Marigolds in October

by Clare Revell

  Milly sighed. “I…maybe I just pushed him too far.”

  “That’s not possible,” Mary said firmly. “One thing to remember is he’s a man of his word. If he says he’s going to do something, then he’ll do it, no matter what the consequences.”

  “OK. Thank you for the mail. I thought I might go through the brochures as I have a day or two off. Find somewhere to go.”

  “There are some lovely walks around here. If you like antiques, there’s a lovely place over in Abernethy. And Falkland is lovely too—there’s a palace there you can go around. It’s National Trust so if you’re a member it willnae cost you a penny.”

  Milly smiled. “I’ve got my membership card with me, so I might just do that. Thank you.”

  Mary headed across to the goats. They jumped up on the fence to say hi, the same way they did when Milly went over to them. She’d never known such friendly goats. Or chickens, though the rooster did like crowing at six in the morning.

  Milly went back inside and unpacked. Then she headed down to the river, walking slowly along the path. Perhaps Craig was proving a point by suspending her. A man of his word, Mary had said, so he would have had to do it. Thinking back, there had been someone standing just outside the squad room when Craig was talking to her. A shadowy figure, just like the one haunting her dreams.

  She broke off the train of thought as something glinted by her feet. She bent and picked up a broken cufflink. Glancing up she realized she’d reached the exact point where the body had been found. Tape still waved in the wind. She slid the cufflink into a bag, wondering where she’d seen that design before. It was some kind of clan emblem by the looks of it.

  But the only man she knew who wore cufflinks…was Craig.

  ****

  Craig was still angry a full twenty-four hours later. And that vexed him even more. Why couldn’t he simply throw the mood off like he normally did? Craig Fraser didn’t harbor grudges. He never had and never would, but Milly had succeeded in getting under his skin like no one else he knew. And that just added to the turmoil within him. He entered the squad room and coughed to let them know he was there.

  Instantly everyone, bar Vickery, sat up straight.

  Vickery kept his feet on the desk. “Where’s the DI?”

  “She’s no here. She’s been suspended.”

  “Good. We’re better off without her and her links that dinnae exist.”

  Craig rested his gaze on him. “Mibbe.” He briefed them and sent them out. Then he turned towards Milly’s empty office. The nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach grew. Had he done the wrong thing in suspending her? Had he been too hasty? Had she already left? Would she be at home or gone back to the nick she worked out of? He turned his attention to the board covered in her handwriting and studied the lists she’d made.

  “What are you trying tae tell me, lassie?” he asked. He glanced at his watch. Assuming she’d driven straight home, she was probably sleeping right now. He’d call later.

  ****

  Milly spent the morning driving around Perth, trying to find the cottage from her dreams. On the map beside her were several areas marked with red crosses. She’d already eliminated the harbor, brickworks, sports center, and other places the girls had been snatched from. She’d also checked out the locations the bodies were found and there were no cottages of any description, especially overgrown ones with some kind of a rink in front of them.

  Arriving back at the lodge, she drove past the fence between the huge house she assumed Mary lived in and the larger lodges. Curiosity got the better of her and she parked outside her lodge and walked back along the road to the fence. She wasn’t quite tall enough to see over it.

  As there was no car parked outside number nine, she walked up the side of it and along the fence until she reached a padlocked gate. She glanced through and her heart stopped.

  The cottage from her dreams was right in front of her. Overgrown and almost invisible behind shrubs, the porch bowed and the windows were grimy. In front of it were more bushes, long grass and a sunken area, definitely a rink of some kind. She pulled out her phone and took several photos. Then she rang the nick.

  ****

  Craig headed into the squad room, the gnawing feeling in his gut giving him indigestion and a headache.

  “Aye,” Vickery said into the phone. “I’ll pass on the message.”

  “Who was that?” Craig asked as Vickery hung up.

  “Another numpty. The crank callers are coming oot o’the woodwork.”

  “Unfortunately it goes with the territory. Did you log the details, anyway?”

  “Aye.” Vickery waved the book at him.

