The Elemental (Blair Dubh Trilogy #1)

by Heather Atkinson

  “No I didn’t Bill, I swear.”

  “You saw your mum being killed and it messed your head up.” He regarded the room again. “You heard her, she blames us for what happened all those years ago and she’s back for revenge.”

  The room, which had swung to Freya’s side, turned on her again. Craig put himself in front of her and started to back her up towards the door.

  “He’s got a point,” said Adam, who’d recovered from the blow to the face.

  “And she’s just proved she’s violent,” said Toby, indicating his nose.

  “So have you,” countered Craig.

  “Where was she when Catriona and Claire were killed Sergeant?” said Bill, descending the last few steps, everyone stepping back to allow him through.

  “She’s not responsible for this,” said Craig, continuing to back up slowly. It felt like the storm was in the room with them, building up to a violent explosion. Steve and Gary stood either side of him, both prickly with nerves but ready to fight should the need arise.

  “What do you know? She’s used sex to blind you, you stupid bastard,” said Bill. He looked past him to Freya. “Not so mouthy now are you, you murdering whore.”

  “I know you’re grieving Bill but don’t call her that,” frowned Craig.

  “I think that just proves my point Sergeant. You’re not fit for the job. It’s time someone else took over.”

  “Who, you?”

  “Why not? I couldn’t possibly screw it up more than you have. What do you all say?” he called over his shoulder to the others gathered behind him.

  The room was divided. Half nodded eagerly while the other half simply looked terrified at this turn of events.

  “Bill, stop it,” said Lizzy. “You’re not helping.”

  “Do you want more women to die?” he bellowed. “It could be you next, it could be any woman in this room.”

  “This is a police investigation Bill. Don’t forget that soon the storm will leave and the village will be flooded with police. What do you think they’ll do if they find you’ve put yourself in charge when there’s three police officers here? Tampering with an investigation is a criminal offence.”

  This caused some of Bill’s supporters to wilt, including Bill himself.

  “Alright, I’ll do you a deal. You can remain in charge if you hand her over,” he said, nodding at Freya.

  “No deal.”

  “Then you’ve brought this on yourself. I’ll be sure to tell your superiors you let a killer roam free because you were sleeping with her and I’m still taking her.”

  When Bill made a move for Freya backed up by Jimmy, Toby and Adam, Craig extended his baton and pulled the pepper spray from his pocket, as did Gary and Steve.

  “Come on then,” Craig challenged.

  Taking on three fully trained police officers caused the four of them to hesitate. They were all big men but not experienced fighters.

  “Didn’t think so,” smiled Craig. “We’re leaving. I recommend you stay here and have a good hard think about what you’ve just said. Come on Freya,” he said, taking her arm, but she hesitated.

  “I didn’t kill Brenda. After what happened to my mum I could never inflict that sort of pain on anyone else. I know what you’re going through,” she told Bill earnestly.

  His gaze was hostile. “Get out while you still can.”

  CHAPTER 14

  Craig pulled Freya outside and hurried her across the road to his mum’s house, struggling to see where he was going.

  “Jesus Christ Freya, what the hell did you think you were doing in there?” demanded Craig the moment they were through the door.

  “I was trying to draw the killer out. Someone’s got to do something.”

  “And I’m not I suppose?” he yelled.

  “I didn’t mean that,” she yelled back.

  The front door was thrown open and in walked Nora and Steve.

  “What is this about? I will not have shouting in my house.”

  “In that case you’d better leave because there’s going to be a whole lot more,” Craig retorted, his gaze never leaving Freya, who glared back at him challengingly.

  Nora was a smart woman and knew when to back off. “Fine. Steve, take me back to the pub.”

  “Alright Mrs Donaldson,” he replied, keen to get away from the huge row brewing between Freya and Craig, which had more violence and potency about it than the storm outside.

  Freya was so riveted on Craig that she didn’t even notice Steve shrugging into his fluorescent jacket. He peered out into the street to make sure all was quiet before leading Nora outside. The moment the door closed, Craig erupted.

  “That was a stupid fucking move Freya. Now you’ve just made sure you’re next on the killer’s list.”

  “I already am next, we both know it. Water, fire and air. Next is earth, just like my mum.” Her voice was strong up until the last word, when it cracked.

  “So you thought pissing him off would help? Have you got a death wish, is that what this is? After the fight you’ve gone through to survive, are you finally giving up?”

  “I am not going to sit around and wait for him to come for me. I’m not going to end up buried in the ground.”

  Craig sighed and clutched at his hair, that same feeling of helplessness overtaking him as he looked into her earnest green eyes. Was he capable of saving her from such a gruesome end? He didn’t think so. She was going to die and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

  He grabbed her face and kissed her hard. Her arms slid around his neck and her thighs locked around his waist as he picked her up and pushed her up against the wall, fingers scrabbling at the zip of her jeans. Frantically he pulled on a condom then he was inside her, taking her hard against his mother’s prized flock wallpaper. He called out her name as they came together, nuzzling his face into her hair, holding her easily in one arm while the other pressed against the wall to keep them both upright.

