Everything to Lose

by Jade Winters

  ***

  Ashley did all she could to not let her mouth drop open. It took several seconds for her to regroup her thoughts. “Helena, I know you care about your mum–”

  Helena carried on as if Ashley hadn’t spoken. “–I’m not lying! I’m telling you the truth. I hit Abbi with my mum’s car.”

  Ashley narrowed her eyes as she scrutinised the young girl. Something in her behaviour alerted Ashley to the fact that she might be telling her the truth. She was too distraught for it to be an act.

  “I called my mum that day to ask her to come and pick me up after Abbi hit me again. My mum had got out of the car to put something in the bin and left the engine running. I saw Abbi coming towards the car and I thought she was going to attack me again. I panicked and jumped into the driver’s seat. She kept coming closer, staring at me, mouthing horrible words, so I revved the engine to scare her. When that didn’t stop her I put the car into drive and edged towards her. She was laughing at me, goading me. She was saying ‘Yeah right, fucking mouse like you couldn’t hurt a fly’ and she just kept on and on. So I slammed my foot on the accelerator to go past her but she jumped in the way and then the car…hit her.”

  Ashley stood still in astonishment as Helena straightened up, wiped away her tears and looked Ashley in the eye. Like a scene straight out of a movie she said, “I want to make a statement. I want to confess to the hit and run of Abbi Connor.”

  Chapter Fifty-Three

  It was after midnight before Ashley finally returned home. Helena Thomas was still being interviewed by other detectives. The girl was adamant that she was telling the truth. Ashley had no doubt she was being honest about her version of the story. It would be up to the Crown Prosecution Service to decide whether charges would be brought. She hoped they showed some leniency, the girl had also been the victim of a crime, even though it wasn’t prosecutable.

  Ashley stood at the end of the path and looked up at her house. The lights were on. That’s odd! Had she forgotten to turn them off? Or had someone broken in. Shit. She slowly walked up the path then frowned when she heard the bark of a dog. For a moment she thought it was from a few doors away before realising it was coming from behind her own front door. It was Muffin. A huge grin spread across her face. Charlotte had brought him home! She flung the door open taking Muffin in her arms and kissing the top of his head. “Hello boy. What a lovely surprise to find you here.”

  The aroma of garlic filled the air. How sweet of Charlotte to cook for me.

  Ashley looked up as she heard footsteps coming from the kitchen, then did a double take as her heart leapt into her mouth.

  “Tasha!”

  Tasha smiled. It was the most beautiful sight Ashley had seen in a long while. She couldn’t help but notice it actually reached her eyes – just like it used to. Before Aaron.

  Ashley slowly straightened up, wanting to run and throw her arms around the other woman, but holding herself back, not wanting to swamp her. “Are you…?”

  Tasha nodded. “Yes, I’ve come home for good. Home to you.” She closed the distance between them and pulled Ashley into her arms. Tasha’s lips brushed her ears. “I came back as soon as I read the email from Charlotte. I can’t believe Nathan’s in prison. How is he? How are you? How’re your mum and dad taking it? This must be so hard on you. Ah, Ash,” she murmured into Ashley’s hair, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  Ashley drew back slightly. “That’s not important right now. Tell me about you? How are you?”

  “I’m doing well.” She laughed when Ashley raised a dubious eyebrow. “No, really I am. The break has done me the world of good. I’ve had time to organise my thoughts and get things into perspective. Time to remind myself of what is important and good in my life.”

  “I’m glad.” Ashley meant it; it had been so hard watching the woman she loved unravel and not be able to hold it together.

  “Right,” Tasha said, brushing unexpected tears of joy from her eyes. She took Ashley by the hand and led her upstairs.

  “You must have missed me,” Ashley said grinning. She stopped outside the bedroom.

  Tasha gave her a wry smile. “Not in there, yet.” I want you in the bath. A good long soak. I’ll bring a glass of wine up to you. I want you to stay there until I’ve finished cooking. I’ve seen all the tins in the bin.” She shook her head in mock anger. “That’s been your main source of food? Chicken soup?”

