Deadly Revenge

by Leigh Russell

  ‘To begin with? What happened after that?’

  ‘Nothing, really. It became a bit boring, the same shouting every time, and always at David Armstrong, as though it was all his fault that people were losing their jobs.’ She lowered her voice. ‘Between you and me, I think Jonathan had it in for that man.’

  ‘What about Rod Browning? Where was he in all this?’

  ‘Oh, he just tagged along, a bit like me, really. He said that this shouting was all well and good, but we ought to be doing something more. Take action, was what he said.’

  ‘What kind of action?’

  Alyson shook her head. ‘I don’t know and if you ask me, that young man didn’t either. It was all talk talk talk from the two of them. Like I said, it became boring after a while, but Charlotte enjoyed all the drama and we go – that is, we used to go for a coffee afterwards, just the two of us, and discuss it all.’ She sighed. ‘It sounds silly, but I lead a dull sort of life these days, and it was a bit of fun, you know. It made me feel young again, as if I was doing something useful.’

  Geraldine thanked Alyson for her help and turned to leave.

  ‘Oh, please, do ask me anything you like,’ Alyson said, clearly eager to detain her.

  ‘Thank you, but you’ve already been extremely helpful,’ Geraldine assured her.

  At least Alyson Read could be crossed off the list of suspects.

  She found Charlotte Stephens at home. She was younger than Alyson, with chestnut hair and sharp brown eyes, and she too claimed not to have known David Armstrong. She said she had attended the public meetings more for the excursion than as a serious protest.

  ‘I think it’s shocking the way the council is forcing all these cutbacks,’ she told Geraldine. ‘It’s so important to be well informed, and of course once you discover what’s going on, I mean really going on, you have to express your opinion about it, don’t you? You can’t just sit around and keep silent when you disagree with what the politicians are doing. But Rod is right, it’s the government we should be targeting, not the local councillors. I tried telling Jonathan, but he insisted we start at the local level. “Why don’t we campaign against our local MP then?” I asked him, but he was set on targeting the leader of the council. I mean, he had a point, but I still think canvassing our MP would have made better sense. And it didn’t have to be one or the other, did it? We could have gone for both. And now that poor man’s dead.’ She sighed. ‘I wonder who Jonathan will be gunning for next.’

  Geraldine thought that an unfortunate turn of phrase under the circumstances, but it seemed to confirm that Charlotte didn’t know David Armstrong had been murdered.

  28

  A year before Daisy was born, one of Jessica’s neighbours had reported a disturbance at her house. After reading the report through carefully, several times, Geraldine set off to question the neighbour who had since moved to Leeds. The door was opened by a robust middle-aged woman.

  ‘Are you looking for my daughter?’ she asked, ‘only she doesn’t live with us any more. She’s married now,’ she added with a complacent smile. ‘A lovely man –’

  Geraldine interrupted her. ‘I’m looking for Mrs Alice Whittaker.’

  ‘That’s me,’ the woman replied, clearly surprised.

  ‘I’d like to ask you a few questions about a former neighbour of yours. If you can spare a few minutes, I’d really appreciate your time, Mrs Whittaker.’

  ‘Are you the police?’

  ‘Yes.’ Geraldine held up her identity card, and the woman squinted at it.

  ‘I’m afraid I’m blind as a bat without my reading glasses, but, oh well, if you are who you say you are, you’d better come in. And please, call me Alice.’

  Geraldine explained the reason for her visit and Alice nodded. ‘Yes, yes, of course I remember,’ she said. ‘They were at it all the time. One evening I phoned your lot, because they were making a hell of a din. Honestly, I really thought he was going to kill her that time.’

  ‘That time?’ Geraldine repeated, keeping her expression impassive. ‘How many times did you hear them fighting?’

  ‘He was always shouting at her,’ the woman replied, ‘and we used to hear her screaming the place down. They were terrible neighbours. Really terrible. You have no idea. They were one of the reasons we moved.’

  ‘Did they know you reported them?’

