Dying breath, p.4
Dying Breath, page 4
part #5 of DI Kayli Bright Series
“I’m sure. Thank you for all you’ve done for my sister so far. It truly is appreciated.”
“We know it is,” the nurse replied, laying an appreciative hand on Amelia’s arm.
Amelia returned to her family. Something inside her told her that Jess was past the worst and would regain consciousness soon, but she hoped that didn’t turn out to be wishful thinking.
A few moments later, the doctor arrived. He greeted everyone with a cautious smile and assessed Jess’s chart before he spoke to them. “Good morning, all. Jess is doing fairly well so far. Although, it’s still early days yet.”
“Any idea when she’ll wake up, Doctor?” Wes asked.
“No. The body is very complex, and not everyone reacts the same. Her body will guide her and wake itself up when it can cope better.” He left them to continue his rounds.
They spent the rest of the morning reminiscing old times in the hope that hearing their laughter would help Jess regain consciousness.
At around one that afternoon, Jess’s machine flatlined. The family was rushed off the ward, and the doctor appeared within a few minutes. The nursing staff worked hard on Jess for the next twenty minutes until the doctor emerged, his shoulders slumped in resignation. “I’m sorry. We did all we could, but her body couldn’t deal with her significant injuries.”
Wes took a few steps forward. “But you told us this morning she was getting better.”
“I’m not sure I said that exactly. I felt she was no worse than yesterday. Sometimes the body shows signs of improvement before it goes into decline. We have no way of knowing which way things are going to go. I’m sorry, Jess just wasn’t strong enough to cope with the pain she was suffering.”
Amelia comforted her mother as the shock finally gave way to the tears. Although she was devastated by her sister’s passing, she felt relieved that she had gone. She realised how debilitating it would have been for Jess to have been possibly confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life. She wouldn’t wish that on anyone, especially someone as active as Jess.
CHAPTER THREE
Kayli Bright crept around the house that morning, not wishing to wake Mark. They were still working opposite shifts. He often got home from his shift at the nightclub as a doorman at gone five in the morning. It was harder than either of them had anticipated when Mark had taken the position. Sundays were different, of course, which they spent mainly in bed. But both of them wanted more than that.
Between them they were trying their hardest to find Mark a more suitable job with better hours, although, he’d said that he loved the job itself. It wasn’t what he’d expected, but it was the hours that were getting both of them down. After two months of barely seeing each other for an hour a day, the newlyweds were desperate to spend some quality time together.
Kayli feared what would happen if something didn’t come their way soon. It wasn’t his fault—he was trying his hardest to find another job, but they were proving too elusive to find.
They’d been through enough turmoil in their lives in the last few years. She loved Mark more than she’d ever loved any other man in her life, but the strain was starting to affect their relationship. Snippy remarks when they saw each other were becoming the norm and getting Kayli down. The more she raised the subject, the more Mark rebelled.
She sat at the kitchen table, mulling over the situation while she ate her toast and drank her first cup of coffee for the day. She was at a loss to know what to do best for both their benefits. She would never dream of giving up her job on the force.
She washed up her plate and cup and set off for work. When she arrived at the station, she was thrilled to see her partner, Dave, doing an Irish jig after he left his car and walked towards her.
“Yes, I’m free. Free and whole again.”
Kayli laughed. “I’m glad to see it. How does it feel not having that cast around your leg, matey?”
“It feels wonderful. I had the best night’s sleep in ages last night—well, that was after Suranne and I made up for lost time…you know, in the sex department.”
Kayli raised her hand. “Whoa! Hang on, Dave. That’s too much information for my delicate ears, especially at this hour of the morning.”
Dave’s cheeks coloured up. “Sorry, boss. It’s natural for guys to speak about such things openly.”
“Maybe with other guys, but not with me. Got that?”
“Who’s rattled your cage? Oh, wait—I know what your sharp tongue is about. You’re not getting it, so you’re taking it out on me, yes?”
