SILENCE

by Sara Dalton

  “It will be safer for you tonight. I don’t want to take any risks. The killer is now threatening your life, we need to find out who this person is. We need to look into your past, as much as you hate it, we’ve got no other choices.” Robert said.

  “I’ll pack a couple of things to bring with me. Give me your address and I’ll meet you at yours.” Addison said to Fletcher. Fletcher grabbed a notebook and penned down his address. He handed her the piece of paper and headed out. The forensics team had arrived to start their jobs.

  “Come on, let’s get going.” Robert got up. Addison also got up and quickly packed a bag. Robert had gone by the time she was done but he insisted he will pop by to check on her later. She threw her bag in the back of her car and started the engine. She had to make a quick pit stop before going to Fletcher’s house. The killer was making this personal and she knew it had something to do with her father. Alan Reed knew exactly who the killer was. He’s certainly got her attention now.

  Addison finally arrived at the prison and requested a visit with Alan Reed. When she entered he was sitting there with a smirk on his face.

  “Madison, you came,” Alan said.

  “Who is it? You know, tell me.” Addison shouted.

  “Sit down.” Alan bellowed. Addison was shocked. She sat down in the chair opposite and let out a long sigh. “His real name is Ian Reed.” Alan pushes a photo across the table. Addison picked it up and looked at it. She didn’t recognise anyone.

  “Ian Reed? Is he your brother?”

  “Yes, my younger brother. I’m surprised you don’t remember him.” Alan smirked.

  “You’re lying.”

  “I’m not.”

  “Forget this. I knew this was stupid.” Addison got up from her chair and left. She stuffed the picture into her pocket and headed out through security. She quickly stopped and glanced over at the sign-in book. She walked up to the desk where a man sat who wasn’t paying any attention to her.

  “Hi, sorry I’m Detective Sergeant Addison McCain. I think they need your help to restrain Alan Reed in there.” Addison said. The man jumped up from his seat and ran out of the room. She pulled the sign-in book and flicked through the pages. She saw the name. Ian Reed. She ripped those pages from the book and closed it, heading back out to her car. She sat in the driver’s seat and pulled the picture back out of her pocket. She looked at it hard, but she didn’t recognise anyone in the photo apart from her father. She knew it was a family photo, Alan looked very much like his own father.

  There is one question on Addison’s mind. She doesn’t remember Ian Reed.

  She put the picture back into her pocket and drove to Fletcher's house. When she arrived, she knocked on the door and a woman with dark brown shoulder length hair answered. She was very pretty Addison thought.

  “Oh sorry, I may have gotten the wrong address.” Addison started. The woman laughed.

  “You must be Addison. Andrew said you would be coming, come in.” The woman said. She invited Addison in and she slipped through the front door beside her.

  “I’m Alicia, Andrew’s girlfriend.” She introduced herself.

  “I’m so sorry for barging in like this suddenly.” Addison started.

  “It’s ok, Andrew has told me that you needed somewhere to stay as your place is a crime scene. We have a spare room, so you can use it for as long as you like.” Alicia said kindly.

  “Wow, thank you. Is Fletcher here? I mean Andrew.” Addison asked. Alicia laughed.

  “Fletcher, does everyone call him that? He went back to work with Robert.” She explained.

  “Yeah, it kind of sticks in this line of work. How long have you known Fletcher and Robert?”

  “I’ve been dating Fletcher for about a year now. When I met him, Robert was there too. He’s a sullen character.” Alicia laughed again. Addison found herself laughing with her. She liked Alicia.

  “I didn’t get on with Robert at first,” Addison said.

  “Oh, I know. Andrew told me, Robert didn’t like you when you first started either. But he said that he’s taking quite a liking to you now. It’s unusual because he doesn’t really like any other girls. Andrew and I have tried to set him up in the past, but he’s never liked, anyone.” Alicia told her.

  “Tell me more, I could use this against Robert next time he turns to me,” Addison said as she sat down on the sofa. Alicia laughed.

