Adam stood up, gave the fire a sturdy poke and then leaned against the mantelpiece. Uh-ho! she thought, here it comes.
He cleared his throat before speaking, just as Diana remembered he always did. Some things never change, she thought fondly.
“I expect you all want to know what’s happened to Claude Brookes. Thankfully, he’s made a statement, confessing to the murder of his children, Sally and Stuart, six years ago. Strangely enough, he’s also admitted responsibility for the death of Debbie’s parents, which was something I didn’t see coming.” He frowned, annoyed with himself.
Diana sat up straight. “I knew it! I knew he had something to do with their deaths.”
Steve and Adam looked surprised as her words. “How?”
“Well, think back to when Clare hypnotised Debbie. I wonder if she’ll keep that name. I don’t think I could get used to Yvonne now, could you? Anyway she said that her mum and dad were acting oddly. She thought they were worried about something, possibly to do with her health. They visited Debbie and Claude, and her mother took Debbie aside and asked what their relationship was. Were they a couple? She went on, if I remember, saying she thought Claude was a bit old for her and how Debbie had changed her hair and clothes. She thought they were more suitable for young girls. Debbie said Claude chose her clothes.”
Diana paused as she thought back to the night before, suddenly feeling tired. “Then later on, Claude asked Debbie what they talked about, and she laughed and said they thought she needed to update her wardrobe. When her parents were leaving, her father said it was time she went home for a short stay because they saw so little of her, and they needed to talk. Claude suddenly remembered he had forgotten something back on the campus and left in his car soon after them. Then Debbie had a phone call saying they’d been killed in a hit-and-run. The real clue was that Claude’s car had apparently been stolen. I guessed he followed them, ran them off the road, and ditched his car.”
Steve and Adam looked at each other and acknowledged her guesswork with a double nod. “Well done,” Steve said with a grin.
“One fantastic piece of news is that neither of the Frost children has been sexually molested. Charlie has a nasty bruise, but apart from that they were lucky,” Adam continued. Everyone drew a sigh of relief after hearing these words. Sexual assault was something they had all been dreading to hear. This, Adam reflected, was what made his work worthwhile. With so much misery in the job, he hated the times when he had to tell parents their child was dead or had been hurt. “I only hope Debbie can see the past for what it was and now turn her back on it. Do you think she will need much help?” asked Diana.
Clare entered the conversation for the first time. She had a bandage round her head, covering the stitches and an elasticated stocking on her ankle. She looked exhausted. Diana decided there and then both she and Adam were to move in and stay the week with them. “I don’t think she will, actually. She must be tough to survive the original horrors she went through. If she is strong enough, she’ll emerge from this last ordeal and look forward to living a normal life.”
“Deliver us from evil,” said Diana. “What about poor Roger? Did Brookes confess to his murder as well?”
Adam nodded. “There’s something else, too. Something quite horrific. After we caught Brookes, and because they found Hannah’s shoe by the river, they started a thorough search of the river and the well. The police haven’t had enough time yet because it’s now dark, and I hate to tell you this, but they suspect they’ll find a number of missing children either down the well or on the riverbed.”
There was a collective gasp of horror.
“They think Brookes may be responsible for the disappearance of at least six other children.”
“My God,” Diana said. “One for each year he was here. How monstrous!”
“Yes, and we’ll be going through his old case notes back home, too. How many other children’s deaths will we link to him?” Adam looked bleak as he spoke.
“I think we all need a drink, and I don’t mean more coffee,” said Steve, leaving Diana’s side and moving towards the decanters. “Who wants a drop of the hard stuff?”
While Steve dispensed drinks all round, Diana thought how lucky they were to arrive at Brookes’ house in time. If he was a serial killer, he would definitely have killed both children. She took a sip of her brandy and pulled a face. It was something she rarely drank, but the occasion seemed to warrant it. Everyone sat back down and gathered their thoughts.
“I’ve been meaning to ask you, Diana. We both agreed last night that the suspect was James, Debbie’s old boyfriend. When did you change your mind?” Clare asked.