  Craig nodded. “I’m popping out for a bit. Phone’s on if you need me.” He fastened his coat and once out into the chill October air, headed for the North Inch. He reached the bench he and Milly shared lunch on and dropped onto it. He needed to talk to her and apologize for his words and actions. Until he did, he’d get no peace from his conscience.

  Plus he needed to ask why she’d added the suicides into the list of victims. What connection had she made that he hadn’t? Figuring she’d be home by now, he tried her mobile. Not getting a response, he rang Headley Cross nick. Maybe she’d be there. And maybe if he groveled and paid her airfare, she’d come back. Maybe…

  Once the connection was made, he took a deep breath. “Could I speak to DI Jenson, please?”

  There was a pause, and then a male voice answered. “Acting DI Holmes.”

  “I need to speak to DI Jenson. Is she there?”

  “She’s working in Scotland with the Perth police at the moment. I can take a message. Or if it’s important you could call her there or her commanding officer DCI Fraser and speak to him.”

  Craig’s stomach plummeted. “Thanks.” He hung up, not bothering to explain he was DCI Fraser. Didn’t she get home? He went back for his car and drove over to Bridge of Earn to the lodges. A blue car sat parked outside lodge eleven. The sticker in the window indicated it was a hire car.

  Craig rang the company who confirmed the vehicle was rented to a Milly Jenson. Not sure whether to be angry she’d defied orders or relieved she was still here, Craig jumped out of the car and ran up the ramp. There was no answer to his knock and he assumed she’d gone for a walk. Not having time to wait, he scribbled a note and shoved it into the door jamb. Then he headed back to work.

  ****

  It was dark by the time Milly reached the entrance to the lodges. She’d gone around Dunbarney Walk, managing to do the entire walk without finding a single body. The darkness would suit her fine.

  She’d said in her message to Vickery that she’d give Craig until sundown and as he hadn’t replied or followed up her call, she’d go alone to investigate the cottage. She shouldn’t have waited at all, her gut told her not to, but she was off the case and had followed protocol.

  But no longer. Not having a bag with her, just her phone and lodge key, she didn’t see the need to go inside. Instead she grabbed her new tool kit from the boot of the car and slipped quietly down the road and up the side of lodge nine.

  A light shone in the window of the overgrown cottage. A new padlock hung on the old bolt. Taking the screwdriver from the tool kit, Milly began unscrewing the bolt.

  Something hard hit the back of her head. Stars shone in front of her eyes and mixed with pain before she fell into the rushing darkness.

  12

  Craig got to the lodges just after eight in the morning. Milly’s car was still there, but the curtains were open, so she must be up. He was about to knock when he saw his note still stuck in the doorjamb. Alarm bells began to ring in the back of his mind.

  Doing a fast about turn, he headed back up to reception. It wasn’t open, but Mary didn’t seem to mind being disturbed at home.

  “Milly hasn’t checked out,” she said. “I saw her yesterday when I gave her the mail. She went out in the morning, but came back around three. I know she was planning on doing some of the
walks around here, so maybe that’s where she’s gone.”

  “Do you have a spare key I could borrow?” he asked, hoping she wouldn’t ask why.

  “Sure, I’ll just get it for you.”

  Craig took it and ran back to the lodge. He let himself in. All of Milly’s things were still there, including the laptop, papers, cufflink in an evidence bag, and drawings of a cottage and rink of some kind. To him it looked like a disused curling rink, but not one he recognized. He assumed it was related to the case as it was with her notes.

  He gathered up all the papers, along with Milly’s laptop and locked up. Keeping the key, he drove back to the nick. No one recognized the cottage and her laptop didn’t reveal a location for it. Frustrated, he bought up a search engine and looked for online satellite maps of Perth. Still nothing. He widened the search engine and then sat back in his seat. River Edge Lodges was clearly visible on the screen with a cottage and curling rink.

  He grabbed the picture and compared the two images.

  Vickery tapped on his door. “Guv, do you have a moment?”

  “Come and look at this. A near perfect match wouldn’t you say?”

