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

  He’d seen her earlier that morning too. A smile crossed his face. She’d looked troubled. Perhaps she was using a coping mechanism. Something else to think about, concentrate on while she tried not to think of the inevitable. Even still, he admired the stance of her walk, as well as her shapely form, as she’d strode across the road.

  She’d been in the building for twenty minutes now. He’d wait a few more and then he’d be on his way. He’d got what he’d come for, having seen what she was up to and where she was.

  Five minutes later, his cigarette burned down, he flicked it to the floor and ground it out with the heel of his boot. A man tutted as he walked past and he glared at him. When he looked up, she was at the door again.

  And then she came out. He stepped back a little as she crossed the road with another woman. He laughed as he watched her go. She didn’t even sense him.

  ‘Whatever you do,’ he said quietly, ‘don’t look behind you.’

  Thirteen Years Ago

  I can still remember the time you first showed our child how cruel you were. It was Chloe’s fifth birthday and she was having a party. We were still in Liverpool then. It was one of the rare occasions when you actually gave in and let her have her way, because she wanted a party at our house. We never entertained – we didn’t have friends – so I’d gone out of the way to make it extra special for her.

  There were eleven children invited, parents too. Chloe was beside herself as she waited for everyone to arrive. You didn’t give me enough money for luxuries, so I’d saved a few pounds each week to get her something special. She looked lovely in a red checked dress and thick navy blue tights, with boots coming up to her knees. And, of course, red ribbon around her bunches.

  It was an hour into the party and you hadn’t shown. I had got fed up fielding comments from other mums about where you were and was becoming anxious that you’d even show up.

  Chloe was running to me every few minutes.

  ‘Have you heard from Daddy yet?’ she asked.

  ‘Not yet, darling,’ I replied. ‘Do you want to play pass the parcel while you wait?’

  Chloe was too innocent then. She hadn’t seen the dangerous man that only I ever saw.

  When you hadn’t shown up in another hour and guests had started to leave, Chloe had been distraught. She’d had a bath and was in bed by the time you finally came home. And, by that time, you said it was all my fault that I hadn’t rung you to remind you. I had, lots of times, but you’d denied getting any calls. You see, by then I realised that you wanted me to suffer, no matter what.

  But do you know what? I think she had a far better time without you there. You would have ruined her party. She was better off not knowing that you were too drunk to attend.

  How could you miss your own daughter’s birthday party?

  Chloe never asked me about the damage to my face the next day. She just pressed her fingertips to it and said, ‘That looks sore, Mummy.’ Then she kissed it better.

  I kept my tears in until she had gone into her bedroom to play with her new toys. What that child saw because of you – I hated you for that. You were the evil one, and I decided there and then to do everything in my power to get away from you. Seeing the hurt in my child’s eyes while she waited for you to turn up was cruel, but seeing her scared face come round the corner of the door as you were laying into me? Well, I’ll never forget that either.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Eden left work just before six. There was nothing else that warranted her attention and she couldn’t concentrate.

  The traffic was busy, and as she pulled into the drive, she was glad to be home. Lights were on downstairs, which meant Casey was too. She sighed loudly, hoping that Jess hadn’t said anything to her about Danny before she had chance to explain.

  But she hadn’t even pulled her key out of the lock and Casey was shouting at her.

  ‘You’ve met with Dad and not told me?’

  Eden stopped in the middle of the hallway as Casey came down the stairs and walked right past her. She followed her into the kitchen.

  ‘Is this what you and Joe were talking about the other night?’ Casey continued, folding her arms.

  ‘No! I would never keep anything like this from you.’

  ‘So when did he contact you? Is this the first time you’ve seen him? Or have you been meeting him on a regular basis without me?’

  ‘Casey, slow down! He only got in touch with me yesterday. I thought it best that the two of us meet first.’

  ‘Did you know last night?’

  ‘Yes, he sent me a text message and I said I’d—’

  ‘You should have told me! I’m sixteen, Mum. I’m a grown-up. I can handle it.’

