Raven

by Heather Atkinson

  “There we go, that wasn’t so hard.”

  “It wasn’t exciting either.”

  “But it was sweet.”

  When he smiled, she smiled back at him. “Argh,” he said when something cold and wet dripped down his back.

  “Oh, sorry mate,” said Aidan, standing over him with a half empty glass of water. “I tripped over the chair leg.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” said Tom, although he did look annoyed. “I’m bloody soaking.”

  “I’m really sorry. Can I get you a drink to apologise?”

  “No thanks, I don’t want to end up wearing it.” He regarded Raven with an apologetic look. “Sorry, I have to…”

  “I know, it’s okay. Go dry yourself off.”

  He got up and headed back to the toilets, leaving her to frown up at Aidan. “What did you do that for?”

  He threw himself into the seat Tom had vacated. “He’s an arsehole.”

  “No he’s not, he’s nice.”

  His eyes flashed. “What?”

  “He’s being a gentleman, so there’s no need for you to get all uptight.”

  “A man is only a gentleman when he’s after a certain thing.”

  “Maybe by your standards.”

  “He wants to get in your knickers.”

  “Maybe but he’s not going to. I’m not going to fall at another man’s feet just because he buys me a glass of wine. Anyway, you promised me we’d do this my way, so why are you interfering? How can you not trust your own wife?”

  “I do trust you.”

  “It doesn’t look like it.”

  “If you’d let me finish. I wasn’t even going to come in here, until I saw Patrick Bryce stroll in.”

  “Patrick’s here?” she frowned, looking around but unable to spot him in the crowd. “So what if he is? He’s a big hitter in the city, he comes to a lot of these do’s.”

  “Even after he’s been interviewed as a possible suspect in two murders?”

  “Maybe he wants to prove his innocence?”

  “I thought it best to give you a heads up. He’s possibly helping your rival and I didn’t want to leave you alone in here with them both.”

  “I’m not alone. If you hadn’t noticed, I’m surrounded by over two hundred police officers.”

  “So that’s what the smell is.”

  “Be nice. Best behaviour, remember?”

  “We need to get out of here and no, not just because I’m jealous but because my shit detector’s going wild. Something’s not right.”

  She could see the seriousness in his eyes and nodded. “Alright, fair enough. I’ll make my excuses and leave but I’ll meet you back at the car.”

  Aidan nodded, eyes flicking to something behind her. “That wanker’s coming back. I’ll see you soon.”

  With that he was gone and Tom retook his seat a minute later.

  “Sorted?” she said.

  He nodded. “I’m just waiting for it to happen again. They say these things happen in threes.”

  “Want me to throw my wine over you to get it over with?”

  “No thanks. Everyone will think I’ve got a bladder problem if I disappear into the bathroom again.” He leaned towards her. “So, where were we?”

  “I’m really sorry about this.”

  His smile dropped. “Don’t tell me you’re running out on me?”

  She couldn’t bring herself to lie to this lovely man. She couldn’t tell him the whole truth but she could treat him with some dignity. “I should have told you when you asked me out.”

  “Told me what?”

  “I’m married.”

  “What?” he frowned. “I don’t date married women.”

  “I’ve not seen my husband for almost a year.” Alright, still not true but it was the best she could do. “I don’t even know where he is,” she continued, trying not to look at Aidan heading towards the main doors. “I thought I was ready to move on but…”

  “He’s still in here, isn’t he?” he said, touching the side of her head.

  “Yeah. I wish I could get him out, I want to move on but he’s a stubborn man.”

  He sighed and nodded. “It’s alright, I understand.”

  She gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “If I was free of him I wouldn’t be leaving. I like you Tom.”

  “I like you too Raven, very much. You’ve still got my card?”

  She nodded.

  “Give me a call when you’re free of him.”

  “I certainly will.” She kissed his cheek. “You’re a lovely man.”

  “Not lovely enough it seems,” he said with a self-deprecating smile.

  “Too good for me,” she said with a sad smile. “You deserve better.”

  With that she got to her feet and made her way to the door, both relieved and a little sad. She didn’t enjoy hurting decent men. She should never have come, it hadn’t been worth hurting Tom for the tiny titbit of information she’d gleaned about Jeremy. Glancing to her right, she saw Patrick talking with a woman she recognised as the deputy chief constable, putting on his most charming smile. He didn’t glance her way, he probably hadn’t even realised she was there.

  It was a relief to see Aidan already outside the building, walking past the window.

  Just as she reached the main doors, all the lights went out.

  CHAPTER 26

  Raven came to a halt as the room was plunged into darkness.

  “Not again,” she sighed. It could just be a power cut. However it was too much of a coincidence.

  “Everyone, please remain calm,” called a cool, deep voice. By the light cast through the windows from the streetlights, she saw the outline of a tall, slender man getting to his feet to address the room. She guessed it was the Chief Constable taking control.

  “Oh my God, it’s the Needle Killer,” cried an hysterical female voice.

  “Now we don’t know that,” came back the Chief Constable. “It’s probably just a power cut.”

  “But the lights are on outside,” she shrieked. “One of us is going to die.”

