Toxic Justice, page 8
part #18 of DI Lorne Simpkins Series
Lorne scribbled down the names. “Can I ask why?”
“Several reasons. One being for bullying one of the students, a girl who retaliated in the hallway. I stumbled across the fight on my way to the office. The three of them were expelled. That’s one thing I will not tolerate, fighting on school premises.”
“I’m glad you put your foot down in that instance, Mrs Lowe.”
“I try my best, Inspector. Like you, I rely on evidence to back up any claims of wrongdoing. As it happened, I was lucky enough to witness the incident myself. I’ll give you a ring back soon.”
“Thanks, I appreciate it, Mrs Lowe.”
Katy entered the room as Lorne was hanging up. “I have a couple of names. They’re newcomers to the school. Brian and Billie Swallow.”
Lorne nodded. “I’ve just spoken to Mrs Lowe. They’re the only two names she could supply me with. She expelled them both at the end of last year for bullying and fighting in the hallway. She’s going to get back to me on the other names once she’s run the photos past her staff.”
“That’s good news. Want me to start digging on them?”
“Did you get their address from the school?”
Katy grinned. “You thought you were going to catch me out again, didn’t you? I’ve got it here. I’ll go hunting and see what I can find out.”
Lorne winked. “You do that. I’ll be with you shortly.”
Katy left the office. Rather than sit there willing the phone to ring, Lorne dipped into the post again and was halfway through the chore when Mrs Lowe rang back. “Hi, Mrs Lowe. How did you get on?”
“I have the other four names for you. David Cowdry, Mark Wilkinson, Zak Omar and Jan Morris. Funny, they used to be quite rowdy when the Swallows were around. Their form teacher told me they were concentrating more in class nowadays. He was surprised to learn they were all hanging around together still.”
“That’s very informative. Thank you so much for your help, Mrs Lowe. I’ll be in touch soon with any news.”
“Anytime. Either ring me or email me. I check my emails regularly throughout the day. I have to stay on top of them, otherwise they can quickly overwhelm me.”
“It’s surprising how similar our jobs are in that respect. Nice talking to you again.”
“You too, Inspector.”
Lorne hung up and left her office. She strode across the incident room, jotted all six names on the whiteboard and placed a circle around them. “At least we’re getting somewhere now.”
Katy joined her, notebook in hand. “I couldn’t really find out anything much about the family except that they have an older brother in prison.”
Lorne’s eyebrows rose. “Is he now, for what?”
“Armed robbery and a GBH charge. He was involved in a gang that held up a security van, transporting large amounts of cash to one of the high street banks. They believe it was an inside job but couldn’t find the evidence to prove that. The gang was caught and banged up, and the two guards lost their jobs for lax security.”
“Wow, talk about shit your thanks.”
“Did you miss the part about it being a perceived inside job?”
Lorne shook her head. “No, not at all. You also said that there was no clear evidence pointing to that, so why punish the guys in the van?”
“You’ve got me there,” Katy admitted.
“Either way, the brother has got form. What about the parents?”
“The father ran off years ago. The mother is at home all day, living on benefits.”
Lorne rolled her eyes at ‘the father running off’ part. “Maybe she has a disability we don’t know about. Let’s hold off casting aspersions until we meet her.”
“You want to go visit her?”
“Not right now. I think we should keep an eye on the gang, from a safe distance this time, for the next few days at least and then go from there.”
“Do you want me to organise a rota?”
“If you would. I’m going to ring round the seven lots of parents whose kids have committed suicide, see if they can throw any names into the hat.”
“Good idea. I think we’re going to need to be crafty if we’re going to catch these buggers in the act.”
“Agreed, although ‘catching them in the act’ will always mean that they could harm another child. Let me do the ringing around and see what comes of that, and then we’ll put our heads together again. We’ve got enough time before we have to send the team out to begin the surveillance.”
