“What I’m about to tell you does not leave this room, okay?”
Helen was now back in the incident room. Charlie, Bridges, Grounds, Sanderson, McAndrew—they’d all been summoned to a team briefing and were listening, tense and expectant. They nodded in unison to Helen’s question and awaited more.
“So far our killer has targeted five couples. Every one of them is connected to me in some way.”
A visible reaction from the team, but no one was prepared to interrupt Helen in this mood, so she carried on.
“Marie and Anna Storey. I helped save them from the mob. Ben Holland, born James Hawker, was about to be murdered by his deranged father when I intervened. Martina, our prostitute, was in fact Matty Armstrong, a rent boy who was tortured and abused by a gang of men until my colleague and I saved him.”
Another murmur from the team.
“Diane Anderson, then pregnant, was in a pileup near Portsmouth. Louise Tanner and I were working in Traffic then and we helped save her and her unborn baby, Amy. Diane never came forward because she wasn’t traveling with her husband at the time... but she’s admitted it now.”
“And Mickery?” Finally someone dared ask a question. McAndrew was the brave one.
“Mickery and Sandy were a bonus. A little joke at our and their expense. The killer obviously thought we weren’t catching on quick enough so decided to send us a message. Mickery was released on the condition that she seek me out with the following phrase: ‘I commend you.’”
The phrase hung heavy in the air. No one ventured a response.
“I was given official police commendations for all but one of the incidents I just mentioned. Our killer has deliberately targeted people whom I helped and has endeavored to destroy them. It doesn’t matter to her if they are killed or do the killing. They are ruined either way. She enjoys that unknown quantity—it gives the whole show an element of surprise for her.”
The obvious question was, “Who’s the killer?” So Helen was impressed by Charlie’s response.
“Did you receive any other commendations?”
Another buzz from the team. Then Helen replied:
“Yes, one. A young Australian called Stephanie Bines. She was working as a barmaid in Southampton. She witnessed a shooting down near the docks, opted to testify, and then an attempt was made on her life. We protected her that day and the arrests we made helped send a whole gang to jail. I’ve already sent uniform to her last known address, but I want a couple of you on it straightaway. Not you, Charlie.”
Charlie sat back down as Helen nominated two other members of the team. Then Helen pulled her aside.
“I want you to do something else for me and I want you to do it as quietly and carefully as possible. Understood?”
Charlie nodded.
“Louise Tanner was working with me the day we pulled Diane Anderson from her car and all those victims from the wrecked bus.”
Helen hesitated briefly—was this the right move?—then carried on.
“She didn’t... she didn’t cope too well in the aftermath. Never went back on full duty again and dropped off the radar completely a little while later. I want you to find out everything you can about where she’s been and what’s she been doing, and you tell me and me alone, okay?”
“Of course, boss. I’m already on it.”
“But before you go, I need to have a chat with you about something else. There’s going to be the mother of all situations here soon and I need you to help me manage it.”
“What do you mean?”
“Mark is innocent. He didn’t sell us out.”
Charlie looked at her, eyes wide. Helen had destroyed his life for nothing?
“I know who did sell us out. And it’s going to tear this place apart. I’m going to need you by my side to keep everyone calm and focused. Corruption is one thing, but we’ve got a killer to catch. Whatever happens here, I want us to keep driving forward until the job is done. Can I rely on you?”
“Hundred percent.”
And Helen knew she could. This investigation had been a nightmare and the worst was yet to come. But Charlie had proved herself during the course of their hunt and Helen was glad she would be there, or thereabouts, at the conclusion.
Which was why she felt so bad about deliberately misleading her now.