  Well done Craig, you idiot, he thought to himself. What happened to his plan to let her down gently? Now they’d had sex again it had gone too far. He couldn’t end this now without hurting her and forever losing the friendship they had just rekindled. That was what the sensible part of him was thinking, but the rest of him didn’t want to let her go.

  “That was a big step forward,” he said in her ear before kissing it.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’m still in my uniform.”

  “It’s okay as long as you don’t have the jacket on, and I trust you.”

  He smiled, her words pleasing him and he kissed her neck. “I would love to take you to bed now but unfortunately I don’t have time.”

  “I know. Maybe later.”

  “God I hope so.”

  He kissed her again. Why did he have to find her so fascinating? Was it only for the reason his mum said, two young people stuck together in a frightening situation clinging onto each other for comfort? Maybe that’s all he was to her? The sainted Dr James Pierce himself had said Freya needed someone to lean on. Was that the role he was fulfilling here while all along the man she really wanted, the man she loved but didn’t think herself good enough for, pined for her in Glasgow?

  Freya’s smile fell at the hurt in his eyes. “What’s wrong?”

  He released her and started fastening himself up. “Nothing.”

  “Yes there is,” she said, adjusting her own clothing, “and I want to know what it is.”

  If it had been an ordinary situation he would have kept his mouth shut until he’d found a more tactful way of broaching the subject, but he was tired and stressed and instead unthinkingly blurted it out. “Are you just shagging me to stop yourself turning back to the bottle?”

  Her mouth fell open. “What are you talking about?”

  “I spoke to Doctor James Pierce,” he went on, jealousy causing him to spit the man’s name out. “He told me you need someone to lean on when things get stressful and they don’t get any more fucking stres
sful than this.”

  Freya’s expression was ice cold. “When did you talk to James?”

  “It’s not important.”

  “Yes it is. When did you talk to James?”

  “Just after you arrived back in the village.”

  “That phone call to your friend in Glasgow wasn’t a coincidence. You were ringing round everyone you could think of to check up on me, weren’t you?”

  “Alright, I admit I did make a couple of calls but it was only in your best interests.”

  “Don’t lie to me,” she exclaimed, jabbing a finger in his chest. Fortunately he didn’t feel it because he was wearing his stab vest. “I trusted you Craig. Have you any idea how hard that was for me? But I did because you were my friend,” she rasped, a tear sliding down her face. “I don’t know why I thought you were different, you’re just like the rest of them.”

  “That’s not fair.”

  “There’s only one person I’ve ever been able to rely on.”

  “Oh yes, the perfect Doctor James Pierce,” he said sarcastically. “He was the one who told me about Docherty in the first place.”

  “No, he wouldn’t do that.”

  The pain in her eyes made him feel guilty. “It wasn’t really his fault,” he said grudgingly, feeling bad for dropping him in it. “He thought I already knew.”

  “I don’t need you to stop me drinking, I’ve managed perfectly well on my own for two years. How up yourself are you?”

  Craig suddenly felt like an idiot. “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. At least I know now what you really think of me.” With that she started pulling on her boots.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Leaving.”

  “You can’t go. There’s a storm and a psychopath out there.”

  “Right now they’re both preferable to you.”

  “I’m not letting you leave. It’s too dangerous.”

  “I’ll go back to my cottage. I’ll be safe with Steve and Gary there.”

  “Please Freya don’t go. You don’t need me, we’ve gathered that, but I need you.”

  “Don’t patronise me.”

  “I’m not. You’re the only person I can connect with in this whole fucked up village. That’s how its always been. After you left things were never the same but now you’re back I don’t want you to go again.” Craig was on the verge of panic. If Freya walked out that door he knew he wouldn’t be able to cope with this nightmare.

  Something in his tone gave her pause. She detected his fear, his vulnerability, touching the soft maternal part of herself buried deep inside and she appreciated that he was showing her this side of himself. “I’m not using you Craig.”

  “I know, I’m sorry, I don’t know why I said that. God I can be thick.”

  “No you’re not. I’ll stay but no more lies and please try and have the faith in me that I have in you.”

  “I already do. Really,” he added when she looked doubtful.

  “Alright, I’ll stay. To be honest I don’t want to go, I feel safe here. It’s been a long time since I felt like that.”

  He gave her a passionate kiss. “Thank you.” He noted her hand shook when she ran it through her hair. “Do you need a drink?”

  “Actually I hadn’t even thought about it. It’s the adrenaline wearing off after the pub. God I thought they were going to lynch me.”

  “I think you should stay out of sight from now on.”

  “Me too. Why did you have to mention alcohol? Now I do need a drink.”

  “Sorry. See what I mean about being thick?”

  “You’re not.”

  He smiled, took her trembling hands and kissed them. “At least I can cross Bill and Jimmy off the suspect list now because they were in the pub when Brenda died.”

  “You’re sure the killer’s a man?”

  He nodded. “It’s a man’s MO. Female serial killers rarely kill other women. Usually they kill children or men and they smother or poison. This is a man, I’m sure of it. Hands-on and violent.”

  “So you’re sure it’s not me?”

  He gave her a withering look. “What do you think?”

