Heartlands

by Kerry Watts

  Heartlands

  A totally gripping crime thriller with a jaw-dropping twist

  Kerry Watts

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Chapter 54

  Chapter 55

  Chapter 56

  Chapter 57

  Chapter 58

  Chapter 59

  Chapter 60

  Chapter 61

  Chapter 62

  Chapter 63

  Chapter 64

  Chapter 65

  Chapter 66

  Chapter 67

  Chapter 68

  Chapter 69

  Chapter 70

  Chapter 71

  Chapter 72

  Chapter 73

  Chapter 74

  Chapter 75

  Chapter 76

  Hear More from Kerry

  A Letter from Kerry

  Acknowledgements

  This book is dedicated to my wonderful mum and dad, Allan and Catherine Melloy.

  Dad, because I know you are proud and support me every step of the way. Mum, because I wish you were here to share my success. Miss you. Thank you both. X

  14 August 1681

  ‘I curse you all to hell and all of those you hold dear,’ Morag McIvor spat as the vibrant orange flames crackled and licked around her ankles. ‘Mark my words, from this day forward a blight will rain down on you and yours with the fury of Satan himself. My death will be avenged. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow, but one day soon you will all, each and every one of you, rue this day.’

  Prologue

  1996

  Jack MacKay was genuinely surprised by the amount of blood and, if he was honest, this discovery wasn’t unwelcome. He had punched her once, and only then to stop her screaming. The noise invaded his brain and he couldn’t think. Her cries affected him in a way he hadn’t anticipated. It wasn’t like this in his imagination. He hadn’t factored in Sophie’s feelings. He had to stop the noise so he could focus on what to do next. He had lost control and needed to get it back.

  His best mate, Dan, had been easy to persuade. Boredom made him a willing partner in crime. The fantasy had burned inside Jack for months, and Sophie was perfect. It was an open secret that she’d had a major crush on him since the start of last term, twirling her hair and giggling when he spoke. Glancing away when he caught her watching, a subtle pink flush rising on her cheeks.

  He had envisioned what doing that to her would feel like. It had become an obsession that filled his every waking hour. It became like a drug he craved. If he hadn’t done this, he feared his brain might have exploded. Everywhere Jack looked he could see himself with her, forcing her, hurting her. It was exhilarating and holding Sophie’s lifeless body was just as thrilling as it was in his dream; all those nights alone with his fantasies. Images of the women on screen filled his mind until he had to see for himself, feel the pleasure for himself.

  Daniel Simpson couldn’t speak. His words remained in a jumbled mess inside his throat. His DNA would be all over her body. He was only fifteen, he couldn’t go to jail.

  Something about Jack’s reaction scared him. His friend seemed happy with what they had done to Sophie; excited by it, even. Apart from the blood trickling from her nose, she looked like she was just sleeping.

  Daniel shuffled back from her body and dropped his head into his hands. His heart thundered in his chest and threatened to burst free from his ribcage. A rush of nausea gripped him.

  ‘Come on, help me get her up.’ Jack’s words tore into the silence.

  Daniel stared blankly as his shoulders rose and his gut tightened until Jack loomed over him, his eyes menacing. Fear of what he might do to him snapped Daniel sharply back into focus. Jack squeezed his shoulder.

  ‘Come on.’ He paused. ‘Wait a minute.’

  Jack jogged to the back of the cattle shed and yanked a feed bag from inside an abandoned food storage container. Mr Forbes wasn’t the tidiest of farmers, and for that Jack was grateful. It appeared that all those hours hidden there smoking and drinking meant he knew the layout of the shed perfectly. If Robbie Forbes knew the boys hung out there, he didn’t let on. Perhaps it reminded him of his own misspent youth. A feed bag would be more than big enough for Sophie’s small frame. He laid it flat next to Sophie’s body.

  ‘Grab her legs,’ he hissed.

  His voice was now unfamiliar to Daniel. Jack had morphed into someone Daniel didn’t know at all as they shifted Sophie outside.

  ‘Start digging. We can be out of here before anyone realises she’s missing, if we hurry.’

  Daniel was on autopilot. Sophie’s long blonde hair wasn’t completely covered by the tarpaulin and when the soil hit it, it caused his stomach to lurch. He turned his head to vomit, forcing his lunch onto the ground at speed. Jack laughed. Daniel dropped to his knees and sobbed. The kind of tears that your body ejects uncontrollably, ripping your gut apart with the pain. He struggled to control the trembling that had started in his legs then travelled up his body, and now even his fingers shook.