Diana took her time to gather her thoughts.
“Yes, I’ve been wondering that too,” said Adam. “Don’t tell me it was a gut feeling once again.”
She gave him a withering look before switching her attention back to Clare. “It was a gradual thing. Lots of little clues kept popping up and things which didn’t make sense. We all agreed the killer had to know the kids and he had murdered Debbie’s other children because he mentioned they were strangled with their own scarves. Only the killer would have known that. Would Debbie have told James that vital piece of evidence? Would she have spoken to him during the trial?”
Everyone murmured their agreement. “A lot was centred on Roger and his disappearance. He told me he was going home for only a short time, and he never returned. Roger wore a distinctive yellow scarf, the one I subsequently found down the well, all bloody from his head wound where Bolton took the axe to him. He had said he’d seen Bolton that day between his and Debbie’s house. He was ‘snug in his car’, were his words. Okay, there was nothing wrong in that, but Bolton was out during that fateful morning.” Diana paused and looked round the room. Everyone looked shaken. They knew what had happened to Roger, because of what Charlie had said, but he was only a child. Hearing this first-hand from Diana was shocking.
“Finding the two-pound coin by the well, I jumped to the conclusion that it was Roger’s. It was this which focused my suspicions and made me look down inside.
Steve nodded. “Roger’s collected odd coins for years.”
“Can I have a refill, please,” she asked, holding up her empty glass. She was still feeling rather shaky. While Steve did the honours, Diana continued.
“Then I suppose the final clues fell into place and confirmed my suspicions once I entered Bolton’s house with Clare. What single man has a child’s fairy-tale book stuffed out of sight down the side of the sofa cushions? And l noticed from his groceries dumped on the floor a bottle of a well-known brand of children’s bubble bath.”
Clare immediately sat up with a strange look on her face. “Water!”
“What’s the matter? Do you feel faint?” Adam jumped to his feet.
“No…no! Sit down. I mean everything centred on water…like I explained after I’d hypnotised Debbie. I said that when we entered Debbie’s house I had a feeling that water was involved.”
“I hardly think bubble bath is a good example.” Adam pooh-poohed.
Clare turned to Diana. “You remember. Last night, when we took a break, I came over to you and told you I had an uneasy feeling, but I knew it had something to do with water.”
Diana looked at Adam and Steve in turn. “She’s right. She did. And then today when we were searching, Clare said she couldn’t shake off a very real sensation of water.” She looked back at Clare. “If I recall you said something like, ‘It’s as if it’s…all around me, choking, cold, so cold, roaring and seething and rolling…it’s so tangible.’”
Clare nodded, while Steve and Adam looked at each other. It wasn’t that they didn’t believe her, it was just a tad uncomfortable and creepy.
“And then Roger was dumped down the well into the water, Hannah’s shoe was found near the river, and…and the bubble bath and bath water—” Clare couldn’t continue.
“Charlie stood in freezing cold water in the pithari. And ev
en I fell in a stream and soaked my trousers,” Diana finished for her.
There was a silence while everyone thought about what the two women had said.
After a minute or two, Adam cleared his throat. “Well, I hate to have to say this, but I don’t know if I can cope with two female sleuths around me! You are staying out in Cyprus aren’t you, Diana?” His words broke the seriousness of their situation, and they all smiled.
“I suppose Brookes or Bolton as we know him must have taken Debbie’s first children in his car. Because he was their father, they went willingly,” Steve said after a pause. “Although I think Debbie suppressed the fact that they were frightened of him. I wonder what the bastard was doing when he smacked Sally after allegedly being naughty.”
“Don’t go there, darling,” Diana said thinking of their little daughter safely tucked up in bed upstairs. “It could actually have been James, as he knew the kids pretty well.”
“But it wasn’t.”
“No.”
“So, there we have it. Another crime solved,” Adam said with a smile in Diana’s direction. “Except there is one thing we haven’t mentioned. Brookes was supposed to have drowned, or committed suicide when his children were murdered. He must have staged it.”
