by Wyer, Carol
The tattoo is a masterpiece and she has truly brought the creature to life. It has taken many hours of pain and patience but they are both at the end… or should it be at the beginning? The familiar buzzing of the machine fills the studio and he relaxes his muscles as she works, admiring her beautiful dark eyes and fine cheeks as she puts the finishing touches to her creation.
* * *
Cosmina had been his partner in crime, helping him to not only plan the murders but find out where the three women lived. The boat had been part of the plot, as had convincing Brendon to live there. Her dying had not. Even now the thought of her body ravaged so quickly by the evil disease that took her from him made him want to howl like a deranged animal. Cosmina, his Cosmina, had been everything he could have hoped for. He shook himself. This wasn’t the time to dwell on what might have been. He’d been caught out and it was time to make his escape. He had planned for this eventuality. There was just one thing he wanted to do before he left.
* * *
The man with the Jack Russell was ambling down the towpath in Lucy’s direction. She remained hidden in the undergrowth and hoped the dog wouldn’t sniff her out. It was rushing left and right, picking up scents, its tail wagging nineteen to the dozen. She hoped she’d made the right call and that Mitchell would head here. Leigh could be on board the narrowboat and he’d come back to fetch her. She hoped the team would outsmart him this time and the others would be in position before Mitchell showed up. If he showed up before, she’d need to be quick. The man was more slippery than an eel and her only advantage would be that of surprise.
The dog’s snout came into view and she grimaced. This was a breed that could lock its teeth onto you if they felt so inclined. She didn’t stir. The dog snuffled past. She kept perfectly still in case any slight rustle attracted its attention, then suddenly froze as the owner shouted, ‘Hey!’
She thought for a second the man had seen her but soon realised he’d turned away and was speaking to an approaching stranger. The Jack Russell whooshed past her and hurtled towards the person, barking angrily until he was told off and scooped into his owner’s arms. The man’s loud voice carried across to her. She caught snippets of his conversation, ‘Police… looking for Swinging Rose… you seen it?’
The reply was mumbled. She edged forwards to see who was speaking and recognised the neat man with the placid face. It was Mitchell Cox. Whatever the dog owner had said had spooked him and he’d already turned around and was retracing his steps towards the tunnel. She couldn’t lose him. She sprinted out of her hiding place. The dog began a volley of startled barks that caused Mitchell to glance back and increase his speed. He was quicker than her and outrunning her. The dog owner shouted after her but she ignored him and drove herself onwards. The distance between them was increasing. Mitchell was creeping away from her, an inch at a time, and was now almost at the slope leading to the road. He began to scurry up it. She was in danger of losing him. Once he reached the main road, he’d get away.
Her head screamed at her legs to pump faster but she didn’t have the speed required. She pushed harder still and was almost at the slope when Mitchell came hurtling back down it, pursued by Murray. She threw herself at him and he stumbled. It was enough for her to grab his left leg and yank on it. Murray was on him instantly, knocking the air out of him and flattening him against the ground. His face was twisted to one side as Murray’s large palm rested on his head, and Murray cautioned the man before cuffing him and dragging him to his feet.
Lucy hadn’t noticed Natalie’s arrival. She sucked in lungfuls of air and promised herself she really would give up smoking. When she’d regained her breath, Natalie asked, ‘Where’s the boat?’
‘Down there, through the tunnel and beyond the bend.’
‘Hand it over, Mitchell,’ Natalie said.
‘What?’
‘The key to the boat. Hand it over or I’ll smash the doors open. It’s up to you. I’m sure Cosmina wouldn’t have wanted to see her boat in bits.’ Her words had the desired effect.
‘My jacket pocket,’ he replied.
Murray felt for it and passed Natalie the key.
Murray led Mitchell away, leaving Natalie and Lucy to check out the narrowboat. The dog owner was still where Lucy had last seen him, mouth open. The dog snarled at Natalie but the man reprimanded it with a smack on the snout.
