Trial by Execution

by T. M. E. Walsh

  Despite the minimal light coming from her torch, Janet saw the bruising to Raja’s face. The shock was visible in her eyes. ‘Raja, I’m so sorry.’

  ‘Don’t be. It looks worse than it is.’ She looked at the gates to the reserve. ‘Janet, why are you here?’

  Janet pulled away from her. ‘It’s such a mess,’ she said, tearful. ‘Ffion said she’d arranged for someone to… what we all discussed about Raymond Knox.’

  Raja looked away.

  ‘What happened to Knox…’ Janet said. ‘I think it was Sean.’

  Raja’s hands started to shake.

  When she didn’t rush to deny it, Janet’s face fell. ‘It was him?’

  Tears brimmed, glassy in her eyes, then rolled down Raja’s cheeks.

  ‘Why did Ffion do that? She said it’d be someone none of us knew,’ Janet said.

  Raja wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

  ‘Ffion doesn’t know. I told her I knew someone from back home in Ukraine. I said I’d get Sean to pay for it, and no one had to worry about it being traced back to any of us if we were careful, but Sean…’ She sniffed, shook her head. ‘He wouldn’t listen. He said it was his duty to do it. He said, what kind of man would he be if he let Knox walk free, let someone else do what he himself always wanted to do.’

  Janet looked horrified.

  ‘What could I have done?’ Raja said. ‘You know what Sean is capable of.’

  Janet did know. She felt a great pain inside her when she saw Raja’s bruised face, her broken nose.

  ‘Sean took the mobiles we used,’ she said. ‘He told me he’d dispose of them.’ Raja broke down then. ‘I came here to talk to him, stop him doing anything stupid. I still love him, despite everything he’s done.’

  ‘Raja, if he killed Knox, do you think he…’ She couldn’t find her voice to finish her words.

  Raja blinked away tears. ‘Did he kill the other women?’

  Janet looked reluctant but slowly nodded. ‘I believe he did. Raja,’ she said, grasping her hand, ‘look what he did to your face. He obviously couldn’t handle what he’d done to Knox.’

  ‘So he lost his mind, is that what you’re saying?’

  ‘When was the last time you heard from him?’

  ‘I got a text after his phone call, just before I drove here.’

  ‘What did it say?’

  Raja showed her the message.

  ‘That’s what he sent me,’ Janet said, looking towards the gates of the reserve.

  ‘I don’t like this. We should call the police, let them deal with this.’

  Janet grabbed her hand. ‘You’re the only one who can talk him round, Raja. He wouldn’t have sent you that message if he didn’t want help. If he really wanted to die, to end this, he’d have left us out of it.’

  Raja wrapped her arms tighter around her body. ‘This could be some horrible misunderstanding.’

  Janet looked sceptical, but for the sake of her friend, she forced a sympathetic smile. ‘I hope so, but either way we need to help stop this. We started this when we tried to make Knox pay, don’t you see that? People have died because of us, what we set in motion.’

  Janet shone the torch down to the left of the entrance. The path was thick with bushes and scrub.

  ‘Where are you going?’ Raja said. ‘You’re not seriously going to the lagoon?’ When Janet disappeared into the bushes, Raja went after her. ‘This is stupid; we should turn back.’

  ‘He must be so scared.’

  ‘Sean? Scared?’

  Janet turned back to face her. ‘He won’t hurt us, Raja.’

  ‘Don’t you be so sure,’ Raja said, batting low hanging branches away from her face, and kicking the long grass as it coiled around her ankles.

  ‘We’re bound together; don’t you understand?’ Janet said. ‘There.’ She shone the torch wide ahead of them.

  A little way along they saw the hole cut in the metal fence, where teenagers had broken into the reserve after hours.

  Both women stared at it.

  Janet pulled back the chain-link fence so Raja could wriggle through it.

  CHAPTER 65

  Claire had driven through the city, lights going past her in a blur, a haze of questions in her head. She’d taken the dual carriageway that led up towards the outskirts of the city, and farther beyond, the regeneration ground. Claire had tried calling Devon back on the number he’d contacted her on, but he hadn’t answered.

