London Noir: A gripping crime suspense thriller (Kal Medi Book 2) Read online

  Kal turned her attention back to the crime scene. He was right, there wasn’t much time before the police arrived.

  On the other side of the room were two lush, red velvet settees and matching armchairs. They’d been custom made because each back was shaped into a giant pair of lips. There were no windows, so whoever had done this had entered and exited by the main corridor. The décor, the colour choices and the ceiling-drop sheer curtains created an effect much like you’d seen in an old film reproduction of a harem. In the back of her mind, Kal noted that, in keeping with her name choice, Lady Penelope had a sense of humour. There was nothing in particular on the carpet or the walls; no blood stains, no signs of a struggle, no rips or scrapes and no marking from fingernails or metal. Kal went to check the ensuite bathroom. Toiletries and cosmetic products covered every surface. The elegant bath had gold taps and golden feet. The shower cubicle was dry. And there was a pervasive, faint smell of bleach which meant that whoever had killed Lady Penny had time to wipe down the surfaces.

  By the time Kal finished her examination, Sugar G had recovered his faculties.

  ‘This is a disaster for our reputation,’ he said, and he scrambled to his feet and ran out the room.

  As soon as he’d gone, Kal took a tissue from the dresser and in a couple of careful wipes, she removed the gold smear.

  ***

  Nobody else recovered themselves enough to make it to the top floor. Either that, or the women heard the news and didn’t want to see Penny brutalised. Which meant Sophie might have heard Penny was dead by now. And that wouldn’t be good. Kal left the body and sprinted along an empty corridor and down to the first floor. Evacuation of the property seemed to be the priority. All around Kal, women were rushing to collect their belongings and the dressing room was in pandemonium. Kal grabbed a woman’s arm.

  ‘Have you seen Sophie? Has anyone seen Sophie?’

  The rainforest room was empty. Systematically, she searched any space in it large enough to hide Sophie. Nothing. Kal knew she didn’t have much time – she’d have to search the whole floor, maybe the entire building. What effect would the murder have on the girl? Not a good one, Kal felt sure. Could Sophie be hiding in one of the rooms on the top floor? Had she made a run for it and was long gone? Kal didn’t think so, she felt sure Sophie would seek shelter somewhere she felt safe. But this was where Sophie felt safe. Dammit, Kal didn’t know the place well enough to pin point where a terrified girl might hide.

  Back in the dressing room, the last of the women were fleeing and it looked like a swarm had descended, scattering garments so that the whole floor was covered in clothes. Stage shoes lay abandoned in the mess, as did water bottles and soft drink cans. The women had taken their personal belongings and dropped everything else. Kal knew she should give up. She’d left traces of her own DNA upstairs when she checked Penelope’s pulse and the best thing for her to do was to get out. Her clothes sat in her locker space. Kal pulled them on and tossed her costume onto the floor, along with everyone else’s. As she bent to tie her shoes, she spotted a large laundry basket sitting in the corner of the room. Rectangular and made of wicker, the stage costumes must usually go in there after the performance. The hairs on the back of Kal’s neck prickled and her fingers stopped mid-lace. Kal stood up slowly. In Lady Penelope’s room she’d been clinical, formal, following her father’s strict, crime-scene procedure. Now Kal felt a stab of panic. No, surely not. Her mouth went dry.

  Kal knew she was right even before she threw up the lid. Sophie was scrunched in the bottom of the basket. The girl lay face down, knees bent up to her chest, her arms positioned to protect her head. No, this can’t be. Sophie can’t be dead.

  Kal closed her eyes. Then she reached in to touch Sophie’s shoulder, not wanting to think it might be cold. When she found it to be body temperature, Kal let go her breath – she hadn’t realised she’d been holding it. Thank goodness, she’d been afraid of the worst, but no, Sophie was alive.

  It took all her coaxing to get Sophie to uncurl and Kal had to lift the girl out. Sophie was in a total state of shock, unable to speak and with her muscles rigid. Kal knew as soon as Sophie let go she’d start screaming. Sophie had fled to somewhere dark and cramped and made herself as small as possible, so danger didn’t come after her, and so she could screw herself up against all the terror. Whatever had sent Sophie into that state, it had been something dreadful.

