by Joy Ellis
Nikki’s words made no sense to her. Then Jessie’s heart began hammering in her chest. ‘Safe? Alive?’
Nikki gripped her shoulder. ‘He’s been taken to hospital for a check-over, but yes, he’s not been hurt physically.’
‘I have to go to him! Please, can we go now?’ She tried to control her breathing. ‘Where is he? Where have they taken him?’ She rubbed at her temples. ‘And who was that out on the fen? Why are they looking for me? I don’t understand!’ Panic was setting in.
‘Steady, steady,’ Joseph gently reassured her. ‘One thing at a time, Jess, but the main thing is that he is still alive. You always said he was, didn’t you?’
‘And you said I’d have my answer one day.’ Tears began to course down her cheeks. ‘My Graham! He’s safe.’
‘Now, Jess. I know this is a lot to ask, but you need to put your police officer’s hat back on and listen to what I have to tell you. You will see Graham, I promise, but not right now.’ The hand on her shoulder tightened its grip. ‘You are both in great danger and we need to make sure that you are taken somewhere safe. There has been a major breakthrough regarding Freddie Carver, but we think he believes that the leak came from Graham. It didn’t, but that is irrelevant. The main thing is that Freddie thinks it did, and he means to get back at Graham through you.’
The gravity of the situation suddenly became clear to her, and Jessie dried her eyes. Her joy at having her prayers answered would have to wait. For now she would be content to know that he was simply alive. ‘I understand,’ she said slowly. ‘And I’ll do whatever you tell me, ma’am.’
‘Good girl!’ Nikki squeezed her shoulder. ‘First, we have to find somewhere to hide you. And no one must know, Jess. Not even your friends back at the nick. Sadly, especially your colleagues at the nick.’ Her voice fell to a whisper. ‘Carver has someone spying for him at Greenborough, and whoever it is has been monitoring your comings and goings ever since Graham went missing.’
Initially Jessie felt shock, which soon became anger, and then outrage. ‘The slimeball! How dare they?’
‘For money. What else? And if he has someone in our station, he could have eyes and ears in any of the other local nicks.’
Jessie puffed out her cheeks and exhaled. ‘Where can I go, ma’am? Where is truly safe from a villain like Carver?’
‘I think we have a few options, although they are all far from perfect.’ Nikki sat back. ‘Hear me out and tell me what you think.’
* * *
Cat sipped her tea and looked over the top of her mug at Dave. ‘I can’t begin to describe that place, it was like something out of a Victorian asylum. That poor old man! I mean, his carers did their best, but he should have been in a proper home that specialised in dementia. And when I saw Graham! He looked just awful! Haunted, would be a good word. He had a thousand mile stare.’ She looked down into her tea, then brightened, ‘But . . . with what we found out at Appleton Dale, plus Graham’s evidence, we have more than enough to charge Carver when we catch him. And get this,’ she leaned closer to Dave, ‘Graham saw and heard a lot while he was in Derbyshire, and because he knew it was too dangerous to keep a diary, he made sure to remember dates and times and all manner of stuff about Carver. He said he would lie awake at night and repeat what he had learned over and over, like a mantra. He is a walking dossier on Freddie’s movements.’
‘And if Carver has any inkling of that, he will be sure to want to silence him.’
‘I think he’ll want to do that anyway, Dave. But Ben says that he’s got round-the-clock protection and is in a safe place. Oh, and Ben also said that Carver’s remaining two stooges, Lenny and Ezra, are singing like birds.’
Dave looked perplexed. ‘I’m not up to speed on this yet. What exactly was their part in this shambles?’
‘Gofers, mainly. Carver employed the three of them to act as messengers between Greenborough and his newly established set-up in the Peak District. They fetched and carried — information, drugs, sex workers, money for laundering, anything. Lenny and Ezra lived a few miles away from Appleton, on a small mobile home park. The third man, an evil psycho called Vic, couldn’t hack being cooped up and found himself a derelict cottage in the grounds of the old sanatorium, at the back of the Cavacini house.’
‘And that’s where the girls, Fern, Lilli and Sophie were kept and tortured?’