  Eden sighed. ‘I didn’t know what to expect when I met him, and I didn’t want to drag you into that until I knew. He left two years ago and I wanted to know why before—’

  ‘Did he ask about me?’

  ‘Yes, of course he did.’

  ‘Did he say why he hadn’t contacted me? Not a phone call, or a card. Not even a text message on my birthday.’

  Eden heard her daughter sob. ‘Please don’t be upset.’ She stepped towards her.

  Casey groaned and stormed out of the room. The bang of the kitchen door made Eden jump. She pinched the bridge of her nose and held in her tears.

  Trust Jess to blab to everyone. All she’d wanted was to have a bit of time to get used to things herself before telling her family she had met with Danny. He’d walked away without a thought for anyone but himself, yet she was the one who got it in the neck.

  What a mess. She’d upset the two women she cared for most because of one lousy text message she had replied to. She wished she hadn’t bothered.

  She grabbed a cushion and held it to her chest, lifting her feet up beside her on the settee. When did life get so complicated? She wondered: what were the implications of Jed Jackson being involved with Danny? If it ever got out that he had obtained information from her, information that he had gone on to use for his financial gain, she would lose her job. The file had been her responsibility. But she had brought home files for years, so that time wasn’t any different.

  She’d never talked about confidential work with Danny, but everyone in Stockleigh knew who Jed Jackson was, given how often they’d locked him up. He would have loved that Danny was her husband. She was surprised he hadn’t used it against her yet, either to get her into trouble or to get her onside and do a bit of blackmailing of his own. She wouldn’t be his bitch for anyone.

  That could be his next move though. Either get to her through Casey or even through her with his fists as a warning. There were lots of things he could do.

  ‘Bloody hell, Danny,’ she muttered. ‘You’ve really landed me in the shit.’

  Her phone rang. It was Laura. Eden braced herself for another onslaught.

  ‘I was just calling to see how you were.’ Laura’s voice was full of concern. It brought tears to her eyes.

  ‘I’m all mixed up,’ she admitted. ‘I don’t know what to think.’

  ‘What did he say to you?’

  Eden relayed as much of the conversation as she could. The rest of it, about Jed Jackson and the debt, she would keep to herself for now.

  ‘I thought he wanted to come back,’ she said quietly.

  Laura gave a derisive snort. ‘And you would have welcomed him with open arms?’

  ‘No, but it would have been nice if he’d wanted to!’ she snapped.

  ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean it that way. It just seems so maddening that he’s come back to ask for money. I always thought he was a decent guy. Just goes to show how much you can be fooled.’

  ‘Or how much someone can change,’ said Eden. ‘Was it Jess who told Casey?’

  ‘Yes, sorry. I wondered if she’d keep it to herself.’

  ‘It’s not your fault.’

  She chatted to Laura for a while and, once she’d ended that call, on impulse she rang Danny. Surprised when he answe
red, she took a deep breath.

  ‘Why did you do it, Danny?’ she asked again.

  ‘I was desperate.’

  ‘I don’t mean the money. I mean, why did you leave me and Casey? We weren’t in a loveless marriage. Okay, things might have been a bit complacent, but we got on well and I—I thought we were in it for the long haul.’

  ‘I thought so too, but I couldn’t keep it from you unless I left.’

  ‘You didn’t love me enough to stay.’

  ‘No! Of course I loved you!’

  Eden could almost picture him rubbing a hand over his chin the way he used to do. The worried look on his face, the angst he was feeling.

  ‘Then why didn’t you tell me?’ she went on. ‘Instead of leaving me wondering what I had done. I didn’t know if you were dead or alive. You never even answered my text messages!’

  ‘I couldn’t. Believe me, it tore me apart not to.’

  ‘Like I’ll ever believe that.’ She paused for a moment. ‘Have you been following me?’

  ‘No, whatever gave you that idea?’

