Hi everyone. Hope you like my next attempt. A bit of a time-travel story!
Unsolved
Chapter 1
"Detective Sergeant Byrne?"
Isabella looked up from at the secretary calling her name and stood. Well, this was it. This was what would decide her future. Isabella's - or Izzy, as she preferred to be called - stomach seemed like it was full of a myriad of winged insects doing some sort of aerobatic display. She tried to calm herself, telling herself that there was nothing to worry about, and that everything would be fine. She walked towards the big, imposing looking door and opened it. Inside sat three official looking men behind a table. This was it. Her disciplinary.
The reason for her being given a disciplinary seemed not a little unfair. She had, yes, made a few errors in dealing with a certain case, but if the person involved hadn't been a Lord, none of this would have happened. She and her superior officer, Detective Inspector Bridges had been called to the scene of a crime in the Belgravia area of London, where a woman had been found hung. She was the wife of a Lord Christopher St. Thomas, a member of the House of Lords. Halfway through the investigation, DI Bridges had been struck down with some mystery illness, and due to staff shortages, Izzy had been given responsibility for the case, and an opportunity to prove herself. She had arrested Lord St. Thomas, the evidence meaning she was absolutely certain of his guilt. However, the day after his arrest, the pathologist had got in contact with her to say that there had been a mistake. Lady St. Thomas had committed suicide. Despite Izzy's apologies, Lord St. Thomas had been absolutely furious, and had demanded that she be subject to a disciplinary. Which was the reason that she had today come to New Scotland Yard.
What was even worse was that Izzy's brother worked at The Yard. Izzy was one of four children, and the second youngest. The eldest was Peter, who was in his early thirties and a Detective Inspector. He was hailed as one of the best Inspectors in the Met by his superiors, and Izzy found it a little difficult to keep up with her high-flying brother. It was why she worked twelve or even fourteen hour days, signed up for various training initiatives, and never seemed to have much of a social life. When her colleagues were going out for a drink at the end of the day, Izzy worked for another four hours, then went to the gym, and then went home. Izzy's sister was twenty-eight and a bit of a super-woman. Janey managed to juggle two small children, a husband, and a job as a barrister, and still always looked blonde and immaculate. Izzy was the exact opposite to her older sister in many ways. She had never had a boyfriend, was the only one of her siblings who had inherited their mother's dark hair and eyes, and was tall and athletic, whereas her sister was petite and slender. Izzy's younger brother, Barnaby, was 19 and at Cambridge University, studying Law and International Relations. His ambition was to work for the government. Izzy cringed as she pictured her sibling's faces if she lost her job. No, she would think positive.
She nodded to the three men in front of her and took a seat. One, she recognised as her boss, DCI Daniel Summers. He smiled at Izzy encouragingly. He had always had a bit of a soft spot for the young and dedicated Sergeant. The other two men were slightly familiar. They were both older, with greying hair. One, she remembered, was Daniel's boss, Detective Superintendent Gladstone. The other also looked familiar but she couldn't quite place him…
"Detective Sergeant Byrne," DCI Summers said "may I introduce Detective Superintendent William Gladstone and Sir Robert Matthias." Izzy felt a lurch in her stomach, when she realised who the man was. The Commissioner. The Head of the Metropolitan Police. Izzy realised then how much trouble she was in. Summers continued "Detective Sergeant Isabella Byrne."
Gladstone looked at Izzy coldly and said "I hope, DS Byrne, you realise the gravity of the matter."
"Yes sir."
"Lord St. Thomas is one of the most affluent members of the House of Lords in the country. He could make us doing our jobs very difficult."
"I understand that, sir."
"I do not see how you could have gone so wrong."
"I'm sorry, sir, I truly am. But I did receive erroneous information from the pathologists on the case…"
"You cannot shift the blame to someone else, DS Byrne. You should have checked the pathologist's report and asked for a second opinion."
"I did sir. The problem was that my suspect was about to leave the country. I believed that I had all the evidence I needed to arrest him for murder."
