Sins of the Master

by Catherine Taylor

  “Through the strangest of circumstances,” Lena smiled. “He was a fighter, and this one night when I was forced along to watch these brutalities, he became a champion and claimed me as his prize. I was a young girl, all of nineteen, and it was terrifying, being led away by this brute of a man.”

  “My god,” Eddie frowned. “And you say this man was your guardian angel?”

  “He didn’t harm me, though he was very strict and wouldn’t put up with my nonsense. I was ill at the time and he cared for me tenderly, and he made no attempt to dishonour me in any way. I fell in love with him, and I’ve never forgotten him. It’s been nineteen years and yet, whenever I’m in trouble, I tend to think of him more than ever.”

  Eddie arched an eyebrow at her. “Only when you’re in trouble?”

  Lena grinned as she blushed. “Now you are being cheeky, and yes, I have other memories of him, but none that I’m ashamed of.”

  “I apologise.” Eddie shook his head. “I was being much too forward.”

  “No, you’re not. I’m not a young girl anymore that I need to skirt about things which are part of life.” She giggled. “The sex was unforgettable, as was his enormous cock.”

  Eddie roared with laughter, nodding his head. “There are always the ones that you never forget.”

  “And for yourself, Eduard Utkin, who was the one that you have never forgotten?”

  He smiled. “That would be my wife. She was beautiful and gentle and passionate. I think she took pity on me when I asked her to marry me. She was always kind to lost animals. She… she died before we were married three years.”

  “I am so sorry.”

  Eddie nodded and his expression was strained. “I also think of her often, the things she did, the way she looked at the world. I often find myself wishing I had listened to her more. It seems in these later years, I’m only hearing her for the first time.”

  Lena clasped his hand. “If we only knew in our youth, the lessons life has to teach us. We might not have so many regrets when we are older.”

  Eddie smiled, but as he glanced at his watch, he frowned. “I am sorry, Lena. I have to go.”

  “Of course,” Lena smiled. “It has been a most enjoyable time and again I thank you for your kindness to me.”

  He stood up and extended his hand to her. “I want to see you again, Lena. Nothing uncomfortable, just coffee again or something, chatting and reminiscing. I certainly don’t want to come across as a dirty old man.”

  Lena laughed as she stood up and gazed up at him. “I like dirty old men, especially the handsome ones.”

  “You are a very naughty girl, Lena Moroz,” Eddie grinned.

  They laughed and then looked awkwardly at one another. His eyes studied her face and he smiled. “Your eyes sparkle when you laugh. Did you know that?”

  “No.”

  “Dinner, Wednesday night. Would you please do me the honour?”

  Lena felt a stir of butterflies in her stomach and a warmth in her face. Her heart was beating faster. She recognised the feelings of girlish excitement and nearly laughed at herself. Instead, she smiled up at him and nodded.

  “I’d like that very much.”

  * * * * *

  When Mairead arrived at the house she was bombarded by a rush of unpleasant memories. It hadn’t changed in nearly two years. With the abundance of weeds in the front yard, it still look deserted. The letterbox was still crammed with junk mail, and it had her mind filling with a memory of James’ angry face, assuring her that it was over between them. He’d had enough of her. She had never felt more devastation than she had that day. Hopefully this visit wouldn’t leave her feeling so abandoned.

  It was the only possible hope she had of finding Dylan, and a slim hope at that. Most likely, Esther had found her way back to him, but if she hadn’t, there were few places she could turn to. She certainly couldn’t go to her mother’s house. This house had kept her hidden once before. It made sense that she might return to it.

  Of course, it meant another break-in, but she wasn’t as afraid now. She had thoroughly surveyed the quiet street and was satisfied the house wasn’t being watched. Now she had to get into it without being seen. After another rotation of the block, Mairead simply turned into the driveway and cycled straight to the back of the house. The curtains were all drawn and she was certain she hadn’t been seen, but she waited ten minutes to see if anyone would come out to investigate. When nothing happened, she approached the back door.

