by Kerry Watts
‘Thank you,’ Louise whispered when he handed her a mug before walking away.
‘Jason,’ she called after him, but he didn’t stop. Louise joined him in the living room and sat down opposite him. ‘We need to talk.’
Jason stared up from his drink. ‘Come on then, talk.’
His stare unnerved her. It wasn’t anger in his eyes. It was something she didn’t recognise, and it scared her.
‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you. Rob and me, we just… happened.’
‘It’s Rob and me now, is it?’ Jason shouted.
Louise didn’t answer him. Instead, she stared into her mug.
‘So what happens now?’ Jason’s eyes pleaded for hope that their marriage wasn’t over. ‘Will we bury our daughter together, or is this it?’
Louise couldn’t think about that. ‘Don’t, Jason.’
Jason’s anger started to fizz. He slammed his mug on the coffee table.
‘Don’t what? Don’t mention our dead daughter? Don’t mention you’ve been screwing the animal that probably killed her?’ he screamed. ‘Why, Louise, what the hell did I do wrong?’
Louise knew he wasn’t being rational. Jason had always viewed life from his perspective; she should have known better.
‘Where the hell do you think you are going?’ Jason lashed out and grabbed her arm.
‘Stop it, you’re hurting me!’ she cried as his grip grew tighter.
He pushed her back against the wall and pinned her there with an elbow on either side of her head. He squeezed her chin in his hand and forced her to look at him.
‘Jason, please, let me go.’
The look on Jason’s face terrified her. Sure, she’d seen the wrong side of Jason’s temper before. That went with the territory with him, especially after he left the army. PTSD, they said he had, but Louise was unconvinced. She knew it was images of the little girl left lying in the road that ate him up, even all these years later. Being forced to cover up the crime had stayed with him. She didn’t blame him for his drinking. Now Shannon, and her infidelity. In truth, their marriage was over.
‘How could you, Lou?’ Jason spat. ‘With him?’
‘I didn’t know who he was, did I?’ Louise whimpered.
‘And that makes it OK?’ Jason scoffed and squeezed harder.
Louise froze, fearing what Jason would do next.
Rob wasn’t sure whether it was relief or horror he felt when he saw Cam Walsh sitting on his black leather sofa, under the print of the Glasgow School of Art building. Rob couldn’t explain why he liked that picture he’d bought in a charity shop in Perth several years ago. He just did, he told people. He noticed Cam was alone, and wondered where Cassie was. Rob passed the arm of the sofa and dropped a hand on Cam’s shoulder, then squeezed.
‘Where’s Cassie?’
Cam froze, then smiled a little. ‘Cassie let me in about half an hour ago. She said I could wait for you. She put some boxes in her car, then left. She said she would be back for the others in a while.’ Cam nodded towards the hallway. ‘I’m sorry for your loss. Cassie told me about the baby.’
It was then that Rob spotted the assortment of boxes and bags lined up in the hall at the bottom of the stairs.
‘It’s all such a mess, Cam,’ Rob sat on the sofa next to her. ‘Life was so good, you know?’ He shook his head and she let out a mournful sigh. He could be himself with Cam. She knew everything about him, more than any other living person.
‘DI Blake called me. I’ve had to order an inquiry into why she wasn’t told about your status. I’m also in the middle of an investigation into my own professional conduct.’
‘Shit, Cam, I’m sorry. God, this whole situation is so fucked up. I didn’t do it. I wouldn’t. I couldn’t. I’m not that boy any more.’ Rob heard himself lose control. ‘I loved her. Shannon, and Louise. I loved them both, and Jason was my best mate.’
Cam moved closer and placed an arm around his shoulder. ‘Look, we’ll sort this, somehow. Your identity is compromised, so we’ll have to consider our options.’
Rob stood. ‘I’m not leaving Inverlochty. My life is here.’
‘Let’s talk about it, at least.’
‘There’s nothing to talk about,’ he answered as a car pulled into the drive. Rob moved to peer out of the living room window. ‘It’s Cassie.’