“Wrong! End of conversation. My sex life is my own affair. Right?” Kayli turned on her heel and stomped towards the entrance of the station.
Dave mumbled something indecipherable behind her before his footsteps slowly followed her up the stairs.
She turned mid-flight. “Sorry, Dave, you didn’t deserve that. I’m glad you’re free again. This should be a joyful occasion, and I’ve put a dampener on it. Forgive me?”
He swerved to avoid her and grumbled, “Nothing to forgive.” Then he chuckled and said, “Race you to the top.”
Kayli took the stairs two at a time, but he still made it to the top ahead of her. “You cheated.”
“Nope, you’re out of shape. Which goes back to our conversation in the car park about sex.”
She jabbed him in the stomach, hard enough to make him bend over and cry out in pain. “I warned you to leave it.”
He held up his hands and pulled himself upright. “All right, you didn’t have to do that so hard.”
“Take the hint and leave well alone in future. Let’s see what’s on the agenda for today. We’ve had a few crappy cases to deal with lately. I need something with a bit of meat on it to sink my teeth into to get my juices flowing again.”
“You’re such a carnivore.” Dave laughed as they entered the incident room, where Donna and Graeme were already at their desks.
“Hi, guys. Anything juicy for us today?”
Donna shook her head. “Sorry, boss. Nothing as yet. Good to see you off your crutches, Dave. That must be a relief.”
“It is. Thanks, Donna.”
Kayli raised her hand to prevent him saying anything else. “Donna, did you have to mention it? You’re lucky you didn’t get the response I did downstairs. I know more about his sex life than I do my own.”
The group roared with laughter as Dave’s cheeks flared up for a second time that morning. “Ha bloody ha! My lips are sealed on that particular topic from this day forward.”
“Can I get that in writing? That way, I can dangle the sheet of paper under your nose as a reminder now and again, just to keep you on track.”
“You’re full of it today, boss. I feel sorry for Mark if this is the kind of mood you’re in around him.”
“It’s not. You insensitive b…” Anger bubbled to the surface. She avoided saying anything further to Dave and walked over to the vending machine. After choosing a white coffee with one sugar, she left the group and headed for her office.
Donna tutted and said something to Dave. He sounded dumbfounded when he responded to his colleague’s telling off. “What did I say? I was only joking. Not my fault she’s had a sense-of-humour transplant lately.”
Kayli slammed her door shut. It didn’t take long for her to regret snapping at her partner. He was right, though—she was wrong to bring her foul mood to work with her. It was totally out of character.
She spent the morning immersed in paperwork and ventured out of her office at around twelve. Then the team went over the case files that were completed and awaiting the next step in the process. The top one caught Kayli’s eye. It related to the woman who had attempted to kill Dave by running him down, hence why he’d been on crutches for the past six weeks and driving her nuts. “How do you feel about this, Dave?”
He shrugged. “What can I say? She deserves everything coming her way and more for what she put those poor people through—and for what she did to me, of course.”
“Are you going to be able to face her in court?”
He nodded and folded his arms. “Too right. ‘Bring it on,’ I say. She’s going down for life, that one. My evidence will simply be the longest nail in her coffin.”
“As long as you’re all right about it, that’s fine by me. What else have we got, Donna?”
“More court dates that are pending and a few snippets we have to chase up from forensics pertaining to cases that are due to go to court next week. I can do that for you this afternoon, boss. I’ve got nothing else planned.”
“Excellent news. No new cases to deal with at present? I can’t believe the people of Bristol are behaving themselves for a change.”
Dave tutted. “Famous last words. That’s bound to open the bloody floodgates now.”
As if on cue, the phone on Donna’s desk rang. “Hello. Donna Travis. How may I help?” Donna sat back in her chair and smiled. “Hi, Paula. Long time, no hear. How is married life treating you? Oh right. What can I do for you, in that case? Before you say anything else, I’m going to put your call on speaker, so my boss can hear what you have to say.”
