by Robert Innes
“Looks like the fridge of my dreams,” Blake remarked as Kerry removed a bottle and placed it on the counter.
Kerry gave him a small smile as she unscrewed the bottle. “I should be more careful really, with the medication I’m on, but you only live once, right? I would offer you one, but I assume you’re driving.”
Blake nodded as she poured herself a generous helping of the wine into a large glass and took a gulp, staring out towards the balcony, which was situated next to the living room.
“What threats has he been making?” she asked, before taking another sip of wine.
Again, Blake considered his reply, but Kerry seemed to notice his hesitation. “Please don’t try and pander to me, Mr Harte. I know better than anybody what that man is capable of. It wasn’t you who was seconds away from having the life squeezed out of you.” Perhaps instinctively she put her hands to her neck and rubbed it as she continued staring out of the window.
“He cannot touch you, Kerry, I want you to know that,” Blake said, gauging her reaction. He could see no reason in placing unnecessary worry upon her. “But all I’m here to tell you is to just be vigilant. Any suspicious phone calls, mail, or somebody in the street, you report it. I’ll even give you my card if you want to speak to me. But there’s no reason for you to live your life any differently.”
Kerry drained her wine glass and immediately poured another, even larger glass. Without another word, she walked across the kitchen and out onto the balcony. Blake debated for a moment as to whether he should just place his card on the counter and leave her in peace, but he found himself following her out onto the balcony.
Apart from a couple of potted plants, the only furniture was a small table with a few chairs. Kerry stared out over the edge with her back to Blake. The view from the balcony illustrated how high up her apartment was from the ground. The glass barrier and rail was the only block between them and a long drop to the bottom.
“You’re in a very secure apartment,” Blake said gently. “Lock that door at night and nobody can get to you.”
“I’m stepping down from politics,” Kerry replied, without turning round. “Every time I’m in front of a camera, giving an interview, or talking to the local paper, my mind is never on the job. It’s always him. Right in front of me. Watching. I could be cutting a ribbon at a new playschool, all those happy children’s faces all around me, and I’m not registering a single one of them.”
“I promise you, you are not in any danger.”
“Then why did you come here?”
“Because I see him too, Kerry. Not as much as you, I know, but he’s still there. It takes time for evil like that to fade away. But he’s been making threats directly about you.”
Kerry took another large gulp of wine but remained silent.
“I can arrange for you to be protected-“
“‘It’s over now.’”
“Sorry?”
“That’s what you said the last time we met. Just before I moved here.” She turned to him, her eyes fearful. “’It’s over now. He’s locked away, he can’t get to you.’ Now you’re telling me I’m in danger even when he’s in prison?”
“I’m just keeping you up to speed,” Blake replied. “That’s all. But like I said, I can get you protection.”
Kerry nodded before downing the rest of her wine. “Don’t tell me. Numerous police following me around everywhere, and camping outside my door? I don’t think so, Mr Harte. When I’m in Clackton, I hold my head up high. It’s what people expect. I will not be constantly looking over my shoulder. As for when I’m at home, I have a perfectly suitable security team working here. Kerry Nightingale, under police watch? The media would have a field day. And I presume it’s me being in the public eye that has made him aware of me? He knows where I am. He must do, or you wouldn’t be here now, would you?” she cried sharply. Blake paused, and then nodded.
“I have a friend who lives in Spain,” Kerry said, turning back around to stare out over the balcony again. “I’ve done everything I want to do here. Manchester was too much. I was a small fish in a big pond as far as politics were concerned, especially after Brexit. But here, I could make my voice heard.”
“You’re moving to Spain?”
“At the end of the week,” Kerry said, nodding. “I’m nearly fifty, Mr Harte. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life doing this. Especially if Thomas Frost is still –” Her voice faded away, and Blake wondered if she might cry. Her public image was one of steely determination, so much so that the press had recently started calling her ‘Clackton’s Iron Lady,’ even though she represented a completely different party to the original ‘Iron Lady’. She turned to him, a resolute expression on her face. “I’m handing in my notice tomorrow. So, whatever Thomas Frost wants to do to me, he’s not got very much time.”
