Katrina was not an easy woman to talk to. If the conversation wasn’t about her, a second child, or a holiday to somewhere exotic in the summer, she wasn’t interested. Whenever Aaron tried to broach the subject – something he spent hours waffling and stuttering about – Katrina interrupted by shoving a holiday brochure under his nose or asking if he liked the names Garfield for a boy and Zandi for a girl.
He went to bed most nights kicking himself, and while Katrina slept blissfully beside him, he remained wide awake, fretting over how to open his heart to her. The words and the time had never arrived.
‘He’s got photos?’ Aaron asked after Matilda had told him all about the conversation with Danny Hanson.
She nodded.
‘They must be from the barbecue we had in the summer.’
‘Do you have any idea how stupid you’ve been?’ she asked.
‘Yes. I do.’
‘Not only have you ruined your marriage, but you’ve put the whole Mercer case in jeopardy. The case is due to start in November. If the prosecution gets hint of a detective sergeant sleeping with one of the witnesses, they’ll do their level best to get this whole case thrown out. What do you think that will do to little Rachel Mercer when she finds out the murderer of her father and grandparents won’t face justice because her auntie shagged one of the detectives?’
He shook his head in regret.
‘Not to mention the stress the case caused your own colleagues and the money South Yorkshire Police paid out in overtime and forensic examinations. The amount of money it cost to prepare the cases …’
‘I’m sorry,’ he interrupted feebly.
‘And look at what happened with Keith Lumb. He sacrificed his life to save me from Ladybower Reservoir. Four people died as a result of that case and it could all be for nothing because you couldn’t keep your dick in your trousers!’ she shouted.
‘I really am sorry,’ he said. ‘I know it sounds basic, but it’s the truth. I never meant for it to go this far.’
‘Well it did. And the story is going to be printed in glorious technicolour on Monday.’
‘Fuck,’ he said as he collapsed, his head landing in his hands. He started to sob. ‘Katrina shouldn’t find out like this.’
‘Then you have the whole weekend to tell her the truth.’
‘I can’t.’
‘You have no choice. You’ve fucked up royally, here, Aaron, and you have to face the consequences.’
‘I’m so sorry,’ he cried.
‘So am I. I thought I knew you better, Aaron. You have no idea how disappointed I am in you.’ Matilda’s voice was calmer, but it was still filled with venom.
The silence in the car was heavy. A light rain began to spatter on the windscreen. Matilda had a million and one things to do but she had no intention of leaving the car until she was ready.
‘What’s going to happen to me?’ Aaron eventually asked.
‘You’re suspended as of now and there will be a disciplinary hearing. Professional Standards will have to be told and they’ll launch an enquiry. You’ll be off the HMET and either be sent back to CID or sacked altogether. I’ll have to inform the CPS and the defence. Leah Mercer’s evidence may be discounted in the case. Your conduct in the whole investigation may be brought into question and if there is any hint that you acted unprofessionally, they may use that to throw the whole case out.’
‘But … I—’
‘Get out,’ Matilda interrupted. She was staring straight ahead out of the windscreen.
‘I …’
‘Aaron, I don’t want to hear any more from you. I’m so angry with you right now. The whole of South Yorkshire Police, me and my team in particular, are going to be facing a serious shit storm, and it’s all your fault. Get out of my car and go home.’
He remained seated for a few more seconds before opening the car door and letting in a cool blast of air. He stepped out and Matilda felt his eyes on her before he closed the door. She couldn’t look at him.
Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as he went to his red Ford Focus, shoulders hunched, head down, dragging his feet against the tarmac. She waited until he reversed out of his space, left the car park and turned right for home before she allowed the tears to fall.
There were some people within the press who were itching for Matilda Darke to make another mistake. They couldn’t wait to bring up the Carl Meagan case to taunt her. Once this got out, she’d be to blame. Matilda was in charge of the Homicide and Major Enquiries Team and the officers who worked in it. If she couldn’t keep them under control, how could she possibly solve the cases the public were relying on her to investigate?
She needed a break. She could feel the knot of a headache at the back of her head and she felt physically sick.
As she drove out of the car park and headed for Watery Street, there was only one solution she could think of – she would need to keep the whole Aaron Connolly affair out of the newspapers. Unfortunately, to do that, she’d have to betray those closest to her.
Chapter 42
‘I’ve been watching you for the past five minutes. You look like you’ve booked a trip on a world cruise but found out you’ll be sharing a cabin with Donald Trump and Nigel Farage,’ Adele Kean said as she entered her office. Her hair was wet and there was a strong scent of conditioner. She’d obviously recently showered after performing a post-mortem.
Matilda Darke had been waiting for her for around half an hour. There were so many conflicting thoughts going through her mind she hadn’t registered Adele’s presence. She looked up.
‘Sorry?’
‘Is everything all right?’ Adele closed the door behind her and perched on the edge of her desk.
‘No. Something bad’s just happened.’
‘Oh my God. Has someone on the team died?’ Adele asked, slapping a hand to her chest.
‘No. Nothing like that.’
Adele visibly relaxed. ‘Oh good.’
‘Adele, I really need your advice on something. Are you free to talk right now?’
‘Yes. I’ve just finished Calvin Page’s autopsy.’
‘Shit, I forgot all about that,’ Matilda said, running her hand through her hair. ‘How did it go?’
‘Blunt force trauma to the head, like I said at the scene. I’ve found samples of metal filings within the wounds. I think you’re looking for something like a hammer or a wrench, perhaps.’
‘Did you use your fancy-pants fingerprinting thing?’
‘I did. No drugs, but plenty of alcohol. I’ll send my report later today. So, come on, let’s hear all this juicy gossip,’ she said, pulling up a chair and trying to get as comfortable as she could in her incredibly cramped office.
Matilda filled Adele in on the whole story of Aaron Connolly and his affair with Leah Mercer and the possible snowball effect it would have when the case came to court in November.
‘Bloody hell,’ she said, sitting back and blowing out a breath. ‘I mean, I know all men are shits, but I always thought Aaron was a true family man.’
‘So did I. He’s bored us for years about how much he and Katrina love each other.’