  ‘I don’t know if they knew it was us. We debated whether or not to do anything about it, but in the end we decided enough was enough. We wanted someone to warn them to keep the noise down. It was a disgrace, the way they carried on. Talk about bad neighbours.’

  ‘Do you know what they used to argue about?’

  Alice shook her head. ‘All we could hear was her screeching at him not to touch her, and him yelling at her not to do it again, but we never did find out what it was she was supposed to have done.’

  Geraldine was not surprised to hear that the marriage had apparently been unhappy. The information seemed to confirm the suspicion that Jason had most likely run off with the baby, without a care for his wife’s suffering. Having learned all she could from Alice, Geraldine returned to York and drove straight to Jessica’s house.

  ‘Sergeant,’ Jessica greeted her, forcing a smile. Her face was flushed and her expression tense. ‘I hope you have good news for me. I’m going out of my mind with worry about Daisy.’ Her mask of composure slipped and she started forward in desperation. ‘Please –’ she cried out, and her voice broke. Taking a deep shuddering breath, she continued, ‘Please find my baby.’

  ‘I’d like to speak to you,’ Geraldine said gently. ‘Not about Daisy.’

  ‘What do you mean?’ Jessica scowled and looked as if she was going to shut the door, but Geraldine stepped forward smartly to prevent it closing, and followed her into the living room where Jessica slumped down on the floor, weeping, with her head in her hands. Magazines were scattered over the carpet, and on the table a plate of chips had grown cold. A scummy film had developed on a half-drunk cup of coffee which had spilt, leaving a damp brown pool that would probably stain the table.

  ‘Jessica,’ Geraldine said gently, sitting down opposite the weeping woman. ‘Jessica, I’ve been talking to Alice Whittaker.’

  ‘Who’s Alice Whittaker?’ Jessica asked.

  ‘She used to live next door.’

  ‘I’m not interested in hearing anything she has to say.’

  ‘I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you a few questions before I leave. Can you tell me what happened to cause Alice to call the police?’

  Jessica let her hands fall from a face red and blotchy with crying.

  ‘One time he nearly killed me,’ she croaked. She glared at Geraldine with a strange intensity, her eyes swollen and bloodshot. ‘He was going to kill me,’ she repeated in a hoarse voice. ‘If the police hadn’t come when they did, he would have killed me. That’s what he does, he kills people.’

  Her breathing was fast, and it was clear she was becoming hysterical. She clambered unsteadily to her feet and swayed slightly before she sank down into the chair again.

  ‘Tell me, where did he hurt you?’

  Jessica shook her head and groaned. ‘Here,’ she said, pointing at her heart. ‘And here,’ she added, indicating her head. ‘He screwed me up royally. You may not believe it, but I was happy before I met him. My life was normal. Normal! And now look at me.’

  She dropped her head in her hands again. Geraldine waited.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ Jessica went on after a few seconds, speaking in a stronger voice, and seeming to pull herself together. ‘They shouldn’t have bothered the police. It was just a silly row. We were under a lot of pressure, worrying about – about everything. Bills, you know. Have you found her yet? Why haven’t you found her? Why are you wasting time here with me, talking about Jason?’

  She was becoming hyster
ical again, her voice rising to a shrill peak.

  ‘We have a large dedicated search team looking for her,’ Geraldine assured her. ‘We’re questioning everyone who might possibly have known you or your husband, and anyone who might have seen what happened. Where is your husband now?’

  Jessica shook her head. ‘He hasn’t come back. I don’t know where he is. And if he never comes back, that’s fine by me,’ she added, her voice hardening. ‘I never want to see him again.’ She glared at Geraldine. ‘I’m going to change the locks on the doors. I should have done that a long time ago.’

  ‘Jessica, does Jason know where Daisy is?’

  Jessica shook her head. ‘He said he only put up with me because of her. He wasn’t interested in me. He’s never cared about me. Now she’s gone, he’ll never come back, will he?’ She burst out crying again. ‘I want my baby, I want my baby.’

  ‘Don’t worry,’ Geraldine assured her. ‘We will find her.’