‘I’ll be in touch soon. You know that it’s not your decision to make, don’t you? You know that we will decide what’s best for you and for everyone here?’ Cam patted his arm and smiled softly at Cassie when they passed each other. When Cassie spotted him, she went to turn and leave until he called her name.
‘Cassie, wait. We need to talk about what’s happened. What you’ve been told about me.’
Cassie interrupted him angrily. ‘What, so you can lie to me some more, this time to my face instead of by omission? How could you keep it from me? I loved you. I was having your baby!’ Cassie’s pitch rose the more she yelled, until pain gripped her stomach.
Rob moved forward to comfort her, but as soon as he was close enough, she slapped his face. Hard.
‘Get away from me!’ she screamed. ‘Does Louise know what you are? You’re a monster!’
Cassie reached for her suitcase and Rob tried to help her.
‘Back off, you make me sick!’ She ripped her wedding ring off and threw it along the hallway. She hurled her house key at Rob’s chest, then rushed outside. Rob tried to follow her. ‘Stay away from me. I’ll send for the rest of my stuff.’
That was the last thing Rob heard as Cassie’s car spun the gravel and flew out of the drive.
Louise froze in terror. She wanted to fight back, but Jason was too strong. His weight overpowered her.
The sound of Louise’s helpless sobs broke into Jason’s rage before he did something he would regret. They were like a switch that flicked his anger off just in time. He pushed Louise away and watched her fall to her knees, horrified by what he had almost done to her. He choked back the anger and tried to help her up.
‘Get away from me!’ she cried.
‘I’m so sorry,’ he sobbed. ‘I’m sorry.’
He wanted to pull her to him and show her he loved her, but she hated him now. She couldn’t bear to be near him. Jason fled out through the back door, leaving Louise in floods of terrified tears.
Her phone rang in the kitchen and snapped her from her shocked stupor. She straightened her clothes and limped to answer it. When she saw it was Rob, she erupted into anguished tears again.
‘Louise? Louise, what’s wrong?’
Louise couldn’t speak.
‘I’m coming to get you.’ He didn’t care if Jason was there or not.
‘No, leave me alone!’ Louise yelled, then tossed her phone across the room and screamed out in agony. The pain was ripping through her until she thought she would be sick. Even her skin ached. Fear and grief overwhelmed her.
Chapter Sixty-Seven
‘Jason, how are you doing?’ Dylan asked as he walked into the waiting room at the police station where Jason Ross sat with a look of pure anger on his face. ‘Come on, we can talk in here.’
Dylan took Jason into one of the interview rooms and offered him coffee.
‘I don’t want coffee. I want answers.’
‘I completely understand your frustration, but we’re doing everything we can to find out what happened to Shannon, I can assure you.’
‘So, do you have any leads?’
Dylan wished he had something constructive to tell him. ‘We’re following several lines of enquiry.’ That even sounded lame to Dylan.
‘So, no, you’re no closer to finding my daughter’s killer. Why was Rob Taylor released?’
Just saying his name sent a chill running through Jason. He’d trusted Rob with everything that was precious to him and Rob had stabbed him in the back.
‘We have no evidence that Rob did anything to Shannon, and he has an alibi for the hours covering her disappearance.’
‘He might as well have killed her. He’s taken everything else.’
Rob had to get out. The walls were closing in on him and he feared they would crush him. He grabbed his car keys. As he drove away, he scoffed at the irony of the rainbow of vibrant colours above him now that the rain had finally stopped.
Driving through his tears became impossible. Rob had to stop and wipe his face, but when he looked up he came face to face with Jason and, as both men stared at each other, they failed to see Louise in the car behind.
Jason raced to Rob’s parked car. He ripped the door open and yanked Rob out.
‘I trusted you!’ Jason screamed, with Rob at his mercy. ‘She’s my wife, you son of a bitch.’ Then he punched Rob, hard. Blood sprayed from his busted lip and Jason punched him again and again. His jealous rage was out of control. Louise rushed to pull him off, but she was easily swept aside with one shove. Seeing her fall to the ground strengthened Rob’s resolve. He got to his feet and pushed Jason to the ground.