  She was about to call Stefan, but the signal cut out as she drove into the Backfields industrial area, which ran for a mile before it gave way to open fields and the regeneration reserve ahead.

  As she neared the road that would take her to the reserve, the signal on her mobile hit two bars.

  Almost instantly it started ringing.

  She pulled over at the side of the dark road, which was void of any lighting, except for what came from the headlights. ‘Fletch?’

  Stefan paused, hearing her. ‘You sound far away,’ he said. ‘Where are you?

  ‘I’m heading to the regen reserve,’ she said.

  ‘On your own?’ When she didn’t answer he felt concern rise inside him. ‘Claire, you should have waited.’

  Claire rolled her eyes. Before her signal had cut out, she’d been in touch with Donahue back at the station and he was organising a response team to head straight to the regeneration reserve, and a police Eurocopter had been requested, but it wasn’t likely it would be deployed in time. She’d ignored Donahue’s requests to wait for reinforcements.

  ‘Yeah, yeah, give me shit after we’ve found Janet Casey,’ she said to Stefan. ‘What news from the Headleys?’

  Stefan told her what Ffion had revealed, and about the lead Elias had found, and when he told her where he currently was, Claire felt her blood run cold.

  She replayed the CCTV footage from the hospital in her mind.

  Stefan was speaking to her, but Claire was now more focused on the car coming down the road at speed, engine roaring.

  ‘Claire?’ Stefan said, when she didn’t respond to him.

  ‘That can’t be back-up already,’ she said to herself.

  Headlights momentarily blinded her as she looked in the rear-view mirror. The car moved around hers and hurtled past, but not before Claire got a good look at the driver.

  ‘Shit!’ she said. ‘Stefan, have you heard anything back from the hostel yet?’

  ‘Not yet, why?’

  ‘Devon Hemmings just passed me in a black Vauxhall Zafira… going like a bat out of hell. I didn’t see the plate number.’

  ‘What’s he doing driving? He’s tagged, right?’

  ‘He’s going after Janet,’ she said, and hung up. She slung her phone down on the seat beside her and pulled back onto the road and sped up in pursuit.

  *

  Devon saw the car headlights in the rear-view mirror come up at speed behind him. He squinted, trying to make out the driver. He saw the golden hue of blonde hair, and knew it was her, the detective.

  He pressed his foot on the accelerator, and focused his attention ahead. The main entrance for the reserve and lagoon soon came into view.

  He saw Janet’s car and another he didn’t recognise next to it. He parked up and got out of the car. Instead of running, he waited for Claire.

  He saw her face as she slowed her car, coming up beside him. When the window rolled down he approached the driver’s side.

  ‘What the fuck are you doing, Hemmings?’

  He tipped his head in acknowledgement. ‘Nice to see you too, Chief Inspector.’

  ‘Cut the crap,’ she said, as she parked and got out of her car. ‘What are you doing here?’ She looked at the Vauxhall he’d been driving. ‘And whose is that?’

  Devon took a deep breath. ‘Not that it’s important right now, but I borrowed the car from Beckett.’

  Claire raised her eyebrows.

  Devon relented. ‘Oka
y, unofficially borrowed it.’

  ‘Stole it, you mean?’

  ‘No, not stole… I intend to return it to him.’

  Claire looked at him, her face serious. ‘You’ve broken the conditions of your parole. You know what that means.’

  He nodded, indifferent. ‘I’ve done a lot worse these last few weeks. I’m here for Janet, to make sure she’s safe. I don’t care what happens to me afterwards.’

  He walked around her towards the main gates of the reserve.

  ‘That’s Janet’s car. Don’t know whose the other is. They must have gone inside the reserve itself,’ he said, looking back at her.

  She folded her arms, unamused. ‘I have officers on the way,’ she said.

  ‘By all means, wait for them,’ he said, his attention returning to the locked gates.

  Without much pause for thought, he reached up, fingers gripping at the holes in the chain links of the gate, and used his feet for leverage. He scaled the top, with minimal effort despite his large frame.

