Cath Staincliffe - Blue Murder

He stepped away from the car and she gave him a farewell wave.

At her parents’ she felt a wave of exhaustion. The start of the second shift – so much to do before she could get any rest.

She was stunned when Pete opened the door to her. Knew immediately something must be wrong.

‘What are you doing here?’

‘Someone has to pick up the pieces,’ Pete said.

Michael came into the hail. Oh, God. He was hurt, his face cut and bruised. ‘Michael! What’s happened?’

Tom ran out from the lounge. ‘Mum, Mum. He was mugged.’

He’d rung her, the Trafford Centre. He’d rung her and she’d practically ignored him. Her stomach lurched with guilt. She put an arm round Michael’s shoulder. ‘Are you all right? Why didn’t you say?’

He shrugged her off. ‘You were busy.’

That stung her.

Tom started fooling about, miming a hold-up.

‘What happened?’ she said again.

‘They tried to get his phone,’ Pete told her, his face set and anxious, ‘then they duffed him up.’

‘You should have just given them it,’ Janine told Michael.

‘I was going to,’ he shouted, ‘then they just ran off.’

She rounded on Pete. ‘You should have rung me.’ He glared back at her. She looked away. She didn’t want to start arguing in front of the kids. Michael had been through enough for one day.

They were halfway home, en route to the take-away pizza place, when Janine asked Michael what the police had said. In the rear-view mirror she saw him look away. There was an uncomfortable silence. He hadn’t reported it. She was shocked, he should report it, of course he should. She bit her tongue. Now wasn’t the time.

She got a chance later, after they’d eaten and she was in the middle of clearing up.

‘Michael…’

He guessed what was coming. ‘I don’t want to.’ He yelled at her and stormed out.

‘Bad time?’ Sarah, her neighbour and friend, was at the back door.

‘Depends.’ Janine said. ‘ If you came bearing gifts

‘Red or white?’

Janine gestured to her bump. She was on the wagon for the duration.

‘Milk or plain?’ Sarah amended. They shared a love of chocolate.

Half-an-hour later they were ensconced in front of the telly. Eleanor sat between Janine’s knees, a towel round her neck. Janine drew the comb through another swathe of slippery hair. Spotted the telltale grey blob on the comb. ‘Eleven. Other children bring home gerbils, hamsters.’

‘When I grow up I’ll invent a death ray for nits: one zap and they’re dead. And we’ll be dead rich and you’ll never have to work at the weekend.’

A little dig. Janine exchanged a glance with Sarah. Ellie hated being sent to Grandma’s. And Janine worried that the kids needed her around more now that Pete had gone.

Sarah scratched her head.

‘Sarah’s got them too,’ Eleanor said gleefully.

‘The whole school’s got ‘em, not just you kids. Occupational hazard. Staff room stinks of Tea Tree.’

‘Done.’ Janine told Eleanor. ‘Off you go.’

‘Remember the present for Holly’s birthday.’

‘Yes.’

Once she was out of the room Janine rang Pete. ‘It’s me. I’ll have to drop them early.’

He sighed. ‘Can’t your mum have them?’

‘No, you know she had them today. They want to see you, Pete.’ She lowered her voice and muttered, ‘God knows why.’ Flicked a glance at Sarah. ‘Be about half-seven, see you then.’

Janine told Sarah all about Michael’s ordeal. ‘I felt so flamin’ helpless. And he won’t report it. I started thinking, if I’d only realised, if I’d been home…’

‘If you weren’t such an awful mother.’

Janine acknowledged that. ‘I’m a Detective Chief Inspector, I’m leading a bloody murder enquiry and I can’t protect my own kids. Can’t even keep up with the shopping.’

‘What? Not still baking your own bread?’

Janine stuck her tongue out. ‘How do we all keep going though?’

‘What’s the alternative?’

She took another chocolate and passed the box to Sarah.

‘How was work,’ Sarah asked her.

‘Murder,’ she said dryly. ‘You see the news?’

Sarah shook her head.

‘They didn’t give details but you know the saying hung, drawn and quartered? Well, this poor bloke had been drawn. Enough to give anyone morning sickness.’

‘Janine!’ Sarah exclaimed. ‘That’s revolting. God. I don’t know how you do it. I’d be in bits. And then after seeing that you’ve got to go after whoever’s done it. I couldn’t do it, no way.’

‘Well, I couldn’t cope with a roomful of screaming eight-year-olds all day long.’ She poured more wine for Sarah, helped herself to some cranberry juice. ‘However – there is good news, too.’

Sarah was all ears.

‘Well, I think it’s good. Richard.’

‘Richard?’

‘Richard Mayne. D.I. We were probationers together. He transferred south when Tom was little, now he’s back. Assisting me. And he is seriously sexy.’

‘Whoo-oo-oo

‘Lovely eyes, nice hands, nice lips, gorgeous lips, really, really…’ she became tongue-tied. ‘Good bloke too.’

‘You fancied him before?’

‘Oh, yeah! One night we were off on a training course, got as far as the bedroom but changed my mind. Pete and I were engaged. Left Richard all hot and bothered.’

‘You’re blushing.’

‘Blame the hormones. There was something special. That spark? But I realised too late. I’d already said yes to Pete.’ She paused. How long before the separation would lose its power to hurt her? Before she could talk about Pete and feel neutral, normal? ‘And where’s it got me?’

‘Maybe this is second time lucky?’

‘I don’t think so,’ Janine said dismissively. ‘He’s asked me out for a bite to eat, whatever that means. I think he was going to book somewhere but he trailed off. This habit he has, not finishing his sentences. Must have missed that bit of literacy hour.’

‘Think he’s interested?’

‘In me? In this state?!’ Janine pulled a face. ‘Get a grip, Sarah. Bit of flirting, I reckon. Good for the soul. Besides, first shot as senior officer in charge of a rather gory murder, six months pregnant, romance isn’t exactly on the agenda.’

She saw the news was starting and turned the sound up. ‘Here we go.’

Michael looked in then, glanced at the TV, sneered and walked off. Time was he’d have been chuffed, Janine thought. Proud of her even. Not now. Rebellion, she supposed. Wanting to be different from his parents.

It was the lead story.

“ The body of deputy head-teacher, Matthew Tulley, aged forty-two, was found on allotments in the Whalley Range district of Manchester today. Police have launched a murder enquiry… ”

Sarah got up and took a step towards the telly.

They were showing a shot outside the Tulley’s house and Janine and Richard leaving. ‘That’s not my best side.’ Janine pointed out.

“… In Lancashire another two in a series of off-licence robberies… ”

‘Oh, my god!’ Sarah turned back to Janine.

Janine turned the sound off. ‘You know him?’

‘Know of him. Through the union. He was disciplined for hitting a pupil. And last year, the lad he’d assaulted came back to school and stabbed him in the playground.’

Janine’s mind was racing. Someone had stabbed Tulley before?

‘Can you remember the boy’s name?’

Sarah nodded. ‘Yeah, Ferdie Gibson, became a sort of shorthand for dangerous pupils, anyone like that we’d call it having a Ferdie in the form.’

Janine grabbed her phone. They needed everything they could get on this Gibson.

Sarah watched her. ‘What?’