Little Doubt

by Little Doubt (epub)

  ‘They’ll come,’ said Jason.

  Adam paced up and down. ‘The others aren’t coming back.’

  ‘We don’t need them. I told them to fuck off; it was only a matter of time before they ratted on us. As soon as Jackson gets here, we’ll go.’

  ‘We can’t trust him.’

  ‘We can.’

  Jordan didn’t know who they were talking about, but it was clear they were waiting for someone. He considered his options. He knew he couldn’t take both of them. He had no choice but to attack them separately, maybe when one of them came out here for the toilet. It was one of three doors off the small entrance hall he found himself in. He tried the other doors and they were also open. He checked them out without switching any of the lights on. There was enough moonlight coming through the windows to work out that they were dumping rooms full of junk.

  When he came back out to the entrance, he heard a car. He went to the window overlooking the landing at the top of the stairs and peered through gingerly. It was the two coppers he’d seen hand over the cash for the address. He didn’t know what else to do for now apart from slip into one of the other rooms unseen. He closed the door behind him and listened to the two men coming up the metal staircase. They reached the top and made their way to the main room, banging on the door.

  Jordan found that the room he was in contained several doors, and as his vision improved in the dark, he realised that one connected the storeroom to the main room. The door was ajar, and he could hear the exchanges clearly.

  ‘Where’s the rest of the party?’ one of the coppers said. ‘They deserted you?’

  ‘Fuck off.’

  Jordan didn’t think the guests were expected, but they were known.

  ‘Pleasure as always.’

  He saw a faint glow of blue light through the window and went to check it out. Three police cars were approaching. Jesus, that was all they needed: more bent coppers. But then he saw Kelly Porter getting out of one of the vehicles and realised that this was the genuine raid turning up. He was running out of time. He made his decision.

  He went back to the connecting door and brought out the two knives he’d taken from home. Then he took a deep breath and entered the main room.

  ‘What the fuck?’ Adam was the first to spot him. Jordan glanced at Will and the other police officer.

  ‘Jordan!’ Will said.

  Jordan held the knives up in front of him.

  ‘You know him?’

  ‘Yes, Jason, he’s the son of the woman your brother killed in Potton Park.’

  The Cotton brothers stared at him.

  ‘What’s your plan, Jordan?’ Will asked. ‘Come for revenge? They’re not worth it, lad, believe me, and they’re going down anyway.’

  Neither Jason nor Adam moved. They weren’t quite sure what was going on. Jordan had definitely made the most of the element of surprise. But he didn’t know what to do next. He’d just heard the police officer confirm that Adam had killed his mother.

  ‘Jason?’ Jordan addressed the other brother. Jason jutted his chin towards him. ‘It wasn’t you who did it?’

  ‘No, he killed Keira,’ Will said. ‘They’re a lovely pair, aren’t they?’

  ‘You can fucking talk, man,’ Adam spat.

  ‘Jordan, let me and Liam deal with this.’

  ‘There are three cop cars outside,’ Jordan said. ‘Kelly is here.’

  ‘Who the fuck is Kelly?’ Jason demanded.

  Will and the other officer looked at one another.

  ‘Let me do it now, otherwise it’ll be too late,’ Jordan pleaded through gritted teeth.

  ‘Jordan, stay calm,’ Will said, and began walking towards him.

  He held the knives so tightly that he thought he might snap one. The blades looked lethal and commanding. He had the power; he could decide. As Will got closer, he noticed the other copper advancing too. He was within whispering distance when he said, ‘Hit the deck when they shout.’ Then he moved away. Jordan understood. Jason and Adam hadn’t heard the advice.

  There was movement outside, and Jordan knew that if he was going to get to Adam, it had to be now. Ten seconds more and his chance would be gone.

  Chapter 52

  As they approached the rear of the warehouse, they noticed a car parked near the iron stairwell leading up to the only light in the building. Kelly and Rob got out and watched as the armed response team worked in silence with hand signals and gestures. Kelly touched the bonnet of the car: it was warm. Jason and Adam had recent visitors.

