by El Edwards
When we eventually pulled up on the side of the road where Ryan had directed me the last time I was here, no-one was speaking. We trudged in silence through the woods, the only sound coming from our breathing as it got more laboured. When we’d walked about a mile I told Rob and Abigail to stop. There was nothing to mark this as the spot, every tree looked just like the one next to it, but somehow I knew in my gut that we were in the right place.
“Now what?” Abigail whispered.
“Now we just wait.” I said.
We stood together facing outwards, our backs touching, the rain dripping down our necks.
“Keep your eyes open. I don’t fancy any nasty surprises.”
Rob’s watch beeped to signal the top of the hour and I felt his body tense up at the sound. The blood thundered through my ears as the minutes passed. None of us spoke. I was about to reach into my pocket to check the time on my phone when I heard a twig snap somewhere off in the distance. All three of us looked up, peering out into the gloomy woods. Thanks to the rain it was impossible to see far. More time passed and I’d just started to relax when I heard the sound of a twig snapping underfoot again, closer this time. I turned and saw Ryan step out from behind a tree.
“Charlie Diamond, what a lovely surprise.” Before I could say anything he’d moved away and was standing in front of Abigail. “And this must be the lovely Mrs Rogers. I’ve heard so much about you.”
“Enough with the theatrics Ryan. Where’s Toby?” I moved in front of Abigail, blocking her from Ryan’s view. Inside I was shaking like a leaf but my voice came out strong.
“Tucked away somewhere nice and safe.” He glanced down at the bag Rob was holding. “This is for me I presume?”
“Not until you show us Toby.”
“Give me my money and I’ll tell you where he is.”
“Bring him out where we can see him or you won’t get your grubby fingers on a single note!” I was in Ryan’s face, challenging him with my eyes. I needed him to know that I meant it.
“You should watch how you speak to me Charlie Diamond. We wouldn’t want precious Toby getting hurt.”
Before I could reply there was a blinding flash and the air filled with putrid smoke. “Police! Freeze!”
Ryan screamed. “What the fuck …” He grabbed the bag and ran into the woods, three policeman in protective clothing and masks hot on his tail.
A pair of hands grabbed me roughly from me behind. “Charlie Diamond, I’m arresting you for obstruction. You do not have to say anything but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned, something you later rely on in court.” A pair of cuffs were banged roughly against my wrists and I shrieked.
“This is absolutely outrageous! What are you arresting me for? He’s the one with the money?” I pointed after Ryan then turned round and found myself face to face with the police officer from my second visit. “You!”
“I warned you. I told you that if you didn’t keep away from Ryan Taylor I’d have you for obstruction.”
“This is ridiculous! I haven’t done anything wrong!”
“That’s what they all say.”
“But …”
“Save it for down the station.”
Rob stepped forward and held up his warrant card. “Officer, I think you’re making a mistake.”
“Do you want to join her in the van?”
Rob shook his head.
“Then I suggest you take yourself and this lady away from here. This is not your jurisdiction officer. Kindly leave the scene.”
Abigail stepped forward. “Officers, how did you find us?”
He lifted his hand and pointed at me. “When you came to see me the other day and alerted me to your professional interest in Mr Taylor, I did a little digging and …”
Abigail turned to me. “You did what?!? Charlie, you promised!”
“Hold on, I can explain …”
“You’ve said enough.” She turned back to the police officer. “Do what you want with her. She deserves everything she gets!”
“It wasn’t like that …”
I couldn’t believe this was happening. I hadn’t said a word about Toby to this man. How he’d tracked us to the woods was a mystery to me but thanks to his blundering efforts, not only had Ryan escaped, but he’d also run off with the cash and taken with it our last shred of hope of seeing Toby alive. And now, to top it all, I was getting the blame? Well if that was the way they wanted to play it, that was fine by me. I was done.
I turned to the officer, who by now couldn’t keep the delight off his face. “Come on then officer, let’s get it over with. Lead me away.”
SIXTY-ONE
Two hours later I was released, without charge and with a full apology. Of course there hadn’t been a shred of evidence to prove that I’d in any way interfered with their investigation. Ryan had got away but it wasn’t my fault. It was all just an exercise in ego massage for a pissed off cop who didn’t like private investigators. I was free to go. Standing outside the police station, I think I was less livid the day I walked in on Jonathan shagging that girl from the office than I was at that moment. My case had completely collapsed, I didn’t have a clue which rock Ryan had crawled back under, and tomorrow was Christmas Eve. I allowed myself a moment of self-pity at the unfairness of the situation then took a deep breath and pulled myself together.
I tried ringing Abigail’s mobile but it went straight to voicemail. I left a message explaining what had really happened but I wasn’t going to hold my breath that she’d believe me. I rang Rob and his phone went to voicemail too but I didn’t bother leaving him a message. All out of options, I decided to walk into town and soon found myself back outside the bank. I went in and showed Ryan’s picture to the woman at the desk. Maybe Ryan had come with Toby the day he used the cash machine. It was a long shot but I had nothing else. True to form though, no-one in the bank had seen him. I was out of luck and out of ideas.