The position of the security camera gave a clear view to Kerry’s apartment because it had been placed in such a way that allowed it full vision of the corridor, including the door that Jamie had watched Blake and Kerry walk through once they had come out of the lift.
In truth, Jamie cursed himself whenever he found himself in this position; sat at the reception desk, staring idly at the screen, and it was not an unfamiliar feeling for him to be doing this while wondering what was going on behind her apartment door after he had observed her going in there with someone he had never seen before.
He drained the rest of the energy drink can and threw it towards the bin underneath the desk. It bounced off the corner and clattered onto the floor, but Jamie barely noticed. Instead, he continued watching the screen for any sign of movement that would signal that the mysterious meeting between the police officer and Kerry had come to an end.
As he leant back in the chair, never taking his eyes off the screen, he was only too aware of his pride, which still felt like it had taken a bit of a battering from Kerry’s admonishment before she had stormed into the lift before Blake had arrived. His eyes narrowed slightly as her words rang round his ears. ‘Get over yourself Jamie, for God’s sake. You think you’re the first? Grow up.’
It had been two weeks since she had broken up with him, for reasons she clearly felt no need to specify and now all Jamie could do with himself on a day-to-day basis was sit and seethe in resentment.
His thoughts were broken by the sound of the entrance door buzzer as it pushed open and his colleague, Sonia Carmichael, walked in, her huge frame brushing the threshold of the door. Jamie glanced up at her as she punched the sequence into the keypad on the reception office door.
“Evening,” Sonia said, dumping her rucksack in the corner of the office and throwing herself down on a chair. It creaked underneath her large backside. “You alright?”
Jamie grunted in reply, his eyes returning to the screen and Kerry’s apartment door at the end of the top floor corridor.
Sonia tutted loudly and bent down to pick up the empty energy drink can, throwing it into the bin pointedly. “Three inches away from the bin, Jamie, for God’s sake. It’s not like you’ve had anything better to do.” She glanced up at the screen and rolled her eyes. “There’s a point where that goes from puppy dog to just creepy, you know.”
“So she tells me,” Jamie muttered, turning to face Sonia for the first time. Her brown matted hair was plastered across her forehead, the energy required from her short walk to work from her student flat a few streets away evident from the beads of sweat visible on her forehead. She rolled her eyes.
“You do realise there are plenty of women out there who would kill to get with someone like you?” She looked at him with that same simpering expression she always did.
Jamie was in no mood for her fawning over him. “Yeah, well maybe I don’t want them.”
“And she doesn’t want you,” Sonia snapped, opening her rucksack and pulling out one of her crime novels that she always read when she was meant to be working. “Maybe try getting that into your head.” She threw herself back onto the swivel chair again, and
buried her nose in the book.
When Jamie had started working at the apartment blocks, it had not taken long for him to become aware of how much Sonia fancied him. Subtlety was in no way her strong point. She had frequently arranged for her shifts to cross over with his so she could spend a bit of extra time telling him how nice he looked or gather as much information as Jamie chose to give her about his personal life. Jamie did not like to think of himself as a shallow sort of person, but he could not help but feel a slight sense of condescension towards her for thinking he was anywhere close to in her league. Whilst Jamie was athletic, toned, and attractive, Sonia was short, very overweight and always seemed to smell of slightly stale sweat. Jamie could sympathise as there had been a time in his life when he had been the Sonia of his friendship groups; constantly grasping onto anything that resembled attraction from any girl – whether the feeling was mutual or not – until the day had come when he had decided to do something about it. Two years of gyms and a complete change of diet later, and he was the one who was now able to secretly smirk at the less fortunate in love.