Natalie climbed onto the deck first and, with a trembling fingers, unlocked the door. With the shutters over the windows, the boat was in darkness. Natalie switched on her Maglite and ran it around the cabin, letting the beam fall against a small log stove and simply furnished interior, offering everything one would find in a compact flat. She tried the light but it didn’t work.
‘Careful of the steps,’ she said to Lucy as she descended. ‘Leigh!’ Her voice sounded loud and brash to her ears. ‘Leigh, can you hear me?’ she said again, trying to sound more like the girl’s mother. Behind her, Lucy’s torchlight fell on the kitchen sink and bright-blue curtain below it. They moved forwards, step by step, to a door. It opened to a bedroom containing a double bed with a storage drawer underneath it, large enough to contain a body. She dropped to her knees and, placing the torch on the bed, tugged at the drawer, pulling it out as far as she could. Lucy shone her light on it. An object wrapped in plastic bags was inside. Lucy dragged it out and unwrapped it. It was a pair of number plates – those used to disguise Mitchell’s van. There were a shower and toilet next to the bedroom, and only one more room remaining. It was painted dark grey.
‘Let me,’ said Lucy but Natalie refused. The key was in the lock and she swallowed hard before turning it. The door opened into a room no bigger than a wardrobe. It was empty apart from a pink sports bag that had been left on the floor.
‘She’s not here.’ The words were little more than a whisper. If her daughter wasn’t here, then they were probably too late.
Natalie sat opposite Mitchell Cox. His lawyer was present and Lucy was operating the recording device. Behind them, watching through the one-way mirror, were Aileen Melody and the rest of Natalie’s team. Mitchell had not held back, keen to show off his intelligence. As far as he was concerned, he’d outwitted the police.
With his confession and the amount of evidence they’d amassed, they’d be able to present a sound case, yet he didn’t seem to care.
‘You don’t seem overly concerned that you will be going to prison,’ said Natalie.
He shrugged lightly. ‘I’ve done what I set out to do – avenge those bullies from my childhood – and there’ll be other rewards.’
‘What do you mean by that?’
‘There are always those people who admire the audaciousness of somebody like me who can outsmart seasoned detectives like you. Not everyone appreciates the establishment. There are many who will revere what I’ve accomplished. I’ve murdered teenagers and a grown man and you only captured me by chance. By rights, I ought to have got away. I was ahead of you all the time. There are those who will want to follow in my footsteps. I might even get a book deal or sell my story to the magazines.’
‘There will also be those who will make your life a living hell while you are in prison for murdering teenage girls,’ said Natalie.
‘We’ll see about that,’ he replied, confidently.
He’d confessed to all the murders, including that of his cousin, Brendon Jones. He’d run though how he’d set his cousin up to be the fall guy for Alisha’s murder, and was disappointed when the police didn’t charge him. He’d ensured his cousin was so drunk the day he murdered Alisha that he couldn’t remember if Mitchell had visited him or not.
‘Brendon was wasted most days. It wasn’t hard to reduce him to a comatose state, lay him out in the bedroom and rip and dirty a few of his clothes. I should have planted evidence on him. As it happened, it didn’t matter that he wasn’t charged. It was better that he lived on the boat while I looked for Faye Boynton and Missy Henshaw. Melissa Long,’ he added. ‘I eventually tracked dow
n Faye but by then it was too late. She’d already died of an overdose.’
‘But you still went ahead and punished Melissa Long?’
‘Too true I did. I’d already planned to kill Missy’s daughter, Harriet, but when I heard the girls outside my office window discussing the disappearing dare, I couldn’t believe my luck!’
‘How did you know of their exact plans?’
‘They couldn’t help themselves. They told Duffy every detail of what they were planning and about their mundane little lives. They were all crazy about Duffy, and him, well, he bathed in their adoration.’
‘How did you hear the conversations?’