  “Would you like anything to drink before I start?” Alicia asked.

  “I would like a cuppa, milk with one sugar. Thank you again for taking me in for the night.” Addison mentioned.

  “It’s not a problem,” Alicia replied as she trotted out into the kitchen. Addison could hear the kettle boiling. She pulled out the photo from her pocket and glanced at it again.

  Ian Reed. Who was he?

  Addison spent the last two hours listening to Alicia talk about Fletcher and Robert. There is one thing Addison has learned from their conversation is how close Robert and Fletcher really are.

  “Do you mind if I turn in for the night? I know I said that I’d wait up for them but I’m so tired.” Addison confessed.

  “Of course not, is there anything you need?” She asked.

  “I’m okay for now. Thank you.” Addison said as she headed for the guest room. The bedroom was cold as the window was slightly open. Addison went over to close it and then flung herself back onto the bed. She pulled the picture out from her pocket and stared at it, hoping she would remember. She put the picture on the bedside table and pulled out her phone. Addison sat up and started to research on Harry Kobak again on the school’s official website. She found herself glancing through all the teacher’s names until she stopped at Ian Evans. Coincidence?

  She tapped on his picture that enlarged onto her phone screen. She quickly grabbed the photo she placed on the bedside table and placed them next to each other.

  “Shit,” she breathed. She quickly called Robert who took a few attempts to answer his phone.

  “It’s the science teacher, he’s the killer.” Addison started saying. Robert told her to slow down but the phone in her hand was knocked away. She slowly turned around and saw him standing behind her.

  “ROBERT.” Addison screamed as he clamped his hand over her mouth and started dragging her to the window. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a syringe he stabbed it into her neck and injected her with brevital sodium. She went quiet. The last thing she remembers was Alicia calling her name in the distance.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  12th April 2016

  Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom

  Addison’s eyes opened slowly, glancing around the room. She recognized it. She glanced down at her feet which were bound together with cable ties and her wrists. Her body was lying on something soft, a bed to be exact, she recognised it as her mother’s. Her heartbeat started to quicken as she remembered the house she grew up in. She tried to open her mouth, but her lips were stuck together by duck-tape.

  “Do you know where we are?” Addison heard. She glanced up to see Ian sitting in the armchair by the window. Her mother always sat in that seat when she needed inspiration for writing her novellas. He got up from the seat and headed towards Addison, she tried to shuffle away from him as he sat beside her on the bed. “This house brings back so many memories, don’t you think Madison?” Ian grabbed her face and pulled her to look at him. “Do you want to know how Alan always found his victims?” He smiled. Addison tried to look away, but his fingers were tight around her jaw. “It was me. I chose them.” He admitted.

  He finally let go of her jaw and got up from the bed. Ian lifted Addison into an upright position and then he dragged the seat by the window placing it in front of her. He sat down and watched her. “You look like your mother. I remember when Alan first told us about you, dad wasn’t impressed though.” Ian laughed. “Did you know Alan and dad didn’t get on. They hated each other, mainly because of the way dad treated our mum. Do you want to know what
happened to her?” Ian’s eyes lit up. He waited for Addison to approve. “Nod,” he told her. Addison did.

  “Great,” Ian clasped his hands together. “Alan caught dad cheating on mum, it went on for a long while. One day, Alan came home earlier than expected to find that dad had his mistress in his bed with him. Mum wasn’t there, but Alan sent her a text message telling her to come home straight away.” Ian paused for a moment. He looked down at Addison who was sitting helplessly on the bed. “I’ve got a better idea,” Ian said as he jumped up from his seat. He grabbed Addison’s arm and yanked her from the bed, she squealed in her throat from the sudden change. He kept a tight grip on her and dragged her down the stairs. She tried to fight against him as he moved towards the front door.

