Desolate Hearts Page 3

  Rising to her feet, she crossed the room and looked back out through the window and thought of the times she and Lasser had stood here side by side looking out at the view in silence, with so many things left unsaid between them.

  'Get a grip, girl,' she whispered before looking down at the phone and tapping out a reply to his message.

  Pausing for a moment, tears sparkled in her eyes as she pressed the send button.

  4

  The man thrust his hands through the thick snow, dislodging it from the windscreen of the van before stepping back to look up at the crystal-clear sky. Hands on hips, he drew in a deep breath, letting it out in a sigh as he pulled out his cigarettes and lit up.

  The old stone house at his back sat hunkered down amongst the ancient trees, the air tinged with the smell of woodsmoke that seeped in a thin grey trail from the chimney, marring the perfect blue above.

  He thought back to the night before and a hesitant smile crept onto his angular face, it had taken a while to find the perfect spot, now all he had to do was wait and hope that the grisly remains were not discovered before the allotted time.

  Taking another pull on the cigarette, he watched the huge German shepherd amble towards him through the trees, head lowered as it checked out the morning scents, no doubt left by rabbits and the occasional fox that would come to sniff around the chicken coops during the night.

  Walking to the rear of the van, he opened one of the doors and gave a shrill whistle. The dog lifted its shaggy head, trotted over and leapt into the back of the van. He watched for a moment as the huge animal, a low rumble coming from its throat, bared its teeth and sniffed the metal floor, following the trail of red.

  Closing the door, he looked back towards the house, his eyes taking in the small windows set back in thick dark stone, the roof smothered with snow. Checking his watch, he angled right and made his way to the coops, opening the door to let the birds out. The chickens squawked as they emerged into the alien world of white, ruffling their feathers in an effort to keep warm. Then the man lifted the lid from a metal bin and scooped out the feed before scattering it onto the snow. Immediately the birds started to feed, beaks pecking as they searched for the elusive grain.

  Taking a final pull on the cigarette, he flicked it into undergrowth and stepped out of the enclosure.

  He was ten feet from the house when the front door opened, and the boy appeared – a big smile spread across his face – wearing a dark-blue padded jacket and grey flannel pants, his sturdy boots gleaming with polish.

  'Hi, Dad,' he said, dashing through the snow.

  The man grinned before bending down and lifting his six-year-old son up into the air. 'You're running late, Sam.'

  'I tied my own laces!' the boy shouted in proud delight.

  'Did you now?'

  'Mummy wanted to help, but I told her I'm a big boy and I can do it all by myself.'

  The smile slipped from his face as he carried his son to the van and hoisted him behind the wheel. Immediately, Sam scuttled over to the passenger seat and plonked himself down in his booster cushion.

  By the time his father climbed in, he had his seat belt locked in place, when he saw his mother appear at the front of the house the boy waved, his mouth split in a grin as she waved back.

  'Cunt!' the voice inside the man's head spat.

  'Right, let's get you to school,' he said, turning his gaze from his wife who continued to wave.

  Sam nodded, his face suddenly serious as his father backed the van around before driving down the tree-lined, snow-covered lane.

  5

  Shielding his eyes against the glare of the sun, Lasser looked out at a view that consisted of undulating hills covered in white, the vista broken occasionally by a farmhouse or patch of skeletal woodland, in the distance he heard the faint sound of an elusive bittern, the booming carrying on the cold, still air.

  Bannister stood by his side, hands on hips and a smirk on his face as he peered at Lasser through blue-tinted sunglasses.

  'I take it you forgot to bring any shades?' the DCI asked, his voice laced with affectation.

  Lasser glanced at him and raised an eyebrow. 'I didn't forget, I just don't own any.'

  Bannister shook his head in disbelief, before turning to see Kelly and Belle flying down the hillside on a pair of yellow plastic sledges, their dark hair streaming out behind as they laughed all the way to the bottom.

  'You know, Lasser, you're like some primordial throwback, I dare say you would have been happy living in a cave dressed in animal skins and killing the occasional mammoth and having chips on the side.'