Cat nodded. ‘Vic was supposed to hack off a finger, send it to Graham Hildred as a warning of what would happen to Jessie if he crossed Carver, then dispose of the girl in whatever way he chose. They were expendable, mostly illegal immigrants who weren’t, for one reason or another, pulling their weight, or more likely, pulling the punters in the nightclubs.’
‘But Vic didn’t dispose of them?’ Dave felt slightly nauseous.
‘Vic was a predator. Deranged would be too kind a word for him. The others had no idea he had imprisoned the girls. They knew about them alright, and what was going to happen to them, but they believed he had killed and disposed of them, as per Freddie’s instruction. Then Vic had an asthma attack and let Sophie get away.’
‘Then they realised that he was working off the books, so to speak?’
‘Yes, and when Vic found himself with no woman to use and abuse, his urges got the better of him and he attempted to abduct and rape Zoë Wallace, the woman walking her dog. As soon as he realised he’d gone too far, he went to ground. Lenny found out, told Freddie, and Freddie sent another one of his deadly associates to sort the problem, permanently.’ Cat frowned. ‘We don’t know anything for sure but Fabian and Venables are the favourites for that. It had all the hallmarks of a professional hit.’
Dave massaged his temples. ‘You said Vic had done a runner? How come he was found right where he’d been squatting?’
‘That was Lenny and Ezra’s fault. Vic was killed and dumped outside their caravan at dawn, a warning to keep them on their toes. They panicked, put the body in the car before it got too light, and took it out to the old hospital. No one ever went there. The idea was to wait in Vic’s cottage until nightfall and bury him in the woods.’
‘Except that you and Ben Radley and his team went calling. Nice one.’
‘It was a brilliant result, but I can’t feel pleased about it because of Jessie and Graham. If anything happens to them I’ll never forgive myself.’
‘Lord! It’s not your fault, Cat. I’m sure the boss will find somewhere to magic her away to, until the dust settles.’ Dave sighed. ‘We can’t use one of our safe houses because of the threat of a mole right here among us. So it’s down to Nikki right now.’
‘You’ve heard from her?’
‘Yes, thank heavens, although it was just a brief message before the signal broke up again. She’d located Joseph and Jessie but told me no more than that. Where they are exactly, I have no idea.’
‘Best that way, my friend.’
‘I just don’t like it. Carver is ruthless.’
‘So is Nikki Galena. And Carver is threatening one of her little lambs.’ Cat finished her tea. ‘And I’ll place my money on the detective inspector.’
Dave yawned loudly. ‘We should get home and get some rest. But I want to see the boss back safe.’
‘You go, Davey. I’ll hang out here and ring you when she gets in, I promise.’
‘You need sleep too, Cat.’
‘I’m not sure I’ll ever sleep again after seeing that awful house in Appleton Dale.’ She stretched. ‘And I want to call Ben and see how things have gone down in the Peaks.’
‘You like him, don’t you?’
Cat smiled almost shyly, ‘You can’t help but like him. He comes over so tough, the kind of guy that you’d cross the street to avoid on a dark night, but he’s a really lovely man.’ The smile widened, ‘And I could be wrong, but I’m pretty certain that the boss sent me over there because . . . no, cancel my last. No way would Nikki Galena do a thing like that.’
‘Thing like what?’
‘Oh, nothing. You
’re right, I’m tired. I can’t see the boss as a matchmaker, can you?’
‘Our rough-tough boss? Perish the thought!’
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Nikki sounded rattled. ‘As I see it, we are between a rock and a hard place. I’m certain those headlights turning onto the marsh lane were those of Carver’s men. Now, for someone to know their way about on this stretch of the Fens, he has to have done his homework. That means he might also know that we are pretty well holed up here, as there is only one recognised way out of this maze.’
‘So they’ll be watching and waiting?’
‘Exactly, although I’m not one hundred per cent certain that the second vehicle actually stayed with the first one. As they dimmed their lights, I thought I saw it turn back onto the main road. But I can’t be sure, so it would still be very risky indeed to drive back up to that junction. I know that only one car would have Jessie in it, and we could conceal her under blankets in the back, but there might be two of them and two of us. Not particularly good odds.’