His eyes darted back to the screen as the door of Kerry’s apartment finally opened and she and Blake stepped out and began walking back to the lift.
“I take it she’s had a man up there?” Sonia asked flatly, not looking up from her book.
“Yeah. They’re coming down now,” Jamie said, quickly pushing his chair away from the screen. “And don’t start throwing in all your funny comments when she’s down here, alright?”
“Don’t know what you mean, Jamie,” Sonia replied. “I just think it’s pretty sad to watch you clinging onto something that’s never going to happen.”
“You’d know all about that, wouldn’t you?” he spat back at her.
Before Sonia could reply, the lift doors opened, and Blake and Kerry stepped out. As they walked towards the desk, Jamie watched the expression on Kerry’s face. She looked serious, remaining silent as Blake arrived at the desk.
“Is it just you two here from security at the moment?” he asked.
Jamie nodded, still unsure as to whether Blake was somebody he ought to feel threatened by or not. Judging by how distant Kerry looked, he did not think that Blake was like any of the other men that Kerry had had up in her room the past few weeks.
“Hello there,” Blake said to Sonia who was looking up at him, clueless. “I’m DS Blake Harte.” He produced his ID and Sonia’s eyes widened. Blake did not seem to notice and as he put his ID back in his pocket, he glanced at Kerry. “We – well, I – have become aware of some threats being made against Miss Nightingale. Now, I have offered some police protection, but Kerry feels that security here is sufficient enough. So, can I ask, and I’ll pop in again to talk to your security manager, that extra vigilance is taken by you guys in regards to Kerry’s safety?”
Sonia put her book down and stared at Blake bewildered. “How are we supposed to protect her from any threats when she isn’t here? We’re security, not body guards.”
“Honestly, Sonia, there’s really no need to worry about me,” Kerry murmured. “Mr Harte is just doing his job.”
“All the same,” Blake replied. “I would ask that you and anybody else on security really keep an eye on Kerry until she leaves next week.”
Jamie’s head turned quickly to Kerry. “Leaving? What do you mean you’re leaving? Where are you going?”
Kerry closed her eyes and sighed heavily. “Jamie, please.”
“Where are you going though?” Jamie pressed.
“Spain,” Kerry said to him sharply. “Not that it’s anything to do with you.” She turned to Blake and gestured towards the door. “Thanks for dropping by, Mr Harte. I’ll be sure to call you if I have any problems.”
Blake glanced between Kerry and Jamie for a moment then nodded. “You’ve got my card upstairs. Take care.” He nodded towards Jamie and then Sonia, who was looking at Blake with the same simpering expression she usually reserved for Jamie, and walked out of the door.
Jamie barely noticed him leave. He was now standing and glaring at Kerry. “You were just going to leave without telling me?”
Kerry let out an exasperated moan. “Why would I tell you anything Jamie? Why? Let me spell it out for you – you are the last thing on my mind at the moment. Just grow up, for God’s sake!”
And with that, she stormed back towards the lift. Jamie shook his head in disbelief. How could she be so callous towards him?
Sonia chuckled to herself as she picked up her book again. “I stand corrected. Carry on pursuing her. I think you’re really in with a chance there.”
Jamie wasn’t listening. As he turned back to the security screens, his eyes narrowed as Kerry appeared on the top floor corridor. An array of images of her sunning herself with numerous men flashed through Jamie’s brain. He had decided when he had first joined a gym that the days of people treating him badly were long behind him. Kerry Nightingale was no exception. She was not going to get away with how she had spoken to him, he decided. If he could not have Kerry, he was going to make sure that nobody else could either.
As Blake had expected, by the time he arrived home to Juniper Cottage, his boyfriend, Harrison was already waiting for him.
The evening was drawing in, and as Blake pulled up beside his cottage, the beam from his headlights illuminated Harrison’s blonde hair and smiling face. The sight of him instantly made Blake feel more relaxed, and as he pulled the keys out of the ignition, he returned the smile and climbed out of the car.
