Case One (22 page)

Charlie let go of the knife, stepped back. Tyler didn't move. The black plastic handle of the knife was still sticking out of his sweatshirt and he was looking down at it, puzzled. Then he took hold of the knife and pulled it out.

As soon as he did so there was a red welling of blood which spread quickly downwards to his belt.

Charlie took another single step backwards, eyes widening. He caught his heel on a flagstone and started to stumble, but then turned the motion into a run, taking off as fast as he could go, feet barely touching the paving.

“Shit!” Skank said, looking at Tyler.

Tyler Smith said nothing. The colour was draining out of his face as he stared at the wound in his belly. It was only when Bex started to scream that Tyler seemed to realise that all this commotion was because of him, and then he decided he had better sit down. He was still holding the knife.

21.

QUEEN VICTORIA HOSPITAL CAR PARK
16:25 HRS

By the car park ticket machines Holly, Woods and Danny Simmons stopped running and looked out over the tarmacked area. Every parking space seemed to be taken for as far as Holly could see in the growing gloom of the late afternoon.

“He could be anywhere,” she said.

“What about just covering the exit? Till he leaves?” Danny suggested. “There's only one way out.”

Woods looked dubious. “Yeah, but if Lauren goes back and says she saw Holly… I'd rather nick him with a chance of finding the phone on him.” He looked at his watch, then made a decision. “We'll split up, one row each. We've still got time.”

So they separated, with Holly taking the nearest lane of parked cars. She walked briskly but steadily, scanning left and then right, ignoring any car that wasn't silver, checking the index numbers of any that were against the registration she'd biro'd on her hand.

22.

BRANWELL ROAD
16:26 HRS

In the patrol car Sam and Oz were following a dodgy-looking pickup truck with a broken brake light when the radio came to life.

“
Delta Mike Five from Delta Mike. Pedestrian precinct centre of the Cadogan Estate. Report of an assault, possible stabbing. Free to deal?
”

Sam looked at Oz. It was his decision.

“Okay,” Oz said. “I can't get enough of the Kaddy today.”

He touched the brake and checked the mirror for a U-turn. Sam pressed
call
on the radio as Oz went to blues and twos.

“Delta Mike from Five. Yes yes. On way.”

“
Received, Five. Anonymous female informant. Ambulance service informed.
”

“All received,” Sam said. And as the Volvo made the turn he felt the now familiar adrenalin rush kick in.

23

Drew Alford arrived at a run, his mobile still in his hand from when Skank had called him. Rizza was following on his heels.

“You see who it was?” Alford said, his glance taking in but ignoring Tyler, Taz and Bex, and everything else except Skank.

Skank nodded. “That black kid, Choirboy. Ry Atkins's brother. Ty went after him an' next thing he's been stabbed. The kid ran.”

“Shit,” Alford said. In the distance he could already hear the two-tone sound of a siren.

“Tell them to piss off,” he told Rizza, gesturing to Taz and Bex who were standing a little way off. They had their arms round each other, watching Tyler. “They didn't see anything. They weren't here.”

“Taz called the ambulance,” Skank said.

“Never mind. Tell them,” he repeated to Rizza, then started briskly towards Tyler.

“What d'you want me to say?” Skank said, hurrying to keep up.

“You were here but you don't know who did it,” Alford said, rattling it off as the siren got closer: “It was a white guy, about eighteen. You never saw him before. Not from round here. Got it?”

“Okay.”

Alford stopped and squatted next to Tyler. His face was grey and he looked up dumbly at Alford. He was pressing a hand to his belly and it was covered in blood.

“Ty? Listen to me,” Alford said. “You've got to listen…”

Fifty metres away a police car came round the corner at speed and then braked sharply. Seconds later it had stopped and two police officers were opening the doors and heading towards them at a run. Drew Alford continued to speak urgently into Tyler Smith's ear.

24.

QUEEN VICTORIA HOSPITAL CAR PARK
16:28 HRS

As Holly neared the end of the second line of cars a van came along the row towards her and she stepped aside to let it pass. As she did so she caught sight of a figure in the front seat of a car about ten metres away.

