by M A Comley
“Keep him talking. Pacify him, love,” he mouthed.
She shook her head to dislodge the fuzziness filling her mind and tried again. “Okay, you have my word that we’ll back off. Now you can set Carol free.”
“Are you a woman of your word, Inspector?”
“Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am. We don’t have any idea who you are or what your motive is for killing those innocent people. I’ll ensure I tell my boss tomorrow that the investigation has been brought to a halt.”
“Okay, if you’re true to your word, then we’ll deliver Carol back to you in a few days.”
“That’s not fair! She’s nothing to do with this.”
“Life ain’t fair at times. You, of all people, should know that. Enjoy the rest of your evening, Inspector.”
“Don’t do it, Lorne! Find him!” Carol shouted in the distance.
Slap! He ensured Carol’s plea was punished before he hung up. Lorne dropped her phone on the table and collapsed into the chair, stunned that her efforts were being discounted freely by the killer. “I should have done more to save her. I’m not thinking straight.”
“Stop the blame game,” Tony said, crossing the room to comfort her. “Right, first things first. Let’s get the dogs settled in their new accommodation and then put our thinking caps on. Between us, we should come up with a reasonable plan to get Carol back.”
Katy cleared her throat. “Sorry, guys, but I’m going to have to take off.”
“Of course. You go, Katy. Thanks for the lift. I’ll get Tony to drop me in to work on Friday.”
Katy placed a hand on Lorne’s cheek. “You have so much to contend with right now. My heart goes out to you. I’ll have a word with Roberts in the morning, tell him about the conversation you’ve just had with the… killer. I hate to use that word, knowing that he has Carol in his grasp. Maybe he’ll come up with a solution for us.”
“I’ll check in with you tomorrow afternoon after I’ve been to the hospital with Jade. Drive safely. Keep your wits about you just in case.”
“I’ll be sure to do that. See you later, guys. Good luck finding Sheba.”
Over the course of the next hour, Tony and Joe ferried the dogs while Lorne surveyed the mess in the kennels, sourcing items that weren’t either fire or water damaged, but there wasn’t much. Occasionally, she went into the middle of the paddock and shouted Sheba’s name. Her shoulders dropped in dejection every time Sheba failed to appear. The night was drawing in, and her fear for Sheba’s safety was increasing. After a while, frustration got the better of her, and she gave up trying to salvage anything else from the kennels and went back into the house.
Lorne had her head in her hands, contemplating what they should do about Carol, when something wet touched the back of her hand. She dropped her hands slowly and screeched, “Sheba, you’re home!”
She’d been so deep in thought that she hadn’t heard the door open. Charlie and Brandon were standing in the doorway, wearing huge smiles. “She needs to see the vet. I found blood on her side. She’s home, Mum, and that’s all that matters.”
“Where was she?”
“In the woods behind the paddock. I found her cowering in the bushes.”
“How did you know she was there?”
Charlie smiled. “I spotted her tail poking out from under a bush. I called her name, and it began wagging.”
Lorne held Sheba’s face in her hands and kissed the tip of her nose. “You’re safe now. We missed you, girl. Now that you’re safe, maybe I’ll be able to think more clearly about how we’re going to get Carol back.”
“I’ll ring the vet. He’ll be sick of hearing from us by the end of the day.” Charlie punched in the number on her mobile. “Hi, this is Charlie Simpkins. Our dog, Sheba, was involved in an attack earlier this evening, and she has a cut. Is it possible for the vet to take a look for me?... Okay, I’ll come straight down. Thank you.” Charlie ended the call and attached the leash to Sheba’s collar. “Come on, girl. Let’s get you fixed up.”
Charlie and Brandon left the house with a reluctant Sheba in tow.
Lorne’s phone rang as she was preparing a few vegetables for a stir-fry. “Hi, Jade. How are you doing?” She deliberately kept her voice light and breezy, so her sister wouldn’t detect anything was wrong.