  ‘Get up, I can’t do this on my own!’ Jack spat through gritted teeth, fearful of discovery. It wouldn’t be long before Mr Forbes would be back. ‘Look, nothing is going to bring her back. It was an accident. I’m sorry, OK? I just lost it. I snapped. I didn’t plan any of this. Please, mate, help me out here.’

  Jack’s coldness stunned Daniel out of his stupor.

  ‘What’s done is fucking done? Is that all you can say?’

  Daniel leapt to his feet and pushed Jack to the ground with force, adrenalin providing his strength. He drew his hand back to punch him, only to see Jack laugh again. Daniel shoved him away in disgust. He sniffed and rubbed his eyes, then picked up his spade to fill Sophie’s grave. Jack was right. What’s done is done and, if they wanted to avoid getting caught, she had to be buried properly. He was as guilty as Jack. He knew Sophie didn’t want to have sex with either of them but, with Jack’s encouragement, he got carried away. Kidnap and rape was bad enough, but now she was dead. Nothing would ever be the same again.

  Daniel stared down at the patch of disturbed earth while Jack checked the shed for signs they had all been there. Everything had changed irreversibly. Daniel’s childhood was over. Part of him wished he was buried in the ground with Sophie.

  The loud hum of a motorbike drifted towards them.

  ‘Shit!’ Jack gr
abbed at Daniel’s arm. ‘Come on. Let’s get the fuck out of here.’

  Daniel snatched his arm back and ran after him. The teenagers moved quickly through the trees without looking back, away from Sophie’s shallow grave. The gentle breeze blew the loose soil across the top of the disturbed earth and the sun peeked out from behind the trees in stark contrast to the dark, threatening clouds in the distance.

  Chapter One

  Present day

  Jessie Blake wiped the sweat from her face and throat, then tossed away the damp pillowcase. She’d been wrong to assume tonight might be different to any other night of the past four years. At least she was waking up from these nightmares.

  ‘Smokey, what a fright you gave me!’ she chastised her Russian blue as he leapt onto the bed. A gift from her ex-husband Dan, he had been in her life through it all; the highs and the lows. People often call the Russian blue the archangel cat, and an angel he certainly was.

  Jessie peeled off her pyjama top and flung it towards the laundry hamper. It might be put inside in the morning, it might not. Jessie still revelled in these little decisions. Her bedroom had never been in such chaos since she was a teenager, and for that Jessie was grateful. She downed a glass of water. Maybe she would give her counsellor a call, she pondered.

  The roar of her upstairs neighbour’s motorbike revving made Jessie jump again and Smokey arched his back before expelling a long, loud hiss; the kind that meant business. She hated that bike. She hated all motorbikes. The way they smelt. The way they sounded. Jessie particularly hated the sound of an approaching motorbike, then it stopping. But that wasn’t Dave her neighbour’s fault. Dave was a lovely guy, and had always been friendly and generous. When Smokey disappeared for three days after Jessie first moved into the flat, Dave was there for her.

  She wandered barefoot across the bedroom floor and glanced out of the window at the driving rain that battered the ground outside, wishing she had brought her little bit of washing in from the line before she had settled down for the evening. That chilled glass of Chardonnay had called her name louder. It had been such a long day yesterday and, despite having spotted the dark, threatening clouds on her short drive home from the station at eight o’clock, she couldn’t be bothered with going back into the driving rain to fetch it.

  The distraction of the text hadn’t helped. She knew Carol meant well, but it came as a gut-punching shock all the same. It had been so long since she’d heard from Carol that she was excited to see her name. Carol was her best friend throughout the darkness of her time in London. She had been there when Jessie was at her lowest. That excitement soon evaporated. It wasn’t like Jessie didn’t know it would happen one day, but still, she wasn’t prepared. She would call when she was ready, but not yet. Smokey curled his slender body around Jessie’s legs and purred as she refilled her glass and guzzled the refreshing chilled water from the fridge. She wiped the drips from her mouth, then lifted him into her arms and snuggled her face next to his.

  ‘It’s not breakfast time yet, you silly wee man.’ She tried not to release the tears that were slowly building. Sometimes the memories crept up on her when she least expected. As if he could sense her feelings, Smokey licked Jessie’s ears the way he had done so many times before, purring softly with every pause. The warm, bristly sensation grounded Jessie. She was safe, and Smokey wanted her to remember that.

  Jessie headed back to her room with Smokey snuggled in her arms and rested her head on the pillow, then glanced at her alarm clock, which read 3.15. She sighed, knowing she wouldn’t get back to sleep. She reached for her phone and tapped on the Twitter app. It was surprising how many friends she had that would also be awake at this time. That was the thing about social media. You could make friends with people from all over the world. People who didn’t know you or your secret. People who wouldn’t judge you on your past. They only knew Jessie Blake in the now.

