No Longer Safe

by A J Waines

  Chapter 54

  It was Alice’s camera that sealed it.

  The night Charlie broke in, there was a photo of the open kitchen window, with the time logged at 2.45am. The police never worked out what that picture signified and only Alice’s fingerprints were on the camera, with a few partials from Nina, the woman she met by the loch. But I knew that it proved Alice was up and about that night.

  She was the one who brought down the stool on the back of Charlie’s head. It must have been the last thing he was expecting!

  Why Alice would have taken a picture of the spot where he broke in, I have no idea. She had no recollection of any of it, but then people do strange things when they’re sleepwalking.

  I heard the noise of him falling in Alice’s room during the night and rushed in to see what had happened. She was back in bed by then, curled up like a baby.

  That’s when I took the stool. I knew what I was doing. Alice would have freaked out if she’d known she’d killed him. She would have insisted on giving herself up and the police would have been crawling all over the place, getting in the way of my plan to steal the child. I couldn’t afford to let her mess things up.

  It was better for her to think it was a freak accident at first. Then the possibility it could have been me – or even her – kept her on her toes. By then it was too late to alert the police – we’d handled the body, messed with a crime scene.

  The police asked me to stay in the area for questioning, so while Alice was being interviewed, I picked up a local paper to find the latest news on the loch.

  Charlie hadn’t been found and the police had called off the search. The first two dives brought up only a battered oil drum, a fishing seat and an old cast-iron meat mincer. As soon as Brody was discovered back at home, the police looked at other lines of enquiry – no one else had been reported missing so they didn’t know there was still a body in the water. They were looking for Charlie, but they thought he was on the run, they didn’t know he was dead.

  None of the witnesses could be certain what had been dumped that night – there was evidence of a smashed-up boat, that’s all – assumed to be the work of drunken tourists.

  Charlie was hidden for good.

  Chapter 55

  My world collapsed after that. I didn’t even get to see Stuart at the mortuary to say a proper goodbye. The police fired the same questions at me over and over: When had I last seen Stuart? Did I remember taking photographs at the cottage? They started talking again about my camera and fingerprints and sleepwalking and suddenly a psychiatrist was shining lights into my eyes.

  Before I knew it, I was in a ward full of mad people; they must have run out of hospital beds or something. Lying there with no one sensible to talk to, I decided to go right back to the beginning in my mind and run through everything I could remember about the last two weeks. I wanted to secure it inside my head and remind myself about the parts I had to keep secret, before the sedatives they forced me to take turned the whole experience to fog.

  I was right to do it; it wasn’t long before everything was a blur – they must have put me on even stronger tablets. I think Karen came to see me at one point, but I had no idea what she said. I could just picture her walking away. Although, when I thought about it later, I couldn’t even be sure it was her.

  Chapter 56

  Finding Stuart that final morning was a ghastly shock. He’d stayed over on the sofa in the sitting room and Alice must have taken another sleeping tablet.

  At some stage during the early hours, she’d battered him with a rolling pin from the kitchen drawer. The evidence was on her camera, including a selfie she’d taken with the automatic timer. It showed her beaming face pressed next to Stuart’s, with his head split open – timed at 3.05am. Once the police saw that one, there was no question that Alice was seriously unhinged.

  They asked me about finding his body.

  ‘Alice must have dragged him into the cellar after she’d killed him.’ I said. ‘I had no idea he was down there until I went to find the vacuum cleaner for a last-minute tidy up.’

  ‘What made you think Alice had killed him, Ms Morley?’

  ‘I didn’t think it could have been anyone else. There was no sign of a break-in and there were no fresh footsteps or tyre-tracks outside in the snow.’

  ‘Alice Flemming is your friend, isn’t she? Did you think she was capable of that?’

  ‘Well – I hadn’t seen her in a while. She used to be very quiet, but she’s come out of herself since then. She’s certainly more assertive. I should tell you that Alice had been having panic attacks and periods of anxiety. I think, on reflection, she was probably quite unbalanced.’

  I knew what was coming. ‘This bang on the head – how long was she unconscious for?’

  I pretended to think about it. ‘It would have been around fifteen to twenty minutes. I was quite worried.’

  ‘But you didn’t suggest she went to hospital?’

  ‘Oh, yes,’ I corrected, without a beat. ‘I insisted on taking her, but she categorically refused. She was adamant that she was fine. I kept an eye on her as far as I could. To be honest, I thought she was okay – until I found Stuart, obviously.’

  ‘Why didn’t you ring the police as soon as you found the body?’ they asked.

  ‘I panicked. I was terrified for myself and the little girl I was looking after.’

  ‘Did you touch the body?’

  ‘I think I might have touched him to check if he was still alive.’

  I knew there was a chance they’d find my DNA on him when I’d hidden him in the cellar. In fact, I’d moved Stuart before Alice got up that morning, because I didn’t want her dragging the police in again before I’d decided what to do about Brody. That was my only crime. Otherwise, my conscience was clear.

