Dubious Justice (Justice Series Book 11) Read Online Free

“Mummy, who is this?”
    “Hush, Cara. Let’s listen, darling.”
    Katy heaved a deep sigh. “I’m sorry to have to tell you that your husband is dead.”
    The woman stared, lost for words. As the realisation set in, she kissed both the children on the head, then tears began to trickle down her colourless cheeks. “No. He can’t be. Not Paul. He was fine when he left here yesterday. He can’t be d…”
    “Mummy, why are you crying?” little Cara asked quietly.
    “It’s all right, sweetheart. Mummy’s had some bad news.”
    Lorne got down on the floor and started to build a house with the blocks.
    Cara kissed her mummy’s cheek and crawled across the floor to join Lorne.
    The girl, snatched a red brick, then a blue one, from Lorne’s hand. “These are my toys. No one touches my toys. You upset my mummy!”
    “I’m sorry, Cara. Why don’t you show me what you can do with these bricks, eh? I’m eager to build a house of my own. Maybe I’ll be able to pick up some valuable tips from you if I watch carefully enough.”
    “Well, you put this one here…”
    Lorne had been successful in her mission to distract the girl. She heard Katy let out a relieved sigh and lower her voice as she continued to speak to Jessica Lee.
    “Again, I’m very sorry for your loss. Can you tell me when you last saw Paul?”
    “Yesterday, about eight o’clock in the morning.”
    “And he hasn’t been home since?” Katy asked. She withdrew her notebook from her pocket and took down her own notes since Lorne was preoccupied with the woman’s daughter.
    “No. He rang me last night, told me not to wait up for him as he had the chance to earn some extra money.”
    “On the side?”
    The woman looked horrified by Katy’s suggestion. “No, definitely not. Paul’s an honest man… was… where did it happen? Was it a road accident? I’ve told him to be careful driving after working such long hours.” She pulled a tissue from the box on the small table next to her, blew her nose, then using her other hand, swept her little daughter’s hair back off her forehead.
    “He was found in his van in a car park in town.”
    Jessica’s brow furrowed. “I don’t understand. What car park?” Her eyes widened as it appeared something had dawned on her. “Was Paul alone?”
    Katy nodded. “Yes. I understand what you’re implying, but in this case, we’re not looking along those lines. Not unless you’re saying we should be.”
    Jessica shook her head vigorously. “No. Paul loved me. Loved our children. In fact, when he wasn’t at work, he spent all his spare time with the family. He’d never ch…” She paused briefly then covered her daughter’s ears. “Get involved with another woman.”
    “I’m sorry to have to ask.” Katy smiled at the woman. “Okay, I’m sorry this is very awkward, but the initial signs are, until a full post-mortem has been carried out, that your husband’s death resembled a suicide.” Katy lowered her voice to say the final word.
    Jessica gasped. “No. Never. Paul would never do that—not to me, to us. Never.”
    “Like I say, that was only the initial findings. We’ll know more in the next day or two. If we can rule the first option out, then I have to ask if you know of anyone who might have a possible grudge against your husband.”
    Jessica thought for a moment or two before she replied, “No. He’s never been in debt. He certainly doesn’t gamble or anything like that.” She ran a hand over her face. “My God, I can’t believe I’ll never see him again.” Tears she’d struggled to hold back for the sake of her kids sprang from her eyes.
    Lorne glanced up at Katy. Her heart went out to the woman having to deal with such traumatic news in front of her children. If Lorne had been in Katy’s shoes, she would have insisted that she share the news about the woman’s husband’s death alone, out of earshot of the children. Over the years, she’d very rarely witnessed this kind of