by Anne Lown
Scott stood on the other side of the glass, staring back at her. He mouthed the words, “What the hell!”
She went to let him in—it was about time he’d turned up.
“Jen, are you mad? What’s got into you?”
She let him close the door behind him and went to sit on the sofa, the first time she’d sat down in hours. She shrugged in return to his question. Now he was here, she didn’t know how to tell him.
He sat next to her. “Tell me what’s wrong. I’m sure it’s not that bad.”
Tears welled in her eyes.
Not that bad? If only that were true.
Jenny turned her head to look the other way. She tried to compose herself, be strong enough to say what she had to, but the damn tears wouldn’t stop. They flowed, and she found herself sobbing.
Scott leant over and wrapped an arm around her. “Come on,” he said, “tell me about it.”
“Something awful has happened, and I don’t know what to do.”
“That’s okay, I’ll help if I can.”
She took a deep breath and laid out the events of the last few days. Jenny couldn’t look at him while she spoke, not wanting to see the judgement in his expression.
“You’re doing what?”
Just as she expected, he hadn’t taken it well. “It’s not my fault. I’ve been railroaded into it. Now there are pictures of me giving out weed, and he says he’ll use them if he has to.”
“Use them?” Scott placed his fingers under her chin and turned her face so he could see her eyes. “Like what, go to the police and tell them what you’ve been doing? I doubt it. They’ll want to know all sorts of things. He wouldn’t risk that.”
“But what about Adam’s sofa? They set light to it while his family weren’t in the house and threatened to do it when they were asleep if he didn’t cooperate.” Jenny’s voice cracked; her emotions were getting the better of her.
“How do you know this?”
“He showed me a picture. It was awful.”
“I mean, how do you know it’s true? A picture means nothing. It could’ve been an accident.”
The tears erupted again, cascading down her cheeks. He was right, she’d been a fool. She’d been upset and stressed. Les had made use of that and pushed her into a corner she needn’t have been in. But what about the other man who’d died? Could she really risk that happening to her?
“Look, Jen, just refuse to do it. What’re they going to do?”
She gazed at Scott’s face, searching for signs of the confidence he spoke with. It wasn’t there. He couldn’t be certain nothing would happen if she refused, and what would he do to save her? He’d not been there the times she’d needed him before. The realisation she was on her own sank like a stone into the pit of her stomach. There was no fixing this. Not with anyone else’s help anyway.
“I’d better go to bed,” she said, “I’ve got work in the morning.”
“Do you want me to stay?”
“No. I think I need to be alone.”
Scott made no attempt to change her mind. He seemed eager to leave, and she wasn’t going to stop him. She hoped he could’ve done more. Given her better advice other than to test out the threats. The whole situation seemed ludicrous. She didn’t do things like pushing drugs, that wasn’t who she was. The only glimmer of hope now was Nick.
If he can’t help me, I’m screwed.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Saturday, this week, wasn’t a working day for Jenny. She’d only said it to make Scott leave when it had been clear how hollow his words were. Not that he needed to be pushed. The man couldn’t get out quick enough.
A knock at the door broke her away from the clutches of the gloom grabbing at her mind. She wanted to ignore it, to hide away and never resurface, but whoever it was persisted. Now a voice called through the letterbox, repeating her name until she swung open the front door. The chill morning air rushed in and gripped her, bringing her tired body to life.
Carmie barged past and marched into the living room. It was barely eight o’clock in the morning, and she had a shop to open. Jenny followed her friend, expecting to hear more about the alien that consumed her waking hours. She made them both coffee and prepared herself for what was coming next.
“The police have found a body, in the woods. I think it might be that alien I saw.”
Jenny had been lifting the cup to her mouth but stopped short. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “What? Say again?”
“They found a body. I think it’s someone from the village.”
A cold sweat broke out on Jenny’s face accompanied by an urge to be sick. She blew out a breath, trying to stem the rising nausea. “Please don’t say it is,” she said to herself.
“What?”
“Nick. I asked him to do something for me and I think it just got him killed.”
“No way.” Carmie sat up straight, sloshing the liquid in her cup.
“Where did you say it happened?”
“In the woods, where the clearing is. You want to go?”
Jenny didn’t bother to answer. She slammed the cup down on the coffee table, spilling her drink onto the wood. She ascended her stairs two at a time and threw on jeans and a jumper, then slid her feet into the openings of her boots and grabbed a jacket from the coat pegs.
Outside, the wind whipped fallen leaves along the road, their dried-out and crisp surfaces making scratching sounds on the tarmac. Carmie held on to Jenny’s arm, the two women scurrying together in a bid to get back to the previous weekend’s crime scene. She used her free hand to keep her collar closed and stop the cold air slinking in.
The police presence was obvious once they reached the lane. Marked cars were again scattered across the road and blocking off oncoming traffic. An even larger crowd had gathered compared to a week ago, but this time they’d come prepared with camping stools and refreshments.
