Remorseless: A British Crime Thriller (Doc Powers & D.I. Carver Investigate #1)

by Will Patching

  She was crushed, the nightmare decimating her life. Peter could see it, knew the sense of desolation she now felt, had experienced it himself.

  ‘Please,’ she sobbed. ‘I’ll tell the police, explain you’re innocent.’ Desperate, grovelling. ‘Peter. Please...’

  He gripped her chin and held her, his face touching hers, nose to nose, forehead to forehead, his angry words spattering her mouth with foul saliva. ‘You think they’ll give me back my eighteen years? My youth? Half my fucking life? My innocence? Look at me Suzie.’ He stepped away from her, held his arms apart. ‘Am I the boy next door? I don’t think so. Not anymore.’

  ‘Look... We have money.’

  ‘Fuck you! You have my money! My inheritance. That cunt of a brother of mine,’ he shook a fist at Shaun’s unconscious form, ‘stole everything. He took it all. You, the money, the estate. All I had was my childhood trust fund. What’s he worth? Fifteen, twenty million?’

  She turned her head away, unable to meet his eyes. He wrenched her face back to his, closed in on her again. ‘Tell me.’

  ‘I don’t know... Probably more.’

  ‘He sold the house. Had the land developed. I didn’t even know!’ He was worked up again, the sheer unfairness of it all, his life wrecked by his own brother.

  He closed his eyes, thought of Birdy. The one thing his brother could not take from him... the one precious thing Shaun did not even know about. It made him feel better, just thinking of her. It must be love.

  His voice was level now. ‘Anyway, that’s not important any more. What is important is the future... and I’ve decided how that looks.’ He pulled a knife from his pocket, flipped open the blade. ‘And for you darlin... it don’t look good.’ He placed the knife on the bed beside her, tore a strip of tape to cover her mouth and said, as he fixed it into place, ‘Don’t want to worry Billy any more than we already have, do we? No noise, eh?’

  Only her eyes could scream at him: the anticipation of what was to come, the powerlessness of her position, her dread of a bleak future, all combined to freeze her vocal chords.

  ‘Thing is, I want you to remember tonight. To remember me. What Shaun did to me. What you did. I want you to think about it every time you look in the mirror.’ He lifted the blade, let her see her reflection there, her own wild eyes, bugging out of her head in terror. ‘And your Billy. I want him to remember this day for the rest of his life too. To have nightmares. To wet his bed when he thinks of Uncle Peter... To know what it feels like to be blamed for the death of a parent.’

  Then, the tip of the knife slid into Suzie’s eyeball.

  ***

  Carver was back. Two fresh pints in his hands. ‘One of the perks of the job. Afters!’ He lifted his pint and said, ‘Cheers Doc.’

  For the next fifteen minutes Doc relayed a summary of everything Henley had told him, giving Carver the benefit of his own interpretation at the same time.

  ‘But this guy, who’s not even a real doctor, just a dope fuelled old hippy, thinks Shaun did it? Nah, I think I’ll go with the Judge.’ Carver was dismissive, the alcohol loosening his tongue. ‘Anyway, it was probably the pot that brought on his stroke. The guy sounds full of shit.’

  ‘Okay, the stroke was due to a combination of things. Abuse of drugs, too many cigarettes, the shock, intense feelings of guilt over the murders, the foreknowledge that Shaun would kill, they all combined to wreck his brain that night.’

  ‘Wreck his brain! And you want us to re-open the case on his say-so! A solved case, for fuck’s sake.’

  ‘Only if you’re concerned that a murderer is still at large.’ Doc lifted his pint and tilted it at Carver.

  ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah...’ Jack pondered on that. ‘Big brother bullies little Peter. Blames him for everything from pet-icide to rape, and, being seen as a little angel, he’s believed. Then threatens to kill his parents... so he must have done it! Blah. Blah... No. Peter Leech was found guilty. In a court of law. By a jury. Twelve good men and all that. Sorry Doc, sounds like sympathy for the devil.’

  Doc shared his theory, explained how Shaun could have set things up. How the jury could have been misled.

  ‘Okay... I see it. It’s possible, I s’pose.’

  Doc was losing him, tried harder to convince his friend. ‘Who had most to gain? From the deaths?’