"Well, you were wrong, weren't you?"
"Yes, sir."
Gladstone turned to the Commissioner "My opinion, sir, is that this officer should be sacked from the police service."
DCI Summers spoke up "If I may say something sir? I believe that sacking DS Byrne from the Met would not be completely wise. She is a first class police Officer, and if I might say that she is being used as a scapegoat by Lord St. Thomas and by the service. If the accused was not a member of the house of Lords, I daresay we would not be having this conversation."
Gladstone snarled at him "Are you suggesting…?"
"Gentlemen!" Sir Matthias said, and immediately the two men were quiet. The Commissioner turned to Izzy "You are the sister of DI Peter Byrne, are you not?"
Izzy grimaced. Why was it that every time she had a conversation with someone, they would always have to remind her what a wonderful brother she had? "Yes, sir."
"He is a marvellous police Officer."
"So I have been told, sir."
"DS Byrne, do you enjoy your job?"
"Yes, sir. Very much."
The Commissioner sighed. "I see. Detective Superintendent Gladstone has made a valid point. St. Thomas has a lot of friends in high places. And I agree with DCI Summers. I grieves me to say it, but you are being made into a scapegoat. I have no doubt that you are a first class Officer, so I will offer you a choice. Either you resign from the service, or you are demoted to a uniformed Police Constable, with no access to becoming a Detective. I will not sack you, but I will give you the chance to choose."
Izzy thought about it only for a moment. She thought about the looks of disappointment on Janey and Barnaby's faces, and the look of triumph on Peter's face on hearing the news that she had been demoted "I'll resign, sir."
Summers started to say something, but was silenced by the Commissioner, who said "Very well, Miss Byrne. I will not expect you to work your month's notice period."
"Thank you, sir."
Gladstone left the room, seemingly triumphant, and ready to go and tell St. Thomas the 'good news'. Summers also left too, looking dejected, and shaking his head as he passed her. Soon, it was just the Commissioner and Izzy left, Izzy seemingly shocked into silence, the Commissioner looking at her in pity. He stood, collected his coat, and started to leave. When he was on a level with Izzy, he stopped, and slipped her a small card with 'M.Lastoric, 17, Anthony Street, Chelsea' written on it. "I'll tell him to expect you tomorrow" the Commissioner said, and left before Izzy could ask him any questions. Confused, and feeling utterly numb, Izzy left the room, picked up her coat and bag, and walked out of The Yard.
As she walked to the courtyard outside the Yard, she heard a voice calling her name. She turned, to see Peter walking out after her, grinning. Izzy sighed and muttered under her breath "Oh, heavens…"
Peter caught up with her "so, I hear they gave you the boot? Or did you honourably resign? See, if they'd put me on that case, I would never had made such a stupid mistake."
Izzy felt the anger build up inside her "Peter, I'm warning you. Just leave it."
"Or what? Miss Byrne…"
Izzy turned to him and without warning, punched him hard on the nose, breaking it, she was sure. Peter let out a yowl of pain, as blood started to pour from his nose. "Or that!" Izzy said, turned and walked off down the road.
Peter called after her "I'll have you arrested for assault."
"You just do that." Izzy shouted back "Knowing how popular you are around here, it'll take a couple of hours for you to find a police officer who won't just laugh at you and walk away."
With that, Izzy walked off down the street, to take the Underground to Baker Street, where her flat was. When she got in, she fell back onto her bed, but felt strangely alright. She took the card from her pocket that the Commissioner had given her. Who was this mysterious 'M. Lastoric'? Why was the Commissioner sending her there? Izzy sighed, half expecting it to be some sort of shrink to stop her topping herself. There was something in the back of her mind though, that said 'Perhaps…perhaps…this is something else.' Utterly tired, Izzy fell to sleep right there on the bed, not even removing her coat. Her dreams were full of mysterious, dark-coated men, and long, long dark passages, and screams…