by Lauren Algeo
‘He doesn’t seem concerned about you going to work at Downing Street too.’ Brewer finally voiced what had been bugging him throughout the call.
‘We had a good chat about it when we spoke yesterday afternoon,’ Ellen shrugged. ‘The way he sees it, this will get rid of Daniel faster.’
‘He should still be worried about the danger it’s going to put you in,’ Brewer said pointedly.
‘Mitch has faith in me,’ Ellen said. ‘He knows I wouldn’t do this unless I thought I was capable.’
It was a dig back at him and her words stung.
‘I do have faith in you,’ he said quietly. ‘I’m just concerned about your safety.’
‘I understand that. I know how scary it is and I believe I can do it.’
Brewer wanted to feel the comforting weight of a drink in his hand however he refrained from getting up and going to the cabinet. Ellen had let the fact that he’d drunk half a bottle of Jack Daniels last night slide but he didn’t think she would again.
He’d had a sore head and fuzzy mouth when he’d woken up that morning, and had been in a bad mood all day because of it. He’d just about controlled his temper in front of the team but he wouldn’t be able to keep it up if he was hungover again tomorrow.
‘I’m going to approach Connors with this tomorrow,’ he told Ellen to take his mind off alcohol. ‘I can pretend that I saw an article on the way to work.’
Ellen nodded. ‘Everything is ready so hopefully he’ll want to move forward. I doubt they’ve started looking for a new tutor yet.’
‘No, I don’t think so. Connors had a busy schedule yesterday and Monday, and Marie is still reeling over the suddenness of John’s death. They probably wouldn’t have started looking until after the funeral without me giving them a nudge.’
‘Have they said when the funeral will be?’ Ellen asked.
‘Next Monday,’ Brewer told her. ‘We’re going to accompany them to it.’
‘Daniel too?’
Brewer nodded slowly. ‘I was hoping they’d say he was too young and leave him at home but Connors said that the boy wants to pay his “respects”. Yeah right,’ he snorted. ‘He just wants to enjoy the pain he’s caused everyone.’
‘His second funeral in a month,’ Ellen sighed. ‘How does no one realise what he’s been doing?’
‘You should see the act he puts on,’ Brewer said. ‘A polite, quiet boy who listens to his parents and does what he’s told.’
‘I guess I’ll see it first-hand soon enough.’ She gave a small shudder. ‘Are his eyes really that dark close up?’
‘Yes. It’s creepy. His hair is so blond but his eyes are very dark brown. I don’t get how no one can see how black they are in certain lights.’
‘He can make people believe anything he wants, I suppose,’ Ellen said. ‘That he’s the perfect child. That he’d never hurt anyone. That he’s just like everyone else.’
‘He must disguise the fact that he never gets ill or hurts himself,’ Brewer said. ‘He could feign being sick every now and again to maintain his cover. I’m not sure how he’s managed to go this long with no one noticing that he self-heals though. Marie must have seen him fall over or cut himself at some point.’
‘You don’t really think about things like that though, do you?’ Ellen shrugged. ‘You’re just thankful that your child is healthy and not accident-prone.’
‘Maybe we should cause him to have an accident in front of them,’ Brewer muttered.
‘What was that?’
‘Nothing.’ Brewer unclenched his hands, realising that he’d been balling them into fists as they spoke about Daniel.
The more he thought about it, the less he liked the idea of his wife being near that sadistic boy. Nothing he said would persuade her to take another path though. The best he could do was offer his support and try to stay as close to her as Connors’ schedule would allow. With any luck, they would be able to resolve this quickly so Ellen wouldn’t have to spend too long alone with him.
A simple injection during the privacy of one of their lessons and Daniel would succumb to the insulin and Ellen would no longer be needed. She could fade out of the family’s life while they were overcome with grief…
Brewer felt a jolt of panic. ‘What if they suspect you?’
Ellen blinked. ‘Of killing Daniel?’
