by M A Comley
“Yes, they can vouch for me. What’s going on? What am I supposed to have done wrong?”
“We’ll need the names and addresses of your friends before we leave. Last night, or rather first thing this morning, around one thirty, a taxi your ex-girlfriend, Nelda, was travelling in with her companions was driven off the road.”
Fox’s face dropped, and he ran a shaking hand through his hair. “What? Is she all right? I better ring her to make sure.”
“No, she’s fine. No real damage done, except to the taxi. Is your car outside, Mr. Fox?”
“You’re incredible! I’ve already told you that I was out with the lads last night on the piss. Are you trying to catch me out for a drink driving charge, too? I’ve heard you coppers take pride in stitching folks up.”
“Not at all. There’s no need to be so defensive. If you have nothing to hide, you won’t mind showing us your vehicle, will you?”
Fox wrapped his housecoat around his puffed-out chest and tied it at the waist. “Very well. It’s outside. I’ll show you. Prove to you that I’m innocent.”
“Thank you. We appreciate your assistance. Once you prove you had no involvement in the case and you’ve given us the names and addresses of your drinking partners, then we’ll get out of your hair and leave you to enjoy the rest of your day off.”
The three men retraced their steps through the house to the front door. Fox pointed to his car parked outside the house. Hero and Jason circled the car, inspecting the front bumper thoroughly. Hero was disappointed to find that the car appeared to be intact.
“Huh, are you going to apologise now?” Fox snarled at them.
“I don’t think I need to apologise for doing my job, Mr. Fox. Now, if you’ll give us the other information we asked for, we’ll leave you in peace.”
Fox fired off several names and addresses then stormed back into the house, slamming the door behind him.
“Pleasant sort of chap. What’s next?” Jason asked as they got back into Hero’s car.
“Jury is still out for me until we’ve spoken to his friends. He could have borrowed one of their cars. We’ll soon find out. I intend checking all of their vehicles, too.”
“I don’t blame you. Do you want me to look up the addresses on the map, see which one is closest, and go from there?”
“Yep. I’ll head back to the main road while you figure out where the first port of call should be.”
Jason pulled the map out of the door pocket, and seconds later, he tapped it a few times with his finger. “Here we go. This one is about five minutes from here.”
By lunchtime, they had only succeeded in questioning only one of the men Fox had been out on the town with, and that had drawn a blank as the man had fully corroborated his story. Pulling up outside the local pub, Hero declared that he and Jason deserved a treat. They snuck inside for a ploughman’s lunch and a glass of orange juice.
“It’s puzzling for sure. Something doesn’t quite ring true about this bloke. Given his past record, I’m disappointed we couldn’t nail him for this,” Hero said.
Jason agreed. “It does seem strange. Maybe this Nelda has another mad ex-boyfriend who’s to blame. Some girls tend to attract the same kind of blokes, from what I’ve seen over the years.”
Hero pointed a finger at the constable. “You could be onto something there. I’ll give Nelda a ring when we get back to the station and see if she can supply us with any other possible names to chase up. At least she can discount Fox from her list. I’m sure that will put her mind at ease.”
“It might do. There again, it might do the opposite and make her feel even more insecure knowing that someone else is after her. Or I suppose we shouldn’t really discount the possibility that this was a genuine accident.”
“Maybe. I doubt that, though. The car was rammed twice, remember?”
Jason shrugged. “Maybe the intended target wasn’t this Nelda, after all. What about the other passengers? Perhaps we should be checking into their pasts, too? Just to be on the safe side.”
“Crap, you could be right. You drive while I get the ball rolling.” Hero threw the surprised constable the keys. “Slowly. Got that?”
Jason nodded like an excited schoolboy and raced around the front of the car to the driver’s door. Hero pressed number one on his mobile phone and settled himself into the unfamiliar passenger seat of his car. “Fay, it’s me. Listen, I’ve just paid Paul Fox a visit and have found no proof that he was involved in the accident last night.”