  Kal pulled Sophie towards the door and the girl tottered like a skittle about to fall, though she didn’t resist. When they got to the corridor, Sophie made a desperate grab for the door frame and wouldn’t let go.

  ‘Listen to me. We’ve got to get out of here and I know you understand that, please don’t make me prise your fingers off one by one.’

  Actually, Kal thought her easiest option would be to knock Sophie unconscious. Pressure at the carotid artery would do it. Then Kal could carry her out much faster. The only thing that stopped Kal was the lack of trust that would create between them.

  Sophie’s eyes darted towards the rainforest door and it took a moment for Kal’s mind to flick through the possibilities.

  ‘It’s not the bloody cat, is it?’

  Even in a deeply traumatised state, a person has the capacity to care for someone or something more vulnerable than themselves, for instance, a younger sibling. Or a pet.

  Kal swore under her breath. The ginger cat was curled up in the basket and Kal grabbed the whole lot. She kept a firm grip on Sophie’s wrist, and as they headed for the back entrance, they heard the sound of the police sirens.

  Chapter Eleven

  During the drive back to apartment 701, Sophie hunched in the passenger seat, pale and shaking and clutching the cat’s basket. Kal kept alert to Sophie’s status, ready should the trauma shift and launch Sophie into a break down. It would only take a tiny thaw, and all the emotion would overwhelm Sophie like a tidal wave. Kal kept her cool. She thought over the crime scene, checking her conclusions. The most important question concerned motive. Find the motive and you find the killer. Why had Penny been killed? And why now? And what was Sophie’s part in this? Kal knew Sophie was susceptible to shock, and finding Sophie in the laundry basket meant there’d been a triggering incident and that triggering incident had thrown Sophie into a deeply traumatised state. The question being, what incident?

  They reached the apartment and as Kal cut the engine, she could hear Sophie’s rapid breathing and she took it to mean the flood was on its way.

  ‘Hold on, Sophie. We’re almost there’.

  The girl made no sign she’d heard and Kal removed the seat belt. She anticipated getting Sophie in the lift might cause a problem, where perhaps the feeling of being trapped would be enough to cause the melt-down. It didn’t, and the two of them arrived at the top of the building without incident. Then, as the blanket slipped from Sophie’s shoulders and Kal closed the front door, it started. Sophie fell to the floor. She kicked her legs and struck out blindly. Kal put her arms as loose and as strong as she could around Sophie to prevent the girl from hurting herself as she banged against the floor and off the walls. Sophie screeched at the top of her voice – raw and piercing – and Kal hung on. She knew Sophie’s stamina would not last for long. When the animal noises subsided, Sophie switched to screaming.

  ‘He’s coming!’ She screamed. ‘He’s coming to get me!’

  Kal used her own body as a cushion. She must wait for Sophie to come back to the here and now and the girl couldn’t be forced, she must come out of it on her own. When the wild terror faded from Sophie’s eyes, she went limp and began sobbing.

  Kal pulled Sophie close. ‘You’re safe now. I’ve got you. You’re safe.’

  Sophie clung to Kal’s clothing. ‘No, please don’t let him.’

  Poor Sophie. Whatever terrible incident Sophie had lived through in the past, it had been retriggered. Kal had seen that happen at the roadside and it had happened again, more strongly, in response to events at the Pleasure Palace
. This girl had reexperienced the same terror and the same helplessness she’d known in the past. Just like with combat veterans and survivors of abuse, retriggering was an aspect of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

  ‘You’re safe here, I promise you’re safe. Look at me, Sophie. You’re with me and you’re safe.’

  The girl was shaking so hard, her teeth chattered. ‘Oh god, oh please, help me.’

  ‘I promise I will,’ Kal said. And what she meant, was she’d go all out to help Sophie. No half measures. No shying away from risks. No. She’d use all her skill and all her means, if it was the last thing she did. Kal was that type of person.

