by Joy Ellis
‘You got her out?’ asked Cam.
He nodded, and then gingerly rolled up his sleeves. His forearms were badly scarred.
‘No one saw me. They were so wrapped up in getting Olivia to safety, they never even thought about Natalie.’
‘What did you do with her body?’ asked Nikki gently.
‘I took her into the house and told my father what had happened.’
‘And you told him about the drink and the drugs?’
‘Yes, of course.’
Nikki heaved a sigh. ‘You thought she’d taken drugs, and they’d show up in her system, didn’t you?’
‘She was surrounded by packets of them! I collected what I could, but I needed to get her out of there. I couldn’t bear the thought of her burning. I loved her. I didn’t want her name dishonoured, or my family’s.’
‘Where is Natalie now, Lyndon?’
He looked at her, his eyes huge and dark. ‘I don’t know. After all I’d done to protect her, he wouldn’t tell me. My father wouldn’t tell me.’ His head fell forward and he began to sob as if his heart would break.
‘Interview terminated at . . .’ Cameron glanced at the clock and brought the harrowing session to a close.
Outside, Nikki leaned against the wall of the corridor and let out a long, slow breath. ‘And now that his father is dead, we may never know what happened to Natalie.’
‘He had that plane, didn’t he?’ said Cameron. ‘He could have flown her anywhere. We know the pilot was a gibbering wreck after that fire, so perhaps we’ll find out something from him.’
‘I do hope so. I hate loose ends. And that girl deserves a proper resting place.’ She looked up at Cam. ‘I didn’t have the heart to tell him that we believe Natalie was only trying to hide the drugs from the other kids.’
‘He’ll find out in court. Every detail will come out. Even things like those unopened packets of legal highs.’
Nikki yawned. ‘I stink of smoke! I feel like Smokey Joe!’
‘Get home, Nikki, and get a shower and a change of clothes.’
She stretched. ‘I’ll grab a shower here, and I’ve always got spare clothes in the office. Just in case.’
‘And then?’
‘To the hospital. I’ve got two officers and a very sick young woman to check up on.’
‘Okay, go freshen up, and I’ll come with you.’
‘Are you sure? What about Kaye? Won’t she worry?’
‘Kaye is a good police wife, Nikki. She expects me only when she sees me walking through the door.’
‘Ah, well trained.’
‘No, just pragmatic and long-suffering. We’ve been doing this for a long time now. It’s how we roll, as they say.’ He gave her a friendly push. ‘Go get sorted, Galena. Joseph will be pining for you.’
‘Right. Well he won’t be pining for the ear-bashing he’s going to get for dashing into that burning building like some kind of superhero!’
They both fell silent. Thoughts of John Carson filled their minds.
‘I’m so sorry, Cam. John was your friend, and here’s me joking about going into burning buildings.’
‘Fire was that man’s life. Don’t think I’m sick or anything, but I honestly believe he’d prefer a death like that to dwindling slowly away, eaten up by cancer or something else. I think he’d see it as a kind of karma. He’d fought fire and won for so many years. Now fire was just redressing the balance.’
Nikki touched Cam’s arm. ‘We have a lot to thank him for, don’t we?’
‘We do, and one thing is for sure, we’ll never forget him. Now, go shower, Smokey Joe! Your prince awaits with bated breath.’
‘Up yours, acting Superintendent.’
* * *
‘Observation for thirty-six hours,’ Joseph grumbled.
He was sitting up in bed. He looked pale and shaken, and it was now obvious that he had suffered an assortment of minor burns. ‘And everything hurts!’ he added ruefully.
‘Hardly surprising, is it, if you will play Action Man!’ Nikki squeezed his hand. ‘And Action Woman Yvonne doesn’t look much better! Cam’s with her now. He says they’re talking about commendations. Personally, I’d stick you back on traffic for your reckless behaviour, but who am I to judge?’
He squeezed her hand in return. ‘I’m sorry I scared you.’
‘Scared!’ She lowered her voice. ‘Joseph, I went to hell and back while you were in that building. I couldn’t even begin to explain the thoughts that went through my head.’
