issue.
When Saskia Hartley and her nine-year-old son are run down outside a restaurant, DI Nelson knows it is no ordinary hit-and-run incident. He’s looking at a homicide case…and the evidence points to the brutal Krull Gang. When two prostitutes are murdered, but little interest is given to the women on the Krull’s payroll, Nelson connects the dots.
DI Nelson has to decide whether he’s dealing with a turf war or something far more sinister.
END RESULT (Hero Series 2)
Before DI Hero Nelson has the chance to get used to his new role as a father to brand-new twins, a murder investigation steals his attention. When a second victim is discovered on his patch, Hero has his eye on a single perpetrator for both murders–but the suspect has a solid alibi for both crimes.
Hero continues his investigation until he obtains a surprising end result.
SOLE INTENTION (#1 Intention series)
Former police officers Ellen Brazil and Brian Lynx have joined forces to start a successful missing persons investigation firm which has just been contracted to find the wife of bodybuilder Will Endersbe. Ellen discovers that a number of women with similar features and hair colour have also vanished in the Worcester area. Ellen and Brian suspect a serial kidnapper is to blame, and without a body, the police are happy to leave the case in their hands to solve.
Hoping the women are still alive, Ellen digs for clues and races to find the women, despite her troubled private life and a meddlesome stepfather with a violent secret.
GRAVE INTENTION (#2 Intention Series)
Private investigator Ellen Brazil is hired to find ex-banker Charles Dugan, who disappeared after his mansion burned to the ground. Ellen quickly discovers that Dugan’s new profession—playing poker full time—has earned him a circle of very dangerous “friends.”
Ellen’s investigation is disrupted when her mother is injured, leaving Ellen to wonder why her mother’s abusive husband has gone missing when he should be at the hospital. Ellen finds herself trying to solve two cases at once while smoothing over her own personal issues.
When she learns Dugan has plans to flee the country, Ellen knows it’s imperative to find him before the gang he owes money to discover his whereabouts and carry out their grave intentions.
It’s A Dog’s Life
This is a 12,000 word novelette that takes place between Cruel Justice and Impeding Justice and is based on actual events.
It may not be homicide, but to DI Lorne Simpkins it’s still murder.
When a reporter friend of DI Lorne Simpkins gives her a tip about a story involving ex-racing greyhounds, Lorne is sceptical.
But after delving into it, she’s horrified to discover the grisly fate of racing dogs that are no longer useful to their owners—and she’s determined to bring the cruel and uncaring owners to justice…
“Animal welfare is so close to my heart, the real-life plight of these former racing dogs moved me to tears. I’m delighted to donate all profits of the book to PUPS, The Protection of Unwanted Puppies Society.”
Merry Widow
This is a 5000 word short story to accompany the best-selling Justice series.
It’s just an ordinary day in the life of D I Lorne Simpkins until she gets a phone call from a woman whose husband has died in unusual circumstances.
Lorne takes up the case with disastrous results for both her and her partner DS Pete Childs.
PAST TEMPTATION (a Temptation novella)
Until now, Nicole’s main focus in life has been running her successful business while raising her daughter, Sammy Jo, single-handedly. Now, Nicole’s ex-boyfriend, Josh has turned up determined to rekindle the relationship he ran out on.
Before they get the chance to pick up where they left off, Nicole’s personal life is put in mortal danger.
Past Temptation a Romantic Suspense novella. 25,000 words.
LOST TEMPTATION (a Temptation novella)
Chrissy fears she is losing her boyfriend, Kyle, so she formulates a plan to try to get their relationship back on track.
However, events drastically backfire when a car chase puts both their lives in danger.
A Romantic Suspense Novella 20,000 words.
A TIME TO HEAL (a romance novella)
Family Liaison Officer, Chloe Fullerton is helping hero pilot, Captain Steve Ewing, recuperate from injury after he landed his stricken plane, avoiding a major disaster.
Chloe’s sworn off love ever since she lost the love of her life. But the spark between her and Steve makes her feel she may yet love again. There’s turbulence ahead though—Steve’s ex-wife is determined to wreck his and Chloe’s blossoming relationship.