Don't Look Behind You: A dark, twisting crime thriller that will grip you to the last page (Detective Eden Berrisford crime thriller series Book 2)

by Mel Sherratt

  Sean smirked. ‘Was there anything else?’ Sean’s eyes flitted to his computer screen and then back to her.

  ‘I just wanted to keep you up to speed with what was happening on the case of the assaults and Scott Daniels. Also known as Aiden Daniels.’ Eden told him what they had found out so far.

  ‘So he has form?’ Sean gnawed at his lip. ‘Maybe that explains some of the attacks.’

  ‘Usually men who are violent in relationships don’t carry out attacks on other people.’

  ‘Who knows what someone capable of that is thinking.’

  ‘Well I’m going to see Sylvia Latimer, and I’m also going to pop in to see Josie Mellor to see if she knows of him. The fact that he’s now denying picking up the alleged attacker is bugging me. Phil is checking out the CCTV footage.’

  ‘Any connection between the women attacked so far?’

  ‘Apart from all being around the same age?’ She shook her head.

  ‘What about the press? They playing nicely with you?’

  ‘Yes. I’m not sure we can say too much yet as we have no evidence the attacks are linked. It’s just a gut instinct.’

  ‘That’s always good to follow.’

  Eden nodded. It had proved very useful for her in the past.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  While Jordan continued to search out intel, Eden and Amy went to see Josie Mellor. The Mitchell Housing Association office was on the outskirts of the Mitchell Estate. Almost half of the properties were owner-occupied or belonged to the city council, and the rest were rented out by the association. These were the ones most likely to cause Eden and her team a fair amount of grief. Like any urban area, there was good and bad in every street behind closed doors.

  The office itself was a single-storey building that had once been a small primary school. They were shown through to the back room where, after catching up with the staff for several minutes, Eden stopped at a desk.

  Josie Mellor was talking to someone on the phone, her hands flapping around as she gave directions. ‘No, you can’t drive down Derek Avenue now – you have to go up! The times I’ve nearly been run over by a bus because I’ve looked the opposite way. I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to it. Yes, we’re still here and open until five. Yes, see you then. Bye.’ She put down the phone and smiled, pushing her glasses up her nose and her hair behind her ears. ‘Eden! Good to see you.’ She pointed to a desk by her side. ‘Pull those chairs over while I make coffee. Your usual?’

  Eden smiled. ‘You’re a good one.’

  While Josie was away, she sat looking around the office, twirling round in the chair. Amy was with one of the housing officers. Eden grinned, knowing she would be gleaning some good information if she was still talking to him.

  On Josie’s desk, she noticed a photo and picked it up, drew it near. It was of Josie and her partner, James. Eden felt a tug on her heartstrings. They looked so happy, so in love. Memories of her and Joe tried to come forward in her mind, but she pushed them back, their argument the night before still raw.

  ‘How’re things going in the Community Intelligence Team?’ Josie asked when she came back.

  ‘Great. Too good to last,’ Eden replied with a sigh. ‘I love this job, but if something is working, the powers that be always find a way to sabotage it.’

  ‘It’s a travesty.’ Josie passed her a mug. ‘If you ask me, they should be setting up a team like yours in all towns and cities. It seems to be working incredibly well.’

  ‘It is. Something to get my teeth into and learn all the local gossip at the same time. The font of all knowledge, as they say. And if they do decide to end the team once my secondment has finished, then I’m hoping to get into the Major Crimes Team.’

  ‘There’s nothing like a good mur-dar.’ Josie smiled. ‘Anyway, what can I do for you?’

  ‘I wanted to know if you’ve ever had dealings with a guy called Scott Daniels. Or Aiden Daniels as he’s known to us as well.’

  ‘Is this the man you emailed me about? Is he the one who’s attacking these women?’

  Eden sipped at her drink. ‘It’s a strong possibility.’

  ‘I’ll have a look online, but I don’t recognise the name. Is it a recent thing we’re talking about?’