  As the team readied itself to go in, she felt her phone go off. Damn, it was bloody awful timing, but she hoped it might be news from Johnny. It was a number she didn’t recognise and she didn’t answer it, but it called another three times in twenty seconds and so she pressed accept.

  It was Johnny. ‘Thank God! You answered!’

  ‘Johnny? Where are you? I’ve been calling you.’

  Rob gestured that it was fine for her to talk: he could keep an eye on the raid and would let her know when she was needed.

  ‘I lost my phone. It turned into a riot.’

  ‘I know, I’ve seen the footage, I’ve been worried sick. Are you all OK?’

  ‘Where are you?’

  ‘With Armed Response. It’s a long story. We’ve found the brothers.’

  ‘I’m at the hospital. Ted was injured, but he’s stable now.’

  ‘Oh Christ! I’ll get there as soon as I can.’

  ‘It’s all right, I’m here with Josie. Just concentrate on what you’re doing. I’ll see you later.’

  She ended the call. The team was ready to ascend the stairwell. Their weapons were off safety, and they cocked them in preparation. Kelly watched mesmerised as they took the stairs.

  Before they were halfway up, there was a wail from inside, then a figure emerged on the metal balcony with its hands up.

  ‘Armed police! Stop!’

  ‘Will? Don’t shoot. He’s one of us.’

  Armed Response lowered their weapons.

  ‘You need to get in there,’ Will said. ‘Jordan’s here. Liam tried to stop him…’

  ‘Oh Jesus.’

  Chapter 53

  Jordan’s mind had been made up in a split second, and he charged at Adam. But before he could get to him, the guy Will had called Liam pushed Adam out of his way. Adam fell to the floor and Liam spun around.

  ‘Give us a knife, lad. I’ll do it for you. You don’t want to go to prison for the rest of your life. Your mum wouldn’t want that.’

  Everything was happening so fast, Jordan’s head was spinning. Jason made for the door, but Will blocked him.

  ‘Where do you think you’re going?’ He stood in the doorway and Jason pulled a knife.

  ‘Come on then, lad,’ Will said.

  Jason charged at him, but he was no match for the policeman, who took him down with a single punch. The knife clattered to the floor and Will jumped on Jason and cuffed him.

  Adam was cowering against a wall. Jordan realised he must be unarmed. If he’d been tooled up, he’d have pulled it by now.

  ‘Don’t do it, Jordan.’ Will held up his hands.

  ‘I want to cut him so bad.’ Jordan didn’t know where the words came from; all he could see was his mother lying in a pool of her own blood and Adam Cotton running away. ‘Who else did it? Who was the other one?’

  ‘I know you want to see him in pain,’ Will said.

  ‘Give me the knives, Jordan.’ That was Liam.

  Jordan moved closer and closer to Adam, who looked around frantically for options.

  ‘Hold him, Liam,’ Will said, and ran towards the door. Jason banged his head on the floor like a chained animal. Will ignored him.

  Jordan looked at Liam, then to Adam, and back again.

  They heard Will’s voice outside, and then Kelly shouting. They were coming in.

  Jordan’s eyes stung with tears and he knew that Liam was almost next to him. He felt his grip on the knives loos
en but held on. He couldn’t see properly through the blur, but the rage in his heart hurt so bad.

  It wasn’t a choice. It wasn’t conscious. He felt outside his own body as he witnessed it run towards Adam Cotton with the two knives in the air.

  The last thing he saw was the face of his mother.

  Chapter 54

  The armed response team entered the room.

  ‘Get down! Armed police!’

  But the four men in the room were already on the floor. All on top of one another, except for one on his own, who was cuffed. There was some kind of scuffle going on, and a fair amount of blood. A gurgling noise could be heard coming from underneath it all, and the armed response unit shouted for the men to move away from one another.

  The all clear had come over the radio, and Kelly took the stairs as fast as she could. She stopped dead in the middle of the room when she saw the scene. She looked from Will to Liam, who was being cradled by his friend; to Jason Cotton, cuffed on the floor; and then to Jordan Watson, who lay on his back, bloody hands in the air, staring at her.

