by Emma Tallon
He wasn’t sure what he had been expecting. It wasn’t like she was going to be sitting there on the side of the road with her phone in her hand, waving at him as he came round the corner. A pang of longing shot through him. He missed Anna so much and he was going crazy with all the terrible thoughts of what could be happening to her right now running through his head. He hated himself for the fact that each terrible thought was a genuine possibility, due to who he was. It was most likely that she had been taken because of him somehow. He just wished he knew who or why. He felt so useless. His job was to protect the ones he loved and he had failed.
Freddie got into the car and waited as the others followed suit. Fraser started the engine.
‘Let’s drive on ahead a bit before we leave. Just see what’s about. There might be something, you never know,’ Fraser suggested.
The car continued down the road and they all kept their eyes peeled for something that might give them a clue. Suddenly Fraser pulled the car to a halt and made a sound of exasperation. They had reached a crossroads.
There were three possible roads to take and from where they sat, Freddie could see another turn-off up ahead. He groaned in defeat. They had no chance of working out where they had gone from here. He wondered if that was part of the reason they had dumped the phone before they got here.
‘Fuck!’ He punched the dashboard and then ran his hands down his face. He sighed and slumped, but then suddenly sat forward, frowning, and tilted his head.
‘What is it?’ Fraser asked, alert.
‘I don’t know. It’s just… I think I’ve been here before. I recognise this junction. But I can’t remember why.’
‘Well, it’s not that far out of London,’ Fraser offered. ‘Perhaps on your way through to somewhere? Or a traffic diversion?’
‘Yeah, maybe.’ Freddie stared at the road a little longer. ‘OK, let’s go back,’ he said reluctantly.
* * *
They pulled into the car park at the back of Club CoCo, which was silent and in darkness. The club closed at two and it was now past three.
Freddie pulled out the keys to open the back door and was focused on finding the right one when Paul noticed the plastic bag hanging from the handle. He frowned.
‘What’s this?’ He opened it and pulled out a beige rolled-up jacket.
‘That’s Anna’s,’ Freddie said.
‘What the…’ Paul snatched his hand away from the garment. It was covered in something dark and sticky, but he couldn’t make out what it was in the darkness. Freddie pulled his phone out and turned the torch on, shining it onto his brother’s hands.
As his mind registered what he was looking at, Freddie gasped. He twisted round and punched the back door with rage. He cursed and closed his eyes.
The sticky substance coming off the jacket was a deep crimson colour that Freddie was all too familiar with. Someone had delivered Anna’s jacket to them, covered in blood.
30
‘Please, Izobel, talk to me?’ Anna pleaded as the young woman came to collect the breakfast tray and deliver the lunch one. It was the same every day. She said the bare minimum and stayed only long enough to do what she had to do. ‘Will you at least sit with me a while?’ Anna begged. ‘I’m going crazy in here by myself, all day every day. If you can’t tell me anything, fine, but at least give me some company?’
Anna knew how desperate she sounded but she didn’t care. She really was climbing the walls. Consumed by the need to escape but having come up with no way to do so, she was driving herself insane. She’d run through every possibility as to who her abductor could be, but without any new information she was still going round in circles. There was nothing to even take her mind off the situation. No television, no books, no internet, nothing. Just the never-ending silence within the four walls of her little prison and the occasional twitch of the camera in the corner, letting her know that he was still there.
Izobel bit her lip as she considered it. Anna’s hope rose – perhaps she would stay a while.
‘Say you’ll stay? We can… I don’t know, talk, play a game, anything.’
Izobel glanced worriedly at the camera and quickly shook her head.
‘I can’t,’ she said, her voice quivering. Before Anna could try to change her mind, she turned and left the room, locking the door once more.
Anna’s shoulders slumped and she walked wearily over to collect the lunch tray. She set it down on the bed and studied the contents. It was a fresh chicken and bacon salad, with a probiotic yoghurt and a banana for afterwards. Whoever it was out there, they seemed strangely intent on keeping her healthy. She picked up the banana with disinterest, her frustration beginning to bubble over.