  ‘He’s known on our system from years ago – domestic violence against a former partner. He wasn’t charged with anything as complaints were withdrawn and then he moved to Manchester. Jordan’s looking into him, as that was his neck of the woods before he came to Stockleigh, and we’re going to see the victim. I just wondered if you had anything.’

  Josie’s eyes flitted around her computer screen as she checked her records. She shook her head after a moment. ‘I’ve done a search for both of those names but nothing has come up.’

  ‘What about Sylvia Latimer?’

  Josie clicked a few more buttons and shook her head. ‘But this system is only five years old.’

  Eden sighed.

  ‘I can check with the local housing office if you like? See if they have any records of him on their database? It might take a couple of hours if there isn’t anyone who knows off the top of their head. Shall I get back to you when I’m done?’

  ‘Saves me doing it, thanks.’ Eden stood up to leave. ‘How are you and James by the way? Still loved-up?’

  Josie’s smile told her everything.

  ‘And you?’ asked Josie. ‘Things still good with Joe?’

  Eden nodded, not wanting anyone to know they’d fallen out.

  ‘Looks like we’re all loved up,’ said Amy, catching the last of the conversation as she came over to join them.

  ‘Don’t encourage her.’ Eden threw a thumb at Amy. ‘It’s wedding central at the station at the moment.’

  ‘Ooh, yes, I remember.’ Josie smiled at Amy. ‘How long until the big day now?’

  ‘Five months, two weeks and one day.’

  Josie raised her eyebrows. ‘That’s precise.’

  ‘My mother-in-law tells me every time she sees me.’ Amy grimaced.

  Eden was just about to say more when Josie’s phone rang. Instead, she pointed to the door. ‘Catch up later?’

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Sylvia Latimer lived in Morrison Avenue on the Hopwood Estate in a block of six flats, on the first floor. Eden followed Amy into a small hallway and they took the stairs.

  ‘I wonder if she’ll talk to us or clam up?’ Eden said as Amy knocked on the door with a firm rat-a-tat-tat. She nudged her arm. ‘Not the bobby’s knock – she’ll never come to the door.’

  Amy grinned. ‘She’s expecting us.’

  They heard several locks being unbolted. The door opened the fraction of an inch the chain across it allowed.

  ‘Ms Latimer?’ Eden smiled warmly, holding up her warrant card. ‘I’m Detective Sergeant Eden Berrisford, and this is my colleague Detective Constable Amy Nicholls. I spoke to you on the phone earlier.’

  Sylvia Latimer released the chain on the door and let them in. It saddened Eden to go into homes where victims of domestic abuse lived. They were so similar to show homes – nothing out of place, curtains straight, cushions plumped, not a crumb on the carpet or a magazine lying around.

  But then again, most of the places she visited in these circumstances were not homes but houses. Somewhere a victim could sleep but never rest, lay down their head but never leave their fears behind. Lock every window and door, go to bed with the phone and maybe a piece of wood in the room to use as a weapon.

  She’d seen it so many times in her job. Hated it every time, yet never being in the situation herself, she could only empathise. But she would never blame. She’d seen first-hand the damage a man, or a woman, could do to a so-called loved one. Luckily, she hadn’t experienced the jerk of a head as a closed fist flew into the side of it, the sting of a cheek as a hand lashed out, the break of a rib as a kick was aimed, the split of the skin, the colouring of a bruise.

  ‘Is he doing it again?’ Sylvia asked.

&nb
sp; Eden’s shoulders dropped. From the corner of her eyes, she saw Amy’s do the same.

  ‘We’re not entirely sure yet.’ Eden couldn’t lie to her.

  The woman hugged herself. ‘He’ll find me.’

  Eden bit her lip. She wished she could tell Sylvia she was safe but she couldn’t lie. There was always a chance he would. Instead, she let Sylvia compose herself, waiting until she’d raised her head before continuing.

  ‘Are you able to talk about what happened?’ she asked.

  Sylvia looked at them both, then away momentarily. ‘It was such a long time ago, but it still feels like yesterday. I haven’t been able to work since the last attack. Depression, suicidal thoughts, fear of going out. I think I see him everywhere when I do. It’s much easier to stay indoors, or go out with Gary.’

