Murderous Betrayal
Page 1
MURDEROUS
BETRAYAL
M A COMLEY
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author M A Comley
Published by Jeamel Publishing limited
Copyright © 2018 M A Comley
Digital Edition, License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to the site and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
OTHER BOOKS BY M A COMLEY
Blind Justice (Novella)
Cruel Justice (Book #1)
Mortal Justice (Novella)
Impeding Justice (Book #2)
Final Justice (Book #3)
Foul Justice (Book #4)
Guaranteed Justice (Book #5)
Ultimate Justice (Book #6)
Virtual Justice (Book #7)
Hostile Justice (Book #8)
Tortured Justice (Book #9)
Rough Justice (Book #10)
Dubious Justice (Book #11)
Calculated Justice (Book #12)
Twisted Justice (Book #13)
Justice at Christmas (Short Story)
Prime Justice (Book #14)
Heroic Justice (Book #15)
Shameful Justice (Book #16)
Unfair Justice (a 10,000 word short story)
Irrational Justice (a 10,000 word short story)
Seeking Justice (a 15,000 word novella)
Clever Deception (co-written by Linda S Prather)
Tragic Deception (co-written by Linda S Prather)
Sinful Deception (co-written by Linda S Prather)
Forever Watching You (DI Miranda Carr thriller)
Wrong Place (DI Sally Parker thriller #1)
No Hiding Place (DI Sally Parker thriller #2)
Cold Case (DI Sally Parker thriller #3)
Deadly Encounter (DI Sally Parker thriller #4)
Web of Deceit (DI Sally Parker Novella with Tara Lyons)
The Missing Children (DI Kayli Bright #1)
Killer On The Run (DI Kayli Bright #2)
Hidden Agenda (DI Kayli Bright #3)
Murderous Betrayal (Kayli Bright #4)
The Caller (co-written with Tara Lyons)
Evil In Disguise – a novel based on True events
Deadly Act (Hero series novella)
Torn Apart (Hero series #1)
End Result (Hero series #2)
In Plain Sight (Hero Series #3)
Double Jeopardy (Hero Series #4)
Sole Intention (Intention series #1)
Grave Intention (Intention series #2)
Devious Intention (Intention #3)
Merry Widow (A Lorne Simpkins short story)
It’s A Dog’s Life (A Lorne Simpkins short story)
A Time To Heal (A Sweet Romance)
A Time For Change (A Sweet Romance)
High Spirits
The Temptation series (Romantic Suspense/New Adult Novellas)
Past Temptation
Lost Temptation
Keep in touch with the author at
http://melcomley.blogspot.com
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On Twitter @melcom1
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thank you as always to my rock, Jean, who keeps me supplied with endless cups of coffee while I punish my keyboard. I’d be lost without you in my life.
Special thanks as always go to my talented editor, Stefanie Spangler Buswell and to Karri Klawiter for her superb cover design expertise.
My heartfelt thanks go to my wonderful proofreader Joseph for spotting all the lingering nits.
And finally, to all the wonderful Bloggers and Facebook groups for their never-ending support of my work.
You’re always in my thoughts Mary.
TABLE OF CONTENT
Cover
Titles Page
Copyright
Other Books by the Author
Acknowledgements
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Epilogue
Note To the Reader
PROLOGUE
“I’m just going in now. I’ll see you at the pub later, buy you a beer to help celebrate your good news. A grandfather again—you’ll have quite a tribe to babysit for soon, old man.”
“Funny. I bloody well hope not. Six grandkids are more than enough for a man of my age to keep up with. I just wish I was ten years younger.”
“Gotta fly. It’s raining, and I’m getting wet. See you soon.” Paul Potts ended the call to his brother and entered the communal area of the flats he owned in a district of Bristol. He inhaled a large breath. He was there to collect a couple of rents that were overdue. He’d given the three tenants enough time to get the funds together, and he was about to get tough. He hated being crappy with his tenants, but he was running a business, not a charity. He had his own bills to pay, just like everyone else.
Unfortunately, some of his tenants had recently lost their jobs and hadn’t received their payments from the Social yet. He knew that took a few weeks to sort out, so he’d given them three weeks’ grace already. Now he wanted his money. With his heart pounding, he approached the first door and knocked on it three times.
“Yeah, who is it?” a stern voice asked from behind the closed door.
“Mr. Hawkins, it’s Paul Potts. I’ve come to collect the rent you owe me.”
“Hey, man. When the Social pay me, then I’ll pay you. You have my assurance about that.”
“Open the door, Mr. Hawkins.”
He heard the chain being removed, and the door eased open. “What more can I say? You’ll get your money as soon as I can physically put it in your hand.”
“Have you been down the Social to chase them?”