  I hadn’t killed anyone.

  ‘What exactly was your reason for tying up your friend, Ms Morley, and leaving her there in the cold?’

  ‘I was scared! – desperate to get out of the house and I knew if she was tied up, she couldn’t hurt us. I rang the police as soon as I got a signal outside.’

  The officers could see that I’d left water and food at the top of the steps in the cellar and I hadn’t even locked her in. That stood in my favour. I didn’t tell them I’d rattled the key in the lock to make it sound like I’d shut her in.

  Apparently, forensics found her fingerprints – and hers alone – on the rolling pin in the sitting room; it had rolled under the sofa out of sight. She had blood spattered on her night clothes too. Poor Alice. During the night, she turned into a different person.

  Chapter 57

  Psychiatrist Report - Patient Alice Flemming

  Dr Henry Macleod – 23 December

  Following a series of medical examinations, mental assessments and in-lab sleep tests, I conclude the following:

  Head injury

  During her recent holiday in Scotland, Alice suffered a trauma to the head, causing damage to the left frontal lobe. Alice claimed she lost consciousness for no more than a few seconds, but given the nature of the injury I believe this to be an underestimation. Alice made no attempt to seek professional advice in spite of subsequent headaches.

  The trauma to Alice’s left temporal lobe appears to have affected the amygdala. Head injuries of this sort are known to cause a number of psychological changes to the personality, often swift and dramatic, including loss of control over emotions such as anger, rage and risk-taking. If Alice had sought medical attention immediately after the injury, a full series of tests (including a PET scan) would have highlighted this.

  It is common knowledge in the medical profession that a disturbingly high proportion of serial killers have sustained head injuries at some stage in their lives.

  The head injury alone, however, does not fully explain the dramatic shift in Alice’s behaviour.

  Aggression during sleep

  Alice was prescribed sleeping tablets (Zoltratin) in September this year
and took the recommended dose (10g) on several occasions during the holiday.

  A series of EEG-monitored nocturnal tests were undertaken over seven nights in the London Sleep Clinic as part of my assessment. The results confirmed that following the administration of sleeping tablets, Alice experienced four episodes of sleepwalking during this period.

  During one of these episodes, Alice forcibly removed the monitoring electrodes and attempted to smash the bed into the door of the sealed chamber. When restrained by the technician, she acquiesced immediately and climbed back into bed. When shown a CCTV replay of the activity the following morning, Alice responded with shock and disbelief. The analysis of nocturnal rapid eye movement and slow-wave sleep confirms my assessment that she had no knowledge of her actions.

  Conclusions

  I conclude that this unique combination of factors led to uncharacteristic aggressive and violent behaviour in this patient. I believe Alice was not aware of her actions and requires treatment in a secure psychiatric facility until the prognosis regarding her condition is fully established.

  Chapter 58

  Two weeks later

  I heard on the news that Alice had been arrested and charged with Stuart’s murder. She went straight to a secure psychiatric hospital. She hadn’t confessed; she had no recollection of doing anything wrong. It’s not every day an old friend turns out to be a serial killer! I’m so relieved it’s over.

  So – what happened to me?

  I didn’t get off scot-free. I was back where I started – a mother without a child. And my lawyer reckons I’ll get a nine-month suspended sentence for detaining Alice against her will. I hadn’t harmed her, and as Alice was proven to be a danger to others, I had mitigating circumstances. My lawyer fell back on a statement that went something like this:

  ‘Any person detaining another person must have an honest belief that detention is necessary and reasonable grounds for that belief.’

  Until Alice burst in and saw Brody in the bathroom, I’d fooled everyone with the switch. Done such a good job of making sure no one saw the baby’s face properly. Alice tried to tell the police I’d taken the boy, but by then no one was paying much attention to her. During her first night in hospital, before they started all the tests, Alice had to be restrained for attacking a nurse with a bed pan. She was a completely unreliable witness by then.

  Apart from the obvious glitches, I chose my alibis well. Alice was going to be a teacher, but when I first planned the reunion, I did a bit of background research on her. I knew she was single, without children, and at Leeds, she’d never been the least bit interested in babies.

  Jodie and Mark were the same. Mark had a child, but he was nothing more than a fly-by-night parent. Infants of a young age can look similar and their gender isn’t always obvious. I read up about it when I first started hatching my plan in Holloway, with Pam. My house guests didn’t pay much attention and that was exactly what I wanted. The police contacted Mark and Jodie, of course, but they both said Alice’s accusations were rubbish.

  Charlie’s whereabouts is still a mystery and I pray it stays that way. Thank goodness Alice didn’t take any photos when she killed him, or I really would have been in trouble.

  I had to intervene, otherwise my own scheme would have been in jeopardy. We had to get rid of him and there was no way she could have got him to the lake on her own. In any case, the whole business about Charlie has gone quiet.

