“Dyson had a thing for my mother a few years back. He was always around. Took her out a few times.”
Lily laughed. “The super and your mother? I can’t see that at all. He’s a bit of a div where women are concerned. Never gets it right.”
“And he didn’t on this occasion either. My mother is a snob. The only thing Talbot had going for him was his rank in the force. At the time, he was tipped for ACC. Unfortunately a heart attack put paid to that. Every year since then they have tried to retire him. It’s only sheer stubbornness that keeps him going.”
“So no ACC, no romance, sir?”
“That’s about the size of it, Lily. My dear mother dropped him like a hot brick the minute he became ill.”
“You two seen the morning paper?” DC Beckwith came over to Matt’s desk. He stood there smirking, holding a newspaper. “This’ll really stir things up.”
Matt hadn’t reckoned with this at all. Ron Chalker’s face was splashed right across the front page. The article also carried a smaller, inset photo of Bella and their son, Oliver. Chalker had gone to the paper complaining that his boy had been snatched and he hadn’t been told. The paper had obviously lapped it up, and then gone in search of Bella. They’d put two and two together, and found her.
Matt wondered if she knew. She’d not admitted to being in witness protection, but her whereabouts and new identity were well and truly blown now.
“Chalker’s missus, who’d have thought it? She’s lucky to get the boy back. Half the North West’s underworld have a beef with that villain.”
Beckwith had a point, but then he didn’t know about the threat to Bella from Chalker himself.
Lily was already on the phone. She shook her head at him. “She’s gone to the hospital to be with her son.”
Of course she had. What else would she do? “We need to tell her straight away. Hospital first, and then the builders’ merchants.”
* * *
Bella had fallen asleep holding Olly’s hand. She was still in her chair, slumped forward over his bed. A tap on the shoulder startled her awake.
It was the last person she was expecting to see. “James! Why are you here? What’s happened?”
He handed her a rolled-up newspaper. “Read this.”
Bella sat up. It had to be something important to bring James here. She looked at the front page and her heart sank. This. Just when things were getting better. She looked at James. “How did this happen?”
James shook his head. “It’s down to Chalker. I told you he’d use your visit for his own ends. When you left he contacted his solicitor and told him about your son. He complained that he hadn’t been told. Reckoned that if you hadn’t gone to see him, he still wouldn’t know. The rest, about you and Oliver, is down to a tenacious reporter, some bright spark looking to make a name for himself. Once the press got hold of the kidnap story, they pieced it together.”
“Does Ronnie know where we are?”
“Yes, I suspect he does. I did warn you that he would try something.”
Bella looked at him. “It was just a simple visit.”
“It was hardly that. By telling him about Oliver, you gave him exactly what he needed to find you.” James shook his head.
“I had to tell him about Olly. That was the whole purpose of the visit. Does this mean we have to move again?”
“It’s my job to keep you safe, Bella. I can’t do that if Chalker knows about your new identity, and where you live.”
“I want to think about it. I can’t go anywhere yet, Olly isn’t up to it. He has a chest infection, and they want to keep him in for a while.”
James stared at her. “But you do understand the danger?”
She nodded.
“Chalker is a vindictive criminal.”
“You don’t have to tell me that,” she snapped back. “Did you find anything out about his accident?”
“He wasn’t lying. He did suffer a skull fracture. But the bit about being a changed man is doubtful. People in the prison reckon he is as bad as ever.”
Bella was looking at the newspaper. “Once Olly is better, I’ll consider it. There is nothing to keep me here now. I’ve lost Alan and my aunt. No one will want to know us once they’ve read this.” She handed it back to James. “No matter what we’ve been through, we’ll still be seen as the wife and son of a murderer. A new start might be just what we need.”
* * *
Bella was sitting with a sleeping Oliver when Matt and Lily arrived. She didn’t look pleased to see them.
“Don’t wake him up. He needs the rest.”
Matt smiled at her. “We didn’t come here to talk to Oliver, although we will have to sooner or later. It’s you we’ve come to see.”
