“Just take it easy, lie down, you’re still weak,” he said, gently pushing her back into the pillows.
Katia’s soul screamed for her children, she wanted to leap off the bed and race up to Manchester, kill every single last Maguire and bring her babies home, but she was incapable of anything, her body was too frail.
“You almost died,” continued Robbie. “You were injected with Lanoxin, it’s a Digoxin injection. Digoxin’s a form of digitalis, a poison. You had a heart attack but luckily a nurse was passing by when you collapsed. She managed to get your heart going again.”
“I don’t care what happened to me, I have to get my babies back.”
“We’re working on it, aren’t we Jared?”
“Fucking right we are. Cheeky bastards come up here onto my turf and do this. They’re dead.”
“Kill them all and get my children back, please,” said Katia, grabbing onto the sleeve of Jared’s shirt. “If you do you will have my loyalty forever, I will do anything you want.”
“Alright, calm down,” he said, removing her hand from his sleeve. “I’ve told you, I’m working on it. We know they’re in Manchester so it’ll be a piece of piss. We’ve put it out that you’re dead, that will give us an advantage.”
Katia’s green eyes gleamed at the prospect of turning up on Mikey Maguire’s doorstep like a vengeful ghost, his surprise as she raised the gun and blew his fucking head off his shoulders. “This is good,” she whispered, drifting into silence, eyes wide and maniacal.
“The Maguires have really done it now,” said Jared. “I can take my retaliation for this and no one will say a fucking word against it, not even Glasgow. They’ve pissed on their own chips.”
Katia didn’t really understand this last statement but she didn’t care. She’d thought she’d needed revenge before for Alex but what she felt now transcended everything. She feared she’d literally split in two if she didn’t get her sons back. The Maguires had tried to kill her to shut her up, to stop her telling Jared anything, but they were too late. He already knew it all.
Robbie and Jared frowned at each other when Katia closed her eyes and started to mumble to herself in Slovakian. They thought it was a prayer but in fact Katia was reciting every single punishment she was going to inflict on Mikey Maguire. They leaned away from her when her eyes flew open and regarded them with the madness of grief.
“Robbie, give me my bag.”
He looked to Jared, who nodded, then reached into the cabinet by her bed and handed it to her. She snatched it from him and delved inside, pulling out her wallet. She snapped it open and tears filled her eyes as she gazed at the photo of her babies, taken in the hospital just after they were born. She touched their tiny faces with her fingertips, the longing in her heart worse than the agony of the poison.
Unable to bear it, she tore at her hair, tugging out golden strands as another scream ripped from her throat.
“Alright, take it easy,” said Jared, but for once she didn’t listen to him.
“I will kill you Mikey, I will kill you,” she screeched over and over until the doctor came in and sedated her.
It had finally happened. The national newspapers had landed, blocking the end of Rachel and Ryan’s driveway. To both their astonishment Leah wanted to go to school on Monday morning, eager to get back to normal. Rachel didn’t want her to go, she was terrified of what the other children would say to her about her parents. All the other parents would have read the lurid stories about them in the morning papers over breakfast. Their kids might have overheard them discussing it and Leah might get teased, bullied even, and that broke her heart. Leah also carried the burden of certain truths that might come to light if she was put under any more pressure. The boys were going into nursery, thank God still too young to understand it all.
Rachel felt sick as she pulled up outside the school, which swarmed with parents. She had insisted Ryan stay at home when he’d said he was coming with them. The last thing he needed while he was still dealing with what had happened to him was to see everyone judging him.
She got out of the car and ducked into the back to unbuckle the boys, giving herself another few seconds before she had to face everyone.
“Don’t let the bastards grind you down,” she muttered to herself.
“What Mummy?” said Ethan.
“Nothing sweetie,” she said, helping him out of the car.
Rachel held onto the boys’ hands as they walked through the school gates. Leah skipped on slightly ahead quite happily. One of her friends was waiting for her.
“Bye Mum,” she called.
“Leah, wait.”
Puzzled, Leah turned back. Usually Rachel just let her run into the playground while she took the boys through to nursery. Not today.
“You’re okay sweetheart?” Rachel asked her.
“Fine Mum, honest.”
“If you don’t feel okay make sure you tell your teacher, won’t you?”
“I won’t feel bad. Dad’s safe again, so everything’s alright.”
Rachel watched her run off, wishing she shared her naïve optimism.
“Morning,” she said as chirpily as she could muster to a passing mum. The woman, who usually spoke to her perfectly nicely, just gave her a funny look before continuing on her way.
Fucking marvellous, thought Rachel.
She strode up to the nursery doors with her head held high, painfully aware of the odd glances she was receiving. When she’d made it inside she sucked in a breath as the doors closed behind her, blocking out all those cold gazes.
As she walked into the cloakroom everyone went silent. Rachel had had enough. Her husband had almost been murdered, they’d endured absolute hell and they didn’t deserve to be treated like this. This had happened to her in Manchester when Leah was at nursery and she was buggered if she was going to go through it again. Time to tackle them all head on.