As something inside her snapped, she pulled her arm back and launched the banana at the door. ‘I don’t want a fucking banana and I don’t want a fucking yoghurt!’ She stood up. ‘I want to see you, the one hiding behind your camera like the pathetic creature you are. Do you get off on it? Do you? Watching me locked up like this? What the hell is your game, huh?’ she screamed at the camera, all her fury exploding out. ‘What have I ever done to you, you scumbag? Come out here,’ she shouted, her eyes burning. ‘Come on, come out – I dare you. I dare you to come in here and face me like a man, you spineless, sick, twisted piece of shit.’
She waited for some sort of response, any response, but all stayed silent around her. She stood still, her angry breathing ragged and hard in the quiet. Eventually the camera moved a few degrees to the left and then back again. It repeated the motion again and Anna realised in furious disbelief that the person on the other end of the feed was shaking the camera’s head. They were telling her that they wouldn’t come through. She began to shake with rage.
‘That’s it!’ she screeched like a banshee. Stomping over to the dressing table she grasped hold of the hairbrush, the chunkiest thing to hand in the minimalist room. Dragging the chair over to the corner with the camera, she stood on it and began smashing the handle into the camera lens again and again until the glass broke. With that done, she grasped the chunky contraption with both hands and yanked it back and forth, trying to pull it off the wall. It held fast though and she could see it had been bolted on. It would take more than that to get it off. Still undeterred, she pushed it to the side and checked the back. Several wires ran out, into a small hole in the wall.
Bingo, she thought. Wires she could work with. One at a time she plucked them out easily, breaking their connection. The little red dot at the front finally stopped flashing and she smiled. She had done it. He couldn’t watch her anymore, and if he wanted to fix his camera, he would have no choice but to enter the room.
Stepping down, Anna replaced the chair and sat back in her usual position on the bed, facing the door. She would sit and wait for him, whoever he was, to arrive. She smoothed down her hair and the front of her top. She needed to be in control and therefore had to appear cool and collected. She took a deep breath and psyched herself up.
Minutes passed with no sign of life. She counted off the seconds to pass the time. Eventually she heard a heavy tread come down the hallway. She held her breath as the footsteps stopped outside the door and the key turned in the lock.
The door opened wide and the man behind the camera stepped into the room. Anna’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped. She breathed in sharply and then let out a long breath as her mind finally made the connections. She nodded slowly and then shook her head as she finally found her voice.
‘You,’ she said, her tone falling flat with defeat and resignation. ‘It’s you.’
31
Freddie’s phone rang and he closed his eyes anxiously as he saw who it was. Swallowing hard, he took the call and tried to brighten up his voice.
‘Leslie, hi, how are you?’
‘I’m OK, thanks, Freddie, but I can’t seem to get hold of Anna. Her number has been going through to voicemail for days. Has something happened with her phone?’
Freddie could hear the worry
in her voice, the undertone of anxiety. It was understandable, considering the things Anna had been through in her past. He knew Leslie Davis called every couple of days just for a chat and to check everything was going well in her daughter’s life. It would be bringing back old ghosts now that she couldn’t get hold of her.
Freddie quickly thought over his options. His natural instinct was to tell Leslie the truth. He liked and respected her, and he didn’t like to lie to family. But then he thought about what Anna would want him to do, and he knew that he would have to hide the truth this time. She wouldn’t want her parents to suffer unnecessarily. Hopefully he would find her soon and get her home and the Davises would be none the wiser. And even if the worst came to the worst and he had to give them the bad news, he could at least spare them the sleepless nights and the hell of not knowing beforehand.
‘Yeah, sorry, she lost her phone a few days ago. We’ve been so busy we haven’t had time to get a new one yet. She did say you might call and that if you did to tell you not to worry.’ Freddie leaned his head forward onto his free hand as he talked.
‘Oh, OK then.’ Leslie sounded relieved. ‘Is she there with you now?’
