‘He could have been selling or buying dodgy gear, or drugs.’
Morgan rubbed his chin. ‘Maybe. Let’s take my car and go and talk to the staff of The Red Lion.’
‘Sounds like a plan,’ Karen said, forcing a smile and falling into step behind her boss.
They followed the marked trail out of the trees and on to the open grassland of the common. Below them, the city of Lincoln was spread out in a sprawling circle. Karen studied the grand, gothic cathedral perched on top of the opposite hill, and morbidly wondered how many murders had occurred within sight of the spectacular building over the years.
As they made their way to Morgan’s car, Karen tried to shake the sense of unease that prickled at her skin.
It wasn’t like her to shy away from a case. But she couldn’t ignore the fact she found the link to The Red Lion very disturbing indeed.
CHAPTER FOUR
Once they were in the car, DI Morgan said, ‘Tell me about the owners of The Red Lion.’
Karen fastened her seatbelt. ‘It’s owned and run by Rod and Patricia Perry. The pub is freehold.’
If it had changed hands, she would have known. She was sure the couple were still there. Karen lived only a mile away, in Branston, and despite her best efforts to exist like a hermit for the past five years, her next-door neighbour, Christine, simply wouldn’t allow it. A gentle, motherly woman, Christine had supported Karen through the darkest days of her life and continued to do so even now. She kept Karen up to date on all the local gossip. If The Red Lion had changed hands, Christine would know, and she would have told Karen.
‘They’re in their late fifties,’ Karen said. ‘They have a son, but I can’t recall his name. He’d be in his teens now, I think. They’re a bolshy pair and don’t get on well with the police, as you might have guessed.’
‘No convictions?’
Karen shook her head. ‘Not unless they’ve been charged with anything new in the last few years. If you want, we could run a background check at the station before we pay them a visit.’
She saw the look of surprise on Morgan’s face and looked away. Why was she trying to get out of this meeting with the Perrys? It wasn’t like her to try to delay things. She was normally the one wanting to push the investigation forward, and it was DI Morgan who was the more cautious, ‘let’s play everything by the book’ officer.
They’d been driving for less than two minutes when the large red brick building came into view. ‘The pub is just there,’ Karen said.
Morgan slowed and indicated before turning into the car park. ‘I think it’s worth talking to them now. The first few hours after a murder are crucial. We need to speak to them before our leads grow cold.’
‘Yes, of course, you’re right.’
‘I was wondering, don’t take this the wrong way, but—’
‘Whenever someone says, “Don’t take this the wrong way”, they’re planning to say something the other person won’t like,’ Karen said.
Morgan smiled. ‘I’m just curious. We’ve worked together for a while now, and you’re not the type of officer to abruptly give up on a case for no reason. If you suspected the Perrys of criminal conduct, why did you drop it?’
Karen had known this was going to come up, but that didn’t make answering the question any easier. She stared straight ahead, not wanting to look Morgan in the eye as she spoke. ‘When we got the warrant to search the Perrys’ property, it was just before Josh and Tilly died. After the accident, I wasn’t at work for a while, and my cases were handed over to other officers. By the time I came back to work, the case had been closed due to lack of evidence, and my boss kept me busy with other things.’
‘Sorry, I should have guessed that from the timeline.’ Morgan exhaled a long breath. ‘Five years.’
‘Yes, five years,’ she said quietly. ‘I can hardly believe it’s been that long.’
Karen stared at The Red Lion as Morgan pulled into a parking space. There were only two other cars parked on the cracked concrete.
Two overflowing large black bins sat next to the side entrance. The front of the pub had been coated in pebble-dash and painted terracotta. The dull paint was old and flaking away in sections. A large sign protruded from the side of the building. It displayed an image of a red lion with a curly mane on a gold background. It too had seen better days.
As they got out of the car, the wind picked up, blowing a discarded Coke can that rattled across the concrete. The sign creaked as it swung back and forth.
Karen shut the car door then paused, fighting the desire to get back in the car and drive away. Her chest tightened at the thought of going back inside that pub.
The small dark windows looked like eyes, watching her with malevolent intent.
Karen shivered.
The Red Lion. She had to swallow hard and turn away. Five years ago, when she’d last come to this pub, her life had been perfect – or as near to it as possible. She hadn’t known that then. The morning they’d got the warrant, she’d snapped at Tilly for spilling her breakfast cereal and rushed off without talking to Josh. She wished—
Karen shook her head, trying to focus on the job.
Get it together.
‘Are you okay?’ Morgan asked, pressing the button on the key fob to lock the car. ‘You seem shaken. What exactly went down between you and the Perrys?’
‘We didn’t really hit it off,’ Karen said, reluctant to elaborate. ‘You’ll understand when you meet them.’
A suspicious thought wormed its way to the front of her mind before she could push it away. She’d visited the Perrys just before the accident. Had they been responsible? Involved somehow? No. That was very unlikely. Though Karen suspected something about the accident had been hushed up, the Perrys didn’t have the clout or influence needed for such a cover-up.
She glanced back at the car. Would Morgan think less of her if she asked for someone else to take over her role on this case? Would he understand? She glanced at him, serious and unsmiling. An outsider might think he looked cold and uncompassionate, but Karen knew better. He’d be quick to reassure her, understanding if she explained. But she wasn’t going to fall apart. She didn’t need his compassion. It was just a pub, and the Perrys were just an obnoxious couple on the wrong side of the law.
Yes, the case brought back memories of the worst time of her life, but that was over. She’d moved forward. This was Karen’s job and she was good at it. She was sick of sympathetic looks and people treading on eggshells when they were around her.
She wouldn’t crumble when faced with the Perrys. She was stronger than that.
Karen marched towards the pub’s main entrance. The doors were locked. It was only four thirty, and the pub didn’t open until six.
She pressed the doorbell, and then used the large brass knocker for good measure.
When the door was finally unlocked, it was only opened wide enough for a dark-haired woman to stare out at them suspiciously. Karen could just make out the woman’s round, pale face and dark eyes. Patricia Perry. Karen would recognise her anywhere.
It seemed the same was true for Patricia. Her eyes narrowed as she focused on Karen. ‘Oh, it’s you,’ she said with distaste. ‘I thought we’d seen the last of you.’