  Eden shuddered involuntarily. ‘So this morning was the first time you’ve seen me?’

  ‘Yes. I—’

  ‘Where have you been all this time?’

  ‘It doesn’t matter. I—’

  ‘It does to me!’

  Silence.

  ‘Look, things had started getting ugly with Jackson, Ede. When I took out the loan, I could pay him back at first. And then, when I couldn’t, he threatened you and Casey if I didn’t start working for him.’

  ‘Wait a minute. Are you saying that you knew Jackson way before you stole that information?’

  The line was quiet.

  ‘Danny?’

  ‘Yes.’

  Eden groaned. All this was bound to come back on her one day. She didn’t really want to know but she had to ask, to be prepared for it to be used against her. Jackson would have a bloody field day.

  ‘What did you do for him?’

  ‘I was the driver on a few jobs he did.’

  ‘For God’s sake!’ Eden closed the door for a moment to stop her conversation from reaching Casey. ‘Have you any idea how this will look on me when it gets out?’

  ‘It won’t get out! That’s why I left – can’t you see? He doesn’t know I told you any of this.’

  ‘You think he’ll just sweep it under the carpet, never to be discussed? Come on, Danny, even you can’t be that naive.’

  Silence down the line again. Eden wasn’t sure she wanted to hear any more. She went out into the hall and climbed the stairs.

  ‘I’ll tell you one thing for nothing, Dan. If he comes after me and he hurts our daughter, I won’t be responsible for my actions when I get hold of you. I never had you down as a coward.’

  ‘But you do still love me, don’t you, Ede?’

  ‘You think what you like, mate.’ She knocked on Casey’s door. ‘There’s someone here who would like to talk to you.’

  She handed the phone to Casey and left the room. She wasn’t going to let him get away with everything. He needed to know how much upset he had caused.

  She stood on the landing while she waited for Casey to come off the phone, looking through the window on to the street below. All those people in Stockleigh having an ordinary evening together. Why couldn’t she be one of them? Why was life so complicated all the time?

  In Harold Street, Tanya stood at the window. She wondered if Vic was watching from the shadows. Taunting her, making her think she was safe when she was far from it.

  She pulled her cardigan closer around her. That was the thing with Vic. He didn’t love her, just the power he had over her. He just wanted to hit out if she didn’t do as she was told. He enjoyed ruling the house.

  She was his plaything. He said he loved her, but she knew she didn’t mean anything to him, even though he was always saying if he couldn’t have her, then no one else could either.

  The room felt claustrophobic. She knew she wouldn’t be able to stay here long. Maybe she needed to move from Stockleigh. But where would she go? She had no one outside the city who she could turn to for help. What a mess she had made of her life.

  She wished she could turn back time. Even three weeks would do, and she could have disappeared before Vic came out of prison. Then she wouldn’t have been dragged into his stupid plans.

  In Granger Street, Carla stared out of her bedroom window. Was Ryan there in the shadows watching her? Waiting for her to slip up so that he could get to her? She knew he could be there. Even before she saw the man outside her house, she’d felt someone watching her for some time, both at home and at The Willows.

  At work, the women were always talking about the fear of their partners catching up with them again and what they would do to them when they did. Maybe their anguish was rubbing off on her. She needed to stay strong. She’d done it for a few weeks now. She just had to stay on the right track.

  But it wasn’t a good feeling, especially after seeing someone in the garden. Again, she wondered if she should move on, just in case he caught up with her. Then she shook her head vehemently. No, she decided. She had to be sure it was him before she did anything else.

  She got into bed but sleep didn’t come easily. Every groan that the house made, every creak, made her alert.

  She was listening for him.

  She was waiting for him to come and get her.

  She couldn’t live her life like this.

  She wouldn’t live her life like this.

  Outside, in the shadows, he stood watching her. He wondered if she sensed he was nearby. He hoped so. He wished she couldn’t sleep, worried that he might turn up, wondering when he might strike. He wanted her to live in fear of when he would grab her and give her what was coming to her.

