I quickly scrolled onwards until I found coverage of the funeral. The photographer had taken a shot of the grieving crowd dressed in black on what looked like a bright and blustery April day. I stared hard at the photograph. Standing stiffly in the middle of the group was a slender young woman in her early twenties. She was dressed in black trousers and a black jacket. A hat was pulled down low over her forehead, her eyes were mournful, her expression bereft.
The newspaper report named her as Joanne Drake. I knew her by a different name: Jody Piers.
I felt a stab at my heart. Why had she lied to me?
With churning emotions I left the library. I needed some air. I needed to time to think through the implications of this. I needed space.
Before I realised it I was through Devizes. The day was drawing in. Visibility was poor as I drove through the bleak rainswept countryside. I had only half my mind on the road the other half was trying to come to grips with what I had just learned.
Why hadn't she told me about her father? Why let me stumble on blindly? Did she hope that I would give up and when she saw that I wasn't going to she had given me the name of the ship? A name that she had known all the time. How had she conveniently found lodgings next door to Jack? Had she really been in London on the day of Jack's funeral or had she ransacked Jack's house and stolen the disks and diary? Why?
Perhaps she didn't know what her father had been doing in that research laboratory and wanted to find out? Or perhaps she did know and she was desperate to keep secret the fact that he had been exporting something that had caused cancer. How had she known that Jack was investigating it though? Had Jack confided in her? Is that what he meant when he said his mouth was full of deceit and fraud, except that he meant her mouth?
I recalled my first meeting with Jody – her head sticking out of the window to greet me. I remembered how she had happened to be jogging along the promenade on the day I had discovered Jack's message. Then she had been in the dockyard after I had spoken to Sandy Ditton and finally that telephone call before I headed for Bath. God what a fool I'd been! My feelings for her had blinded me. She had deliberately set out to get close to me in order to discover how much I knew and I had told her I was going to Simon. A chill ran down my spine. How far would she go to stop me?
What had Gerald Drake been doing? Could it conceivably have something to do with chemical warfare? Perhaps it concerned the trial of a new drug or substance that had been exported illegally overseas and sold to terrorists for which Drake would have been handsomely paid. Was Jody's father a traitor? Is that why she was so desperate that no one should get to the truth?
Behind the pain of my hurt was a smouldering anger. I didn't like being used.
I dropped a gear and increased my speed. I rode past RAF Upavon and on to the Salisbury Plain. Out of nowhere a car came racing up behind me. He must have been doing a ton. He had his full beam on, blinding me. I waved my arm to try and tell him to lower his lights but it didn't work. I slowed down hoping the idiot would overtake me. He didn't. He stayed behind. I felt the first flutter of fear. He flashed his lights at me. Perhaps it was the police. They had traced me.
The lights flashed again and again. He was flagging me down but I couldn't see any indication that it was an unmarked police car and I wasn't going to stop to find out. I could out ride him. The bike had greater speed and manoeuvrability than a car. But just as I made up my mind to do it a lorry emerged from one of the dips in the road and was heading full pelt towards me, lights blazing, horn blaring as the car behind me pulled out to overtake me. I had no option but to apply the brakes as the driver behind me seemed intent on killing himself. With the blood rushing through my ears and my heart in overdrive the bike went into a skid, the car shot past me with inches to spare, the lorry roared away. I sped off the road over the soft wet earth, felt myself catapulted into the air and hit the ground.
CHAPTER 16
It was pitch black when I awoke. It was also raining heavily. My head hurt so much I thought it might burst and every part of my body ached. With an effort and much grunting and groaning I heaved myself up. I pulled off my helmet and felt the rain lashing my face. I had to get into the dry and warm, but I was in the middle of nowhere.
I staggered up. I felt dizzy and sank to my knees. I took a deep breath and tried again a few seconds later. This time I succeeded. I was getting fed up with being a target. I was going to make as much bloody trouble as I could before the bastards tried again.
I peered into the dark night, wondering in which direction was the road. I didn't want to risk stumbling off deeper on to the plains. If I did, I'd probably die of hypothermia. There was nothing for it but to wait until I saw a passing car's headlights. It was difficult with the wind beating against me and my head pounding, but I scoured the black night until, some minutes later, I had sight of a car and got my bearings. I set off in the direction of the road and was surprised and relieved to find it less than a half a mile away. Now all I had to do was wait for a car, or lorry, that would let me hitch a lift. Looking the way I must, I didn't hold out a great deal of hope. Several cars passed me before a lorry ground to a halt and wincing with pain I stumbled towards it. I climbed into the cab with a heartfelt sigh of relief and much gratitude.
The driver said he was heading for the ferry port at Portsmouth. Fate it seemed was taking me back there, and once there I knew what I had to do no matter what the consequences. I had to confront Jody.
