The Truth Will Out

by Karen J Mossman

  He picked up his wine and took two big mouthfuls. I grinned, did the same, and he refilled our glasses again.

  “I hope you’re not trying to get me drunk?”

  He laughed, “You don’t have to drink it.”

  “No, I don’t, do I?” I said taking another big mouthful and smiling.

  He was so nice to me and so understanding if anything, I liked him even more now.

  After dinner, I phoned Abby. We chatted for over an hour. I was dying to tell her about Ryan, and how I was feeling, but with him sitting there, it was a little difficult.

  I remembered what he had told me about her and wanted to know more, but again, with him sitting there, I didn’t feel I could. He seemed absorbed in his book, but I knew if it was me, I’d have one ear cocked so I didn’t miss anything. But maybe that’s just me. I’m a nosey cow, really.

  Anyway, those conversations were best had on a Saturday night with X-Factor and a couple bottles of wine.

  It made me wish for my life back before all this started up. Was it too good to be true? Would it ever be like that again? I sincerely hoped so. Maybe the police were already talking to Johnny, but he would never admit it, so I had no idea how this was going to end, which in a way was just well.

  The following morning, I put my yoga mat on the floor and did the Sun Salutation. I felt good going through the motions, and I followed it up with a few poses.

  My side pulled a little and my head felt tender, but it didn’t cause me any issues.

  I went into the kitchen and made a cup of tea. Ryan hadn’t woken, so I sat quietly at the table staring out at the sky. I did feel better, I didn’t have a headache, my body felt alive, and I was ready to take life on again.

  Kelly was to be firmly put away this time. She made me feel physically ill. Sarah was serene and calm, and I liked that. Once everything was sorted out, and Johnny left me alone, I would even consider dying my hair back to my normal dark colour.

  When the WP people had been, everything could get back to normal, and I could home.

  Caruthers and Constantine came into the room, and I fleetingly saw an anxious look in Constantine’s eyes. I immediately gave them a welcoming smile.

  “Hello.” I reached out my hand, and they both shook it in turn. They glanced at one another as they took their seats on the sofa. Ryan sat down in the opposite chair.

  “First of all,” I started. “I want to apologise for my behaviour yesterday.” I smiled. “I’m afraid I’m a bit of a duel personality, but I am working on that.”

  They both laughed and the atmosphere immediately lightened. I looked at Ryan and could see the approval in his eyes. He gave a slight nod. God! That man has no idea what he’s doing to me!

  Detective Caruthers spoke first, “It’s all right, and we understand that it must have been an awful shock. I’m glad you have agreed to see us again so quickly.”

  “Well, that was Ryan’s doing, really. But we do need to move forward. I can’t live in fear forever.”

  “No, exactly,” said Caruthers. She opened her bag and pulled out the file again; this time, I knew it was more or less empty. Although, when she opened it, I could see she had written a couple of paragraphs.

  “We need to account for everything and Inspector Andrews can continue investigating and hopefully find the right man.”

  I looked over at Ryan, and he was watching me intently. Something in the air fizzled between us, and I was very conscious of his eyes upon me.

  “We’ll start at the beginning. If you can tell us everything, like who you were, where you lived and who you think this could be, and why. We’ll take all the notes and then have it written up and saved—”

  “Somewhere secure, this time, I hope,” I interrupted.

  Caruthers managed to smile. “Yes, we use more than one server now, so it won’t happen again.”

  We talked for over three hours. They asked lots of questions and she wrote everything down. My life was laid out in front of them. The only thing I didn’t tell them was that I had warned Pete. I told them he disappeared. I hoped he had gotten away somewhere safe. More importantly, I hoped he had forgiven me.

  Ryan spoke a few times and asked questions and made copious amounts of coffee. At one point when he passed me the coffee, our knuckles brushed together. I felt self-conscious, and it was as if he knew what I was thinking.

  His touch was like a burn; I could feel it long after he sat down. Every so often, I glanced at him, our eyes met and it was like telepathy. I knew he was feeling it, too.