  His sergeant crossed the room and his face darkened as he studied the images. “Where did you get that?”

  “It was in with the DI’s case notes.” Craig rose. “It has tae be where he’s holding them. She must have found oot. Living there she might have seen something or heard something.” A horrid thought occurred to him. If Millie knew and she’d gone investigating on her own…what if the bloke had caught her? “You’re coming with me.”

  “But Guv…”

  “Dinnae argue with me. Let’s go.”

  Driving around the lodges, Craig grew more and more frustrated. He couldn’t find the cottage.

  Vickery fidgeted in the seat beside him. The man was increasingly edgy and sweat beaded his upper lip. “It’s no here, guv. Leave it.”

  Craig shook his head. He parked by the fence opposite lodge four. “Wait here, I won’t be long.” He jogged back to reception and caught Mary just as she was about to go out. “Mary, where’s this? Satellite maps put it here, but I cannae find it.”

  “It’s the old Bridge of Earn Curling Clubhouse and rink. It belongs to the care home, but because our land surrounds it, it’s fallen into disrepair.”

  “How do I gain access?”

  “There’s a gate behind lodge nine, but we don’t have the key. John gave it to the care home after he built the fence to keep the wee ones and residents of the lodges out.”

  “Thanks.” Craig pulled his phone from his pocket as he headed back down to the car. “Lodge nine,” he told Vickery. He barked instructions into his phone, wanting back up ASAP.

  He leaped up the wall in front of lodge nine and ran down the side. There was the gate, and beyond that, the cottage and disused curling rink. He grabbed the padlock and looked at it. New.

  “Wait for backup,” Vickery said. “Or for the key.”

  Craig shook his head. “No time. It looks as if the latch is loose.” He pulled hard, breaking it. Throwing the gate open, he ran across the ground towards the cottage. He leapt up on to the verandah and kicked the door in, headless of his own safety. The room was empty and it didn’t take him long to discover the rest of the cottage was too, although there were indications someone had been there recently.

  Of Vickery, there was no sign. Craig went back outside and over to the lodges. He rang the nick, again requesting backup and also asking for forensics. He headed back around to Milly’s lodge, on the off chance she’d come back the other way and missed everything that was going on.

  He glanced at her car as he walked past it and stopped dead. On the front seat lay a chunk of her hair and her watch. He closed his eyes. He was too late.

  Vickery appeared behind him. “I got the key…”

  “It’s too late.” He hit the fence hard and then leaned against it. “Where are you, Milly? And if you ken where this place was, why didn’t you tell me?”

  ****

  Uniformed officers, and white suited SOCO’s swarmed over the cottage and grounds. There were plenty of prints and fibers. Craig was hoping they’d get a match to the perp, if not the victims, but somehow doubted the perp would be that stupid. He watched for a bit, and then headed back to the nick to work on the files and Milly’s laptop. The answer had to be somewhere in her notes, why else would the bloke take her?

  As he worked in her office, he prayed desperately that God would intervene somehow, either by letting Milly escape, or by helping him find the answers.

  Vickery tapped on the door. “Let me help, guv. I could do the laptop.”

  Craig shook his head. “She was on tae something with the cottage. Mibbe there is something else here.”

  “It’s no the same bloke. The timing is all wrong.”

  “Mibbe we just havenae found Vanessa’s body yet. Mibbe Milly—DI Jenson disturbed him. He was hiding on the same site she was living on. Mibbe she saw or heard something.”

  “And mibbe you’ve been spending too much time in her company. You need tae look at this like a cop, guv and no like a bloke in love.” Vickery turned and flounced out before Craig could call him on it.

  Brooks tapped on the door. “Guv, the DI did ring in yesterday. Vickery took the message. I thought you knew.”

  Craig straightened. “What? No, I didnae know. When did she call?”

  “You were in a meeting. The sarge was doing what he calls the crank line.”

  As he stood, Craig remembered coming in on the end of one of the calls. “Where’s the log?”