  The metal rattled and whined in protest but Devon dropped down the other side, feet hitting the ground hard.

  He dusted off his hands, and peered through the gate.

  ‘You coming?’

  CHAPTER 66

  Raja walked closer to Janet the nearer they got to the lagoon. A light wind picked up across the vast expanse of water, chilling the air.

  They heard the rippling at the water’s edge off in the darkness.

  Janet guessed they’d been walking for about ten minutes down the man-made walkways, gravel crunching underfoot.

  ‘You know,’ Raja said, ‘he’ll be able to hear us coming a mile off.’

  Janet didn’t answer her. Instead she concentrated on the path ahead. They both stopped as the torchlight finally illuminated the water in front of them, where the sandy mudbank slipped into the rippling darkness of the water.

  Everything was quiet except for their breathing.

  Janet got her mobile out of her pocket. She illuminated the screen. ‘Nothing,’ she said. ‘What about you?’

  Raja shook her head. ‘I’d have heard it go off.’

  Janet tried to get a better look out over the lagoon. ‘He must have brought a torch with him,’ she said. ‘He’s got to be here somewhere.’

  ‘Maybe he went up there,’ Raja said.

  Janet looked up at the other side of the lagoon, where the land rose up like a giant hill. The face of it was sheer, dropping down to the lagoon below.

  ‘You think he’d jump?’ Janet said. She looked at her phone again, brought up Sean’s number. ‘Signal’s patchy out here but I’ve got one bar finally.’ She tapped the call button.

  After a brief pause, the call connected.

  The sound of a ringtone cut through the air, shrill and close by.

  Janet jumped, and swung the torch to the right. As she moved her foot slipped on the wet mud, and she dropped the torch.

  It rolled towards Raja, hitting her trainers.

  ‘Bloody hell,’ Janet said, panicked.

  The ringing stopped.

  She scrambled forward to retrieve the torch.

  She stopped at Raja’s feet, stared at the torchlight.

  Janet saw the blood stains on Raja’s trainers

  As Janet rose slowly, torch in her hand, the light illuminated the dark-red stains on Raja’s jeans, her T-shirt. Stains she hadn’t previously been able to see because it was far too dark.

  Janet’s breath came in short, sharp bursts when she saw the mobile phone in Raja’s hand.

  Sean’s mobile.

  Janet’s eyes rose to meet Raja’s

  ‘Don’t worry,’ Raja said. ‘The blood’s not mine.’

  Janet gasped, taking a few steps back

  Raja breathed out, heavily. The cold air – more like the chill of an autumn night – made her breath mist in a white haze around her face.

  She grabbed at Janet’s coat sleeve so suddenly that Janet shrieked. Raja pulled her close.

  ‘Are you frightened, little Janet?’

  Raja’s eyes met hers and Janet saw how black they now looked. Gone were the beautiful bright irises, replaced with something darker, and something akin to malevolence.

  ‘I don’t understand,’ Janet said.

  Raja smiled. With her face clear of make-up to cover her scars, Janet could see the effect they had on her face, what Raymond Knox had always intended – the scars gave the illusion of a freakish grin, like something from a nightmare. A nightmare Janet was desperate to wake from.

  Then they heard footsteps approaching.

  A voice came from behind them.

  ‘That’s as far as you go, Raja.’

  Janet’s eyes searched frantically in the darkness, then another torch was switched on and she saw a woman emerge several feet from where they stood. She felt Raja’s grip on her arm tighten.

  Raja recognised the blonde hair and steely glare.

  Claire walked closer, setting her sights firmly on her.

  Raja felt anger inside her, rising up. She breathed hard, fighting to contain it. She looked around her, looking for a way to escape.

  She took a step back towards the water’s edge.

  Janet remained frozen to the spot, eyes watchful.

  ‘Sean was never really missing, was he?’ Claire said. ‘It was all just part of your illusion, wasn’t it?’

  Raja looked at her and brought the Stanley knife out from her pocket.

  Janet’s eyes widened. ‘Raja?’

  ‘You found him then?’