  'I…'

  'I'm amazed you didn't turn up with a bone through your hooter,' Bannister's teeth flashed, pleased with his quip.

  'I just prefer not to look like a posing tool. Now, do you want to race to the bottom or not?' Lasser asked before taking a pull on the half-smoked cigarette.

  'Last one to the bottom has to carry both sledges all the way back up here.' Bannister declared.

  Lasser tossed the cigarette to the ground and nodded. 'While the other one gloats?'

  'You mean while I gloat, Sergeant,' the DCI replied with confidence.

  Seconds later, they were sat on the moulded plastic, side by side, the hill sweeping down below them, their feet planted in the snow to stop them from sliding down the hill.

  'On three,' Bannister said. 'One, two…'

  'Three,' Lasser interjected, lifted his boots and was off.

  'Cheating bugger!' the DCI hissed, setting off after him.

  Lasser grinned as the sledge picked up speed, hurtling over the packed snow, his eyes narrowed against the freezing chips of ice that flew into his face.

  He saw movement to his right and Bannister appeared, his lips drawn back in a grin of triumph, his eyes hidden behind the reflective shades.

  The snow began to undulate and Lasser winced as he left the ground for a second before landing with a thud.

  Drawing level, Bannister hunched down to try and gain that extra momentum, Lasser holding on tight as his boss crept ahead.

  Then Lasser lifted his right foot and nudged it into the side of Bannister's sledge.

  'What the…!?' the DCI yelled as he slewed sideways, Lasser grinning as he went hurtling past.

  Bannister was still bellowing in outrage when the side rail dug into the snow, and then he was airborne, landing in a jumble of arms and legs, the momentum forcing him into a roll. Eventually, he came to a stop, head spinning and shades askew.

  When he looked down the hill, it was to see Lasser at the bottom, a wide grin on his face as Belle and Kelly laughed heartily at his downfall.

  'Oh, you bastard, you rotten bloody bastard,' he mumbled darkly to himself as it started to snow again.

  Two hours later, they were back at Bannister's house, the girls had rushed in to get a warm shower, while Lasser gave the DCI a hand putting the sledges into the garage.

  'I'd have won that race if you hadn't bloody cheated,' Bannister moaned as he stood hands on hips, chin jutting out.

  'Hey, it's not all about speed, you have to have the skill as well, you hit a bump and went sideways, and…'

  'You booted me, that's what you did, you sodding well booted me and…'

  'Prove it,' Lasser said straight-faced as he pulled the pack of cigarettes from his pocket and lit two before handing one over. 'Don't worry I'll stand near the door in case Suzanne comes out, give you chance to hide the evidence.'

  'Ha bloody ha,' Bannister snapped before taking two hurried, furtive puffs on the cigarette.

  Leaning against the rear of the Range Rover, Lasser looked out over the snow-covered garden and sighed in contentment.

  'What are you looking so pleased about?' Bannister questioned as he edged up to his side, his ears attuned for the tell-tale sound of footfalls through crisp snow.

  'I feel happy for once.'

  'Yeah, well, I still say Jackie will come to her senses and throw you off the boat.'
r />   'You'd love to see me walk the plank, wouldn't you?' Lasser replied as he took another pull on the cigarette.

  A robin appeared, landing on the snow-smothered lawn, looking at them with head tilted to one side.

  'Suzanne reckons you two are made for one another.'

  Lasser looked at his boss in surprise. 'She said that?'

  'According to her, Jackie's perfect for you.'

  Lasser turned to watch the robin as it hopped across the snow, its red breast ablaze.

  'I just know I love being with her,' he admitted before flicking the stump onto the garden.

  'Bloody litterbug,' Bannister scowled before doing the same with the remains of his own cigarette. 'I take it you're spending a lot of time on the boat then?'

  'Most nights.'

  'So, will it become a permanent move?' Bannister enquired.

  'Perhaps.'

  'And what about your place?'

