CHAPTER TEN

Sally gingerly got out of bed the next morning, sore and bruised. The mental scarring she’d acquired throughout her marriage paled in comparison to what Darryl had done to her the previous evening. He’d finally left the flat an hour after the attack began. She knew she should have reported the assault to the police as soon as he left, but just like the times he’d attacked her before, she just couldn’t bring herself to do it.

She was embarrassed. How would she be able to conduct her day-to-day business at the station, knowing that the people she worked with saw her as a victim? That thought prevented her from picking up the phone, every time.

She ran a bath then looked at her pitiful reflection in the mirror. Darryl had always hit her. In the past he’d left bruises only in places hidden from public view, but not this time. When she had flopped into bed, exhausted, the vision out of her left eye had become limited pretty darn quickly. Thankfully, the cold flannel she’d held in place whilst reliving the events in her bed, had successfully suppressed the swelling enough that her sight was at least sixty percent of what it usually was. The thought of ringing in sick never crossed her mind, though, probably because she feared Darryl would return to the flat for a repeat performance.

While the bath continued to fill, she laid out the make-up she would need far more than she usually wore to work. Frustration, pain, and stupidity ran through her like a high-speed train. Her newfound sanctuary was in tatters because of the one person she’d sworn she would never let step foot over the threshold. She should have known not to trust him. Why did I care so much about the neighbours?

After a quick bath, she applied a thick layer of make-up and pulled a black trouser suit from her wardrobe in spite of the sunshine filtering through her curtain, announcing that a warm, sunny day lay ahead.

Satisfied she’d covered the bruises, she shoved the make-up in her handbag and headed off to work without even having a cup of coffee or breakfast. The last thing she wanted to do was linger in the room where the attack had occurred. During the drive into work, she made a mental note to ring her mother and ask if she could stay there for a few days, until her fears of Darryl returning had subsided. She cringed at what her parents would say when they laid eyes on her.

She walked through the reception area with her head down then trotted briskly up the stairs to the incident room. Sally sighed a relieved breath when she found the room empty. It would give her enough time to grab a coffee and let the caffeine work its way into her system, where it could help combat her feelings of shame.

Halfway through her cup of strong black coffee, she heard the rest of the team arrive for duty. She continued with her paperwork, head down, determined to get a lot achieved early for a change. Panic struck and held a tight grasp around her heart when someone knocked on the door.

“Good morning, boss. You’re in early,” Jack said, sounding a little more cheerful than he had the day before.

Keeping her head down, she replied, “Morning, Jack. I shouldn’t be too long here. Get everyone organised, will you, please?”

“Sure thing.” He left the doorway and walked into the room. Sally froze. Out of the corner of her eye, her bad eye, she saw his shiny black shoes come to a standstill alongside her. “Boss? What’s going on?”

“Nothing. Now, shoo… some of us have important work to do.”

His hand came into view, and she tried to turn her head away, but he caught her under the chin and angled her head his way. “Jesus… fucking… Christ! How the hell did you get that?”

“I had an accident after I left the pub. Clumsy really. I went arse over tip and ended up hitting my head on the pavement.”

Jack snorted. “No way. I don’t believe you. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to believe me, Jack. This has nothing to do with you, and if it’s all the same to you, I’d just rather pretend it wasn’t there.”

“That’s gonna be hard to do. You can barely see out of it. I’m going round there.” He stomped back towards the door.

“Round where?” she shrieked anxiously.

“To thrash that son of a bitch.”

“You’ll do no such thing. You hear me?” She finally looked him directly in the eye.

“Why not? Jesus, look at the state of you! He can’t get away with that, Sally.”

“It’s over with. Just leave it alone, Jack.”

“I will not. If you don’t report him for assault, then I’ll do it.” Jack’s face grew redder and redder as he spoke.

“You can’t do that without my permission. Please, don’t subject me to any of that crap. I’ll deal—I am dealing—with it in my own way.”

“Seriously? No further action is going to come his way? With respect, boss, you need your head examined. I know what the bloody guy has put you through during the course of your marriage. Admittedly, this is the first time he’s left any physical signs of abuse, but surely that’s all the more reason to go after the fucker.”

“Jack, I appreciate your concern, but I brought this on myself.”

He threw his arms out to the side and let them slap against his thigh. “Spoken like a true victim. Have you heard yourself?”

She flinched. “Don’t let us fall out about this, Jack. I’ve stated that I no longer want to discuss this matter. Kindly abide by my wishes.”

“Yeah, I will, after I’ve taught the pillock a lesson or two.”

Sally tried to smile, but the pain in her cheek made her wince. “Heroic words that I really appreciate. However, I’d rather just focus on my work. That man has taken up too much of my valuable time over the years. I have no intention of letting him invade my thoughts a moment longer. Is that all right with you, partner?”

Jack sighed heavily. “If that’s what you want, Sally. I’ll tell you this, though, if ever that guy crosses my path, I won’t hesitate to give him a good hiding. No man should lay a hand on a woman. Ever. Those that do are bloody cowards.” He paused for a few seconds then added, “One last question and then the matter is closed between us.”

Sally prepared herself for the question she knew her astute partner was about to hit her with next. “Go on.”

Jack lowered his voice, “Is that all he did, Sally? Not that giving you a black eye isn’t enough. What I mean is—”

She held up her hand to prevent him from saying the actual words. “I know full well what you’re getting at. And no, it didn’t happen.” Sally swallowed and quickly shifted her gaze from Jack’s. I hope to God he believes me. There’s no telling what he’d do to Darryl if he ever learned the truth.

“Your word is enough for me. I still wish you’d let me have a few words in his ear.”

“It’s best left alone. I think he’s on his way to the States now anyway,” she lied, hoping to deter her partner further.

“And when is he likely to return?”

Sally tutted and shook her head. “I’m not his keeper. I have no idea, nor am I concerned. Now, let’s forget about this and get back to work.”

Jack shrugged reluctantly. “Yes, boss. What’s on the agenda today?”

“Well, I want to chase up the pathologist and see if the results from the other victims have come back yet, plus I need to ensure they’re treating Dorling’s room at the B&B and his car as a priority.”

“Okay, I’ll keep the momentum going with the team, make sure we can piece the evidence together without the usual flaws the barristers like to tear us apart with on the stand.”

“Good idea. Let’s nail the bastard down completely. One last thing before you get stuck in, Jack. How are things at home?”

A cloak of sadness shrouded his features. “We’re still trying to come to terms with things. We’ll get there. Let’s just say the atmosphere was a little less fraught at home last night between all parties concerned.”