  Ashley looked at her sheepishly. “What can I say? I’ve been busy.”

  “God, I can’t leave you alone, can I?” Tasha said with humour, her eyes glowing with love.

  “No, you can’t and you shouldn’t ever again.” She looked at Tasha’s beautiful face, not wanting to go into the bathroom and leave her.

  Tasha cupped Ashley’s cheeks. “I’ve missed you so much.”

  “I’ve missed you more.”

  Ashley drew Tasha’s face closer and planted a lingering kiss on her mouth.

  “Bath. Now,” Tasha instructed. “I will bring you wine now, and dinner will be in twenty minutes.”

  Tasha kissed her again and then made her way back towards the kitchen. Ashley’s eyes followed her every move, absorbing every line of her body and committing it to memory, still convinced it was all a dream.

  Chapter Fifty-Four

  Despite the overcast sky and light drizzle of rain, Ashley’s spirits were soaring high. Just having Tasha back by her side gave her the conviction that everything was going to turn out alright. After taking Muffin out for a long walk together they had visited Nathan and reassured him that Ashley was close to figuring out the mystery that had been eluding her. She felt she was closer than ever to finding the truth now. The real killer had made his first mistake. His intended victim had survived. She may not have more than a basic description of what he looked like, but she did have details of the suspect’s car.

  “You look bright and breezy this evening,” Dale commented as Ashley entered their office and hung her jacket over the back of her chair.

  Ashley unconsciously smoothed back her hair. “Do I?” She couldn’t wipe the smile off her face. It had been there since the previous night.

  “Come on, spill the beans. You’ve obviously had some good news.”

  Ashley powered up her computer. “Tasha came home last night.”

  A huge grin spread over Dale’s lips. “What! You’re kidding!”

  “Nope. She was there when I got home last night.”

  “Good ole Tasha. You know what they say about good things happening in threes.”

  “Let’s hope so.”

  The phone on Ashley’s desk rung and she picked it up immediately.

  “McCoy,” she said into the mouth piece.

  “DS McCoy, I’ve got a call from a woman who has been trying to get hold of you all afternoon. She said you attended a break in at her property a few days ago.”

  Victoria. She hoped it wasn’t bad news about her baby. The shock of being the victim of a crime sometimes had a detrimental effect on a person. “Okay, thanks. Put her through please.”

  Within a few seconds the frantic sound of Victoria’s voice was in her ear.

  “I saw him! I saw him!”

  “Slow down, Victoria. Who did you see?”

  “The man, the man who broke into my flat!”

  Ashley’s heart raced. She tried to stop herself from getting overly excited. “Are you sure it was him?”

  Ashley could hear Victoria taking a deep breath. “Yes! I had an ante-natal appointment this afternoon. When I drove into the car park, I heard that same noise – you know the loud exhaust I told you about.”

  Ashley listened with bated breath.

  “I followed the noise and it was the exact red Alfa Romeo the burglar was driving away in from my house. I can’t believe I saw him!”

  “Did you see where he went?”

  “Yes, into the staff car park!”

  Ashley’s thoughts turned to the files she had been sorting through before t
hey disappeared from her desk. “Victoria, would this be at The Princess Alexandra Hospital by any chance?” she asked, her voice shaking.

  “Yes. That’s it! How did you know? Does that mean you know who he is?”

  Ashley ran her hand through her hair. “I think I have a fair idea. Victoria, please do me a favour. Go and stay with your dad for the night.”

  Ashley dropped the phone onto its cradle and shot to her feet. “Dale! I think we’ve got our guy. He works at The Princess Alexandra Hospital. The bastard’s been right under our noses all this time.”

  Chapter Fifty-Five

  There was something different about the knock on the door. It wasn’t the normal sound of the postman knocking or the neighbour next door lightly rapping to borrow a cup of sugar. It was firm and authoritative. Warren’s hand stopped mid-air with the kettle hovering over the coffee cup. The alarm bell in his head was screaming out for him to take action immediately.

  He looked around the kitchen. The window. It was his only form of escape. The voice in his head yelled for him to go – now! Time was running out. The knock on the door sounded again. Only this time it was much louder. Whoever was at the door was not calling for a friendly visit. He could hear the impatient voice of a woman shouting his name. Then a man.