I caught a taxi to the marina where I showered and changed into dry clothes. Then I called her.
'Adam, at last! Where have you been? I've been worried about you.'
I bet. Worried that whoever she was working with hadn't succeeded in killing me. Or had Jody been driving that car? 'Can you meet me?' I wondered if she would notice a new hardness in my voice.
She didn't seem to. 'Of course, where?'
'Northney Marina, Hayling Island. I'll meet you outside the marina office in about twenty minutes.'
I hovered at the marina entrance until her small car pulled in. There was no one behind her or in front of her.
'Let's walk.' I took her arm and we set off towards the boatyard. It had stopped raining. She said nothing. 'I expect you're surprised to see me,' I said after a moment. I couldn't keep the bitterness out of my voice.
'What's happened, Adam? Clearly something has.'
I spun round to stare at her. 'As if you don't know. It didn't work Jody. I'm still alive.'
'What are you talking about? Has someone tried to kill you?' She looked aghast.
I laughed scornfully. 'Was it you driving that car?'
'Adam, please you're not making any sense.'
'Good try, Jody, but it's over. I know who you are. How well do you know my brother? Did he call you to say that he had given me your father's name?' She was staring at me bemused. I continued. 'Did you kill Jack or did you have help? Are you shagging Brookfield as well as my brother? Did you get Brookfield to tell you about the tallies being switched? Did you tell him I was going to look out the fire reports so he'd better say they had gone for computerisation?'
In the dim lights along the edge of the marina I could see her astounded expression. She was almost as good an actress as Faye.
'I know about your father,' I said abruptly. I saw her stiffen. I wanted to shake the truth from her. It took a great deal of effort to control myself. This was a woman who had made me love her. I wanted to hurt her. 'Was he betraying his country is that why you can't let the truth come out?'
A flicker of pain crossed her face before her expression changed to anger. I experienced a moment of doubt.
'My father was not a traitor,' she blazed. 'And neither am I a killer or a slut. I don't know your brother and I have never met Brookfield.'
Was I wrong? How could I be? It all fitted together. No, she wasn't going to deceive me again. The anger bubbled up in me and burst forth. 'How many more people are going to die because of your lies?'
'I didn't mean �
��'
'Did you have anything to do with Jack's death?' I grabbed her roughly by the arms.
'You can't think –'
'Did you?' I shouted.
'No,' she shouted back. 'You want to know why your friend was killed in that fire and I need to know why my father suffered the same fate. It's taken me five years to get this far and I still don't know the name of the bastard who killed him. I thought Jack, and then you, might find out who he is.'
I stared at her a moment longer. She held my gaze. Finally I released her. It didn't mean I believed her.
'What was your father researching?' I snapped.
'I don't know. I've been trying to find out. I've talked to everyone who knew him, who worked with him. I've spoken to my father's friends, all my relatives. All I discovered was that he worked on various projects part funded by the Department of Health and part funded by a medical research charity. The charity was based in Portsmouth. I came here. I met Jack.'
'How?' I still didn't trust her.
'Purely by coincidence. No, it was. When I found out my father had worked in Portsmouth I applied to undertake a research project in the harbour. I met Jack when he came to the dockyard on an exercise and we got talking. I was staying in a small hotel but needed to find something cheaper. He said his next door neighbour was looking for a lodger.'
I didn't believe her. 'When was this?'
'Early October.' She looked away. I knew she was lying. She continued, 'Someone was working with my father. He's the man who killed my father and Jack. He's the man who can tell us what was really going on in that laboratory and I intend to find him.'
I turned and began walking back towards the marina. She followed. There were still so many questions that she hadn't answered. I could press her yet I knew her answers would be more lies.
'Adam, what are you going to do now?'
I wasn't about to tell her. I drew up. Inside the marina office were two men; they were talking to the duty manager and they didn't look like sailors. I had to think quickly. I grabbed Jody's arm and pulled her back out of sight. 'You were followed.'
'I didn't see anyone.'
I swung her round so that she was facing me. 'Do you want me to find out who was working with your father?' I said urgently.
'Yes.'
'Then do as I say. Go back to your car and drive it round to the hotel. Stop there with the engine running and get out.'
'But what –'
'No questions,' I barked.
She considered for a brief moment. Then, 'OK.'
I watched her head towards the car park. Would she do as I asked? The two men inside the marina office didn't turn round. She started the engine. I ran through the boatyard until I came out by the entrance to the marina with the hotel opposite me. She climbed out, a puzzled expression on her face. I jumped in.
'I'll be in touch.'
I sped away. In my rear view mirror I saw her looking after me. No one followed me.
