SHADOW OVER THE FENS a gripping crime thriller full of suspense

by Joy Ellis

  Joseph tensed, straining to make out any other sounds, then suddenly he smelt the stench of death, felt the humid jungle heat on his skin and heard the cries of the dying. He was back on patrol, using every sense to locate the enemy. He dropped low to the ground and crouched in the shadows, waiting.

  Hearing nothing, he silently moved forward, then he caught the faintest breath of a sigh brought to him on the breeze, and it was coming from the edge of the park.

  He narrowed his eyes and took careful note of the terrain, checking instinctively for obstacles and hazards. There was a jumble of shrubbery, waiting for the gardeners to prune it back, and a dense cluster of small trees forming a dark canopy. Not good, he thought to himself. Too many places to hide.

  On the far side of the park, he could hear laughter. Kids yelling out obscenities to each other, then laughing again. Just stay there, he murmured, keep out of this.

  He straightened up and inched further forward, looking this way and that, and feeling naked without his M-16 assault rifle.

  ‘Oh Bunny? Bunny, where are you?’

  The sing-song voice took him by surprise and bile surged up into his throat. He swung round to the direction that it came from. He’d wanted proof. Now he had it. ‘Show yourself, you murdering scumbag!’ he hissed.

  ‘Over here, Bunny dear,’ sang the voice, but this time it sounded more distant.

  Joseph broke cover and ran towards the spot where the deranged sound had originated, but before he could reach it, he pitched forward and crashed to the ground. Something had been thrown across the path, directly beneath his feet.

  He cursed, rolled over and peered around him. Then he realised that he was covered in something sticky. Something sticky, warm and reeking of copper. Or was it iron? He had never quite worked that one out. Did it matter right now? No, it didn’t.

  Joseph eased himself up and away from the man’s body, and with a quick appraisal to check that the killer was not about to launch himself on his unprotected back, took a Maglite from his pocket and shone it down.

  Corn-coloured hair, pale eyes, a grey hooded jacket, faded jeans and a throat slit from ear to ear.

  There was no point in checking for signs of life. From the strange tilted angle of the head, Joseph could see into the severed windpipe. He sighed, switched off the torch, and slowly sank back so that he was sitting on his heels.

  It wasn’t Billy Sweet that lay on the blood-red ground, but it did look a bit like him. As Joseph pulled his mobile from his pocket and called for help, he wondered how he would feel if it had been the renegade soldier, the psychotic killer of women and comrades alike?

  The answer was he didn’t know, but however he may have felt, it had to be better than this.

  He gave his location, a brief account of what had occurred, closed his phone, and sat in the purple shadows of Salmon Park Gardens and cried.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  ‘Nikki? Where are you?’

  She carefully negotiated a blind bend then pressed the button on her radio. ‘A mile from home, Super. Approaching Cloud Fen.’

  ‘I need you at the hospital, immediately.’

  Nikki slammed on the brakes, reversed the car at speed into a farm track, then whipped it back onto the road. ‘On my way, sir.’

  She knew better than to ask what was occurring. Rick Bainbridge would have said if he could, but the tone of his voice had told her that it was serious, and that was enough for her.

  Her headlights scored piercing darts of light across the lonely fen, and in minutes, she was screaming back down the dual-carriageway towards Greenborough.

  The car park was almost empty when she got there. She left the car as close to the A & E department as she could, locked it and ran across the ambulance bay to the front entrance. She had no idea what had happened, but something nagged at her gut, telling her that it concerned Joseph. She just prayed that he had not been injured again.

  She had barely set foot through the automatic doors, when the superintendent appeared from a side room and beckoned to her.

  She followed him into the tiny office and closed the door. The room, a place where the triage nurse usually assessed the urgency of attention to the walking wounded, seemed crowded by the large frame of Rick Bainbridge and herself.

  ‘Is it Joseph, sir?’ That was all she really wanted to know.

  ‘Indirectly.’ The big man leaned against a trolley and folded his arms. ‘It’s okay, he’s not injured, but he’s badly shaken.’ The harsh light did little for his pallor. ‘There’s been another murder.’

  ‘Oh hell. Another, so soon?’ She had not expected that. ‘When and where, sir?’