  He slowly lowered the kettle down onto the worktop, ensuring it didn’t make a sound. Then he tiptoed to the window, taking a chair with him. He opened it wide and a cold gust of wind blew against his face as he stuck his head out and looked down. Far below him was the communal garden. The drop had to be at least twenty feet.

  Warren weighed his options – he had nothing to lose but everything to gain from his escape. Without a second thought he hoisted himself up onto the window ledge and prepared his body for the pain he knew would be coming. He lunged from the safety of his home into the unknown. The landing had to be a good one. If he hit the floor badly he could break a leg, if not both and then he was royally stuffed. It was a white knuckle ride all the way down until his feet finally made contact with the hard ground, his legs taking the brunt of the impact. Despite his best efforts he couldn’t help but squeal as pain shot up both legs. He rolled his bulky body onto his back, laying there like an overturned beetle, his arms and legs flailing in the air. He willed himself to move past the pain.

  Move now or get caught. Don’t think. Just run. He tried to move. Pain shot up his shin and he cried out involuntarily. He couldn’t get his body into a position that allowed him to get to his feet. No matter how much he tried, the pain in his legs knocked the breath out of him and kept him captive, on the cold, hard ground. He was a prisoner of his own making.

  As he lay there, cursing himself, heavy footsteps approached. The crackle of a police radio sounded and a gruff voice said, “We’ve found him round the back of the flats. Looks like he took a leap of faith that didn’t pay off. I think we’re going to need an ambulance.”

  Warren squeezed his eyes shut and a single tear of pain rolled down the side of his cheek. Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! This wasn’t how it was meant to end.

  More footsteps. Then the sound of the woman’s voice he’d heard earlier. “The illusive Mr Stiles.”

  Warren could sense her beside him. Could smell her sweet but non-overpowering perfume. He opened his eyes to look at her. Very nice. For a few seconds he forgot about his pain and allowed himself the luxury of thinking of all the things he’d like to do to her. That was until he saw a plain clothed officer hurrying towards her.

  “DS McCoy, you’re not going to believe what we found in his flat.”

  His time was up. He hadn’t followed The Fixer’s strict instructions. Now he was going to have to pay the price for it.

  Chapter Fifty-Six

  Ashley looked down at the man at her feet. He was as big as everyone had described him but he didn’t look anywhere near as scary, especially as he writhed on his back in pain. She glanced up towards the open window he had jumped through. It was very high up. His actions weren’t those of an innocent man.

  “Come on, DS McCoy, he isn’t going anywhere in that state,” Dale said as he beckoned her to follow him. Ashley looked at the man rolling on the ground. Dale was right, he was not going anywhere. He would not give the officer keeping an eye on him any problems that was for sure.

  “What did you find?” Ashley turned and followed Dale.

  “What didn’t we find? Knives with blood still on them. The man’s a real sicko.”

  They entered Warren’s flat. It was a hive of activity.

  Ashley raised her voice so she could be heard. “I want this flat cleared out now. I don’t want anyone in here until forensics arrive. And I mean no one! Come on, all of you. Out! NOW!”

  The police officers immediately began to filter out of the front door.

  “Come and see this!” Dale called over his shoulder as he headed down a dimly lit passage.

  Ashley followed Dale into the living room. Her eyes trailed Dale’s finger to where it was pointing. She took in a sharp intake of breath at the sea of women’s faces plastered to the wall. The missing photos were there. She had been right! Yes!

  Dale tapped two pictures next to each other. “Justine Lockhart and Emily Hill.”

  “I’ve saved the best until last,” he said making a beeline towards the bedroom.

  Ashley tore her eyes away from the images of the other women. Are they all of his victims?

  Her answers would come soon enough. She followed Dale to where he stood, a suitcase open in front of him.

  She looked inside the case. Three knives. Two still had blood on them and lying next to the knives were several vials of blood.

  Dale looked at her. “One of these has your brother’s name on it.” Ashley leaned closer, reading the names on the vials. Indeed, there it was, Nathan’s name printed clearly in black ink.