“I’m nervous as hell. Just touching base with you that you’re free to come with me tomorrow. If not, I can see if my daughter will come with me. It’s a bit late in the day to be asking anyone else, but I know how busy you are with work.”
“Stop! You’re wittering on, dear. I’m fine. It’s all sorted, and I’m coming with you. I wouldn’t let you down on something as important as this, love. You know that.”
“Thanks, Lorne. I really appreciate it, and sorry for putting you out.”
“You aren’t. I volunteered, remember? How are you feeling? Apart from being nervous.”
Her sister sighed. “To tell you the truth, I’ve been thinking a lot about Mum and Dad lately. I miss them both so much.”
Lorne could tell her sister was getting upset, and the sadness in her voice made Lorne’s eyes tear up. “I miss them too and Pete. They’re all watching over us, love, some more than others at this moment in time. Just think about that when we go there tomorrow.”
Chapter 14
Every time Lorne closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, a nightmare woke her. Not wishing to wake Tony any more, she slipped on her towelling robe and went downstairs. Sheba opened a sleepy eye and wagged her tail when Lorne walked into the kitchen.
She crouched down and hugged her precious dog. “How are you, lovely?”
Sheba gave a gentle moan in response and placed her head on Lorne’s lap. They remained that way for several minutes until Lorne lost all feeling in her legs. She stood up and boiled the kettle. Once the coffee was made, she sat down at the table and looked up at the ceiling. “Pete, if you can hear me, I’ve never asked much of you in the past, but I’m pleading with you now to watch over Carol for me.”
She gasped when a gentle breeze touched the side of her face. It reassured her that he was around and cleared her mind of any doubts she had for Carol’s safety. Now she could concentrate on Jade. However, she knew the odds on that happening weren’t very high.
“Lorne, are you awake?” Tony was shaking her shoulder gently, and Lorne realised she’d fallen asleep at the table.
She stretched and looked over at the clock on the oven. It was gone nine. “Wow, I must have fallen asleep after I finished my drink. I was disturbing you, so I got up.”
“I missed you.” They shared a kiss before Tony filled the kettle.
“I don’t know what to do this morning.”
Tony smiled. “I’m taking the day off. Joe’s going on surveillance without me today. I’ll make a start on the kennels. I’ll ring Rob, see if he has any idea what to do for a temporary solution.”
“We’ll need to get the dogs back ASAP,” Lorne said.
“We will. Let me worry about that side of things. I wonder if Katy has seen Sean yet?”
“I bet she was in his office before nine. Hopefully, she’ll ring me if there is any news. I’m in limbo, Tony. I hate feeling this way.”
“None of us like it, love. We’ve got to make sure we deal with the frustration in the right way. If that means thinking our actions over thoroughly before we act upon them, then so be it. Rash decisions and actions aren’t going to help anyone.”
“Agreed. We’ll have our drink then go and assess the damage together.”
After getting dressed, they went into the kennels. Luckily, Rob was in between jobs and taking a few days off to do his accounts. He was like a breath of fresh air. He assured them that if he called in a few favours from some of his mates, they could have the kennels up and running again by Monday at the latest. The relief rushed through Lorne when he told them the good news.
Although she had told Katy that she would get Tony to drop her in to work on Frida
y, Lorne changed her mind and asked Tony for a lift to the station to pick up her car mid-morning. That way she could run Jade to the hospital.
When she walked through the reception area of the station, the desk sergeant smiled warmly. “Good to see you, ma’am. Sorry to hear about the problems occupying your mind.”
“Thanks, Ray.” She ran up the stairs two at a time and entered the incident room to find Katy looking over Graham’s shoulder. They both glanced up.
“Hello, you. I think you’ll want to see this.” Katy gestured for Lorne to take a look at the screen.
“What am I looking at?” Lorne asked when she joined them.
“Graham thinks he’s spotted the car that knocked down David Timmins.”
Lorne bent closer to the screen, her chin almost resting on Graham’s shoulder. “Dare I ask if you can pick up a plate number? Or am I pushing my luck?”