  “Madison, don’t,” Ian told her, but she didn’t listen. She carried on fighting him and he leaned down, wrapped his arms around her thighs and lifted her over his shoulder. He walked out the front door towards his car, he threw Addison onto the back seat and slammed the door. She shuffled to lie on her back and glanced out of the window, all she could see was the sky as the car moved. She knew where he was taking her, back to where his mum had committed suicide. Addison read the report about that day, how distraught the boys were to go through something that only turned them into monsters. Shirley Reed had cut her right arm with a knife from her wrist to the crease of her elbow and bled out in the bathtub.

  The car finally stopped, and Addison glanced out of the window, she saw the corner of a house. She pulled her legs into a fetus position as Ian yanked the car door open. He leaned forward and grabbed her feet, pulling her out of the car. She tried to scream but no sound came out, it was more of a mumble.

  “Don’t worry, the house belongs to me. Dad left it to me before he moved to America. He took me when I was young, but Alan stayed here. When I had come of age, I wanted to come back.” Ian said as he put the key in the front door. Addison glanced around the area in hope to find someone passing by, but the house was too far away from any other neighbours.

  “Alan was pleased to see that I had come back. He told me a deep dark secret, do you want to know what that was?” Ian asked. He pulled Addison inside the house and locked the door. He shoved her onto the couch and saw that she was nodding. He noticed that she was asking him to take the tape of off her mouth. He sat in silence for a few moments. Ian saw the hope in her eyes and he decided to take it off.

  “Katie Herman,” Addison spoke. Her voice was raspy from dehydration. Ian looked at her.

  “Katie Herman?”

  “Yes, that was his deep dark secret.” Addison told him.

  “How did you know?”

  “I’ve read all of the files on his case.”

  “Had you ever wondered how he chose his victims?” Ian grinned.

  “I didn’t. But I do now.”

  “This was our house. Our childhood home, until dad ruined it. Alan got mum to come home and she caught them. Alan had left before it all kicked off to pick me up from school. When we arrived home, dad wasn’t anywhere in the house and mum…” Ian sat down on the couch beside Addison, she shuffled away from him. “The bedroom was a mess and the bathroom door was closed. Alan told me to stay put and he found mum, I came in to have a look and there she was. There was blood everywhere, in the water, over her body, she cut her wrists. I guess that’s where Alan got the idea of cutting your wrist, it’s a memory.” Ian laughed.

  “More like a nightmare.” Addison said under her breath. Ian gripped her by the hair and yanked her to her feet. She yelped as he dragged her upstairs into the bedroom. He kicked the bathroom door open and pushed Addison inside. She fell to her knees as she glanced up at the sight of the moment where Alan and Ian turned into monsters. The first thing she saw was a pair of small silver nail scissors sitting by the sink.

  “This is where she died, this is where it all started for us. She betrayed us, she got the easy way out. Dad escaped from the disaster, but it never escaped us. We had so much anger.”

  “So, you took it out on innocent people.” Addison said.

  “They were hardly innocent, each woman I chose were having affairs with married men. Each one of them women were destroying families and then walking away. Who gets that right?”

  “You don’t get the right to kill them.”

  “They deserved it. It’s the reason our family fell apart, it’s the reason most families fall apart.” Ian was shouting.

  “What about my mum?” Addison yelled.

  “Your mum, Jade, was just in the way. She caught Alan and I had to warn him. But it wasn’t Jade we should have been worried about.” Ian stared at Addison. She swallowed hard knowing that she was the one who called the police. She put an end to it.

  “You called the police that night. But it was too late, your mum paid the price. And do you know what?”

  Addison didn’t say anything. She watched as he exited the bathroom back into the bedroom, she turned her body to see that he had his back turned. She took this moment to grab the pair of nail scissors. He turned back to face Addison.

  “You stood in court and said all of those things about Alan, your dad. He was sentenced because of your confession, you put him behind bars.”

  “And I don’t regret any part of it.” Addison hissed. Ian stood in silence as Addison secretly cut the cable ties from her wrists. “Do you even remember any of the victims you’ve killed?” Addison asked as she tried to distract him.