Just beyond Petersfield I pulled into a service station and sat for a few minutes before heading inside for something to eat. I stared into my coffee and ate my bacon sandwich. Blotting out the tinny Christmas songs that pervaded the steamy warmth of the café I tried to put the pieces of the jigsaw together. I didn't believe that cock and bull story she'd given me about just bumping into Jack. I didn't believe anything she had said except that her father was Drake and I knew that for a fact. What was she doing now? Had she called her accomplice and told him I was driving her car? She didn't know where I was heading though.
And the two men in the marina? I guessed they were Special Branch. Perhaps they had been following Jody? Would they question her? Maybe they had already done so. Had she called them when I had telephoned and asked her to meet me? That made some kind of sense if she didn't want me to discover the truth about her father; if she couldn't kill me then she could have me arrested. Sure, I could spout something about Drake and his research project, but Special Branch would ensure that either I wasn't believed, or that I would never be allowed to speak out about it. Special Branch didn't need to silence Jody because they knew that she would never want her father's treachery to be made public. And the person who had worked with Drake – was there one? Or was that pure fabrication too?
I finished my coffee and the last of my sandwich without tasting it, and called Simon from the public telephone in the corridor between the ladies' and gents' toilets. Harriet answered.
'He's not here, Adam. He said he had to go to London to sort out your father's affairs.'
I could hear the wariness in her voice. 'Then he's staying at the house?'
'Probably.' Then she added, 'He might not be alone.'
Faye? Was Simon with her? I rang off after telling her that I'd be in touch later.
The service station car park wasn't very full. I crossed to Jody's car but before I had gone half way a car pulled in behind it. I slowed my steps. In the car were the two men I'd seen in the marina office. How had they followed me here? Jody didn't know where I was heading. But then perhaps they didn't need to tail me. Perhaps Jody's car had some kind of tracking device in it. Was she aware of that I wondered?
I tapped my pockets as if I'd forgotten something then swiftly did an about turn and headed back to the service station. I called into the café area and my table as though to collect what I'd forgotten and glanced out of the window at the car. One of the men was missing from it.
I quickly left the café but instead of turning out of the exit I headed for the gents' toilet. Before reaching it I did a swift turn to the left with a quick glance over my shoulder; no one was behind me. I ran outside and as luck would have it a lorry driver was just climbing into his vehicle.
'Could you give me a lift, mate?' I called out.
The man poised, one foot on the step up into his cab. 'Where do you want to go?'
'London.'
'Then you're in luck. Hop on.'
He dropped me outside the Embankment and I caught the circle line to Victoria, from where I walked to Father's house. I pressed my finger on the bell and kept it there until a light went on in the hall.
'What the fuck do you think you're playing at?' Simon raged throwing open the door.
'I rather think that's my line.' I stepped over the threshold, surprising my brother with my assertiveness. 'You can tell Faye to come down, or shall I go up.' I paused with my foot on the bottom stair.
Simon looked as though he had dressed hastily, since his shirt was hanging out. He wore no tie, socks or shoes. He seemed to be on the point of denying that Faye was there, then shrugged and headed towards the kitchen calling as he went, 'Faye, it's your husband.'
As if she doesn't already know! Simon must have peered out of the window and seen me. I stayed where I was, my body rigid with tension, wondering what emotions would course through me when I saw her. Within a few seconds she appeared at the top of the stairs and glowered at me. I couldn't help smiling to myself. With Faye I would always be in the wrong.
'What on earth are you doing here?' she declared angrily.
I was amazed at her cheek. 'Aren't I supposed to say that?'
She raised her beautifully plucked eyebrows. She'd even had time to renew her lipstick. 'I don't know what you mean. I'm here helping Simon sort through your father's things.'
Oh, that was good. It was almost believable. The old me would have probably apologised. Now I saw the steely glint in her eyes that betrayed selfishness, the tightness of her mouth and the tilt of her chin that should have warned me years ago that Faye always got what she wanted.
'It won't work, Faye, not this time. I'm not interested in who you've been screwing, including my brother.'
She stared at me for a moment, as she calculated which way to jump: a straight denial or something serpentine? Seeing my expression, she must have decided the time for more fairy tales was over. As she descended the stairs, I thought I saw relief on her face. She pushed past me and I followed her to the kitchen where Simon was
sitting at the table with a whisky bottle and glass in front of him. He glanced at us and took a swig of his drink.
It was Faye who spoke first. 'I don't think you've got any cause to be so bloody righteous, Adam. You do realise the police have been to see me at work. You've put my whole career in jeopardy.'
'I doubt it.'
'You're wanted for murder, for heaven's sake!'
She reached across Simon and poured herself a glass of whisky. Neither of them offered me one. Simon glanced up at me a wary expression on his face, which, now that I looked closer, I could see was etched with worry. To him Faye had just been available and willing. I guessed that Simon's need for sex was a compulsion and already he was beginning to regret being involved with her.
In Cold Daylight Page 16