by Carla Blake
In a little while.
Come out, come out, wherever you are!
Chanting the rhythm, Andrea methodically went from room to room, finding nothing out of the ordinary and hearing only the sounds of Carmichael’s snoring, which although it made her thankful that she didn’t have to sleep next to him, also made her realise that any noise an intruder might be making was very effectively being drowned out.
Bathed in darkness, Isobel wallowed in fantasy and giving herself completely to the wonderful visions that filled her head, she felt her heart pound skittishly in her chest.
Then, hardly daring to breath, she reached out and grabbed the edge of the duvet. Pulling the covers slowly towards her and exposing long, dark hair, that lying perfectly down a smooth, tanned back had Isobel’s head shrieking in alarm!
Two more rooms to go and she could go to bed. Hoo-bloody-ray!
Opening the door to the guest bathroom, Andrea stepped inside and nearly falling over the crumpled bath mat and towels left lying on the floor, she swore out loud as her torch went flying and she was plunged into darkness.
Isobel felt like screaming.
It wasn’t her!
How could it not be her?
She had planned everything so carefully. Down to the very last detail, so how..could..it..not..be..her!
How could it fuckin’ NOT BE HER!
Furious, she stared up at the ceiling and silently screamed, then yanking the duvet off the bed, she grabbed it with both hands and shoved it down over Carrie’s face.
Shrugging, Andrea replaced the fallen towel and realising that she had probably found the final destination of their intruder, who had probably done nothing more than sneak up here for a crafty screw, decided to leave it there. None of the other rooms showed any signs of disturbance and she couldn’t think of any reason why she should keep going? Not when bed was such an attractive alternative.
“Should have got those cameras in sooner.”She said to herself as she closed the door behind her. “I could have been asleep ages ago.”
She couldn’t breath!
Jolted from her dream, Carrie gasped for breath then realised she couldn’t as something thick and heavy pressed down on her face and prevented her from breathing.
Instinctively she tried to move her arms, but they were pinned to her sides and , frantic, she kicked out with both feet. Bucking her body again and again, until finally one her hands managed to work free and she was able to thrust it out of the side of the bed. Crunching her fingers against the side of the bedside table, but not caring as she scrambled for the duvet and tried to grab hold.
But the material was stretched too tightly for her fingers to grip and terrified, she waved her hand in the air. Desperate now to get hold of something, anything that would pull this suffocating weight from her head. But there was nothing to get hold of and struggling to breathe, she inhaled nothing but warm fabric, the idea that she might be about to die screaming through her head as she kicked out again and something huge and heavy suddenly crashed down across the whole of her body. Squeezing the last of the air from her lungs as her mouth opened in surprise and Isobel pressed harder and harder. Her face set with grim determination as she waited for Carrie Shilling to finally stop struggling.
Humming a tune to herself, Andrea checked the very last room- just to make sure- and closed the door behind her. Then, pleased that she would soon be safely tucked up in bed alongside Carrie, made her way back along the landing and towards their bedroom.
Baring her teeth, Isobel Pearce silently cried her victory.
Finally the bitch beneath her was beginning to give in. Just a few seconds more and it would all be over.
She could hardly wait. With the bitch dead, everything would be so much better. No more being on her own.
No more lying in an empty bed wishing she was beside her. No more money worries. No more getting up early and going to a stupid, fuckin’ job to deal with stupid, fuckin’ people. All that would be gone forever and she could finally spend her days doing what she wanted to do. Like being with the woman she loved.
Softened by the idea, she gazed almost compassionately at the form struggling for life beneath her and all at once her murderous hands became nothing more sinister than the hands of a mother tucking her child in for the night.
“There, there.”She crooned as Carrie began to slip away. “All be over soon. Just go to sleep and forget about everything. There’s a good girl.”
“What the....!
...fuck!”
In the doorway, Andrea stared in horror, not quite able to believe what she was seeing.