  ‘The will was for an equal split.’

  ‘Contested. After Peter was convicted.’

  Carver swilled the liquid in his mug, studying it, as if it was a fortune teller’s glass capable of divining the truth.

  ‘You’ve got a point there. Shaun got the lot. But it’s... fantastic. The planning, the organisation. You’d need a computer brain to make it work.’

  ‘He’s MENSA. His IQ is one-hundred and sixty plus. Computer brain.’

  ‘You’re really screwing with my brain Doc. I’ll sleep on it.’

  ‘I think Suzie Leech is bait.’

  ‘Bait?’

  ‘Shaun wants his brother to come. He doesn’t think Peter’s a killer.’ He explained the rape accusation, Peter’s infatuation with his girlfriend. ‘Shaun lied, told me she was his girlfriend.’

  ‘Maybe he forgot. The details. It’s a long time ago.’ They both knew that was weak.

  ‘Forgot? The details of your supposed girlfriend’s rape?’

  ‘Okay Doc. I think I’m heading home.’ He dangled the car keys. ‘Need a lift? Another perk of the job.’ He was referring to drinking and driving. If they were stopped he would flash his warrant card. There would be no breathalyser for him.

  They made their way to the Saab.

  ‘Why d’you think she’s bait?’

  ‘Shaun wants Peter to come. Thinks his brother will be mad at him for marrying her. He wants to put right what the law failed to do...’

  ‘But you said Shaun killed their parents. What’s the law got to do with it?’

  ‘Life. Peter needed to be put away for life. For the crime Shaun committed.’ And that’s why the Judge had to die! Doc’s brain sizzled. He stopped dead. Carver continued mooching towards his car, not realising Doc was no longer with him until he heard the voice from behind him. ‘Shaun Leech killed Justice Potter. Because Peter was freed.’

  ‘What?’ Carver fumbled with the lock. ‘I thought you said it was Peter Leech getting revenge, in the unlikely event the Judge didn’t accidentally top himself.’

  He unlocked the car, held his door open, scowling at Doc who remained immobile.

  ‘You’ll find Shaun’s face on those tapes. I’m certain. It makes sense Jack... And they are in serious danger. Shaun Leech. And Suzie. For her sake – ’

  ‘He doesn’t want protection.’

  ‘But she might. Send a car. Now Jack.’

  ‘Doc! It’s almost midnight. You’re pissed. It’s been a long day. Get in.’

  ‘Send the car. Now. Please... Humour me.’

  ***

  Peter Leech finished fiddling with the fishing line and took a last look around the bedroom. Shaun was trussed with tape, bound like a dead pharaoh, knees up, the shotgun barrel well inside his mouth. He was struggling, trying to move, but he was bound fast, the chair immobile, taped to the end of the bed. Neither the man nor his seat were going anywhere.

  Suzie was still spread-eagled on the bed, her face a mound of bloody meat.

  Perfect.

  He tied off the end of the fishing line and pulled the door to.

  Billy was in his room, lying placidly where Leech had left him, eyes still staring, seemingly too big for his small head.

  Leech tore the tape off the lad’s mouth. He then showed Billy his one remaining shotgun.

  ‘Do you know what this is Billy boy?’ His nephew nodded, tears pricking his eyes. ‘Don’t worry. If you do exactly what I say, I promise I won’t hurt you... But...’ He tapped the muzzle on the boy’s skull, making the lad flinch. ‘But if you misbehave, if you try to run, try to hit uncle Peter again, I’ll have to use this... And it’ll be your fault, not min
e.’ He raised his eyebrows as he spoke, emphasising that it was up to Billy.

  Leech let go the shotgun, let it fall, dangling at his side, and pulled out the knife. The lad gasped as Leech touched the blood stained blade to his tiny nose.

  ‘I’m going to release you. And then I want you to count to a hundred. Can you do that for your uncle? Count that high?’

  Billy nodded, grubby wet streaks on his cheeks.

  ‘You didn’t know you had an uncle Peter did you? Mummy and daddy didn’t tell you, did they?’

  Billy shook his head, his face a picture of misery.

  ‘That was very bad of both of them. Don’t you think?’

  The boy was confused, but nodded.

  ‘If I were you I’d want to punish them. For lying. Lying’s bad, isn’t that right boy?’