  This caused murmurs to ripple around the room.

  “Everyone please calm down,” came the Chief Constable’s firm voice. “Remember you’re police officers.”

  “Not all of us are mate,” replied a male voice.

  Raven pressed herself back against the wall when there was a stampede for the exit, narrowly avoiding being knocked down in the rush.

  “The doors are locked,” shrieked a female voice.

  Raven could make out someone yanking at the main doors, which refused to budge. To add to the chaos, the sound of the fire alarm filled the room, followed by the acrid stench of smoke.

  “It’s coming from the kitchens,” cried someone else.

  Screams filled the air, drowning out the Chief Constable’s call for calm.

  “Raven,” she heard Tom calling.

  “Tom,” she called back. Jeremy had to be behind this and she had no idea whether his goal was to kill her or someone else. She feared Tom was a possible victim simply because he liked her. However it was impossible to locate him in the confusion.

  Once again she hadn’t brought a weapon and she cursed herself for it, but she hadn’t thought it smart to bring a knife or a gun into a room full of police officers.

  She crouched down low. If Jeremy was going to come at her she was going to give him as small a target as possible.

  When her phone began ringing in her clutch bag she scrambled for it. “Aidan?”

  “What’s going on in there?”

  “The lights have gone out, there’s a fire in the kitchen and everyone’s stampeding for the doors in a panic but they won’t open.”

  Now her eyes had adjusted to the gloom, she saw the Chief Constable had managed to organise some of his officers, who were attempting to pacify the crowd. It might have been a policeman’s ball but not everyone here was on the force. As well as partners, many local dignitaries were in attendance.

&nbs
p; “It’s Jeremy. Get the hell out of there.”

  “The doors won’t open.”

  “Since when has that stopped you?”

  “Shit,” she gasped when a figure lunged at her out of the darkness.

  “Raven,” yelled Aidan’s tinny voice from the handset.

  She couldn’t quite believe Jeremy was attacking her here, of all places. He must be completely insane, like his father. She lashed out with her fist, forcing her attacker to leap backwards before she turned and ran, sliding beneath one of the tables for shelter. The stench of smoke was getting stronger, a pall hanging over the room, the noise increasing to a crescendo as everyone yelled for the doors to be opened. A pounding started up as an attempt was made to break them down.

  She put the phone back to her ear. “Someone just tried to attack me.”

  “That’s it,” said Aidan. “I’m coming back in there.”

  “Don’t. Just stay outside. I’m on my way.”

  With that she hung up and stuffed the phone into her clutch bag. Taking out the strap, she hastily attached it to the handles and flung it across her shoulders.

  While everyone else in the room was gathered around the doors, she headed the opposite way, aiming for the toilets, passing the kitchen. The flames were licking against the glass in the doors, smoke drifting out from beneath them.

  She turned away from those doors, heading in the opposite direction, wishing she’d come down here earlier to scope it out. However, with two exit points she hadn’t thought it necessary to seek a third. One Eye would be disappointed in her, he’d always schooled her to find every possible exit. She’d allowed the fact that she was surrounded by police to sway her from her usual habits. It was a sobering lesson.

  She reached the end of the corridor and sighed. There was no fire exit and no back way out. Just two doors - gents and ladies.

  She rushed into the ladies, however there were no windows.

  “Raven,” she heard a voice calling from outside the toilets.

  “Tom?” she said, opening the door and peeking out.

  “There you are, thank God. Are you okay?”

  “Fine. You?”

  “I’ve hurt my foot. Someone stood on it in a panic.”

  “Are you okay to walk?”

  “I’ll manage, I’ve had worse.”

  “Is there a way out in the gents?”

  He shook his head. “There’s a window but it’s too small to fit through. We’ve already checked that way.”

  “Dammit,” she said.

  “Come back to the main room. We’ll soon have the doors open.”

  “Okay,” she said.

  Sticking by his side would probably be the best idea, Jeremy wouldn’t dare attack her with his sergeant around.

  She accepted the hand he held out to her, his skin soft and warm and followed him back towards the main room.

  “What is it?” he said when she hesitated.

  Raven recalled how Tom had conveniently disappeared twice. Fair enough, the second time had been because of Aidan but she hadn’t seen what direction he’d gone in. Had he been prepping for the lights to go out, or a fire? He’d also invited her here tonight. If it hadn’t been for him, she would have been nowhere near.

  Keeping her head, she calmly walked alongside him. If he was in on this with Jeremy then he could do nothing to her in the main room. Besides, she was pretty confident she could take him.

  The smoke was increasing, drifting down this corridor, the shouts from the main room getting louder and more alarmed.

  “Why can’t they open the main doors?” she said.

  “They’re locked and the key’s vanished.”

  “You mean someone stole it.”

  “Probably. Who would do this?”

  She saw he was genuinely stricken and she wondered if her suspicions about him could be wrong. “I really don’t know.”

  The main room was so smoked-filled everyone was crouched on the floor, fighting for precious oxygen and the doors still weren’t open. Both Raven and Tom started coughing. She looked to the kitchen doors, confused to see the flames appeared to be dying down, although the smoke was still thick and acrid. “Something’s not right,” she said.