  Before she went through the process of breaking in, she tried the handle on the back door. It was locked, but it didn’t bother her. She had watched how Yvette had broken into the same house over a year ago.

  Sliding a paper under the door, she took out a thin screwdriver from her pocket and delicately poked it into the old fashioned keyhole until it was touching the key. Very carefully she moved it about to line up the key’s bit with the lock and then gently poked it out.

  It worked and she heard the key clatter to the floor inside. Drawing the paper out, she beamed to see the key appear from under the door. Before going inside, she took time to listen for any movement.

  The door opened to a dark kitchen, half of it filled with stacked boxes, newspapers and empty bottles. There were dirty dishes piled in the sink and the loud hum of an old refrigerator indicated that the house was still occupied.

  She was about to venture further when the door across from her suddenly opened. Mairead froze and watched Melanie come through with an empty glass. At the same time, she saw Mairead and immediately froze.

  “What the hell do you want?”

  “I’ve come to see Esther.”

  Melanie’s eyes widened. “Well, she’s not here, so you can march yourself out of my house and don’t come back.”

  Mairead shook her head. “No. Not until I see her.”

  “Are you deaf? She’s not here. Get out of my house.”

  “Just show me the cellar and I’ll go.”

  “I’m showing you nothing. Get out of my house before I ring the police.”

  There was no sense in arguing further. Mairead turned and took a couple of slow steps towards the back door, until she heard Melanie come up behind her.

  “Yeah, get out of my house and don’t come back.”

  Once Mairead knew she was no longer blocking the other door, she suddenly turned back, pushing Melanie away enough to run past her. She could hear her chasing behind, screaming as Mairead ran through the house and burst through another door. She went straight to the corner of the bare room and her fingers gripped the carpet. She was pulling it back when Melanie seized her hair.

  Mairead smashed her arm away and turned on her, snarling. “Please, don’t make me hurt you, Melanie. Just let me look and I’ll leave you alone.”

  “You have no right,” Melanie screamed at her, but stayed back.

  “I know,” Mairead nodded. “I know, but I need to see. I’m sorry.”

  With that she threw the carpet back, revealing a cellar door. She stared at it, remembering the turmoil she had felt that last time, the fear of being wrong and throwing away her life with James for nothing.

  “You took her away from me that last time,” Melanie yelled. “After I helped put Lewis in prison, solving all your problems, you all left me alone, with nothing and not one of you cared what happened to me.”

  “I know we did,” Mairead nodded grimly. “I was too caught up in my own life, my own problems. None of us walked away from that unscarred.”

  “No, but you didn’t have to go through it all alone. You weren’t left with the nightmares of being tied down and raped, of men putting their hands all over you, shoving things into you, torturing us. I had to relive all that because of you and Esther, and what fucking good did it do? People shunned me. Steven left me.”

  “And those men are in jail now. You’ve saved countless other young girls from suffering what you went through.”

  Melanie began to weep. “Why did you have to come back?”<
br />
  “Because I don’t know what else to do, Melanie. I’m sorry.”

  Mairead went to lift the cellar door and stopped as Esther came up behind Melanie and gathered her into an embrace. She smiled at Mairead as she spoke softly to the other girl. “I promised you that I wouldn’t leave again. I’m keeping my word.”

  “That was before she came,” Melanie replied bitterly.

  “Nothing’s changed. Just give me two minutes. I need to see Mairead. Can you let me do that, Melanie?”

  She nodded and stood back angrily.

  Mairead watched Esther come to her and they fell into a tight embrace, holding each other for some time, before Esther spoke.

  “How did you find me?”

  “This was where I found you last time,” Mairead replied. “And you didn’t have many places to go. You were either here or you’d got back to Dylan, or… or they’d caught you.”