  ‘Gary’s your . . .?’

  ‘My partner. I found myself a good one this time. He’s such a lovely man.’

  Eden smiled back at her, hoping that he was. So often women in Sylvia’s position went on to swap one abusive partner for another.

  ‘How did you meet Aiden. . . did you know him as Aiden or Scott?’ she asked.

  ‘It’s Aiden. His brother is named Scott.’

  ‘Oh. That’s interesting.’ Eden looked at Amy then back to Sylvia. ‘Sorry, go on.’

  ‘I was on a night out with friends. We got chatting, he asked me out and we started dating. A few months later, he moved in with me and that was when everything changed.’

  Eden fumed inwardly. It happened a lot – get the victim onside being all loving and romantic, lure them into a false sense of security and then once they were in your grasp, go for the jugular.

  ‘I was renting from the council then. I tried to talk to the housing staff. They were very understanding when I asked to be moved but there were no properties available, so I went to stay with my sister. He followed me there, but she told him to leave. He left me alone for a week and I went home, changed the locks, kept everyone on alert but he broke in and got to me. I nearly lost the sight in my eye that time.’

  ‘Yet you still wouldn’t press charges?’

  ‘He told me he would kill me if I went to the police again. I believed him. He also decided to move on from that point – after I told my brothers and they sent him on his way. I’ve never seen him since.’

  ‘Does Gary know everything that happened?’

  Sylvia nodded. ‘Everything. The times I was raped. The times I was battered to within an inch of my life. The knife he held against my throat. I couldn’t stop him, no matter what people think.’

  ‘We don’t think that,’ said Eden. ‘But we do need your help, maybe to put him away if we can.’

  Sylvia shook her head. ‘I can’t.’

  ‘Not even to help get him behind bars?’

  ‘Sorry. It’s a part of my life I want to forget.’

  Eden nodded. There was no point in pushing her: she had made up her mind. Mostly Eden didn’t blame her, but the police officer in her selfishly wanted Sylvia to help.

  Eden looked at Amy, who had been busy writing the interview down, and stood up. ‘We won’t keep you any longer, Ms Latimer. Thank you for your time. I know that couldn’t have been easy.’

  ‘Has he attacked someone else?’ Sylvia asked again, looking at them both.

  ‘Like I mentioned, we’re following enquiries at the moment,’ was all Eden would confirm.

  ‘If he has, and you can get him in a cell, give him a good firm kick in the bollocks from me, several times. I would take great satisfaction in knowing that you had.’

  Eden smiled, admiring her for finding a little bit of spirit. ‘I can’t do that, but I’ll have so much fun thinking about it.’

  As they left the property and got into the car, Eden turned to Amy. ‘Evil bastard, isn’t he, Daniels?’

  ‘Yes. How can anyone do that to another person?’

  ‘I don’t know, but it’s our job to stop them. And to find out why he’s masquerading as his brother.’

  Eighteen Years Ago

  Giving birth to Chloe was the best and the worst thing that happened to me. She was my world, the light in some very dark days. What I couldn’t believe was how much Ryan changed because of her.

  When Chloe was born, she was a good baby and didn’t cry too much. She was fun to be around and I adored her. Yet the minute we got home from the hospital, Ryan became like a man obsessed. He wanted to be with me every spare minute, no matter his other commitments. His work began to suffer as he wasn’t attending meetings, bringing in any new business or going to see clients who needed his expertise.

  I still can’t understand why he wouldn’t leave me alone with her. At first I thought it was because he didn’t trust me. Perhaps he thought I had post-natal depression or something. I was a new mum with no friends or family to help me out and, yes, it was tough because of that, but I coped well.

  Ryan wanted our family unit to be the three of us, but he smothered me. That’s when he started to drink heavily. Come to think of it, maybe he had been a heavy drinker and I just hadn’t realised until then. All those work lunches and after dinner drinks. . . By the time Chloe was one, he had started to drink every evening.