‘No, sorry. I’m out of town at the moment, had to sort out some business,’ he lied. ‘I won’t be back for a few days. And I felt bad leaving Anna, so I surprised her with a spa retreat. She’s gone with Thea for a week. Total relaxation. She’s been so stressed lately with the extra work, I figured it would do her some good to get away.’
‘Oh, how lovely.’ Freddie heard the smile in Leslie’s tone. ‘That’s so thoughtful, Freddie. And you’re right, that’s exactly what she needs. I think she’s taken on a bit too much with that second club, you know. She looked very peaky the last time we met up. I’ve been a bit worried about her, to be honest.’
You and me both, Freddie thought wryly. ‘Yeah, it has been taking its toll.’
‘Well, hopefully it gets easier soon once she’s got more of a routine in place there,’ Leslie said. ‘Anyway, I’ll leave you to it – you must be busy. If you speak to her, tell her we love her lots and to call us when she sorts out the new phone.’
‘I will do, don’t you worry. Speak to you soon, take care.’
Freddie ended the call and covered his face with his hands. He prayed to God that the next conversation he had with Leslie wasn’t to tell her that Anna was coming home in a body bag.
Tanya marched down the road with purpose. Her stiletto heels tapped out a rhythm on the concrete slabs of the pavement and her hips swung from side to side encased in a tight leather knee-length skirt. Heads turned, watching her appreciatively as she walked. Her bright red lips matched her gauzy blouse and her glossy locks curled around her shoulders. She was dressed to kill. Putting on a front for the rest of the world was the only way she knew how to fight whatever she was feeling. And right now she was feeling completely lost.
Anna was more than just a friend and business partner; she was family, the only family she had. Tanya had left home and everyone she was tied to by blood a long time ago. Her father had died when she was young and her brothers had moved out and on with their own lives when she was still small, as they were much older than she was. They never had much time for the scrawny kid left at home and eventually they stopped seeing her at all. After that, she was just left with Rosie, her gin-soaked mother, for company. And that had been no easy ride. Her mother had hated her and taunted her cruelly each and every day of her life. Her real life, as she thought of it, had only really begun the day she ran away for a fresh start. And she only gained family again the day she met Anna. But now Anna was gone and no one seemed to have a clue where or why.
Unlocking the front door of The Last Laugh, she stepped into the building and closed it up again behind her. Turning to look around, she pursed her lips. It was doing well on paper, turning a decent profit. Not quite as much as Club Anya was, but still very good for what it was. Still, Tanya didn’t enjoy the running of it at all. The vibe was completely different and the acts were much more difficult to handle.
The girls at Club Anya were easy to talk to. They were all on the same level. Perhaps it was because she used to be in their shoes and understood how they felt about things. Perhaps that was why they showed her respect and trusted what she had to say. But here, it was like the comedians spoke a different language altogether and they were often rude and difficult. She had to bite her tongue and manage them gently, and that wasn’t something that came easily to Tanya.
Tanya’s phone began to ring, the shrill noise echoing through the empty club. She pulled it out of her bag and looked at the screen. Breathing out heavily she let it go through to voicemail before putting it away. It was Tom. She couldn’t face talking to him right now. He kept asking her if she was OK and going out of his way to do nice little things for her, to let her know he was there. She appreciated the thought, but she couldn’t bear answering the question again right now.
No, she wasn’t OK. And she wasn’t going to be until Anna came home. For the first time since they had got together, she couldn’t bear to be around Tom. She couldn’t bear to be around anyone. Except Freddie. He was the one person who knew exactly how she felt and who didn’t try to make it all better. She was glad he was still staying with them.
A clanking sound came from the door that led through to the green room, like a glass bottle being knocked along the floor. In a flash, Tanya yanked up her skirt and whipped out the small knife she kept in a purpose-made garter. It was something she had only purchased and started wearing the year before, after she had been backed into a corner by a stalker, who surprisingly had ended up becoming a good friend. That friendship aside, though, Tanya had firmly decided that she would never be caught off-guard again. This was the first time she had reason to use the knife and was immensely glad she had it with her.