But then Isobel looked up and she saw what was happening and with a yell of rage she sprang forward. Giving Isobel no time to react as she raised the torch high and brought it down hard and fast. The bulb end connecting squarely with Isobel’s head and making a horrible hollow sound as the glass lens shattered and Isobel tumbled off the bed, taking the duvet with her.
And there lay Carrie. Still and unresponsive. No word of protest coming from her lips as Andrea leapt on the bed and roughly shook her by the shoulders.
Hoping for something, anything that would indicate Carrie was okay, but getting nothing but silence. Her frantic shaking and calling of Carrie’s name greeted with nothing but Carrie’s head, lolling bonelessly on a neck that no longer held any strength.
Desperately, she tried artificial respiration. Trying to ignore the fact that Carrie’s lips felt worryingly cool against her own as she blew in three, full breaths and reached down to her chest to began the compressions.
Her body flaccid beneath her own as she checked for signs of breath, found none and started again. Her face set into grim, hard lines. Determined she wouldn’t think the worst. Determined not to cry as huge tears rolled down her cheeks anyway and dripped onto Carrie’s neck.
Both their ears deaf to the scream.
As Isobel, blood streaming from a cut to the side of her head, yelled her rage and scrambled to her feet. Launching herself at Andrea’s back and digging her fingers into Andrea’s hair as she savagely yanked back her head and exposed her throat. Her other hand quickly snaking round to grab her by the neck and start to squeeze. Cutting off Andrea’s air as Andrea struggled to kneel upright then thrust herself violently backward. Taking Isobel with her as they both tumbled off the end of the bed and Andrea landed heavily on Isobel. Pushing all the air out of her lungs as Andrea scrambled to her feet, grabbed the torch and smashed it straight into Isobel’s mouth, causing blood and fragments of teeth to explode from her lips and splatter the carpet as her eyes rolled back into her head and she slipped into unconsciousness.
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
So cold he could no longer feel his feet, Carmichael shivered at the front door and watched as the pulsing blue light from the ambulance pushed its way through the billowing, white tunnel and came to halt in front of the house.
Then, shouting directions, he waved the paramedics through, hardly noticing as the two men, dressed in green jumpsuits and carrying resuscitation equipment, nodded in return before rushing past him and up the stairs, yelling behind them that the police were on their way.
They waited in the kitchen. In dark, empty silence.
Amanda, roused from her bed by a barely coherent Carmichael, tried to comfort Andrea as best she could, but deep down she knew there was nothing she could either say or do that would make any difference.
Carmichael, meanwhile, sober again and unsurprised to find himself that way, tried praying to a God he hadn’t spoken to in years. But the words wouldn’t come and after a while he gave up and went to put the kettle on. Certain that no one would want the tea he made but needing to do something other than just sit.
Andrea simply cried, and huddled inside Amanda’s arms blamed herself.
“It’s all my fault.”She said. “If only I hadn’t wasted so much time checking the
house and just gone to bed with Carrie, none of this would have happened.”
Carmichael disagreed. “You can’t know that for sure.”He said. “And you can’t start blaming yourself. None of this was your fault.”
“But... I should have checked the upstairs first!”
“Why? There was no reason to. Brian had told you his guys had already looked there, so it was common sense to check downstairs first. I would have done the same thing.”
“But..”
“But nothing! Listen to me Andrea. You did the right thing! As far as you were concerned, upstairs was safe. I was sleeping up there for Christ’s sake! Checking downstairs was the obvious choice. So stop blaming yourself!”
The door to the kitchen squeaked open and as one they turned. The strain showing on each of their faces as the younger of the two paramedics stuck his head through and smiled thinly. “We’ve got a pulse!”He said. “Took a while to get her back, but we got there in the end.”
“You mean she’s alive?”Andrea said. “Carrie’s still alive?”