  Chapter Fifty-Seven

  “What the…?” Before she could finish the sentence she was silenced by the sound of Dale’s phone ringing. He mouthed “one minute” and left the room. Ashley’s eyes remained glued to the box that contained the vials. Was it really Nathan’s blood? If it was, how had Warren got hold of it? It didn’t make sense. What was the connection between Nathan and Warren?

  Dale re-entered the room with a grin on his face. “It all makes sense, Ash.”

  “I wish it did to me.”

  “It will. Warren works at the hospital.”

  “Yes, I know that–”

  He raised his palm. “–But what you don’t know is what department…”

  Ashley’s eyes dropped to the box again. “Don’t tell me – haematology?”

  Dale nodded.

  Ashley’s eyes widened. “The bastard planted Nathan’s blood at the scene. But why? Why did he target Nathan?”

  “Don’t forget Jimmy. With Nick Matterson being a near miss. If he hadn’t have been there that night that sick bastard would have killed Victoria, and Nick would have taken the fall. The man’s a psychopath. I don’t think there was any rhyme or reason to his crime. Like the choice of his victims, Nathan being involved was just coincidental and damn unfortunate.”

  “Yeah, I suppose so. I’m going to be most interested to hear what he has to say when we interview him.”

  Ashley remained at the scene whilst Dale went to the hospital with Warren. When forensics arrived she made sure extra care was taken when labelling and sealing the evidence found. There wasn’t a chance in hell that she was going to let evidence disappear or be mishandled. After a thorough search of the flat was done, they had a box of evidence that included hundreds of photos of naked and partially dressed women which they’d found under his mattress. As well as dozens of pairs of knickers.

  “We’re done here. Everything is being sent straight to the lab,” Antoinette, the lead SOCO said. “I promise you, nothing is going amiss, DS McCoy. You have my word.”

  Chapter Fifty- Eight

  Warren studied the plain clothed officer, who hadn’t left his side for the past few ho
urs. He’d heard others calling him Dale. Whoever he was, he’d thwarted any attempt Warren may have had of escaping. He’d handcuffed Warren’s wrist to his, only taking the cuffs off whilst the doctor examined him. Even then he had remained close by his side and had strategically put an officer by the door and window. Not that Warren would be silly enough to jump out a window again. He’d well and truly learnt his lesson.

  He was majorly pissed off when the x-rays revealed no broken bones – only a severely sprained ankle. It felt like his ankle was shattered. Fuck, I should have crawled away!

  He and the officer were just waiting for the paperwork so Warren could be carted off to the police station for questioning. The officer hadn’t spoken to him about what they’d found at his flat. Maybe this was a good sign. Maybe The Fixer had fixed things for him already. He decided it was best not to think ahead.

  The officer roughly grabbed his arm. Obediently he rose to his feet and huddled along the corridor, revelling in the shocked faces of passersby – it was most probably the first time they’d seen a criminal in real life. He laughed at the thought.

  “Something funny?” The officer asked. His face was dark and broody.

  Warren remained silent. He doubted the big guy attached to him would see the humour. Warren took in as much of the scenery as he could on the way to the station. He had a feeling it would be the last he’d be seeing of the outside for a while.

  Arriving at the station, Warren was led through a door at the back and left in a cell.

  Minutes later the door opened. Warren looked up, expecting to see the same officer but instead the person who had walked into his cell was The Fixer. He was surprised not to see any anger at all. He thought he would be in deep shit for going all maverick like he had.

  “Listen to me.” The Fixer’s voice was quiet and low. “This is very, very important.” The Fixer’s face was inches away from his. “You were sloppy. And because of this they have all the evidence they need to charge you. I’ve got you the best solicitor money can buy. You admit everything. Everything – do you hear me? Take the fall now and you will be highly compensated. You’ve seen how Aaron’s death was covered up. Don’t think you can beat me. He went against my advice and decided to chance a trial. That is not going to happen with you or you will suffer the same fate. Do your time and I guarantee you’ll be out in six years to eight years. That is the best I can do given the evidence against you.”