Bella sighed wearily. “You’ve seen the article. I’ve already had a visit from my witness protection contact. He wants to move us again and I’ve said yes. Once Olly is through the worst, we will go. We’ll disappear again.”
“You admit that you are in the programme?”
She shrugged. “It’s pointless pretending otherwise now. My cover is blown. That rag gives it all, chapter and verse. I’m the wife of a murdering villain — Ronnie Chalker no less. We can’t stay here now.”
Matt touched her shoulder briefly. “I’ll make sure you and the boy are not left alone.”
She nodded. “There is an officer in the corridor. I feel safe enough in here.”
“We have arrested one of the two women who were holding Oliver, but we suspect that someone else was behind his kidnap. Has he said anything?” Matt asked.
“No. Olly has been out of it for most of the time.”
“If it’s any consolation, the woman we have in custody was in Meltham buying clothing and toys for him. She was trying to get him an inhaler when she was caught.”
“It’s something, I suppose. But it wasn’t a woman who took him. He hasn’t said anything about his ordeal, but he’s been rambling in his sleep. It was a man. He had long hair and tattoos. Olly remembers them well enough.”
Chapter 27
Chalker! He slammed the newspaper down onto the table in disgust. Surely Chalker wasn’t looking for sympathy? A more vicious criminal you couldn’t find in these parts. But it meant that Bella was now a focus of attention. National attention. He closed his eyes, suddenly weary. This was far more difficult than the others had been. The woman could never simply disappear and no one notice. Not now.
His plans would have to change. He read through the headline again. Maybe it wasn’t all bad. From what he’d heard about Chalker, the man was a vindictive sod. Now he knew where Bella was, Chalker might use that information to get his revenge. He smiled. It could certainly be made to look that way. It was the obvious way around his dilemma. In fact, it was perfect. It worked to his advantage. Bella would disappear and Chalker would get the blame for organising it. He would lay out a trail. If he did it right, the police would look no further than Bella’s ex. He was back on track, and so close he could taste success.
He had been ready for days now. The house was spick and span, all prepared for the next occupant. The last chosen one had gone into the pit, little left of her by now but bones. With Bella in his sights, he wasn’t sorry. Caroline had been like the first one, Anita. Rebellious. So he’d had to teach her a lesson. Unfortunately, he had gone too far again. He’d inflicted serious injuries and was obliged to put her out of her misery. Her death had not come easily. The only thing he could do was imprison her, keep her chained to that bench in the cold and damp without anything to ease the discomfort. The cuts had bled a lot. Her last hours had been excruciating. Poor Caroline! How she had suffered.
She had been painfully thin at the end. For weeks he’d given her only crusts and water, and she was emaciated. The slow-burning peat fire on the floor of the pit would soon reduce his blonde beauty to a charred skeleton. Once the pit cooled, he’d put her with Anita, under the slate floor he was laying in the kitchen.
* * *
&nb
sp; “You again.” Riley didn’t look pleased to see Matt and Lily.
Matt took out the photo. “I want you to look at this. Tell me if you recognise the man.”
“Be sharp, we’ve got the auditors in. Everything’s fine, I’m sure, but the process still makes me nervous.”
Matt handed him the enhanced still from the video that Luke Standish had taken on his mobile. Riley studied it for a few seconds.
“I see what you mean. It could be him. But Caroline’s bloke had shorter hair, and no hat.”
Matt passed him a second image. “We’ve had the tattoos on his arms blown up.”
Riley shook his head. “No. The bloke who was seeing Caroline had no tattoos. I would have remembered.”
“You’re sure?” Matt asked, disappointed.
“Yes, positive. He was just a regular bloke, nothing odd or different about him at all.”
They walked back to the car.
“What d’you think?” Lily asked.
“I don’t know what to think. If this is the man we’re after, where have the tattoos gone?”