“I’ve got a partial at this point. I’m searching the other angles from the different cameras in the area to see if I can improve on that. It shouldn’t take long.”
Katy and Lorne straightened up. “Excellent news, Graham,” Katy replied. “Do you have time for a coffee, Lorne?”
“Always.”
They headed towards the machine.
“Dare I ask how your meeting went with Roberts?”
Katy handed Lorne the first cup the machine dispensed and placed another fifty in the slot. “We’ve agreed to continue the case but on a very low-key level until we’ve figured out where Carol is.”
“Makes sense to me. I’m sorry I’m not going to be much help today. But I’ll be back in the swing of things tomorrow. We’ve had some good news—the kennel should be up and running again by Monday.”
“Wow, that must be a burden off your mind, at least.”
“Let’s just say it’s one less thing to worry about.” She blew on her coffee and took a sip. “Not sure I should tell you this, given your level of scepticism on the subject…”
“Go on,” Katy said, frowning.
“I believe Pete visited me, and I’ve asked him to watch over Carol for me.”
Katy tutted and shook her head. “Don’t waste too much energy on that crap, Lorne.”
“I know you don’t agree with it, but there’s got to be something in it. Okay, I won’t go on about it. Let’s hope something comes from what Graham is looking at.”
“That’s more like it. Let’s deal with realism on this case. I take it you haven’t received any further calls?”
“No. Which is kind of worrying. I hope Carol is safe.”
“So do I. She doesn’t deserve to be caught up in this crap.”
“Hopefully, we’ll be able to identify these guys soon. Something has to give on this case, for Christ’s sake.”
“I’m sure it’s only a matter of time. When do you have to be at the hospital?”
“Two fifteen. I’ll have this then shoot home to get changed.”
“Does Jade know about the fire and Carol?”
“No. I’ve kept it from her. Hope I can keep up the pretence that everything is all right when I pick her up. Sometimes she can read me too well.”
The rest of the day passed in a whirlwind daze. Lorne tried her best to keep things buried and to concentrate on Jade’s terrible predicament. Thankfully, she was successful in her mission. The oncologist was a lovely female doctor who explained everything in non-technical terms so they both understood exactly what to expect regarding Jade’s treatment.
Once they left the hospital and were back in the car, Lorne turned to Jade. “Are you all right? Did you take all that in?”
“I think so.” Tears slipped down her sister’s cheeks.
“Come here.” They hugged, and Lorne felt her own eyes moisten again. “We’ll know once she gets the results from the MRI scan you’ve just had. There’s no sense either of us getting worked up about this until it’s clear what we’re dealing with. She seemed to think that everything should be fine. We’ve got to cling on to that hope, Jade.”
Her sister pulled away and smiled. “I’m trying, believe me. She was so nice, the way she explained things, so I’m not half as scared as I was. I hope I don’t have to go down the route of having chemo. I’ve been doing some research, and cancer sufferers believe that’s the worst part, dealing with the drug side of things.”
“Let’s see what the results say first then worry about the aftermath later. Agreed?”
“Agreed. Let’s go home.”
Lorne drove Jade home, stayed with her for another hour, then gave her sister the excuse that Tony was working late and she needed to get home to prepare the dinner. She was halfway there when her mobile rang. She pulled over to answer it when she saw the call was coming from Carol’s mobile, about the same time an idea popped into her head. Why haven’t I thought of it before? We can put a trace on Carol’s phone to get her location!
“Hello. Carol?”
“You know damn well it’s not her. Where are you, Inspector?”
“On my way home. I can make a detour if you want me to pick Carol up. You did say you would release her if we backed off. I haven’t been at work today. I rang my boss to tell him the case had come to an unsatisfactory conclusion.”
“Do you want to come up for breath? You’ll get her back when I say so and not before. You’ve probably taken the day off work to deal with the kennels. Be honest. I’m right, aren’t I?”