  Adam Cotton was in a critical condition. He was struggling to breathe. Someone shouted into a radio: ‘Medic!’

  Medics accompanied armed response units routinely, and it wasn’t long before a team was running up the metal stairwell, carrying emergency equipment. Basic CPR was useless at this point: they needed to stop the blood flow. They compressed the wounds they found. Adam groaned.

  Kelly made a rapid assessment in her head. Before any kind of crime-scene investigator was called, she had to stabilise the situation. Everybody was pumped full of adrenalin, and somebody had to make some serious decisions.

  ‘He’s a suspect, get him out of here,’ she said, pointing to Jason Cotton.

  ‘Fuck you, bitch.’

  Jason was manhandled away.

  ‘Jordan, are you hurt?’ she asked.

  He shook his head.

  ‘Will?’

  ‘Liam’s cut pretty bad.’

  ‘He’s lucid, do an injury assessment!’ shouted the medic working on Adam Cotton.

  Will nodded, and Kelly helped him. Liam had a deep cut to his thigh; Will stripped his T-shirt off and wrapped the wound.

  ‘Fuck, that hurts!’ Liam gasped.

  ‘You’ll live,’ Kelly said, going to Jordan. She knelt down and reached out to touch him. He was shaking and staring goggle-eyed at her. ‘Jordan? Do you know who I am?’

  He nodded.

  ‘Good. Are you hurt?’ She looked him over quickly. He shook his head.

  ‘What happened?’ he asked.

  Kelly’s eyes flickered over to where Adam Cotton was lying, and Jordan followed them. The young man was on his back, surrounded by officers trying to save his life. He convulsed as blood spurted out of him.

  ‘Was that me?’ Jordan asked faintly.

  ‘You don’t remember?’

  He shook his head.

  ‘No, it was me,’ Liam said. ‘Cotton had two knives and went for Jordan. I got in the middle.’

  Kelly glanced back to where Adam Cotton lay and saw two knives on the floor close by. She knew with every fibre of her being that they belonged in Thomas Watson’s knife block. There was little she could do to protect Jordan now.

  ‘And Jordan was the target but he came out unscathed?’

  ‘I was faster than Adam.’

  Kelly stood up and looked at the two officers. She still had no clear answer for why they’d behaved as they had, and she still didn’t know if she could trust Will.

  ‘How did you find this place before me?’ she asked him.

  Will’s expression didn’t change. Kelly locked glances with Liam and his eyes never flickered. She looked back at Jordan, who looked vacant and confused.

  ‘Informants?’

  Will nodded.

  ‘And you, Jordan. What were you doing here?’

  ‘I worked out where they were.’

  ‘And you came here to do what?’

  ‘Is he under caution?’ Liam asked. Kelly glared at him. ‘Don’t say anything, lad,’ he told Jordan.

  Kelly nodded. ‘Jordan, I’m going to have to take you into custody until we can work out what happened here.’

  ‘He’s gone,’ announced one of the medics. ‘Time: four fifty-four p.m.’

  Kelly looked at Will and Liam. ‘I’m arresting you two as well.’

  Rob entered the room, having dealt with the arrest of Jason Cotton, and looked at Will.

  ‘Rob, take these two officers to the station, please, I’ll accompany Jordan.’ She looked at Will. ‘Do I need cuffs?’

  He shook his head.

  The crime-scene team would soon arrive to start gathering evidence. No doubt the case would land on somebody’s desk tonight. It wouldn’t be hers. Counter-Corruption had already called and summoned her to Eden House.

  It had begun.

  But first she was going to see Johnny and Ted.

  Chapter 55

  Millie sat huddled in Sharon’s flat watching TV. Her father couldn’t settle and had gone to look for Jordan. He was out in the dark, walking round aimlessly. They couldn’t stop him and Sharon had explained to her that he needed to do it. Besides, Millie was happy to be looked after by the woman she’d grown close to over the last twenty-four hours. Sharon had made hot chocolate.

  The afternoon’s violence was reported on TV, but it was interrupted by a bulletin promising breaking news.