“Yes, she’s still alive, but she’s very weak. We’re taking her to St. Anne’s now if you want to come along? And well done by the way. If you hadn’t been so quick off the mark I doubt if she would have been so lucky.”
“What about the other one?”Carmichael asked. “The one who attacked Carrie? How’s she?”
“Got a nasty crack to the head but we reckon she’ll be okay. We’re taking her to St Anne’s as well. The police will no doubt want to talk to her at some point and I’m afraid, you as well probably.”
Carmichael nodded and seeing Andrea pale, reached for her hand. “It’s okay.”He said. “I’ll deal with them. You just get yourself over to the hospital, and don’t worry! I ’ll make damn sure they know you were acting in self defence.”
Left alone in the house, Carmichael and Amanda sat in the kitchen drinking tea. Relieved that Carrie would be okay, but still too wound up to go to bed, they sat in silence. Listening to the clock tick away the seconds and waiting for the police to arrive.
The sound of the doorbell made them both jump.
Carmichael went to answer it.
But instead of the police, a tired and scruffy looking reporter, who’d clearly been hauled from his bed, stood on the doorstep. His dictaphone thrust into Carmichael’s face the moment he stepped out onto the porch.
“Is it true Carrie’s been taken to the hospital?”He asked without preamble.
“Is it true she’s had a heart attack? How serious is it? Is she going to die?”
Carmichael took a step forward. “How the fuck did you get in here?”He demanded. “Get out!”
But the reporter wasn’t budging. “The gates were open.”He shot back. “Open invitation to my mind. So, what’s going on? Was it a heart attack? Who found her? Was it that girlfriend of hers? Is she at the…”
“I told you to get out.”Carmichael said through gritted teeth. “Now are you going or do I have to force you?”
The reporter laughed. “Just try it mate. Lay one finger on me and it’ll be all over the papers how you beat me up.”
“Fine.”Carmichael smiled as blue and red strobes began to light up the driveway. “But if you won’t leave for me, maybe you’ll go for that lot.”
From inside her car, Andrea stared at the tall, imposing building through the mist of her fogged-up windscreen and watched as a nurse, wearing only her thin uniform and carrying a stack of folders, hurried through the myriad of puddles stretching from one end of the block to the other.
Andrea knew how she felt. Earlier that morning she’d been forced to do the same. Trotting through the torrential rain to the front door of the house, where she’d hurried past the hordes of curious workers busy cleaning away the last of the artificial snow, to shower and change and exchange a few brief words with Amanda before leaving for the hospital again.
Now it looked as though she was in for yet another soaking.
The hospital entrance was miles away from where she’d parked the car and her umbrella was still sitting where she’d left it - propped up in the porch back at the house- therefore it seemed her only option was to attempt the hundred yard dash for the second time in one day.
Damn it.
But there was nothing else for it, unless she wanted to risk the wrath of the hospital by parking in the ambulance zone, and so turning up the collar of her coat, Andrea locked the car and sprinted across the tarmac. Dodging the puddles and cursing the weather and pleased when finally she managed to slip through the automatic doors to begin the long trek to Carrie’s bedside. .
“Hey babe.”She smiled, as she entered the private room just as Carrie was finishing her breakfast of milk soaked cornflakes. “How you feeling this morning?”
“Sore.”Carrie rasped, running a hand along her throat. “Breakkie hurts.”She pointed at Andrea.
“Me? I’m fine. Bit damp, but basically alright.”She said, sitting herself on the side of the bed and giving Carrie a hug. “God, babe. You had me so worried! I really thought I’d lost you.”
Carrie stroked her hair. “Not me.”She croaked. “Stuck with me now.”
“Thank God.”Andrea said, moving to a chair. “But I’m so sorry babe. You can’t being to imagine how guilty I feel! I should have been there for you, protecting you! Not pouncing around outside!”
