Alex Barclay - Harm's Reach

After a moment’s seating panic, Ren and Janine sat side by side, and Ingrid Prince sat perpendicular.

‘Please,’ said Ingrid. ‘Just tell me.’

Janine leaned forward. ‘I’m afraid we found Laura Flynn’s body this afternoon close to Pike National Forest—’

‘Body?’ said Ingrid. ‘Pike National Forest? I’m sorry, I’m not following...’

Ren shifted forward in her seat. ‘Mrs—’

‘And where’s Pike National Forest?’ said Ingrid.

‘I’m sorry to tell you that we found Laura about sixty miles south of here,’ said Ren.

Relief flooded Ingrid Prince’s face. ‘No, that’s not Laura. Laura’s in Chicago. She just didn’t make it back. She must have missed her flight. My husband was just concerned that—’

‘Mrs Prince, I’m afraid we have been able to identify her body,’ said Ren. ‘She was the victim of a shooting. Her car was found—’

‘No,’ said Ingrid. ‘She wasn’t driving! She was flying, then she was getting a cab, then... a shooting? No. I don’t understand... No.’ She started crying hysterically. ‘No,’ she said. ‘No, please. Please don’t tell me this happened to Laura. Please. Her baby. Her baby. She was pregnant. The baby. Did... did they save the baby?’

‘I’m sorry,’ said Ren. ‘I’m afraid that was not possible.’

Ingrid broke down. She clutched her stomach.

It was only then that Ren realized that Ingrid Prince had a tiny bump of her own.

Ingrid Prince followed Ren’s gaze down to her belly. She looked up at her.

‘I know... can you believe it?’ she said. ‘Laura finds out she’s pregnant and, two months later, I do.’

‘So, you’re four months along?’ said Ren.

Ingrid nodded. She welled up. ‘This is not right. Poor Laura... the baby... and... I get to...’ She shook her head. ‘I’m still here. My baby’s here. It’s too much.’

‘I’m going to make a call to our victim advocate,’ said Janine. ‘She can come stay with you until... are you expecting your husband back tonight?’

Ingrid nodded. ‘He’ll come back now.’

‘OK,’ said Janine. ‘We’ll have someone wait with you, if you think that’s something you’d like?’

‘Thank you,’ said Ingrid. ‘Yes.’

Ren waited until Janine had made the call.

‘Was this a robbery?’ said Ingrid. ‘Was anything taken from the car?’

‘Her purse was there, her suitcase...’ said Ren. ‘We don’t know what else she may have had with her.’

‘And she was just found, alone, in her car...’ said Ingrid.

‘Yes,’ said Ren.

‘What a horrible way to... I just didn’t think this was going to be... the news I would hear. I was worried about her when she didn’t return, but I was worried because she was pregnant, you know, that she might have taken ill. I thought maybe she had been admitted into hospital. Apart from that, I thought maybe she had met up with the father of her baby... I know the relationship didn’t end well.’

‘Do you know his name?’ said Ren.

‘I’m sorry, I don’t,’ said Ingrid. ‘Laura mentioned an old boyfriend called Johnny once or twice, but she never gave the name of the baby’s father. She said that she didn’t want anything to do with him. She just said that he was bad news. And, sorry — he’s Irish... that’s the only other thing I know.’

‘Did she say where he lived?’ said Ren.

‘No,’ said Ingrid.

‘ But you thought she had met up with him in Chicago?’ said Janine.

‘No, no — I thought that maybe he could have known her friend, or followed Laura... or waited with the friend if he had heard Laura was going to visit. I’ve had all day to think these things... but nothing came close to the reality.’

‘Does the father of the baby know that she’s pregnant?’ said Janine.

‘I don’t know,’ said Ingrid.

‘When did Laura tell you she was pregnant?’ said Ren.

‘About six weeks ago,’ said Ingrid.

‘And did she plan to continue to work for you?’ said Janine.

‘Absolutely,’ said Ingrid. ‘Obviously she would be taking some time off, but...’ Her voice cracked and she began to cry again. ‘I’m so sorry,’ she said. ‘I just can’t believe this is happening. The baby, everything, it’s just so sad. Laura’s had a tough time, she was a strong person to come through that, and this is what happens? It’s so wrong.’

‘I know,’ said Ren. ‘So, Laura’s baby was due in September...’

‘Yes,’ said Ingrid.

‘And what was the plan in terms of work?’ said Ren.

‘Well — we summer in the Hamptons,’ said Ingrid.

Summer is not a verb.

‘We were happy to hire staff there,’ said Ingrid, ‘and Laura would be back to work when she was ready. This might not sound orthodox, but, as I said, we’re like family.’

‘And, speaking of family,’ said Janine, ‘do you have details of Laura’s?’

‘That’s another tragic story,’ said Ingrid. ‘Her parents both passed away in Ireland within a few years of each other. Laura was still in college at the time. Laura’s sister, Saoirse, had already moved to New York and Laura followed her over. Within months of Laura arriving, her sister died.’

‘How?’ said Ren.

‘She was out... partying,’ said Ingrid. ‘It was Laura’s twenty-first. Saoirse fell down some stairs at a bar. She’d been drinking. It was just a freak thing.’

‘That’s a lot for Laura to have gone through for such a young woman,’ said Ren. ‘What kind of support did she have?’

‘Well, me,’ said Ingrid. ‘And some friends, but not many. She was a sweet, shy kind of girl.’

‘And where did she hang out in New York?’ said Ren.

‘Different Irish bars,’ said Ingrid. ‘I don’t know which ones. You might find out more on Facebook... I presume you’ll be checking that? But she really hadn’t gone out much in the past few months. She said she just didn’t feel like it. We’d stay in and watch TV, watch movies — if Robert was working late or traveling or out at a function that I wasn’t attending.’

‘Can you think of anyone who might have wanted to harm Laura?’

‘No... but do you not think this was random?’ said Ingrid.

‘We don’t know yet,’ said Ren.

‘Mrs Prince,’ said Janine, ‘Laura had a return ticket from Denver to Chicago, but she chose to drive a rental car back.’

‘What?’ said Ingrid. ‘I have no idea why she would do that. That’s a long drive... especially if you’re pregnant.’

‘Did you speak with her over the weekend?’ said Janine.

‘She just called me on Thursday night from Chicago to say that she had arrived safely,’ said Ingrid. ‘And she said she’d see me Sunday. Last night...’

‘Were you to pick her up at the airport?’ said Ren.

‘No,’ said Ingrid. ‘She was going to get a cab home.’

‘What time was she due back?’ said Ren.

‘I was expecting her around ten,’ said Ingrid. ‘But I had gone to bed. I was exhausted. I didn’t notice she hadn’t returned until this morning.’

‘And where was your husband?’ said Ren.

‘Robert’s been in New York for the past five days,’ said Ingrid. ‘He travels back and forth. I spoke with him last night, he asked about Laura. I said... she was late, but I was sure she was fine...’ Her eyes filled with tears. ‘I’m sorry.’

‘No need to apologize,’ said Janine. ‘Mrs Prince, can you tell us how long you’ve been staying in Golden?’

‘Since November,’ said Ingrid. ‘We were kind of using it as a base for ski season. Loveland is the closest resort to Denver, Golden’s halfway between the two...’