“He could have worn a disguise when he took the boy, sir. They could have been false tats. A wig would be simple enough to get hold of. That way he’s had us running around looking at all the wrong folk. My neighbour’s kid has got some transfer things. They look just like tats. She puts them on her arms, a different design every day.”
Matt looked at the photo again. “You could be right. That hair could be a wig. Perhaps the tattoos are false too.”
“Want to find out if this Doug does work at Broadbent’s?”
“No. You can ring them from the station when we get back. It’s more important to look at Carl and Deborah Thornley. Find out if anyone they were close to hasn’t been seen in a while.”
* * *
Oliver Richards woke up and found his mother dozing beside him. He stroked her cheek gently. It was something he did in the morning if he’d been sleeping in her bed. Bella awoke and held him close, nuzzling his hair.
“You had me scared to death,” she whispered. “I thought I’d never see you again.”
Oliver coughed. “It was the man. He said he had some comics and I could have them. I’m sorry, Mummy.”
Bella kissed him. “It isn’t your fault. The doctor says your cough is getting better. I’ll take you home with me just as soon as they let me.”
“The man was okay, he didn’t hurt me. But I didn’t like the lady.” His voice was croaky. “She locked me up and she said nasty things. She said I wouldn’t see you again.”
Oliver began to cry. It had been a terrible ordeal. Bella knew she was lucky to have him back. She had to keep him safe now.
“We are going to move away,” she told him. “To a place where naughty people won’t bother us.”
Oliver smiled back. The idea seemed to please him.
“Bella?”
It was Robert Nolan. Bella looked up and smiled at him.
“How’s your son? Is he recovering?”
“Yes, but he’s very tired. I’m staying here with him. I don’t want to let him out of my sight.”
“If you want to go home and change, I can arrange something. There is a police officer outside, and I can get a nurse to sit with him.”
“It’s a nice idea. I must look a mess. I’ve not moved from his side since yesterday.”
He smiled. “I didn’t mean it like that. I’m sure Oliver is quite safe in here.”
Bella stroked her son’s forehead. He was sleeping again. “Okay, an hour won’t make much difference. I can have a shower and get a change of clothes. That detective was here earlier, Brindle. He wants to talk to Olly, but I’m scared it will spook him — you know, re-living it all again. Can you do something?”
“Yes, I’ll have a word, make him wait.”
Bella smiled. “Thank you, Robert. I knew you’d sort it.”
“I’ll drop you off at your home. I have something to do, so I’ll give you a ring and let you know when I’m coming to pick you up.”
Bella liked Robert. He was a considerate man. Had things been different, he could have been a good friend.
They drove out of the hospital. “The police are still investigating, and still getting nowhere,” Robert told her. “They need to sharpen up. I hope they are not relying on getting evidence from Oliver. It’s been several days, and he’s been ill. He won’t remember much. They still haven’t apprehended the other sister, the one who was holding him.”
“To be honest, Robert, I don’t care. Oliver is safe, and that’s all that matters to me.”
Chapter 28
Lily hurried over to Matt’s desk. “I’ve dug out the files on Carl and Deborah Thornley. Problem is, they seem so ordinary. He was a partner in a dental practice and she was the nurse. The Thornleys lived in the flat above their work. Not very glamorous, but it is in a nice part of town, just outside Huddersfield on the Halifax Road. There are some big houses out that way. The other people who work there were interviewed at the time, but they couldn’t tell us much.”
Matt sighed. Interesting, but not enough. They needed to know a lot more about the pair. They had to find that elusive someone they’d known, and who had also disappeared. “Relatives?” he asked.
“Deborah’s mother lives local. We could talk to her. She will know more about them than their colleagues.”
“It’s a start. Find her number and make an appointment for this afternoon. We need a name to go with the red stamp killings.”
DC Ian Beckwith strode into the office. “Cora Mason has been found.”
“Good. I need a serious talk with her!”
“Sorry, DI Brindle, I should have made myself clearer. She’s been found dead. Shot in the temple and left in Linfit Woods. Forensics are on it, and I’m heading out there now to take a look.”