  “Raven, wait,” said Tom, hurrying to catch up when she dashed off towards the kitchen. He grabbed her arm and pulled her back. “You can’t go in there.”

  “Trust me, I’ll be fine,” she said, yanking her arm free and pressing her hands to the door, which felt cool. “Thought so,” she said before pushing it open.

  “Where’s the fire?” said Tom, following her in.

  “There never was one. Just lights and smoke canisters,” she said, gesturing to the items in the middle of the floor.

  “Where are the kitchen staff?” he said, opening the back door to let out the smoke while Raven switched on the extractors.

  “All the food has been served. They probably went home before these were set off.”

  “I’d better let everyone know before they stampede each other,” said Tom.

  Raven stuck close to him as he headed back into the main room.

  “There’s no fire,” he called out.

  No one could hear him over the noise. When he repeated his statement and still no one heard, he sighed with frustration.

  Raven snatched up a champagne bottle off a table and smashed it against the wall. “Shut it the lot of you.”

  Instantly the room went quiet.

  Tom gave her a sideways smile. “Thank you Raven,” he said before turning to address the room. “Stop panicking everyone, there is no fire. We’ve just been into the kitchen and it’s only smoke canisters.”

  “Bollocks,” said a voice.

  “See for yourself,” he retorted, pulling open the door to the kitchen. As the extractors were clearing out the smoke, nothing billowed out. “Pretty soon the air conditioning will clear this room out too. Now, you can all exit through the kitchen, calmly and sensibly. There’s nothing to fear.”

  At that moment the lights came back on and everyone cheered with relief.

  As a very weary and subdued crowd began filing towards the kitchen, Raven scanned the room for Jeremy. What had been the point in this palaver? Had he wanted her to be trampled to death? Or had he planned on eliminating her in the dark and chaos, only Tom’s presence had scuppered his plans? She couldn’t fathom his reasoning.

  When a scream went up, everyone turned to look in the direction of the DJ stand.

  “He’s dead,” cried a woman in a tight black dress, pointing at something crumpled on the floor.

  “Oh no,” said Tom, paling. “That’s Alistair, one of my team.”

  Raven looked on while Tom ran to his friend’s side.

  Stuart took one look at the body and threw up - all down the front of the Chief Constable.

  “Sorry,” he said, making a vain attempt to wipe it off with a napkin while the Chief Constable glared at him.

  Finally Patrick spotted Raven and sidled up to her. “It seems your rival has struck again.”

  “Looks like it.”

  “And I’m here, in the same room. Jesus Christ Raven, do you want me to go to prison?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Why does everything have to be about you?”

  “Because, my dear, it usually is. Do something.”

  “Like what?”

  “You owe me a suspect.”

  “I’m working on it.”

  “Not soon enough. If this blow backs on me I’ll drag you down with me.”

  She rounded on him, Patrick recoiling from the coldness in her eyes. “Do you know what happens to people who threaten me?”

  “Do enlighten me.”

  “They end up in bits,” she hissed.

  Patrick swallowed hard as he recalled what his friends on the force had told him about the gruesome packages that had been found all over the city.

  With one last glare, Raven stalked away from him, unaware that Tom had witnessed her heated exchan
ge with the richest man in the city. Fortunately for them he hadn’t overheard what had been said.

  CHAPTER 27

  It was two o’clock in the morning by the time an exhausted Raven was finally allowed to leave the hotel. Everyone had been detained and questioned by the police, the Chief Constable taking control of the situation, after cleaning up the sick. She’d had to wait to be interviewed but was quickly dismissed thanks to Tom telling the detective interviewing her that she was his guest.

  Once she was free to go, he walked her to the main doors and they faced each other awkwardly.

  “Well, I’d say thanks for a great night but…,” she began with a wry smile.

  “At least it’s a date you’ll never forget,” he replied with an awkward grin, running a hand through his hair. “Don’t forget, if you ever change your mind, give me a call.”

  “I will.”

  “Right, well,” he said. “I’ll see you around.”

  “You will,” she said with a smile.

  “Raven,” he added before she could walk away.

  She turned back to him. “Yes?”

  “I didn’t know you knew Patrick Bryce.”

  “Who doesn’t?”

  “I saw the two of you talking. It looked pretty intense.”

  “It’s been an intense night.”

  “I was right about you having secrets.”

  “It was nothing. He was just scared, like everyone in there and I was the nearest person for him to offload onto.”

  “I don’t think you were scared, not for one moment.”

  “I just hide it well.”

  “You’re made of tougher stuff than that.”

  “You’re not wrong there. Good luck with the investigation,” she said before finally exiting the hotel, aware of his eyes on her back.

  Raven breathed in the cool night air. Aidan was standing towards the back of the crowd that had gathered to watch the spectacle of police cars, ambulances, fire engines and TV cameras. When he saw her emerge he gave her a nod before casually meandering his way back to the car, which was still parked at the far end of the street. Raven made no effort to catch him up, not wanting anyone to realise they were together. When a reporter shoved a microphone in her face and garbled questions at her, she lowered her head to avoid the camera and carried on her way, not replying.