by Carla Kovach
‘It’s got everything to do with you. The wholesome lifestyle you portray to the outside world – a lie. Clean living when you sleep with all these people. Nothing but a cheap liar. I admired you, you know. Your dedication to purity and cleanliness that you portray on YouTube, but you’re dirty, just like the others.’ He held the photo closer to her eyes, then pulled out another photo.
She squinted in the low light. It was definitely a younger Jade. As she cast her eyes on the other photo, she gasped for breath. Her throat was sticking, closing. He’d been watching her. He’d killed Jade and now it was her turn. She kneeled up and thrust her upper body forward, pushing as hard as she could. His laughter filled the air as her stiff bones managed a few shuffles along the concrete floor. Bits of wood pierced her leggings and stabbed her knees. Flashes filled the room, blinding her as he took photos of her misery. He was enjoying every moment, torturing her with a small chance of freedom.
He gripped her curls in his tightly clenched fist and dragged her along the floor, back into the tiny upright grave.
‘No, don’t shut me in there. Please, I won’t try to escape, just let me stay out here.’ Her sodden teary face gathered bits of wood shaving as he let go of her hair and began dragging her by her feet. She tried to reach out and grab the leg of the workbench. Pain flashed through her cracked fingers, up her arm. ‘I want to go home.’
‘She wants to go home,’ he mimicked, trying to imitate her voice as he slammed the heavy wooden door shut. The lock came across and she heard him scraping something across the floor. He was pulling furniture across the secret door, she knew it.
Once again, crunched up in the tiny crevice, the cold dampness penetrated her clothing, clawing under her skin. With chattering teeth, she tried to yell and cry out but nothing was happening. With her strength diminishing rapidly, she knew her time would be up soon. She recognised the symptoms of hypothermia. Soon she’d seize up and drift off into her death sleep. She heard a distant slam followed by the pulling down of a roller shutter. He was gone and he’d left her there to die.
She tried to pull at her vest top, crying as her broken fingers became tangled in her spaghetti strap. Strip off, she needed to lose the cold clothing. It was too cramped. Her fingers were stuck. She was stuck. She exhaled, blowing the sawdust from her mouth.
The life she was leading flashed before her. Nicole, her lodger and best friend, would be missing her. She only hoped she’d called the police and they were looking for her. Hopelessness set in as she wondered how on earth they would ever find her here. So much of their focus had been on finding Rhys and this man was right under their noses all the time, existing without suspicion.
The other photo he’d showed her pushed to the front of her mind. He’d taken that picture while she’d been out running, bending over tying up her laces. She tried to think back and couldn’t pinpoint the exact time when it might have been taken. That was one of her usual routes. He could have been watching her for ages. Her heart rate slowed down as her limbs numbed. She was losing it, slowly slipping into unconsciousness.
She was jogging through the estate, looking for him. She’d only seen him for the first time at the party but that photo had to be taken long before that. She slipped over a step into an open drain and was falling. Not the abyss, please, not the dark abyss. ‘Don’t close your eyes,’ she said through chattering teeth. ‘Stay with it.’ It was no good. She had lost control as she hurtled into the darkness, wondering if she’d ever wake up again.
Sixty-Three
Gina followed Jacob through to Aimee’s lounge and sat close to Nicole. Keith shuffled behind them, huffing and puffing as he carried his toolkit to the kitchen. She heard him mutter something about his aching back under his breath but his muttering soon faded.
‘I still haven’t heard from her. She never goes anywhere without her phone, which is why I’m worried.’
‘I know and we’ll do everything we can to find out where she is.’ Gina knew full well that wasn’t going to put Nicole’s mind at ease.
The young woman pulled her oversized cardigan around her middle and folded her arms in front of it. Sitting forward, her back looked slightly hunched.
‘What time did you get home from work yesterday?’
She shrugged her shoulders. ‘I don’t know the exact time, I think it was about seven. I normally finish at five but I did a little overtime.’
Jacob made a note.
‘Tell me what you saw.’
