Craven (9781921997365)

by Casey, Melanie

  ‘What do you mean?’ The words came out as a hoarse whisper.

  ‘Your mother’s still alive. It was amazingly easy to take her. I just phoned her and made an appointment for a reading. She came to meet me at a property I own in McLaren Vale. Does having a paranormal ability make you think you’re invincible? You really should be more careful. That’s a live feed, by the way. What happens to her next depends on you. I just want to help you.’

  ‘No you don’t. That’s not what you want at all. What you want is to get off on my fear. It has nothing to do with me. It’s all about you. You’re sick. All those others you “helped”, all you wanted was to watch their fear. What happened to you? When did you stop helping people and start killing them? You used your role as their psychiatrist to expose their weaknesses and then used that to kill them. You’re a monster!’

  ‘Are you psychoanalysing me? How amusing.’

  I made the mistake of looking at him. His eyes were locked on mine. There was no amusement on his face. My words had unleashed the fury inside him and his pupils were like black pools. I’d seen that look before in the eyes of a killer; it was the total absence of any compassion or empathy. His hair was ruffled and out of place and a tick over his left eye made it blink uncontrollably. There was no chance I could reason with him. He was unhinged. He curled his lips back in the imitation of a smile.

  ‘What would you have done if I hadn’t called you for an appointment?’ I said.

  ‘I was sure you would once you found out your mother was missing. I didn’t expect you to call as soon as you did.’

  ‘You’ve been planning this since I came to visit you? It’s you who needs help, not me.’

  ‘Enough! You need to contemplate what’s at risk here. If you cooperate, there’s a chance your mother will survive.’

  ‘If I don’t?’

  ‘You’ll both die.’

  ‘What do you want from me?’

  ‘Well, my plans have changed in light of recent events. You’ve already shown me one death. I’d like to see some others. We can’t very well revisit Roslyn’s death or Rod’s; too many people around him. Paul is also problematic given he died in the middle of a car park. People might notice if you started having a vision there. It’s going to have to be Ben.’

  ‘I’ve already experienced his death.’

  ‘Yes, but I haven’t.’

  ‘You buried him alive!’

  ‘No, actually, I didn’t bury him. He just thought I did. It was the illusion that was important.’

  ‘He suffocated!’

  ‘Yes, well, that couldn’t be helped. As I said before, his fear got the better of him. He was actually in a chest freezer. He only thought he was underground. If you get into the freezer you’ll relive his death, right?’

  I couldn’t believe I was having this conversation. We were talking about experiencing someone fighting for their last breath and he was like a child about to go on an outing.

  ‘Answer me! Will it work?’

  I nodded, trying to lubricate my mouth which had suddenly gone bone dry. ‘It should.’

  ‘Excellent. Let’s go. We don’t want to dally. Your mother hasn’t had any food or water for quite a while now. We don’t want her to suffer, do we?’

  CHAPTER

  51

  Ed stood on the doorstep to the side entrance and looked around. Nothing stirred. He rested his ear against the door, listening for sounds of movement inside. Huffing out the breath he’d been holding, he stepped back. The way he saw it he had two choices. He could wait until Dave arrived or he could try to break down the door and go in now. He thought back to the Fleurieu case and what had happened when he’d gone barging in without backup. He’d nearly got himself and Cass killed. With a sigh he turned back towards the gate to wait for Dave.

  He was rounding the corner of the house when the sound of the roller door to the garage made him freeze in his tracks. It was on the opposite side of the house to the path he was on. He ducked down behind nearby shrubbery and peered through the foliage. He watched as Metzger drove a dark blue E Class Mercedes out of the garage and down the driveway past Cass’s Mazda towards the automatic gates that were swinging open. Ed squinted to see who was in the car. He could see Metzger driving and he definitely had a passenger in the front seat. Was it Cass? It was hard to tell but it seemed likely.

  As soon as the car had passed through the gates Ed sprang into action. He sprinted for the gate and shoved his way through to see the car nearing the end of the service road. He ran to his car and leapt inside, fumbling for his keys and thrusting them in the ignition. He gunned the car and pulled out just as the blue sedan turned onto the main road. He grabbed his phone and called Dave.

