The Locked Room (Ruth Galloway #14)(86)

‘I’d love to read it,’ says Zoe.

‘Actually,’ says Ruth. ‘Zoe and I have got a story to tell you, Kate.’



‘Heard you had some fun last night,’ says Clough.

‘You shouldn’t be here,’ says Jo, but mildly. She’s always had a soft spot for Clough, thinks Nelson.

‘Too boring for you in Cambridge?’ says Nelson.

‘Yeah,’ says Clough, miming a high five with Judy. ‘Nothing going on. McDonald’s is shut. All the students have left and the criminals are all sitting at home watching box sets.’

‘It’s not too boring here,’ says Tanya. ‘I, we, have just caught a kidnapper. Possibly a murderer too.’

Nelson leaves Tanya recounting the events in Tombland and retreats to his office. He wants to check up on Leah and, though he wouldn’t admit it to anyone, his head is aching badly. He tried to find some ibuprofen in Ruth’s bathroom cupboard that morning, but it was full of tea tree shampoo and old bottles of Calpol. Ordinarily, he’d ask Leah and she’d tactfully bring him some coffee with a couple of aspirins on the saucer. But Leah is elsewhere. Nelson sends her a text, ‘How r u?’ and, seconds later, his phone rings.

‘Hi, Leah. How are you doing?’

‘OK. They’re very kind here. Even so I can’t quite relax. I keep thinking that Jay will burst in and drag me home.’

‘Has that happened before?’

‘Once. I left to go to my sister’s. Jay came after me. He even persuaded my sister that I should come home with him. Said it was all in my head.’

‘Bastard,’ says Nelson. ‘You should press charges against him. Coercive control.’ He remembers Jo making him go on a course about it.

‘He’s more likely to press charges against you for hitting him.’

‘Let him try.’

‘I can never thank you enough,’ says Leah. ‘I really think you saved my life.’

‘I wish I’d known earlier,’ says Nelson.

‘I wanted to tell you,’ says Leah. ‘But I was ashamed.’

‘You’ve got nothing to be ashamed of,’ says Nelson.

‘I know,’ says Leah, ‘but I was, all the same.’

‘Your job’s waiting for you,’ says Nelson. ‘Whenever you want to come back.’

‘I’ll be back,’ says Leah. ‘You’ll never be able to work out the new software that Jo’s ordered.’

Judy appears in the doorway. Nelson beckons her in and says goodbye to Leah.

‘Are you OK?’ says Judy. ‘You look a bit rough.’

‘I’m fine,’ says Nelson. ‘I’ve just got a bit of a headache from last night.’

‘Here.’ Judy rifles through her handbag. ‘Have some Nurofen.’

‘Thanks. You’re a lifesaver.’

‘Was that Leah on the phone? Is she still off sick?’

As succinctly as possible, Nelson tells Judy about Leah and Jay.

‘I should have guessed,’ says Judy. ‘I knew something was up. She was clearly afraid of going home. I should have known. I’ve done the training on spotting signs of domestic violence.’

‘Don’t beat yourself up,’ says Nelson. ‘I was the one who saw her most and I didn’t realise until I saw her in the house with him.’

‘She won’t be the only one,’ says Judy. ‘Lockdown will mean lots of women locked away with abusive husbands.’

‘That’s what they said at the refuge,’ says Nelson. ‘We need to think of ways for women to ask for help. I’ve heard of giving coded messages to pizza delivery guys.’

‘Steady on,’ says Judy, ‘or Jo will recommend you for a modern policing award.’

‘I don’t think so,’ says Nelson. ‘I knocked Leah’s husband out last night. That’s old-fashioned policing for you.’

‘And what was all that about you being knocked out too?’ says Judy. ‘What happened?’

‘Joe McMahon hit me over the head with a Maglite,’ says Nelson. ‘I’m not pressing charges though. He thought I was the one who’d kidnapped Zoe. Got it into his head that he was protecting Ruth. Mind you, I will be having a little chat with Mr McMahon later. He’s a little too obsessed with Ruth for my liking.’

‘How is Ruth?’ says Judy. ‘I hear she was involved last night.’

Nelson gives his DI a sharp look, but Judy’s face shows only polite interest.

‘She’s OK,’ he says. ‘It’s been an emotional time for her. Turns out Zoe’s her half-sister.’ He explains, as briefly as he can, about ‘Dawn 1963’.

‘It’s funny,’ says Judy, ‘when I saw the picture of them together, I thought they looked slightly similar.’

‘I can’t see it myself,’ says Nelson, ‘but I think it will mean a lot to Ruth. And she was really happy about Cathbad. She’s very fond of him.’

‘Cathbad says you saved him,’ says Judy.

‘He’s delirious,’ says Nelson. He’s not going to tell anyone, even Ruth, about the dark beach and the fairground music.