‘Although as advanced police pursuit drivers we do have the edge in a road race,’ murmured Joseph. ‘Even so, we can’t risk it.’
‘What were the other ideas?’ asked Jessie.
‘This would be my third choice, simply because we do not know who we can and can’t trust at the station.’ Nikki nibbled on her bottom lip. ‘We could request back up and bring the blues and twos out here in force. Carver’s men certainly wouldn’t want to get involved in chasing police cars around the county, and as his men are jumping ship, I doubt there will be any local assistance for them.’
Joseph nodded. ‘That would be my first choice, if it weren’t for the fact that there’s a cuckoo in the nest. And possibly more of his people at other local police stations, so again, we really can’t risk it, can we?’
‘Which brings me to the last option, and even that isn’t looking too clever.’ Nikki sighed. ‘There are five cottages out here on the edge of Carter’s Fen, and I’m willing to bet even old farmer Ruddick, who has lived here all his life, doesn’t know where two of them are. Three are inhabited, and two are derelict. One of those two belonged to my great aunt. We tried to sell it years ago, but had no luck. Apart from being a wreck, it’s too remote to be even a hideaway retreat, and the ground is soft silt, so you could never build there. We left it to the elements.’
‘You think we should camp there?’ Jessie did not feel at all happy about that.
‘You and Joseph, yes. Just for the night. But you’d be completely cut off, that’s my worst fear, no phones, no radios, no contact.’
‘So what about you?’
‘You may have noticed that I said there was only one recognised way out of here. Well, there is another, but it would be foolhardy to attempt it at night with no lights.’ She paused. ‘Although I am considering giving it a try. I have to get back to set things up, and it’s not easy when you can’t rely on your fellow officers for support.’
‘What about going back to that spot where we had phone signal coverage and ringing in,’ Jessie suggested. ‘We’d worry ourselves sick if you were going cross-country in the dark.’
‘I wouldn’t even attempt that off-road trek now that night has set in. We got here okay, but it’s much darker now. No, I need to get to the station, and Joseph needs to keep you safe and hidden until I get back. I’m going to go back to the main road and take my chances. I can drive that stretch blindfold. When I get closer I can evaluate whether we are still being watched, then decide how to play it.’ In the darkness, Jessie sensed her boss grinning. ‘I’m good at games, especially when they involve fast cars.’
Jessie believed her, but was still unhappy about being left on the fen. ‘Can’t we come with you, ma’am? I’m willing to take the chance too.’
‘But I’m not. If you fell into the hands of a man like Fabian, or his wicked sidekick, Venables . . .’ Nikki shivered. ‘It just doesn’t bear thinking about.’
‘If you say so.’
‘I do. My idea is to come back at first light, with a small group of people we know we can trust, meaning Cat, Dave, Niall and Yvonne, maybe the superintendent. By then I will have sorted a safe house and we’ll make sure that Carver and his cohorts can’t find you.’
‘So where is this cottage?’ asked Joseph.
‘About half a mile away and heading towards the marsh. This path will take us close, then we’ll conceal your car in an old barn on the edge of the property and go on foot.’ She drew in a breath. ‘My hopes are that Carver’s men did split up, and also that they don’t know this area as well as I do. Hopefully they will suspect that one car took another route off the fen, and then I’ll make a big thing about driving off onto the main road.’
‘So they will believe that we have all left the area under cover of darkness and have no reason to hunt for us.’ Jessie considered the idea. ‘That’s possible.’
‘She’ll be safe with me,’ Joseph said solemnly to Nikki.
‘I’d not leave her with anyone else, that’s for sure.’ Nikki touched his arm. ‘Shall we give it a try?’
‘I don’t think we have much choice, do you?’
Nikki opened the car door. ‘Then follow me, and no lights, okay? It’s not nearly as bad as the route we took to get here, but, Joseph? Be careful.’
‘Oh, I will!’