‘That’s enough, Jason. I’m sorry.’
Rob’s words were like petrol on a flame. Jason surged forward and slammed his shoulder into Rob’s body, both men toppling to the ground. Louise shrieked, and it was this that attracted Ben’s attention as he made his way back from sleeping off his self-pity at Eric’s. He ran as fast as he could, his head pounding, to help his sister. Jason sat astride Rob, who had no means of escape, and the blows rained down. He punched Rob’s face over and over until Rob offered no resistance. Dylan had been alerted by Louise’s screams and was first to try and help Rob, but his attempt was quickly swept aside as Jason pushed him on his arse with ease before resuming his onslaught. Ben looked on in horror, not knowing what to do. So he did what he always did, and fled.
‘Jason, you’re killing him!’ Louise screamed and ran forward again in an attempt to save Rob’s life. ‘Stop, please!’
‘Stay out of this!’ Jason growled back at her. ‘This is between me and him.’
Dylan pulled himself onto his knees, then lurched forward to tackle Jason again.
‘Get off me!’ Jason barked, struggling hard as Dylan held him in place with a knee until back-up arrived. ‘Get off! This isn’t finished, Rob. Mark my words, I’m not finished with you.’
‘Shut it!’ Dylan boomed as he fixed the handcuffs on him. ‘Don’t go making threats.’
He pulled Jason to his feet and gripped his arm. Louise dropped to her knees and felt for Rob’s pulse, which was faint, but he was alive.
Jason winced from the pain in his knuckles as he sipped from the cup of water, his eyes fixed on the floor. Jessie hated herself for being right, especially now. Perhaps it had been an accident. Had he hurt his daughter during a fit of rage, the type of outburst he’d just displayed? She checked the time on her phone and wished Jason’s lawyer would hurry up, when a heavily made-up woman walked through the door.
‘My name is Loretta Sweeney. I will be representing Jason Ross,’ the middle-aged, silver-haired woman told them as she bustled in and took a seat next to Jason.
Chapter Sixty-Eight
‘Ben, what’s happened?’
Ben didn’t respond, but stood on the doorstep crying and rambling to himself.
‘You had better come in.’ Eric grabbed hold of Ben’s arm and guided him inside.
‘Who is it?’ Agatha called out before joining them. ‘My goodness, Ben, what is wrong?’
Eric shook his head. ‘I don’t know what’s wrong with him. He just keeps sobbing. Is he in shock or something? Ben, what’s happened? Look at me!’ Eric pulled Ben’s face towards him. ‘Ben?’
Agatha draped her arm around Ben’s shoulder and helped lower him to the sofa. She too was unable to understand what he was saying. She knelt down in front of him and placed her hand on his chin in an attempt to get him to focus on her, but Ben leapt away from her touch and fled out through the back door, repeating the same words over and over. Eric’s heart raced as he finally heard what Ben was trying to tell him.
‘Detective Inspector Blake,’ Loretta Sweeney interrupted her. ‘This is a highly irregular line of questioning. I must insist that you—’
‘Must insist that I what?’ Jessie stood up. ‘Stop asking Jason what happened the night he got angry with Shannon? Why he tossed her body in the river? Why he lied to his wife, to all of us?’
Jason’s eyes widened and he shook his head. ‘What are you talking about?’
‘Jason, don’t say another word,’ Loretta urged.
‘But…’ He tried to answer, then stopped and slumped back in his chair.
‘We know you have a temper, Jason. We’ve all seen what that temper is capable of. I’m not saying that you planned to kill Shannon; on the contrary, I think you loved your daughter very much.’
Jason dropped his head into his hands and sobbed.
‘My client needs a break,’ Loretta announced as Jessie glared at her.
The tension in the room bubbled hot just as the knock came.
‘Come in,’ Jessie shouted, and frowned at the uniformed officer’s expression.
‘I think you’d better come now.’
Chapter Sixty-Nine
Ben had one of Agatha’s craft knives and was threatening to slit his wrists. Only this time he was stone-cold sober. Eric didn’t know if he was relieved or not that Ben had only gone as far as his mother’s studio after racing after him in search of answers.
