To Cast a Shadow Chapter Three
Taz told his handsfree to call Shitface O’Sullivan in a voice that was far too serious for the name.
“Is this one of your brothers?” I said while it was ringing.
“The oldest. Property magnet. His real name’s Tomasz and he’s fifteen years older than me.” He stopped as the call was answered.
“Dickwad. How are you?”
I smothered another laugh.
“At work with another cop in the car. Look, I need to get in an apartment in Paradise View, New Islington. I’m on the way there now. Can you send me the number of the letting agents?” He pulled into a petrol station.
“Apologies, Detective Inspector. I wasn’t aware you had company.” The laugh voided his apology. “I think it’s Meridian. I’ll send you the number. Laters, Dickwad.” There was a long beep and the call ended.
I side glanced at Taz as he drove, noticing that hint of smile that he just couldn’t hide. “Shall we not talk about that?”
“Probably best.”
Taz called the number when it came through, the call answered by someone called Niall Tulley, and he was expecting Taz’s call.
“I’ll have one of the maintenance team there in about ten minutes. They’re on site, so shouldn’t take any more than that,” Niall said. Taz thanked him, killing the engine as well as the call.
“I need snacks.” He undid his seatbelt. “Want anything?”
“Water and a chocolate milk. Thank you.” I stayed in the car and carried on searching the internet for Chloe Bennett, dropping Vinny a text to contact me.
Taz had already started issuing instructions to the rest of team, not relying on a briefing like Wrigley had done. But then, Wrigley had mainly been in the office. I suspected Taz was rarely going to be there.
“How’s your tour of Manchester with the new boss?” He didn’t bother with a formal greeting.
“Interesting.” At some point it would come out that I already knew him, and then more speculation would start. “We’re heading to Chloe Bennett’s apartment. Have you found out if Scarlett’s living nearby?”
“She’s in Salford Quays. I’m going to head over there and see if I can speak to her. Lachy’s been onto the scrap metal yard where the car was lifted from. They reported it missing this morning and they do have CCTV, so he’s gone there. What did you think of Sully’s driving?”
I was wondering whether Vinny had a man crush. “Fine. What did you think?”
“Good. Nice car. He’s had a run out with all of us; I think it’s his way of seeing what we’re about. He’s better than Wrigley at getting the beers in on a Friday too.”
“Good to know his priorities are in order.” I was annoyed that I felt miffed that I wasn’t the only one that had been in Taz’s car. I tried to park the feeling to deal with it later. “If you’re going to Salford Quays, will you pass that sandwich shop?”
“Your usual?”
“Please, Vin.”
There was a dramatic sigh. “I just can’t say no to you, can I? See you later.”
He ended the call grumbling while I was laughing.
“Something amusing?” Taz got back in the car, passing me a bag full of treats. Chocolate, the drinks I’d asked for, sour sweets that I had at home, and a bag of crisps.”
“Vinny.” I filled him in on where he was up to. “Thanks for getting this.”
“No problem.” He opened a bottle of diet coke and started the engine. “I’m not precious about eating in the car, so go ahead.”
I attacked the chocolate.
It took us about ten minutes to get to the apartment block, the almost all newly built area a contrast to the area’s history. A woman wearing a hair net and cleaner’s uniform was outside, on her phone until we got closer.
“Are you the detectives?”
Taz nodded and showed his ID. “We are.”
“You’re here for two-sixteen? Mr Tulley said I needed to let you in.” She put her phone in her pocket.
“That’s right. We won’t need you to stay with us. Is there any CCTV that covers the entrance?” I asked, not having seen any cameras.
She shook her head, leading the way to the lift. “No. It’s due to be put in in the next couple of weeks. The apartments have only just gone up for rent. Two-sixteen was the second one someone moved into. There are only three occupied at present, but we’ve got five more moving in this week.”
“What’s your name, by the way?” I realised we hadn’t got that yet.
“Pauline Laferty. I oversee the cleaning of the shared areas in Mr Tulley’s properties.” She sounded very lofty about it.
We stopped on the second floor and followed Pauline to two-sixteen. She opened the door and then stepped away. “Just close the door behind you when you’re done. I’ll check it’s secure later.” With that, she headed off on more important business.