  ‘Just over half an hour ago, in Salmon Park Gardens.’ He ran a beefy hand through his iron-grey hair. ‘A white male, throat cut and no ID, as before, and Joseph had the bad luck to find him.’

  Nikki closed her eyes and let the information wash over her. Joseph really did not need this right now. She thought fast. She needed to see her sergeant before the super started asking tricky questions. ‘Can I see him, sir? After all he’s been through he’s going to need a friend with him.’

  ‘Shortly.’

  Actually, now would be good, she thought.

  ‘I need to talk to you, Nikki.’ He pointed to an uncomfortable-looking plastic chair. ‘Sit down.’

  It was a definite command, and reluctantly, she obeyed.

  ‘I’m afraid, we have a problem.’

  Her heart sank. This did not sound good. ‘And that is?’ she asked, trying to keep the anxiety from her voice.

  ‘I asked you if you thought that Joseph had returned to work too soon, didn’t I?’

  Nikki nodded. ‘And I categorically stated that I believed that he was fine.’ She gave the man a defiant stare and said, ‘And I still stand by that opinion.’

  ‘Well, I’m afraid that I’m not so sure.’ He returned her stare. ‘When uniform reached the scene tonight, Joseph was in a very bad way.’

  ‘So what! Forgive me, but two bodies and a jumper in your first days back after getting injured on duty is not what I’d call easy street, sir.’

  ‘I agree, but when I said a bad way, I meant it. He seemed far more traumatised than I would have expected, Nikki.’ He paused, seeming to weigh something up, then said. ‘There are things about Joseph’s past that you are not privy to, and let me just say that given his history, he should not have reacted in the way that he did.’

  Nikki wanted to scream, but gritted her teeth and said, ‘I know that he was a soldier, I know he was special forces, but he’s still a human being, a caring and compassionate one. There’s only just so much a body can take, sir. Anybody!’

  Rick Bainbridge raised one eyebrow. ‘It was my belief that I was the only one on the station to know.’

  ‘You are, apart from me, and that’s how he wants it to stay.’ She gave a loud sigh. ‘I’m sorry, sir, but we went through a lot together on that last case. We both shared a few secrets when it got really shitty.’

  Bainbridge softened. ‘I suppose you did. But I’m really worried about him, Nikki. And I’m sure you’ll understand that he has to go back on sick leave for a while, and we’ll need to get him re-evaluated as to be properly fit for work.’

  ‘But that’ll take forever, sir! Can’t we just play it by ear, and ask Joseph how he feels about it?’

  ‘He’s on sick leave, Inspector. No buts.’

  She opened her mouth to protest, then shut it again. She was going to get nowhere tonight, so she may just as well save her breath. ‘Whatever you say, sir. Now can I go and see him?’

  * * *

  Joseph lay on a trolley and stared at them. To Nikki, his eyes seemed unnaturally dilated and his speech was slightly slurred. ‘Can I go home? I want to get out of here.’

  ‘The paramedics gave you a sedative to calm you down.’ The superintendent patted his arm. ‘You’ve had one hell of a shock, Sergeant. They won’t let you leave until the doctors are happy that you’re safe
to be on your own.’

  ‘I’m okay, sir. I just feel a bit woozy, that’s all.’

  ‘He can come back to my place, sir. I can keep an eye on him,’ said Nikki, trying to keep her tone as matter of fact as possible.

  ‘If it’s not too much trouble, ma’am,’ Joseph gnawed on his bottom lip, then looked across to the super. ‘Would you ask the doctor for me, sir? Understandably I don’t have the best memories of hospitals, and I really need to get out.’

  Rick Bainbridge nodded, said ‘I’ll do what I can,’ then pulled back the curtain and walked across to the central nursing station.

  The moment he was out of earshot, Joseph leant forward, grabbed Nikki’s hand and pulled her close. ‘It was him, ma’am. No question.’ His voice was little more than a whisper.

  ‘Billy Sweet? You actually saw him at the crime scene?’ gasped Nikki.

  ‘I heard him.’

  Nikki saw a shudder run through Joseph, then he said, ‘Please, get me discharged. I have to talk to you.’

  ‘Okay, but it’ll take a while, and you need fresh clothes. Give me your key, I’ll go see your landlady, tell her you’re not too well, and we’ll pack you a bag. You can tell me everything when we’re back on Cloud Fen.’