“Yes, and that brings me to my last deciding factor.”
“Which is?” everyone asked in a chorus.
“The biggest giveaway was Bolton’s binoculars. He left them in the living room, and I got a good look at them. They were an expensive pair of Steiners.”
“Yes?” They all looked expectantly at her.
“Well, the pair he had is mostly used by sailors. Brookes was a sailor…I bet you anything they were his sailing binoculars. When he scuppered his boat, he can’t have been able to bring himself to get rid of them. Those are far too heavy for birdwatching.”
“As I said before, alio crimine solvitur,” Adam repeated.
A log shifted in the stove, sending up a shower of sparks. Diana looked down at her hands in her lap while she spoke. “I thought you’d be furious with me, Adam, for leaving Clare alone in the house with him. I hated doing it, and I’m sure I’ll have nightmares for weeks to come, but I had to. When I returned with Debbie, we were scared stiff, but we had to see if Hannah was inside. I was sure you’d blow my head off for being impulsive and stupid.”
Adam spent a full minute gazing at Diana before choosing his words with care. “I was scared for you, scared for all of you. But, Diana, you did what you thought was right, and you had the courage of your convictions. You strengthened your resolve to carry on in spite of great danger. Courage is a strange thing, but perhaps it is the greatest of all virtues. You see, I believe that unless we have that virtue inside us, then we would have no security for preserving any other. No, Diana, you acted on your own strength and wisdom, and I cannot condemn you for that.”
The End
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If you have enjoyed this novel why not read these other
Faith Mortimer books:
To date Faith has written and published:
‘THE ASSASSINS' VILLAGE’. (1st novel in The Diana Rivers series). A murder mystery set in the Troodos mountains of Cyprus. This 93,000 word paperback & eBook was chosen on the Harper Collins/Authonomy site out of over 8000 books to be the Number 1 book!
‘CHILDREN OF THE PLANTATION’. (2nd in The Diana Rivers series), murder mystery, set in exotic Malaysia during the 1960's and 1950's and the present. The story concerns a family whose dark secrets threaten to destroy the family.
‘THE SURGEON'S BLADE’. (3rd in the Diana Rivers series) This psychological thriller is tense and thrilling and guarantees to keep you on the edge of your seat!
‘CAMERA ACTION...MURDER’! (4th in the Diana Rivers Mystery/Suspense series). Diana finds herself in danger after discovering a body…will she be the next victim?
‘THE BAMBOO MIRROR’. An eclectic collection of short stories, including: ghosts, murder, mystery, romance and greed.
‘A VERY FRENCH AFFAIR’. Romance, Heartache and Suspense set on the beautiful south coast of France.
'THE SEEDS OF TIME - BOOK 1 of THE CROSSING'. Action-Adventure plus Romantic Suspense.
'HARVEST - BOOK 2 of THE CROSSING' Continues from Book 1. Action-Adventure full of romantic suspense.
‘DEVIL’S BRAE’ (1st novel in the ‘Dark Minds’ Thriller series) – A Psychological Thriller set in the wilds of the Scottish Highlands.
‘ON CHRISTMAS HILL” A Seasonal Affair – Sometimes destiny needs a helping hand…..... Romance blossoms at Christmastide.
“A DEADLY LEARNING”-The 6th "Diana Rivers" Murder Mystery - When author and amateur sleuth, Diana Rivers travels to Portugal for a holiday, murder is the last thing on her mind.
An extract from Faith Mortimer’s Action & Adventure two novel set “The Crossing”
The Seeds Of Time - Book One of The Crossing
by FAITH MORTIMER
Dedication
To the gallant men of the British Royal Navy Coastal Forces who served with such bravery and distinction during the Second World War.
Prologue
Germany 1945
Billy gathered his treasures together and laid them at the end of his ramshackle bunk in hut nineteen. There wasn’t a lot to account for three years’ incarceration at the hands of the sometimes brutal Germans, but his treasures represented his life and, more importantly, his soul. He thought about the refugees who had filed past the gates of his camp: old people; women with children; babes in arms; the injured, burned and terrified and the deranged. All were fleeing from the horrors, the Christians among them struggling to believe and reconcile their religious beliefs with Nazi cold-blooded excesses and mass murder.
