I looked at her, looking for any hint of a smile, but she looked deadly serious.
“What?” I asked.
“Danny can’t do it, obviously. He’s covered in bandages. And I can’t do it either. Well, I could, and I will if I have to, but there’s quite a big risk if I do it. If anything goes wrong and I get stopped, and then they work out who I am, I’m in a world of trouble.”
“But what if I get stopped?”
“It’s not very likely, but if you did, the worst that’s going to happen is you get arrested.”
“Oh, brilliant.”
“I know. It’s not ideal. But only until Danny speaks to Amy and then you’d be absolutely fine. Honestly, I don’t think it would happen.”
“I could get somebody from the Echo,” added Danny, “but when Leah comes round, she’s going to be very confused and quite possibly terrified. She already knows you. She’d trust you. You already know she wants to talk to you.”
“Right. But a couple of questions. When am I supposed to do this? And where on earth do I get a nurse’s uniform?”
I saw Clare’s eye move to a small pile of clothes on a spare chair in the corner of the room. That answered that.
“My size, I assume?”
“I believe so,” she said.
“And when?”
“That’s a bit harder. She could come round at any time. The bigger issue is to get you in and out of there without arousing suspicion. We were thinking around 6am, towards the end of the night shift, before breakfast kicks in.”
“Bloody hell. You’re actually serious about this.” I was struggling to get my head around it. “Assuming I’m successful and don’t actually get locked up, what am I supposed to be asking?”
“Just everything she knows about what happened. Everything about March and Holly. Everything about Steve. I can give you a tape machine to record whatever she says. There are no questions as such. Just ask her what happened.”
“Sorry, Anna,” said Danny. “We wouldn’t ask if there was an easier way.”
It took me a moment to let everything sink in. It was terrifying, I had a strong suspicion I’d be useless, and I didn’t have any confidence that the plan was actually going to work. But on the other hand, what option did I have?
“Okay,” I said. “I’ll do it.”
Clare seemed to visibly relax, as though suddenly relieved of some great tension. She came over and gave me a hug. Danny just smiled at me and said thank you. We made arrangements for me to be back at the hospital just before six. I said I’d give it my best attempt with no promises.
“I have to go,” Clare announced, after a moment, once everything had settled down. “I’ve got a job to do. I’ll leave you two to have a catch up, but I’ll see you back here in the morning.”
We said our farewells and she left us. I looked down at Danny. He reached for my hand.
“Thanks, Anna,” he said. “You don’t know how important this could be.”
“Anything for you, Poirot,” I replied, with a smile. But in truth I was suffering mixed emotions. Part of me was extremely pleased to be able to help, but the greater part actually found it quite exciting - assuming I could get my nerves under control. I looked at my watch. It was just past quarter past ten. I had just under eight hours, but I knew I wouldn’t ever be able to get to sleep. A rather naughty thought crossed my mind. Maybe the night wouldn’t be a disaster after all.
* * *
I chatted to Danny for a few minutes and then said I’d head home and be back fully rested in the morning. As I made my way across the car park, I dialled a familiar number. It was answered on the second ring.
“Hi Mitch, it’s Anna,” I said.
“Hey, how are things at the hospital?”
“All good. No big panic. Look, sorry to ring but I was just wondering if you were, you know, still interested in that ‘coffee’?” If I wasn’t going to get to sleep, I may as well have some rather enticing adult company. And I’ve always found excitement quite the aphrodisiac.
“At this time of night? Everywhere will be shut unless you want to go for a drink somewhere.”
“I was more thinking back at mine. I’ve got the place to myself all night and I won’t get called away again, I promise. And I’ve still got the Cava.”
There was a moment’s silence. I didn’t know if it was hesitation or just my imagination on overtime. Finally, he spoke.
“Yes, that sounds wonderful. Perfect timing in many respects. What time?”
“I’m just leaving the hospital. Should we say eleven? If that’s too late please just say.”
“No, it’s perfect,” he said. “I’ve been thinking about you.”
“And likewise.”
We ended the call and I headed home. I had a quite severe case of the butterflies, but the thought of what might lie ahead was enthralling. And in any case, if I was going to get arrested in the morning, I might as well make sure my last night as a free woman went with a bang...
Once I arrived home I checked my make-up and applied some finishing touches. I was pleased I hadn’t got changed earlier in the evening. There wasn’t time for another shower, but I hoped I was still reasonably fragrant. I poured a glass of the Cava, drinking it perhaps too quickly, but there were definitely nerves to be settled.
At exactly eleven there was a tap at the front door. I opened it and Mitch came in. We didn’t speak. I just looked at him, with what I hoped would be perceived as a naughty smile. He had the appearance of somebody who knew exactly why he was there, and wasn’t about to mess around.
This time we didn’t make it past the hallway. He was straight on to me, with surprising force. I was almost taken aback by his enthusiasm. But then the force increased and it started to become quite painful. I asked him to be more gentle but the pressure only increased. I started to feel real pain. And then I caught a look in his eyes that I’d never seen before. A hardness. A cruelty. And as his grip intensified again, I tried to scream, but his hand was over my mouth, muffling the sound. It wouldn’t have made a difference. There was nobody to hear me. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. I suddenly realised that I might have just made a terrible, terrible mistake.