  The first time he hit me came without warning. I had taken Chloe to see my parents. Ryan didn’t know we were still in contact as I kept our visits secret. It was much easier to do that than have him make so much of a fuss that I usually ended up not going, just to keep the peace. It had been a lovely day. Chloe had taken her first steps the night before – two proud parents watching her, marvelling at her, encouraging her before she fell on her bottom again.

  After visiting my parents, as the summer weather treated us to a bright and sunny afternoon, we stopped off at the local park. We sat down on the grass, away from the noise of the older children in the play areas. I took Chloe out of her pushchair, as I wanted to see her walk again. She took a few steps and collapsed in a heap of giggles. I held her hands and she walked with me behind her, one delicate step in front of the other.

  ‘Mummy’s clever girl,’ I said to her the last time she did it. And that was when I saw Ryan marching towards us. I picked up Chloe and pointed at him.

  ‘Look, here comes Daddy,’ I said, delighted in the smile that lit up her face as she spotted him, legs flapping, arms waving in excitement.

  But Ryan ignored her. He grabbed my arm, gripping it so tightly that I could already imagine the bruise imprints of his fingers.

  ‘Where the hell have you been?’ he seethed as he took Chloe from me and put her into the pushchair.

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘I come home and you’re not there.’

  ‘It was a nice day and I thought we’d come to the park.’

  ‘You have no right to take her out without asking me first.’ He pointed up at the blue cloudless sky. ‘In this heat, it’s irresponsible.’

  ‘Of course it isn’t,’ I cried. ‘She’s fine, and I’m not stupid. I’ve covered her up and any bits on show have factor fifty suntan cream on them. It’s specially for babies.’

  Annoyance crossed his face as he stood by my side with clenched fists. I’m sure he would have struck me then if there weren’t people around.

  We marched back, Ryan holding on to the pushchair. I tried to keep up with him, but he was too fast, tried to call him back, but he kept on going. I could hear Chloe getting upset because she couldn’t see me.

  As soon as the door to the house closed, he slammed me up against the wall.

  ‘Don’t you ever put our child in danger like that again,’ he seethed. His eyes darted back and forth as he glared at me, nostrils flaring, chest moving in and out rapidly.

  ‘She wasn’t in danger,’ I sobbed. ‘I was with her all the time. I was looking after her. I’m quite capable of that.’

  His fist caught my chin, the force of it knocking me backwards. Confused, I held on to it as he came at me again.

  I had never seen him in such a rage. This wa
sn’t normal behaviour for him. Usually he would just be sullen. Often he’d administer a slap or squeeze my arm until it bruised. But this time it was as if something exploded, as if he couldn’t control his temper a moment longer.

  I flopped to the floor. ‘Stop,’ I croaked as a fist went into my stomach again. ‘I can’t breathe.’

  He grabbed my hair and pulled me to Chloe’s pram. My poor baby was screaming by this time, her bottom lip trembling as tears poured down her face.

  ‘Get her out and look after her properly,’ he said, almost pushing me into the pram with her. ‘Or you’ll have me to answer to.’

  He went upstairs, leaving me a shrivelling wreck and wondering what the hell had gone wrong. I found out two weeks later that he had lost his job. He told me he’d been laid off, but I learned years later that he’d been sacked due to bad timekeeping, poor sales and being drunk on several occasions.

  I realise now that he was becoming paranoid too. Instead of the control freak who wanted his woman to act as if he owned her, he was taking out his rage by saying I couldn’t look after his daughter, that I wasn’t a fit mother.

  As I plotted my escape, I prayed he wouldn’t use it in the future, building up a case so he could get custody of Chloe. To the outside world, he was very convincing. He’d end up getting his own way – even it was just to spite me. And I couldn’t lose Chloe. I just couldn’t.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  ‘How can a man inflict such pain on a woman?’ asked Amy, as Eden drove them back to the station. ‘It’s beyond me.’

  ‘Whatever kick they get out of it is too,’ said Eden. ‘Yet so many women get stuck in the trap and they can’t get out.’

  Eden was glad that Sylvia Latimer had a new partner. The look on her face when she spoke about him was lovely to see. She seemed happy now, although Eden was sure she would never stop looking over her shoulder.