“You’re kidding! Did you check his car?”
“Yes, love, of course I did. He told me that he was out on the town with a few of his mates. That’s our next job, to verify his story. Something else occurred to me—or rather, my colleague, Jason—what if Nelda wasn’t the target?”
“What? She has to be. You think the other things that have blighted her life recently are all coincidences?”
“All right, love, try and calm down. Can you do me a favour? To save time, will you ask the girls you were with if they had any dodgy characters in their past who could possibly be tempted to go out of their way to harm them?”
“I’ll ask, but I think you’ll be wasting your time going down that route, Hero.”
“Humour me. Can you ring me back within the hour?”
“Okay, bye.”
Fay hung up before he could respond. “Oops, she’s pretty pissed off. My wife is adamant that Fox is the culprit.”
“Maybe she’s right, if her instinct is usually that good.”
“Meaning?”
Jason glanced at Hero then back at the road. “What if Fox used someone else’s car last night?”
“That’s certainly worth considering. Right, let’s try and track down the rest of his friends. While I’m talking to them, perhaps you can look over their vehicles. How’s that?” Hero said, punching the first address into the sat nav.
“Sounds like a plan to me.”
They called at the other two addresses Fox had given them and spoke to the two men he’d spent the previous evening with. Again they came up with nothing. The men’s cars proved to be undamaged, too. No hint of a scratch anywhere. Fay rang back with more information about the other passengers in the car, so they returned to the station to continue the investigation with the aid of their databases.
After several hours, their investigations continued to be riddled with frustrations. When the clock struck five, Hero insisted they call it a day and head home. Though tempted, Hero passed by the pub without making a detour on his way home. He had a feeling his evening would be anything but pleasant once he shared the news of his uselessness with his wife.
Fay was putting the finishing touches on a shepherd’s pie when he walked into the kitchen.
He wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head on her shoulder. “Smells good, almost as good as you.”
Fay twisted in his arms to face him. “Why, thank you. Is this you creeping to gloss over any bad news you’re about to share with me?”
Hero released her and stepped back. “Would I do such a thing?”
Fay nodded. “Yes, you would.”
“Sorry, love, it’s not good news. I’ve finished the day none the wiser. To be honest, I think we need to put this down to a mere accident.”
Fay glared at him, making him regret his statement. “Really? An accident where the car I was travelling in got bumped up the rear not once, but twice? Here’s another thing to consider while you’re making excuses for this creep. If it was a genuine accident, why didn’t the driver stick around to find out how we were or to apologise?”
“I’m sorry, I don’t have all the answers at my fingertips, love. Truly, I am. All I can say is now that Paul Fox is on our radar, I’ll make sure we keep a close eye on him.”
“Really? So, you think he’s an innocent man?”
“You’re twisting my words. We’re not sure if he’s guilty or innocent just yet. The evidence is proving the latter right now.” He w
ent to the cutlery drawer and extracted the cutlery needed to lay the table for dinner.
Fay groaned and stormed out of the kitchen. He could hear her on the phone in the lounge and presumed she was ringing Nelda to share the bad news.
When Fay returned to the kitchen, she froze him out until they were sitting at the table, eating their meal, and then, the conversation was only so Louie didn’t pick up on the atmosphere between them.
Huh! So much for reaching out and trying to do a mate a good deed.
CHAPTER SIX
After hearing the bad news from Fay, Nelda sank into her sofa and buried her head in her hands. After the sobbing eventually died down, she asked, “What will it take to stop him? My death? I know Paul is to blame for this. What can I do to make people believe me?”
