by Joy Ellis
‘What?’
‘Doesn’t quite tie in with pretty Dutch flowers and plants, does it? I’m sure it’s a cut-throat business, but one does not generally shoot the competition, does one?’
Nikki replaced the receiver, and stood up. Something told her that Kurt Carson was the odd man out regarding the killer’s executed victims. If he’d been shot sometime in the past, maybe he had also been a soldier or a mercenary. She needed to get Joseph to look at the body. There was a chance he would recognise him and fathom out what the hell was going on. She pulled on her jacket. It was an outside chance, but if nothing else, it was a damned good excuse to go find Joseph and drag him back to Greenborough.
‘Dave! Keep me posted on any developments. I’ll keep the radio open.’
* * *
Joseph’s eyes were becoming accustomed to the gloom in the tiny cottage, but he wanted to see Bryony’s face as she spoke to him.
‘Can we have some more light in here? I don’t like talking to a shadow. I want to look at you.’
‘No. It’s better as it is. The things I’m going to tell you belong in the darkness.’ There was a shaky sigh. ‘I just don’t know where to start.’
Joseph could think of a hundred places, but all he could do was stare at her helplessly. ‘What’s going on, Bryony?’
‘Your boss told me you hated lies, and I’m afraid I’ve had to tell you some, but that was before I realised how I felt about you. I don’t want to lie anymore. But you may not like the truth, Joseph.’
‘Try me.’
‘I am in trouble, Joseph. Big trouble.’
His shoulders stiffened almost to the point of spasm. ‘Please, Bryony, don’t tell me this concerns Billy Sweet?’
Bryony laid the gun on the hearth, then reached across and took his hands in hers. ‘I’m afraid it does. And I’m out of my depth and I’m scared.’
Her fingers were cold despite the warm evening, and he felt them tremble in his grip. ‘How could you know that freak, that animal . . . that . . . ?’ Words failed him, then a feeling of unease crept up his spine. ‘Where is he, Bryony?’
‘I don’t know,’ she shivered. ‘All I know is that I’ve been playing a dangerous game, and I don’t think I’m winning anymore.’
‘Then you’d better tell me everything, lies and all.’ Joseph mustered a smile and looked into those deep brown eyes. Such sadness. ‘Maybe I can help you.’
Still clasping his hands, she blinked a few times then said, ‘You know that I work for the PA laboratory, well, that’s not my only job. I’m a doctor, Joseph. A scientist. I’m employed by a medical foundation. I used to work with a large team, now there are just two of us. We look after, well looked after, the welfare of a group of very special patients.’
Suddenly Joseph heard Linda Kowalski’s voice. They even have highly qualified liaison managers to help with problems. Awareness flooded through him in a great wave. ‘My God! You were looking after the clinical trials’ victims?’
‘Yes, and very well, until Billy Sweet arrived here.’ She almost spat the name out, and Joseph recognised the venom as almost equalling his own. Bryony let go of his hands and flopped back in the chair. ‘The foundation was closing down, relocating abroad. There were so few patients left from those old trials, that we offered them the chance of relocating with us and having continued care, or taking a very substantial final settlement. The choice was theirs.’
Joseph thought about Martin and his friends, now all dead, bar one that he knew off. ‘How many were there, Bryony?’
‘Forty years ago there were over two hundred. Now just a handful.’
Joseph frowned. He had had no idea there had been that many. Then he remembered Nikki saying that Martin had a bit of interesting news to tell her. Had that been it? ‘And Martin Durham? Did he take your final settlement by any chance?’
‘No, Joseph, he was one of the few who decided to go with us to Germany.’
Joseph screwed his eyes up tight and massaged the bridge of his nose. ‘So . . . what happened to him?’
‘Billy Sweet happened,’ muttered Bryony tightly.
‘What the hell has that psycho got to do with a medical foundation? Or with you for that matter?’ His voice was little more than a growl. ‘And who is it you work with?’
‘I knew this wasn’t going to be easy.’ Bryony shook her head miserably. ‘Well, my colleague is a lovely man called Kurt Carson. He is an ex-army medic, although his cover job is working for a flower wholesaler.’ She bit her lip. ‘And he was due to meet me here earlier but he hasn’t turned up. I’m worried about him, Joseph. His phone is turned off, and we never do that.’