  Again a desperate nod.

  ‘So. As it’s not your fault, I’m going to let you go.’

  Billy’s eyes, already huge, threatened to pop out, either in fear or disbelief.

  ‘R-r-really?’ His voice squeaked.

  ‘Really. But you’ll have to promise. You’ll never forget uncle Peter. That you’ll think of me every day.’

  ‘P-p-promise.’ Billy’s head jerked up and down. ‘Every day, uncle.’

  ‘You know, boy. Normally I think people tend to lie. But today, I believe you.’ He giggled as he cut through the tape holding the lad’s hands and feet together. ‘You can use a phone? Dial 999? Okay?’

  ‘Yes uncle Peter.’ He wriggled his feet as if to test the blood was flowing.

  ‘Did you know that I was accused of killing my mum and dad, your granny and granddad? I never did it. No one believed me.’ He went to stroke Billy’s hair as he added, ‘I was just like you.’

  Billy bridled at the touch, and Leech’s hand hovered.

  ‘Right. When I close your door, I want you to start counting. Slowly. Okay?’

  ‘Yes... Like this? One... two... three.’ The boy was eager. Keen to please. Or keen for his uncle Peter to go.

  ‘That’s good. If you come out too soon, my shotgun will go off. And it’ll kill you. We don’t want that do we?’

  ‘N-n-no un-uncle.’

  ‘Good lad. Now, when you get outside I want you to go to mummy and daddy’s room. They’re waiting for you... They might sound strange, but that’s because they’re tied up, like you were. We’ve been playing a game. Okay? Just go in and release your mummy. Then you can call an ambulance.’

  ‘Amberlance? Is mummy hurt?’ His pupils expanded, irises almost totally black now.

  ‘A bit. I’m sorry. It was a little accident. But you’re a big strong boy. You can help your mum as I can’t hang around, I have to go somewhere.’

  Leech walked to the door and said, ‘Bye bye Billy. Welcome to my nightmare.’ He shut the door behind him and heard the boy start counting.

  He whistled as he went down the stairs. Finally something was working out for him. His nose was mashed, his face still a battered mess, but it was not important. Tonight he was finally putting things right.

  He clambered onto the back wall and waited. His eyes were on the bedroom window and his spirit soared as he saw the flash, registered the boom of the explosion, and then heard the shrill piercing shriek from Billy.

  In his mind’s eye he could see the scene. Shaun taped to the chair, his head a raw mush, his brains and skull scattered in a scarlet porridge, sprayed over Suzie as she lay on the bed without a face.

  Oh yes, this is definitely one night young Billy would never ever forget.

  Leech hopped off the wall into the neighbour’s garden, went back to his observation post and waited for the police to arrive.

  ***

  Part Three: Redemption

  Judy was worried. It was after midnight and Doc was not yet home. She knew he was working too hard on the Leech case and she was fretting that he might not cope, that it could be dangerous to his fragile state of mind.

  And now his mentor, the Judge, was dead. She knew how close they had been... Yet more bereavement for him to handle. She was sad for the Judge, but even more so for poor Colin.

  Josh stirred as she rolled away from him, watching him sleep in the half-light of their new bedroom. In her man’s home.

  Her thoughts shifted, to the other man in her life. Tomorrow she would see John, assuming he made the effort to return from New York. Of that, she wasn’t sure and Sarah, her solicitor, had said John’s barrister was being tight-lipped about it.

  Oh well, we’ll see tomorrow.

  She brushed Josh’s hair from his face and thought how innocent boys can look while sleeping.

  Was she being too hard on John? The doubts had crept up on her, escalating as the court hearing approached. Was it going to be hard on Josh, limiting his father’s time with him, insisting on a chaperone?

  Maybe she was overreacting. She told Sarah so that morning, but her solicitor was adamant. ‘You must do this. To protect the boy’s interests and your own.’ Sarah had told her she should drop the name Finch too, go back to her maiden name of Turner. Her hand stroked Josh’s neck, an automatic gesture of love and affection, one she was barely aware she was doing.

  No, she would keep the name Finch... It was her son’s name. Sarah had accepted that as reason enough, but was dismayed to hear Judy and Josh were living somewhere other than their home. That they may be in danger, as a result of Judy’s job.

