by Anita Waller
Brenda was just holding up. She was having great difficulty accepting that Freda was gone. Even the strong support of Ken and her family simply wasn’t enough. At the end of the service, she went to the coffin with Ken with an arm round her waist holding her firmly. Brenda placed a simple red rose on top of It.
‘Sleep tight, Freda,’ she whispered. ‘Safe with Jack now.’
The obituary in the local newspaper had asked that all mourners wear something red and almost everyone had embraced that. Mark sported the red and white striped tie requested by Freda and fastened it down with the gold tie-pin fashioned into the name Freda. The bright sunlight made the reds glow and Dunbar cast an appreciative eye over the assembled crowd. He smiled to see the colour and knew Freda would have loved it.
Again at Freda’s request, the wake was held at the Pig and Whistle and was open to everyone. DI Dunbar wished she hadn’t been quite so generous; a small crowd would have been easier to watch. He was scared but wouldn’t have admitted it to anyone. Jess and the children were safely tucked away overnight in one of the large hotels in Bude and they had sufficient protection to cover everything. He had no worries about them. But he did have worries about the rest of the family. Once again, they had no idea what Treverick looked like, where he was staying, what he was doing. In short, they knew nothing.
The party to celebrate Freda’s life finally broke up around eight o’clock and the entire family went back to Moorgate. Everyone looked drained. Defeated.
Pat was inconsolable. The events of the day, coming so soon after David’s death, had been unbearable. Mark Carter had never left her side, sensing she needed extra support. Coping with their own grief, the others had been grateful. He followed Pat into the kitchen to help make tea and coffee and everyone else moved into the lounge. The Christmas tree had been hastily removed and everything had been returned to normal.
Except nothing was normal.
One man was singlehandedly trying to wipe out the entire family because he blamed a six-year-old child called Amelia for all the miseries of his life.
Pilot stood at the large window wondering where the hell they went from here. He hated his children being away from their home without Lauren and him, yet it had been the only option they had.
Mark and Pat carried the drinks through and everyone took one. Very little was said until Lauren spoke.
‘We can’t let him win. That’s what we’re doing; sitting here as though the world has come to an end. Okay, we’ve lost someone wonderful, an outstanding person but of all of us, Freda is the one who would have said stop being miserable. Get on with your lives and get this man out of them. Am I right?’
‘You’re right,’ Pilot said with a sigh. ‘But can we do it tomorrow? I’m so bloody knackered, emotionally and physically, and I don’t think I can do anything about anything tonight.’
They all laughed at his miserable face and eventually the evening became more typical of evenings spent together. Eventually the Hillside residents returned home, Mark returned to his flat above the office in Padstow and Pat, Dawn and Josh went to sleep without the much-loved family member they had cremated.
And everyone felt relieved that Treverick hadn’t tried anything.
The children arrived home bursting to tell their parents about the wonderful bedroom they had shared the night before. Only Grace understood that the reason was because children couldn’t go to funerals and it was Aunt Freda’s day.
Grace was very clingy towards Lauren and so Jess was given the day off and their mother spent the whole day playing with all three of them. They painted, did jigsaws, had a picnic in the lounge at lunchtime and then, while Noah was having his afternoon nap, she taught them how to sew on binca, something she remembered from her own junior education.
The girls loved it; two little mats were saved in a drawer for completion in the future and they went to bed that night feeling happy to be back home with Mummy and Papa even if their lovely Aunt Freda wasn’t there anymore.
Treverick watched as the lights went out at Hillside and knew his Angel was there. He could wait, but not for much longer.
He had watched the funeral from a distance through binoculars and hadn’t seen anything of any of the children. It just served to confirm what he had been told. The children were holed up somewhere else for their own safety. The protection around them for that journey was too strong, so he had ruled out the possibility of taking her from Bude.
Yes, he could wait.
For a short time.
Chapter 35
Josh finally managed to persuade Jess that she needed a night away from Hillside, that they needed to eat at Rick Stein’s place in Padstow and that Aunt Freda would wholeheartedly approve.