‘I was just trying to stop that killer claiming his last victim. I’ve been in a fire-fight before, and I knew I could deal with it. I was so focussed on getting us out alive—’
‘Exactly. You were doing something. Me, I was just standing there, helpless and living a nightmare. You wouldn’t have had time to even think about me.’ Nikki looked down at their joined hands. ‘I’m so angry with you, Joseph, but so proud of you, it bloody hurts!’
‘It’s the price we pay for caring so much, isn’t it?
‘And what a price.’ She exhaled. ‘I need to go and see Olivia. But I’ll be back, okay?’
Joseph nodded. ‘I just hope we did enough. She was a sick woman to begin with.’
Nikki stood up, leaned forward and planted a kiss on his forehead. ‘Love you.’
‘Love you too.’
‘Get some sleep, okay?’
Joseph nodded, smiled and obediently closed his eyes. ‘I think it might be in my best interests to toe the line for a while, don’t you?’
‘And how, sunshine!’
* * *
Tom and Giles Black sat on by their sister’s bed and spoke in hushed voices.
They marvelled at her self-control and how lucky she was to be alive. Olivia hadn’t panicked. Knowing that her asthma, combined with smoke inhalation, could kill her, she had managed to roll off the bed where Lyndon had left her, and onto the floor. She got herself to the lowest point possible, and then endeavoured to keep her lung functions to a minimum, all the time praying for rescue. And when it came, her removal from the scene had been swift, giving her the best possible chance. The ambulance crew had been made aware of the situation and had delivered humidified, high-flow oxygen and rushed her to the A&E department on blue lights.
She had sustained no burns, so the job of the intensive care team was a little easier. Now, after a period on nebulisers and an assortment of intravenous drugs, she was sleeping, and the brothers relaxed a little. It was just sad that when she recovered enough to leave hospital, there would be no home to go back to. The Black House was beyond saving.
Tom looked up and saw DI Nikki Galena looking through the glass in the ward room door. He stood up and went out to speak to her.
‘My brother and I have a lot to thank your officers for, Inspector.’ He held out his hand. ‘We can’t thank you enough. They saved Olivia’s life.’
‘It’s what we do, sir. Protect life. I’m just so pleased that she has pulled through. By the look on your face, I assume the prognosis is good?’
‘They need to be watchful for some while yet — Bronchospasm is still a possibility, but yes, she’s getting there.’
‘I just wanted to tell you that the call you received was the arsonist, luring you away from the house. Olivia was his target, no one else.’ She frowned. ‘Strangely, the fact that someone else died in the blaze seems to have upset him more than anything else.’
Tom looked back into the room where his brother kept watch over his sleeping sister. ‘Shall we go to the visitor’s room?’
Once they’d sat down in the empty room, the detective asked, ‘Did you know about what happened to Olivia on Mischief Night, ten years ago?’
He shook his head. ‘No, DI Galena. All we knew was that there’d been a fire. But something, or somebody, terrified her that night. She never talked about it, and we were so worried that we made all sorts of enquiries,’ he shrugged, ‘but nothing.’ He paused, looking almost embarrassed. ‘Giles was afr
aid she’d been raped, that’s how seriously she was affected.’ He slumped back in his seat. ‘She has told us a little about it, just now, when she was first able to speak, but it’s hard to understand. She says he accused her of allowing someone to die? Is that right?’
‘It’s a very complicated situation, sir. We know some of it, but not everything. Your sister is the only one left alive now who can tell us what really happened. As soon as she’s well enough, we’ll have to interview her.’
‘I understand. Of course you must. And now that whatever threat to her has gone, I’m sure she’ll do all she can to help. Olivia is a good person, Detective. A very good person.’
‘So were all the others, the ones who died.’
‘Others?’
‘There were a group of them involved, Mr Black. Olivia is the only survivor.’
Tom was aghast. He hadn’t known it was as bad as all that. ‘You’re completely sure there’s no danger to her now?’
‘Absolutely. The killer has been apprehended, and the man who orchestrated the whole deception has killed himself. The danger is over.’