My tummy grumbled. I hadn’t eaten since picking at breakfast hours ago. I couldn’t face going back to the bar we’d been in together the day before. I tried both Abigail and Rob’s mobiles again and still got no answer. I couldn’t believe Rob would just leave me at the police station to rot but with neither of them answering their phones I was stuck.
It was then that I had an idea. There was one place that did know Ryan. They might be shocked to learn what he’d been up to recently but there was no question they’d recognise him. I walked up the street into the main part of town and found a taxi.
“How much to McDonalds please mate?”
“Three quid.”
I looked in my purse and saw I had a fiver and my cards, just enough to get me to the restaurant with change left over for a coffee. “Perfect!”
Ten minutes later we pulled up outside McDonalds. The driver gave me his card with my change. “Give me a ring if you need a lift back. It’s quiet today. I’ll give you the return trip for half price.”
“Thanks!”
I walked into the building with renewed enthusiasm. It might not be much but I felt like finally something was going right. As I made my way through the restaurant I kept my eyes open for Beth, the lady who’d recognised Toby. I couldn’t see her but after ordering a coffee and a Big Mac meal, remembering to pay with my card so I’d have money left for the journey home, I found a seat at a corner table and waited. It didn’t take long before I spotted her cleaning one of the tables near the children’s play area. I watched her while I ate my food, looking for any hint that she might be about to leave for a break, and when I was finished I threw my rubbish in the bin next to where she was working.
“Hi, Beth? Don’t know if you remember me, we met a week or so ago.”
She peered at me then her face brightened. “I remember! You were looking for Jim. Hello!”
I smiled, grateful to be recognised. “That’s right! How are you?”
We exchanged pleasantries for a few minutes before I asked her about Ryan. “I do
n’t suppose he’s working today?”
“That boy, he’s a bloody nuisance!”
I laughed. “What’s he done now?”
“First Jim vanishes and now Ryan. I’ve not seen him for days. I don’t know what’s wrong with the boy.”
“I thought he was duty manager.”
“He was. Fat lot of good that did him!”
“I don’t suppose you know where he might be? I’ve tried his flat but no-one’s home.”
“You’re as bad as the coppers. I’ll tell you what I told them: it doesn’t matter who he is or what he done, I don’t have the first clue where he is.”
“The police have been in looking for him?”
“Yeah, couple of times now. Not that it done them any good. He could be anywhere. Barnstaple’s a huge place when you’re trying to find what’s lost.”
“You think he’s still here? In Barnstaple.”
“Bound to be. Local boy see, he don’t know nowhere else. I blame the school. That old dump, best thing they ever did was abandon that place and start again. They need to be teaching them to explore the world a bit, that’d get the kids out of here.”
“Thanks Beth, you’ve been brilliant!”
She looked surprised. “But I didn’t tell you nothing.”
“Nonsense. I know exactly where to look next.” I got up, gave her a kiss on the cheek and walked out the door, leaving her staring after me with her mouth hanging open.
I dialled the number on the card the driver had given me. “Hi, yes, it’s me again. How much to go from McDonald’s to the woods at the back of the old school?” I looked in my purse. “I’ve got two quid … Perfect, thanks!”
As I stood waiting for the taxi to arrive I tried ringing Rob again but yet again it went to voicemail. Where are you? This time I left a message. “Rob it’s me, Charlie, this is important. I think I know where Ryan is. If you get this message, come to the woods. There’s an abandoned school at the back. Ryan told me about it last time. He’s there.”
The taxi arrived and I got in. All I could do now was hope my hunch was right and that Rob would get my message.
SIXTY-TWO
The taxi dropped me at the exact spot where we’d parked earlier but this time I didn’t waste any time keeping my eyes open for a specific position in the woods. Instead I put my head down and kept walking. The rain had stopped but it was still cold and I was keen to keep moving. From what Ryan had told me about his visits here as a kid, the distance from the woods to the school couldn’t be far but after walking for twenty minutes without stopping, the school was still nowhere in sight. I pulled my phone out of my pocket to try and look on Google maps but the phone signal was too weak. I had no option other than to keep walking and hope that I wasn’t going round in circles.
Another twenty minutes later and I looked up to see a break in the trees. It was starting to get dark but I could see a building in the distance with high fencing and huge warning signs. I kept walking until I reached the fence and saw a series of gaps along the edge. It seemed that I wasn’t the only person wanting to pay the old school a visit. I pulled my coat tightly around me and climbed carefully through the fencing. The main school building was ahead with smaller outbuildings dotted to the side. If Ryan was here I was keen to see him before he saw me so I kept to the edge of the overgrown shrubbery as I made my way towards the main building. All the windows on the ground floor were boarded up but someone had broken the wooden panel blocking the entrance so I moved it to one side and stepped inside.
I walked carefully through the entrance into what I imagined would have been the main corridor. My footsteps echoed along the corridor so I slipped my feet out of my boots and walked silently along the corridor in my socks. On each side of the corridor were classroom doors with little panes of glass in the window. I peered into each one as I went but they were empty. I got to the end of the corridor and was about to check the classrooms upstairs when a light in one of the outbuildings caught my attention.