Pictures of Billy swam across Joseph’s mind. He didn’t know this Carson guy, but he certainly hoped that he hadn’t run into Billy on his trip to the marsh. ‘And Sweet’s somehow connected to your organisation?’
‘He had nothing at all to do with us. He was employed abroad mainly, as a troubleshooter. We needed to speed up the closure process and he was sent to help Kurt and I tie up loose ends, only his methods were not what we were expecting.’ She moved in her seat. ‘And then things got even worse. His past caught up with him. He saw you, Joseph, and he flipped.’
‘But why?’ whispered Joseph.
‘He was scared of you. He said you were the only one who ever saw through him. Most people distrusted or feared him, but Joseph Easter understood him.’
‘I could never understand that monster!’ Joseph felt bile rising in his throat. ‘But why kill those poor men who resembled him? Why not just kill me?’
‘You are wonderfully naïve, Joseph.’ Bryony sighed. ‘Killing you was his endgame. But before that, he wanted to see you on the other side of the fence for once. To be suspected and accused of murder. You must have realised that he engineered it so that only you ever saw him.’
The individual notes were suddenly playing a tune in Joseph’s head. That was where it was all heading. He had already been suspended. He was clearly suffering from stress and was always conveniently in the vicinity of the killings, the military-style killings. And who was the sick copper blaming? An imaginary soldier from his past. Very clever! Let’s hear it for Billy Sweet! Joseph tensed as a thought crossed him mind. ‘So what’s this dangerous game you said you were playing?’
Silence spread through the cottage, then the harsh call of a night bird over the marsh broke the quiet and Bryony softly said, ‘I pretended to help him. He asked me to watch you, get to know you.’
‘That’s why you came out with me?’ croaked Joseph.
‘Initially, yes. I needed to know what we were dealing with. I went along with him for a while in order to keep a close eye on him.’ She looked at him unblinkingly. ‘When I realised the danger you were in, and what a madman he was, Kurt and I decided to pull the plug on him. We made a phone call. Billy Sweet should have been removed by now, but . . . ?’ She gave another little shrug of her shoulders, then moved closer to him. ‘The thing is, everything has gone wrong. The foundation is spiriting me away. I will be out of the country by tonight, Joseph.’ She slipped from the chair, knelt in front of him, and placed her head in his lap. ‘Please, come with me.’
* * *
Nikki was about a mile from the town when she heard Dave’s voice.
‘Ma’am, I’ve just had some news from the pathologist. He says to tell you that Kurt Carson was not killed by the same person. There are subtle differences in the angle that the throat was cut, something that tells him Carson’s killer was at least four inches shorter than the original murderer.’
‘Oh shit.’ Nikki put pressure on the accelerator. ‘Anything else?’
‘Plenty, guv. But I have to tell you that our enquiries about both Kurt Carson and Bryony Barton are going to rat-shit, if you’ll pardon the expression. Everything seems to be shutting down on us.’
‘How exactly?’
‘Like when Yvonne rang Carson’s company back, the number is unobtainable. Then she checked them ou
t with the registry of Dutch exporters. They don’t exist.’
‘And Bryony?’
‘Her accounts are closing down, ma’am. Funds are being electronically moved out and transferred, but we can’t find the path they are taking. IT says an automated fail-safe system has been set in motion. One click on a computer or a single phone call could have activated it.’
She’s closing up shop, thought Nikki . . . Whoever she is, she’s on the move.
‘And that’s not all, ma’am. I’ve saved the best till last.’ Dave spoke animatedly for a few minutes, then hung up. Nikki took a moment to assimilate the information, then floored the accelerator pedal and headed for the marsh. The farmhouse was in darkness when she arrived, and the door was locked.
Joseph’s car was still around the back, and Nikki felt a frisson of fear snake across her shoulder blades. She pulled out her own keys and slipped in through the backdoor.
