“He took another step forward. “There’s only one way to find out.”
―
M.A. Comley,
The Missing Children
“PROLOGUE Saskia Hartley knew” ― M.A. Comley, Torn Apart
“Through clenched teeth, he said, “If only you had done something, helped in some way; but you didn’t, did you? It was far easier to just leave us there, to let us rot in that shithole for years. Well, now you know how it feels.” ― M.A. Comley, Cruel Justice
“Coward. Come on.” He grabbed her hand tightly and began to descend the stone steps. Sinead dug her heels in, but when he turned and scowled at her, she relented and followed him down the stairs.” ― M.A. Comley, The Missing Children
“often as you” ― M.A. Comley, Wrong Place
“In” ― M.A. Comley, Wrong Place
“He watched her serve and flirt with the other customers. Periodically, she flashed him a toothy smile, showing off her flawless white teeth, which glistened under the lights directed at the bar. He returned her smile and added a wink for good measure. He knew women like her wanted to feel special. The pretty woman, who had insisted that he call her Brenda, fluttered her eyelashes at him as colour highlighted her slightly plump cheeks.” ― M.A. Comley, Wrong Place
“Was too much emphasis being put on employing university graduates with little or no common sense, or was it a case of the criminals getting smarter?” ― M.A. Comley, Cruel Justice
“Morning,” ― M.A. Comley, The Justice Series Books 1 & 2
“Time is a cruel thief to rob us of our former selves. We lose as much to life as we do to death.” ― M.A. Comley, No Right To Kill
“What do” ― M.A. Comley, Wrong Place
“been in a wonderful dream in a faraway unfamiliar place. Lorne stretched her arms above her head and yelped. “Ouch! I think I’ve pulled a muscle in my neck.” “I’m not surprised. That will teach you not to fall asleep at your” ― M.A. Comley, Cruel Justice
“Brenda trotted across the pavement to meet him. The engine roared into life as she opened the door and fell into the passenger seat. “Where are we going?” she asked breathlessly.” ― M.A. Comley, Wrong Place
“get a feel for the area.” “That’s decided then. I’ll give you the postcodes, and you can search your phone, see which of the areas is closest.” They spent the next ten minutes sharing information and formulating an itinerary. “That’s settled. It’s off to Gorefield first, right?” Megan said, her mood lightening a little, mainly due to the picturesque surroundings. “It certainly is a beautiful area. I’m so glad I picked it.” “Have you not been to the area” ― M.A. Comley, Web of Deceit
“8 Sam insisted they stop off at the baker’s on their way back; she had a feeling they were in for a long day. Once they arrived at the station, she told Bob to go on ahead while she hung around to speak to the desk sergeant. “Do you have anyone free, Nick?” “I can always find someone to help you out, Inspector. What do you need?” “A team of officers, actually. They need to go out to the Chatley farm in Mosser, more to the point, the surrounding area. Knock on the neighbours’ doors, see if they saw any suspicious vehicles in the area in the last few days.” “I can instigate that for you. Leave it with me.” “Good, thanks, Nick. Let me know if they come up with anything. I won’t be holding my breath. I think we have a crafty killer in our midst.” Nick tilted his head and winked. “They all slip up sooner or later, you know that as well as I do.” “How true.” She smiled, turned and tapped the number on the security keypad which released the door. Wearily, she made her way up the stairs to the incident room. She paused, wondering whether she should take a detour to the chief’s office, to keep him up to date. Her stomach rumbled which helped to make up her mind. The chief could wait. The incident room was buzzing, but it quietened down as soon as she entered the room. “Don’t let me stop you. Let’s get lunch underway and chuck around a few ideas while we eat, yes?” Bags rustled and Bob joined Sam at the drinks’ area. He added sugar to the cups. She touched his forehead. “Are you feeling all right?” He tutted. “Bugger off. I thought I’d better show willing, considering you bought the sandwiches.” “Thanks, it’s appreciated. I’m sure the rest of the team will agree.” Between them they handed around the drinks. In between bites and sips, Sam ran through what they had discovered up at the farmhouse. Crap, I wish I’d finished my lunch first. Her stomach objected and she placed half of her sandwich aside, to maybe go back to later. “That’s what we have, ladies and gents. Any suggestions?” Claire raised a hand, lettuce poking out from the corner of her mouth. She finished what she was chewing on and wiped her lips with a serviette. “Sorry about that, boss. Messy eater, I know, Scott’s always saying the same. Going back to the case, do you want me to delve into their backgrounds, the three who knew each other? Would that help?” “Anything we can find out about the three of them is going to help, Claire, so go for it. They’ve been friends for over fifty years, I seem to recall, so they might have a few skeletons in the cupboard to” ― M.A. Comley, To Die For
“our love didn’t end when your life did. I will love and miss you until the day I die!” ― M.A. Comley, Torn Apart
“moment” ― M.A. Comley, No Hiding Place