  Dave answered on the second ring. ‘I’m nearly there,’ he said.

  ‘Metzger’s turned right onto Mitchell Terrace from the service road in front of his house. He’s driving a dark blue E Class Mercedes, plate Sigma, 339, Alpha, Romeo, Tango. I’m following him. I think he’s got Cass with him.’

  ‘I’m on O’Connell Street heading north. Stay on the line and tell me where he’s going and I’ll follow you. You want me to call in the uniforms to intercept him?’

  ‘No. He might be armed. I don’t want to aggravate the situation. Just us for now.’ Ed plugged the phone into its dock. He pulled onto Robe Terrace and spotted the sedan in the distance, waiting for the lights to change on the Main North Road intersection. He accelerated, closing the distance to less than a hundred metres before the lights changed and the sedan pulled away. He shot through the intersection after them as the lights were changing from amber to red.

  He followed the car along Park Terrace and right onto Port Road.

  ‘We’ve turned onto Port Road.’

  ‘I’m passing the Aquatic Centre,’ Dave said.

  Ed followed the car as closely as he dared. His eyes bored into the back of the blonde head of the person sitting in the passenger seat. Did she know Metzger was a killer, or was she blindly trusting him?

  They drove for nearly twenty minutes. Ed realised they were heading for Port Adelaide. As they got closer to the end of Port Road and the traffic started to thin out, Ed dropped back. He couldn’t risk spooking Metzger. If he felt threatened it could make things even worse for Cass.

  By the time Metzger started to slow down Ed was a long way behind. He saw the sedan turn into a side street. When he followed a couple of minutes later, Metzger’s car had disappeared. The street was mainly industrial. Off to one side was what looked like a timber yard. There were a couple of ramshackle houses on the other side, their fences covered with graffiti. Further down, both sides of the street were lined with enormous redbrick warehouses. They loomed high above the narrow street, silent and neglected; testament to an industry that had packed its bags and moved to more salubrious accommodation.

  ‘Dave?’

  ‘I’m here.’

  ‘He’s turned into Crozier Street in Port Adelaide. It’s full of old warehouses.’

  ‘Yeah, the old woolsheds.’

  ‘I’ve spotted his car, it’s parked outside one of the buildings. I can’t see a number.’

  ‘Just park near it and wait until I get there. I’m only a couple of minutes behind you.’

  ‘OK.’

  Ed pulled up alongside Metzger’s car. It was next to a ground floor door in a three-storey warehouse. Ed hoped that was where they’d gone. If it wasn’t, it was going to take a long time to find them. The row of derelict woolsheds stretched for several blocks. Walkways spanned the street above his head, connecting the buildings on one side of the street to the other. There was no traffic and no one walking along the footpaths. All he could hear was the distant sound of traffic from the main round echoing along the street.

  He kept his eyes riveted on the rear-view mirror, willing Dave’s car to turn the corner. Three minutes crawled by before the car finally came into view. Ed climbed out and stood twitching impatiently while Dave parked.

>   ‘In there?’ Dave asked.

  ‘I’m guessing.’

  They unholstered their guns.

  Ed twisted the doorhandle and pushed. The weathered wooden door opened with a squeal of protest. The sound echoed through the empty expanse of the vacant warehouse inside.

  ‘Nothing like announcing our presence,’ Dave hissed.

  ‘Look.’ Ed nodded at a small office in the far left corner. A faint yellow light was shining through its opaque glass windows.

  ‘Let’s go.’

  CHAPTER

  52

  The doctor and I looked at each other. The sound of the door opening was unmistakable. It had done the same thing only minutes before when he’d hustled me through it.

  I opened my mouth to scream but he was over by my side with a knife at my throat before I could draw breath.

  ‘Don’t. I’ll kill you first and then your mother if you do. Do you understand?’

  I nodded.

  He pointed to a rickety office chair perched next to an old wooden desk. ‘Sit down and don’t move. I’ll go and see who our visitor is.’

  For a few moments his back was to me. It was the best chance I was going to get. I launched myself across the space between us and grabbed for the knife. He grunted in surprise and tried to wrench away from me.