“Yeah, man, like every bloody day. You know what a bunch of tossers they are. Jesus, what more can I do? If I was a lass, I could go out there and spread my legs for a few quid, but I’m not.”
“There’s no need for you to speak to me like that. I’ll give you until the end of the week.”
Hawkins glared at him through narrowed eyes. “Threats ain’t going to help the situation, either. I’m doing my best. You’ve just got to be more patient.”
“For your information, I’m a very patient man, but you’ve got to get off your arse and get down there. Make a nuisance of yourself. I have a list of people needing a room. It’s not fair to keep them on the waiting list.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t think it would be very fair of you to kick me out, either. The fault lies with the Soc, not me. Give me a break, man.”
“I am. You’ve got until the end of the week.”
Hawkins’s lip turned up at the side, and he slammed the door in Paul’s face.
Crap! One down, only two more to go! I hate this side of things. The money just ain’t wo
rth the bloody hassle.
He trudged up the stairs to the next floor and knocked on the second door in the tiny dark hallway. He looked up at the light overhead and made a mental note to replace the bulb from the box he carried in his car before he left for the evening. The door remained unanswered, so he thumped his fist on it again.
After a few seconds, the door opened. Stuart Rawlinson had obviously just woken up. His ginger hair was a mess, and his eyes seemed to be unfocused as he struggled to see who was standing before him. Paul recognised the strange smell coming from inside the flat as cannabis.
“Hey, how’s it diddling, Paul?”
“Not so good, Stuart. You’re gonna hate me, but I’ve come for the rent you owe me.”
Rawlinson held his arms out to the side and shrugged. “The truth is, I ain’t got two ha’pennies to rub together.”
Paul sighed. That was clearly a lie as the man had recently taken drugs. The evidence was clear. “That’s a shame, Stuart. Then I’m going to have to ask you to vacate the flat immediately.”
Rawlinson shook his head and stuck it forward as if to focus more on Paul. “What? You can’t do that.”
“I’m afraid I can. It’s in your rental agreement, the one you signed the day you moved in. Look, as much as I like to help you guys out, I’m not running a damn charity here. Three of you owe me rent this month. This can’t go on. If you’ve got money for drugs, then you’ve damn well got enough to pay the rent.”
“The drugs were a gift from a mate, man. I swear they were. I’ll get you your money by the end of the week. I promise.”
“You better, or you’ll be on the streets. That’s my promise to you.” Paul turned away before Stuart could say another word. He flinched when the door slammed shut behind him. He carried on up the next flight of stairs to the top floor of the house and banged on the final door.
Bob Nuttall opened it instantly. “Hi, Paul. Before you start, I should have your money in a few days. You know how it is. I’ve got a cash-flow problem, mate.”
Paul shook his head. His blood was boiling as the anger flooded through him. “Yeah, haven’t we all? Look, you’re the third one in this block to let me down. That in itself gives me a cash-flow problem. I’ll tell you what I’ve just told the bloody others. I’m not running a damn charity here. Either you pay up, or you ship out. I’ve got a long waiting list of people who want to pay for these flats. Get your bloody act together and get the money to me within the next few days, or you’ll be out on the street. Is that clear enough for you, mate?”
“Yep, loud and clear. I’m gonna bust a gut to get your money to you within a few days. Thanks for being so understanding.”
Paul snorted. “Understanding? Seriously, you guys are going to cause me to have a heart attack, the amount of stress you put me under. You do realise that next month’s rent will be due in a few weeks, right? How the hell are you going to pay that on time?”
“I will. I promise you, I will.”
“You better. I’m not going to have this every damn month. Bloody hell, I took you guys in when other landlords refused to open their doors to you—big mistake on my part. Lesson learnt. I won’t put myself in this situation again. I can assure you. I’ll open my doors to female tenants next time. You men just aren’t worth trying to help because you insist on taking the piss.”
Bob shrugged. “What do you expect me to say to that? You’ll have your money in a few days as promised.” He slammed the door in Paul’s face.
Paul retraced his steps down the two flights of stairs and pulled up the collar on his jacket before he stepped out the front door. His car was about fifty feet up the road. Before braving the weather, he paused and waited to see if the rain eased a little. When it didn’t look like it had intention of relenting, he hunkered down into his collar and ran towards the car. No sooner had he left the steps to the building than something heavy struck his neck. He instantly lost his balance and tumbled to the ground. Another blow to his head knocked him out.
~ ~ ~
When Paul woke up, he didn’t have a clue where he was or how long he’d been unconscious. He tried to sit up in the darkness and banged his head. He was in a confined space, and there was the smell of petrol close by. His head was woozy, making it difficult for him to think straight. He was moving. He felt a little motion sickness… or was that because of the bang he’d received to his head? It was a few minutes before his situation became clearer. He felt around himself and found a tow rope and a petrol canister. He was sure he was in the boot of a car—his own car.