She agreed with a grin on her face and they arranged to go out on the Thursday night. Josh rang Mark and explained what was happening and asked if they could go without one of his protection detail and Mark laughed at him.
‘No.’
‘No?’
‘No.’
‘Well, that’s an in depth conversation. Why not? I can protect Jess.’
‘And what if you need to protect yourself as well as Jess? And can you stop a bullet? We know he’s got a gun and isn’t afraid to use it. You take protection, Josh. No arguing. He’ll be discreet and he’ll be in his own car. I’ll organise with the restaurant that he sees you safely ensconced and then I’ll grant you a small concession. He’ll wait in your car for you until you come out. That way if you suspect anything is not quite right you’ll know exactly where he is. There’ll be no argument on this, Josh,’ he warned.
Josh sighed. ‘Okay. I suppose one day Treverick’ll be dead and we will be able to get back to living a life that normal people have.’
Mark laughed at him once again. ‘Stop being so melodramatic and enjoy your night out. Just one thing, Josh, and I’m being really serious now; if this develops into anything with you and Jess, don’t become complacent. Always make sure somebody knows where you are – either one of my men, myself or the police. You know we’ll get him eventually and these precautions will come to an end, but for now they’re so important.’
Josh turned to Jess who had picked up most of the conversation from his reactions.
‘We’ll have a bodyguard.’
She smiled.
‘As long as we’re safe, does it matter?’
Jess looked stunning. She had saved the grey silk dress and with her dark hair and grey eyes, she became the centre of attention the minute they walked through the door of the restaurant. She had been the centre of attention for Josh the second he had seen her walk into the lounge at Hillside.
Sam had followed Josh’s Mondeo and they had parked in the car park, at opposite ends. The restaurant was obviously busy. He escorted them inside, checked where they were seated and then took Josh’s keys. He went back to sit in the Mondeo and wait. There’d be no bombs, remotely detonated or otherwise, fixed to this vehicle.
He sat quietly for half an hour and then locked the car before leaving it to circumnavigate the car park. He returned to the car satisfied he had seen nothing to worry him and pressed the key fob to unlock the central locking. He was about to get in when he spun round to the words,
‘My name’s Treverick.’
The gun was aimed at Sam’s head. His thoughts and actions froze. His left arm hanging by his side, his right arm extended towards Treverick.
‘Arms by your side,’ said Treverick and Sam breathed an inward sigh of relief. He brought his right arm down and carefully pressed the heel of his hand against his jacket pocket, activating the alarm requesting assistance. Other operatives would hear it; Treverick was oblivious.
‘We’re going to wait here until they leave the restaurant,’ Treverick said, ‘and then it’s anybody’s guess as to how many of you die. I’m not bothered about killing you but if I have to, I will. It’s Josh Thornton I’m after and he’s heading off to join great Aunt Freda tonight. Now get in the car, son.’
<
br /> Sam moved away from the door and turned round to open it. Out of the corner of his eye, he was aware of another car entering the car park and driving slowly as if looking for a space. He thought he recognised Luke and Dom Stones but wasn’t sure.
‘I said get in,’ Treverick growled and Sam ducked his head and slid behind the wheel. Treverick opened the back door and as he bent his head to get in the car, he saw two men get out of the car that had just driven in.
‘Bastard,’ he said and fired the gun. Sam slumped forward on to the steering wheel and Treverick turned and ran. He leapt over the small stone wall surrounding the car park and turned right to head for the harbour area. Luke flagged down a second car that had just turned into the car park and hastily explained to Jim Brooks what had just happened. Together they went over the wall where Luke had seen Treverick go and they ran, knowing that he would have had an escape plan in place long before the evening’s activities.
Dom let Luke go and he went over to the Mondeo. There was a lot of blood spattered on the windscreen and all over the front seats. No movement from Sam. Dom got into the passenger side and felt for a pulse but couldn’t find one.
His first call was for the ambulance; his second call to his boss. The ambulance was there in five minutes but Dom knew it was too late. Sam was gone.