Kayli frowned and walked closer to Donna’s desk. “Hello, Paula. This is DI Kayli Bright. How can I help you?”
“Hi. Look, first of all, I’m not sure I’m doing the right thing ringing you at all about this, but I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t tell someone about what I’ve discovered.”
“We’ll decide if we can help once you tell us. Please, don’t be nervous,” Kayli reassured her.
“I work at Hawthorn Stables. Not sure if you know where that is?”
Donna quickly typed the name into the computer and nodded. “I’ve got it up on the screen, Paula. Carry on.”
“Well, a few days ago, one of our customers came to pick up her horse, took him out for a ride, and had a dreadful accident. She fell off her horse. The sad part is that yesterday, she died in hospital. I’ve been tasked with cleaning up the stable where she kept her horse, and well… I’ve found something that doesn’t sit right with me. I was hoping Donna would help me out, perhaps tell me I’m being foolish or whatever before I go and see my boss about it.”
“We’ll try and help if we can, Paula,” Donna said. “What have you found?”
Paula sighed several times before she spoke again. “I think Jessica—that’s the lady who died—well…they recovered her saddle and when I looked it over…umm…I think her saddle was tampered with.”
Kayli’s eyebrow shot up. “Are you sure about that? Could the saddle have been damaged during the fall?”
“I’m pretty sure. Oh God, I’m going to get into trouble for contacting you about this… Maybe I’ve done the wrong thing.”
“No, you’re right to ring us, Paula. Do you want me to come down and take a gander? I’m willing to do that if only to put your mind at rest.”
“It’s up to you. All I can say is that in my experience, I’ve never seen a saddle damaged in this way before. I’m also aware that Jessica was a very experienced rider, and it would have taken a lot to have knocked her off her horse. She fell on a fallen tree trunk and ended up breaking her back. It was Nutmeg, her horse, who returned to the stables by itself that prompted us to send out a search party for her. I can’t believe she’s dead. That type of thing just doesn’t happen around here, you have to take my word on that.”
“Okay, I’m listening, and I don’t like what I’m hearing. My partner and I will head off now and be with you in around thirty minutes.”
“Oh my, the boss will be furious that I’ve gone behind her back. Is there any way you can keep me out of it? You know, say you’re following up on Jessica’s accident or something along those lines?”
“Leave it to us. We’ll be subtle, I promise you. Just act surprised when you see us.”
“Thank you. I hate being underhanded like this. I hope I’m not giving you the wrong impression.”
“Not at all. I respect your honesty and admire you trying to do what’s right. We’ll see you soon, Paula.”
“Okay. Bye for now.”
Donna ended the call. “That’s so unlike Paula. I hope she’s wrong. I dread to think the hassle this could cause, not only for Paula but for the poor victim’s family, as well.”
“You’re right. It’s a tough situation to tackle. We’ll tiptoe around the issue to begin with. Don’t worry. Your friend did the right thing getting in touch with us. Dave, are you ready? We should leave now.”
“Ready and raring to go. Fit enough to chase anyone who decides to leg it out of guilt, too.” He grinned broadly and did another jig.
Kayli shook her head in despair. “Hopefully it won’t come to that, but we won’t know that until we get there. While we’re gone, Donna, can you do some background checks on the stables and the owner for me?”
“I was thinking along the same lines, boss. I’ll have the information ready for you when you get back.”
~ ~ ~
Kayli and Dave arrived at the large stables on the edge of the village at Failand. “Looks like a well-established place. I envisioned it being smaller for some reason,” Kayli said.
“Not heard of this place myself. Not that I do a lot of horse riding in my spare time, but Suranne used to at one point, before she had the baby.”
“I’d advise her not to take it up again in the near future, at least until we figure out what’s going on around here. We might dig up some horrifying tales in our quest to find the truth.”
“Crap, I hope not, for the owner’s sake.”