  Joseph nodded, then shivered again. ‘I keep hearing him.’

  ‘He actually spoke to you?’ asked Nikki.

  ‘He called me Bunny.’ He shook his head. ‘No one other than my army mates ever called me that.’

  ‘Oh Jesus, this is a mess.’

  ‘Tell me about it.’ He leant back into the pillow and closed his eyes. After a moment he opened them and said, ‘Would you do me a favour, guv? I know it’s cheek, but . . .’

  ‘Don’t tell me. Ring Bryony?’ Nikki asked.

  ‘They took my clothes and my mobile for forensics. I was supposed to ring her, ma’am. She’ll be worried sick, especially if she gets to hear about this new murder.’

  ‘You know her number?’ Nikki took out her own mobile and listed a new contact.

  ‘I think so.’ He murmured a few numbers to himself, then thought again and finally got it right.

  Nikki punched it in. ‘What do you want me to tell her?’

  ‘Just that I’m safe, and I’ll talk to her soon.’ He looked up at Nikki. ‘There’s one good thing though.’ He gave her a weak smile. ‘Billy was watching us from the river walk, and this time Bryony saw him too.’

  ‘Really? But that’s fantastic!’ Her hopes rose. ‘Could she identify him?’

  ‘Too dark, but she saw him, and that’s what counts.’

  She saw someone, thought Nikki, fighting back the disappointment, and that’s not nearly good enough.

  ‘Uh-oh, the super’s coming back,’ muttered Joseph. ‘Any joy, sir?’

  ‘Half an hour, maybe.’ The super eased himself into the only chair in the cubicle.

  ‘Great.’ Nikki picked up her bag from the floor. ‘He needs clothes, sir. If you are going to be here, I’ll dive out and get them.’

  * * *

  It was almost two in the morning when they arrived at Cloud Cottage Farm, and after half three when she finally closed the door on the guest bedroom.

  Nikki hadn’t expected to have her visitor back quite so soon, but if she were honest, and disregarded the terrible circumstances that surrounded his second visit, it was a relief to have him there.

  After Joseph had settled down to sleep off the sedative, Nikki walked out into the garden. A whole skyful of stars glittered and shone in the indigo heavens, and she sat on a wooden bench that her grandfather had made, and stared up at them. Sometimes the vastness of the skies over the marshes almost scared her. They made her feel so small, that she wondered if she, or any of her petty problems, really existed. But tonight they were her friends; they simply helped her to think.

  Two men had died. Executed. Two men who bore a resemblance to someone from Joseph’s past. A killer from Joseph’s past to be exact.

  And there her thoughts came to a halt. Stars or no stars, she could see no further.

  Joseph had said that he heard Billy call out to him, but had he? Someone could have been calling their dog for all she knew.

  She had met the paramedics at the hospital, and they had said that Joseph had been weeping uncontrollably when they found him, saying it was all his fault. Luckily, they had no reason to think he meant anything other than he hadn’t been quick enough to save the man. Not that anyone could have saved him. He had been professionally dispatched, exactly like Chris Forbes. And making such a gruesome discovery, well, falling over it to be precise, would have hardly helped Joseph’s war-torn mind. He could have imagined anything, anything at all. She sighed out loud. And she was the one having a go at the super for suggesting that Joseph’s mental state was shaky!

  Nikki drew her jacket closer around her. It was a beautiful night, but there was a chill breeze coming in from the sea. She should get some sleep herself. Joseph was probably as safe with her as anywhere, and if he had to take more leave, he would be comfortable here.

  With one last look up to the stars, she shivered then hurried back inside, taking more care than usual to lock and bolt the door.

  * * *

  As the door closed and the light in the kitchen went out, a dark figure slid silently from his hiding place. He had been so close, so close that he could smell her perfume. Although it wasn’t perfume, was it? It was a combination of shower gel, shampoo and deodorant. And then there had been coffee, and the hint of aromatic food that clung to her clothes.

  The mouth smiled, but the eyes stayed as they always did. The police ate such rubbish food, it was no wonder that they rarely got to enjoy retirement.