‘Yes. What if you get arrested and accused of murder?’ Brewer’s voice rose with fear. ‘I was going to try and blame someone else if they pointed the finger at me but you would have been alone with him. They would blame you.’
‘We don’t know how the insulin will show up in Daniel’s system.’ Ellen spoke calmly but Brewer could hear a raw note as the irrational side of her brain tried to take over. ‘There would be no suspicion until after an autopsy – they would initially just think that he’d had a seizure or something. I will describe all the symptoms of one to them.’
‘But what about after they examine the body?’ Brewer asked. ‘It will show as suspicious. His levels of insulin could clearly show an overdose. They’d want to know how he came to have so much in his system.’
‘I’d be gone by then. Mitch can delete all traces of the website online and I’ll be using my maiden name. I can use a fake number too. They won’t be looking for Ellen Brewer.’
Brewer shook his head. ‘This isn’t some amateur operation. The Prime Minister can enlist some serious help to find the woman he thinks murdered his son. They’ll circulate your picture in the press and find out everything about you… about us. We’ll never be able to stop running.’
‘Well you weren’t worried about all this when it was you doing the killing!’ Ellen snapped angrily. ‘Or were you planning to sacrifice yourself again and just not tell me?’
‘Of course I wasn’t!’ He didn’t want to admit that the thought had crossed his mind. ‘I’m just thinking clearer now that you’re going to be more involved. We were so focussed on obtaining the insulin and getting close to Daniel that we didn’t cover what would happen after.’
Ellen’s face softened. ‘I remember, we said we’d cross that bridge when we came to it.’
Brewer spread his palms out. ‘We’re nearly there now. How are we going to cross it?’
Ellen chewed her lip and said nothing. Once she was in Downing Street too, they had some serious thinking to do.
Chapter 24
Brewer rapped gently on the door to Connors’ study.
‘Come in,’ a muffled voice called.
He eased open the door and saw Connors sitting at his desk, surrounded by a mountain of paperwork. He was dressed in a smart, dark grey suit although his navy tie was loose.
‘Sorry to disturb you, sir.’ Brewer walked into the room and stood in front of the desk.
‘No problem at all Scott.’ Connors put down his pen and gazed up at him. ‘I haven’t forgotten that we need to have a catch up, it’s just been a bit hectic this week.’
‘I understand, sir.’ Brewer paused briefly. ‘I’ve actually come for another reason.’
He put a scrap of paper on the desk in front of Connors. He and Ellen had decided it would be more authentic if he scribbled her web address down, as though he’d hastily copied it from a newspaper. They were hoping that Connors wouldn’t question why he hadn’t just brought the article itself – that would have been too difficult for them to fabricate with so little time.
‘I know you probably aren’t thinking about this at the moment,’ Brewer said. ‘But I read an interesting interview in the paper this morning. It was with an American tutor who is currently working in London. She taught a US Senator’s child and I thought her details might be useful to you and Marie.’
Connors picked up the paper and glanced at the address. ‘That’s very considerate of you, Scott. Thank you. I’ll pass it on to Marie.’
‘No problem.’ Brewer turned to leave then changed his mind. ‘How is Daniel doing, sir? I know you were worried about how much time he was spending in his room.
’
Connors rubbed at his temple. ‘To be honest with you, he seems distracted. I know that’s natural as he’s dealing with John’s death… and Davenport’s before…’ Connors paused. ‘I shouldn’t really be talking about it but Marie doesn’t want to discuss it with me – she’s trying to smother the boy with attention instead, thinking that she’s helping.’
‘And you don’t think she is?’ Brewer’s heart rate quickened. Marie needed to back off or she might find herself on the receiving end of Daniel’s wrath.
‘No, I think he just needs time to process everything himself then he’ll be fine,’ Connors said. He picked up a glass of water from his desk and took a couple of swallows. ‘Do you know much about computers?’
The change in topic threw Brewer. ‘Umm, no. Not really. Why?’
‘I went into Daniel’s room last night when he and Marie were in the dining room,’ Connors admitted. ‘He’s been on the computer a lot lately when I’ve poked my head in and I just wanted to check what he’d been looking up – you know, in case he’d been traumatised in any way by recent events and had been seeking help.’