  “It’s right here.” Brooks went over to the desk. “Or it should be.” He rummaged through a pile of files on Vickery’s desk and picked it up.

  Craig took it, running his finger down the list. “According to this the last call was eleven yesterday morning. Yet, I wasnae out o’ the meeting until three. And I distinctly remember him saying something about a crank call when I came back.”

  Vickery came back in. “The fingerprints are back. From all the missing girls, but none from the perp…” He stopped dead. “What are ye doing by ma desk?”

  “When was that last call you took yesterday?”

  “It’s in the log,” he replied defensively.

  “No, the one from the DI.” Craig moved over to him. “The one I walked in on and you told me was a crank call.”

  “I wrote it doon.”

  Craig waved the log in front of him before slamming it to the desk. “No, you didnae! I ken you were talking to the DI. Where is she?”

  “How should I know? If it was her then…”

  Craig knew he was a hair’s breadth from losing his temper, but didn’t care. Vickery was the last person to talk to Milly, so why was the man blocking him at every turn? Unless he had good reason to. And Craig could only think of one reason. “Dinnae lie tae me or I shall arrest you for obstruction.”

  Vickery snorted. “You cannae do that. That Sassenach plod and her ways are rubbing off on you. You havenae a shred of proof.”

  Craig scowled and looked at Brooks. “Talk me through this phone call.”

  “I can go one better than that, sir. DI Jenson insisted all the incoming calls be recorded.”

  “Why did you no mention this afore? Play the tape.”

  Vickery paled and tried to back away.

  Craig blocked his path and grabbed his arm. “Och no. You are going nowhere.” He pushed the older man into a chair and cuffed him. “Dinnae you move a muscle.”

  Brooks found the place on the tape and hit play.

  “Hello, MIU incident line. DS Vickery speaking, how may I help you?”

  “Can I speak to DCI Fraser?” Milly’s voice was unmistakable.

  “Who is this?”

  “You know exactly who it is, now put me through.”

  “I cannae do that if you willnae give me your name.”

  “DI Jenson.” Milly’s tone became irate. “Now put me through to DCI Fra
ser. This is urgent.”

  “He’s no here right now. You’ll have tae leave a message.”

  Craig could almost hear the smirk in Vickery’s voice. He watched as the man squirmed on the chair.

  Milly, on the other hand, was frustrated as well as annoyed. “I know where the perp’s hiding the women. It’s a cottage behind the fence at River Edge Lodges. The access point is via the gate behind lodge nine. He’ll need a search warrant. I’ll wait until tonight for him, then attempt to get in myself.”

  “Aye. I’ll see the message is passed on.”

  The tape ended. Pure rage filled Craig. He turned and hauled Vickery to his feet. “Francis Vickery, I am arresting you…” He finished the rights and then looked at Brooks. “Take him down.”

  “I want ma brief.” Vickery glared at him.

  “I want doesnae get.” Craig shoved him. “Get him oot of my sight.” He picked up the report on the fingerprints. Milly’s prints were on the list. Along with the prints of the other six girls, including Vanessa Bradbury’s. Only those prints belonging to the perp was missing. Would this bloke never slip up?

  The only hope he had was that Vickery would talk before lawyering up. But the man had already asked to see one.

  He closed his eyes. Lord, what have I done? She knew where tae find him, she was right all along and I sent her packing. Now it’s too late. Forgive me. Dinnae let me find her too late.

  He sucked in a deep breath and reached for the phone. He had to let McCaskill know and he wasn’t looking forward to it at all. Not only was another officer missing, Craig had a dirty cop in his team and hadn’t noticed.

  ****

  Milly struggled back to consciousness. Her hands were bound tightly behind her. She ached and her head pounded. Her throat dry, she tried to swallow, but only gagged. It was dark, with a pale light coming from a single window. She groaned.

  “Are you all right, guv?”

  Milly squinted, trying to make out where the voice was. “Bradbury?”

  “Aye. You’ve been out of it for hours. I thought mibbe he’d killed you.”

  “Where are we?” She struggled against the bonds, but they were too tight.