PEEL-BEHIND THEIR EYES. Book 1 (Complete)

Chapter 43. Doc!

The busy streets of Grimsby grew quiet as the sun fell below the horizon. Stars blinked to life as the evening pressed on and the sky turned to black. The day's warmth whittled away to nothing and a chill settled in for the night.

Peel leaned against the front door outside his family home and with his injured arm resting in a sling, he watched his neighbor's houses drifted slowly off to sleep. He wondered how many of them knew of the day's events and how many of them in their comfortable houses watching their favorite soap operas would want to know. He shrugged his shoulders,

"What does it matter"

Peel groaned uncomfortably, even with the medication prescribed in A&E he was still in a lot of pain, but his mind was numb.

Tired and ready for a long deserved sleep of his own, Robert turned the key in the lock and entered the lifeless house. Now standing in the hallway he had dreamt about the previous night, Peel ran his hand up the wall until his fingers bumped into the light switch.

Wearily he dragged his feet along the hallway carpet, wishing he had made it to the waste paper bin in his temporary office and retrieved the bottle of whiskey. There was no alcohol left in the house and he hadn't had the time or the energy to stop at the shop. Between the hospital, paperwork and the more emotionally exhausting visit to Havers mother to give her the devastating news, Peel now felt like he could collapse into unconsciousness any minute.

His eye's all but shut, he reached around the door jamb to flick on the kitchen light. And as the light burned to life, with a start Peel stepped back and then in anger rushed forward.

"What the fuck are you doing in my house!" he shouted at the woman sat at the kitchen table.

Denise Shred held both her hands up in mock surrender at the threatening detective and with a wry smile pointed at the kitchen window and said,

"You should close your windows properly or you'll get burgled"

Peel thumped his fists down onto the table top, making the salt and pepper shakers jump and demanded,

"What the hell do you think you're doing. Get out my house before I arrest you and throw you in the cells"

Although he seriously wanted to lock her up and throw away the key both his anger and his strength had well and truly flagged and all he wanted was for her to be gone. He would deal with her tomorrow.

Ignoring his disheveled state, bandaged arm and what looked to be dried blood smeared over his arms and on the side of his face and neck, Denise shook her head and placed a sheet of creased paper on the table and said,

"I really wouldn't do that detective, not unless you want the content of this letter spread across the papers tomorrow. What we need to talk about is your mother!"

Frustrated beyond belief, Peel furiously shook his head "What is it with you and this bloody book, for Christ's sake just let it go. I have no interest in it or you, do you understand"

Peel felt the room begin to spin and sat down heavily at the table.

Denise was no longer smiling and at the mention of her book she glanced away from Peels accusing glare and said, forlornly,

"Let's not talk about my book, I'm not here about that, well not completely"

Peel shrugged his shoulders at her "Then why did you break into my house, for a cup of sugar?"

He looked closer at the paper and recognized it as the letter he had found with Rebecca, the one that should be stuffed into the pocket of his jacket, the one constable Loftis had been taking to the dry cleaners.

"Well now I know who the leak is," he thought and looking over at her, he said "So you have constable Loftis in your pocket then"

He wasn't completely surprised; the young lad had always been too eager for his liking.

Denise smiled weakly "Pocket, no! But your close" she winked.

Peel grimaced at the idea.

"I don't care what's in that letter, you can wipe your arse with it once you've finished talking through it. Just get out my house and leave me alone"

Denise narrowed her eyes and tilted her head and with a flash of insight, said "Ah! You don't know what the letter says do you, you haven't read it?"

Peel shook his head "No I haven't and I don't care to. You're the second woman today who has goaded me with it and the only one still alive" raising an eyebrow he suggested "I can change that if you like"

Seeing the sincerity in his face, she blanched and with a little bravado, said "I like being alive thanks if it's all the same to you"

Peel hated it when he was forced to repeat himself and pointing at the door, he said: "Just go!"

Stubbornly Denise held out the letter and shaking it, she said,

"Believe me Robert, you need to know what's in this letter, I mean how else will you find out what your mother and Dr. Harleson were up to back in 1978!"

Confused by the mention of his psychiatrist name, Peel demanded,

"What the hell are you talking about, what has he to do with anything and why on earth are you so bothered"

With a long drawn out sigh and as a tear rolled down her cheek, Denise said,

"Robert, my legal name is Shred but my maiden name is Harleson, Doctor Harleson if my father"

She paused, wiped her face and said "I think my father was, is the Grimsby Gouger"

THE END

(So here we are at last at the end. I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did writing it. Please vote by pressing the star and please leave a comment. Thank you for reading :-)

Don't be sad, check out the sequel PEELED RAW!