We both put on gloves and then I walked in first; a long corridor that led to a full height window, doors coming off either side. A couple of unopened delivery boxes and some pictures that needed hanging. There were no obvious signs of a struggle anywhere so far, nothing untoward.
Taz went into the open plan kitchen and diner, a new corner sofa facing a large wall-mounted TV, with a coffee table covered with magazines, a couple of plates with crumbs on them, and two matching mugs, one still full, the milk thickened on the top.
In the kitchen area was a couple of tubs of rocky road biscuits and mini brownies, the lid still off one of them. A box of tea bags was out on the counter near the kettle, two dried out tea bags in a dish.
“I’m going to check her bedroom.” I left the kitchen and headed to the next room along, the door closed.
Inside was an unmade king-sized bed, a millennial grey throw and white sheets.
There was a large wardrobe, but most of the clothes looked to be on the floor, although I doubted it was a mess because of a struggle; this looked like eighteen-year-old mess.
A dressing table that wasn’t as new as the rest of the furniture was overloaded with make-up and cosmetics, no order to anything, and in the corner next to a large mirror was a range of hair appliances; straighteners, a hairdryer, curling tongues and an LED mask.
I left the room and went into the next one, which would’ve been a second bedroom, but this was Chloe’s studio.
Cameras had been installed at various places, mainly angled in on a corner of the room, which had windows on two sides.
There were props ordered against one of the walls, and there was also a dressing table set up, but one she could be filmed at, possibly doing a get ready with me video and show off products she’d been gifted.
It wasn’t this that caught my attention. It was what was left in the middle of the room.
“Taz!” I yelled. Hurried footsteps followed.
“Looks like this was where she was killed.” He studied the scene. “Maybe she shows him her studio, she’s in front of him, back towards him, and he takes the opportunity.”
I was standing maybe where Chloe had been, just inside the doorway, Taz behind me. He put his hands gently around my neck, no pressure. I shuddered, feeling vulnerable, instinct telling me how to move, my rational mind kicking in.
“She’d struggled, then ended up on the floor.” I pointed to the camera that had fallen, the stand capsized. Glass was on the floor, something else had shattered. “I think she had a glass of wine or something. There’s the stem.”
“Which is probably why there’s blood on the floor. One of them rolled on the glass and cut themselves.” His hands had moved onto my shoulders and I had frozen.
I felt cold when he moved them away.
“I’ll call forensics and let them know we’ve found our murder scene.” He backed out of the doorway. “The cameras and laptop in there might tell us what time she filmed that last reel. We might even catch a break and see our killer on camera.”
“I think you’re being too optimistic.” We headed back into the hallway. There were a couple more rooms to check before we went.
Taz called it in that we’d located the murder scene, officers on their way to secure it and more forensics redeployed over to the apartment. I scanned the bathroom, finding it storing more make-up and body lotions, the shower showing signs of fake tan.
A typical teenager’s space. She’d never get to enjoy it the way she should’ve been able to; parties, heartbreaks, girls’ nights and evenings where she learned to stand her own company. It had been taken from her, her final gasps of air smothered by someone who had no right to.
I buried my anger in action, securing the scene, calling Niall Tulley and letting him know that the building was a crime scene for the foreseeable; Pauline Lafferty finding us to seek an explanation as to exactly what needed to happen.
She was surprisingly co-operative, not mentioning once about us messing up her routine.
We stood outside the apartment, seeking shade from a sun that was performing like it was on the equator.
“We know the where, and the how. We need the why, and the who will follow.” I said the words allowed, feeling Taz’s attention fall on me.
“She’s been in the media; she’s accessible and there are a lot of fucking nutcases out there. Or was it a boyfriend or someone she was hooking up with?” He checked his phone, then looked up at the sound of an engine, a response vehicle entering the car park.
“Ryan Devlin. He’d have been pissed off with her.” I threw the words out there.
“He’d be more likely to pay someone to do his dirty work, but he’s worth looking into.”
The response vehicle pulled up, two officers getting out of the car. Lachy’s car followed, and within a few minutes we had a team there, Taz giving out instructions like this wasn’t his first case.
It struck me how little I knew about him. There were basics, and more now, but in the time we’d spent together, when I’d tried digging to find out details about him, he’d been as evasive as mist. Now I knew why.