* * *
Ben Radley had half an hour before he needed to go. Initially he had been surprised that his chief superintendent had asked him to debrief Graham Hildred. Then he thought about it and understood the reasoning. When someone had undergone such a traumatic event in their lives, a friendly, familiar face, along with a psychiatrist, were considered optimum. Normally it would have been someone he trusted from his own station, but knowing that Greenborough had been infiltrated by Carver, that was considered unsuitable. And Ben had known Graham from their advanced driving courses. He guessed that his close involvement in the wrecking of Freddie Carver’s new empire also made him a safe bet to be privy to the inside info that Graham had to impart. He just hoped that he was capable of juggling efficiency with compassion. Graham Hildred had suffered so much, the last thing Ben wanted to do was make him relive the nightmare.
The phone ringing brought him out of his reverie. He was delighted to hear Cat’s cheerful voice.
‘Home safe. Just thought I’d touch base with you.’
Ben felt ridiculously happy that she cared enough to consider phoning him. He was pretty sure that their private phones were safe from inquisitive ears, but did not dare risk telling her that he was just off to the private clinic where Graham was being cared for. Instead, they chatted for several minutes and he promised to get across to Greenborough as soon as things calmed down. He still owed her a meal and wasn’t going to forget that.
When Ben reluctantly ended the call, he felt confused. The euphoria was wearing off, and he was feeling a strange sense of dislocation. Hunting for Fern’s killer had occupied his life. It had been his reason for getting up in the morning and for going to work. It had filled his days and haunted his nights. It had been food and drink to him. Now it was almost over, and he wasn’t sure how to cope with the void that was slowly opening up in front of him.
Suddenly his view of the police force had altered. And he was pretty sure that it was because he had met Cat Cullen and her boss, DI Nikki Galena. They had something he did not have, and he was pretty certain there was nothing like it where he was right now.
Apathy and resentment were spreading through his station like a cancer eating up healthy tissue. He realised that Greenborough would be fighting the same battle, but somehow they seemed to be handling it better. Cat’s team were still just that — a proper team. DI Galena was clearly steering a steady course through the rough seas of political change, and he wanted to be part of something like that.
Ben looked around his spartan home and saw very little to warm his heart. So much had gone after he separated from his wife. Anything she had wanted, he’d l
et her have. Now, as he looked around, it seemed she had wanted quite a lot. And as for his lovely dead daughter, he couldn’t even bear to look at a photo of her, so the place had no pictures and no decorations. He could be living in a monk’s cell, and the only thing missing was a crucifix on the wall.
Then there were his feelings for Cat. During his crusade to bring Fern’s killer to justice, he had allowed nothing and no one near him. In all that time, his only emotion had been anger — and frustration by the cartload. Then he had sat down with Cat in that hospital, and experienced something quite alien to him. He had been at peace. And when he’d spoken to her just now, he’d had the same feeling of calm. It had seemed to flow like a meandering stream, pooling in his head and his heart.
He looked around again. He would miss nothing here. There was nothing at work that was important to him anymore, apart from a few mates he respected. He could walk out tomorrow. He liked the area, but then he liked walking, and you could walk anywhere.
Ben drew in a deep breath. As he exhaled, he knew that there were only two things he truly wanted. To be rid of Freddie Carver, and to be with Cat Cullen.
* * *
As Ben contemplated his future, Graham Hildred was doing the same. From the grapevine he gathered that Jessie had held a torch for him all the time he had been missing. He had prayed that would be the case, simply because he loved her, but the thought of her being lonely and anxious had been very hard to bear. It had been so long!
All the time they had been apart he had fretted over her safety. He knew that Carver had her under observation, and he had been terrified that one of Freddie’s psycho helpers would one day do something terrible to her. And he was still worried now. He had tried to get a message to her, but had received no answer. He knew that strict protocol had to be observed, and he would comply with it. It was just so hard not to be able to see her again. His heart ached to just be with her, somewhere quiet, peaceful. Just to be.
Graham looked down at the open notebook in front of him. He had been methodically writing down all his memories. Dates, times, personnel activity, telephone conversations, visitors and overheard conversations. His memory wasn’t photographic, but it was good. He had trained himself to recall dates using a system of mnemonics he devised himself. There hadn’t been much else to occupy his mind during that awful time. There had been no friends, no phone, no television and no radio. All he had were a few paperback novels and his imagination.