  Esther looked ready to crumple. “I’m so sorry, Mairead. I left you. All I could think about was Tammy… ”

  Mairead held her again. “You did nothing wrong. I’m just glad you’re alright.”

  “What happened to you? I read the papers and there was only that there had been a fatal car accident. No names, nothing.”

  “It’s a long story, but I don’t want to go in to it at the moment. I take it you didn’t find Dylan.”

  Esther pursed her lips tightly and shook her head. “No. It was awful. I had to sleep out in the open for a few nights until I could work up the courage to hitch a lift into the city, and then I came straight here.”

  “And you haven’t been able to contact him?”

  “No. I’ve even tried ringing Yvette but none of the usual lines of contact are operating.”

  “What about Dylan’s house? Why can’t we just go there?”

  “We have no way of getting there. The house is miles out, and no-one is supposed to know the location, just a select few of us.”

  “I can get us a car, Esther. You just have to point the way.”

  “No, I still couldn’t take you there… It’s not allowed.”

  “Not allowed? What’s that supposed to mean at a time like this? It’s over, Esther. Dylan’s fantasy world, his slaves, all of it, over. He’s got people trying to kill him.”

  “Which is all the more reason I can’t take you there. If we were followed…”

  “We won’t be followed. I’ll make sure of it.”

  “Like you weren’t followed the last time?” Esther demanded. “They found out, Mairead, and now Tammy is dead and James… oh, my god, James… is he…”

  “As far as I know he’s recovering and looking at a long stretch in prison, which is why you have to help me.”

  “Mairead, I’m sorry…”

  “You should be.” Mairead walked away from her, shaking her head. “You fucking should be.”

  “Mairead, please,” Esther said quietly. “Let me explain.”

  “There’s nothing to explain.” Mairead turned back to her angrily. “You’re staying loyal to Dylan, like an obedient slave, because heaven help that you would make any decision for yourself. Well, I haven’t got that luxury and I have to make decisions, whether they’re right or wrong, because the moment I stop fighting, I lose, and I’m not going to lose James to any of them, not to Adele, or Russian mafia, or the whole fucking New Zealand government.”

  A silence fell over the room. Esther stood with her head bowed, while Melanie continued to watch sulkily. Mairead had turned away from them, her body stiff, as if she was about to explode again. When she turned back, the tension had gone out of her.

  “I’m sorry, Esther.”

  Esther shook her head. “Don’t be. I know I’m pathetic.”

  “No.” Mairead shook her head. “You’re not pathetic, you’re right. I’ve got everyone searching for me at the moment. It’s a long way out in the open for a big risk, only to find he’s not even there.”

  “I need a computer,” Esther told her. “Melanie doesn’t have one or the internet, not that I would send anything from here, and I’ve been too afraid to go out, but an encrypted message on a forum can be left that he will get, if he’s still out there.”

  Mairead nodded. “I can do it, and of course he’s still out there. This is Dylan we’re talking about. Just write everything down and I’ll post it.”

  “I will,” Esther replied. “And then come back and stay here. It’s safe here and we have the cellar.”

  Mairead frowned and looked up at Melanie. “Do you still have that cattle prod?”

  Melanie’s face scowled angrily at her. “That’s a cheap shot… Why would you say that?”

  “I didn’t mean…” Mairead smiled at her. “I’m sorry, Melanie. I was asking because I want to borrow it… for protection.”

  “I suppose I have it somewhere. I’ll go look.”

  When she was gone, Mairead took Esther into a hug. “I’m sorry for going off at you.”

  “I didn’t blame you. Anyway, let’s get that message written.”

  “And I’ll get it posted today. How soon will he see it?”

  “Possibly within the hour, but there’s no guarantees.”

  It wasn’t quite the solution Mairead had hoped for, but it was something. She still had forty-eight hours until she put her plan in to action. She hoped that Dylan would be on board with her, but if not, she was prepared to go it alone.