Lorne was mentally drained by the time she had made all the calls. She found the experience harrowing. Unfortunately, so did the parents. Although they were all upset, most of the parents welcomed her call. Nearly all of them informed her that they felt neglected, as if the police had given up on them and the children they had lost. She had reassured them that wasn’t the case and she hoped to have something concrete for them sooner rather than later. When she had asked them to reveal what they thought was behind their children’s deaths, they had all confirmed that they had been bullied, some for a few days and others for months.
When Lorne had asked them if they had any suspicions on who was behind the bullying, a couple of the parents gave her some names. The names came as anything but a surprise to Lorne—Brian and Billie Swallow. After she’d rung all the parents, she brought each of the cases up on the screen and flicked through the notes. Not one of the cases named either Brian or Billie, and she couldn’t help wondering why that was. She decided to place a call to the officer in charge of one of the cases to which one of the parents had named the Swallows.
“Hi, is that DS Cooper? This is DI Lorne Warner. Do you have a moment for a chat?”
“Of course, ma’am. What can I do for you?”
She briefly outlined the case they were working on and asked him to cast his mind back to the previous year, to the case concerning Phil Windsor. “I’ve just spoken with Phil’s mother, and she gave me a couple of names she felt were behind her son’s death. Brian and Billie Swallow. Can you tell me why I couldn’t find their names in the case notes?”
“That’s easy, ma’am. My boss told me not to put their names in there because we couldn’t find any evidence to place them at the scene. Are you aware Phil Windsor killed himself by slitting his wrists in the bath at home, ma’am?”
Lorne sighed and let out a long breath. “Yes, I’m aware and I do appreciate how difficult it must have been for you to proceed with the case when your hands were tied in that way. I’m having the same problem, in fact.”
“It’s always a difficult task where suicide is involved, ma’am.”
“Okay, I’ll let you get on. Thanks for taking my call.”
“If I can be of any further help, ma’am, just shout.”
Lorne hung up, leant back in the chair and placed her hands on her head as she thought. Katy popped into the office and presented her with a much-needed cup of coffee. “You read my mind. Thanks, Katy.”
“You look wrung out. Everything all right?”
“All in a day’s work. Having spoken to all of the parents who sadly lost their children, only a couple of them mentioned the Swallow kids.”
“Does that mean you’re doubting whether they were involved in all the suicides?”
“It has cast a certain amount of doubt, yes. Bugger, why is this case so damn hard compared to those we deal with day in and day out?”
“Because suicide is suicide. No one but the victim is usually involved. Don’t give up now, Lorne. Someone sent Jonathon that text, urging him to end his own life. That had to have messed with his brain. He was the brightest kid in the school. It would take a hell of a lot for any kid to hang themselves unless they didn’t think there was a way out of their situation. That’s what we need to cling on to here. He was desperate, felt he had no other option than to hang himself. We need to go after the kids who took his options away from him.”
“You’re right. I know you are. Have you set up the surveillance for later?”
“Yep, Graham and Patrick jumped at the chance to follow the kids. They’ll prevent them harming someone else, Lorne, you’ll see.”
Lorne threw her arms up in the air. “Maybe for the next day or two, but you know as well as I do that all our surveillance will have to stop soon. Resources will prevent us from tailing the brats, giving them carte blanche to up their game on other innocent kids.”
“You’re being too hard on yourself. The great Lorne Warner never gives up that easy, not without a fight. Something will come our way soon, it has to.”
“Let’s hope that something doesn’t show up in the form of another suicide victim.”
Chapter 7
On Friday of that week, Lorne was sitting at her desk dealing with an important letter from head office when her phone rang. “DI Warner. Can I help?”
“Hello, DI Warner, it’s Jennifer Lowe from Trinity school here.”
Lorne recognised the voice and how strained the headmistress sounded. “Hello, Mrs Lowe. Anything wrong?”
“I’m afraid I’ve just received a call from a parent to say her daughter committed suicide last night.”