  He couldn’t believe he was so close, that he could reach out and squeeze his hands around her throat. But he had to bide his time. It wouldn’t do to be seen hanging around.

  He had to find the right time to strike. When she was on her own, at her most vulnerable. Or when she had let down her guard.

  It would be soon. He couldn’t wait much longer. There was nothing better than letting off steam with a good punch, a swift kick or slap. Especially to her. Her face came into his mind’s eye and he smiled, licking his bottom lip in anticipation of the thrill.

  The light went off and he imagined her getting into bed. Would her dreams be full of nightmares? He very much hoped so. He didn’t want her to sleep.

  He would get to her soon.

  The day was drawing near.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Ramona Wilson closed the door on The Candy Club and checked the handle to make sure it was locked securely. It had been a quiet night, and there had been no trouble. The girls and their punters had all behaved themselves, enabling her to crack on with reading her book. She was really enjoying the latest Ian Rankin novel and couldn’t wait to get home to read the next chapter.

  ‘Come on, Ramona,’ a voice shouted. ‘I’m going past the chippy if you fancy something to eat.’

  ‘I’m coming!’ There was no way she could resist the lure of fish and chips at this time of night. She got into the car and turned to Angel with a smile. ‘These are on me for the lift though.’

  Twenty minutes later, Ramona popped the last chip into her mouth, screwed up the wrapping and tossed it in a bin on Davy Road. Angel had dropped her off and headed home. She only had a few minutes to walk and she’d be able to wash the grease from her mouth with a glass of something nice.

  Bernard Place was quiet for once as she walked the last few metres, maybe due to how cold it was that night. Frost glistened on the ground under the light of a full moon, her shadow out in front. Her parents lived at the top of the cul-de-sac. It was an okay street to live on, but she much preferred where she had lived before in Christopher Avenue. There was more of a community spirit there. In Bernard Place, the benefit mentality was rife. It riled her how she worked for a living an
d most of the lazy sods asleep in their beds or still down the pub hadn’t worked an honest day’s job in their lives. Despite what she did, she could hold her head high. She supported herself and her children. But it was still embarrassing that she was twenty-three, and her brother was coming up to twenty-nine, and yet they were both back home with their mum and dad.

  Up above she could see a light on upstairs at her parents’ house. She sighed loudly, hoping that none of the kids were playing up. That was the last thing she needed: earache off her dad because he’d been kept awake. Granny wouldn’t mind what was going on. She loved having the kids under her roof, although she did feel sorry for her parents having Steve at home too. Ramona hoped he hadn’t come home drunk and woken everyone up. Her brother really was a pain in the arse at times, giving no thought to anyone but himself.

  As she walked past the entry to the garage plot, she thought she heard footsteps behind her. She turned sharply, listened, but there was no one there. She quickened her step. Nearly home.

  An arm came from behind, and a hand pressed across her mouth. Ramona felt her whole body jump. She tried to scream as she was dragged backwards and into the entrance that would take her to the garage plot. Down by the side of the first garage, she was thrown to the ground. As she tried to catch enough breath to scramble away, she saw a man behind her.

  ‘Please, no,’ she whispered. Desperately she fought him as he straddled her. He forced her arms over her head, holding both her hands with one of his.

  Coming to her senses, she screamed.

  He silenced her with a punch to the side of the face. Dazed and disorientated, it took a moment before she realised he was pushing up her skirt, ripping away her knickers. She tried to shove him away again but gave up when he punched her in the face several times in quick succession.

  The pain was worse than childbirth as he almost tore her apart. She had never known rage like this before and dared not move, deciding to stay quiet and close her ears to the noises he was making. She could see the outline of her parents’ house from where she had been forced to the ground. A tear dripped from the corner of her eye. She hated herself when she realised there was nothing she could do but wait for it to be over. Ramona had a feeling that if she started to fight again, she might not come away with her life. And she wanted to see her children in the morning.