  Kal half carried Sophie into the lounge and placed her on the settee. Very sensibly, the cat had bolted to some dark corner and wasn’t available as a comforter. Kal tucked Sophie up with a blanket and sat cuddling her.

  When she sensed she could, Kal made hot chocolate and plied Sophie with the warm drink. Sophie held on to the mug as if it were a lifeline, though she made no effort to drink from it. As the last of the living nightmare drained away, Kal knew she must break the bad news about Penny. It wouldn’t be fair to put it off until later. She must tell Sophie now. Kal steeled herself. This would feel like cruelty. Like twisting the knife.

  Sophie’s head lolled. ‘Did you get to see your friend?’ she whispered.

  ‘You’re exhausted, Sophie, and, yes, I got to see Marty…’

  Sophie seemed to sense Kal’s hesitation and the girl’s brow furrowed. ‘Was she okay?’

  ‘Listen, there’s something terrible I need to tell you and it’s about Penny.’

  ‘Penny?’

  Sophie seemed confused and when Kal took hold of Sophie’s hands, the girl snatched them away.

  ‘Penny!’

  ‘There’s no good way to say this and I’m so sorry. Lady Penny is dead. She’s been murdered.’

  If there’d have been anything left to spill, it would have come out. Except there were no tears left, no strength to sob, not enough force to speak. The shock was total. Sophie moved her mouth and nothing came out and Kal could hear Sophie’s dry lips touching and opening.

  ‘I’m so sorry. I know she was your friend.’

  Kal also knew what she had to say and do next, knew she must stay on track and that it would come as a sucker punch to poor Sophie. But Kal had no choice. Not if she was going to make a difference. Not if she was going to pin down the killer. So she forced it out.

  ‘And I’ve got to get back there and find out more.’

  This was exactly the right moment to go back to Montgomery Road to pick up information – the place was in chaos and the women too rocked to keep their shields intact. Vital intelligence would be available right now that would disappear within the space of a few hours. Correct questioning and scouting around had to happen quickly. That meant Kal had no choice but to leave Sophie on her own.

  ‘I know it’s a terrible shock and I wish I could stay with you. There are things I can do back at the scene to find out more – I’m good at that kind of thing, trained. I can’t explain it all right now but you’ll just have to trust my word on it. I need to get back there.’

  Kal plumped the cushions and tried not to feel guilty, and failed, but she knew if she didn’t get back there soon, after the police interrogations and the general traffic of forensics, detectives and the rest of the crime squad, there’d be nothing left except denials and shadows and dust.

  Cruel though it was, comforting Sophie would have to go on hold. And Sophie’s memory would have to wait. This wasn’t the right time to delve into the events of the evening. Once they started trying to unpack that hornet’s nest, they’d open up something that could take days or weeks to resolve.

  Sophie bit her lip.

  ‘We’re on the seventh floor, Sophie. It’s the top and it’s got a steel safety door and no one can get to you, you understand?’

  Kal saw the fear in Sophie’s eyes. Shit, this was a horrible thing to do to her. She put her hand on Sophie’s arm. ‘I’m going to come back and be with you but first I need to get back to Montgomery. It’s important. I can help nail Penny’s killer.’

  Tears began pooling in Sophie’s eyes and she looked away.

  ‘I know this is hard and I’m sorry. I wouldn’t leave you if it wasn’t absolutely necessary. I need more information.’

  The nod of Sophie’s head was almost imperceptible. Kal hadn’t expected any agreement and it made her feelings even more soft towards Sophie. This girl had real guts.

  Before she could change her mind, Kal tucked the blanket more firmly around Sophie, turned on the lamp beside the settee and stepped away. She had to take the chance. Sophie was fragile but, in Kal’s estimation, the girl had inner reserves that came from hardship. If Sophie dug deep, she could feel safe enough, perhaps not safe enough to fall asleep but then the exhaustion would play its part. No harm would come to her.

  Kal toured the flat to make sure all the blinds were down, hunting in vain for the cat. It had disappeared, so Sophie would have to cope on her own. At the steel door, Kal hesitated one final time and leant her forehead against the cool surface. She took two deep breaths. Yes, this felt horrible, but she was sure she was making the right decision. Kal wrenched open the door and ran down the stairs before she could change her mind.