I slipped my boots back on and edged along the side of the shrubbery until I reached the building. The windows here weren’t boarded up but the glass had long since been stolen or smashed. I stood on tiptoes to try and look inside. I was reaching up as far as I could go when my phone burst into life.
Shit! I fell back against the side of the building and landed with a thump in the grass. I grabbed my phone out of my pocket and flicked the switch to silence it but it was too late. The light inside the building had gone out and I was left sitting in near total darkness. Moving as quickly and as quietly as I could, I felt my way along the side of the building, trying to find somewhere to shelter out of sight of whoever was inside. I looked at the screen and saw two missed calls from Rob. I sent him a text message telling him exactly where I was and waited. Only an idiot would blunder in there on her own and I was no mug.
When I started to lose all feeling in my left buttock I decided to ring him and find out where he was. He picked up right away.
“Charlie? Where the hell are you?”
“Shhh!” I hissed. “I’m outside the building. How long are you gonna be?”
“Charlie?”
“Rob?”
I looked at the screen and cursed the rubbish phone signal. I was about to try again when I heard the sound of footsteps behind me and then everything went black.
When I woke up my head was throbbing. I touched the side where it hurt and felt something sticky. I was lying in total darkness and when I tried to sit up, I found my arms and legs were trussed up like a turkey. I heard a sound coming from somewhere to my left.
“Ryan?” My voice echoed round the room. “I know you’re there you spineless scumbag. Why don’t you show yourself? Wimp!”
“I’ll give you wimp you little whore!” He smacked me on the side of the head and I fell over again with a thump. He seemed to think that was funny. I could hear him laughing somewhere above my head.
There was the sound of a match being struck and then a burst of light. In the glow of the match I could just make out Ryan’s form as he lit a bunsen burner. I tried to look around me and could see we were in one of the old science labs. I shifted my body in the opposite direction, peering into the gloom to try and see Toby.
“He’s over there,” said Ryan. I looked where he pointed and saw a heap curled up in the corner.
“Toby? Are you okay?” I called out to him but he didn’t respond.
“Don’t talk to him, bitch!” Ryan was at my side in two strides. He held out his fist to punch me again but instead stroked the side of my face. “You know, this is all your fault Charlie Diamond. You couldn’t just leave it alone could you. You had to go poking your nose in. If it hadn’t been for you, Toby here would be long gone by now.”
I jerked my head away from his hand. “Bollocks. You’re just a lying, thieving, greedy little worm. Toby didn’t stand a chance.”
Ryan threw his head back and roared with laughter. “You think I’m the one who’s lying? You should ask your precious Abigail what her husband was up to all those nights when he stayed out late.” He looked over to where Toby was lying. “Shall we tell her Toby?”
Toby groaned.
“Don’t worry Toby, she won’t tell anyone. Will you Charlie Diamond? Hard to go telling tales when you’re buried under a pile of rubble in an abandoned building. Or maybe you’d prefer something with a little more flair. They’ll write about you in all the papers. The poor tragic figure dying alone in a freak gas explosion. The gas should have been turned off years ago, they’ll write. Yes, I think that would be much more fitting an end for you. But first, let’s play a little game. It’s called truth or dare. Your choice Charlie, truth or dare? Choose wisely.”
“I’m not playing games Ryan. It’s over. You’ve lost. The police know I’m here. Any second now they’ll come swooping in and that’ll be it for you.”
I prayed to God that that were true but in the meantime, I wasn’t going to just sit here and wait for him to
hurt me.
He seemed to consider this for a moment. “You might be right but it doesn’t matter. Do you want to know why? Because it’ll be too late for you. I can break you like that …” He clicked his fingers. “And there’s not a thing you can do to stop me.”
“You think so do you? Why don’t you come a little closer and I’ll show you exactly what I’m going to do to stop you.”
He leaned in and with one gigantic burst of effort I swung my entire body at him, my fists connecting with the side of his mouth. I watched as he lost his footing and fell backwards against one of the desks, his head connecting with the top of a bunsen burner tap. He crumpled to the floor and for a split second stayed there but before I had time to react he was back up on his feet, his hands round my throat.
I felt myself fighting against him but there was nothing I could do. His hands were fixed too tightly round my throat as he squeezed my wind pipe. Lights danced in front of my eyes and everything went black for a fraction of a second before the room exploded with colour and sound. I felt someone pull Ryan off me and then everything went dark again.
SIXTY-THREE
I became aware of a beeping sound coming from somewhere slightly above me, but when I attempted to lift my head to switch it off or turn it down, a searing pain flooded my senses. I must have cried out because the next thing I became aware of was Rob’s face in mine.
“Some people will do anything to avoid paying their way,” he said with a wink.
I tried to smile but it hurt. Speaking hurt too but I was determined to give it a go. The words came out all croaky and I was reminded of Muriel.
“Come closer.” I said the words in a whisper, hoping that Rob had seen my mouth move.
He leaned in. “Hello Charlie.”