She held the blade out with a steady hand, all senses alert. No one knew yet why Anna had been taken. Was it her kidnapper in the green room? Had he come for her too? If he had, she was ready. Narrowing her eyes she felt a strange, angry resoluteness flow through her body. She hoped it was him. She needed this. She needed a release, someone to take her frustrations out on and who better than the man who was causing her all the stress in the first place?
Tanya glanced at the bar. If she edged that way she would move into view of the green room. But as long as she was quick enough, she should be able to grab a bottle of something before he got to her. A second weapon would be useful.
A shadow began to creep over the floor and she realised it was too late. Whoever it was, he was coming through already. She flexed her muscles and prepared herself for what was coming. His body came into view and she began to lunge, before quickly pulling herself up short.
He staggered forward, shirt untucked and stained, rubbing his eyes and groaning.
‘Christ, your phone makes a bloody noise. Don’t you have volume control?’ The irate voice belonged to Drew Black, one of Tanya’s resident comedians. She dropped the arm holding the knife to her side and let out a whoosh of breath.
‘What the hell, Drew?’ she complained, in an accusatory tone. ‘I thought you were… oh, it doesn’t matter. What are you doing here?’
‘Oh, well, there was this party, it got crazy…’ His lazy drawl had a false tone to it and Tanya raised an eyebrow. He caught the look and sighed, slumping his shoulders. ‘I had a fight with my wife and left my wallet at home, so I couldn’t book anywhere to stay. The back window was ajar, so I managed to get in. And then… Well, I owe you a bottle of rum.’ He had the grace to look a little embarrassed and Tanya rolled her eyes.
‘This ain’t a flippin’ hotel, Drew,’ she said, but her tone was softening.
‘It’s not a dark alley either, love,’ he replied, motioning towards the knife still in her hand. ‘What exactly did you think was going to go down here?’
Tanya looked at the weapon in her hand. ‘Doesn’t matter,’ she said dismissively. She pulled her skirt up and
placed it back into its holder. Drew gave a quiet whistle of surprise and lifted his eyebrows. He leaned back against one of the tables.
‘So what now?’ he asked.
‘Well, are you going to sort your shit out with your wife any time soon?’ Tanya asked.
‘Probably not. Apparently she doesn’t want to stay married to an alcoholic and I don’t want to stay married without being one. So, she’s decided we’re getting a divorce.
Tanya sighed. She really didn’t need to be taking on other people’s problems, but it seemed like she wasn’t being given much choice.
‘Right.’ She rubbed her forehead. ‘There’s a bedsit upstairs that’s empty right now. It’s not much, but it’s furnished and comfortable. If you want it, it’s yours.’
‘Really?’ Drew stood up. ‘Wow, that would be perfect, thank you. Seriously, thanks. That’s helped me out a lot.’
‘It’s fine,’ Tanya replied dismissively. ‘Now for Christ’s sake, please go and get yourself cleaned up. You’re supposed to be on in three hours.’
‘Yes, I am indeed. I’ll catch you later then.’ Drew disappeared.
Tanya headed for her office sighing wearily, hoping she still had a decent amount of cherry vodka in her personal stash. She was going to need it tonight. Still, she felt a tad better for helping Drew. If she couldn’t help her best friend, at least she had been able to help someone.
Closing the door she sat down heavily in her chair and opened the top drawer in the desk. She pulled out the nearly empty bottle of vodka and poured some into a glass that already sat on the desk. As she put the vodka back, she paused and her hand hovered above the small leather pouch next to it. Her personal cocaine stash.
She used it from time to time when she was super busy, just to give her a little edge, or for fun at the occasional party. She was a recreational user and could take it or leave it. But lately she had been relying on it more and more, as sleep was still playing hard to get. She knew she had been hitting it hard and should pull back a bit, but at the moment it was the only thing getting her through. She reached in and pulled it out. In for a penny, in for a pound, she thought as she cut her first line of the night.