by Jade Winters
Ashley remained puzzled as to why Aaron had only been charged with the attempted murder of Tasha and the lesser charge of manslaughter for Miles. No charges were brought for his involvement in the murders of Esther Campbell, Tracey Carver or Amber Brooks, despite his admission to Tasha. Somehow, Aaron had managed to pin those murders solely on Miles. Ashley’s superiors had closed the case – citing lack of evidence as an excuse not to move on it. It didn’t make sense, but it wasn’t the first time she had been blocked from investigating a case. From bitter experience, she knew it wouldn’t be the last.
Ashley wiped down the worktops in the kitchen and turned the dishwasher on before returning to the living room. She plopped down on the sofa facing the chair in which Tasha sat. Ashley smoothed her hair back from her face with the palms of her hands – a nervous habit. She watched as Tasha reached for the vodka and topped up her glass with the last dregs of the bottle that had been half full earlier on.
“Do you really think you need any more?” Ashley said, knowing that the words were going to cause a fight even as she heard herself utter them.
Tasha circled the rim of the glass with the tip of her forefinger. “Thank you for your concern, Detective Sergeant McCoy, but you’re not at work now and I don’t need you dictating to me what I should and shouldn’t do.” Tasha lifted the glass in salute but didn’t drink from it.
Ashley held up her hands in mock self-defence. “I didn’t mean to sound dictatorial, but you know what the doctor said about mixing your medication with alcohol.”
Tasha snorted. “You mean the same doctor who said I’d be fine and dandy within a few weeks of leaving the hospital?” She rolled her eyes. “If it’s okay with you, I’d rather not follow the advice of a quack who doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”
Ashley glanced at the clock on the wall. It was close to midnight. She was tired and all she wanted to do was go to sleep, not spend another night arguing with Tasha while she consumed copious amounts of vodka and then passed out.
“I’m sorry.” Ashley stood up, crossed the room, and squatted down in front of Tasha so their faces were level.
Tasha glared at her. “And can you stop saying you’re sorry all the time,” she snapped. “I’m sick of hearing it.” She took a mouthful of her drink. “Sorry isn’t going to make me feel better, Ash, and neither is it going to stop me thinking every stranger I come across is going to abduct me.”
Feeling rebuffed, Ashley got to her feet. Both knee joints cracked as she did. “So, what’s the solution to all this? Because I’m out of ideas, Tash, I really am.” She rubbed her eyes wearily and sighed.
Tasha looked up at her deadpan. “There isn’t one. Unless, of course, you can make me forget that bastard’s face. Everywhere I look, there’s a reminder of him. Even my own body won’t let me forget.” She pulled up her jumper to reveal a thick, white scar across her abdomen.
Ashley winced at the sight. Even if Aaron was convicted and sent to prison, his legacy of violence lived on through his victims and their loved ones.
Tasha rose unsteadily to her feet and pushed her way past Ashley, stopping just before she reached the door. When she turned around, her lashes were wet with tears.
“I hate him! I hate that bastard! I hate what he did to me, and what he’s still doing to us! And soon I’ll have to look at his face and relive the whole thing again at the trial.”
Ashley felt her hands trembling. The fury she harboured from that fateful night lived with her every second of every day. “I know, Tash, but you can’t keep using alcohol to block out the memories.”
As soon as the words came out of her mouth, she realised how useless they were. Tasha didn’t need platitudes. She needed to see a therapist, which, up until now, she’d steadfastly refused to do. Ashley recalled Tasha as being a person who used to smile a lot. Now her face was distorted with anger and her beautiful eyes were hollow and dull.
“How else am I supposed to live with this?” Tasha spat.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ashley struggled to hide her irritation. She didn’t need Tasha laying another guilt trip on her, no matter how unintentional it was.
“You know exactly what it means.” Tasha’s voice quavered. “Night after night, I wait up for you, wondering whether the next knock on the door is going to be one of your colleagues telling me you’re injured. Or dead. You signed up for your job, I didn’t. I signed up for you, Ashley McCoy, not Detective Sergeant-in-danger-every-day-McCoy. You have no idea what I go through every single day. You’re not safe, and as that monster so vividly showed us, because you’re not safe from these people, neither am I, and I can’t deal with it. Okay? I just can’t fucking deal with any of it!”