What the hell is going on? He was unsure whether to bang on the boot or not, afraid that might anger the person who had intentionally knocked him out and abducted him. Damn, what am I supposed to do now?
The car’s speed increased. Does that mean we’re on an open road? A motorway, perhaps? He tried to think if he had anything useful around him that he could use to try to jemmy the boot open, but nothing came to mind. All he could do was lie there and wait for the car to stop. Still, he wasn’t sure how he would proceed even when that happened. Who would do this to me? Why would they do this to me?
Time marched on until the car’s speed finally decreased. He banged his head on the boot as the terrain became bumpy. What the fuck? What the hell is going on?
The car stopped. He heard a door open and slam shut and braced himself to meet his abductor. Then he thought he heard another car arrive and a second door bang. Are there two of them? He wasn’t sure as his head was still too muzzy.
Still no one came to see how he was. Suddenly, the car began to move. He heard laughter in the distance. The ground was bumpier than before, and his head continuously hit the sides and the top of the boot. Jesus, what the hell is happening? He was disorientated, and the only thing he was certain of was that the car had changed angles as if it were going downhill. The speed increased. With nothing to steady him, the force of the car’s momentum turned him around until he was wedged up against the back seats. He tried to push at them, but they refused to budge. As the car’s speed appeared to double, he quickly realised that he was plunging to his death.
“Please… please help me! I don’t want to die like this. Help me!”
A large thud ended his cries for help. He slipped into unconsciousness as water flooded into the boot of the car.
CHAPTER ONE
Kayli woke up and stretched out a hand. Panic gripped her when she found the other side of the bed was empty. She sat upright and pulled the quilt up to her chin as she ran through the events of the previous night. She let out a relieved sigh when thoughts of her and Mark making love filled her mind. Hearing a noise from downstairs, she realised he was in the kitchen, hopefully throwing some breakfast together.
For a moment, Kayli thought she’d woken up in a parallel universe where Mark was missing again. She never ever wanted to be in that situation again. She’d very nearly lost the man she loved once, and she wasn’t about to let it happen a second time.
Mark entered the room. His handsome features stretched into the warmest of smiles. “Good morning, precious. How are you on this bright, crisp November morning?”
“Wow, this is a surprise. Breakfast in bed. What have I done to deserve this?”
He placed the tray next to her on the bed and leaned in for a lingering kiss. “I thought I’d make the effort, what with this being your first day back at work.”
“You’re a treasure. Wish I didn’t have to go back. Having you to myself for the last week has been wonderful, just what the doctor ordered, eh?”
Mark looked down at the pink slashes on his torso. The wounds inflicted by the Taliban were healing fast, thankfully. “I’ll be okay. The scars will always be a reminder of how much you love me.”
She kissed him again. “You bet. I hope they begin to fade soon, though.” Kayli looked down at the feast he’d prepared. “Yum, a full English. I never knew you had it in you to create such a delight.”
His eyebrows wiggled. “There’s
a lot about me you don’t know, darling.”
“Hmm… I look forward to you revealing what that means over the coming years. What’s on your agenda today?”
“Your dad has summoned me to the house this morning. Should I go in a suit?”
She chuckled. “Don’t be silly. Just go in your jeans, as usual.” She placed a forkful of toast and beans into her mouth.
“I have an inkling you know what this meeting is about. Do I have to tickle you to get the information out of you?”
“Oh heck, I promised I wouldn’t spoil the surprise. I think he has a few job interviews lined up for you.”
“That’s excellent news. I really didn’t relish going back out to Afghanistan to fulfil my contract with the security firm.”
“Or spend your time down at the jobcentre, either, I should imagine.”
“That too. Eat up. Otherwise, you’re going to be late on your first day back.”
Kayli ate her breakfast in record time then shot out of bed and into the bathroom. She emerged ten minutes later with mixed emotions. On the one hand, she felt invigorated, and on the other, she was nervous about what her father had lined up for Mark. She hoped it wasn’t something as dangerous as his last role.
“I need to fly now. Don’t want to be late. Will you ring me later, let me know how you got on with Dad?”
Mark approached her, wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. “Of course. Hope work goes well for you today. What do you want for dinner?”
“You don’t have to do that. We’ll get a takeaway tonight for a treat.”
“Indian or Chinese?”
She chuckled. “We’ll decide later. Not sure I can make that decision on a full stomach.”
“Fair point. Have a good day.”
Kayli left the house in good spirits and drove to the police station with an upbeat CD playing in the car to match her mood. She arrived just as her partner, DS Dave Chaplin, was struggling to get out of his vehicle. “Need a hand, partner?”
“Sorry, I didn’t see you there. I’m good, thanks. Another week, and I should be free of this damn cast.”