  “Of course, I remember each one of their names. I know Alan only remembers the ones that were important. Like your mum.” Ian grinned. Addison finally got her hands free but she kept them behind her back. She glanced at her feet which were still bound together. She bent her knees and sat on her feet, she started to cut when Ian turned his back every now and then.

  “Alan gave you up. Did you know that?” Addison started.

  “What do you mean?”

  “He told me it was you that was killing all those people. He told me.” Addison said to him. Ian turned his back again putting his hand through his thick dark hair.

  “You know, I don’t care about Alan. I always looked up to him when I was younger, he was everything I wanted to be. But now he was the pawn to my game. He did everything I told him to do. It was disappointing.” Ian confessed.

  “He’s not the disappointing one.” Addison mocked. “He was precise, but you, you were messy.” She said. Ian glared at her. He took his glasses off from his face and tucked them into his pocket. He stepped forward and reached out to grab Addison, but she jumped up and stabbed him in the chest with the small pair of scissors. He groaned as he watched her run out of the room. He pulled the scissors from his chest and chased after her.

  She ran down the stairs and tried to open the front door, but he had already locked it. She quickly rushed through the living room and into the kitchen for the back door. It was also locked, she glanced around the kitchen to find a key hanging on a hook hidden in the corner. She quickly grabbed it but Ian was behind her. He gripped her hair and pushed her forward, her face bashed into the cupboard.

  She grabbed a pan from beside the cooker, turned and smacked him around the head with it. He grunted and let go of her. She kicked him, and he fell backward onto the ground. He grabbed her foot as she tried for the back door again, she fell forward dropping the pan next to her. He crawled on top of her pinning her arms to the floor.

  “You’re going to regret that,” Ian said before picking up the pan and hitting her with all his strength.

  She fell unconscious beneath his weight, blood started to trickle from her head.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  12th April 2016

  Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom

  Alicia was in hysterics when Fletcher and Robert finally arrived. Robert ran straight into the bedroom and saw Addison’s phone on the floor.

  “You’re not supposed to touch them, sir, it’s a crime scene now.” Fletcher reminded Robert but he didn’t care. Robert pic
ked up the phone and the photo that was still on the bed. “That’s Alan Reed in that picture,” Fletcher mentioned as he leaned over Robert’ shoulder.

  “Our killer is him.” Robert pointed to the man who was beside him. Ian Reed AKA Ian Evans the science teacher. “I want to know where Ian Evans lives and I want to know everything that he has done in the past thirty years.” Robert demanded. Fletcher nodded his head and went outside to make some phone calls. Alicia was sitting in the kitchen as she watched Robert and Fletcher running back and forth.

  Robert came rushing out pocketing the photo and Addison’s phone. Fletcher saw him going towards the car and he hurried after him.

  “Call Brookfield prison, we are going to see Alan Reed.” Robert demanded as Fletcher jumped into the car with him.

  The prison didn’t have much time to prepare when Fletcher and Robert arrived. After they’ve signed in, a guard guided them through locked gates and into a room. Alan Reed wasn’t there yet and Robert was getting impatient. He started to pace up and down the room while Fletcher was sat at the table waiting for the prisoner’s arrival. Fletcher jumped up from his seat when he noticed the guard enter the room followed by Alan Reed. He had chains on his wrists and when Robert looked at him, Alan had a big smile on his face. Robert charged at him and grabbed his blue jumpsuit throwing him against the wall.

  “Where is she?” He yelled.

  The guard and Fletcher both tried to pull Robert away from Alan, which was a bit of a struggle but eventually they separated them. Fletcher held Robert to the side while Alan stood laughing, the guard grabbed him by the shoulder and dragged him to the table. Fletcher sat down but Robert didn’t, instead he carried on pacing while letting Fletcher take over.

  “Ian Reed,” Fletcher started. Before he could say anything else, Robert slammed the photo down on the table in front of Alan.

  “We know about your brother, now tell us where he has taken Addison.” He demanded.