Ashley felt the walls closing in on her. She knew Tasha was right, but there was nothing Ashley could do about it. She couldn’t change her hours or be home more, nor could she guarantee she wouldn’t be working any more dangerous cases. Unfortunately, those were the hazards of her job, but she’d thought Tasha understood that. It was who she was.
Ashley’s attitude went from contrite to confrontational. “You knew exactly what you were getting into when you got involved with me,” Ashley said. “You can’t just backtrack now because things happened that were beyond my control. Besides, I never asked you to worry about me. You’re doing that of your own free will. I can take care of myself.”
“Jesus Christ, Ashley!” Tasha exclaimed loudly. “Is it so hard to understand that I worried about you because I loved you?”
“Loved?” Ashley said slowly, a cold knot of fear twisting in the pit of her stomach. “Loved, as in past tense?”
“Of course not,” Tasha said quietly. “I’m always going to love you, no matter what, but I can’t take living in this bubble any more.”
Ashley made a valiant attempt to maintain her composure. “What are you trying to say?”
Tasha’s voice was thick with emotion. “I don’t know. I really don’t know.” She looked at Ashley with dismay, her eyes filling with tears, before turning and leaving the room.
Ashley let out a heavy sigh. Am I being fair to her, a daily reminder of the hell she went through? In her heart she knew she wasn’t, but she couldn’t let Tasha go. How could she part with someone she loved more than life itself?
Ashley glanced at the empty bottle on the table and decided to give Tasha a few minutes to cool off before she went upstairs to join her.
The light buzz of her mobile phone sounded on the coffee table. She strode over to it, checked the caller ID, and pressed “accept”. It wasn’t normal for Dale to call at that time of night, but Ashley didn’t know what normal was any more.
“I’m sorry to call so late, Ash, but–”
“–Dale, this isn’t the best time,” she interrupted in a tired voice.
“I thought you’d want to know – Aaron’s dead.”
Ashley’s pulse quickened, her senses suddenly alert. “Repeat that?”
“I said that sick bastard is dead!”
Ashley closed her eyes and tightened her fingers around the phone.
“How?”
“Dunno. He was found unresponsive in his cell on Wednesday,” Dale said. “They haven’t disclosed the cause of death yet, but there are rumours going around he had a heart attack.”
Ashley’s eyes snapped open. “At his age? Sounds pretty implausible.”
“Yeah, I know, but it might have been hereditary.”
She never thought she could feel so happy at the news of someone’s passing. Relief swept through her like a surging river. Maybe this was just the news Tasha needed in order to get help.
“Hey, why are we only finding out about it now?” she blurted, realising Aaron had been dead for more than two days.
“I don’t know,” Dale said. “It’s just a bit of a mess. Right – hold on a sec, someone’s at the door.”
Ashley kept the phone tight to her ear as she paced the room. She heard a brief rattling on the other end, which she
assumed was Dale covering the mouth piece. Muffled voices rose in anger and alarm. There was another rattle as the phone was moved again. Then she heard breathing, a deep sigh, and silence.
“Ash…” Dale said. The tone of his voice had changed from what it was a few moments before. “Ash, you need to get to the station as quickly as you can.”
“I can’t, Dale. I need to be here with Tasha,” Ashley replied. “Especially now.”
“Believe me, this is urgent.”
Ashley felt irritated at his insistence. “Nothing’s more important than Tasha at the moment.”
“Ash, it’s your brother.”
She gasped. “Nathan?” She stood in stunned silence, slowly breathing in and out, trying to still the pounding of her heart, trying to picture a scenario that would have Nathan at the station needing her urgent attention.
“Ash?” said Dale. “Are you still there?”
Her breathing accelerated. “What’s happened to him? Is he okay?”
“Nothing happened. He’s fine. It’s just…there’s been a murder. And…”
“And what?” Ashley asked sharply. There was a moment of silence before Ashley spoke again, “And what, Dale?” she asked more persistently.