Tom heaved a sigh of relief.
‘You’ve lost everything, sir? All your possessions? And you used the Black House as a venue for your, er, your . . .’
‘Luciferian gatherings, yes, we did.’ He managed a weak smile. ‘Don’t worry about us, Inspector. We have a lot of friends. We have insurance, and we are not without money. We’ll rise again from the ashes. I have no doubt of that.’
‘One last thing, and please don’t think me impertinent. PC Collins mentioned a tattoo you and your brother have. A fireball?’
Tom rather liked this woman. ‘Ironic, isn’t it?’ He pushed up his shirt sleeve. ‘We all have one. Olivia had only one burn on her after that mysterious event on Mischief Night, a small flame-like scar just above her wrist. It bothered her terribly. It probably served as a reminder of what happened. So Corinne designed this, and we all have them — the family, and our whole branch of Luciferians. It’s a sign that life goes on, and even though we never knew what happened to her, we respected her courage in surviving it.’
He noticed the detective looking at him intently. Then she said, ‘So you really are Luciferians, not some secret society under the guise of a religious group?’
‘We really are, Detective. As I told your lovely PC Collins at the time, we were brought up with parents who followed the Church of Satan, but that wasn’t for us. However, there were aspects of it that we rather liked — shall we say the rather more hedonistic ones? So we formed our own group of Luciferians. We have a strong code of ethics, but we do believe in freedom, individuality and enjoyment, especially enjoyment. The group has grown over the years, and we network and share business opportunities. It’s very lucrative indeed. We have some quite high-profile members.’ He grinned. ‘Not unlike yourself, in fact.’ He gave her an enquiring glance. ‘You’d be very welcome.’
‘Thanks, but I don’t think so!’ The look on her face spoke volumes.
‘Our loss.’
‘I doubt that, Mr Black. I’m strictly police force, and for me, that’s a twenty-four hour a day commitment.’
‘Then I’d advise taking time out for yourself every once in a while. Life is short, DI Galena, as my sister nearly found out. Enjoy yourself while you are on this earth.’
She gave him that odd look again, then nodded. ‘Thank you for your time, sir. We’ll be in to see Olivia as soon as she’s well enough to talk to us. We all wish her well.’
Tom watched her leave. She was an interesting woman. He suspected she’d make an excellent Luciferian.
* * *
Nikki had been sitting with Joseph for two hours when she heard a soft tap on the door. She looked up and saw Giles Black. For a moment she feared something was wrong, then she saw a weak smile on his tired face.
‘We hoped you’d still be here, Detective Inspector. Olivia is awake and she wants to talk to you.’
‘Is she up to it?’ Nikki asked.
‘She says she needs you to know certain things.’
Nikki stood up. ‘Of course.’
She followed him back down the corridor to Olivia’s room.
Inside, Olivia eased herself up in her bed. ‘Tom tells me I’m the only survivor.’
Her voice was very soft and her breathing was still ragged. Nikki worried that she really wasn’t up to this right now, but Olivia seemed determined to get it over with.
‘It was one of those stupid things that happens, and afterwards you wonder how it all came about.’ She took several shallow breaths. ‘We didn’t even know each other. Well, I’d met Jez Bedford before, but not the others. There was supposed to be a bonfire party, but it was cancelled. The rest of our friends jumped in cars and went off somewhere else, and we were stranded. We hung around for while in the town square — we’d all had a bit to drink — then this one guy, his name was Michael, said he’d pinched a whole handful of highs from a mate of his. He reckoned he’d never taken anything like that before and wanted to give it a try.’
Nikki noticed that her breathing was changing. ‘Take a break, Olivia. There’s no hurry. I’ve got all night if need be.’
‘No, I’m okay.’ She breathed steadily again. ‘Then this really nice girl arrived — a friend of Michael’s I think — and she said we shouldn’t be drinking in the street, even if it was Mischief Night. She seemed really worried about us. She said that if we wanted to hang out, we could use a summerhouse in her dad’s garden.’