That evening, she cooked her meal but ended up throwing three quarters of it in the bin, untouched. She stared at the picture above her fireplace. It usually calmed her, but it did nothing to change her mood that night. She felt wretched, out of control of her past, present, and future. What on earth could she do to change things? A lightbulb went off, and a possible solution popped into her head. Move. I’ll pack up my bags and move out. But where could I go? All the money I have in the world is tied up in this place. My salary wouldn’t stand me renting somewhere else while this place is on the market. I don’t want to move back home with Mum, either. She kicked out at the leg of the coffee table. Damn, why me? What have I ever done—A crash outside interrupted her train of thought. She was rooted to the spot. She heard another noise right by the back door.
The need for a weapon guided her into the kitchen, where she removed a carving knife from the block on the counter and tiptoed up to the half-glazed back door. Though darkness had descended, she could just make out the outline of a cat sitting on the doorstep. She let out a sigh of relief, closed her eyes, and leaned against the wall. “Thank God.”
Her relief was quickly shattered when someone knocked at the front door. “Shit! I’m not expecting anyone. Do I answer it or not?” The person knocked again, forcing her to venture through the house to answer it. “Who’s there?”
“Open up, Nelda. It’s only me,” Fay called out.
Nelda removed the chain and pulled open the door. “Crap, you scared the shit out of me. Quick, come in.” Nelda yanked Fay by the arm into the hallway.
“Are you all right? You’re deathly white.”
“I heard a noise in the back garden. I think it was a cat, but then not long after, you knocked on the door. Sorry, I think I’m losing my mind. Totally thinking unpractical about things. What are you doing here anyway?”
“I was narked with Hero so decided to get away from him for a few hours. I’ll leave if I’m not welcome,” Fay said with a wink.
“You dare! I could do with the company to help pour water on my irrational behaviour. I don’t want to be the cause of any angst between you guys, though, Fay. If Hero couldn’t find any evidence, perhaps there really isn’t anything out there for him to find. Give him a break, eh?”
“I suppose, but then how do I combat the unsettling feeling I have in my gut about this guy? I know you, Nelda. I’ve known you for a long time, and I’ve never seen you so freaked out before. He’s killing your spirit, either directly or indirectly. I hate to see that happening to a dear friend of mine.”
“You’re very sweet, I’m not sure what we can do to correct that, Fay.”
“Neither do I. I’m willing to thrash a few things around, though, see what we can come up with between us.”
“Deal. Let me get some glasses and a bottle of wine.”
“Maybe I’d be better off with a coffee. I have to drive home later.”
“You’re right. Perhaps it would be better going over a plan with a clear head. I still have the remnants of last night’s alcohol intake inside me anyway.”
A few minutes later, with their coffee cups in hand, they sat on the sofa with a pad and pen. Nelda made columns labelled ‘plausible’ and ‘implausible.’
“Hero said there was nothing on either Paul’s or any of his mates’ cars. No scratches or dents in the bumpers at all.”
Nelda narrowed her eyes as she thought, then she clicked her fingers together. “Stolen car! What if he stole a car and then dumped it after he’d carried out the attack?”
Fay chortled. “I think you’ve been watching too many crime programmes and you now have an overactive imagination.”
“You could be right. Still, we shouldn’t discard that suggestion just yet. I’ll pop it in the plausible column here. Right, what else can you think of?”
Fay hummed as she thought then widened her eyes and tugged on her friend’s forearm. “What if he paid a friend to carry out the attack?”
Nelda laughed. “Remind me who told me, not five minutes ago, that I had been watching too many crime shows lately?”
“Yeah, I know. It does sound kind of bizarre. Write it down, all the same. Here’s another idea following along the same lines—what if he paid a hit man to carry out the attack?”
“Goodness me, and you have the gall to question my warped brain? I’m not going to write that down because I don’t think he would have either the brains or the cash to pull off something like that.”
Fay shrugged. “You know him better than I do.”
“I thought I knew him. Not so sure now. Maybe Hero is right, after all.”
“What? Thinking that Paul has nothing to do with the accident? I can’t believe that for a single minute,” Fay scoffed.