“Fifteen minutes later, she was in the spare room, drying her hair with one hand and trying to fasten her blouse with the other. Mark had gone back to sleep and was snoring quietly.” ― M.A. Comley, The Missing Children
“You screamed and cursed like a woman possessed. Now you think he’s the greatest thing under the sun.” “Point taken. I just know it’s not going to be easy obeying the rules of a new kid on the block. Que sera, sera. Anyway, I’ve come to the conclusion that there’s no use worrying about things beyond my control.” The chief proved how well he knew her and asked, “Are you and Tom having problems?” He reached across the desk and placed a hand over hers. Tears of frustration sprang to her eyes. Without looking up she replied, “Sorry, sir. Slip of the tongue. Ignore me. That package probably affected me more than I realised.” He gripped her hand tightly. “Look at me, Lorne.” She obeyed him. “If you want to talk any time, you know where I am.” Easing her hand from under his, she said, “I’ll remember that, the next time we have an argument and I’m contemplating my life’s journey at three o’clock in the morning.” “Ah, don’t think the wife would be too keen on that idea, do you?” They both smiled, and Lorne stood up to leave the room. “I meant what I said, Lorne. Don’t ever forget it.” She nodded and left his office. As she headed down the corridor towards the conference room, she took a few deep breaths to help push down her bubbling emotions. Chapter 26 “What have we got?” Lorne asked, walking into the incident room. “At 4:32 AM, a suspect delivered the package. Take a look.” Pete nodded at Tracy, and she started the video. A shudder ran up Lorne’s spine as she watched a man, dressed from head to toe in black, deposit the box on the top step of the station. He arrogantly stopped to wave at the camera, obviously knowing his every movement was being taped. His hooded sweatshirt obscured his face; it was impossible to make out his features as he mocked the camera. “Is there any way we can find out how tall he is? It would be a start.” “I’ll line a few of the guys up—varying heights, of course. See what we can come up with. I’ll get on it straightaway,” Pete said. Lorne and Tracy checked the video, frame by frame, for clues. Nothing—no rings, no glimpses of tattoos. Nothing. Mitch burst into the room and threw himself into one of the vacant chairs. He placed a list on the table and slid it across to Lorne. “Fifteen perverts in and around the Chelling Forest area.” “By ‘perverts’, I take it you mean registered sex offenders, Mitch?” she asked, studying the list. “Actually, what I meant to say was, there are fifteen names on the list—thirteen sex offenders and two registered paedophiles.” ― M.A. Comley, Cruel Justice
“PROLOGUE Saskia Hartley knew” ― M.A. Comley, Torn Apart
“Through clenched teeth, he said, “If only you had done something, helped in some way; but you didn’t, did you? It was far easier to just leave us there, to let us rot in that shithole for years. Well, now you know how it feels.” ― M.A. Comley, Cruel Justice
“Coward. Come on.” He grabbed her hand tightly and began to descend the stone steps. Sinead dug her heels in, but when he turned and scowled at her, she relented and followed him down the stairs.” ― M.A. Comley, The Missing Children
“often as you” ― M.A. Comley, Wrong Place
“In” ― M.A. Comley, Wrong Place
“He watched her serve and flirt with the other customers. Periodically, she flashed him a toothy smile, showing off her flawless white teeth, which glistened under the lights directed at the bar. He returned her smile and added a wink for good measure. He knew women like her wanted to feel special. The pretty woman, who had insisted that he call her Brenda, fluttered her eyelashes at him as colour highlighted her slightly plump cheeks.” ― M.A. Comley, Wrong Place
“Was too much emphasis being put on employing university graduates with little or no common sense, or was it a case of the criminals getting smarter?” ― M.A. Comley, Cruel Justice
“Morning,” ― M.A. Comley, The Justice Series Books 1 & 2
“Time is a cruel thief to rob us of our former selves. We lose as much to life as we do to death.” ― M.A. Comley, No Right To Kill
“What do” ― M.A. Comley, Wrong Place
“been in a wonderful dream in a faraway unfamiliar place. Lorne stretched her arms above her head and yelped. “Ouch! I think I’ve pulled a muscle in my neck.” “I’m not surprised. That will teach you not to fall asleep at your” ― M.A. Comley, Cruel Justice
“Brenda trotted across the pavement to meet him. The engine roared into life as she opened the door and fell into the passenger seat. “Where are we going?” she asked breathlessly.” ― M.A. Comley, Wrong Place
“get a feel for the area.” “That’s decided then. I’ll give you the postcodes, and you can search your phone, see which of the areas is closest.” They spent the next ten minutes sharing information and formulating an itinerary. “That’s settled. It’s off to Gorefield first, right?” Megan said, her mood lightening a little, mainly due to the picturesque surroundings. “It certainly is a beautiful area. I’m so glad I picked it.” “Have you not been to the area” ― M.A. Comley, Web of Deceit