  ‘Sean?’ Claire said, sadly. ‘Yes. DI Fletcher is at your house now.’

  ‘What do you mean?’ Janet said. ‘Raja, what’s she talking about?’ Her attention shot towards Claire. ‘Found him? Sean?’

  ‘In a manner of speaking,’ Claire said, her gaze never leaving Raja’s haunted eyes. ‘How could you do that to him?’

  A cold realisation began to filter through Janet then. ‘What have you done?’

  Raja remained silent.

  ‘Well?’ Claire said, edging forward a step. ‘Tell her what you did.’

  CHAPTER 67

  One hour earlier

  Raja flicked on the lights before heading down the steps to the gym in the basement, Sixx’s soft paws padding down after her. A dull, yellow-white light illuminated the room, casting deep shadows to the corners.

  Raja could smell the sweat, the dried blood and urine. It was almost ingrained into his skin. She walked further into the room, past the gym equipment – running machine, bike, cross-trainer – and into the alcove used for changing, beyond which lay the wash facilities Sean had kindly thought to install for her.

  As she turned into the alcove she heard him, as if she’d startled him, catching him unawares. He was weak from lack of food and drink. Lack of fresh air and sunshine.

  She looked into the far corner.

  Sean’s eyes met hers.

  A burning hate raged in them, like a fire emanating from the irises, all that burning anger just for her.

  ‘Don’t you look at me like that,’ she said, as Sixx came up beside her. He lowered his muzzle, bared his teeth, and a low growl vibrated through his throat.

  Sean inched closer to the wall, his back pressing firmly against it.

  Raja smiled and pulled a stool to the middle of the room and sat down on it, facing him. She clicked her fingers and Sixx was soon beside her, licking her hand, before lying down next to her.

  Sean watched her every move, mumbling against the ball-gag in his mouth.

  Raja looked him over from head to toe.

  His hair was stuck to his forehead with sweat and his lips looked sore, cracked around the red ball in his mouth.

  Raja had found that gag buried in a drawer Sean thought she never looked in. He’d obviously used that with his whore. Raja smiled to herself at the thought.

  He wriggled then, his arms aching from being s
ecured behind his back with thick black cord that bit into his wrists.

  He sat cross-legged in the same trousers he’d worn that morning he’d struck her. They were dirty now, a mix of urine and blood stains, where red drops had fallen from his head after she’d hit him over the head with the vase in the hall.

  It’d stunned him and he’d been drunk enough for her to use Sixx to force him down here, for her to tie him up.

  This is where he had been all along.

  Only fed when she deemed it absolutely necessary. Only allowed to use the toilet down here, again, when absolutely necessary and at a time of her choosing.

  Sometimes he never made it to the toilet in time.

  This pleased her.

  A dirty dinner plate, empty save for a few scraps of chicken bone, was beside him, along with an empty sports water bottle, straw so close, yet so far out of reach, had he needed to quench his thirst.

  He’d learned the hard way to ration his water.

  He was rigid, his joints in pain from being trussed up, and confined to this small space.

  He mumbled, tried to plead with her.

  She stood and walked towards him.

  Sixx followed.

  She crouched to Sean’s eye level. Her eyes met his and she didn’t need words to express how she felt. He could see it in every line and curve of her face.

  She didn’t have her cover-up make-up on. He saw her in all her scarred glory.

  He moaned against the gag, his eyes fluttered. She knew he was weak, barely holding it together. She loosened the buckle and pulled the leather strap, removing the ball-gag from his mouth.

  He coughed, then dry-heaved, listing forward

  Sixx growled and snapped his teeth at the sudden movement.

  Raja shushed him, smoothed his fur back to calm him.

  ‘Raja…’ Sean said, his voice barely above a whisper. ‘Please.’

  She sneered at him, then pushed herself to her feet. She moved to his side and dug her fingers into his underarms as she tried to hoist him upright.

  ‘Get up.’

  Sean’s legs went into spasm, but somehow he managed to remain upright. Raja moved and he slumped his full weight back against the wall. His breathing was ragged. He looked at her, eyes silently pleading.