“All right, there’s no need to sound so irate. What else can we come up with?”
They threw several other dubious ideas into the mix before finally giving up.
“It’s hopeless,” Fay said, sitting back in the sofa. “We’ve covered every angle there is and still not managed to come up with anything half decent.”
“I sense you’re going to have a lot of making up to do when you get home, young lady. Talking of which, you better get your skates on. Hero will be wondering where you are.”
“He’ll be fine. I better be making tracks, though. Are you sure you’ll be all right here by yourself? You could always come home and crash in the spare room for the night.”
They rose and walked towards the front door.
Nelda helped Fay into her woollen coat and kissed her cheek. “I’ll be fine. I’m so grateful to you for thinking about me. Please say thank you to Hero for the part he’s played today, too.”
“I will. Ring if you need me, okay?”
Nelda waved goodbye to Fay, watched her get into her car, and closed the front door, attaching the chain once more. The second she heard Fay’s car pull away, her nerves began to jangle again. “Crap, get a grip, girl.”
She made her way upstairs to run a bath—the only way she knew how to really make herself relax properly was to have a soak in a tub of lavender bubbles. She had just stepped into the pyramid of fragrant bubbles when she heard another crash in the back garden.
“Damn cat! Why does it insist on sitting on my doorstep, hoping to get food?” Nelda closed her eyes and tried to let the warm water ease the tautness wrapped around her muscles. She succeeded, too, but only for a few minutes before yet another noise distracted her. This time, the sound was of someone trying the door handle on the back door. She leapt out of the tub, quickly towelled herself dry, and slipped into her robe. Nelda tiptoed down the stairs, her mind whirling, trying to think of ways to protect herself if she couldn’t get to the knife block in the kitchen.
She passed the hall table, picked up the phone, and punched in “99.” She delayed adding the final digit until she was sure she needed the police. By the time she reached the back door, silence had filled her kitchen once more. Just to make sure, she took a knife from the block and held it in front of her with both hands as she approached the back door.
A brick smashed through the window of the door and landed at her feet. Dumbstruck, Nelda stared down at the brick. It took her a
while to realise she still had the phone in her hand. Then she pressed the final digit.
“Hello, which emergency service do you require?”
“Police. Someone has just tried to break into my house. Please, come quickly.”
“We’ll get there as soon as we can, Miss. Can you lock yourself into a room for safety until we get there?”
“Yes, I’ll be in the lounge at the front and wait for you to turn up. Please hurry!” Nelda ran into the lounge, barricaded the door with the sofa, and waited.
A police car arrived nearly twenty minutes later. She waved at them frantically and opened the window. “Please, someone broke the window in my back door.”
“Did they get in the house, Miss?” the young female officer asked as she motioned for her male colleague to investigate the back of the house through the alley at the side of the property.
“I don’t think so. I’m scared to go out there and take a look. I’ve blocked myself in.”
“No problem. Stand back. I’ll climb through the window and check the house myself.” The agile constable entered the window, and together, they moved the sofa away from the door. Nelda followed the constable into the hallway and through to the kitchen. Her colleague was investigating the back garden on the other side of the door.
“Anything, Tim?” she asked.
“Nope, can’t see any prints around here.”
“We’ll call the Scenes of Crimes department anyway. I have the brick here. Maybe they’ll be able to pick up a print from that.” She turned to Nelda. “Do you have anyone in mind who might have done this, Miss?”
“Yes. My ex, Paul Fox. It’s a long story. My friend, DI Hero Nelson, has already been in touch with him. He’s denied everything, but I really can’t think of anyone else it could be.”
“I see. I doubt SOCO will be able to come out tonight. Is there a family member you can call to help you fix the door this evening?”
Nelda nodded. “I could ask my neighbour George, see if he’ll come round.”
“Do you want to do that now while I call SOCO?”
“Sure.” Nelda flipped through her address book in the hallway then dialled her neighbour’s number.