“8 Sam insisted they stop off at the baker’s on their way back; she had a feeling they were in for a long day. Once they arrived at the station, she told Bob to go on ahead while she hung around to speak to the desk sergeant. “Do you have anyone free, Nick?” “I can always find someone to help you out, Inspector. What do you need?” “A team of officers, actually. They need to go out to the Chatley farm in Mosser, more to the point, the surrounding area. Knock on the neighbours’ doors, see if they saw any suspicious vehicles in the area in the last few days.” “I can instigate that for you. Leave it with me.” “Good, thanks, Nick. Let me know if they come up with anything. I won’t be holding my breath. I think we have a crafty killer in our midst.” Nick tilted his head and winked. “They all slip up sooner or later, you know that as well as I do.” “How true.” She smiled, turned and tapped the number on the security keypad which released the door. Wearily, she made her way up the stairs to the incident room. She paused, wondering whether she should take a detour to the chief’s office, to keep him up to date. Her stomach rumbled which helped to make up her mind. The chief could wait. The incident room was buzzing, but it quietened down as soon as she entered the room. “Don’t let me stop you. Let’s get lunch underway and chuck around a few ideas while we eat, yes?” Bags rustled and Bob joined Sam at the drinks’ area. He added sugar to the cups. She touched his forehead. “Are you feeling all right?” He tutted. “Bugger off. I thought I’d better show willing, considering you bought the sandwiches.” “Thanks, it’s appreciated. I’m sure the rest of the team will agree.” Between them they handed around the drinks. In between bites and sips, Sam ran through what they had discovered up at the farmhouse. Crap, I wish I’d finished my lunch first. Her stomach objected and she placed half of her sandwich aside, to maybe go back to later. “That’s what we have, ladies and gents. Any suggestions?” Claire raised a hand, lettuce poking out from the corner of her mouth. She finished what she was chewing on and wiped her lips with a serviette. “Sorry about that, boss. Messy eater, I know, Scott’s always saying the same. Going back to the case, do you want me to delve into their backgrounds, the three who knew each other? Would that help?” “Anything we can find out about the three of them is going to help, Claire, so go for it. They’ve been friends for over fifty years, I seem to recall, so they might have a few skeletons in the cupboard to” ― M.A. Comley, To Die For
“our love didn’t end when your life did. I will love and miss you until the day I die!” ― M.A. Comley, Torn Apart
“moment” ― M.A. Comley, No Hiding Place
“Fifteen minutes later, she was in the spare room, drying her hair with one hand and trying to fasten her blouse with the other. Mark had gone back to sleep and was snoring quietly.” ― M.A. Comley, The Missing Children
“You screamed and cursed like a woman possessed. Now you think he’s the greatest thing under the sun.” “Point taken. I just know it’s not going to be easy obeying the rules of a new kid on the block. Que sera, sera. Anyway, I’ve come to the conclusion that there’s no use worrying about things beyond my control.” The chief proved how well he knew her and asked, “Are you and Tom having problems?” He reached across the desk and placed a hand over hers. Tears of frustration sprang to her eyes. Without looking up she replied, “Sorry, sir. Slip of the tongue. Ignore me. That package probably affected me more than I realised.” He gripped her hand tightly. “Look at me, Lorne.” She obeyed him. “If you want to talk any time, you know where I am.” Easing her hand from under his, she said, “I’ll remember that, the next time we have an argument and I’m contemplating my life’s journey at three o’clock in the morning.” “Ah, don’t think the wife would be too keen on that idea, do you?” They both smiled, and Lorne stood up to leave the room. “I meant what I said, Lorne. Don’t ever forget it.” She nodded and left his office. As she headed down the corridor towards the conference room, she took a few deep breaths to help push down her bubbling emotions. Chapter 26 “What have we got?” Lorne asked, walking into the incident room. “At 4:32 AM, a suspect delivered the package. Take a look.” Pete nodded at Tracy, and she started the video. A shudder ran up Lorne’s spine as she watched a man, dressed from head to toe in black, deposit the box on the top step of the station. He arrogantly stopped to wave at the camera, obviously knowing his every movement was being taped. His hooded sweatshirt obscured his face; it was impossible to make out his features as he mocked the camera. “Is there any way we can find out how tall he is? It would be a start.” “I’ll line a few of the guys up—varying heights, of course. See what we can come up with. I’ll get on it straightaway,” Pete said. Lorne and Tracy checked the video, frame by frame, for clues. Nothing—no rings, no glimpses of tattoos. Nothing. Mitch burst into the room and threw himself into one of the vacant chairs. He placed a list on the table and slid it across to Lorne. “Fifteen perverts in and around the Chelling Forest area.” “By ‘perverts’, I take it you mean registered sex offenders, Mitch?” she asked, studying the list. “Actually, what I meant to say was, there are fifteen names on the list—thirteen sex offenders and two registered paedophiles.” ― M.A. Comley, Cruel Justice