  Chapter Twelve

  Somewhere inside, Kal felt a guilty skip of excitement. The front line was her element. A place she could test herself and use her expertise to the full. Patrol cars were pulled up at the end of Montgomery and their flashing lights illuminated a deserted street. Instead of scurrying to see what all the fuss was about, the local residents had locked themselves inside, signalling them to be the type of Londoners who prefer to remain anonymous, who came to the big city to be sucked up and washed free of their pasts. This wasn’t the suburbs, where curious, middle class on-lookers would have to be held back by the police. No, this was the dark underbelly of the city, where life was cheap.

  An ambulance had parked behind one of the police cars and its back doors swung free. No medic personnel were in sight, which meant they must be upstairs with the body, maybe waiting for forensics to arrive.

  The pavement sounded damp under Kal’s shoes. With long strides, she made her way in the direction of two police officers – one of them was posted at the entrance to number thirty-three and the other at number thirty-five. Both officers were alert and running on a high, she could see it in their faces. A murder investigation was unpleasant and, it couldn’t be denied, exhilarating. Everyone called to the scene got a buzz of adrenalin.

  One of the officers was much older than the other and Kal chose the younger one. More than once over the past few months, she’d wondered if the part of her that sought adventure had died forever. Tonight, she was back. Her muscles were fluid, as if she’d just finished a great work out, and her mind felt focused. Kal knew this frame of mind would give her insights and she intended to use her investigative skills to the full.

  ‘You can’t go in, Miss,’ the officer told her.

  Kal widened her eyes with surprise. ‘I was here this evening and I saw the dead woman. Don’t you want to question me?’

  ‘The building is secured and everyone inside will be questioned first. Why did you leave the premises, Miss?’

  ‘My grandmother is elderly.’ At least that bit was true. ‘I panicked and ran with the others. Then I regretted it and she told me to come back.’

  The officer stared at her stage make-up, then he scanned her ordinary clothes and then came back to the make-up. Kal waited. There was no need to push because she could see him working through the permutations. She felt certain he’d come to the right decision.

  ‘You’ll need to speak to Detective Sergeant Ramsey. He’s busy at the moment and your, er, co-workers are waiting in the auditorium. You’d better join them and explain everything to Detective Sergeant Ramsey once he’s available.’

  The officer stepped aside and Kal mumbled a, ‘Tha
nks, yes I will’.

  The police and forensics teams would be working in Penny’s room and the top corridor. All the trace evidence would be concentrated there and they’d be setting up specialised equipment and doing a painstaking sweep. Kal had already made her own assessment of those areas. Her next step was to sound out some of the women and, more importantly, track down Candice and Sugar G.

  Around twenty girls waited in the auditorium. This wasn’t a large number, considering how many had been working that night. The rest had evaporated at the prospect of a police investigation. As she walked into the cabaret that only hours earlier had been full of punters downing drinks at their tables, Kal was struck by the sounds. All of the women were crying – not sniffles and polite tears, and not the type of shaky crying that comes in the aftermath of a shock, no, this was the sobbing of real loss. It said a lot. Said that Penny must’ve been more than liked, she must have been loved. The collective grief sounded doubly sad in the glitzy entertainment venue and it reminded Kal how she’d stood dry eyed at her own mother’s memorial service, unable to let go.

  When Kal scanned the room and spotted the woman with the purple streak, she considered it her lucky night.

  The woman’s eyes were red and puffed up and her face blotchy and distorted from crying, all her prettiness washed out. Kal pulled up a chair and sat down.

  ‘It’s terrible, isn’t it? So shocking,’ Kal said, offering a tissue.

  Purple-streak blew her nose. ‘It’s h-horrible and I can’t believe it. She was s-s-so kind. Without her I’d have been lying in a gutter.’

  Kal put her arm around purple streak’s shoulders and let the woman cry. After a while, Kal started rubbing the woman’s arm, waiting for the right moment.

  ‘Thanks for helping me out earlier, you know, with the dancer idea.’