Little Boy Blue

127

It felt like she was in the middle of a nightmare. Charlie stood still in the middle of the room, making little effort to help the SOCOs who manoeuvred around her. Helen was innocent – she had to be innocent – and yet she had led them here. The phone looked like it was Paine’s, the hoodie was hers and the cigarettes that lay half smoked in the ashtray were unquestionably Helen’s brand. The coffee cups were Costa not Starbucks, the sandwich wrappers were from the local deli by the station… The place even smelt of Helen – her signature Obsession perfume seeming to hang in the room. This was her space, her brain, but still it made no sense.

Sanderson walked swiftly past towards Meredith, brushing against Charlie as she did so. It was a subtle reminder that they were here to do a job, to gather and process the evidence. Charlie had played her part in Helen’s capture, but it had been Sanderson’s persistence and instincts that had brought them to this place and she clearly felt that she was in charge. Had her colleague been driven by conviction or ambition? It probably didn’t matter – either way she was well placed to step into Helen’s shoes if – when – she was charged with triple murder.

Charlie would suffer as a result. Her life would be made as difficult as possible and she had no doubt that, before the end of the year, she would find herself in Gardam’s office, asking for a transfer. Perhaps this was no bad thing. How could she carry on now that her mentor had been disgraced? How could she look anyone in the eye when it appeared her faith had been badly misplaced? Tonight was Helen’s nadir, but Charlie felt her life unravelling too. They had been so close – Helen was godmother to her only child. Could she really have got it so wrong? Was it possible that Helen’s barren life had finally led her to… this?

‘I’ll check the perimeter, see if we have any witnesses.’

Sanderson grunted, but didn’t look up. They both knew there wouldn’t be any witnesses on the deserted quay and that this was just an excuse for Charlie to leave the room. Perhaps she was a bad copper, perhaps she was blindly loyal, but she was still a human being. She walked quickly from the room to hide the tears that were threatening. Guilty she might be, but Helen had always been Charlie’s friend and confidante and she was damned if she was going to watch Sanderson dance on her grave.