by Sara Dalton
“You mean, Madison.”
“Where is she?”
“He was under her nose the whole time, I’m surprised she doesn’t remember him. He’s met her a couple of times, mainly when I was in court while she stood as a witness.” Alan seethed.
“Where did he take her?” Robert said calmly. Alan sat back in his chair and glanced over at the guard. He leaned forward across the table looking Fletcher in the eye.
“He would have taken her where this all started.” Alan sat back and didn’t say anything else. Fletcher glanced up at Robert behind him hoping he knew the answer.
“Started where?”
“That I don’t know, wherever Ian started to break. You know what happened to us,” Alan replied. Robert kicked the wall and left the room. Fletcher got up from his seat and Alan watched him. He left the room and chased up to Robert who was already leaving the prison. They signed out in the visitor book and handed in their badges.
“When Addison and I were going through the case files of Alan Reed, the only place I could think it would have started would be their house. Ian is Alan’s brother, so he would have gone through the same thing as his brother. Their mother committed suicide, slashed her right wrist and bled out.” Fletcher told Robert.
“Can you get the address?” Robert asked. Fletcher nodded and pulled his phone out from his back pocket. He started making phone calls to the office for someone to forward him the address of Shirley and Anthony Reed’s home.
“I’ve got the address and the house is in Ian Reed’s name after his father moved away.” Fletcher told him.
“Let’s go,”
Robert and Fletcher got into the car headed to the address that was given to them.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
12th April 2016
Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
Addison eventually woke up. Her feet and wrists were still bound behind her back. She glanced around to find that Ian wasn’t there. She winced in pain from the bash to her head, she shuffled towards the kitchen and headed towards the counter. She opened the bottom cupboard with her tied hands and grabbed something sharp.
She used as much strength as she could to cut the ties from her wrists and when she got free, she cut the ones on her feet. She listened out for Ian, but there was nothing. She headed over to the front door and grabbed the house phone, dialling Robert’s number.
“Robert,” she sighed with relief when he answered.
“Addison, where are you? We are headed towards Alan Reeds house where he grew up in, we figured that’s where Ian would take you.” Robert told her.
“Yes, yes, that’s exactly where he’s taken me. I don’t know where he is, I woke up in the kitchen doorway.” Addison explained.
“Stay where you are, we are nearly there.” Robert demanded and hung up the phone. Addison heard a noise come from upstairs, he was still in the house. She put the phone back into the slot and moved towards the stairs. She listened.
Addison couldn’t hear anything else, so she took each step slowly. She held onto the stairs railing as she neared the top, still there was no sound. She crept along the hallway towards the master bedroom, stopping outside. She could hear running water.
Addison opened the door and saw that the en-suite bathroom door was slightly ajar. Addison stepped closer to see the water was red, and lying there was Ian. He had slit his wrists in the bathtub. She reached in getting her hands wet, feeling for a pulse. He was still alive.
She glanced behind her into the mirror, looking at herself, thinking what she should do? She could kill him. What would that make her? She thought about it, she thought very hard. Putting one hand on the top of his head and pushed him under the water. She held him there. There was no fight as he was almost dead anyway, she just finishing the job. Addison felt for a pulse one last time, there was nothing. Suddenly she heard a car pull up. She quickly rushed downstairs back to the spot where she had woken up before calling Robert. She knelt where there was blood from the hit she took before, lying back down on the ground. She closed her eyes before anyone entered the house.
Robert pulled up outside. They saw a car parked on the drive, which they assumed was Ian’s. He parked the car on the side road and they both walked up the wavy path to the front door. Fletcher glanced around the front garden, it was well looked after. Beautiful plants and flowers everywhere. It made Fletcher think that Ian had rented the house out to people because it wasn’t Ian’s priority home address.
Robert didn’t knock on the front door. He went to the side window and peeked through. He couldn’t see anyone or anything that was disturbed. Fletcher sneaked around the back, through the gate, and into the garden. There was a patio throughout the back, the sliding double doors were open. He yelled for Robert who came rushing around the corner.
“Shall we go inside? Or wait for back up?” Fletcher asked. But Robert went inside anyway. “Inside we go then,” Fletcher said to himself as he followed Robert.
They headed through the kitchen and everything looked clean. Fletcher went through the dining room and Robert went down the hallway towards the living room. There was no one in sight. As they came to the front door, they saw Addison lying on the ground. There was blood on her head, but nothing told him how bad her wounds were.
“Shit,” Robert leaped forward and checked for a pulse. She was alive.
“Go upstairs, see if Ian is still here?” Robert told him. Fletcher left Robert with Addison and headed up the stairs. He checked all the rooms and then entered the master bedroom, it had an en-suite. He went inside and heard the water running in the bathroom. He pushed the door open and saw water rising over the bathtub. Ian was lying there in the tub which the water had turned red.
“ROBERT,” Fletcher called. He heard his heavy footsteps on the stairs and entering the bedroom. He stood behind Fletcher, seeing Ian’s head was bobbing just under the red water.
“Have you checked for a pulse?” Robert asked. Fletcher moved forward and put his fingers to Ian’s neck. He tried to feel for a pulse, but there wasn’t one. He looked up at Fletcher and shook his head.