“Evening,” Harrison said, walking towards him and kissing him. “Are you alright?”
“It’s been a hell of day,” Blake replied, as he unlocked the door to his cottage.
They walked inside and Harrison closed the door behind him. “Where have you been? I went to the station but they said you’d left early to go and see someone?”
Blake nodded as he walked through to the kitchen to flick on the kettle. “Actually,” he said, changing his mind. “I need something stronger. Do you fancy a beer?”
“Yeah, why not?” Harrison looked at him with a concerned look as he took the beer that Blake offered him out the fridge. He pulled it open and said, “What’s happened? Who did you go to see?”
Blake sighed and nodded towards the living room, indicating that Harrison should follow him. They sat down on the sofa and Blake took his ecig out of his pocket, inhaling deeply on it before continuing.
“I don’t know if you’d have seen it on the news, but seven years ago, do you remember there being a massive story about a serial killer in the Manchester area? Jack Frost?”
Harrison frowned. “No?”
“His name is actually Thomas Frost, but far be it from the media to miss the opportunity of a pun to splash across their front pages in place of any facts.” Blake took a swig from his beer can. “Thomas Frost was the biggest case I have ever worked on. From 2009 to 2010, he killed five women, all of them strangled. He led us on a wild goose chase all ‘round the city, just picking off his victims, apparently at random. He was clever – always cleaned up the crime scenes, any clues we found as to who he might be were because he wanted us to find them. Finally, we caught him. We got a call from a concerned neighbour of his next to be victim about a suspicious man lurking around the property. Turned out he didn’t like successful women. According to Frost, there wasn’t a woman alive that shouldn’t be living in his shadow. So, any woman in the city that he saw as above herself, he targeted.” He took another long sip of beer, hoping that some of the anxiety from his day would diminish. “I’ve seen some crazy things in this job. Things you have to learn to just live with. Some people are just messed up in the head, and the results can be brutal. But I’ve never met anyone quite as cold and callous as Frost. He just didn’t care. He liked his victims scared.”
Harrison leant forward, cradling his beer can. “Okay. So, why are you telling me this?”
“I went to see him.” Blake murmured.
“Who? Th
omas Frost?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?” Harrison exclaimed, staring at Blake, eyes wide.
“He’s been asking to see me for ages,” Blake replied. “And I’ve always ignored him. A few months before I left Manchester, he was sending me letters, constantly requesting that I give him ten minutes of my time. The other day, another letter arrived here.”
Harrison’s eyes widened. “What? He knows where you live?”
“No, I don’t think so.” Blake shook his head. “They’d have just sent any mail on to me from my old post, they wouldn’t have known what it was. But Frost is a clever man. He’s persistent. And he knew that I wouldn’t be able to resist.”
He walked across to a chest of drawers in the corner of the living room and pulled open the top one, producing a letter and holding it in the air. “According to him, we have ‘unfinished business.’
“You and him?”
Blake explained what had happened that day, how Frost had made a promise that Kerry Nightingale would be dead by the end of the week, that he, Blake, had gone to see Kerry and tried to tell her what was going on and how she had reacted. When he was finished, he sat back down next to Harrison and put his head in his hands. “She said she’s moving to Spain at the end of the week anyway, and that she doesn’t believe she’s in any danger. But I’m not convinced she’s not.”
Harrison put his hand on Blake’s arm. “If this guy is in prison, how is he supposed to get to her? He’s under lock and key.”
Blake shook his head again. Try as he might, he could not shake the feeling that something awful was going to happen. “I saved Kerry Nightingale’s life seven years ago. We forced our way into her house just as Frost was throttling the life out of her. I dragged him off, and arrested him there and then for the murders of all the other women. Even then, when it was all over, we knew we had our man and he knew we’d got him. He looked me straight in the eye that night and said ‘I’ll get her one day.’ Now, seven years later, and he’s saying exactly the same thing.”