Lorne sighed heavily and threw the pen she’d been using across the room. “Damn. Because of bullying?”
“Yes, the mother, Mrs Foxley, said that Wendy had been bullied for months. I was unaware of the situation.”
“How strange. I wonder why the mother didn’t reach out to you to try to prevent it.”
“I asked the same question. She said that Wendy pleaded with her not to.”
“Bugger. That poor child. Can I ask how she killed herself?”
“It’s awful, simply awful…I’m not sure I can bring myself to say the words.”
“I know how upsetting this is, Mrs Lowe. I’m sorry you have to contend with this, but please tell me. I’d rather hear it from you than visit the parents without having all the facts to hand.”
“Oh dear. Perhaps give me a moment…” She fell silent, and then Lorne heard her blow her nose. “Poor Wendy walked out in front of a bus that was going at full speed along the main road in town.”
“Shit! How dreadful. Are they sure it was intentional?”
“Yes. Apparently, the bus driver said she looked up at him before she stepped into the road. There was no way he could have prevented hitting her. He slammed on the brakes when he realised what she was up to, but the stopping distance was too slight to make a difference. He’s beside himself, as you can imagine.”
“That poor man. I dread to think what he must be going through right now. What a horrendous thing to have on your conscience for the rest of your life.”
“Precisely.”
“Do you know if the same gang are involved in this, Mrs Lowe?”
“I have no way of knowing, Inspector. As I’ve already stated, I wasn’t aware of any bullying going on with Wendy. Of course, I will be asking her friends and discussing it with the pupils at assembly on Monday to gauge their reaction and see if anyone is forthcoming with any names or news. I can call you back then, if you like?”
“That would be fantastic. Would you mind giving me Wendy’s address? I’ll call round and see her parents before I do anything else.”
Mrs Lowe gave her the address and then ended the call.
Lorne stepped out of the office. Katy took one look at her standing in the doorway and called out, “Everything all right, boss?”
She shook her head, Mrs Lowe’s words riffling through her head. “No. Far from it. We’ve got another suicide on our hands.”
As she said the words, the swing doors pushed open, and DCI Roberts entered the room. “Lorne? Is something wrong?”
Lorne walked forward a few steps and perched on the edge of the nearest desk to prevent her legs from wobbling. “I’ve not long received a call from the headmistress at Trinity school, sir. She informed me that another one of her pupils took her own life last night.”
Sean ran a hand through his greying hair and paced the room. “What? So soon after the last one?”
“Yes, sir.”
“How did she kill herself?”
Lorne could hear the strain in his voice. It was obvious he was as upset as she was about the news. “She stepped off the kerb in front of a bus on the main road.”
He winced and shook his head. “And you’ve only just heard about this, correct?”
“Yes, sir.”
“What’s the next step then, Inspector?” he asked sharply.
Lorne’s eyes widened. “Katy and I will go and visit the parents like we always do and see if they can fill in any blanks for us.”
“Katy can stay here. I’ll come with you. Come on, grab your coat, we’ll go in my car.”
Lorne’s gaze drifted over to Katy who shrugged.
“I’ll be in the car, don’t be long,” Sean ordered before the swing doors swished behind him.
“Crap. I really didn’t want him tagging along. Quickly, I don’t have much time. Who was on surveillance last night?”
Graham and Patrick raised their hands. “We followed the gang around for hours, boss. We didn’t see anything out of the ordinary at all,” Graham stated, looking as shell-shocked as she felt.
“Okay, look, I’m not blaming you guys. All I wanted were the facts. I’m bound to get a grilling in the car. It’s better to be forewarned. I have to fly.” She flew into her office and emerged seconds later, pulling on her coat.
“One thing before you go, Lorne. You need to find out if Wendy received a text before she took her life.”
“Good idea, Katy. I’m on it. See you all later.”