  She had been aghast, concerned for their well-being of course, but more than that. She was paranoid that John’s barrister would get to hear of it. He would have the judge laugh her out of court for accusing John of endangerment when her own job put both her and her son at risk. From a lunatic killer. Judy had not even considered that.

  Anyway, she decided, there was no way John would find out... at least until after the hearing, and then it would be too late.

  Her mind drifted to Leech. Was he a threat to her? Would he really harm her if, as Colin said, she somehow failed to live up to his fantasy, his idealised version of her?

  He had to find her first.

  No, it could never happen. She would never see the man again...

  We’ll see.

  His voice, revisited when she listened to the recording, echoed in her ears. She moved closer to Josh, her arm wrapped round him now, protecting him.

  That was what he’d said to her. We’ll see. Was he stalking her?

  She still had not told Colin about Leech asking to meet her when he got out... Colin had so much on his plate right now.

  She had seen a change in him, seen him totally relaxed with her and Josh, becoming absorbed into the family. The hallucinations were fewer and he was controlling them now... But she wondered, how would he react to the blow of the Judge’s death? How would he manage?

  She would be there for him. That was for sure. She had decided it was time to nail shut the revolving door of her love life once and for all.

  Her mobile vibrated, the backlight flashing in the gloom. Colin!

  ‘You must be psychic. I was thinking about you.’ She whispered to him as she tip-toed to the hall, determined not to disturb Josh.

  ‘I’m sorry I’m so late... Things have gone pear-shaped today sweetheart.’

  ‘Are you on your way home now?’ She was hopeful, but he sounded preoccupied.

  ‘Not yet. We’re on our way to Chelsea. I’ll be home in an hour or so... You should sleep.’

  ‘So should you! Why do you need to go to Chelsea now. Can’t it wait?’

  ‘No, not really... I don’t want you to worry, but it looks like Leech just killed his brother. We’re on our way there now.’

  ‘Oh my God!’ Chelsea was just a stone’s throw away.

  ‘I’ll be with you as soon as I can.’ He was distant again, as if there was something else on his mind, something other than her safety. Then he asked, ‘Do you have John’s current address? It’s Windsor isn’t it?’

  ‘What the hell do you need that for?’ What could Colin pos
sibly want with John?

  ‘It may be a coincidence, but a man named John Finch from the Windsor area has been taken to hospital. He’s at the Royal Berks in Reading. He’s in a coma Judy...’

  ‘And you think it’s... Josh’s father?’ She was flummoxed. She was not even sure John was back in the UK.

  ‘It’s just a possibility. Maybe one of those odd coincidences.’ His voice said he did not believe that. ‘If you give me the address I’ll check it out.’

  She did.

  Before they said their goodbyes he added, ‘Try not to worry. Get some sleep.’

  She was not sure she could, but then examined her feelings. What if it was her John in hospital, in a coma? She felt nothing. That was good.

  But what about poor Josh?

  And would this delay the court case? She hoped not.

  She went back to bed, snuggled up to Josh’s hot little body, her fingers crossed, thinking: Let’s hope there are two John Finch’s living near Windsor.

  ***

  A few minutes before Doc’s call to Judy, Carver’s phone had rung. The squad car he’d sent had arrived at Shaun Leech’s house too late.

  Now Doc and the detective were almost at the house, Doc just ending his call to Judy. He gave John Finch’s address to Carver who asked, ‘You think it might be a different John Finch?’ His voice was sceptical.

  ‘Not really. It’s too much of a coincidence... and I don’t believe in coincidences.

  ‘Yeah, me neither... We’re almost there.’

  Carver steered the car into Shaun Leech’s street. A gurney was being loaded into an ambulance, two police cars blocked the road, blue lights bouncing off the white terraced homes. Some neighbours stood on their doorsteps or the pavement, gawping.

  ‘I don’t suppose they see much crime in this neighbourhood.’ Doc noted the preponderance of top end Mercedes, BMWs and Porsches filling the residents’ parking bays.

  Carver led him through the cordon, then went off to introduce himself to the lead detectives on the site. He chatted with them for a few minutes.

  Doc watched as a WPC hugged a young boy not much older than Josh. Shaun Leech’s son.