‘The back gate was flapping away in the wind which was unusual in itself. That would have done Aimee’s head in. As I walked through, I closed it. I went in through the back door as I always do. When I came in, something didn’t feel right. The kitchen table had been shunted away from the wall and there’s a chip in it.’
‘Did you touch these?’
She exhaled and nodded. ‘I pushed the table back in its place and put the chair under the table. I also wiped it with a cloth. I remember calling for Aimee. There was no answer. My first thought was that she’d met up with that idiot, Rhys, and gone out with him. You wouldn’t believe how disappointed in her I was. Anyway, I warmed some food up in the microwave, sat in front of the telly and thought no more of it. I tried to call again before going to bed about midnight but she still wasn’t answering. I only noticed the next morning, when I started to tidy up a bit. Aimee and I have different standards when it comes to cleaning. While I was on holiday, the place had turned into the pits so I cleared the rubbish from the lounge. As I plumped the sofa, I noticed Aimee’s phone. She’d never go anywhere without her phone.’ Nicole rubbed her eyes.
‘We will need the phone; maybe that will give us some clue as to what happened.’
She pointed to the corner of the room at the phone which was plugged into a charger. Gina passed Jacob an evidence bag. ‘Did Aimee say anything to you, something that may have been worrying her?’
Nicole leaned back slightly, revealing her pale round face in full. ‘I was always worried about her. It was Rhys. Since he moved in, she seemed different. It was all about him and what he wanted. Of course, she kept telling me there was nothing wrong but I heard the rows. I rent the bedroom next to the one they slept in. I’d often hear her yelling out, like he was hurting her. I did mention it to her once and she just said that sometimes he was a bit rough in the bedroom but she told me she didn’t mind. I knew she did though. He also knew I didn’t like him. When she was around he would be all nice, offer to make me drinks, full of false concern when I wasn’t well or something – things like that. I had a flu virus a couple of months ago and he was all over me when Aimee was around, offering to fetch me blankets, go to the chemist, make me soup. As soon as she was out of the way, he’d ignore me when I spoke to him. He even jabbed me in the ribs a couple of times, by accident, of course. She couldn’t see it. He’s a nasty piece of work, always getting his own way. I don’t know what she saw in him but I don’t know what she saw in any of her boyfriends. Most of them were at least double her age. It was her thing. I just always knew I’d be there for her, whatever happened.’
Gina watched as Jacob caught up with his notes.
‘How do you know Aimee?’
‘We’ve been best friends since school. She’s my best friend, always has been. I know she was infatuated with Rhys but he was bad for her.’
Gina glanced around the room. It didn’t look the same as the other day when she’d interviewed the highly-defensive Aimee. The woman who was so worried that her reputation would be ruined from any scandal that may come out of everything. All the dusty glasses of water were cleared away and the room had been cleaned. A ray of May sun emerged through the window and the wind chimes clanged together as the breeze through the open window aired the musty room.
First Samantha went missing all those years ago, then Jade Ashmore was killed and now Aimee was missing. At the back of her mind was Sophie Dobbins and her attack. Her heart almost skipped a beat. She inhaled swiftly as her attention turned back to Nicole.
‘We need to get her phone back to the station, see if we can get anything from it. A forensics officer is working the kitchen, looking for prints, taking swabs and looking for points of entry. You say the back door was unlocked and the gate was open?’
Nicole nodded. ‘It was, but something else was strange. The runner in the hallway was all rumpled up and the end of the rug was trapped in the front door.’
An image flashed through Gina’s mind. Aimee in the kitchen and an intruder. Did he come in through the back or knock at the front door? A scuffle occurred in the kitchen, shunting the table away from the wall. Maybe he dragged her out onto the drive. Had the perpetrator parked out the front? If Aimee had been hurt or kidnapped, he wouldn’t have wanted to walk her too far at the risk of someone seeing. He had to be parked by the house.
‘There is something else.’ Nicole hugged her cardigan closer.
‘Okay.’
‘The neighbour’s dog has been a right pain recently, always barking. It’s not like him, Barney is normally a good dog. I wonder if he was trying to warn us, picking up on someone out there, watching. It sends shivers down my spine.’