  When I drew my hand up my legs as I fidgeted, he was watching me. As I rubbed the back of my neck, his eyes stayed on mine. It should have been unnerving, but instead, it made me very aware of myself, and the way I was feeling. I wasn’t sure how I was going to keep this professional because I wanted more of him now.

  Eventually, Constantine stood up as Caruthers put the book back into her bag before standing. “Thank you,” she said. “I appreciate you being so candid, and we are always, I promise, here for you from now on.”

  Constantine handed me a card. “This is the number you use should you need anything at all, but we’ll be in touch and keep you updated.”

  I smiled. “Whatever happens afterward, I won’t be changing who I am again. I like my life now and when this over...” I glanced at Ryan. “The only thing I’m going to go back to is my hair colour. I hate being bloody blonde.”

  They chuckled. “I quite like it,” Ryan said.

  I locked eyes with him. “You’ll like it even better when it’s eau natural.”

  He blinked twice as if I had just mesmerised him. I hoped I had.

  He saw them out, and I stood in the centre of the room. My feelings were mixed up, but I knew one thing for sure.

  Ryan came back and stared at me, and I stared right back. “Would you like a drink?” he asked, hesitantly. His eyes were bright, and I knew what he was thinking.

  “No,” I said, my voice came out husky, and I was finding it hard to breathe. There was a pulling and a pulsating in the base of my stomach.

  “Sarah....” he said. I could see he was torn. “We have to keep this professional.”

  “Do we?” I said and licked my lips.

  If he turned me down, I was going to shatter like glass to the floor. The atmosphere between us rippled. I’d never felt it so strongly as I did at that moment. I could see him trying to fight it, and understood why, but sometimes a person’s needs are a far greater threat.

  “Yes,” he said, after a moment, but I could see he was not sure. I took a step forward. “Sarah...” He was shaking his head, and a little smile was breaking out on my face. I knew he couldn’t resist as his feelings were written on his face. This gorgeous man, standing in front of me, was suddenly unsure of himself.

  “Damn it!” he said finally and stepped towards me, his arms wrapping around my waist. I clung to him as our lips came together. With my body pushing into his, I could feel his hardness and I wanted to rip his clothes off!

  I needed him now, as it had been far too long and I was a passionate woman who needed fulfilling.

  His hands went underneath my bottom as we kissed the hell out of each another. I wanted to feel him in my special place.

  He lifted me up, and my legs wrapped around him as I felt it press against me, sending me wild with excitement. He walked blindly out into the hall. His face and lips were all over mine. I didn’t think about it, I just assumed we would go to my room. Instead, my back was against his bedroom door as he pushed me against it.

  I was so heated up. I was dying. He dropped me onto his double bed and we gasped to catch our breath. While he removed his clothes, I did the same. It should have been farcical if anyone had seen us, but they wouldn’t. It was just us, and I had him exactly where I wanted him.

  Because I was doing everything at top speed, I struggled to take off my bra and was about to yank it over my head, but in one flick of his wrist, it fell away.

  We were
naked, and he was on top of me, my legs going around him as he found where he needed to be.

  “Oh!” I gasped out loud, as the pain of being without for so long was sweet and powerful. He pounded against me, and I came up to meet him, both of us making guttural noises that probably belonged in a zoo. We didn’t care; we just cared about one thing. It was glorious as he pushed harder and harder. Skin slapped against skin. I cried out again and his breath came out in rasps as we climbed higher and higher until we couldn’t stand it anymore.

  Then everything exploded, and it was a sweet release that left us breathless as he fell on top of me. It took all his energy to roll over, and we lay on our backs, panting like we had just run a marathon. I guess in a way we had.

  After a moment, I turned my head and looked at him. He glanced at me and we stared at each other. “What the hell was that?” I said, my voice charged.

  He shook his head. “Whatever it was, I want to do it again.”