‘What did you find?’ Brewer asked through his dry lips.
‘Nothing. Absolutely nothing.’ Connors shook his head. ‘His history is wiped clean and there are some files on his desktop that are encrypted. I couldn’t see anything without a password.’
‘Oh, that’s strange.’ Brewer tried to sound casual. What the hell was Daniel hiding on his computer?
‘I’m worried about it,’ Connors said gravely. ‘How many ten year olds know how to encrypt files and clear their browsing history?’
‘I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about.’ Brewer forced a laugh. ‘Kids are very tech savvy these days and Daniel is bright. You know he’s heading towards his teenage years fast – he’s probably just hiding some images of girls or something.’
Brewer had grown to respect Connors in the brief time he’d known him and he didn’t want the man digging too deeply into what Daniel was up to. He may have thought he was the boy’s father but Brewer suspected that Daniel had no real feelings for Connors. Him getting in the way of his ‘son’s’ plotting could put him in serious danger and Brewer didn’t want that. He would try his best to protect Jack and Marie Connors at all costs.
‘I guess you’re right,’ Connors sighed. ‘He’s growing up fast and there’s always private stuff that you don’t want your nosy parents to see.’
‘It might even be passcodes to games or something that he doesn’t want his friends to see.’ Brewer doubted Daniel had any friends who came to Downing Street but it was another suggestion to put Connors off investigating further.
Connors nodded. ‘I’ll have a chat with him later, just to check he’s doing ok.’ He picked up the scrap of paper with Ellen’s details on again. ‘Thanks for this Scott. I’ll look into it… and thanks for listening to my over-protective rambling.’
‘Any time.’ Brewer backed towards the door. ‘I’ll see you for the lunch trip soon.’
He closed the door to the study behind him and paused to take a breath. He’d put the new plan into motion and inadvertently learned some telling information about Daniel. The boy was hiding something about what he was up to on his computer. It was risky, but once Ellen was in, she might be able to sneak into his room to copy the encrypted files. Brewer had no clue how to hack into them although he was hoping that Mitch would. They could send him the files and he might be able to crack them with his work software. At least then they might have some idea of what Daniel was planning.
Brewer headed back to the dining room where the rest of the team were killing time before Connors’ next outing. Richards and Seok were playing cards while Adders flicked noisily through a newspaper. They were all dressed in the same white shirts and black trousers as he was – their unofficial uniform.
‘You want in on poker?’ Richards asked as he sat down at the table. The previously icy man was slowly warming to him.
‘I’m ok, thanks,’ Brewer said. ‘I’m not much of a player so I’ll just watch and learn for a bit.’
It was a lie, he’d cleaned Marcus out when they’d played at the weekend, he just didn’t have the mental capacity to focus on a game while his mind was racing with thoughts of what Daniel could be hiding.
‘Suit yourself.’ Richards tapped on the table. ‘Check.’
Seok feigned looking at his cards but Brewer knew it was just a show – poker was an interesting way to read people’s behaviour. In Brewer’s eyes, Seok clearly had a decent hand and he didn’t want Richards to fold before the final card came out. He would watch the two men during the game and try to learn their tells. It might help him to read Seok better in other situations.
‘Where did you go anyway?’ Adders glanced up from his paper.
‘I went to give Connors the name of a tutor I read about in the paper this morning,’ Brewer told him.
‘Is she in here?’ Adders began turning his pages faster. ‘Is she hot?’
‘No, it was in the Guardian.’ Brewer knew that none of the men had read that paper since he’d been working with them. The lies were pouring out of him today. ‘She looked nice enough.’
‘She’s got to be easier on the eye than bumbling John,’ Richards laughed then quickly grimaced. ‘RIP, poor man.’
‘What’s her name?’ Adders asked. ‘We can keep an eye out for her if she comes for an interview?’
