The Silent One
Page 22
Lucas paled. “I never asked you to. You killed Adam and Jasmine! How could you do that?”
“I was protecting you, mate. You’ve got to understand. Everything I’ve ever done has all been about protecting you.”
Lucas launched himself at Ben, but Shawn held him back. “You killed my girlfriend, you psychopath!”
“For you,” Ben begged. “Why can’t you see that? We’re still mates aren’t we, Lucas. Best mates?”
Lucas’s eyes were wide with disbelief. “No! We’ve only known each other a few weeks. I would never have wanted you to do any of the fucked-up shit you did. You killed my girlfriend. You killed an innocent man. You’re a fucking freak! I hope I never see you again.”
Ben burst into tears.
“Don’t worry,” Erica said. “I’m sure the two of you will get plenty of time to make up again when you’re both serving time for your crimes.”
Behind Shawn several uniformed officers appeared. Backup had arrived. One of the officers took Lucas from Shawn, shoving him back to one of the cars, and another hurried forward to help Erica.
Paige groaned again.
“Call an ambulance,” she told the officer.
She hauled Ben to his feet and handed him over to Shawn to be put into the back of a different squad car to the one Ben was in, and then went back for Paige. The girl had already managed to sit up, and Erica dropped to the ground beside her, her hand on her shoulder, trying to offer her some comfort.
“Thank you,” the girl said, her voice mumbled through her split lip. “You saved me.”
Erica squeezed her shoulder. “You’re safe now. An ambulance is on its way. No one is going to hurt you again.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
The following morning, Erica took Poppy to see Frank. It was Sunday, and lots of families visited their aged parents and grandparents on the Sunday, so the care home was busy. Erica didn’t mind. It was good to see all these people spending time with their loved ones.
Spending time as a family.
She glanced down at Poppy by her side. They were still a family, just the two of them. Even though someone was missing, that didn’t make their little unit any less important.
She was happy to get some time away from the office as well.
Paige had been taken to hospital to have her injuries treated, but she was thought to make a full recovery, though Erica knew even if her physical recovery might be quick, the mental and emotional one would most likely take far longer. Both Ben Redding and Lucas Gill had made full confessions about what they’d done—Lucas for Paige’s rape, and Ben for the murder of Adam and Jasmine, and for the false imprisonment of Paige. Ben had also confessed to taking Adam’s phone when he’d killed him and used it to send messages to an email that had looked like Professor Young’s. Seemed Ben’s advanced knowledge in his degree had helped with that, but any bright future he might have had was dust now.
Both would be serving a long time behind bars.
“Erica.” Frank looked up from the game of dominoes he was playing with one of the other residents, his smile wide. “How lovely to see you.”
Her heart swelled with happiness. He remembered her today.
Poppy clung to the backs of her legs, always uncertain around her grandad, which saddened Erica. It frightened Poppy when he didn’t remember who she was—something that was becoming rapidly more common now he wasn’t living with them. When he’d seen Poppy every day, he’d remembered her most of the time, but not so much anymore.
Frank spotted Poppy behind Erica’s legs. “And where’s the little monkey you always have with you?”
Poppy poked her head out.
“There she is,” he declared. “Aren’t you going to come and give your granddad a kiss.”
Erica smiled and nudged Poppy forwards. “Go on, sweetheart. It’s okay.”
Poppy was a bit hesitant at first. “Hello, Grandad.”
Her hand was at her mouth—a nervous habit she had—but then he put his arms out and swept her into a hug, and Poppy finally relaxed.
Erica caught the eye of one of the nursing home carers who flashed her a thumbs-up sign and mouthed, ‘He’s having a good day’ at her. Erica smiled and nodded, to show she understood.
“Would you like a biscuit?” Frank offered Poppy. “I’ve got some custard creams back here somewhere.”
“Yes, please!” Poppy was never one to turn down a biscuit.
“Here, you can help me beat Henry at dominoes. You know how to play, don’t you?”
Poppy settled onto the corner of her grandad’s seat. “I think so.”
Erica took the chair beside them, the sight of them playing warming her heart.
“I remember when you were small,” Frank said, addressing Erica and smiling fondly at Poppy.
Erica’s heart lightened. “You do?”