Obviously someone didn’t want Cora Mason to talk, and from the way she’d been murdered, it sounded like their killer. “Does her sister know?” Brindle asked.
Beckwith nodded. “Yes, and she’s distraught. We’re still holding her, and the doctor had to be called. Reckons she can’t help. Has no idea who would do such a thing.”
“She knows alright. Distraught or not, we need the name of the man who took the boy to them.”
Lily put the phone down. “Deborah’s mum, Sarah Baxter, says we can go round this afternoon. Oh, and one interesting little titbit — Carl Thornley’s cousin was Anita Verity.” Matt looked blank. “You know — the model. Moved to London and made it big. Used to be in all the papers, then, for reasons she wouldn’t disclose, she gave it all up and came home. The press hounded her for ages. Finally they printed a story about her being depressed after breaking up with some footballer. After that, she became a recluse. Sarah Baxter told me because she thought that was why I was calling. She thought we might have found her. Apparently Anita and Carl were close. Sarah Baxter is concerned that Anita might not know that Carl is dead. She wasn’t at the funeral, and didn’t get in touch.”
A recluse! That would fit the killer’s spec to a T. “Do we have a photo?” Matt asked.
“I’ll find one. Shouldn’t be difficult.” Lily googled Anita Verity and sent the image she’d found to the printer. “Sir, you need to see this. Just our killer’s type.”
Matt took the image from her. It showed another pretty blonde, just like Caroline and Bella.
* * *
Bella had showered, changed and was having a bite to eat when the front doorbell rang. She was expecting Robert, come to take her back to the hospital. But it was Joel Dawson.
“I had to see you. Make sure you’re okay.”
He looked anxious. The half-hearted attempt at a beard had gone, leaving his face looking thin and pale. Bella gave him a smile. “Now Olly is safe and sound, I’m fine, Joel. I’m just about to go back to the hospital to sit with him. Robert is picking me up. I thought you were him, actually.”
“You don’t need him. Let me take you.”
&n
bsp; “Robert doesn’t mind. Anyway, you’ve got work.”
“I’ve taken a few days off. I couldn’t settle, Bella. I saw the papers and I was far too worried about you.”
Bella spoke firmly. “You shouldn’t jeopardise your job because of me. You know what they’re like. Take too much time off, and they’ll find a way of getting rid.”
Joel shook his head, as if to dismiss her words. “Have you stopped for a moment to consider what is happening? Do you realise that you are at the centre of something big? First Alan, then your son. The paper wrote that the woman they found dead the other day was your aunt. Bella, I’ve been going out of my mind. I worry that the killer will come after you next. The paper reckons it’s your ex-husband who is behind this. He holds you responsible for him being put away, and he wants revenge. You are in grave danger. I don’t understand why the police aren’t doing more. At the very least they should be standing guard. Someone should be on duty at your door now. I couldn’t stand it if anything happened to you. I don’t think you realise how important you are to me.”
Bella’s heart sank. Not this again. She knew Joel liked her, and she liked him, just not in that way. Better to get it out in the open. “Look, Joel, don’t get too attached. I’m not in as much danger as you seem to think. It isn’t my ex who is doing this, but just to be safe, I’m making plans to leave the area. I’ll go somewhere where he can’t find me so easily. So I won’t be around for much longer.”
Joel looked horrified. “You’re running away again. I know what you’re up against. I want to help. You and Olly don’t have to leave. You can move in with me. I’ll keep you both safe.”
Bella shook her head. “No! It wouldn’t work. I have to disappear. I have to consider our safety, mine and Olly’s. Anyway, no one will want to know me around here now. I’m the wife of a convicted murderer, Joel. Better I make a fresh start.”
“I hoped we would have a future together. You must know how I feel.”
Bella sighed. This was getting out of hand. “No, Joel. You have to forget about me. Go back to work, and put me out of your head.”
Her mobile buzzed. “That will be Robert texting me. He’s picking me up.”
His Third Victim Page 13