‘I listened in. The monitor connected to the CCTV camera also contains a listening device. I could hear every word through my earphones as I sat in my office upstairs.’
‘Could you run through how you knew Savannah was on her way to the park?’
He sighed dramatically. ‘I heard Duffy call out “good luck”. He was about to leave for his dentist appointment anyway, so I told him to get going and I’d mind the shop. As soon as he left, I put up the sign saying I was out for ten minutes and drove to the park. I figured I’d be in time to pick her up and I was. I tempted her into the van with tales that Duffy had come up with an even better place to hide and would meet her there, and she got in! How gullible. I drove her to the boat, where she insisted on first getting changed for the stupid video she was going to make for the website, and then I locked her in the room. I dispatched her sometime later after she’d worn herself out screaming.’
‘And Harriet?’
‘Pretty much the same thing. She actually came into the shop because her phone wouldn’t work, so I listened in. Duffy tried to convince her to go home but she wouldn’t listen. Feisty girl, that one, and liked to think she was streetwise. She still hopped into my van once I told her Duffy had sent me and would meet up with her. Tsk!’
‘But Katy didn’t take up the challenge?’
‘No. She went home and almost screwed up my plans. Luckily her father went out and I dropped by her house and was able to persuade her that Duffy had had a change of heart.’
‘You used false number plates on your own vehicle to get around unnoticed.’
He grinned suddenly. ‘Genius, wasn’t it? And I wore a full forensic outfit bought from the Internet. No one suspects an officer of the law and it ensured I left no evidence.’
‘But you were sloppy about your van.’
He scowled. ‘Yes. I thought I’d dealt with that. I covered the seat, floorwell and back of the van in plastic, and I cleaned thoroughly after each girl had been deposited. I don’t know how I missed the earring.’
Natalie only had one more question. ‘Where is Leigh?’
His face lifted in sudden delight and he casually crossed one leg over the other. ‘Oh, dear. Has she gone missing?’
‘Cut the crap. Where is she?’
‘DI Ward, I don’t have any idea where your daughter is.’
‘How do you know she’s my daughter?’ Natalie growled.
‘I read the article in the Watfield Herald and then did a little research of my own.’
‘If you’ve hurt her…’ Natalie began.
‘My client has told you that he doesn’t know of her whereabouts.’ It was the first time the lawyer had interjected and Natalie glowered at him.
‘Did you take my daughter?’
Mitchell pulled a face. ‘I’m hurt you’d even think that.’
‘Do not mess with me, Mitchell. Where were you yesterday afternoon?’
‘In the phone shop. I’m sure I can conjure up a few names who’ll confirm that for you, although I’m flattered you think me capable of such duplicity to be able to be in two places at once and kidnap your daughter. Yes, very complimentary. It shows you appreciate my abilities.’
Natalie did not react to his goading. If she wanted to know where Leigh was, she had to handle him carefully. ‘You certainly out-foxed us during the investigation.’
He smiled again. ‘I did, didn’t I?’
‘You planned everything meticulously.’
He beamed at her.
‘I don’t understand where Leigh would fit into this plan. It isn’t… tidy… well thought out, not like taking three girls who were planning on disappearing. Snatching Leigh is… well… messy.’
He shifted in his seat. His ego had been massaged and then pricked. ‘Exactly. Which is why in the end I decided not to kidnap your daughter. Now, my lawyer thinks it might be a good idea if I give you a statement and we request I have psychological assessment, so I think we’re done here.’
Natalie leant across, her face close to his. ‘Where is she?’
He shrugged and said, ‘Wherever she wants to be.’
There were white flashes and a hubbub of noise as journalists jostled to question Superintendent Aileen Melody further, but she put up her hand to silence them. ‘That’s all I’m prepared to say for now. We have charged a thirty-two-year-old man for the abduction and murder of Savannah Hopkins, Harriet Long and Katy Bywater, and there will be more information in due course. Thank you all.’