“Let’s take this nice and easy, all right?”
“Hey, the ball’s in your court, boss. I’m easy with following your lead on this one.”
They left the car and walked into the stable’s courtyard, where several people had their horses tied up outside the stables and were either hosing their animals down or grooming them. They approached the lady nearest to them and Kayli asked, “Sorry to interrupt. Can you tell me where I’d find the owner?”
“The office is just around the corner. You can’t miss it,” the young woman said, pointing over to the left, past the last stable in view.
“Much appreciated, thank you.”
They walked past the rest of the stalls and located the office straight away. Kayli opened the half-glazed door and stepped into a reception area that was no bigger than twenty-feet square. A younger blonde lady sat at the nearest desk, and an older woman was sorting through paperwork at the rear desk. Both women looked up as Kayli and Dave entered.
“Hello there. Would either of you be the owner of this establishment?” Kayli enquired.
The older woman stood and approached them, a smile stretching her ruby lips apart. “That would be me for my sins. I’m Susan Lord. How may I help you?”
Kayli flashed her warrant card in the woman’s face. “DI Kayli Bright, and this is my partner, Dave Chaplin. It’s just a general enquiry really. We heard about an incident that happened here a few days ago, and we’re following up on that.”
“You’re talking about the accident Jessica Porter had whilst out riding her horse?”
“That’s the one. Are you aware that Jessica has since lost her life?”
Susan’s head dropped slightly as sadness touched her features. “Yes, painfully aware. Jessica was not only a customer of mine, but a dear friend, too. Shocking news for all of us to comprehend.”
“As with enquiries of this nature, we’ve been tasked with just ensuring everything was as it should have been regarding the equipment Jessica was using. Would it be acceptable to take a look at her saddle? I’ll gladly obtain a warrant if you object, of course.”
“Nonsense. Why would I object? I’ll take you over to the stable she used for Nutmeg during his stay with us.”
“Is the horse still here?”
“Sadly not. Wesley, her husband, dropped by yesterday to inform me that someone would be picking Nutmeg up, as he’d sold him. To tell you the truth, I was shocked when he told me that. It all happened so quickly.”
“Within a day of his wife’s death—that does seem odd.” Kayli nodded at Dave, motioning for him to jot down the information.
“On the one hand, I can totally understand where he’s coming from. It would be a dreadful reminder coming here every day to take care of the horse and being reminded that if Jessica hadn’t fallen, she would still be with us today. On the other hand, I know Cathy loved Nutmeg as much as Jess did. Not sure how Cathy has taken what her father has done, if she knows, that is.”
“It’s a difficult dilemma for sure.”
“I’ll take you to the stable now. I asked one of the staff to clear it out this morning. I need to get the stable filled pretty swiftly. Empty spaces are lost money to a livery owner, as you can imagine.”
“I can. So Jessica’s equipment is still here then? Isn’t that strange? I mean, I would have thought it would have been sold along with the horse, or am I misreading things here?”
“No. That rarely happens. Riders usually stick with the equipment they already have. They get used to riding in the same saddle—I suppose it’s akin to wearing in a pair of shoes. He’ll probably end up selling it on eBay or something. I can’t see Cathy wanting it,” Susan added with a shrug. “I’ll show you where everything is, and you can judge for yourself.”
Kayli and Dave followed Susan across the yard to a stable that smelled of fresh hay. She led them to a small room at the rear and pointed out the equipment arranged neatly on a small table. “It’s all there. Looks like Paula has finished cleaning up in here.”
“Would it be possible to speak to Paula before we go?”
“Of course. Any reason why?”
“Just a few enquiries about the equipment and if it’s all here—that type of thing.”
“I’ll track her down and send her in to see you. Mind if I get back to work?”
“That’s fine. We don’t want to hold you up.”
“No problem. Always happy to help the police with their enquiries. You know where I am if you need me.”
“Thanks, you’re very kind.”