  I laughed out loud, turned my body to face his, my hand on his chest, as my knee came up to rest on his thigh. He leaned forward and kissed my nose. I caught his lip between my teeth and gently sucked. I let go and his tongue was in my mouth meeting my own, and it was heaven. We looked into each other’s eyes, and I swear we were telepathic again. My feelings for him were clearly mirrored in his eyes.

  This beautiful man was even more than I had guessed he would be. I couldn’t get my fill of him, but made a good job of trying!

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Sarah

  I sat on the chair with my feet curled underneath me, looking out the window at the sky. Ryan had gone to work to kickstart the investigation, now that he had names to go on. He was also reporting to the Soop.

  He liked my name for the Soop, and laughed when I repeated it. I liked it when he laughed.

  He had also given me a card with Jeff’s number on should there be any problems or if I didn’t feel safe. He’d always be nearby, so I wasn’t to worry.

  Abby and I talked for an hour on the phone again, and I really began to feel optimistic about my future. We both said how we were looking forward to getting back to the flat and our normal lives. She said living with her dad was doing her head in. That made me chuckle. Such a northern expression. I didn’t tell her about Ryan and me, not yet. I would save that for a girl’s night with plenty of wine and nibbles.

  I missed my flat more than I expected. I missed my yoga and glanced into the corner where my laptop was. I hadn’t even opened it. I missed doing my classes too, and I hoped they had all missed me and would come back when I re-opened. They would have been disappointed when they received a message stopping the class.

  It wasn’t a good way to run a business. Perhaps when all this was over, I could pick up again where I left off. I felt life was going to get better as soon as this mess was sorted out.

  I turned my head sharply, what was that smell? Glancing in the kitchen, I went up the hall and could see smoke coming from under the door. Before I could react, the building’s alarm system went off. I ran back to the lounge and picked up the card with Jeff’s number and dialled.

  “Yes, I can hear it,” he said, answering immediately. “I’m on my way. Stay inside until I get there.”

  “Okay, will you let Ryan know?” I said, feeling worried. Even he sounded odd.

  “Yes, I’ll be with you in a minute.”

  I hit the red button to end the call, feeling anxious. Absently, I put the phone down and unfortunately forgot to put it back when I put on my jacket. Instead, I was distracted by finding things in my pocket. A pound coin, a bit of tissue and a card with Ryan’s number on.

  Jeff banged on the door and I opened it. The alarm was louder with people rushing for the stairs. Jeff’s hat was low, and I didn’t think he was paying attention to where other people were going.

  “Come on, quickly,” he said pushing the lift button. I was just thinking how we should also be taking the stairs, when it arrived. He seemed strangely quiet as we went inside. As the doors shut, I had to bring it up.

  “Ryan said to get the lift, it’s quicker and safer for you.”

  I stared at him. He didn’t look at me. Something was wrong. Shit. You don’t call an Inspector by their first name, and Ryan wouldn’t have said that. He cocked his head, looking at me and I realised, stupidly, I should have looked earlier. It wasn’t Jeff.

  He pulled a short, wide blade from his pocket. “If you try to alert anybody when we get out of here, I’ll stab you properly this time.”

  Oh shit, shit, shit! My stomach rolled and my heart started beating faster.

  Outside there were a lot of people moving around. He grabbed my arm, holding it tightly as we moved past them. I was feeling sicker by the moment. I saw Zoe, Ryan’s neighbour. As she saw me, he hissed, “Keep walking, or I’ll kill you now.”

  I didn’t acknowledge her, but what I did do with my free hand was grab Ryan’s card from my pocket and shove it at her as we passed. Luckily, he didn’t seem to notice, and I didn’t meet her eyes. I just hoped to God she got my meaning.

  We went through the gate towards a car. He opened the door and pushed me inside. My heart was racing. Ryan had a lot to answer for. This was just the scenario he said didn’t happen in real life. Well, it was happening and I was in trouble.

  “Hello, Kelly,” said a voice as the doors slammed and the engine started. The girl in the driver’s seat turned to look at me.

  Sue!

  My stomach dropped, and I was going to vomit. She pulled out into the traffic.