“Problem anyone?” she said loudly.
They all hastily looked away.
“Didn’t think so,” she added before turning to help Aaron off with his coat.
She watched the boys run into nursery, straight to the toys, a lump forming in her throat. Please don’t let them suffer for our sins, she silently prayed.
Rachel wanted to run out of the school gates and home to Ryan but she refused to give anyone the satisfaction. So she walked out of the gates confidently, chin up, looking everyone in the eye.
“Rachel wait.”
She was just a few feet from her car when the voice called out to her. She stopped and a short, dumpy woman hurried up to her. Rachel recognised her as the mother of one of Leah’s classmates. “Hello Jane.”
“I just wanted to ask how Ryan’s doing after his terrible ordeal.”
Finally someone was concerned. “Oh you know, as well as can be expected.”
“I heard you rescued him yourself.”
“Not just me, I had some help.”
“What they’re saying in the papers about you and Ryan…is it true?”
Rachel already knew exactly what was in the papers, she and Ryan had gone through them that morning. “Some of it is, some of it’s rubbish.”
“You were married to Danny Maguire?”
She nodded.
“Even I’ve heard of the Maguires, they’re infamous,” she said excitedly. “You’ve certainly led an adventurous life, haven’t you?” Jane’s eyes flicked to the black choker hiding the scar on her neck.
“That’s one word for it.”
“Give Ryan my best, I hope he feels better soon. You’ve done us all a big favour catching that evil pair, I know a lot of people feel the same way. Don’t let the snobby gits around here get to you.”
“I won’t. Thank you Jane.”
“You’re welcome,” she said cheerily before walking to her own car.
Rachel had never thought much of Jane before, never really considered her. She’d done her a disservice. Thanks to her she felt a bit more optimistic about thei
r futures in Devon. There was a possibility they could ride out the storm.
The flock of journalists were waiting for her at the bottom of the drive to the house, surrounding her car, refusing to get out of her way.
“Move,” she yelled, banging on the horn, but they refused to budge, shouting their questions at her through the glass. She recognised Gayle Westerly, a reporter from Manchester who had hassled them after The Slasher had attacked Rachel in her own nightclub. Her over made-up face bobbed about the driver’s side window while she ruthlessly elbowed her competitors out of the way.
The gates started to open inwards and Ryan was there, glowering at the assembled crowd. He shoved two reporters aside who were mainly responsible for blocking Rachel’s access to the house and she drove in, Ryan blocking the way of any reporter who tried to sneak through after her. He stood sentinel with his arms folded across his chest. When one reporter raised his camera he said, “take one photo and you’ll be eating that camera.” The man lowered it and Ryan shut the gate in his face.
He and Rachel hurried inside together. “Thank God that’s over,” she breathed.
“How were the kids?”
“Fine. Leah was happy to go in.”
“And how were the other parents?”
She shrugged. “A few cold shoulders but Jane, one of the mums, said a lot of people were grateful to us for bringing the killers down and not to worry. She made me feel better.”
He kissed her. “Good.”
“She asked after you too, she seemed genuinely concerned.”
“At least someone’s on our side.”
“Maybe everything will be alright for us after all here?” she said hopefully.
Ryan gave her a smile that belied what he truly felt. He couldn’t bear to shatter her hopes.
The crowd of reporters refused to go. Friends and family called on the phone to ask after them in between the nuisance calls - her parents, Dolores and Vince, Battler and Bruiser - just to make sure they were okay. When they offered to come over she told them no, they’d only be swamped with journalists. It was only a matter of time before they were landing on their doorsteps too.
The only visitor they received was Ashley, the photographers frantically snapping him as his car made its way up the drive, retreating to their own cars in disappointment when he walked inside without uttering a word.
Rachel ushered him into the lounge.
“What’s happened?” demanded Ryan the second he came through the door.
“We’ve had to release Eddie Cope,” he said.
Ryan’s expression was thunderous. “What?”
“He insists he was just doing some innocent hunting in the forest, that he’s nothing to do with Gerard and Brian.”
“Bollocks,” yelled Ryan.
“And we’ve found nothing so far to prove he was ever in the hide.”
“He admitted it in front of all of us,” countered Ryan.
“Apparently he only did that because you put a rifle to his head.”
“He was telling the truth and revelling in it.”
“It doesn’t matter what he said, it’s inadmissible because he was under duress at the time.”
“Gerard said he killed three of the men and Brian killed two, which leaves another three victims unaccounted for because Eddie killed them.”
“There’s more,” said Ashley. “He’s decided to sue you.”
“Sue me?” cried Ryan.
“Both of you actually as well as your friends, for emotional distress. He says he was assaulted and tied up then you put a gun to his head. He’s arranging a press conference to put forward his version of events, he’s going to try and destroy your reputations to make you look less credible.”
“Bastard,” Ryan exploded. “Not only does he help kidnap and murder eight men but he wants to sue the people who stopped him. Well if you won’t do something about it I will.”
“Where are you going?” said Rachel when he snatched up his car keys.
“To find Cope,” he replied, storming to the door.