She stood still and listened. She knew the house was empty, but she checked anyway, running from room to room calling Joseph’s name out loud. A few moments later she was back in the kitchen. Either he had been taken by force, and there was no evidence to support that, or he went off with someone he knew, or . . . Nikki paused . . . or he went out on foot.
Nikki ran back outside and stared over the oily black waters of the marsh. There really was only one place that you could walk to, unless you were in training for a marathon, and that was Martin’s place. As soon as she thought it, she knew she was right. Joseph had said he had something to do, and that something, or someone, was waiting at Knot Cottage. Quickly checking that she had her phone safely in her pocket, she began to run down the lane towards the marsh edge and Martin’s old home.
* * *
Joseph ran his hand gently though her hair, then lifted the beautiful face up, and kissed her. For a moment he remembered his dream of cooking for her, of getting a little place where they could be together, of getting to know each other better. But now he knew that would never happen.
‘I’m good at my job, Joseph. My organisation will look after us, and I have money, a lot of money. And contacts. We could start again, Joseph. Another life in another country, somewhere far away from the shadows of the past. Be honest, what is there here for you in this crummy backwater town?’
Joseph methodically listed them in his head:
Friends that I care about. A job I love. Colleagues that would walk on hot coals for me. And I have a beautiful daughter that I want to get to know one day. A daughter who has high ideals and believes that good will always triumph over evil. One that would turn her back on a fugitive father for ever. Oh yes, for all the good it has done me this time, at least I now know that I have the capability to love again.
‘Say something,’ whispered Bryony.
Joseph wished he could. He wished he could have said, “Yes. Let’s go!”, but the alarm bells in his head were drowning out everything. He wanted to believe her. He could have easily convinced himself to do just that. It wouldn’t have taken much, but instead he heard himself say, ‘The telephone call from Sweet. The one that got me here. How did that work?’
‘I got him to record it the other day. I told him we could use it as a lure, to get you to walk into a trap. I would play it at a given time, and he would be waiting for you.’
‘So why use it tonight?’ Joseph asked quietly. ‘I would have come simply because you asked me, without the theatricals. You know that.’
‘Because I had to be sure you’d come alone, Joseph. I couldn’t risk you telling anyone that you were meeting me, not if we are to get away together. No, the tape ensured that you’d say nothing.’ She looked up at him pleadingly, ‘We need to go soon. It’s all set up. My people . . .’
‘And who are your people, Bry?’
‘Just believe that they are taking medical science forward for the greater good. Every single person who works for them, no matter what their role, is deeply committed. But we really don’t have time for this, Joseph. I’ll explain everything later I promise you.’ She sank back on her haunches and looked up at him imploringly. ‘Come with me, please! First, because I love you, and second, because the alternatives are not good.’
He looked at her, pain etched all over his face, and knew that she realised he was going to refuse her.
At that point, the dynamics in the room suddenly changed. For the first time since he entered the cottage, he felt threatened. He straightened and felt a rush of adrenalin course through him. He knew what was wrong.
Bryony’s hand was moving imperceptibly towards the hearth, and the gun.
Joseph acted instinctively, lunging forward, grabbing the gun, then rolling away. In a fraction of a second he had pulled her to her feet and was behind her, with the muzzle pressed to her temple. ‘Tell me about those alternatives?’ he enquired coldly.
‘Oh, Joseph, you’ve made a terrible mistake.’ Her voice had changed, lost the softness. ‘And don’t fool yourself. You couldn’t do it.’ Bryony slowly and deliberately turned her head to look him in the eyes. ‘Sorry, but it’s just not in you to hurt me, yet alone kill me.’
‘Don’t underestimate me, Bryony.’ Joseph stepped back, gripping the gun with both hands and keeping it trained on her head. ‘I was a soldier too, remember? Killing people is on the curriculum.’
She smiled at him. ‘But not like this.’
He knew that she was right. He had been a good soldier, not a homicidal lunatic like Billy. But then he was also a good copper, and his instincts were screaming at him to recognise Bryony, not as the woman he had fallen for, but as a treacherous liar.
‘Bryony, I’m sorry, really I am. But there are questions that need to be answered.’ He stared at her down the barrel of the gun, and fought back tears of his own. Why did it have to be like this? ‘You’ve lied to me, haven’t you? All along the line.’