  'Well, Karen's still living at the house and she's talking about starting up again as a beautician.'

  'She'll be looking to move out at some stage then?'

  'Well, yeah, but there's no rush. I don't want her thinking that she has to move, she's only just finding her feet again.'

  'Fair enough,' Bannister agreed.

  Belle popped her head around the corner of the garage, her black hair – wet from the shower – looked startling against the backdrop of white.

  'Hot drinks are on the kitchen table,' she said, shivering against the cold.

  Lasser smiled and raised his hand. 'We're on our way.'

  Belle grinned before vanishing back into the house.

  'I take it Odette didn't get to the party last night?' Bannister enquired.

  'Nah, I sent her a text wishing her a merry Christmas and…'

  'But it isn't Christmas yet.'

  'I know, but it's not far off.'

  'Did she reply?'

  Lasser nodded. 'Yeah, she said she got back from the Lakes around ten, apparently the snow was bad on the motorway and it took them longer than planned to get back.'

  '''Them''?' Bannister asked.

  'I think her new fella's with her.'

  'Ah, the elusive Craig,' Bannister mused. 'So, we might get to meet the man at last.'

  'Looks that way.'

  Bannister started to rub his hands together. 'By Christ it's cold, let's go and get those drinks.'

  Lasser waited as Bannister walked out of the garage, the robin remained on the ground, chest puffed out, head cocked to one side as if waiting for something monumental to happen.

  Pushing himself away from the car, Lasser found himself smiling as he walked out of the garage and into the house.

  6

  Odette was feeding money into the drinks machine when Carole Henson, cheeks flushed with the cold, walked into the deserted station cafeteria.

  'Do you want a coffee?' Odette asked.

  'Black, please, one sugar,' Carole replied, unwrapping the scarf from her neck before sitting down at a table near the window, her eyes fixed on the snowy fields that surrounded the station.

  Half a minute later, Odette sat down, placing the drinks on the table.

  'So, how did the holiday go?'

  'Hard work trudging through the snow, but it's beautiful in the Lakes no matter what the weather.'

  Taking a sip from the plastic cup, Carole smiled. 'Good to get back to work though?' she asked with a heavy dollop of irony.

  'Well, I could have done with another week sitting in a nice country pub with the log fire burning.'

  'Couldn't we all?'

  'Have things been quiet while I've been away?' Odette asked, glancing out of the window, seeing the snow start to fall again.

  'We've had the usual run up to Christmas – drunk and disorderly idiots – but nothing too harrowing.'

  'Let's hope it stays that way.'

  'I'll drink to that,' Carole replied as she raised the plastic cup before taking another sip of the coffee.

  They fell silent, the radiators on the wall gurgled with hot water as they fought to keep the cold at bay.

  'I hear Lasser's living on a boat at the moment.'

  Odette smiled and nodded, the cup raised to her lips.

  'Have you met the woman in question?' Carole asked.

  'Not yet, but I'm glad he's met someone at last,' Odette replied, placing the cup back on the table.

  'He's not the only one who's seeing someone new, is he?'

  Odette sighed. 'OK, whose been gossiping?'

  Carole looked at her with confusion in her eyes. 'Gossiping?'

  Odette folded her arms. 'His name is Craig and we've been seeing one another for a few months, it's nothing serious but we like the same things and…'

  'I was talking about PC Spenner,' Carole interrupted.

  Odette blinked as she realised her mistake, her cheeks heating up as Carole looked at her keenly.

  'Well, you kept that quiet, which is no easy thing in this job.'

  'Alan Bannister knows and…'

  'What about Lasser?'

  Odette nodded. 'Lasser too.'

  'So, what does this guy do for a living?'

  Winter sunlight sparkled at the window and Odette turned slightly in her seat to avoid the glare. 'He used to be in the army, but now he works at an Outward Bound Centre in the Lakes.'

  'Bet he keeps you fit,' Carole said with a mischievous grin.

