Dubious Justice (Justice Series Book 11) by M A Comley Page A

end.”
    “Never thought of that. I hope you’re wrong.”
    The door swung open, and the rest of the team filtered in. Lorne filled them in and asked them all to revisit what they’d been working on the day before until any new information came to hand. Then she walked along the corridor to DCI Roberts’s office.
    His personal assistant welcomed her with a warm smile. “He’s just on the phone, Sergeant. Or should that be ‘Acting Detective Inspector’?”
    “It should be, yes, but you know me—I’m not really one for blowing my own trumpet.” She let out a large breath. “Looks like we have another body to contend with. I just hope it’s not connected.” She looked at her wrist, noting the time—almost nine o’clock. Come on Sean. Time’s marching on.
    “Oh, how awful. There’s no such thing as being safe nowadays, is there?” Sean’s assistant stated. “Ah, he’s finished his call.” She leapt out of her chair and knocked on his door. When beckoned, she opened the door and announced Lorne’s arrival.
    Lorne thanked the woman and walked into Sean’s office. “Morning. How’s things?”
    “Social call is this, Sergeant? And there was me thinking you were knee-deep in a murder investigation.”
    Lorne pulled a face at him. “I’m just heading out to another scene and wondered if you intended tagging along?”
    “I see. Another victim to do with the case you’re already working, do you think?”
    “My list of attributes might be extensive, but being a mind reader isn’t one of them, Chief. I won’t know until I attend the scene and see for myself. Are you coming with me, or am I going it alone?”
    “Like I told you yesterday, I’ll be partnering you on this investigation.”
    “Then I hate to rush you, but I think we should get our arses over to the scene ASAP.”
    Sean pushed back his chair and hitched on his jacket. “Then what are we waiting for? My car or yours?”
    Lorne shrugged. “Couldn’t give a damn, sir.”
    He winked at her. “I can tell this is going to be fun. Just like old times when we were first starting out on the job.”
    Lorne turned on her heel, swept her mid-length brown hair over her shoulder, and mumbled, “Christ, I bloody hope not. You were even more insufferable back then.”
    Patti and her team were already in attendance when Lorne and Sean pulled into the car park. Lorne flashed her ID at the uniformed officer behind the crime scene tape.
    “Hi, Patti. I’m not sure if you’ve had the pleasure of meeting my boss before or not. This is DCI Sean Roberts.”
    Patti showed her bloody gloves as if apologising for not shaking his hand. “Pleased to meet you. No Katy?”
    “No, she’s been called away on a family emergency, hence me being lumb… I mean, hence me being partnered with DCI Roberts. Can you tell us if the cases are connected at all, Patti?”
    “I’ve only been here a short time myself, Lorne. However, my initial findings are intimating that might be the case.”
    “How can you tell, Patti?” Roberts asked as he bent down to study the body.
    Lorne tutted and handed him a spare pair of plastic gloves from her jacket pocket. “You might want to put these on, sir, before you go any nearer to the body.”
    Sean looked up and glared at Lorne. “I’m well aware that I shouldn’t touch the body without protection, Sergeant. I’ll thank you not to treat me like a novice.”
    Patti and Lorne exchanged glances. Then Patti pointed out that the body had a head injury similar to the first two victims’. “The only thing different that I’ve picked up so far is the fact that there was no hosepipe used. That could be a case of the murderers becoming sloppy, or it might indicate the likelihood of them being disturbed around the time the murder was being committed.”
    “Which is probable, given the location. Why is the murderer carrying out these crimes in such public locations?” Sean asked.
    “That’s what we’re trying to figure out,