‘Erm, I think it was Ellen MacIntosh,’ Brewer told them, being extra careful not to say ‘Brewer’.
‘Oh, like your wife,’ Seok said.
Brewer reeled backwards in surprise. He couldn’t recall mentioning Ellen’s name to them – he was usually cautious and just referred to her as his wife.
‘Yeah, Ellen,’ he managed to say. ‘I’d forgotten I’d told you that.’
‘You went to phone her the other day,’ Seok shrugged.
The man was more observant than Brewer gave him credit for. He would have to be more careful in future.
‘At least I won’t forget her name if Connors hires her,’ he said as casually as he could.
Seok nodded and slid a plastic chip to the middle of the table. They were using poker chips instead of money and he was upping the bet on the game.
‘I raise you.’
Richards’ lips twisted briefly to the side in uncertainty. The unconscious gesture told Brewer that he didn’t have a very good hand and he’d been holding out for better cards in the flop. Now he’d gone on for too long to fold.
‘Call,’ he said finally, sliding across his own chip. ‘Let’s see your cards.’
Seok presented them with a smirk that unnerved Brewer. ‘Full house.’
‘Shit.’ Richards threw his cards on the table. ‘I only had a pair.’
Seok slid the small pile of chips towards him and added them to his stack. ‘That’s three in a row. You want to go again?’
There was something predatory about his expression, like a shark circling to pick off someone weak. Brewer would have to watch this man very carefully in future.
Chapter 25
Brewer and Ellen huddled under the umbrella and moved to the side of the pavement. It was drizzling and there was a chill in the air. They’d stopped several roads away from Downing Street so no one would see them together.
‘Are you sure you’re ready for this?’ Brewer reached out to tuck a stray hair behind Ellen’s ear.
‘As ready as I’m going to be.’ She gave a brave smile.
Connors had contacted her last Friday to arrange an interview, saying that he’d been impressed by her credentials, but they’d had to wait until the following week to schedule it in. It was now Wednesday, and September had turned into October at the weekend. Brewer was worried about how fast the summit at the end of the month was creeping up.
‘You’ve got the letter from the Senator?’ Brewer asked for the third time that morning. He saw it as an instrumental part of her getting the job.
Ellen patted the handbag over her shoulder. ‘Still in here.’
She was dressed smartly, in a white blouse, grey trousers and long, black coat. She’d put on low heels and picked out her most expensive handbag. She wanted to appear professional and confident. Her hair was tied into a loose bun with a few strands kept free so it didn’t look too harsh against her soft features.
‘You look great.’ Brewer kissed her on the cheek. ‘Good luck in there. Give me a call when you come out as I doubt I’ll see you.’
‘Thank you.’ Ellen took a deep breath. ‘I’ll see you later.’
She took the umbrella from him and watched as he walked along the pavement and was quickly swallowed up by the crowd of people heading to work. He was due at 9am but her interview wasn’t until 9.30am so she had to hang back for a while. Her body was thrumming with nerves and she had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. She hadn’t been able to eat any breakfast and had barely managed to swallow a cup of tea.
She was mentally prepared for the interview itself and meeting Connors – it was Daniel who was causing her fear. Connors had asked her to meet he and Marie together in their flat. It was an important position to fill and they both wanted to be involved in the hiring. Ellen was not looking forward to going to the flat – he was certain to be there.
The small boy with the dark eyes, who she’d studied in countless photos and videos but never seen in person. She would have to look him in the eye and be civil to him, all while carefully guarding her mind. Now she knew how Scott had felt when he’d had to meet Daniel and why he’d been so stressed about it. The whole situation was terrifying.
She couldn’t stop herself from anticipating the worst. Would all of her resolve crumble when she looked into those dark pits of his? Would he be able to slip past her defences and access all of her memories? Would he find Lucy?
The thought of him torturing her with images of her beautiful daughter, as the Master had done, sent her into a cold sweat. She’d vowed to never let any of those murderous monsters get hold of her again. Ellen could only pray that she was strong enough to keep him out… not that she was supposed to be doing that.