Carrie frowned sympathetically and scribbling something on a pad she had lying next to her, passed it to Andrea. ‘ Don’t worry ‘bout it.’ It read. ‘ I don’t blame you and you were protecting me. You were patrolling the house remember?’
Andrea kissed her. “You’re so sweet.”She said. “But I still feel responsible. I wouldn’t blame you if you gave me the sack.”
Carrie pulled an ‘as if’face and Andrea smiled.
“At least the police believe I acted in your best interests.”She said. “Which is a weight off my mind. I was crapping bricks about what they were going to do to me. Have they spoken to you yet by the way?”
‘ They tried.’ Carrie wrote. ‘ But I was too out of it to help much.’
“They’ll be back then I guess. And don’t be surprised if one of them asks for an autograph. Carmichael said one of them was standing around the house with his tongue practically hanging out.”
‘ Wonderful.’ Carrie scribbled. ‘ I can hardly wait. Can I have another kiss now?’
“Oh, I should think so.”
They were interrupted by a discreet cough and looking up they saw an embarrassed looking man standing awkwardly in the doorway.
“Sorry to interrupt.”He said. “But the nurse said it would be okay to come in. I’m DI Blake by the way.”And he stuck out his hand for Andrea and Carrie to shake.
“I should have been at the house last night.”He carried on. “But I was way over the other side of the county and by the time I got back you were already here and your attacker was already in custody. How you feeling though? Any better?”
“Still sore”Andrea answered for her. “Doctors say it will take a while.”
“I can imagine, but at least you’re on the mend now. So how do you feel about giving a statement? I’m sorry to badger you about it when you’re obviously feeling grim but if we leave it too long I’m afraid you might forget something vital.”
‘ Later be okay?’ Carrie wrote.
“Sure. How about this afternoon? And don’t worry about having to speak if it’s still hurting you, you can just write it all down if you like.”
‘ Okay, if my wrist holds out. What happened to my attacker?’
“Isobel Pearce you mean?”
Carrie nodded.
“Well, for a start, it seems she knows you.”
“That’s what we thought.”Andrea said. “But Carrie can’t recall her.”
Blake smiled. “Well, that doesn’t surprise me.”He
said. “Because it isn’t Carrie she claims to know. It’s you, Andrea.”
“Me?”
“Yeah. Apparently, it wasn’t Carrie she was after, but you, and according to Isobel it all started when you were working for ‘ Harris and Palmer’.”
“But that was years ago!”Andrea frowned. “I can’t have been more than eighteen and I wasn’t there very long before I left to join the police force.”
Blake nodded and fishing out a note pad from his pocket, flicked through it.
“The time period Isobel gave us was just before and after a Christmas party. Do you remember that?”
Andrea felt the blood drain from her face. How could she ever forget that? Months it had taken her to get over it. Weeks in which she’d constantly asked herself how she could have been so stupid as to have sex with a complete stranger and risk catching some horrible, sexual disease? But she’d still done it. Still thrown away caution and her bloody clothes to the wind.
“I remember it.”She said carefully. “I left soon afterwards.”
“Isobel Pearce.”Blake went on. “Claims it was a masquerade and that everyone wore masks...”
“That’s right. I had one decorated with Peacock feathers.”
“Isobel’s was an Owl.”
Andrea closed her eyes, and running her hand down her face, sighed heavily.
The stranger she had fucked in the locker room had been Isobel! She could hardly believe it! But how had she found her again and why had she attacked Carrie?
Lifting her head, she stared at Blake. “What’s going on?”She asked, reaching for Carrie’s hand and relieved beyond words when Carrie took it. “Why did she come back? Why did she attack Carrie?”
Blake cleared his throat. “It’s a bit of a saga I’m afraid, but it seems that when you disappeared after the festive break, Isobel was left heartbroken. She claims she searched high and low for you and tried every means possible to discover where you’d gone, but when she didn’t have any success, she gave up and moved on to another job, thinking she’d never see you again. Then she saw your face on the television…”