The Sister(95)

After climbing down, he scratched his head. How did it get there?

The last time they refurbished the offices, they'd put in new ceilings. From what he recalled, the void was about two feet high, and there was no way the grid would support a person’s weight, so the phone hadn’t fallen out of a contractor’s pocket.

Someone stood on his desk and put the phone up there, but why? Did they use it as a makeshift torch? That had to be it.

He checked the contacts list on the phone for clues as to who the owner might be. Only two numbers on the phone had names; one read Danny and the other Marilyn. Both were recorded as the most recent calls, but from weeks before. Why hasn’t the battery died?

His suspicions aroused; he frowned, and checked the date and time on the phone. The time was correct, but the date was set exactly three weeks behind. If that were right, it would mean the calls had been made less than an hour ago. A feeling of dread came over him as he selected Marilyn’s name to look at the telephone number. Melissa’s! What the hell!?

It was his window of opportunity, the chance to handle things correctly. He did not know then how much rode on his decision, so he took the path of least resistance, the one he thought was least likely to result in compromising him. He thought frantically. Who else knows about Marilyn?

And if that was Marilyn – and it was – would it be too much of a coincidence, if 'Danny' turned out to be Danny Lynch?

He already knew the answer as his eyes settled on the newspaper, a distinctive boot print on it just below the headline: Kennedy Assassinated.

His blood froze. He thought frantically. Who had access to his office? Who could have left that newspaper and put the phone up there? He felt a small tug of disappointment. If someone else had said it was Tanner, he’d never have believed it – not really, but faced with increasing evidence, it was beginning to look that way. He made no secret of the fact he resented his superior’s promotion to DCI over him.

He remembered something his dad always used to say. ‘Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer.’ Looks like you were right again, Dad.





Tanner had barely warmed his chair when the telephone buzzed, he clicked the save button on the computer and picked up the phone. ‘Tanner,’ he said.

‘My office, five minutes,’ Kennedy said curtly.

‘Don’t stand on ceremony, sir, not on account of me,’ he muttered at the telephone after he’d put it down. He pushed back out of his chair.





Kennedy looked at his colleague strangely, as he entered his office. ‘Okay, bring me up to date with everything.’

He reached into his pocket to retrieve his notebook.

‘Just for once, leave your notes in your pocket. I’m fed up with the way you hide behind them, when we’re speaking.’

‘I’m sorry—?’ he spluttered, looking as if he’d been slapped.

‘Oh, don’t pull that stupid face at me, Tanner. Let’s get on with it shall we?’

Blinking with surprise and indignation, words formed, he hesitated. Was there any point trying to reason with the man when he was like this? He decided, not.

‘I have a question for you,’ Kennedy said, looking directly into Tanner’s eyes, measuring him. ‘What do you know about, Danny?’

‘Danny? Who’s Danny, sir?’

If he’s lying, he’s a great actor. ‘I think he’s a friend of Marilyn’s.’

‘Sir, you’ve lost me.’

Kennedy looked confused. If Tanner hadn’t put the phone up there, who did?



A knock came at the door and Theresa opened it, popping her head through the gap. Seeing the two of them in the middle of a conversation, she apologised, ‘Sorry. If that’s all, sir? I’ll get home.’

Kennedy dismissed her with a curt wave of his hand; she made a face and her eyes looked hurt as she withdrew.

‘Was that really necessary?’

‘No, it wasn’t, but she knows what I’m like. I’m just on edge that’s all.’

‘Speaking of which, in case you’ve forgotten,’ he said, ‘she seems to have been on edge herself. We’re coming up to the anniversary of her husband’s death. I thought you told me you were going to sign her off for a week.’

‘Yes, I did have a word with her about that,’ Kennedy sounded vague, distracted by something else. ‘But she insisted on coming in, said she was better off at work.’ The germ of an idea began to bloom in his mind, no longer listening as Tanner spoke again.

‘She lost her husband last year, sir; she’s certainly been going through it,’ he said grim faced. His chin took on a hint of dark blue in the harsh office light.

Kennedy just stared at him.





At the end of the meeting, after Tanner had left, he sat thinking. What if the two of them, have plotted this together? He quickly dismissed the likelihood, but something wasn’t right and he couldn’t fathom what it was.





Chapter 77



John Kennedy senior helped his wife settle down for the night.

Often plagued by the fear she might not wake up in the morning, she was especially anxious because she had a hospital appointment the next day. ‘Don’t forget what’s happening tomorrow,’ she reminded him.