Left or Right?
Chapter 4 – Deterioration
Jo and Mickey returned to the Station feeling a little dejected. The case seemed to be going nowhere. They had one dead woman, one missing husband and a pool of blood. And Mickey also had a headache which was steadily getting worse.
"Apparently, Liam Travis and Lyndsey Andrews were in a Children's Home together and were close friends. But Steven doesn't like Travis very much." Mickey said slumping in a chair.
"So what have we actually got?"
"Nothin', we've got all of one suspect who has disappeared off the face of the Earth and apart from that we haven't got any leads."
"I'm going to go back to the Leisure Centre and pick up the CCTV for the whole of August and September." Jo said standing up ad heading back out.
"You alright?" Jack asked leaning against Mickey's desk.
"Yeah. It's just the case is going nowhere and my head is banging. I can't get rid of it." Mickey said rubbing his eyes.
"You look a bit red. You did get the FME to check you out earlier, didn't you?"
"Yeah, he said I'd have a headache for a while but other than that I'd be fine."
"Maybe you should go and see him again. You can't be too careful with head injuries."
"Nah, if he was worried he'd've sent me home Guv."
"Alright, but take it easy, ok?"
"Yeah Guv." The phone rang and Mickey answered it.
"Someone's just walked into the station and admitted to hitting Lyndsey Andrews this morning."
Mickey and Jack made their way down to interview the person.
"Her name's Laura Jennings, she's got no convictions, clean driving license, no alcohol in her system." Smithy said. "She's in interview room one."
As Jack and Mickey entered the room they saw a woman in her mid thirties sat at the desk, she was pale and shaking.
"Do you want a lawyer, Miss Jennings?" Jack asked gently.
"No." She replied in a shaky voice.
"Interview with Laura Jennings, present are DCI Meadows and DC Webb. You have refused a lawyer?"
She nodded. "You need to answer for the tape, please."
"Yes."
"Can you tell us what happened this mornin'?" Mickey asked.
"I was just driving to work, it was raining so I was going slowly and I had my lights on. I swear, I swear I was driving carefully. She, she just ran out and I put my foot on the break but I couldn't stop in time. It was like it happened in slow motion but there was nothing that I could do about it. I tried to stop, I did, I tried but there was nothing I could do. She just ran out." She ran her hand through her hair, tears dripping down her cheeks.
"Why didn't you stop?" Jack asked.
"I don't know. I'm so sorry. I just panicked. I didn't know what to do. I'm sorry. I don't know why I didn't stop. I don't know what I was doing. She's going to be ok, isn't she? The woman, she'll be fine, won't she?"
"I'm sorry, she died from her injuries."
"No. Oh my God. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I swear, it was an accident. I tried to stop. She just ran out. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. If I'd stopped and called an ambulance, would it have made a difference? Would she have lived?"
"There's no way we could ever know. A neighbour called an ambulance straightaway, it would've probably made no difference. The neighbour also said that she ran out in the road and that it looked like an accident." Mickey said gently.
"It is illegal to leave the scene of an accident without reporting it though."
"That woman is goin' to have that on her conscience for the rest of her life." Mickey said when they emerged from the interview.
"Yeah, she was just driving to work, had an accident and got scared. She doesn't deserve this."
"No. She..." Mickey stopped and swayed slightly. He put his hand to the wall to steady himself.
"Mickey, are you ok?"
"Yeah, I'm fine, just this headache" He said after a second.
"I really think that you should go and see the FME."
"Yeah, maybe your right." Mickey conceded.
"Guv. A body's just been pulled out of the river by the Braidly Industrial Estate, it looks like it's Steven Andrews." Smithy called from the Custody desk
"Send get forensics down there, and inform MIT. We'll head down there now as well." Without thinking twice Mickey and Jack strode out of the station and into the car park.
As they stopped at the Industrial Estate the sky cracked with huge flash of lightening and rumble of thunder, rain started pouring again, heavier than before.
Mickey and Jack were soaked within a few seconds of getting out of the car, they hurried down the slippery river bank towards the collection of police officers, paramedics and people putting the body into the body bag.
They were just zipping the bag up when Mickey and Jack got close enough to see the body.
"That's him. It's Steven Andrews." Mickey confirmed seeing his face.
"It's a murder enquiry then."
Mickey and Jack followed as the body was carried away.
"We er need to find...what was his name?" Mickey muttered blinking, he was struggling to walk in a straight line as his headache became more intense.
"Mickey?" Jack caught hold of Mickey's arm to support him as he stumbled.
"Jack?" Mickey asked, unable to focus on anything.
"What's wrong?"
"My head...I feel strange." His eye lids felt, heavy like he was extremely tired and his breathing had become slow, each breath sounded loud.
"Sit down here, Mickey." Jack said guiding him onto the low wall that ran alongside the river.
"I don't feel too good, Jack." Callum stood behind Mickey supporting him as he became drowsy.
"Mickey, look at me. Keep talking to me."
Mickey's eyes closed as he slumped backwards until he was completely supported by Callum.
"Mickey?" Jack called anxiously, fear evident in his voice. "Open your eyes, Mickey."
There was no reply. "Call an ambulance." Jack shouted. "Quick." He placed his hand against Mickey's neck to feel for a pulse.
Please review. Ten points to anyone who can correctly diagnose Mickey's condition!