Billy considered his pitiful little pile: Christmas cards from Penny, her heavily censored letters and her simple but evocative poetry, the handmade playing cards, two cigarettes, the German soldier’s – Dieter’s – belt buckle and Nathaniel’s penny whistle. Nathaniel. Billy shook his head in regret and fought back the familiar choking feeling that arose in his throat whenever he thought about it. He thrust his dark thoughts aside and continued picking over his possessions. He would take as many clothes as he could carry. He had nothing heavy. He had given his Bible away, hopefully to someone who would put it to better use than he. Gathering up his things, he tied them into a bundle with his faded and well-darned pullover and slung it over his shoulder. He straightened his back, lifted his head, and stood as erect as his gammy leg allowed. I’ll march out of here proudly, he thought. He and his comrades formed into ranks and marched smartly up to the gates. The weak and sick were supported by their stronger colleagues, their spirits rising. They didn’t know where they were going, but it had to be a better place than this.
The Seeds of Time
Chapter 1
The Atlantic 2005
Richard knew he had no choice. It had to be now; he would never get another chance. He took a deep breath and pushed off the heaving wet deck of his yacht. With sheer determination, he dived for the rescue net. He hit the water, and his lower torso disappeared into the black froth that seemed to claw and clutch at him. Somehow, he managed to stretch out, and as he grabbed the harsh net with one arm, he felt the mesh tangle around him. The ship lurched, and this time he was fully immersed in deep water. What seemed like minutes later, he broke the surface, coughing and choking, the salt stinging his eyes. Clamping his other hand round the netting, Richard clung to it like a limpet. The water roared and hissed around his ears, terrifyingly black. He knew he must climb the rescue net quickly, as his energy was rapidly ebbing away, and conditions weren’t going to get any better.
Moving one arm higher, he found a rung and hauled himself up, grunting with the exertion as he did so. His hands were bleeding from fresh cuts where he had smashed against the rough barnacles on the ship’s hull. Fatigue was rapidly overwhelming him. The past few days
of untold stress and lack of sleep were taking their toll. Gritting his teeth, he managed to move up another foot of net and then by willpower alone, he pulled himself up rung by rung. He heard the faint encouraging cries of the crew far above him and paused. He looked up and saw a line of faces peering down at him. His adrenalin surged, and with renewed vigour, he at last collapsed thankfully on the ship’s deck.
Utterly exhausted by his ordeal, Richard lay there not quite believing where he was. Water streamed off his body, and he knew that soon he would begin to feel the cold as it seeped through to his bones. Coughing and retching seawater, Richard sat up, suddenly noticing the ring of sturdy-looking sea boots before him. He attempted to stand and felt strong arms supporting him. He braced his legs against the motion of the deck and looked round. A circle of anxious faces stared back: a stocky bearded fellow whom he assumed to be the captain, four or five crew members, and an ashen-faced Toby. The captain cleared his throat, about to speak.
Again, Richard looked around his surroundings and forestalled him by saying hoarsely, ‘Where’s Connie? Where’s my wife?’ His voice wavered, and he felt his heart thump wildly in his chest. There was silence. No one spoke. All sounds drifted away from him. He was in a dreamlike glide, and the reality was too strange to comprehend. He felt as though his actions were slowing, as if in a slow-motion film, frame by frame passing by. Everything took an eternity: a raised hand placed on his shoulder, a sentence spoken slowly by someone, but everything seen with an achingly clear focus, sharply defined. He imagined her limp in his arms, her head thrown back, and the curve of her throat, so beautiful. She was gone.
The slow world turned crimson red. It spun wildly on its axis and then rushed up to engulf him as his head hit the hard deck with a thump.
CHILDHUNT: A Mystery & Suspense Thriller in the Bestselling Diana Rivers Series (The Diana Rivers Mysteries Book 5) Page 22