‘That would have been Natalie, I guess. But how did you get there? It was quite a way away, and you said you were all drinking.’ Nikki decided that if she asked questions, it would give the girl a break from talking every so often.
‘Natalie had a little van, so we all piled in the back. She drove. She said she didn’t drink.’ Olivia shifted in the bed. ‘It was fun at first. It was a very big summerhouse, and there was a radio, so we found a music station, and a guy called Ronnie had brought some cans. We lit candles and just hung out together talking and laughing. Then Ronnie asked Michael about trying the drugs. Michael said it was probably a bad idea, but he tipped them into a bowl on the table and left them there. Ronnie was the only one still interested. He said it would be like an experiment. Natalie was very against it. She said if we promised not to take them, she knew where her brother had hidden one of her father’s bottles of wine, and we could have that instead. We chose the wine, and a bit later I noticed the drugs had disappeared.’
‘Natalie took them and hid them, to stop anyone doing something they’d regret.’
Olivia rested for a while. She took some oxygen, and lay back on the pillows. This was taking its toll, and Nikki could see from the brothers’ faces that they were worried too.
After a while, Olivia said, ‘I don’t know if it was the drink, the candles, or dust, or grass, but I had an asthma attack. Not a bad one, but it scared the others. Then there was a crackling sound, and a flash, and suddenly the whole place was on fire. Everyone panicked. The drink didn’t help, I guess, but it was bedlam. The others got out, but I collapsed. I couldn’t breathe, and I thought I was going to die. I could see that the whole of the old timber frame was blazing. Then Michael burst through, wrapped me in a blanket, and carried me out.’ She wiped a tear from her eye. ‘I was unhurt, apart from one tiny burn, but poor Michael’s arms and shoulders, oh, they were raw. It was horrible.’
‘And Natalie?’
‘We thought she’d gone to the house for the wine! We didn’t know about that little room at the end of the building. I swear we never knew she was there. The brother went mad at us. He said we’d only thought of ourselves, and we’d left her to die.’
‘I think that’s enough for tonight, Olivia.’ Nikki brought a halt to the story. ‘You’ve answered a lot of questions. Tomorrow will do for the next part.’
‘What next part?’ asked Tom anxiously.
‘It’s my belief that Natalie’s father blackmailed
you and the other teenagers into keeping silent. He scared them almost to death, saying they’d be accused of manslaughter or worse, just to keep his powerful job and his family’s good name. Is that right, Olivia? Did he threaten you?’
Olivia nodded. ‘And he was a powerful man. We knew that if we were accused of something, he would be believed, not us. I’ve spent all my life in fear, waiting for his threats to materialise.’ Tears filled her eyes. ‘And I didn’t dare speak, not even to my brothers.’
Nikki stood up. ‘Please rest, and sleep. We need to tie up a lot of loose ends, but the threat has gone now. It’s time for a new start.’
‘From the ashes’, murmured Tom, clasping his sister’s hand. ‘You will rise from the ashes.’
Nikki went back and found Joseph sleeping. She shut the door, slipped off her shoes, and lay down beside him. She closed her eyes and held him tightly, thinking about the case. The pieces of the puzzle were all falling into place, apart from one.
Where was Natalie Applegarth’s body?
Epilogue
Rory got his wish.
With the formal ceremony at the Registry Office over, it was time for everyone to get into their costumes, get out to the airfield, and party like 1944! With the exception of Nikki Galena, every one of his guests had thrown themselves wholeheartedly into dressing up for the World War II wedding reception.
‘This is just the best thing ever! Even if I did have to lose five pounds to get into this outfit!’ Ella Jarvis, dressed in her grandmother’s Ack-Ack girl uniform, drank champagne with Dave, looking every inch the air-raid warden, right down to a tin hat with ARP stencilled on it.
‘Have you noticed that everyone’s watching the door?’ Dave grinned mischievously.
‘Ah. The missing guest. Will she? Won’t she?’
Dave pursed his lips. ‘Mmm. My guess, knowing how much she thinks of Rory and David, is yes, she will.’ He looked across the big NAAFI canteen that was the venue, and saw Cat approaching. ‘Oh my! Look at you!’