  ‘Police in Penrith tonight targeted an address in the city and apprehended two suspects wanted in connection with the murders of Keira Bradley and Ella Watson earlier in the week. Cumbria Constabulary have issued a statement saying that one of the men has since died of wounds sustained at the scene. We’ll bring you more news as we get it.’

  They stared at one another in disbelief.

  ‘Fucking hell!’ Sharon said.

  Millie laughed, and it felt good. ‘My mum never swore in front of me.’

  ‘You’re shitting me? How did she manage that?’

  She laughed again. ‘Did you always swear in front of Keira?’

  Sharon looked at the TV, deep in thought. Millie thought she might have upset her, but then Sharon took her hand.

  ‘Always! I couldn’t bear the stench of her nappies, I swore every time I opened one. So will you, it’s disgusting.’

  ‘I want loads of babies.’

  ‘Don’t bother. They’re not as cute as they look, you know, and all they do is shit, piss and scream. Then they turn into toddlers and scratch your eyes out, and eventually – the best bit – teenagers! Live your life instead. There are no guarantees. Travel, see the world, bed some gorgeous men.’

  ‘Sharon!’

  ‘What? How old are you? Fourteen? I was pregnant at your age.’

  ‘I haven’t… yet.’

  ‘It’s overrated, love, but sometimes it’s nice, if you find the right one.’

  ‘There’s a boy I like, but I don’t think he likes me.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘He ignores me, but then he’ll steal my book in biology.’

  ‘He proper fancies you. Classic signs. What about Jordan? Does he have a girl?’

  ‘He has loads!’ Millie smiled, but then grew melancholy at the mention of her brother.

  ‘I’m sorry, love. He’ll turn up, you’ll see. He’s angry, and he has every right to be. If he’s anything like you, he’s a good egg inside. He’ll know deep down not to get caught up with these bad ’uns round here. They’ll ruin him.’

  ‘That’s what my dad’s scared of. It’s as if all the effort and money that went into bringing him up will be wasted.’

  ‘That’s a bit harsh. I wish I could give Keira what you guys have.’

  ‘It’s funny, isn’t it? That you think I have everything, but I think you do. You’re kind, thoughtful and friendly, and you’ve created this whole community that wasn’t there before. We have three expensive cars, a massive house, private education and skiing lessons, and I just want to
live here with you.’

  ‘You’re a darlin’, you are.’ Sharon reached for her cigarettes, took one out and lit it. Millie watched.

  ‘Can I try it?’ she asked.

  Sharon passed her the cigarette and lit another. Millie sucked it and blew out, coughing.

  Sharon laughed. ‘You’ll get the hang of it.’

  ‘How’s your shoulder?’ Millie asked, holding onto the cigarette and watching the smoke drift upwards. Sharon had refused to go to hospital after her fall, saying she wasn’t seriously hurt, but Millie had seen her wince when she went to lift something up.

  There was a bang at the door, and Millie jumped. Sharon went to get up, but it was too painful and she sat back down. Millie stubbed out her cigarette.

  ‘I’ll go.’

  She disappeared, and Sharon heard her open the door.

  ‘Dad! Where’s Jordan?’

  Thomas closed the door but didn’t reply.

  They came back into the room and he greeted Sharon. Millie sat down next to her and Thomas lowered himself into a chair. He looked haggard and beaten.

  ‘What happened?’ It was Sharon who spoke. Millie held onto her arm.

  ‘Jordan’s OK. He’s safe.’

  ‘What does that mean?’ Millie asked. ‘Why isn’t he with you?’

  Thomas looked at Sharon’s cigarette. ‘Can I have one?’

  She passed him the packet and the lighter.

  ‘Dad, you don’t smoke!’

  ‘Your mother and I smoked before we had you and Jordan. We gave up. I’ve missed it every single day.’

  She watched as he lit up and inhaled deeply.

  ‘Christ, that’s good.’

  ‘There’s whisky in the kitchen,’ Sharon said. ‘You look like you need it.’

  He got up, taking his cigarette with him, and they heard him rummaging around and pouring something into a glass. He came back sipping it, then sat down and looked at them.