  ‘Get off me! What do you think you’re doing?’

  I didn’t answer him. I dipped my head and bit into the hand that was holding the knife. My teeth sank deep into his flesh and I tasted blood. He yelped and his struggles intensified. I felt like my teeth were being ripped out of my head. He swung around with his other arm and started to beat at my head. It hurt like hell. My vision blurred, but I didn’t let go. I bit harder.

  ‘Let go, bitch!’ He struck me hard on the side of my face. My cheek took the full impact. Blades of pain ricocheted around my skull. His blood was up my nose and I could hardly breathe. I had to do something before I passed out. I couldn’t let him win. Mum was depending on me.

  I released my jaws and swung my knee up with all my might. Luck was on my side. I connected with his groin. The wind rushed out of his lungs. He dropped the knife and curled up on the floor, moaning. I scrabbled on the floor for the knife. My fingers curled around the handle and I stooped down and pushed the blade against Metzger’s throat, just like he’d done to me.

  ‘Tell me where my mother is, you bastard! Is she here?’ I glanced at the large chest freezer standing in the corner of the office. It had been modified; a rubber hose was fixed to a hole in one of its sides. A rag was stuffed in the end of the hose. I realised with a lurch that it was designed to allow oxygen into the freezer, or cut it off. The rag … I wouldn’t let myself finish the thought. I forced myself to think logically. She wasn’t in that freezer. He’d showed her sitting on a chair in a room quite different from this one. I had to believe she was still alive.

  He cracked open his eyes and peered up at me through slits. ‘You think I’m going to tell you now?’ he hissed through gritted teeth. ‘Your mother will die if you kill me.’ He tried to sit up.

  ‘Don’t move!’ I said. I dug the knife into his neck, drawing blood.

  He opened his eyes a bit wider. ‘Tell me, Cassandra, if I visualise where I’m holding your mother can you see it too? Does your gift work like that? Let’s see, shall we?’

  He closed his eyes, frowning, pretending to concentrate, then opened them again.

  ‘How was that? Did you get anything?’

  I couldn’t think of anything to say. His mockery made me so angry I was shaking.

  He smiled, enjoying my rage. ‘What? You can’t see what I’m thinking? Oh well, that’s a shame now, isn’t it? Not much of a gift really, is it?’

  ‘You’re sick. If I killed you I’d be doing the world a favour,’ I said.

  ‘So kill me!’ He smiled again. His confidence was returning.

  I didn’t know what to do. A noise at the door made my head snap around. Metzger tried to wriggle out from under the knife.

  ‘Don’t!’ I snarled, pressing the knife harder. The drop of blood on his neck turned into a trickle.

  The door swung open. Ed ducked his head around the frame, taking a quick look. He stepped into the doorway holding his gun in a double grip, arms fully extended and bulging with tension. Dave followed a heartbeat later. Relief turned my muscles to water. I’d never been so glad to see anyone.

  ‘Cass, what’s going on?’ Ed said.

  ‘He’s taken Mum! He’s got her tied up somewhere.’

  ‘Let him go, Cass. I’ve got him covered,’ Dave said.

  ‘No, I can’t. Not until he tells me where Mum is.’

  ‘Tell her!’ Ed said, pointing his gun at Dr Metzger’s head.

  ‘What? Or you’ll shoot me? I don’t think so, Detective. I’m not telling you anything. Anita Lehman hasn’t had any food or water since I picked her up. By the time you work out where she is it will be too late.’

  ‘She’s alive?’ Dave said.

  ‘Not for much longer.’ Dr Metzger lunged and grabbed my arm, trying to wrestle the knife away from me. The suddenness of it caught me by surprise. He was stronger than me and he was crushing my wrist. I couldn’t hold on.

  ‘Let her go or I’ll shoot!’ Ed yelled.

  ‘Go ahead and her mother dies,’ Dr Metzger spat.

  With a cry I released the knife and fell backwards onto the floor. Dr Metzger rolled onto his hands and knees then thrust the knife at me.

  ‘Shoot him!’ I screamed as I frantically scrambled out of the way.