  * * * * *

  Through the window of the patient’s lounge, Cooper watched the activity in the corridor, still feeling shaky from having watched Brendan North take his last breath. She had stood back and watched the doctors and nurses do their utmost to revive him, instinctively suspecting that they would fail.

  She could see uniformed police walking past and was relieved that she was detached from it. She needed time to go over everything in her mind, every word spoken by Brendan and what had led up to his death. With their duty to do everything possible to save him, the medical staff had little concern for her attempts to contain a crime scene. For the moment, their authority overruled hers, and she had to watch with contempt as evidence was corrupted. The cup and jug of cordial had been casualties to the emergency, spilling over as the bedside cabinet was rolled aside, crashing into a chair. It only got worse when a nurse was immediately on to it, cleaning up the mess before anyone slipped. The cup remained intact and hopefully would still have enough residue for toxicology.

  Cooper tried to picture the nurse who had brought it in, but could only recall height, weight and short black hair. Brendan had demanded too much attention when she had first walked in. She did remember sullenly that the nurse had worn gloves and avoided eye contact.

  “Shit,” she cursed quietly.

  As if to annoy her further, Bevan Miller walked past without noticing her. His presence was the most significant reminder that she had no real power in this investigation. The SIS were still at the helm and it been pure luck or a careless mistake that the doctor had contacted her first. Or had he?

  Cooper remembered Brendan’s first words about talking to some other prick. She mentally kicked herself for not asking, knowing she would be going through her own interrogation very soon. It now came down to how much she was willing to share about her time with Brendan.

  The thought of holding back information didn’t sit well, but didn’t appal her. It actually ignited a sense of power that she had lacked on this case. She was now privy to information that they didn’t have and wouldn’t be able to obtain without her.

  Cooper knew the penalties of neglecting her duty to full disclosure, but they would have to be a little sympathetic if she didn’t remember everything immediately. She’d just had the shock of seeing a man die. Something like that could have terrible effects on the memory.

  The door opened and she grinned sheepishly as her boss walked in. Collins sighed and shook his head. “Are you deliberately trying to make my life uncomfortable?”

  “I got a call about Brendan,” she shrugged. �
��I followed it up.”

  “And you should have called it through to Miller.”

  “I was going to. I just wanted to make sure Brendan was up to being questioned.”

  “And now he’s dead.”

  “Yes.” Cooper nodded grimly. “It was awful. Left me a bit of a mess.”

  Collins leaned on the door jamb and peered at her suspiciously. “Since when? Lizzie, do you remember what we discussed?”

  “Of course I do. I’m just waiting for Miller to get in here and I can go over it all with him. North was poisoned, though nobody seems to be interested at the moment. I did try to contain a crime scene but apparently that’s impossible in an emergency situation.”

  “It’s been noted, but nothing can be determined until the coroner sees him and a toxicology test is carried out. Some of the cordial has been collected but too early to know if it’s going to reveal anything. At this stage it’s a routine coronary.”

  “Yeah, right.”

  Collins frowned. “Did he talk to you, Lizzie?”

  “Of course. He mainly wanted to know what happened to him. He was surprised Vaughn had been indicted for the assault.”

  “Did he remember anything?”

  “A little, but he wasn’t able to identify his assailants.”

  “Poor arsehole. Wakes up for a few days and then gets sent back to oblivion.”

  Cooper glared at him. “Maybe if he’d had protection…”

  “Don’t start.” Collins turned and looked down the corridor. “Miller will be in here soon. You can give him all your objections, while you’re explaining why you didn’t inform him that North was awake.”

  She breathed out deeply and nodded. It was going to be a long afternoon, something like the multiple times she had spent in detention in high school. They hadn’t done much to change her behaviour either.

  CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

  Several men were standing by as the helicopter set down a few hundred feet from the house. Eddie finally breathed out as he felt stability return and his anxiety ease. He remained buckled in, until two of the men were there to help him out.