Gina and Jacob exchanged a look. ‘We’ll order a door to door, see if any of your neighbours have noticed anything unusual. If there’s anything else you can think of in the meantime, call me straight away. Here’s my card. My direct number is on it.’
Nicole took the card and placed it straight in her pocket. ‘Thank you. Am I safe to stay in the house?’
‘Just make sure the doors and windows are locked. If you hear or see anything suspicious, just call the emergency number immediately. If you’re worried or scared, you can also call me.’
‘Thank you.’
Keith pulled his face mask down and called her out into the lean-to, then spoke in a hushed voice. Nicole continued to convey her worries to Jacob.
‘I’ve found a smear of blood on the floor and I can see that there was an attempt to wipe it away. It’s going straight to the lab now. There is also evidence of a struggle, a few items were strewn under the table and the back of the chair was damaged. Again, I found a trace of blood and hair. I’ve called for more assistance and the kitchen and hallway are now a no-go zone. I just wish the housemate hadn’t tampered with everything. It’s going to make our job harder.’
‘Check the drive too.’
He nodded. ‘I’ll cordon it off now.’
Gina popped her head around the lounge door. ‘Nicole, is there anyone you can stay with for a few days?’
She nodded. ‘I’ll go to my mum’s. I don’t want to stay here alone.’
‘I think you’d feel better there,’ Jacob replied as he stood.
Gina had no guarantees that the attacker wouldn’t come back. Something bad had happened to Aimee, she knew it. Her heart rate quickened. She only hoped that another body wouldn’t turn up or worse – vanish; just like Samantha had.
Something was missing. Their perpetrator had been clever up to now. She only hoped something had been left behind this time. She shuddered as she thought of her own intruder the previous night. Shaking her head, she pushed it out of her mind. It couldn’t be related. Steven had now been cleared and for some reason he had backed off completely. Or could it be related? Samantha, the party animal, the fun young woman who’d been having a relationship with more than one man. Jade Ashmore, attended a partner-swapping party. The photo turning up showing both Jade and Samantha at the same party all those years ago. She couldn’t see where Aimee fitted in to all this, let alone herself if there was some link.
Perceived sexual deviance flashed through her mind and she felt the colour drain from her face. No one else knew about her past and that night, no one. Or had Terry shared that information adding his own twist to the truth. This person saw Aimee as some sort of sexual deviant and, as her theory went, he was punishing her. Why the photos? He likes to keep a record.
Jacob brought her back into the moment. ‘We have to go, guv. Diane Garraway has just called in a hysterical state. She was waffling on about Samantha, then she hung up.’
‘Let’s go and check on her.’
Sixty-Four
Gina hammered on the door for the second time but Diane still didn’t answer. ‘Do you think she’s in?’ Jacob asked. Children ran around screaming as they chased a football on the small patch of grass in front of the houses.
‘She looked like she could barely walk last time we saw her.’ Gina stepped over the patch of muddied earth in front of the living room window and peered through the smeared glass. Diane lay on the sofa, vomit glistening down the side of the settee where she lay. ‘Call an ambulance.’
She darted around the side of the building and ran through the open back gate, hoping that the back door would be open and it was. Charging through, she entered the chilly lounge, grabbed Diane’s wrist and began searching for a pulse.
She could hear Jacob relaying the address over the phone.
‘Overdose, looks like paracetamol. She’s vomited but we need an ambulance pronto.’ She counted the missing tablets. ‘I’d say fifteen paracetamol but I can’t be sure.’
‘They’re on their way, guv.’
‘Diane.’ Gina gave her a little shake. ‘Diane.’
The woman murmured and half-opened an eye. Gina grabbed a tissue and wiped the side of her face. ‘An ambulance is on its way.’
‘I caused all this pain. I did bad things,’ she half-whispered. ‘My brother, he said—’ Her eyelid began to droop as her body juddered. ‘Samantha—’
‘It’s DI Harte. You called and we’re here. Help is on its way. You’re going to be okay.’