  She hoped her words would prove true, but of course there was no way of knowing if the baby would ever be found and, if she was, whether she would still be alive. It was looking increasingly unlikely.

  ‘Would you like to press charges?’ she enquired gently.

  Jessica looked puzzled. ‘Press charges?’

  ‘Against your husband. We have reason to suspect he violently assaulted you on more than one occasion. Jessica, I know you’re under a lot of pressure, but whatever happens, you don’t have to tolerate his aggression ever again. You shouldn’t have to put up with that level of abuse. No one should. If you want him charged with assault, we can support you when he comes back, and make sure he never hurts you again.’

  Jessica shook her head. ‘No, no, I don’t want to see him or think about him again. I just want my baby back.’

  ‘Jessica, your husband attacked you –’

  ‘No, no, he didn’t. It was an accident. He never hurt me. That’s a lie. It’s a lie!’

  Geraldine sighed. There was no reasoning with a woman who constantly altered her version of the truth, whatever that was.

  ‘Very well.’ Geraldine stood up. ‘But please think about what I said. Once your daughter returns to you, do you really want her living with a violent man?’

  ‘He’d never hurt Daisy,’ Jessica whispered, seemingly horrified by a suggestion that must have already occurred to her.

  ‘Jessica, you said you thought he was going to kill you. It happened more than once, didn’t it? You just told me he would have killed you if your neighbour hadn’t summoned the police to stop him.’

  Jessica shook her head. ‘No,’ she whispered. ‘I didn’t mean it. It’s not true. She’s lying. I’m just angry with him, that’s all. How could he go and leave me like this? He’s my husband, and I don’t even know where he is.’

  ‘You said “he kills people”. What did you mean?’

  ‘Nothing, nothing, I didn’t mean anything. I was just upset. It was all a stupid mistake. Please go, go away and leave me alone.’

  ‘Jessica, we need to know where Jason is.’

  ‘I don’t know, I don’t know. And if I did, I wouldn’t tell you,’ she added in a sudden burst of anger.

  Ignoring Jessica’s loud protests, Geraldine checked the house but there was no sign of Jason in any of the rooms. There was nothing more she could do. Back at the police station, she discussed Jessica’s erratic responses with Eileen.

  ‘A typical domestic,’ the detective chief inspector said with a sigh. ‘The wife too scared, or too besotted, to press charges. If he contacts her, she’ll probably warn him we’ll be filing a report with all the details. There’s already a history of his violence against his wife. Men like that think they can do what the hell they like behind closed doors. Of course, he’ll deny having raised his hand against her. They always do.’

  ‘Yes, and she’ll probably continue to back him up, even though she’d be insane to protect him.’

  ‘Yes, well, we’re going to have to catch up with him soon and find out exactly what Jason Colman is playing at,’ Eileen said. ‘A violent man gone missing at the same time as his daughter disappears, leaving traces of blood on her sheet.’ She sighed. ‘It all seems to be pointing in one direction.’

  ‘From what Jessica said, she has no idea where he is,’ Geraldine replied, ‘but we can’t take her word for it.’

  A team were still examining any CCTV cameras that might have filmed Jason after he left the house, but he seemed to have simply vanished. Officers were sent to question the other neighbours in the street. One way or another, they had to find Jason and question him about his missing daughter.

  29

  Peering out through a gap between the curtains at her bedroom window, Jessica watched the police drive away, cursing her husband under her breath. This was all his fault. Admittedly, she had been a fool to put up with his behaviour. Ever since they were married, her life had descended into the realms of nightmare. Not only had he systematically abused her physically, mentally and emotionally, making her life a living hell, but he had threatened to take her baby away. Yet despite everything, she had been too frightened to report him to the police. She deplored her own cowardice, but she had always known that, if she betrayed him, he would kill her. What he might do to the baby was too horrifying to think about.