  He sighed. If he had just reached out his hand, he could have touched her. And he would like to have done that. Liked it very much. But not now. There was a schedule to stick to. An operation to see through. And that was what he was good at.

  Seeing things through to the end.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  The morning briefing had been a hurried affair. Nikki had laid out the facts for her officers, bare bones with no embellishment, then split them into teams and put them to work.

  Back in her office, she was suddenly overwhelmed by a feeling of loss; which for a dyed-in-the-wool loner was something of a new experience. She had spent most of the last two years trying to go solo, doing everything she could to avoid having a permanent sergeant at her side, and now her wish had been granted, she hated it.

  She had spent the last part of the night unable to sleep, tossing and turning and unusually edgy. Several times she had got up and stared down into the shadowy garden, unaware of why she was doing it, but somehow just trying to calm the feeling of foreboding. But that never happened, and when it was time to get up, she still felt jittery. She had taken Joseph some breakfast on a tray, and offered him the freedom of her DVD and CD collection, not that for one moment she believed that he would be relaxed enough to enjoy anything like that. And then the realisation dawned on her that he would be marooned on Cloud Fen with no transport. Which considering the things that had happened was not a smart move, so she had promised that as soon as she was able, she’d get his car out to him. Luckily, he had left it in the staff car park when he had left to meet his girlfriend.

  Nikki pursed her lips. She had spoken to Bryony as directed, and had been strangely unsettled by the conversation. Not that either of them had made anything other than extremely polite comments. Although clearly upset by Joseph’s experience, the woman reacted in a sensible way, not snivelling or throwing a girly wobbler. She had expressed her concern in an intelligent manner, and for some unfathomable reason, even that had managed to irritate Nikki.

  She shook her head, and decided that Joseph’s love life should be very low on her priority list right now. Two murders and a suicide definitely ticked more boxes for attention than beautiful Bryony-bloody-Barton.

  ‘Ma’am?’ Dave Harris looked enquiringly at her. ‘Have you got a moment
?’

  Nikki threw him a knowing look. ‘Okay, detective, what’s worrying you?’

  ‘The Sarge, ma’am.’ He took the only other chair in the office, and pulled it a little closer to her desk. ‘I was reading between the lines at this morning’s meeting, and I’m concerned that he’s not at work today. Is he alright, ma’am?’

  Nikki took a deep breath. Right now she needed an ally. And as Dave was one of the few officers on the station that she would trust with her life, maybe she was being a fool to keep the whole situation to herself. She didn’t want to betray Joseph in any way, but another perspective could make all the difference.

  ‘Because I happen to think that you are the most dependable and honest copper I know . . .’ she looked at him shrewdly, ‘I’m going to ask for your help, Dave. But what I’m going to tell you stays right here, with you and me, okay?’

  He nodded slowly. ‘Absolutely, ma’am.’

  ‘Right, well, you asked about Sergeant Easter . . .’

  It didn’t take long to explain a watered-down version of the situation, one that did not involve any mention of what happened in the Congo, and at the end, Dave simply said, ‘It doesn’t surprise me to hear about his old career, ma’am. I’d often thought that may be the case from the way he conducted himself, but he’s too much of a gentleman to be a disillusioned squaddie.’ He smiled. ‘I like Sergeant Easter, I have a lot of time for him, ma’am, so just tell me how I can help, and I’ll do it.’

  ‘I want you to trace Billy Sweet. Start with army records. We know his original unit, and an approximate time when he left to go to this private security force, but from there on it’s going to be tricky. And Dave, not a word to anyone, not even the super. If he starts asking questions, refer him to me.’

  ‘No problem, ma’am. But the murder room is hardly the place for a discreet enquiry, is it?’

  ‘Work from here. Use my computer and my phone. You shouldn’t be disturbed.’ She scribbled down the few facts that she knew about Sweet and handed them to Dave. ‘I’m going to be out for about an hour. I don’t like the thought of Joseph being stranded on the marsh with no vehicle, and as uniform are stretched the limits, I’ll take his Ford myself and he can drop me back. He’s not an invalid, and I’ve got some paperwork he can do from home.’ She noted Dave’s surprised look and said, ‘It’s not this case, don’t worry. And I’m not being a slave-driver, he needs something to keep him occupied. If the super hadn’t pulled rank on him, he’d be here right now.’