  Two gunshots rang out almost simultaneously and Dr Metzger froze. The hand holding the knife dropped to his side and he looked down at his chest in surprise as a red stain blossomed on his shirt. He swayed back and forth briefly before crumpling on top of me. With a grunt of disgust I rolled him off and scrambled to my feet.

  Ed rushed over. He kicked the knife out of the way then felt Dr Metzger’s neck.

  ‘Shit! He’s still alive but only just. Call an ambulance, Dave!’

  I looked at Dr Metzger. He was staring at the ceiling. His breath was coming in quick gasps. My mind snapped into focus.

  ‘Don’t!’ I said. ‘He’s going to die. Let him.’

  ‘What?’ Dave said.

  ‘I need him to die here.’

  ‘But, your mother? We need him alive?’ Ed said.

  ‘No, I need him dead. Just leave him.’

  Realisation dawned on Ed and he shook his head, staring at me. ‘What if it doesn’t work?’

  ‘It has to,’ I said.

  ‘What the hell?’ Dave said.

  ‘Do as she says, Dave, it’s the best chance we’ve got.’

  He stared at his partner for long moments. The only sound was Dr Metzger’s laboured breathing. Finally Dave nodded and shoved his phone back in his pocket.

  The three of us stood around Dr Metzger, watching his chest rise and fall. His eyes were open and staring into nothingness. His breathing was shallow and the air rattled in his throat. Minutes ticked by and the rattling increased. He coughed, vomiting blood. The breathing stopped. I waited a minute longer to be sure. I looked at Ed, then Dave.

  ‘Do it,’ Dave said.

  I closed my eyes and said a silent prayer. Never had I wanted my gift as much as I did at that moment.

  Please God, let me see.

  I laid my hands on Dr Metzger’s body.

  CHAPTER

  53

  I opened my eyes. Everything was fuzzy around the edges and I had to fight to drag myself into full consciousness.

  ‘Cass?’

  I blinked and looked at Ed. He was paler than I’d ever seen him. Dave was standing off to one side twitching in frustrated impotence.

  ‘I know where she is.’ I snatched my hand back from Dr Metzger’s body. My skin crawled from the contact. ‘She’s in a storage locker. It’s one of those ones with roller doors that you can drive your car up to. The buildings are bright yellow.’

&nbs
p; ‘Did you see a name?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Dave?’

  ‘Yeah, I’m thinking. It sounds like a place off Woodville Road.’ He punched at his phone. ‘Janice? Yeah. We’re OK. Metzger’s dead. We need an ambulance and I need you to look up self-storage places on Woodville Road. We’ve got another missing vic. Call any you can find and see if they’re painted yellow. If they can tell you if Metzger’s renting a unit, even better.’

  Time ground to a standstill in the minutes after he ended the call. The three of us were clustered around Dr Metzger’s body. No one spoke. We couldn’t even look at each other. I sat on the floor, too tired to even stand up.

  ‘Cass?’

  I jerked awake. Exhaustion was winning. I had to stay awake. Tears filled my eyes.

  ‘What if we’re too late?’ I covered my face. The next thing I knew, Ed’s arms were around me and he was pulling me against him. I rested my head on his shoulder.

  When Dave’s phone finally chirruped into life we all jumped.

  ‘What have you got?’ he said. ‘That’s great … All right, I’ll tell him but he won’t like it.’ He hung up.

  ‘It’s definitely the place on Woodville Road. We got lucky. Metzger’s renting a unit in his own name. Uniform are on their way. There’s an ambulance en route too. The owner’s going to meet them there with the keys. Arnott wants us to stay put. We need to give statements about what happened here.’

  I was about to speak but Ed saved me the trouble.

  ‘There’s no way I’m sitting around giving statements and not knowing what’s happening.’

  ‘Arnott will eat you without salt if you leave,’ Dave said.

  ‘I don’t give a shit,’ Ed said.

  Dave looked at our faces and shook his head. ‘Bloody hell! I can feel the arse-kicking now. Go! Quick, before the cavalry arrives. Take Port Road back the way you came about five clicks and turn left onto Woodville Road. It’s well signposted, you can’t miss it. The storage place is number 234.’