  She used to pray he would attack someone else, beat another woman up, beat her to a pulp, beat her so badly that he would face a prison sentence when his victim reported him to the police. The more severe her injuries, the longer his sentence would be, because a stranger would have no reason to hold back in her allegations. But as far as Jessica knew, he had never lifted a finger against anyone else, only her. She wished she had never fallen in love with the man Jason had pretended to be and, most of all, she regretted having a baby with him.

  She slumped down on the floor after the police had gone, listening to the faint hum of cars driving by. Eventually she clambered to her feet and went to study her reflection in the bathroom mirror. She looked terrible. Concealer and foundation would mask the blotches on her face, but even thick make-up wouldn’t disguise her swollen eyes. If she could only stop crying, the puffiness around her eyes would recede, but they would still be bloodshot. Returning to the living room, she began clearing up the mess. It was slow going because she kept returning to the mirror in the hall to examine her face. After a while she gave up. Too tired to carry on, she let go of the handful of magazines she was clutching, letting them fall to the floor.

  Having abandoned her attempt to tidy the house, she put the kettle on and made herself a mug of tea. She was relieved that the police had gone, but the house felt weirdly empty since their departure. She sat in the living room whispering to herself, ‘I’m all alone.’ Tears streamed down her cheeks. ‘All alone, all alone, all alone.’ The words seemed to repeat themselves in her head like a demented mantra. Although she had nowhere to go, suddenly she couldn’t bear to remain in the house for another moment, and she hurried outside, slamming the front door as she left. After driving around aimlessly for a while, almost without thinking she approached Ella’s lodgings. Visiting her friend and holding her baby was the only thing that gave Jessica any respite from her misery, however brief. Pulling into the kerb, she sat for a moment breathing deeply and trying to calm herself.

  Ella took a very long time to open the door, and when she saw Jessica waiting on the doorstep, she appeared to hesitate.

  ‘It’s you,’ she greeted Jessica fatuously. ‘I wasn’t expecting you today, but it’s lovely to see you.’

  Ella did not look very pleased. In fact, beneath her forced smile, Jessica sensed that Ella was nervous, although there was no need for her to worry. If either of them had cause to feel nervous, it was Jessica. She only wanted a chance to see her baby and hold her in her arms, just for a few minutes, to ease her aching loneliness.

  ‘Well, you’re here now so you
might as well come in,’ Ella muttered, glancing past Jessica’s shoulder as though she was afraid someone else was with her, wanting to accompany her inside.

  ‘Thank you. Thank you very much. I don’t want to disturb you, but I just happened to be passing.’

  Jessica watched Ella bolt the door behind them and tensed, hearing the faint sound of a baby whimpering.

  ‘She’s hungry again,’ Ella said. ‘She’s always hungry.’

  ‘That’s good, isn’t it?’ Jessica asked with a stab of anxiety. ‘It’s healthy for babies to have a good appetite, isn’t it?’

  ‘Sure,’ Ella replied, adding with an exaggerated sigh, ‘it’s costing me a fortune to feed her.’

  Jessica didn’t answer, but her hand went automatically to her bag. Ella followed the movement with greedy eyes.

  ‘Come on, then,’ Ella said with fake heartiness. ‘You know I’m always pleased to see you, but I know you didn’t come all this way just to visit me.’

  As she shut her eyes and held the warm little body close, Jessica could pretend she was back at home with Daisy, but it was never long before these visits reduced her to tears, because she knew she would shortly have to drive home alone with no baby of her own snuffling or chattering in the back of the car.

  ‘She’s hungry all the time,’ Ella said, gazing at Jessica anxiously. ‘I’ve been buying shed loads of SMA, really a lot, and nappies seem to disappear so fast. And then there’s the wipes, and I need more sheets for her cot, and another teething ring, and she should have toys to stimulate her development.’ She paused. ‘It’s all so bloody expensive. I’m going to have to compromise on something, but I don’t know what she can do without while she’s so little.’

  Her attempt at prompting Jessica to hand over yet more cash was clumsy, to say the least. Nevertheless, reluctant to upset her friend, Jessica pulled out her purse and counted out five twenty-pound notes.