38
MITCH dragged me by the hair through to the living room. My arms were twisted behind my back. I was powerless to fight back. He was much, much stronger than me. I tried pleading with him, but he just swore at me and slapped me hard across the face. He pinned me to the sofa, then removed his belt and used it to tie my wrists together, with my arms behind my back. The sharp edges of the leather cut into my skin.
“Mitch! What the fuck?” I cried, but he hit me again. And again. Harder and harder. The brutality increased. I was terrified. I was powerless. He put his hand over my mouth to try to stop me screaming. I tried to bite him but he just hit me again. There was a ringing in my ears where his fist connected. And then I felt his hand on my legs, pulling roughly at my dress, yanking it upwards. Still he didn’t speak, but I could see evil in his eyes. I tried to kick him but it was futile. A punch to the stomach winded me. His hand approached the waistband of my underwear.
And then there was a bang. And he stopped. He looked at me. The pressure subsided, and he fell forward, landing on me. I could feel a wetness on my face, as though I’d been splashed with water. Warm water. Water that was thick, and red.
Mitch slipped off me and fell to the floor. And there, standing behind him, at the end of the sofa, gun and silencer in hand, was Clare.
I was too shocked to think straight. But then Clare was with me, comforting me, holding me, saying sorry to me for not acting sooner. None of it made any sense. I saw Mitch, lying on the floor, vacant eyes still staring at me. A pool of blood forming at the back of his head. I cried. I held on to Clare as though she was the only stable thing in the whole insane world. I felt her arms around me, her hand on my head, stroking my hair, telling me everything was going to be okay. When she let go I could see the blood on her hands. I ha
d no idea what was happening any more.
Clare came in from the kitchen with two cups of tea. I’d moved to the armchair. Mitch was still lying on the floor, not moving. He’d never move again. Clare put the cups down on the table, pulled up a chair, sat next to me, and held my hands.
“So that was Mitch?” she said. I just nodded.
“Oh, Anna,” she continued. She stroked my arm, shaking her head. Her hazel eyes looked directly into mine. “He wasn’t Mitch. He was Logan McDonagh. Absolute fucking psychopath. He worked for Jacqui.”
“But...”
“Shhh... Don’t worry. I just wish I’d known earlier. I’m so sorry.”
“But, what just happened?” My voice was shakier than I’d ever known.
“Hey, you’re safe now. Come here.”
I leaned forward. Again I felt the comfort of her arms. This was Clare, the woman I’d hated for over a year. Actually, hated doesn’t even cover it. Despised, distrusted, detested even the merest mention of. And now, twice in two days, she’d saved my life. I wanted to cling to her like she was my own mother, although part of me wondered why trouble always seemed to follow in her shadow.
“Please,” I said. “What on earth is going on?”
She squeezed me tighter.
“That, I’m afraid, is an indication of the people we’re dealing with,” she said. “He’s been playing you. Has he been asking lots of questions? About Danny?”
I took a deep breath and shuddered.
“Yes, but I just thought he was interested in me. He said it sounded exciting.”
“I’m sorry, Anna.” Clare looked so strong. So calm. So in control. “He was using you. Trying to find out whatever he could. Whatever you knew. He’s been lying to you since the very first time you set eyes on him.”
I was still finding it all so hard to take in, even though my heartbeat was returning to normal.
“But the acting?”
“That bit was probably true. But that’s why he was so good at playing the part.”
“But how come you’re here?”
“It’s just as well I was,” she said, smiling.
“You said you were going to do a job.”
“I was. I’m sorry. Danny gave me his keys. I was going to stay here tonight. My job was to look after you. To be your bodyguard. We’ve both been terribly worried about you. I was supposed to hide away in Danny’s room, out of sight unless you needed me. We didn’t want to spook you and Danny said if he’d told you, you’d have refused. But I got held up on the way, and then when I got here I could hear screaming. I thought I was too late.”
“You were just in time.”
“In some ways. But you shouldn’t have had to go through any of that. I’m so sorry.”
A silence developed between us. Eventually I broke it.
“What are we going to do with him? Mitch? Or Logan or whatever he’s called?”
“Don’t worry. I know some people who specialise in cleaning.”
Again, I looked at her. Who was she? Not for the first time I was glad she was on our side.
“Clare,” I said, my voice so quiet I wasn’t sure she’d even be able to hear it.
“What?”
“Thank you. I’m so sorry too. I’ve thought so many bad things about you.”
“I know, but I understand that.”
“Yes, but I just thought what I thought, based on what happened last year.”
“Don’t worry. It was a difficult time for all of us.”
My face softened. It wasn’t a smile as such, but heading in that direction.
“I doubted you. I didn’t want Danny to have anything to do with you. In fact, I only phoned Mitch - Logan - because I was so pissed off that Danny was even speaking to you.”
“You mustn’t blame yourself.”
“That’s easy to say, but it’s true.”
“No, you didn’t do anything wrong. He was playing you. Every moment from whenever you first met him, he’s been working you. If you hadn’t phoned him, he’d have found another way. It was always going to happen, Anna.”