Lorne ran down the stairs and out into the car park. Sean revved his engine impatiently as she crossed the tarmac to meet him. She didn’t even have the chance to buckle up before he drew away quickly, slamming her head against the backrest of the passenger seat. “You need to slow down, Sean.”
“Don’t tell me what to do, Inspector.”
Great, Sean Roberts in a foul mood, as if I haven’t got enough on my plate to contend with.
She hated him turning up at murder scenes. She had no idea how they were going to deal with a grieving parent whose child had committed suicide the day before.
“I know you usually take the lead when we’re together, but I think I should lead on this one, sir.”
“We’ll see when we get there, shall we?”
Lorne flinched at his clipped tone and fell silent for the rest of the journey. She spent most of it clinging to her seat while he drove like a madman, narrowly avoiding hitting two cars on the way.
This was not an ideal way for Lorne to prepare herself for the task that lay ahead. Usually, she and Katy would be bouncing ideas off each other or leaving each other alone to think over carefully how they were going to handle the conversation, which was going to be one of the toughest Lorne was likely to encounter during her life. Her nerves were in tatters because of Sean’s erratic driving, and his grumpy attitude was putting her on edge.
She cleared her throat when he drew the car to a halt outside the Foxleys’ home. “Sean, I’m not sure why you’re in such a foul mood, but going in the house where grieving parents are in that frame of mind is only going to make them feel a darn sight worse. You need to practice some self-control.”
He turned in his seat to face her. “Don’t tell me how to behave, Inspector. Not unless you’re looking for a damn demotion.”
Lorne stared at him, her mouth gaping open for a second or two. She finally found the words to combat his snappiness. “I think it would be best if you stayed in the car while I spoke to the parents.”
He glared at her. “Why do you think that? You mean I’m not up to the job, is that it?”
She closed her eyes and expelled the largest breath. “Sean, I’m sorry, I have no idea what the hell is going on with you, but it has to stop. I forbid you stepping into that house when you’re in such a foul mood.”
His hand left the steering wheel and gripped her wrist tightly. She cried out in pain. He let go of her arm instantly and leant forward to rest his head on the steering wheel. Lorne watched him carefully, unsure what was going on in his head. Uncertainty ran through her like an out-of-control train. Should she comfort him or keep her distance? She was as confused as he appeared to be—that was until a tear slipped from the corner of his eye.
Crap! What the fuck is going on here?
She hesitated and then laid a hand on his back. “Are you all right, Sean? You’re scaring me.”
He sat upright and pushed back against the headrest then swiped the tears on the sleeve of his jacket. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. To take it out on you.”
Lorne frowned. “Take what out on me? What’s going on?” What a bloody time for him to have a meltdown, if indeed that was what was going on here.
“She’s left me.”
The words buried an imaginary harpoon in her chest. “What? Carmen?”
“Well, I don’t have another wife who I could be talking about. I’m not a fucking bigamist.”
Lorne shook her head. He was gunning for someone, and she hated being the one in the line of fire. “Don’t take this out on me, Sean. Not here, not now. I have enough on my plate. Are you forgetting why we’re here?”
“Of course I’m not. I can’t control my emotions at this moment.”
“Why? Why come with me? Do you realise how selfish that is of you?”
He faced her, anger evident in his glare. “Me, selfish? If only that were true. I’ve given my all to make that woman happy.”
“Stop! I don’t want to know. Shit, Sean, not now. Not when I have grieving parents to deal with. That’s what I meant by calling you selfish.” She unbuckled her seatbelt, threw open the car door and exited the vehicle before he could stop her. Jesus, what kind of crap is he dishing out? She bent down and said sternly, “You better stay here. I’ll talk to the parents alone. I can’t deal with you and your marriage breakdown at this time, Sean. Harsh but true. You’re being grossly unfair putting me in this situation…just saying.” She slammed the car door and marched up the path to the terraced house. Lorne’s hands were shaking as she grappled for her warrant card. She rang the doorbell, refusing to look back at the vehicle.