“Call Nora and Charlie, we need a team here now.” Robert told him. Fletcher left the bathroom to make the calls while Robert stayed, glaring at the dead body. They could hear faint sirens of an ambulance that Robert had called for Addison. They arrived shortly followed by the forensics team.
“What happened?” Nora asked as she entered the house.
“Ian Evan’s also known as Alan Reed’s Brother Ian Reed.” Robert told her.
“He’s your serial killer?”
“He’s the one.”
“And he escaped the easy way out, coward.” Nora hissed. She started yelling orders at her team who were now setting up their equipment. Robert left her to do her job and headed back down the stairs to find Addison awake.
“How’s the bump?” He asked.
“It needs a few stitches, but I’ll be fine.” Addison laughed. “I’m made of steel, I hope this doesn’t happen in every case we solve.” Addison laughed.
“Don’t worry, kid, you’ve got nothing to worry about.” Robert laughed along with her. “I thought that you should know, Ian Reed is dead. It seems he killed himself upstairs in the bathroom, I assume where his mother did it.” Robert admitted. Addison didn’t say anything, she only nodded her head. She was relieved. “Also, DCS Dowell wants to talk to you in his office when we get back. He wants to be the one to take your statement about Ian kidnapping you.”
“That’s fine,”
Robert got into the back of the ambulance with Addison, he put his hand on her arm, comforting her. She watched him wondering if he noticed that her clothes were damp, he didn’t say anything if he did. They were waiting for the paramedics to take Addison to the hospital. She was told by the paramedics to be checked properly and to have stitches to her wound. Addison didn’t fight them this time, she went willingly. Robert’s phone started ringing and he answered it. It was DCS Brian Dowell, Addi
son watched as he nodded his head along with what was being said down the phone. He hung up without saying a word, he glanced at Addison.
“DCS Dowell is going to meet us at the hospital, but forensics have found your prints on the knife in the bathroom…”
“I didn’t kill him. He did that himself, we had a scuffle before and I grabbed the knife. But he wrestled it from me.” Addison stated.
“Don’t say anything else, wait until DCS Dowell takes your statement. Depending on the investigation and your statement, it shouldn’t take long to close the case.” Robert explained.
“What will happen to me?”
“You may be suspended for a couple of days, just as the investigation comes to an end. But you will fine.” Robert convinced her.
They arrived at the hospital and Addison was put in a room while she waited for the doctor to come and do her stitches. Robert came inside along with DCS Dowell. Addison went to get up from the bed.
“No need,”
“Thank you, sir,” Addison greeted him with a nod.
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m okay, just a bump to the head.” Addison told him. He sat in the chair opposite as he pulled out his notebook.
“I wanted to take your statement while it’s still fresh in your mind. But before that, I want you to know that you will be suspended for three days pending on the investigation. All is well, and you’ll be able to return.” He explained.
“Yes sir,” Addison nodded.
She began to tell him everything that had happened, right up from when she was fifteen years old to now. She told him every single bit of detail she could remember even from when she had the case files to when Fletcher found out, everything poured from her mouth, apart from one thing.
She killed Ian Reed.
Read an extract from Sara Dalton’s new DS Addison McCain thriller
HANGMAN
Available October 2019
Prologue
21st July 2016
Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
He stood behind the tree on the opposite side of the road watching through his window. The night air was sticky, left over from the summer hot day. The man he watched stood by the window as he looked out, thinking he could see someone, perhaps he could see him. He saw the man’s wife enter the room, she came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She started to kiss the side of his neck as he tilted it to let her. He closed the curtains and now the man who watched couldn’t see them anymore, just their shadow.
Luke Stephens, his victim, the man everyone loves. But he’s a man that no one truly knew, and he wanted to show the world who he really was. He’s been sitting outside of his house for weeks, watching Luke be someone who he’s not. A wife, his children, they didn’t know anything. His family deserved much more.
Unfortunately for Luke, tonight was the night he was going to show his true colours.
He glanced around the street, it was late, extremely, and he hovered by Luke’s car. He managed to get his door open with the rod he used. He removed his backpack from his back and placed the rod in it. He climbed into the backseat and waited.
After hours of waiting, Luke finally sneaked out of his front door. He rushed to his car and opened the door. He climbed into the driver’s seat and started the engine.
“Don’t move,” The man said. He put his arm around the chair and around Luke’s neck. He had a knife. Luke didn’t say anything. “Drive, I’ll give you directions.” His voice was croaky, excited. He waited for this moment for a long time.
“Where are we going?” Luke whispered.
“For a surprise,” the man laughed. They drove down the street and into a secluded area, it was a construction site. They started building a new bridge over the train tracks, but it had never been finished and soon it was forgotten. Luke pulled up to the side road, looking for anyone who was passing by, but there was no one.
“No one comes here anymore,” the man told him.
“What do you want with me?” Luke feared. The man laughed and pulled his arm back. He got out of the car and Luke saw him. He climbed out of the driver’s seat. “It’s you,” Luke recognised. The man swung his knife at Luke, catching his neck. He glanced up putting his hands to neck feeling the warm liquid of his blood run. He tried to speak, but it came out as gargles. He watched as the man in front him laughed.