It could have been nothing – anyone was entitled to sit and wait – but just to be sure Holly took a few steps until she could make out the colour of the car. Silver. She went closer, straining to make out the index in the growing gloom. YP5…

A movement – the pale shape of a face – caught her eye. And at that moment she knew he was looking at her. And at the same moment, the car's headlights came on, making it impossible for her to see the rest of the number plate. The engine started up and a second later the car pulled forward, making the turn out of the space.

More by instinct than anything else, Holly stepped forward, blocking the centre of the traffic lane. She held up her hand as she walked towards the car, hoping it was commanding enough to make the driver stop.

It worked. The car halted and Holly closed in on it, waiting until the last moment before stepping around the bonnet and moving quickly to the driver's window.

She glanced round but there was no sign of DS Woods or Danny Simmons. Then the driver's window opened a short way.

“Is something wrong?” the man inside said.

Holly bent to the window. “It's just a routine stop, sir.” And then, as if surprised to see him: “It's Mr Booth isn't it? Lauren's dad.”

Colin Booth looked up at her through the part-open window, recognition coming to his face.

“Oh. Yes, I remember you. Holly, right?”

Holly nodded. “I'm sorry to stop you,” she said. “We're just doing a vehicle check. It won't take a minute.” She raised her radio. “DS Woods from Seven-Six-Two, receiving?”

“A check on what?” Colin Booth said. “I need to go. I'm meeting Lauren.”

“Could you just bear with me a second?”

She heard Woods's voice in her earpiece. “
Go ahead, Holly
.”

“Sarge, second parking area, left-hand side. I've got a stop.”

“
Understood. On way.
”

“I do need to go,” Colin Booth said, and there was a note of urgency in his voice now. “I said I'd meet Lauren at the entrance. I don't want to be late.”

He reached down and Holly saw him put the car into gear. She put her hand on the door pillar in the hope that it would dissuade him from moving.

“Could you tell me the registration number of the car?” Holly said, hoping to distract him.

“Yes, it's YP54 AAE. Look—”

“And are you the registered keeper?”

“Yes! Look— Look, I'm sorry I have to go,” Booth said and Holly could hear a rising note of panic in his voice. “I can't— I have to go.”

As he said it, the car started to move forward.

Holly moved with it, staying alongside the driver's window, keeping a hand on it.

“Mr Booth, stop! – Mr Booth!”

But it wasn't going to happen. She caught a glimpse of Booth's face, rigidly staring forward as he changed gear. The car picked up speed, forcing Holly to let go. She kept on running behind it though, and as the distance increased she reached for her radio. “DS Woods from Seven-Six-Two. He's heading for the exit. It is Booth.”

Ahead of her Booth's car made a turn. Holly heard the skid of tyres on damp tarmac as the car disappeared from sight. Then, a moment later, there was the blare of a horn, almost instantly followed by the sound of a collision.

Pushing herself to go faster, Holly reached the end of the row and swung round the final car in time to see Danny Simmons sprinting in from the opposite direction. They were both heading for the point where two cars – Booth's and another – were shunted together in a lopsided T-shape.

Holly reached Booth's Astra first, slowing down at the last moment when it became clear that it couldn't go anywhere. She approached the driver's door but waited for Danny Simmons to get there too.

“Go on, then,” he told her. “It's your collar.”

Holly moved forward and looked in at the man in the driver's seat. He was still staring rigidly forwards. She knocked on the window. “Mr Booth, can you get out, please?”

There was no response and after a second Holly reached down to the handle and opened the door.

“Mr Booth?”

For a moment longer Booth sat immobile. Then his chin sagged to his chest and his shoulders started to shake. But it wasn't until he started to make an odd kind of choking sound that Holly realised he was crying.

25

“I didn't mean it. He just— He ran on to it.”

Charlie was shaking and close to tears from the shock and the fear of what he had done.

“Okay,” Ryan said, still holding his brother's arm. “You got any blood on you?”