  Right until the end, Alice kept her word and didn’t mention him. I’m not sure if that was because, by then, her mind was broken into pieces or whether she still had an ounce of loyalty left towards me. I think, to be honest, it was probably because she was never quite sure about her own part in his death.

  Alice turned out to be the most shocking and unpredictable of us all. Who would have thought it? I started locking my bedroom door after we found Charlie, because I knew how dangerous she could be.

  I sent Stuart after her when she tried to take off that morning, because we HAD to have one last conversation. I needed to make sure our stories were solid and an assurance that she’d keep her mouth shut about Charlie. One little chat to get everything straight was all I needed. Just like the old days.

  How mistaken I was in choosing her.

  Alice – the one I thought I could trust.

  Alice – the solid, law-abiding, dependable one.

  ~

  About the Author

  AJ Waines is the number one bestselling author of Girl on a Train, which topped the UK and Australian Kindle Charts in 2015. She was a psychotherapist for fifteen years, during which time she worked with ex-offenders from high-security institutions, gaining a rare insight into abnormal psychology. She is now a full-time novelist with publishing deals in France, Germany (Penguin Random House) and USA (audiobook).

  Her first novel, The Evil Beneath, went to Number One in 'Murder' and 'Psychological Thrillers' categories in the UK Kindle Charts and Dark Place to Hide reached Number One in ‘Vigilante Justice’. In 2015, the author was ranked in the Top 20 UK Authors on Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing).

  Alison has also written two self-help books: The Self-Esteem Journal and Making Relationships Work (Sheldon Press). She lives in Southampton, UK, with her husband.

  Find out more at AJ’s Website or follow her Blog. She’s also on Twitter (@AJWaines), Facebook and you can sign up for her Newsletter.

  Also by AJ Waines

  THE EVIL BENEATH

  There’s a body in the water - and she’s wearing your clothes…

  Impulsive and intrepid psychotherapist, Juliet Grey, can’t resist responding to an anonymous text message telling her to go to Hammersmith Bridge at dawn. But it isn’t simply the dead body in the water that disturbs her, it’s the way something uniquely personal to Juliet has been left on the corpse.

  Another obscure message - another London bridge - and Juliet finds herself caught up with a serial killer, who leaves personal mementos instead of collecting trophies. Teaming up with local detective, DCI Brad Madison, Juliet strives to find out why she has been targeted and how it’s connected to the accident that killed her brother, nineteen years ago.

  Can Juliet use her knowledge of the human psyche to get inside the mind of the killer, before another body is found under a bridge? And how long before Juliet herself becomes the next target?

  GIRL ON A TRAIN

  By AJ Waines

  Everything points to suicide - but I saw her face…

  Headstrong Journalist, Anna Rothman knows what suicide looks like - her own husband killed himself five years earlier. When Elly Swift, an agitated passenger beside her on a train, leaves a locket in Anna’s bag before jumping onto the tracks, Anna starts asking awkward questions. But everything points to suicide and the police close the case.

  Anna, however, believes Elly’s fears for Toby, her young nephew, missing since being snatched from St Stephen’s church six months ago, fail to explain the true reason behind Elly’s distress. Through a series of hidden messages Elly left behind, Anna embarks on a dangerous crusade to track down Toby and find Elly’s killer.

  But nothing is as it seems and Anna opens a can of worms that throws into question even her own husband’s suicide - before the threads of the mystery converge in an astonishing conclusion.

  DARK PLACE TO HIDE

  By AJ Waines

  She’s trying to tell you – if only you’d listen…

  About to break the news to his wife, Diane, that he’s infertile, criminology expert, Harper Penn, gets a call to say she’s been rushed to hospital with a miscarriage. Five days later, when Diane fails to return from the village shop, police think she must have taken off with a secret lover, but Harper is convinced the online messages are not from her.

  In the same Hampshire village, plucky seven-year-old Clara has retreated into a make-believe world after an accident. Then she, too, goes missing.

  As Harper sets out on a desperate quest to find them both, he has no idea what h
e’s up against. Could the threat be closer than he thinks? And is there a hidden message in Clara’s fairy tales?

  DARK PLACE TO HIDE is a chilling psychological mystery with a cold-blooded deviant lurking at the core.

  Coming soon from AJ Waines:

  INSIDE THE WHISPERS

  (Samantha Willerby Series – Book 1)

  The first in a series of three haunting Psychological Thrillers that will keep you awake at night

  Clinical psychologist, Samantha Willerby, is mystified when three patients with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder recount scenes from the same Tube disaster – an incident, she discovers, that they were never involved in. She is horrified when, one by one, instead of recovering, they start committing suicide.

  When her partner, Conrad, begins to suffer the same terrifying flashbacks, Sam is desperate to find out who or what is behind them and a mysterious and chilling crime begins to unravel.

  Then the flashbacks begin for Sam…