  “Didn’t expect to see me, did you?”

  I couldn’t bring myself to speak. Sue? Here?

  “This is my boyfriend, Nicholas. Say hi.”

  I couldn’t tear my eyes from her. She was not who I expected to see.

  “Wake her up, Nicholas,” she said.

  He elbowed me in the side. It hurt, and I came out of my stupor.

  “You!” I looked at her in the mirror.

  “Yes, it’s me. You just thought I was some low life tramp of a girl you collected money from. Well, I wasn’t.”

  We were driving away from Ashton on Mersey now.

  “I was going through a bad time in that flat,” she said. “I was estranged from my family. I knew enough to know that you were bleeding me dry. I was paying a very high interest on my loan. In fact, according to my calculations, I had paid the original amount back.”

  I decided to keep my mouth shut as I wasn’t Kelly anymore. I didn’t care about that business.

  “That day I saw you in the red dress,” she carried on. “I flipped. Why should you have something as beautiful as that with my money? It should have been me wearing that, not you. Then to add insult to injury, I was sent down. That hurt. I didn’t like having my freedom taken away, especially by the likes of you.”

  I wanted to interrupt her and say I was glad she was sent to jail. It was where she belonged. I wanted to tell her about the months of therapy and depression I went through. She wouldn’t have cared as her sort never do.

  Sue continued, “I wanted my revenge, but you had done your deal by the time I got out. Why should you be entitled to a new life? And it shows just the kind of person you are. Who would grass on their own people, anyway?”

  I looked out the window and saw a woman driver next to me. She glanced in my direction. I mouthed help me, to her. She stared as if not comprehending. Help me, I mouthed again.

  “Nicholas! Stop her!”

  Just as our car moved forward, he punched me in the face. Something cracked and pain shot through me. My gut reaction was to lean forward, but the seat belt restrained me. It brought tears to my eyes.

  “That will teach you, you stupid bitch. What do you think you’re doing?” She didn’t wait for an answer.

  “Anyway, back to my story. I went back to my dad and re-joined my family. I explained the predicament I was in, and he said he would talk to Johnny. But of course, Johnny Hatton was inside by then, so he went to visit
him. They knew each other, so Johnny sent a V.O. You know what they’re like?”

  “No,” I said. “I don’t even know what that is.”

  She clicked her tongue as if surprised. “A Visitor’s Order, but Johnny insisted his business was being taken care of, and he point blankly refused to write off the debt. Can you believe that? It was not a good move. So, Dad arranged a warning for him. Only the guy was a little plunge happy and killed him instead.”

  I balked. “Johnny is dead?” I gasped.

  “Yep, no more Johnny Hatton. My debt instantly cleared. It was easy really.”

  I hadn’t thought of Johnny much this last year. It was something Witness Protection would have known. I felt sick because dealing with a psycho bitch was much harder than dealing with Johnny.

  We pulled into a derelict area outside Manchester town centre. Buildings and warehouses were abandoned, and the streets were empty.

  “Where are we going? Where are you taking me?” I asked, my jaw ached as I spoke.

  “For the final justice. For you to get what you deserve,” Sue said, as she pulled in.

  I didn’t know what that meant, and I didn’t want to find out either. Without giving it too much thought, I opened the car door and ran. Nicholas came after me, grabbing me around the waist, he brought me to a stop. I fought him. I had a feeling I didn’t want to find out what Sue had planned.

  Scared was an understatement. I was terrified. There was no more bravado left inside me.

  “Get her inside, quickly,” Sue said as she looked around anxiously. Unfortunately, there was no one about. I struggled against Nicholas, but he was far stronger than I was. He was still wearing Jeff’s uniform, and I felt I was fighting the police.

  “Don’t even think of trying that again,” Sue said, producing a knife and pointing it at my throat.

  She went inside an old building with Nicholas pulling me along. It was full of debris and broken glass as we went through a doorway and into a corridor. Sue pushed open double doors and straight away I could see this was where they had been staying.