  There was another text from Carol, but Jessie couldn’t bring herself to read it. She already knew what it would say, and she wasn’t prepared to think about that right now.

  Chapter Two

  Saturday

  Rob Taylor held his new wife close. Their bodies swayed to the gentle rhythm of the band in the garden of the exclusive Atholl Lodge Hotel. Ben Lochty was the stunning backdrop to their special day. Its imposing snow-topped peak was the goal of many of the tourists who flocked to the area every year. Wildlife tourism was big business here; the attractions ranged from the elusive pine marten to the growing population of beavers. The sun peered out from behind the thick cloud as if in acknowledgement of their big day. As if Mother Nature gave her blessing to the union.

  Rob and Cassie’s guests were seated exactly as Cassie planned. The dozen white doves were released on schedule and flew in formation the way Hector, their wedding planner, promised. Cassie and Hector had been thick as thieves for months, and Rob wondered sometimes if he was even invited to this wedding. Rob didn’t have much by way of family, but he was fine with whoever Cassie wanted to share their big day. He’d helped her that rainy day after her carrier bag split, spewing its contents all over the pavement, her oranges rolling away at speed. She called him her knight in shining armour when he jogged over to help, and insisted on taking him for coffee as a thank you when she realised that he was Rob Taylor, her favourite science fiction author. Rob found her funny and smart. She was the breath of fresh air that blew into his serious existence.

  ‘I love you,’ Rob whispered as Cassie’s parents joined them on the dance floor.

  Cassie shut her eyes and smiled contentedly. Yes, this was exactly what she had imagined. She reached her hand down and stroked her stomach. Rob was not only going to be the perfect husband, but also a wonderful father to their baby. A baby arriving so early in their marriage wasn’t planned, but Cassie knew it was right. He was kind and gentle, strong and protective. The kind of husband she had always wanted. Her soft blue eyes drifted up to meet his. That smile of his did things to her that no man had ever come close to before. When Rob’s eyes fixed on her, she felt like the only other person in the world. He pressed his lips against hers and the longing that only his touch created enveloped her.

  ‘This is the happiest day of my life,’ Cassie whispered as she nestled her face into Rob’s muscular chest.

  Louise Ross glanced over at the happy couple and caught Rob’s eye. When he realised she was looking at him, he offered a half-smile and turned away. She mustn’t look.

  Louise had thought she was prepared for today, and she had been fine until that moment. She couldn’t take her eyes off Rob as he twirled Cassie before pulling her close again. They looked so happy. Jason’s kiss woke Louise from her trance.

  ‘Do you remember our first dance?’ he asked.

  Louise smiled. ‘Of course, but we had Dougie’s disco, not a six-piece country band in the grounds of a five star hotel, for ours.’

  Jason’s laugh comforted her. Everything about Jason was comfortable. He worked hard for his family, and she and Shannon wanted for nothing. He had supported her through the two miscarriages, just as Cassie had, that had broken her heart. Cassie was her best friend. Rob was Jason’s best mate. Of course Louise wished them all the happiness in the world.

  Jason took Louise’s hand and invited her to dance with him, which made her smile. He had made a huge effort for Rob and Cassie’s wedding; he’d even had his hair cut. He did look handsome in his suit. Jason was the only man Louise had ever been with when they married at twenty. She had followed him to Germany with the army and waited anxiously when his regiment was deployed to Iraq. It wasn’t long after their wedding that Shannon arrived to complete the family. Louise glanced past Jason’s shoulder. Rob’s eyes met hers. This time, she turned away.

  Shannon shuddered at the sight of her parents’ public display of affection. Jason had promised her he wouldn’t embarrass her by dancing today. Surely they were too old for that shit now. Shannon offered Rob a brief smile, then blushed and turned away. Eric
grinned at her reaction.

  ‘What?’ She frowned. ‘What are you staring at?’

  ‘Put your tongue back in.’ Eric laughed. ‘Mind you, Rob does fit that suit well, doesn’t he?’

  Eric Baldwin had been Shannon’s best friend since nursery. He loved the same things as Shannon even then, and as their nursery had a huge dressing-up box, they never had to argue over the princess dresses – or the dolls, for that matter. Shannon and Eric were forward-thinking in that in their game the children always had two mummies. Mummies who wore pretty dresses and had great big handbags. Eric could be himself with Shannon. Admitting he was gay to her was easier than admitting it to himself. Shannon had hugged him and that had been enough. He understood exactly why Shannon’s cheeks flushed the way they did when she looked at Rob Taylor.