Jenny stopped on the periphery and flitted her gaze over the crowd to see if she knew anyone. Her heart missed a beat upon her spotting Martin near an ambulance, and she quickly looked away in the hope she wouldn’t catch his attention. There was no way she was going to be asking him any questions. There had to be someone else less threatening, and indeed there was.
The very person she’d wanted to be there was over on the far side of the crowd. She was about to try to push her way through but stopped because he was with someone. He was talking to Colette. They were deep in conversation, their heads bowed together and nearer than she would’ve liked. Jenny stood transfixed as he put an arm around the woman and pulled her close. Colette responded in kind, and their lips touched, a long lingering kiss.
So much for wanting to try again.
Jenny could’ve cried. It was clear to her they must’ve spent the night together. Jason was just keeping his options open, and option number one had obviously panned out. Her gut wrenched at the sight of the two love birds. It wasn’t that they were together, because that was his choice. What she minded was how he’d played her—again. Right at that moment, she could’ve kicked her self-esteem along the ground. It’d hit rock bottom, and she couldn’t believe anything else could make it go any lower.
In a bid to get back onto what she’d come for, she turned to random strangers to find out what was happening. A group of young men were hovering on the fringe.
Jenny took a deep breath and walked over to the nearest one. “Do you know what’s gone on here?”
The young man shivering in his jeans and hoodie said, “Someone’s been murdered. Left for dead in the clearing.”
That much information Jenny already knew. “Anything else, like who it is?”
“Some older bloke from round here, they’re saying.”
She was still none the wiser. The bitter wind was gathering pace, and the onlookers huddled closer together than they otherwise would. The trees on the other side of the road creaked, and darker clouds crept into the distance. It seemed a storm might be on its way.
The voice behind her whispered in to her ear. The proximity of the face had a shiver running down her neck, and she flinched, knocking their heads together.
“No need to head butt me, I don’t bite.”
She turned. Jason grinned at her. He’d moved in close because Colette was no longer with him.
Jenny quickly scanned the crowd to make sure before she replied, “Day off. You on your own?”
“Yeah, heard the sirens and thought I’d come down to have a gander. Not much happening really.”
She tried to keep her expression neutral, not wanting him to know she’d just caught him in a lie. Sure, he was on his own now, but a moment ago that wasn’t the case. She tried to let it go; after all, he was free to see who he liked. If only it was that simple. Being taken for a fool was getting old fast.
“Do you know what’s going on? Carmie says someone’s been murdered.”
“I heard that, too, but not sure who yet. I’m sure we’ll know by the end of the day. Anyone not in the pub will probably be the victim.”
Jenny cringed at the suggestion. It was both blunt and crude at the same time. She didn’t like to think that he was right, but it’d probably be the quickest way to find out. “Seems like we’ll all be in the pub later, then.”
She escorted Carmie back into the village, both with lowered heads and clinging together as they walked. There was no point hanging around if information was going to flow to them anyway. They stopped at the café next door to the charity shop. It was doing a roaring trade from people wanting to stay in the area but not hang out too long in the cold. Jenny ordered coffee and sandwiches from the counter and took them to where Carmie was already lifting the shutter.
Jenny bit into her sandwich, not bothering to wait until they were both settled in the office.
“You know I told you I saw the alien coming out of the convenience store.” Carmie said.
It took Jenny a moment to realise her friend was talking and bring herself back into the moment. “How did you know it was him?”
“I had a feeling I knew him, and when he turned around he appeared shocked.”
“Have you told DS George? What did he say?”
“No, he wouldn’t believe me. Do you think he’s the murderer?”
“Unlikely, I’d say.”
Jenny wasn’t sure what to think, but she’d seen the dealer, and he was no lightweight. He would’ve had trouble with both Scott and Jason fighting properly together, but if Scott was on his own, the man would’ve had a chance.
What about him being strung up? Doesn’t that change the odds out of his favour?
The thought of the poor man being unable to defend himself was frightening, but one thing was for sure, the alien Carmie described in the shop that late afternoon had been in no state to attack anyone. Then there was the time difference. He’d had blood on him in the shop. That was far too early to be from the dealer because at that point he still hadn’t fought with Scott at the pub. It didn’t mean it wasn’t the alien, but it did make it unlikely.
Jenny tried to think who could be involved. She knew Scott had been getting his dope from the dealer because he’d thought Scott still owed him money even though he’d paid up already. They’d let the man win the fight so Scott could stay a customer, and that was the last they’d seen of him. What about Les Mack? She couldn’t be sure he hadn’t known of his competition, but then it’d only become her knowledge of what Les was up to. As for Harvey, she didn’t have a clue about why his knives had been stolen. She didn’t know for sure if one had been used for the murder weapon, but now a second had been taken, she shuddered at the thought of it being used on anyone. Then there was Nick. He’d been dragged into this at her request and could now be the latest victim. The thought terrified her.
“You okay?”
Jenny hadn’t noticed Carmie was still talking until now. “I’m sorry. I was thinking.”
“We need to find out who is dead and why.”
Carmie was right. Speculating was no good. Jenny pulled out her mobile and phoned Jason in case he’d found out anything more.