‘Oh, I’ve lied, Joseph, about practically everything.’ A brief look of pain passed across the beautiful face. ‘Although not about my feelings.’ She took a deep breath. ‘But you’ve made your choice. Now I’m walking out of here, and you, my love, are going to let me.’
‘Oh, I don’t think so.’
The voice made both Joseph and Bryony spin round in surprise.
Nikki moved away from the doorway, and Joseph vaguely saw a set of bar cuffs in her hand. ‘It’s all over, Bryony. Time to go.’ She began to step towards the woman.
‘No, guv! Keep back. Switch on the lights.’
Nikki stopped mid-stride, then eased back to the door and flipped down the switch.
Nothing happened.
‘Just stay away from her, ma’am. I believe she’s dangerous.’
‘Oh I know she is, Joseph . . . I’ve recently met Mr Kurt Carson, or should I say Billy Sweet, posthumously, that is. I’ve seen Bryony’s work first-hand.’
Joseph felt a horrible coldness seep through him, but he never let his eyes, or the muzzle of the gun, leave Bryony. ‘What are you saying, Nikki?’
‘She killed your nemesis, Joseph. Amongst others.’
‘Well done, Detective Inspector.’ Bryony slowly and deliberately clapped her hands together. ‘Excellent work.’
‘We need support, ma’am.’ Joseph tried to keep his voice steady, but inside he was boiling with rage and hurt.
‘Already on their way. Let’s just keep everything calm,’ said Nikki.
‘I couldn’t be calmer, Inspector,’ said Bryony sardonically. ‘It’s you who looks a trifle agitated. But then I suppose you must be so relieved that your little puppy dog here is still breathing.’ Her eyes glittered in the pale light of the lantern. ‘I know it’s happened to you before, but it must be terrible to see him bleed!’
Before Joseph knew what had happened, a burning pain seared through his left hand. The nerves and muscles went into spasm, his finger involuntarily jerked on the hair trigger and the gun exploded upwards and away from his grasp.
‘Keep totally still!’
Joseph’s ears st
ill rang with the report from the gun, and he realised that he had made a potentially fatal mistake. In the poor light he had not seen the wicked looking blade that Bryony had strapped to the inside of her wrist. With a groan of pain, he grasped his injured hand, pressed it to his body and tried to staunch the bleeding.
Nikki remained by the door, her mouth slightly open in shock, and hatred burning in her eyes.
And once again, Bryony held the gun. ‘Make no mistake. I am leaving now, and I will kill you if you try to stop me.’
‘No, you’re not.’ Nikki’s voice was husky, but the words were slow and determined. ‘You are a cold-blooded killer and you’ve assaulted my colleague. I can’t let you.’
‘Do as she says,’ gasped Joseph. ‘Please, Nikki.’
‘Ooh, please Nikki!’ Bryony imitated Joseph’s appeal. ‘How touching. But also practical, Inspector. I’d listen to Joseph, if you value your life.’
‘Ah, but there’s the problem,’ returned Nikki, her voice as cold as an Arctic night. ‘I don’t.’ And without hesitation Nikki threw herself forward.
Joseph’s scream mingled with the roar of the second shot, and the two figures crashed to the floor in front of him. Before he could even move, something hit his foot. He swung down, pain like acid flaring through his hand, but somehow he managed to grab the gun.
By the time he had straightened up, one of the two woman was on her feet and running towards the door.
‘Stop, or I fire,’ he yelled.
Bryony halted and turned around. The knife was still in her hand. ‘Oh Joseph, I told you before, you’re a lovely man, but you’re no killer.’
When the blast from the third shot died had away, he whispered, ‘And I told you not to underestimate me, my love.’
EPILOGUE
Joseph pushed open the door to her room with his shoulder. One hand was strapped firmly across his chest and held there by a padded sling, and the other hand grasped a large bunch of candy pink roses and silver-grey eucalyptus. ‘I’ve just seen Linda Kowalski. Her brother is out of ITU and doing well. Now, how goes it with you?’