  Odette sighed at the witticism. 'Like I said, we're just friends, but he's a nice guy. In fact, he's travelled down with me for Christmas and New Year.'

  'Ah, so we get to meet and grill the man?'

  'He's out walking over Rivington way this morning, he knows I'm working, so we'll just have to see how things pan out.'

  Checking her watch, Carole rose to her feet. 'I take it you're catching up on paperwork while you have the chance?'

  'Yeah, I have one or two things to sort, so with a bit of luck I'll get to stay in a nice warm office for the day.'

  'I thought you said you'd spent a week out in the Lakes in thick snow.'

  Smiling, Odette stood up and gathered the two cups before dropping them into the flip-top bin. 'I did, but let's face it, you can have too much of a good thing.'

  Carole laughed in understanding as they headed for the door, the radiators continued to rumble, outside the snow continued to fall.

  7

  The towpath was smothered with virgin snow, the whippet dashing through the white as Lasser and Jackie walked hand in hand towards the boat.

  'I never realised your boss was so competitive,' she said.

  'I just hope you never get to see him in full meltdown mode,' Lasser replied as he lifted the hood on his jacket, their boots making a satisfying crunching sound in the thick snow.

  'I thought he was going to throw a wobbly when I was helping Suzanne with the mince pies and he wanted more brandy in the mix.'

  Lasser's lips curled in a smile. 'Last year he made the cake around September time and started feeding it brandy. Suzanne caught him more than once sneaking down in the middle of the night to give the cake more ''nourishment'' as he called it.'

  'That's serious OCD stuff.'

  'One slice and you were over the limit,' Lasser replied as the last of the dying sun burst through the snow-heavy clouds, bringing them both to a halt.

  'I love days like this,' Jackie said, hugging Lasser's arm tighter to her side.

  He looked at the reflection of the sinking sun in the water before tilting his head skywards, enjoying the final hint of warmth on his face.

  'I should have moved onto a boat years ago,' he said, his breath billowing out.

  'You really like it, don't you?'

  He looked at her and nodded. 'I love it, if I had done then I might have met you sooner.'

  She smiled before thumping his arm. 'Smooth talker.'

  'I'm being serious.'

  She looked into his eyes, a snowflake landed on the tip of her nose and melted. 'I know you are, but we can't turn th
e clock back, we met at the right time, that's the only way to look at it.'

  Lasser thought for a moment before nodding. 'Agreed.'

  The whippet went hurtling by, her paws throwing up scatterings of snow, as the sun vanished beyond the wooded horizon.

  They set off walking again, the wide-beam barge slowly coming into view through the falling snow. The fields to the left and right transformed by the covering of glistening white.

  By the time they made it back, Poppet was waiting at the small double doors, curled tail wagging between her legs.

  Climbing into the boat, Lasser slid out of his jacket, watching as Jackie clicked the kettle on, the snow in her wild dark hair melting as she made the drinks.

  With a contented sigh, he went to give her a hand.

  8

  Harrison Carter held his father's hand as the crowd jostled for a better position. They were at the front of the town centre library, the huge Christmas tree stood tall against the glass-fronted building, people shuffling forwards for a better look.

  'You OK?' his father smiled down at him, his breath wafting out in a cloud of vapour.

  'I'm fine, Dad,' he replied, as the Salvation Army brass band began to play ''Silent Night''.

  His father nodded before looking away, Harrison smiled as the music drifted out into the night air, the muted tones of the horns sounding magical to his young ears.

  The crowd fell silent apart from the occasional cough or sneeze bursting forth.

  Inside his wellington boots, the boy wriggled his toes in an effort to keep them warm, but despite his best efforts he could feel his feet growing numb, his hands felt the same way even through the Spider Man gloves he was wearing.

  A couple of minutes later, the music ended, and the crowd clapped in appreciation, then the mayor stepped forwards, a large chain draped around his shoulders. Harrison's eyes widened as the gold glittered in the half-light.

  'Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls,' the mayor said with a wide smile. 'Welcome to the Lord Mayor's Charity Carol Concert.'