“Hey, Jen, I was going to call you.”
“About the murder; do we know who it is yet?”
“You’re not going to believe this. It’s Tom, he’s the victim. The one Scott was going to for his weed.”
Jenny gasped and stared straight at her friend with widened eyes. “It’s not Nick?”
“No,” Jason said, “why would it be Nick? I think Scott’s in trouble. The police are going to come after him once they hear about his affair with Chantal.”
“He wasn’t having an affair,” Jenny protested, “he was there to pick up drugs, to sell it on.”
Jason went quiet on the other end of the line. She waited for him to speak. It was clear he had more to tell her.
“Jen, he was, and Tom knew. I came across him stumbling home from the pub. He’d drunk too much and blurted it all out.”
“Is that why Tom had a go at me? I thought it was about something else.” Jenny didn’t elaborate on what the something else was for Carmie’s benefit—she hadn’t told her what Les had got her to do.
“Possibly. Maybe he needed Scott to sell the grass for him but didn’t expect to have to share Chantal to do it. He was angry. Maybe they had a fight and it went too far.”
Tears stained Jenny’s face. She brushed at them with the back of her free hand, not knowing what to do or say. Scott had lied to her. She’d asked him directly, and thinking back, she couldn’t be certain if he’d admitted to it or not. There she was trying to help him, and he couldn’t even be straight with her.
Carmie reached out and squeezed her shoulder. The woman had only heard one side of the conversation, but she was still ready with an act of compassion.
“I’ve got to go,” Jenny said. “Let me know if you hear anything else.”
She held her phone in her hand and turned to her friend. “It’s Tom, he’s dead.”
Carmie shrugged. “Tom sold drugs, he paid the price.”
The woman’s words shocked Jenny. Yeah, she knew people got killed around the country in gang wars, but this was a sleepy little village, not a deprived area in a city centre. It was no good, she had to call Scott and find out what was really going on. He picked up straight away. “Where are you?”
“I’m with Chantal. Tom’s gone missing.”
Jenny reeled from the answer. “Tom’s dead. I don’t know how, but you’ve got to get out of there. The police will be coming for you. They’ll think you did it.”
“What?” he asked. “Why?”
“You’re having an affair with Chantal. They’ll think it’s jealousy, and when they find out about the drugs, they’ll think you were trying to take that over, too.”
The line went quiet on the other end. Jenny held her breath while she waited for him to speak.
It must be a lot to take in. He’s got to see sense.
Scott exhaled. “I’ve done nothing wrong.”
“I know that, but you have to prove it. Run, Scott, until they’ve got someone else in their crosshairs.” Panic rose inside her. What was wrong with him? Why wasn’t he concerned like she was?
“You really need to get a grip.”
The line went dead. She held the phone away from her ear and stared at it.
What the hell?
A small hand enclosed her own. Jenny glanced up to see her friend’s face, her brow furrowed.
“Let’s go back to the crime scene,” Carmie said, “so we can find out what happened to Tom.”
They wrapped themselves up and ventured back towards the lane on the edge of the village. More snippets must have made their way into the crowd hanging out down there, so it was worth going and asking questions. Only a portion of the rubberneckers were the same, many having had to go about their weekend business. The police were again working their way through the crowd as they had done the week before.
Jenny stood on the edge with Carmie at her side. She was still reeling from her conversation with Scott. The man had to be mad to not want to defend himself. It was then she saw DS George taking orders from his superior and then walking her way. She decided he’d be the best person to talk to—that was if she could get him to give her a minute of his time. Jenny pushed forward through the throng and tried to head him off before he got in his car.
“Can I have a word?” She’d almost screeched the words at him.
For a moment it didn’t seem like he was going to take any notice of her. That was until he briefly touched her arm. She followed him away from the crowd with Carmie in tow. It looked like he was leading them to the pub, which was just opening up for the day. At least they would be out of the biting wind.
“Morning, Dave, don’t mind us,” George called to the landlord once they were inside.
Dave dismissed them with a nod and went about his business. Yet again they sat at the table George liked to frequent. It was far enough from anyone to hear what they were talking about. Jenny was relieved to see that even Martin hadn’t turned up yet, but she was sure he wouldn’t be far behind them.
Once sitting, George cleared his throat. It got both of their attention. “You have something to tell me?”
“I don’t think Scott did it,” Jenny said, “he wasn’t having an affair.”
“How do you know that?”
“He told me. I believe him, and I really don’t think he’s capable of murder.”
“But Tom’s dead,” George said, “and Scott was the person seen coming and going. Is there something else you know?”
Jenny felt trapped. She wished she could blurt out what was going on but knew better than to do so. She bit her bottom lip, tugging at the skin with her teeth. Her hands, which had been cold only minutes ago, now felt sweaty. She wiped both palms over the thighs of her jeans.
I’m an idiot. Anyone could have seen us come in here with George.
She flitted her attention to Carmie, wishing she could implore her to help her out of the situation. “No, nothing.”