“Yes. I’ve never felt so protective over anyone in my entire life. Do you know why I did the job I did, Erica?”
Tears pricked her eyes, and a painful lumped formed in her throat. “No, why?”
“Because I wanted so badly to make sure you were safe. That was all I wanted. And each time I put one of the bad guys behind bars, I felt like the world was a little safer for you to grow up in.”
It was the one thing she’d always been terrified of—that her work life would spill into her home life and affect the ones she loved—and it had happened in the worst possible way. She was terrified about the possibility of the same thing happening to her daughter, and even though she knew the chances of it were insanely remote, there was still a chance. It was something she wrestled with all the time. Was her job potentially putting Poppy in danger? But if she left, what would happen to her then? This was their only income. Besides, if she looked deeply, she’d admit to herself that she simply couldn’t imagine who she’d be as a person if she was no longer a detective. A mother, yes, but that had never been how she’d defined herself.
Her dad was right. That was part of why she did her job—so she could make the world a safer place for girls like Poppy, and like Paige, too, to grow up in.
She’d done that by putting Nicholas Bailey behind bars, as well. She’d made the world a safer place.
For now, that was the best she could do.
THE END
LIKED WHAT YOU READ? DI Erica Swift is back in book three, ‘The Artisan’, out on 25th August 2020! Order now from Amazon!
HE CONSIDERS HIMSELF an artist...
His medium is murder.
SOMEONE IS KILLING young women, strangling them in their beds, and arranging their bodies in a certain way after death.
The police have no witnesses and the killer has left no clues. When a second victim is discovered, DI Erica Swift finds herself on the hunt for another serial killer...
Lara Maher is living with a man who controls her every move. He treats her like a precious possession, and their shared past ties her to him. But now something has changed, and his increasingly volatile moods terrify her...
As the rate of the murders increases, Erica needs to work fast to prevent him from killing again.
One thing she does know is that he likes young, professional, blonde women.
Women just like Erica....
Will she risk her own life to stop him when she’s already lost so much, or is there another woman out there who can help?
ORDER The Artisan from Amazon today, and sign up to M K Farrar’s newsletter so you don’t miss out on any news of freebies, sales, cover reveals and new releases!
Acknowledgements
Thank you, once again, to Patrick O’Donnell who heads up the fantastic ‘Cops and Writers’ facebook group. Patrick very kindly agreed to work on ‘The Silent One’ with me, so I’m pleased I didn’t frighten him off the first time with ‘The Eye Thief’. I did have to take a little artistic liberty with some points, so any mistakes made were mine alone.
Thank you to my editor on this book, Emmy Ellis from Studioenp. Your speed and hard wo
rk always amazes me, even if I do always hate seeing the number of times I accidentally use certain words. My books would be word mud without you!
I put my long time proof-reader Tammy Payne from Book Nook Nuts to the test with this one by making changes after she’d done the work and then getting her to go over it all over again. Sorry about that, Tammy! Thank you for accommodating me.
Many thanks to Jacqueline Beard, who once again offered her keen eye to proofread ‘The Silent One’ for me – I hope by the time this book releases she will have made it home.
A big thank you to my mum, Glynis Elliott, who is my first reader and who also lends an eye with those annoying typos. I still miss you!
And a final huge word of thanks to you, the reader. I hope you’ve enjoyed the book and are looking forward to the next in DI Erica Swift’s series.
Until next time!
M K Farrar
About the Author
M K Farrar is the pen name for a USA Today Bestselling author of more than thirty novels. Though 'Some They Lie' was her first psychological thriller, it wasn't her last, and she’s now written eight novels of crime and psychological fiction. When she's not writing, M.K. is rescuing animals from far off places, binge watching shows on Netflix, or reading. She lives in the English countryside with her husband, three daughters, and menagerie of pets.
You can sign up to MK's newsletter here or check out her website here. She can be also be emailed at mkfarrar@hotmail.com. She loves to hear from readers!
Also by the Author
Crime after Crime series, written with M A Comley
Watching Over Me: Crime after Crime, Book One
Down to Sleep: Crime after Crime, Book Two
If I Should Die: Crime after Crime, Book Three
Standalone Psychological Thrillers
Some They Lie
On His Grave
In the Woods