He yanked the backpack from his back and pulled out a rope. He looped it and quickly shoved over Luke’s head. Luke fell to his knees as the blood kept coming, he glanced up to see the man pulling the rope around his neck. He dragged him further down the road as it got darker. It was Luke’s end and he knew it. He thought about of the things he had done, the horrible things, the good things and mostly the love for his family. His children.
“You deserve this.” The man said. He climbed up on the side of the bridge as he threw the rope over the top bar. Luke’s vision started to blur, he had lost lots of blood. The man yanked the rope and Luke started to rise from the ground. His feet started to struggle to find the floor, he made more gargling noises as he tried to call for help. He was choking, the rope was tight around his neck and he couldn’t do anything.
The man watched Luke struggle. He couldn’t help but laugh at him. There was white foam coming down the side of Luke’s mouth from where he was choking. His eyes were now closed and his body started to slow down, almost to a stop.
“Sorry Luke, it’s nothing personal. Well, maybe it was.” The man said as he tied the rope on the sidebar from the bridge. He walked away from the scene, leaving Luke hanging from the bridge.
Chapter
One
21st July 2016
Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
Addison walked through the familiar double doors of the Crime Investigation Department. It was her first time back since she was suspended from The Silent Killer case a few months back. The investigation took a lot longer than she had expected, but she was finally cleared. Her boss DCI Robert Arrows had kept her in the loop with everything that was happening.
“Look whose back,” Addison turned around to find Fletcher pulling her into a head lock.
“Get off me, you git.” She screeched as she pushed him away. Fletcher laughed but it didn’t last long when they heard Robert’s office door slam. They both turned around to see him stomping towards them. Addison saw that his hair had got a little bit longer, his scruffy dark brown hair blowing as he moved.
“He’s not got himself a girlfriend yet?” Addison whispered before he approached. Fletcher bit his lips tight to stop himself from laughing, giving Addison a nudge with his hip.
“We’ve been called out to Red Bridge Crossing. There has been a murder. Grab your coats children.” Robert swifted past them and out of the double doors with his long stride.
“Welcome back Ads.” Fletcher patted her shoulder.
“I was sure he was going to put me on desk duty.” She said as she followed them out of the doors and into the car park. They all got into the same car and headed out to Red Bridge Crossing.
“I’ve been warned, the scene isn’t very nice. We’ve got a bad one.” Robert admitted. Addison glanced over to Fletcher who was sat in the passenger side while she was in the back.
“Well, my first day back, it can’t be as bad as the one before.” Addison joked. She looked forward as they arrived at the scene, a body was hanging from under the bridge. “I take that back.” She swallowed. Robert parked the car outside of the scene.
“Holy shit, that is a bad one.” Fletcher cursed as he got out of the car. Robert was already marching towards DCS Brian Dowell who was waiting for the team to arrive. Addison saw Harry the photo forensics guy taking pictures of the scene, she remembered seeing him at her first crime scene. Dr Charlie Richards was standing below the body, assessing it. The familiar glasses that sat on the tip of his nose, she smiled feeling as if she had been away for a very long time realizing she had missed the te
am.
“Welcome back McCain,” Dowell nodded to her as she stood at the back of the ground. She gave him a slight nod in return and carried on staring at the body. She glanced around the area and saw a face that she’s never seen before.
“He’s been slit at the throat, so we know it’s not a suicide by the way the slash occurs. We found his car just a few yards up the street. His name is Luke Stephans.” Dowell started. Robert moved to the hanging body, the fingers were caught under the rope at his neck and his other arm was hanging, his mouth was wide open with now dry foam around it. Addison saw that his eyes were closed, she was glad. This was such a horrible death, she didn’t want to know what his eyes would have looked like.
“There are blood spills everywhere, he had lost a lot of blood.” Nora said as she came up behind them. “Welcome Addison,” she patted her shoulder.
“Thanks,”
“He was dragged from his car to around here, this is where the blood starts, so I assume he slit his neck here. Or she. The blood moves along here to WHERE he was hung. This was called in about an hour ago.” Nora explained. Dr Charlie Richards joined in.
“He’s been dead for at least 2-3 hours. Early hours of the morning, but such a quiet area no one reported any noise.” Charlie confirmed.
“Who found him?” Addison asked.
“A woman, she was walking her dog just passing by and saw him hanging.” Nora replied.
“What about CCTV?” Robert jumped in. Addison saw Nora blush when he spoke. He didn’t take any notice of her, just glanced around the scene.
“There isn’t any CCTV around here, the closest one is about a mile down the street.” She told him. Robert nodded and Addison heard him whispering to Fletcher.
“Get someone to pull up any CCTV from the last 24 hours. I want to see if Luke Stephans car is shown on the tapes. I want it on my desk in an hour.” Fletcher nodded and wandered off out of the scene tape. Addison noticed something different with Nora, she was being flirtier with Robert, more than usual. Robert nodded his head to her and went over to speak to DCS Dowell.