  “That means so much, especially after what just happened in the pub.”

  “Bill’s grieving, he doesn’t know what he’s doing,

  “So who does that leave now you’ve eliminated those two?”

  “Toby, Howard, Adam, Gordon and Martin. The other men in the village are far too old to have drowned Catriona or to have made it up the hill to the Parish House in the storm.”

  “My money would be on Toby.”

  “He certainly has a temper and he was obsessed with Catriona, just like Howard. What if she turned him down one too many times and he snapped then got a taste for killing and decided to take his revenge on every woman in the village?”

  “As much as I hate to stick up for him, he wasn’t here when the initial killings took place.”

  “He could easily have found out about them.”

  “Was he here when Logan was alive?” she said.

  “Only for about a year and Logan was ill then, he kept himself to himself. I’m not sure they even met but he lives alone so he’s no alibi for any of the murders. Howard was obsessed with Catriona too. He and Toby were always fighting for her affection.”

  “He’s only wee, could he have drowned Catriona?”

  “I suppose. He’s stocky and strong. Lives alone too, so again no alibi.”

  “Adam?”

  “No real link to any of the victims and he was only five at the time of the original murders. Lives with his gran. She swore he was in the house at the time but she’s old and blind. She probably wouldn’t even know if he left. He works out, he’d have the strength to drown a woman.”

  “And Martin?”

  “Again, fit and strong enough.”

  “And Brenda was stabbed with a needle.”

  “True but everyone knew about her allergy, it wasn’t a secret and it’s not difficult to get hold of a hypodermic. So it could be any of them.”

  “At least you’ve rounded it down to five.”

  “I need to talk to them all again individually. I’ll get one of my men to sit with you. Just one more thing, did you ever see Logan give your mum a pressed rose?”

  “Pressed rose?” she frowned.

  “He was into pressing flowers. I wondered if he ever gave her one as a gift?”

  “No, not that I saw.”

  He thought that ruled out them ever having belonged to the women, it was possible Logan had taken them as trophies. Clearly the flowers only had special significance to Logan himself.

  Craig was presented with a dilemma. He couldn’t leave Freya alone but neither could he take her back to the pub with the mood that lot were in. The phones weren’t working and neither was his radio. The problem was solved five minutes later when Nora and Steve returned to the house.

  “I’m glad you’re here. I’ve got a list of five suspects that I need to speak to again. Stay here and guard Mum and Freya,” Craig told Steve.

  “Okay.”

  “Where’s Gary?”

  “Still at the pub trying to talk everyone down.”

  “What’s the mood over there?”

  “Not good. They’re all arguing amongst themselves. Half agree with Bill and the other half don’t. They think they should leave things to us. Thank God some of them are on our side.”

  “Is Gary the best one for talking people down? I thought that would have been your speciality?”

  “I tried but they don’t want to listen and Gary’s the one you want around if there’s a fight and there just might be. I thought it best to get Nora out of there before it kicked off.”

  Craig clapped him on the shoulder. “Thanks Pal. I’d better get over there.” He turned to Freya and kissed her, not caring what anyone thought anymore. “Stay here and lock up behind me.”

  “I will. Be careful.”

  He gave her hands a gentle sq
ueeze before plunging back into the storm. She locked the door then hurried to the window to watch him cross the road. She just managed to spy his ghostly outline before he blended into the gloom and she wrapped her arms around herself, feeling cold, the sense of impending doom growing.

  “He’ll be fine,” Nora told her, putting an arm around her shoulders. She knew her son had fallen for this woman and if she was his choice then she would just have to accept it. Besides, she was very fond of her herself.

  Craig stomped up the steps into the pub, preparing himself for battle. He entered to find Bill making another grand speech to the room, trying to persuade everyone they should take matters into their own hands and that Freya was guilty, poor Gary trying to tell them the opposite but it was clear he was fighting a losing battle.

  They were all so riled up they didn’t even notice Craig’s arrival so he contented himself with leaning against the doorframe and pulling out his notebook, making a note of what was being said. Gary gave up his futile attempt at talking them down and joined him.

  “What are you doing Sarge?”

  “Making a note of who’s saying what. It could come in useful if they turn on us.”

  Gary swallowed hard. “Is it likely?”

  Craig had to strain to hear him over the increasing noise in the room. “What do you think?”

  “This whole case is the worst I’ve ever worked on and I’ve had some shitty ones, believe me. It’s a bastarding nightmare. Not only do we have a killer on the loose knocking off women left right and bloody centre but there’s a good chance the yokels will string us up from the nearest lamppost.” He closed his tired eyes and ran his hands back and forth over his stubbly head. He hadn’t shaven for a few days, consequently he had more hair on his face than he had on his head. “How’s Freya?”

  Craig thought of her pressed up against the wall with her thighs around his waist and smiled inwardly. “A bit shook up. Not surprising really.”

  “ I wanted to ask - don’t get offended like - but are you really sleeping with her?”

  “Yes,” he replied, daring him to take him on about it.

  “You’re a lucky bastard Sarge,” he grinned. The smile fell. “You hurt her and I’ll fucking hurt you.”