Lee Weeks - Frozen Grave

‘Think so, guv. Looks like his mates have gone. Shall we get back in the car and search for them or do you need a coffee first, guv?’

‘No.’ He looked up and smiled. ‘I need a Scotch… and a bloody big one.’ He straightened up. ‘That’s enough of an adrenalin rush for one day. Ring Robbo and make sure Toffee’s kept under guard at the hospital. I want to talk to him as soon as he’s able and if he makes it. The patrols will have more luck finding Toffee’s mates than we will. You’re right – I need a cup of coffee.’ Carter took off his coat and began beating the dust out of it with the back of his hand. ‘I don’t reckon these men will have gone far.’ Carter looked forlornly at the dirt on his sleeve. ‘Christ Almighty – if there’s one thing I hate!’

They stopped at a café Carter knew well – he ordered aubergine pasta bake whilst Willis had a burger and fries.

He stared at her eating. It was something that both repulsed and fascinated him. ‘You eat like it’s your last meal and you’ve only got seconds to eat it,’ Carter said as he picked at his food.

Willis didn’t answer; she opened the burger bun and squirted on more ketchup. Carter’s phone rang whilst they were eating. He talked and ate one-handed.

‘Robbo? How did they say he is? Both legs? Shit! Yes, I’m fine. Have the patrols located his mates yet? What about Balik? No, we’ll keep looking when we finish here: we’ll call in at a few more homeless hostels in the area, and then we’ll head over to the hospital.’

He finished his call and continued to watch Willis eat.

‘I thought you were going to take a holiday after Christmas, but you came straight back to work. What happened – you changed your mind?’

She shrugged as she licked ketchup from her fingers.

‘I thought you and Tina had it all planned. You were off to Cancún or somewhere? To drink buckets of booze and party hard?’

‘I decided to wait a while.’

‘For what?’

She pushed a chip around the salt on her plate.

‘Just wasn’t the right time.’

‘You okay?’

‘Yes, guv.’

‘Don’t “yes, guv” me, Ebony Willis. I want to know what’s up with my partner.’

She stopped eating and pushed her plate away.

‘My mum tried to commit suicide.’ She made fleeting eye contact with him and then she took a sip of her Coke.

‘Shit. When?’

‘Christmas Day.’

‘Jesus… I didn’t know she wasn’t coping. Sorry – I’ve been so preoccupied with my dad and his cancer, I had no idea, Eb.’

‘She’s been self-harming.’

‘Shit, Eb. Any idea why?’

‘I missed some appointments to go and see her. I’ve been busy and… I found excuses, I guess.’

‘Stop there, Eb…’ He leant in to emphasize. ‘ Do not blame yourself for anything your mother does or doesn’t do. She’s a past master at manipulation.’

‘Yeah. I know. But she is still my mum and I should have gone to see her.’

‘Okay, go and see her then. Can I suggest you go soon and get it over with?’

‘We’re busy.’

‘I can spare you for a couple of hours.’

‘Is he awake?’ Carter asked the nurse escorting them through to Intensive Care later that day – she had a sweet fresh face that belied the fact she’d been out partying the night before and was chewing gum to hide the smell of alcohol. Her badge said Ivy Miller .

‘Has he said what his name is, Nurse?’

‘Yes. Michael Hitchens. He came round briefly before he went down to theatre – he’s had both legs amputated from the knee but he has complications that we are keeping an eye on. He sustained a head injury. He asked me to ring the man who runs the hostel where he stays sometimes, to come and be with him.’

‘Simon Smith?’

‘Yes. That’s right. I asked the front desk to phone him.’

Carter glanced at Willis. She knew what he was thinking.

‘Can we see him straight away, please, Ivy? Can I call you Ivy?’ Carter tried his caring smile that said:

‘We’re the good guys, help us out here.’

‘Yes. Okay. Just take it gently.’ She hesitated. ‘When I got him undressed he had a lot of money on him.’

‘How much?’

‘Two hundred and fifity pounds and some change.’ Inside the room, there were so many connecting wires and tubes from machine to patient that it was difficult to get close to him. Carter walked round to the left-hand side and watched as Ivy checked the machines.

‘Michael?’ Carter said. Willis waited at the foot of the bed. ‘Toffee? Is that your name?’

He nodded his response. Ivy leant in to speak to him.

‘There are police officers in the room, Michael; they want to talk to you. Do you think you can?’ His eyes fluttered, he looked at her, and then followed her gaze to Carter.

He nodded, cleared his throat as he said, ‘Hope you aren’t hurt?’ to Carter. He struggled to talk, but when he did, he had the voice of a retired English teacher. Ivy fed a drinks tube into the side of his mouth to help with his dryness.

Carter shook his head. ‘No, I’m not hurt. I’m just sorry I couldn’t get you off the track in time. Are you the man who made the call about the dead woman, Toffee?’

‘Excuse me?’ Simon Smith opened the door and stepped inside. He looked annoyed to see Carter and Willis. He walked straight round to the opposite side of the bed to Carter and took Toffee’s hand into his.

‘Toffee? Is there anything I can do for you? Do you want the officers to leave?’ Toffee shook his head.

‘We need to talk to you about Olivia Grantham who, died on Parade Street,’ Carter persisted, and Ivy flashed a concerned look at him as machines registered Toffee’s heartbeat climb. ‘You had Olivia’s phone. Did you see what happened to her?’

Toffee turned away from Carter and sucked on the drinks tube again.

Toffee’s eyes stayed on Simon, who held tightly to his hand. He was struggling to breathe.

‘I tried to help her, I swear. It all went wrong.’ He looked at Simon.

Simon nodded. ‘It’s okay, Toffee. You don’t have to say anything.’

Toffee screwed up his face in pain as he tried to swallow. The nurse fed the drinks tube back into his mouth. She looked anxiously at Carter. Willis was watching the machines. Toffee’s pulse was climbing fast. Carter leant nearer to him. Toffee kept his eyes fixed on Simon.

Carter spoke softly. ‘Did you get paid to kill her, Toffee?’

Simon looked towards the nurse to stop the conversation. ‘Don’t talk any more, Toffee, rest. Nurse?’

Toffee shook his head, agitated.

‘I tried to protect her but…’ His voice rasped as he struggled to talk and breathe. He clutched at Simon’s hand. ‘Find Mason.’ The machines around Toffee squealed out their alarms and flatlined. Ivy pressed the emergency buzzer. She pulled Simon out of the way and began resuscitating. Carter and Willis moved to the back of the room as the resusc team arrived and Ivy ushered the detectives and Simon outside.

‘You have to wait in the corridor, I’m sorry.’

‘Ivy – we need the clothes that he came in with,’ said Carter.

She nodded. ‘I’ll get them for you. What about the rest of his belongings? The money?’

‘We’ll take those too, please.’

They were left alone in the corridor as they watched through the window at the frantic efforts to keep Toffee alive.

Carter turned to Simon. ‘Mason, the lad with the dog? That’s who he’s talking about?’

Simon shook his head. ‘I’m not sure.’

‘He seemed to think you’d know. I hear Toffee is a father figure to some of the younger ones, Mason included. He asked you to look for him. He must think you have a chance of finding him. If it’s the same lad we saw – he definitely needs help with the injuries to his face.’