“Nathan’s been arrested,” he said grimly. “A woman’s been killed, and they think he had something to do with it.”
Chapter Three
The phone slid from Ashley’s hand and landed on the rug with a thud. She could hear the thin, faraway sound of Dale calling her name emanating from the speaker. Nathan, involved in a murder? That’s impossible.
Still in a daze, she bent down and retrieved the phone, putting it back to her ear. “I’ll be there as soon as I can,” she said, disconnecting the call before Dale could reply. She punched in a phone number and waited.
“Hello?”
“Charlotte, it’s Ashley. I’m sorry to call so late, but can you come over right away?” she said in a rush. “There’s an emergency at work and I don’t want to leave Tasha alone. I’ll only be gone a couple of hours.”
“Sure. Give me ten minutes,” Charlotte mumbled. Ashley had obviously woken her up, but needs must. She knew she could safely leave Tasha in Charlotte’s care and Tasha wouldn’t feel as if she was being baby-sat, which, in essence, she was being.
Ashley shoved the phone into her back pocket. She hurried from the living room and bolted up the stairs taking them two steps at a time. When she opened the bedroom door, light from the hallway flooded the dark room. Tasha lay on top of the bed, her head resting against the wooden headboard. She was still fully dressed, lying on top of the duvet. Her glass of vodka was beside her on the cabinet. Ashley was relieved to see it was still full.
Ashley took a step into the room. Her oversized shadow covered Tasha’s face in darkness, so she couldn’t see her expression. “Tasha, Dale–”
Tasha held up her hand to silence her. “Wait, let me speak first.”
Ashley nodded.
“I’m sorry for my outburst. I’ve been a total nightmare these past few weeks, haven’t I?” She looked towards her glass of vodka for emphasis. “I know I have, and I shouldn’t take it out on you. It isn’t right and it isn’t fair.”
Ashley crossed the short distance to the bed and sat on the edge. She held Tasha’s soft, warm hand in both of hers.
“I opted in, for the good and the bad,” Tasha said.
There was no point waiting for the right moment to tell her. Ashley knew there would never be one. But at least she could start her journey of healing without constantly looking over her shoulder. “Tasha, Dale just called…”
Tasha gave her a wry smile. “Don’t tell me. You’ve got to go into work.”
“Aaron’s dead.” She watched as Tasha tilted her head to the side, as if she were unsure of what she’d just heard.
“What?”
“Aaron’s dead,” she repeated. “Dale just told me.”
Tasha covered her face with her hands. For a second, Ashley thought she was crying. Then Tasha looked up. She was grinning from ear to ear. “That means I don’t have to face him again. I won’t have to tell strangers what he did to me. I don’t have to relive it in detail ever, ever again.” A sob caught in her throat and her voice cracked.
Ashley tenderly smoothed back Tasha’s hair. “No, you don’t. It’s all over.”
“How did he…die? I hope someone gave him what he deserved?”
“I don’t have any of the details yet.”
Tasha sat up, edged her way past Ashley, and walked over to the window, shaking her head. “I can’t believe it.” She hugged her chest tightly. “I just can’t believe it.”
“There’s something else.” Ashley paused. She may as well kill two birds with one stone. “Nathan’s been taken in for questioning.”
Tasha snapped her head around to look at her. “Nathan! What on earth for?”
“A woman was killed and they think he might have some information that can help them with their enquiries.” She refrained from saying he’d been arrested. She’d just given Tasha news to free her from her worries, so the last thing she wanted to do was send her plummeting down again.
Tasha shook her head. “Oh no. The poor woman,” she said with genuine sorrow. “Was it someone he knew?”
Ashley rose to her feet and joined Tasha by the window. “I’m not going to know the full story until I get to the station.”
“I’m so sorry, Ashley.” Tasha pulled her into an embrace. “You’d best go. Keep me updated. Give Nathan my love when you see him.”
“I will. By the way, Charlotte’s on her way over.”
“Oh, Ashley, you shouldn’t have dragged her over here at this time of night. I don’t need babysitting.”