Mark arrived at the same time as the ambulance and went straight into the restaurant to get Josh and Jess out of it. Josh saw him walking from the entrance towards them and knew something was bad.
He stood, placing his napkin on the table.
‘Mark?’
Mark moved behind Jess’ chair and eased it away from the table. She stood up.
‘Let’s go.’
‘But I haven’t paid...’
‘It’s taken care of. Go.’
They walked to the exit trying not to look like naughty children who had been caught out doing something wrong.
‘Mark, what’s wrong? What’s happened? It’s not Grace...?’
‘No, it’s not Grace. Treverick is here, he was in the car park. Now, get in this car.’ He indicated a Toyota that had pulled up in front of them. ‘You’re going straight back to Hillside and ask Lauren if it’s okay if you stay there tonight. I’m sure she can find a settee for you. And some food.’
‘Where’s my car?’
‘Crime scene. Now go.’
He spoke to the driver. ‘Linc, don’t stop for anything. You’ll be waved through by the officers at the bottom of the drive; they’ve got your registration. Just keep going. We need these two inside the house.’
Josh and Jess climbed into the back seat and Josh put his arm around her and pulled her close.
‘I’m so sorry,’ he whispered. ‘I wouldn’t have put you in any danger...’
‘I know,’ she said. ‘Mark is clearly on top of it, so let’s just follow instructions. I’ll make us an omelette or something when we get in. We can still have a nice night; we don’t need a fancy restaurant.’
‘Linc? Do you know anything about what’s happened?’
‘No, sir, I don’t. I was told to take you to Hillside and stay there to augment the protection detail.’
Josh felt disgruntled. Why on earth was his car a crime scene? They arrived back at Hillside and Pilot was waiting to open the door for them.
‘Inside,’ he said and closed the door behind them.
‘What’s happened, Pilot? I’ve never moved so fast.’
‘Not sure yet, Josh, but Mark said if it’s not too late by the time everything is cleared, he’ll call up. If not, it will be tomorrow morning. All I know is that you’ll not be getting your car back in a hurry.’
Lauren came through from the kitchen.
‘You two want something to eat? Mark said you’d only had a starter.’
‘A sandwich?’ Josh looked at Jess for confirmation and she nodded.
‘Okay, I’ll make some. Josh, the spare room is made up for you. I understand Mark wants you here tonight. He says to tell you they’ve doubled the men at Moorgate so Dawn and Pat are fine but he doesn’t want you out there. He suspects you’re the intended target for whatever went wrong tonight, so he doesn’t want you, in his words, wandering the countryside or drawing Treverick to Moorgate.’
‘Target? Has Sam been hurt? Is that what it is?’
‘We really don’t know anything yet. Somebody - Dunbar, Mark or somebody else is bound to turn up at some point and tell us what’s happened.’ Lauren moved towards the kitchen. ‘Now come and sit down round the table while I feed us. Pilot, wine I think.’
‘I’ll ring Mum, first. She’ll be worried. God, what a mess,’ and Josh moved into the hall to use the phone there. They could hear a muted conversation before he came back into the kitchen. His face was white.
‘Mum seems to think Sam is dead. She overheard a conversation between the new ones who’ve just arrived and the ones who were already there. Pilot, what the bloody hell can we do? I feel so guilty now. And I actually asked Mark if we could go on our own! Jess, I’m so sorry. I’ve put both our lives in danger...’ He knew he was babbling and didn’t know how to stop.
Jess went to stand by his side and took his hand.
‘Come and have a drink. We don’t really know anything yet. Let’s sleep on this and talk tomorrow. And, by the way, I went willingly. You didn’t force me to go. Stop feeling guilty.’
Chapter 36
The next morning was a very sombre one. Pat and Dawn had arrived very early and had shared breakfast with the Hillside residents. By nine o’clock, they had been joined by Dunbar and Mark.
Dunbar was clearly in a place that said, “don’t trifle with me.” He had been hauled over the coals that morning and was in no mood for any arguing with the extended family of the Farmers.