“God, I’ve been such an idiot.”
“No. You haven’t. There wasn’t anything you could have done differently.”
It was kind of her to say, but still I felt terrible. Dirty. I just wanted to lose myself in the shower, maximum heat. I didn’t think I’d ever feel clean again. I’d kissed the bastard. I’d let him get close to me. I’d had feelings, for heaven’s sake. I was going to go to bed with him. I shuddered again.
“Listen,” said Clare, “if this changes things for the morning, I do understand. I don’t expect you to go through with it now. You need to rest. I’ll go to see Leah.”
I shook my head.
“No,” I said. “This changes nothing. We’re going to absolutely fucking nail the bastards.”
39
Saturday, April 9th, 1994
I SLEPT for maybe two hours. When I woke up, the reality hit me and a wave of nausea passed through my system. I genuinely thought I was going to throw up. The week’s events had played absolute havoc with my system. I got out of bed and staggered through to the bathroom, looked at myself in the mirror, shrank back in horror yet again and then rushed back to sit on the bed to try to shift the terrible light-headedness before I collapsed onto the bedroom floor.
Slowly I regained composure. Deep breaths helped. It was still dark outside. I could hear birds calling out to each other. The bedside clock said 4.27am. My hair was still damp from the shower I’d taken before going to bed, but I just wanted to get back under the water again. And never come out.
I could hear noises elsewhere in the flat. I don’t know why, but I didn’t feel scared. After last night, I didn’t think anything would ever scare me again. I took my bathrobe from the back of the door, wrapped myself in it, and headed for the living room.
Clare was there, repositioning furniture. It looked just as it had early the previous evening. There was no sign of Mitch, and no sign of the pool of blood that had formed on the floor. Whatever she’d done, it was magical.
“How are you feeling?” she asked when she saw me.
“Shaky.”
“I’m not surprised. I’ll make you some breakfast.”
I sat in the armchair, trying to come to terms with everything that had happened. There was one overriding realisation. I now had proof beyond all doubt that I was, as I always knew, completely shit at relationships.
I could hear Clare in the kitchen. I wanted to call out to her, but instead just took a few minutes to sit in silence, to collect my thoughts. How could I have been so stupid? And what on earth would have happened if she hadn’t turned up when she did?
I was expecting tea and toast, but not for the first time, I’d underestimated Clare. She appeared through the doorway with a tray containing a plate full of food. Bacon, fried eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, toast and - of course - a lovely looking cup of tea. There were two bottles: Heinz ketchup and HP sauce. I had no idea how she’d acquired all of the ingredients.
“I didn’t know which you’d prefer,” she said with a grin.
“Wow. This is amazing.”
“I rather assumed you’d say you weren’t hungry so I thought I’d force the issue. Nobody can resist the aroma of bacon.”
I laughed.
“Thank you,” I said. Okay, I admit it, she’d won me over. I just wanted to give her a squeeze. She joined me.
“Do you mind if I smoke?” she asked.
“Absolutely not, you deserve it,” I said. And then, in a moment of devilment, I added: “Danny’s got a packet of your cigarettes on the desk somewhere.”
That made her laugh too.
“It was an empty box,” she said. “I’ve got some new ones.”
There was an easy atmosphere between us. It was surreal. Only a few short hours earlier she’d killed a man in this very room, and saved my life in the process. Now it was like two best friends sharing a joke. I had to pinch myself to
remember that this was Clare. She was capable of just as much wanton violence as the worst of them, but it felt enormously reassuring to have her on my side.
“Can I ask you a question?” I asked.
“Oh God. You can ask. Not promising I’ll answer.”
“I’m just curious. Are you okay?”
“Am I okay?”
“Yes. You know, happy.”
She gave me a look that was impossible to read.
“I’m happy that I was here for you.”
“Oh, me too. But that’s not what I meant.”
“I know that’s not what you meant. How’s the breakfast?”
“Lovely, thank you.”
And that was the end of that.
I felt much better after food. I headed to the shower again. By half past five I was as awake as I’d ever be, fully dressed, and raring to go. Clare was in the living room, looking as impeccable as I’d ever seen her. I didn’t think she’d slept at all, so I had no idea how she’d done it. An ever-dwindling part of me hated myself, because the bigger part was coming to the conclusion that she was amazing.
* * *
During the day, the parking options around the Euston Free Hospital were limited, but in the early hours of the morning the meter spaces were both free and readily available. Holly sat in her car, parked in a side street, and briefed the man sitting next to her.
Once he’d received his final instructions, Finn left her there, promising to return as soon as it was done. He made the five-minute walk to the main entrance. Getting past night security wouldn’t be particularly difficult, but he was aware of the potential challenges caused by the inevitable CCTV. That’s why he was wearing so many layers, to hide his natural body shape, and why his hair was hidden beneath an anonymous brand-free baseball cap, pulled low to cover his eyes.
The main desk was occupied by a bored-looking man in a security guard’s uniform, reading a magazine. As expected, he didn’t seem to notice the new arrival. The secret was to look like you belonged, like you knew exactly where you were going.
Out Of The Red Page 23