Dubious Justice (Justice Series Book 11) Read Online Free Page A

situation going smoothly. Why would it? Hearing about the passing of a loved one is one of the hardest things to deal with in this life. No one can tell how a person will react when hearing such devastating words. Lorne left Cara and approached Jessica. She extracted the child the woman was cradling from her grasp and took both the children out of the room. Not long after, once she’d settled the confused girls into chairs around the kitchen table, she heard Jessica sobbing and saying her husband’s name over and over again.
    The heartbreaking incident went on for more than ten minutes. In that time, Lorne tried her hardest to distract the children, asking them what they liked to do best with their parents and about places they’d visited. Lorne found it hard at first, not having dealt with children as young as Paul Lee’s daughters were in years, but then Cara made it easy for her to slip back into conversing-with-kids mode as she was a little chatterbox.
    “Daddy takes me to the pool on Saturdays. He’s teaching me to swim,” Cara said, a huge smile lighting up her face.
    “That’s lovely, sweetie. Are you a good swimmer?”
    Cara’s head bobbed eagerly. “Oh yes, with my arm bands on.”
    “It’s been ages since I went to the pool. Do you enjoy swimming, Cara?”
    “Sometimes! Maybe not so much in the cold weather.In the summer, it’s much betterer.”
    “Do all of you go to the pool, or is this little one too young for that just yet?”
    “We all go. Mummy sits and watches. She hates the water. It scares her.”
    “That’s a shame.” Lorne’s heartstrings tugged mercilessly at the thought of the kids’ enjoyment being disrupted, now that their father was no longer around—yet another blow for Jessica Lee to deal with, unless another member of the family volunteered to step into her husband’s shoes, and keep the children’s swimming lessons going.
    Katy appeared at the door to the kitchen. Lorne looked up and noticed her partner’s sad expression. Katy did not usually show such emotion on the job. “It’s time to go, Lorne.”
    Lorne rose from her chair, and Cara reached over and grabbed her wrist. “Lady, please don’t go. I don’t want to be here with Mummy on my own.”
    Lorne sat down again with a thump and held the little girl’s hand in her own. “I have to go, sweetheart. Mummy will be okay. If you children are good for her, then it will help ease her pain more quickly.”
    “Mummy is upset, which makes me upset. I want my daddy. Where’s my daddy?” Cara’s tears cascaded down her plump, flushed cheeks.
    Lorne and Katy just stared at each other, neither of them knowing what to do next. Thankfully a brighter-looking Jessica swept into the room to care for her children.
    Katy cleared her throat. “Will you be all right, Jessica?”
    “We’ll cope, Inspector. I’ve just called my mum. She’ll be over in half an hour.”
    “That’s good to hear. Look, here’s my card. If you need my help at all, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me.”
    Jessica took the business card from Katy and placed it on the kitchen table. “Thank you. Just promise me that you’ll keep me informed with your investigation and that you’ll find whoever did this.”
    “You have our guarantee on that, Jessica.”
    Lorne and Katy showed themselves out of the home and walked in silence back to the car. Once inside, they both let out the heaviest of sighs.
    Lorne spoke first. “How awful. Why would anyone kill a family man in such a manner? Why?”
    “It’s beyond me. According to Jessica, her husband had never had a cross word with anyone in his life. Hey, let’s hold off on speculating too much about the case until Patti gives us the PM report, eh!”
    “Yep, agreed. Where to now?”
    “On to Paul Lee’s workplace, I guess. Maybe we’ll hear about a different side of the victim from his workmates. Who knows?”
    Lorne very much doubted her partner’s statement would hold much truth once