‘Okay,’ he said. ‘Here’s what happened last night. Sam Marks was killed by a bullet to his brain, his blood spattered all over the windscreen and front seats of the Mondeo. His wife is distraught. She’s seven months pregnant and they’ve admitted her to hospital. They’re hoping to stop the early labour, keep that baby safe until the due delivery date but it’s not looking likely.
‘Now, is there anybody here who doesn’t understand just how serious your situation is?’
The anger in his tone was palpable and nobody spoke.
‘Right, here’s what’s going to happen until we finally catch the bastard – or kill him. You will go nowhere. I am closing down Moorgate. Lauren, can you accommodate everybody here?’
Lauren nodded, almost afraid to speak. She’d never seen Dunbar so angry.
‘Then do it. None of you are to move from here. All groceries can be delivered and if you need medical help, we will organise with your doctors to make home visits. Are you all with the same medical practice?’
Everyone nodded.
‘Josh, Dawn, Pat – you three will be escorted back to Moorgate to pack whatever you will need. This means we can free up protection to give more here. I can’t stress enough just how important it is that you don’t go outside. He has at least two guns. He shot Freda with a rifle but it was a handgun that killed Sam Marks. I’m leaving you with Mark now. He’ll answer any questions. I’ve things to do. I’ll be back later. I need to re-interview each and every one of you. Last night’s events confirm a suspicion and I need to start with all of you. Pat, a police car will be here shortly to take all three of you back to Moorgate. Leave the place securely locked and alarmed, and make sure you bring everything you need; medication, clothes, books. You won’t be allowed to go back until this is over.’
His short staccato sentences showed just how angry he was and Pilot stood to escort him to the door. Dunbar turned once more and faced him.
‘Didn’t it sink in at all, Pilot? Stay away from all doors and windows if you want to live. He’s stepping up his campaign to get Grace back and he’ll kill you all if he has to. Everybody except Grace. I’ll leave you to imagine what he wants to save her for.’
He slammed the doo
r behind him and there was a concerted swoosh of air as he left. It seemed as though everybody had been holding their breath while he was speaking.
‘Pilot...’ Lauren looked at him with tears in her eyes. ‘That poor woman – her baby...’
‘Hush,’ he said and pulled her close. ‘There’s nothing we can do. I know it’s not the ideal scenario but if she’s seven months, the baby stands a good chance of surviving. I’m sure Mark will keep us informed.’ He turned to Mark for confirmation.
He nodded.
‘I will. But don’t think I’ve gone soft on you. I agree wholeheartedly with everything Dunbar has just said. I’ve lost two of my best men now, Alan and Sam. I won’t lose anymore. If you ask to go out accompanied, the answer will be no, so get used to it. You stay in this house at all times. You will have three men in the house and three men outside. They will work a shift system so that there will be different ones here but here they will be. Josh, I felt I was in a bit of a battle with you last night. I appreciate that you wanted time on your own with a very attractive young lady but that put both of you in grave danger. There will be time for romance when all this is over. And it will be one day, but for now, you’re going nowhere. Sorry Jess, but Treverick will see you as part of this family now, so I can’t even ask if you want to leave. It just wouldn’t be safe.’
Jess answered quietly.
‘It’s my choice to stay, Mr. Carter; I’m not staying because you say I have to. These children have become my world and yes, I would literally take one of Treverick’s bullets for them. Let’s hope none of us has to.’
He nodded, took out a roll of paper and spread it on the coffee table.
‘Now, I realise you don’t know all of my operatives so this is a sort of crib sheet. This is the rota for who will be on duty at what time and whether they’re indoors or outdoors. These are their photographs so that you can identify them. Always check their badge ID when they come on duty and if a problem occurs, tell one of them. I don’t want somebody having an exploding appendix because you’ve been scared off from doing anything. The telephone, of course, isn’t out of bounds, but no doctor is going to get in here unless he comes in escorted by one of us. Your first port of call is one of my men for everything.’