‘My brother.’ She began to half-sob and cough before spraying Gina’s shirt with a stream of vomit. The woman gagged and choked. She was already on her side.
‘Let it all out, Diane.’ She stared down at her shirt and almost gagged herself. She felt the woman’s clammy head and Jacob entered with some kitchen towel. She heard sirens approaching as she mopped herself and Diane with the tissues. ‘Help is here, hang on, Diane.’
The woman no longer responded and her pulse was faint.
‘Diane. Stay with me. The paramedics are here.’
Jacob opened the front door and two paramedics entered, pushing Gina aside as they began treating the woman.
Gina went into the kitchen and wet some kitchen roll before wiping herself down. As she inhaled, she gagged again. The overpowering smell was turning her stomach. The thought of Diane being in so much emotional pain that she had tried to take her own life filled her with sadness. She guessed that Diane had taken the overdose then called the station asking for Gina. If she and Jacob had decided to grab a coffee on the way, or get some petrol, or even quickly check in at the station, Diane may not at least be in with a chance. It was no good. She couldn’t wear her shirt. She began to peel it away and Jacob barged in.
‘They’re taking her to the hospital now. Shall I get someone to head over there? Sorry, guv.’ He turned to face the hallway while she continued to clean herself.
‘Yes, give Wyre a call. We need to know what Diane wanted to tell us. She kept mentioning a brother. Ask O’Connor to look into this. I want to know who he is as I don’t have any details of her family on file. I thought she had no family.’ She slipped her jacket back on and did the buttons up. ‘And tell them to grab me a shirt from lost property.’ Gina rolled her shirt up, ready to dispose of it. She wandered back into the living room, thinking about why Diane had tried to take her own life. Diane was all alone, no friends, in severe pain and poverty. Diane had no one.
She swallowed hard and almost wept as she saw what she thought might be her own future flashing in front of her. How many friends did she have? None that she’d let into her life. Family? A daughter who had moved, more than likely to get away from her. The only thing she did have was her health, but that wasn’t guaranteed. She thought back to her own mother, taken suddenly by cancer. Her fa
ther, a good man who had missed her mother so much that he’d turned to drink. She understood why Diane had felt like she had nothing. Like Diane, she had done things that were bad. Her mind was awhirl with what bad things Diane thought she’d done. She wiped her eyes. That wasn’t the future she wanted but old habits die hard.
‘Guv? Should we get back to the station?’ Jacob stood in the door entrance. She could tell he was on the verge of gagging.
‘Yes, but first I need to make sure I lock Diane’s house up and take her key with me. She’s already had enough happen with the card and the break-in.’
‘Are you okay with that while I wait in the car and call the station?’
‘Go on, get out of here.’ He didn’t need telling twice.
She grabbed some more tissues and a wet soapy cloth and wiped the sofa down. Only a small gesture but one she was sure Diane would appreciate on her return. She couldn’t leave the mess to dry up and smell. She reached down the side of the sofa with the damp flannel and flinched as her fingernail caught on something hard down the side of the settee. An address book, a tatty brown leatherette pocket-sized book. She gently pulled it out and opened it. None of the few pages left were fixed in. The short list of addresses were all the people that Diane had in the world. Most were crossed out, maybe friends that had moved, passed away or she no longer kept in touch with them. She scanned the names, not recognising any of them. The yellow musty pages suggested that she hadn’t used this book for years. She found Samantha listed, her address written in spidery writing under her name. A few more pages fell to the floor, again, most of the addresses were crossed out. Gina flicked another page and her jaw dropped as she read the text.
This address book belongs to …
Underneath the text, Diane had written her full name and it wasn’t what Gina had expected. She’d changed her name. Gina knew she’d never been married. She grabbed her phone, heart pounding as she waited for Wyre to answer. She knew exactly who Diane’s brother was and she wasn’t going to waste a single minute. As she relayed what she’d discovered, she grabbed Diane’s keys and locked up. ‘Meet me there, and bring me a new top while you’re at it.’ She slammed the front door closed and threw her soiled shirt into the wheelie bin.