There was a clamouring of raised voices then one louder than the others shouted, ‘What about DI Ward? Have you found her daughter yet?’
Aileen faced the journalist, Bev Gardiner, and spoke directly at her. ‘We have units searching for her.’
‘Do you believe she could be the killer’s fourth victim?’
Aileen’s eyes blazed. ‘We sincerely hope that is not the case.’ She walked off back into headquarters and upstairs to the office where Natalie was helping pull together everything they’d discovered. Aileen spoke gently to Natalie. ‘Has Mitchell said anything at all about Leigh or her whereabouts?’
‘Only that he doesn’t know where she is. There are dive teams searching the canal. They’ve unearthed a bag containing Savannah’s clothes and school bag. We expect them to find Harriet’s too.’ She paused before she said what was on all their minds, that maybe Leigh had been dumped in the canal too, in a bin bag much like the discarded clothing.
Aileen put a hand on Natalie’s shoulder. ‘You’ve done brilliantly. You have to stop now. Go home. Be with your family.’
‘I need to be here in case—’
‘Go home. That’s an order.’
Lucy looked across and spoke up. ‘We’re nearly done here. We just got confirmation from Bart Kingsley over in the technical division that they’re closing down the Disappear website and that the video of Harriet was uploaded onto the site from her mobile phone.’
‘He admitted he’d taken it and sent it to the site to try and confuse us,’ said Natalie.
Aileen patted her arm. ‘Murray and Lucy will question him again and see if we can get anything more out of him about Leigh,’ she said.
‘Thank you.’ Natalie stared into space for a moment then, with a brief nod, picked up her bag and keys and stalked out of the office.
Thirty-Four
Friday, 20 April – Evening
Mike drove Natalie home. The Missing Persons unit was still searching for her daughter and she couldn’t function properly any longer. They had their killer but he refused to tell her where he’d hidden Leigh.
‘You want me to come in with you?’ he asked.
‘I have to face him at some point. Now is as good a time as any.’
‘Not really. You’re mentally and physically drained and should deal with it all when you have focus again.’
‘I don’t care about the lying, the gambling, any of it. I don’t give a shit. I just want to know where that bastard has taken Leigh.’
‘Get some rest. It’ll seem different in the morning.’
‘It won’t. I’ll still be married to an addict who promises but can’t deliver, and Leigh will be out there somewhere. My life is in tatters, Mike.’
‘Listen to what David has to say, and for now at least, pull together. You need each other.’
‘You’re very good
to me.’ She put her hand on top of his. He lifted it and pressed it to his lips and then released a heavy sigh.
‘You know how much I care about you but I’m not going to make waves. Not while you’re going through this horror.’
She understood. She was in emotional turmoil. ‘I don’t think I can forgive him this time.’
‘Nat, he isn’t a bad man. In truth, he’s a better man than me. I cheated on Nicole and I didn’t treat her or Thea the way I ought to have. I didn’t give her a chance. David loves you. You and the kids are his life. He’s isn’t wicked or bad. If anything, he’s ill. He has a sickness and that’s all there is to it. He needs you more than ever.’
She looked into his eyes and saw her own desire reflected there, but this wasn’t the right time for such fantasies.
‘I’m not strong enough to carry us both.’
‘That’s nonsense and you know it. You are amazing and you can ride this storm out. You’re no quitter. Me, on the other hand, I’m a coward when it comes to relationships and especially commitment. I knew my marriage was sound but some screwed-up part of me didn’t want that safety, or that love. It suffocated me, and instead of sitting back and counting my blessings that I had an understanding wife and a beautiful daughter, I ruined it. Don’t make the same mistake. David is an arse at times but he’s also a top bloke. I wish I could have been half the father to Thea that he is to Josh and Leigh.’
She stared into the night and said what had been on her mind for the last few hours. ‘What do I do if he’s killed Leigh? What do I do?’