‘Why did you do it?’ Eric asked, but Ben continued to stare straight ahead.
Eric sighed and tapped his fingers across Agatha’s marble worktop. A man’s voice from outside the studio deepened Ben’s agitation. He was struggling to focus.
‘It’s OK, I’ll talk to him.’ Eric raised his hands to reassure Ben as he moved closer to the blocked door, which was piled high with chairs and a large wooden table.
Ben needed time to think. He had to stop them getting to him; distracting him. He had to straighten out the jumble of thoughts that swirled around his head.
‘Eric, is that you?’ Dylan called out.
‘Eric, are you OK?’ Agatha’s anxious voice followed Dylan’s.
‘Yes, we’re OK in here. Mum, don’t worry, I’m fine.’ Eric was shocked by the calmness that flowed over him. But he had to stay calm, for Ben’s sake. Trapped in the workshop without anything to protect him, all he had was this calm. It was the only thing likely to get him out of there alive.
‘Good, I’m glad,’ Dylan called back.
Ben lifted a finger to his lips. He stuffed another small knife into his pocket before climbing out through the window in the back wall of the studio. It took Eric a moment to realise that the siege was over. He began pulling chairs away from the door, then opened it, stunned by what had just happened. He just couldn’t get his head around it. He didn’t understand any of this.
‘Mein Liebling!’ Agatha rushed forward, cradled Eric in her arms and buried her face in his cheek.
Jessie and Dylan surged into the room and scanned the space for Ben.
‘Where is he?’ Jessie shouted at Eric.
‘He went out the back window,’ Eric replied from within his mother’s embrace.
Dylan ran round the boundary of the building, cursing the fact that Ben had got away. He squinted into the distance, but Ben could have gone in one of three different directions.
‘Shit,’ he muttered under his breath.
‘Have you got any idea where he’s heading?’ Jessie exclaimed.
Eric shook his head. ‘He’s got a knife with him.’
Chapter Seventy
Louise was confused by the sight of Dylan and Jessie approaching her door. She sniffed and wiped her nose, then checked her reflection in the hall mirror. Louise didn’t recognise the woman who glanced back at her; her eyes were blank and staring. The doorbell startled her despite the fact that she knew it was coming.
‘Come in, detectives.’ Louise opened the door wide for them.
‘Thank you,’ Jessie murmured as she
wiped her feet.
Dylan offered her a smile Louise hadn’t seen before. She frowned as she closed the door. ‘Please go through.’
Louise squeezed her eyes tight shut, inhaled a huge breath and exhaled it slowly before following them inside.
‘Come and sit down,’ Jessie told her. ‘Is Ben here?’
‘No, he’s not, why?’
Louise began to tremble. Something very bad was about to happen. She could feel it. But what the hell could be worse than losing your daughter?
Jessie nodded to Dylan, then towards the kitchen. He had known Jessie long enough to know what she meant.
‘I’m fine standing.’ Louise swallowed hard. ‘Please, just tell me whatever it is you’ve come here to say.’
‘Come on.’ Jessie moved closer to her and dropped a gentle hand on her arm. ‘Come and sit down.’
Louise pulled her arm back. ‘I can’t stand this! Just tell me.’
‘OK. Listen,’ Jessie began just as Dylan returned with three mugs of tea. ‘Evidence has been brought to me that suggests your brother Ben was involved in Shannon’s death.’ Jessie watched confusion take the place of Louise’s anxiety before morphing into disbelief.
‘What? Don’t be ridiculous,’ Louise stuttered. ‘How could he? I mean, that’s just not possible. Ben loves Shannon. No, no, no, that’s not true. It can’t be true.’ Louise collapsed onto the sofa, her legs uncertain beneath her. ‘You’re lying.’
Jessie sat down next to Louise and placed a hand over hers. ‘I wish I was.’
Before Louise could respond, her phone rang under the album of photos that was full of Shannon as a toddler. Louise’s favourite time. She glanced at Jessie.
‘It’s Ben,’ she exclaimed. ‘What should I do?’