Rachel put herself before him and pressed her hands against his chest. “You’re not going anywhere.”
“Out of my way Rachel.”
“No. You’re only going to make things worse. Instead why don’t you sit down, get that big brain of yours in gear and think your way out of it.”
When he looked at Ashley the pure rage in Ryan’s eyes made him back up a step.
“How do we bring him down?” Rachel asked Ashley.
“It would help if his accomplices gave statements against him, both of them preferably. That way we can arrest him and it’ll give us time to find something concrete against him. We’re still trawling through the evidence we found in the hide.”
“Are either of them talking?” said Rachel.
“Well Brian can’t but his doctor said I’ll be able to interview him tomorrow. Gerard has been remanded to Belmarsh but he’s refusing to cooperate. We’ve started examining building projects he was involved in every time one of the men disappeared. We’ve located one body under the new tennis courts at a park in Torquay. Judging by the timing we think it might be Luke Jones.”
“God,” said Rachel. At least Tracey might get some closure now.
“I think we’re going to be doing a lot of digging. I seriously recommend you stay away from Eddie Cope,” said Ashley.
“Have you had the results back on the meat yet?” said Ryan.
“Yes, that’s another reason why I’m here. I’m afraid it was human. We’re confident the DNA test will prove it belonged to John Owen.”
Ryan turned a sickly grey. Thank God he’d vomited that meat up again.
“So far we’ve managed to keep it quiet and I’m working to make sure it stays that way,” continued Ashley. “But we have a leak at the station. It’s possible it will become public knowledge. Also, if we don’t get guilty pleas it’ll go to trial and it’ll definitely come out then.”
“The other men would have been forced to do the same,” said Ryan. “All made to eat their predecessors to stop their families getting hurt.”
“What about the first victim, George Romer?” said Rachel. “What did they make him do?”
“We won’t know unless one of the killers starts talking and right now that’s not looking very likely.”
“They will,” said Ryan confidently.
“I wouldn’t bank on it. It’s common for serial killers to refuse to talk about their crimes, it gives them a sense of control.”
“We’ll see,” was all Ryan said, his expression granite.
“I’ll be off then,” said Ashley. “I hope one day to come here with good news. Let me know if you have any trouble from the reporters outside and stay away from Eddie Cope. If he was something to do with this we’ll get him for it.”
“He was,” said Ryan, but he’d already gone.
Rachel went to Ryan and embraced him. “Are you okay?”
Ryan hung onto her. He couldn’t believe how lucky he was to have this woman. “I suppose deep down I already knew. I had hoped it was just an animal I ate but it was a vain hope.”
“Ashley might be able to keep it from the press.”
“Ashley doesn’t wield that sort of control. Hell, the Chief Constable doesn’t and for the media the cannibalism is the juiciest part of the story. They’ll find out then everyone will know, including the victim’s families, including our family, and Leah,” he croaked.
“And we’ll handle it, like everything else.”
He kissed her again, needing to know he still didn’t revolt her. Judging by her reaction he didn’t.
“I need to make a call,” he said.
As Rachel listened to him talking on the phone she broke into a slow smile. Finally Gerard Kerrell was going to get what was coming to him. Jules had been right, law and order did stand in the way of justice.
CHAPTER 32
Gerard Kerrell lay back on his bunk in his cell, a smile on his face,
despite the grim surroundings. The whole country was talking about what he’d done. No matter what happened now he was forever immortalised, his name joining the list of his idols. He and Brian had already been dubbed The Dartmoor Butchers. Once you got your nickname that was it, you were truly famous. Far from his life being over this was the beginning of a new one. He wondered if he’d get fan mail.
The only black spot was that he was parted from Brian, his god, his friend, his soul mate, his everything. Gerard had never married because he’d never needed anyone else. He wasn’t gay or anything, he liked women, although he did find some men attractive, especially Brian. But as long as he had him in his life he was happy.
At first he’d begrudged Eddie coming in on their little hobby but Orion had quickly realised he would never be one of the main players. He was happy to do the hunting and partake in the celebration of the kill but he’d wanted nothing to do with the kidnappings. For Gerard that had been one of the highlights, stalking the prey, learning their routines, deciding on the perfect time to strike. It made him hard just thinking about it.
He prayed he and Brian were put in the same prison, that’s if they actually got sent down. His lawyer - and he could afford the best - was optimistic they could at least get a reduced sentence because of the brutality they’d endured. The damage Ryan had inflicted on Brian had been dubbed overkill, as well as his mad sister stabbing him in the stomach when he was tied up and helpless. Rachel tasering himself only evened up the balance too. Their human rights had been violated and his ferocious lawyer was going to use that to great benefit, as long as they both kept their mouths shut and didn’t confess to anything. Eddie - AKA Endymion - had already been released, they had nothing on him and Gerard wasn’t about to drop him in it. With him on the outside the hunt would continue. His lips curled into a smile. They had the best of both worlds.
A shadow blocked out the light filtering in from the corridor outside and he pushed himself up on his elbows to see three big men enter the room, all looking very menacing.
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