“Yes and no. The kennels are dealt with. It’s true about me speaking to my boss. I’ll go back to work tomorrow and begin another case that my partner is dealing with today. You have my word on that.”
“I’m still not detecting any sincerity in your voice. Maybe I should issue you another reminder of how grave the situation is for your dear friend.”
“I’m fine, Lorne. Don’t bow to the pressure…” Carol shouted in the background.
Lorne cringed when Carol screamed. “Don’t hurt her. I’m telling you the truth. I can’t prove it to you. You’re going to have to take my word on that. But please, no more. She’s an old lady. She doesn’t deserve to be treated this way. Let her go—I’m begging you.” The line was silent for a few moments, leading Lorne to believe she’d finally made headway into making the man believe her. “Please, won’t you release her?”
“Be at the warehouse where the first victim was found, at nine this evening.”
“Will Carol be there? Alive, I mean?”
“I’ve had enough of your questions. Just be there.”
“I will. Thank you. Please, don’t hurt her any more.”
The line went dead. Lorne remained parked in the lay-by, assessing the situation. What was the likelihood of the man handing Carol over alive? She shook her head, not wishing to contemplate that any longer, and drove home. She mulled over several different scenarios before reaching her drive.
Tony crossed the gravel to meet her. “How did it go?”
“Better than expected, I think. The oncologist explained things thoroughly to put both our minds at rest. Jade had an MRI scan, and where we go from here depends on the results. She doesn’t think Jade will need chemo, which is a relief.”
“That’s great news. If everything sounds more hopeful, then why are you frowning?”
Lorne locked the car and walked towards the house. “I’ve received another call. I’ve got to go out this evening.”
Tony yanked on Lorne’s arm. “What? Don’t walk away from me. Tell me what he said.”
“I’m sorry. It wasn’t intentional. My mind is working overtime. He said to be at the warehouse at nine this evening, the one where the first victim was found.”
“Did he say why?”
“I asked if Carol would be there, and he refused to answer. I’m presuming she will be. I told him that we had put an end to the case. I’m hoping he’s going to take my word on that and hand Carol over.”
“I’m coming with you. I’ll ring Joe, and we’ll both go with you.”
Lorne smiled and reached
out to touch his cheek. “I was hoping you’d say that. Looks like we have another rescue mission on our hands.”
“We’ve got this, Lorne. Does Katy know?”
“Not yet. I’ll ring her now.”
“You do that while I start preparing the dinner.”
She kissed him. “You’re a gem.”
“I know.”
Lorne rang Katy’s mobile. “Hi, it’s me. I’ve had a call.”
“Oh God, that sounds ominous. Is Carol all right?”
“I think so, for now. He’s told me to go to the warehouse, the one where our investigation began. I’m hoping that Carol will be there. He intimated as much without telling me directly.”
“You’re not going alone, are you? Want me to come?”
“No. Tony and Joe will be there for backup. I’m just keeping you informed. Any news on the car yet?”
“Nope. It’s taking longer than Graham thought it would, a very slow process unfortunately. Hoping that will change soon. Will you ring me when you get home?”
“Of course. I have to be there at nine. I’ll call you later.”
“Stay safe, Lorne.”
“Always. Bye.”
Lorne walked into the kitchen to find Tony chopping up the veg. “Did you ring Joe?”
“Yep. He’ll be here at eight. Should take us thirty to forty minutes to get over there.”
“I reckon. Let me lend a hand.”
Chapter 15
Nightfall was descending quickly when Lorne pulled the car up to the entrance of the warehouse. Tony had given her the brightest torch he could lay his hands on before she set off. She exited the car and shone the light on the entrance, which was actually the side of the warehouse where a wall used to stand. There were no other vehicles at the scene. Tony and Joe had agreed to park on the outskirts and to carry out a covert operation. She felt safer knowing they were close by.
“Is anybody here?”
Something moved in the corner of the room. Was that a rat? She swung her torch in that direction, and that was when she saw Carol tied to a chair.