Ashley smiled sheepishly. “I know you don’t. But I’d prefer it if you weren’t alone for now.” She reached out and gently stroked Tasha’s cheek. “I won’t be long.”
As soon as she finished changing out of her jeans and jumper into a more suitable white shirt and black trousers, Ashley heard the sound of the front door opening. Seconds later, Charlotte appeared in the doorway. Her hair was a tousled mess. Her scruffy tee-shirt and tracksuit bottoms were evidence of the fact she’d not long ago been in bed. Ashley didn’t know what she would have done without Charlotte’s support these last few months. She’d been more like a sister to Tasha than a best friend.
Ashley combed her hair back with her fingers and looped a band around it, securing it away from her face. “Thanks for coming at such short notice, Charlotte. I wouldn’t have asked, but I have to go and deal with an emergency.”
Charlotte gave her a sympathetic smile as she came closer. “No worries. Has Tasha been drinking?”
“Earlier, yes. But she’s okay now, especially since I told her Aaron’s dead,” she said bluntly. She had no sympathy for the murderer, so she wasn’t going to mince words about his death.
Charlotte’s mouth dropped open. “Get away!”
Ashley nodded. “I can barely believe it myself, but apparently it’s true.”
A smile brightened Charlotte’s face. “Well, it couldn’t have happened to a nicer person.” She grinned at Ashley. “I’ll make Tash a hot chocolate, and we can have a good ole chin wag. At least she won’t have to face the bastard in court.” Charlotte propped her umbrella against the wall. “I hope it’s nothing too serious at work.”
Ashley gave her a polite smile. “So do I.”
Ashley glanced up the staircase one last time, then turned and left the house. The cold air blasted her, and she placed her arms across her chest as she hurried down the path and jumped into her car. The steering wheel felt like an icicle against her exposed fingers. A headache began to throb behind her eyes as she thought of Nathan sitting in the windowless interview room being interrogated about every aspect of his personal life. She knew it had to be a mistake. Nobody in their right mind could think her sweet, kind – albeit sometimes irresponsible brother was capable of hurting someone, coul
d they?
Chapter Four
Warren hadn’t expected there to be so much police activity still going an hour later. Not that he minded. He’d hung around, revelling in the drama, observing the furore he’d created. It was a heady feeling, watching all those police and forensic people scurrying around, knowing his handiwork had created it.
The only thing Warren regretted was not having enough time. If he hadn’t received the anonymous call telling him the victim’s flatmate was nearby, he could have taken his time and done as he pleased. He let his mind drift back over the scene and grinned. He looked at his hands in wonder – the power of life and death was in those hands. What an adrenaline rush!
Warren chuckled, rolling the thought around in his mind. Next time, he’d prolong the inevitable end and keep the bitch begging for her life. Warren still didn’t know why The Fixer wanted this job done but he didn’t care. He was still high on the power. Nothing compares to this feeling. Nothing.
Warren quickened his pace as he turned the corner and began to jog. Every muscle in his body was on fire. He needed to burn off the adrenaline or he’d be restless the whole night. He hoped The Fixer would be pleased with his work. After all, if it wasn’t for The Fixer, Warren would be in prison doing hard time. Instead, here he was, out on the streets, free as a bird, and holding down a full-time job as well. What a turn of events. Life was good; everything was finally going his way. When Warren took the day job, he knew it would only be a matter of time before The Fixer called in a favour. Wasn’t that the whole point of keeping him on the outside? Well, this time he’d been more than happy to oblige. Freedom always came at a price, and it was one he was more than willing to pay.
Warren stopped and jumped up and down a few times to discharge the energy that still surged through his body, then continued running. He came to an abrupt halt as the sound of sirens wailed in the night air. His heart skipped a beat, and his breathing became short and shallow. Damn, damn, damn. What should he do? Make a run for it and take his chances? Or walk slowly as if he was just out for a stroll? Yeah, like anyone would ever believe that. He was at least ten miles away from home, so he couldn’t use that excuse. Warren could hear his blood roaring in his ears as he listened to the sirens approaching. His quick breaths created foggy patches in the cold air.