Cherry Ghost

Nine

Linda checked herself quickly one more time in her drivers mirror and then retrieved her bag from the passenger foot-well next to her. Thankfully there had been a couple of vacant spaces in the car park as DI Gore had suggested. She had chosen the one nearest to the entrance to minimise the chance of an unwanted soaking if the rain that threatened overhead should start whilst she was inside. Pushing open the door to the station she was greeted with a warm blast of air and made her way to the counter in front of her.

A slightly overweight man in tired uniform sat behind a computer screen chewing on the end of a pencil. He glanced up as she walked over and stood to greet her.

"Can I help?"

"Yes, it's Linda Harper. I'm here to meet DI Gore at ten o'clock"

"Just take a seat and he'll be right out. Oh sorry, could you sign the visitors book please first?" he added with a smile.

Glancing around her she located a couple of chairs next to a small table that sported a small pile of well-thumbed and out of date magazines and took a quick look at her watch.

'Good, nearly ten, shouldn't have to hang around too long at least' she mused.

Pinned on the wall across from her was a slightly faded poster, reminding the reader of the perils of taking drugs and the consequences of being caught with them. Underneath was a list of useful telephone numbers to call in confidence should you need help or suspect anyone of supplying drugs.

Linda wondered if she would ever need to use such a service.

"S'pose that depends on how much trouble Nic has got into and the depths he has sunk to" she thouht, wondering what undisclosed secrets still lay ahead.

"Linda Harper?" a voice questioned from across the room.

Looking up to meet the voice, Linda discovered a kind face looking in her direction. A pair of brown eyes met her stare as she replied to the question.

"Yes, that's me."

"I'm DI Adrian Gore. Come this way and we can have a chat about what happened yesterday. See if we can get to the bottom of things."

Linda walked over to where DI Gore held a door open into what apparently was Interview Room 1. Taking a seat across a small table from where DI Gore had sat, she put her bag on the floor and placed her hands on the table between them, nervously fiddling her finger tips together. It had been a while since she had last been in a police station and she wasn't particularly relishing having to be in one again. That time had been in connection with a drunken evening whilst out celebrating completion of her three years at university. A night which had involved an overload of alcohol, loud cheesy music and a visit to a late night kebab joint. Although she hadn't remembered it at the time, she had been picked up by a passing patrol car after she had been caught with her pants down, quite literally, in the doorway to a local estate agents relieving herself before taking a taxi home. The embarrassment this had caused her was only equalled by the internal turmoil she put herself through that she would one day get 'found out!'

Every time she had applied for a job in the months that followed, she always wondered if someone would check into her 'criminal' past and discover that she had received a caution for urinating in public. So far no-one had, but sitting here again in a police station had set it all off again and she hoped she wouldn't be inside the station for too long. She was sure she was beginning to 'look guilty' and fidgeted nervously waiting for the inspector to speak.

She looked up and met his gaze briefly, saw that it was friendly, and relaxed a little and recounted all that she could remember. Beginning with the moment something had hit her car, right up until her attacker had whispered her daughter's name; she told it all. She had only been thankful that a delivery van pulling into the car-park had disturbed her attacker, causing him to disappear down the side alley that led out onto the main street that ran in front of her office.

DI Gore listened patiently, asked a few questions every now and then and once she had finished sat back in his chair and fixed his gaze on Linda.

"Why would someone do this to you?" he asked. A simple question. Straight to the point. A question which had been running round her mind ever since the attack. One which she had no obvious answer to.

"I'm not sure inspector. I mean I've been having some issues with my partner. We are separated at the moment, but I know he wouldn't do anything like this. He got himself into a bit of debt a few months ago, but I haven't seen much of him since he moved out to be honest"

"I'd like to talk to him anyway" he replied. "Can you give me a contact number or address?"

"Do I have to?" Linda asked.

"No, you don't, but it would help clear a few things up if you did" he replied with a quick smile.

Linda reached into her bag and took one of her cards out and scribbled a number on the back. She handed it over to him and said "That's his number. You can catch him on his mobile most times of the day."

He looked at the number and turned over the card.

"lynxs, what's this?"

"My company, it's a 'members only' introductions and dating service. I set it up a few years ago and it seems to keep the mortgage paid each month" she quipped.

DI Gore laughed and said quietly "Maybe I should give it a go!"

"Well you have my card now" Linda said, "Drop my secretary an email and we can set up an appointment whenever you want."

"Not so sure about that".

"Well, I'm never one to miss an opportunity" she replied returning his smile, her confidence beginning to return.

A spark flashed briefly in DI Gore's eyes before he stood to indicate the meeting was over.

"Well thank you for your time. It's been very useful. I'll give you a call in the next few days to give you an update. I'll try to speak with your partner to see if he can shed any light on things. In the meantime, we'll keep an eye on your daughter at her school and if you have any concerns then give the station a ring and we'll look into them straight away". Linda stood, collected her bag and followed DI Gore out of the room. As she signed herself out in the visitor's book she took a final glance at the policeman and wondered how much more she was going to have to tell him before this was all over.