“I don't know,” Charlie said. He looked down at himself helplessly. “I don't know,” he repeated.

Ryan stepped back to look him over, then took his brother's hands and checked them as well. “No, you're okay,” he told him. “Where's the knife?”

“Back there. I— Tyler had it.”

“Shit,” Dav said, but Ryan shot him a look.

“Don't worry about that,” Ryan told Charlie, trying to sound positive.

“But what if he dies?” Charlie said, finally voicing his worst fear.

“
He
came after
you
, right?” Ryan said firmly. “You were only defending yourself. But it's not gonna get to that, okay? It's gonna be fine.”

He turned to Dav. “Take him home. I'll go and see what's happening.”

“Can't you come?” Charlie said, unable to keep the pleading note out of his voice.

“Not yet,” Ryan said. “I'll be there in a bit, okay? Just go home and pretend nothing's happened. Don't say anything. That's important. Nothing, okay?”

Charlie swallowed but made a tight nod.

“Go on then,” Ryan said, and he gave Charlie's shoulder a squeeze. “It'll be okay.”

26.

QUEEN VICTORIA HOSPITAL CAR PARK
16:33 HRS

“…But it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court…”

“Dad? – Dad, what's happening? What's the matter?”

“Lauren, it's all right. It's just— It's just an accident – the car – that's all.”

“…Anything you do say may be given in evidence.”

“Can you stand back over here for me please, Lauren?”

“You understand the caution?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. And because I have reason to believe you've committed an offence, we're going to carry out a search of your vehicle for the purposes of obtaining any evidence relating to that offence. – Holly?”

“Sarge.”

“Can you tell me if you have a mobile phone in the car, Mr Booth, or any other sort of electronic device – laptop, PDA?”

“No. No, my phone's here – look, I—”

“Do you have any other phones at all – here or at home?”

“No.”

“Sarge… Down by the seat.”

“What about that phone? Is that yours?”

“No. I mean, yes, but it's an old one. I don't even know if it works. I'd forgotten it was there.”

“Okay. Any others you might have forgotten about?”

“No – no. Honestly – listen – listen – does – does Lauren have to know? I mean… She doesn't have to come with us too, does she? Please? I really— I don't think I could face that.”

“All right. It's probably better if she doesn't. I'll see if I can get someone to take her home.”

“Thank you.”

“Danny? Holly and I will take Mr Booth. Can you get a car for Lauren?”

“Sure.”

“Okay, Mr Booth. This way.”

“Dad? What's going on? Where are you going?”

“It's okay, sweetheart. Just stay with the officer – he'll get you home. I'll see you in a bit, okay?”

“But I don't understand.”

“It's all right, sweetie. Just do as I said, okay? I love you.”

“You know what I've got to do now, right?” Woods asked as he closed the door. In the back of the car Colin Booth sat with his head bowed.

“Call the DI?” Holly said.

Woods nodded. “She's going to love this. She banged on for half an hour last night about the TPO scheme being a political stunt, so this is going to go down like a cup of cold sick.”

“Not poached salmon?”

Woods gave her a beady look. “Careful, Ms Blades, you'll cut yourself.”

“Sorry, Sarge.”

“Yeah, well… The risotto would have been better.”

27.

CADOGAN ESTATE
16:35 HRS

The ambulance pulled away, its siren starting up as it did so, and Sam approached Oz, who was giving an update to Control.

“How bad is it?” Sam asked when Oz had signed off.

“Not life-threatening,” Oz said. “We'll follow them down in a minute. Find the knife?”

Sam shook his head. “He could've taken it with him, the guy who did it. IC1, about eighteen, jeans and trainers, leather jacket, fair hair.”

Oz looked to where Drew Alford and Skank were standing, both smoking as they watched the proceedings.

“Is that what they told you?”

“Yeah. Alford says he wasn't here when it happened. The other one – Winnard – says he saw it but he doesn't know who the attacker was.”

“And if he did he wouldn't tell us. Whoever it was must've had some bottle though, fronting up to Tyler Smith.”