Within the Shadows

by J. D MCG

  She tried phoning Kate, but it didn't even ring. She must have turned it off. Belle didn't know what to do. She was all alone in the apartment and had nobody to ask for help. Then a thought crossed her mind. She picked up her phone for the third time and gave Adam a call.

  'Hi, Adam. Kate's missing. I need your help,' she pleaded.

  'Okay, Belle. I'll be over soon,' replied Adam.

  She waited patiently, pacing the apartment for an hour before there was a knock on the door. She rushed over to see Adam standing there.

  'Tell me what happened?' he asked as he entered.

  'We were at work and she confronted this guy who'd been at the cafe all week. It was closing time and she’d gotten into a heated argument with him,' she began to explain, leaving out the important part.

  'Then what happened?'

  'He said he was her father,' she continued.

  Adam rubbed his hands down his face and exhaled. Belle figured by the appearance on his face, he knew that Kate wasn't their sister.

  'How long have you known?' Belle asked.

  'Since Jacob found the letters inside my father's office. Did you know?'

  'Not until tonight. I think Kate thought I knew,' she explained to him.

  'We need to get out there and find her. God knows what's going through her mind right now.'

  The pair of them ran out of the apartment and jumped into his car, driving the streets searching for Kate. Where could she be? Where would she go? Belle asked herself.

  Chapter 15

  Jack Roberts, dragged in handcuffs, entered the police station, was booked in and thrown in a cell until they were ready to interview him. The cell was cold and empty, leaving him alone to ponder in his thoughts. How'd my life end up like this? Simon Ballard was on his way, but that didn't put Jack's mind at ease. He continued to pace his cell with thoughts of what was going to happen.

  The team arrived back at the CID not long after. Everyone else dispersed to their desks while Jacob, Barnes and Ally prepped in the briefing room for the interview. Barnes' phone began to ring. An officer informed him they'd discovered another body not far from where they'd apprehended Jack Roberts.

  'Right, we've got to press pause on the interview. Another body has been discovered on the grounds of the NEC,' he informed them.

  Barnes stepped out of the briefing room and called over to Sarah. 'Can you call Mr Ballard and tell him we're stepping out for a while.'

  'Sure thing, boss,' she yelled back across the office. 'Where you all going?' she asked.

  'They've found another body.'

  The three of them grabbed their belongings before running out of the CID. Sarah hung up the phone and moved over to Brian, who was making himself a cup of coffee in the break area.

  'I can't believe they're leaving us out of the investigation again,' she released her frustration. 'Some things never change.'

  Brian just carried on making his coffee, trying his best to ignore the comments Sarah kept making. She followed him as he strolled back towards his desk, spurting more anger in his ears.

  'Sarah, if you have something to say, please discuss it with Barnes when he gets back. I can't sit here and listen to this all night,' he calmly gave his thoughts on the matter.

  Sarah stormed off, flicking her red locks as she turned. She grabbed her coat and keys and left for the night. Entering her car, she phoned her date, who she had cancelled on because of work.

  'I'm sorry about tonight. It's just been a busy one. Are you free now? I'm just leaving work.'

  Ethan also had a phone call to make, telling her that he won't be home for another hour or so. Brian lived alone and felt envious of people contacting their loved ones when he knew he was going home to an empty house.

  The office was quiet apart from him and Ethan being there. Everyone else had gone home for the night, but Brian stayed as long as he could, trying to remain busy to take his mind away from his lonely life.

  * * *

  Barnes raced through the very little traffic that was on the road. Jacob's face turned green, sick rising to his throat.

  'Do you have to drive like this?' he asked, wanting to release his vomit in the car.

  'He’s like this when I’m driving,' Ally added, laughing at the sight of him from the back seat.

  Barnes just laughed and carried on speeding to their destination. Jacob hung onto the handle above his head for dear life. They arrived five minutes later to police lights and tape surrounding the crime scene. As they exited the vehicle and approached the crime scene, Barnes questioned the officer in charge.

  'What do we have?'

  'Staff members found the body of our victim while nipping out for a cigarette around ten,' he started to explain as he took Barnes to the scene of the crime.

  They approached a dark area opposite the lake, next to the Resorts World complex they had recently visited that night. The body of a female had been propped up against the wall as if she was sat down. Barnes caught sight of Julia Higgins examining the body.

  'Evening, Julia,' he greeted her.

  'Evening, Joe,' she replied the greeting.

  'Do we know what happened to her?'

  She pointed to the victim’s neck. 'The bruising across her throat, suggests she was strangled,' she explained.

  'Do you think that was the main cause of death?' he asked.

  'I wouldn't rule it out, but once I've performed the autopsy, I'll let you know.'

  Ally's phone started to ring and she moved away slightly, to hear the voice on the other end more clearly.

  'Have forensics managed to get any DNA or fingerprints off of her yet?'

  'Yeah, they've done their sweep and are heading back to the lab. Weren't you guys here not that long ago?'

  'Yeah, about one, maybe two hours ago,' Jacob piped up.

  'Do you think this is somehow linked to your case?' she continued asking questions.

  'We think so, but until we get the results back on the DNA, we can't be sure,' Barnes informed her.

  Ally strolled back to them with some new information.

  'Forensics have found a black bag full of bloodstained clothes back at the Premier Inn where Jack Roberts had been staying. They're taking them back to the lab. Hopefully, if the blood matches our victim here, we've got her killer.'

  Barnes turned his attention back to Julia. 'Did our victim have any I.D on her?'

  'Yes, she had a driving license. Her name's Hannah Jones. She's only twenty-three.'

  Barnes turned to Jacob and Ally. 'Can you two inform her parents?'

  They both nodded and Barnes flicked his keys in the air and Jacob caught them.

  'You're letting me have the Jag?' he said with surprise.

  'Just take care of her,' he joked as both of them walked away.

  Ally pushed Jacob out of the way of the driver’s side door.

  'What was that for?' he asked, smiling at her.

  'I'm driving,' she laughed.

  'In your dreams,' he replied, still laughing. 'I've been sick enough for one night.'

  The pair of them chuckled as they entered the car. Jacob noticed a notification of a missed call from Belle. What does she want? he wondered. He listened to the panicked voicemail she'd left in his inbox.

  'I need to go to mine first,' he told Ally.

  'Why? What's wrong?' she asked.

  'Kate's gone missing,' he explained.

  'Okay, we'll go find her first. I'll let Barnes know.'

  * * *

  Adam had been driving around for a couple of hours with no luck in finding Kate. Belle began to sob in the passengers seat.

  'What's wrong?' he asked Belle.

  'It's my fault. If I had just told her...'

  Adam interrupted her. 'Hey, this isn't your fault. Stop blaming yourself. The only people to blame here are her mother and my father for keeping this from us all. It
makes no difference about her finding out now, she'll always be our sister, no matter what,' he tried to console her.

  'I know, but if I had just told her about the man approaching me...' She began to cry again.

  'Then that's mine and Jacob's fault. You are not to blame for any of this. I think we need to head home and see if she's back,' he said while turning the car back around.

  As they arrived outside the building, Adam sat silent for a minute.

  'I wanted to tell her, you know,' he began to explain. 'Jacob thought it would be best not to. I knew he'd come looking for her eventually.'

  'Where's he been this entire time?' Belle asked.

  'Prison. He killed someone from what we've discovered.'

  'Do you think she's in danger?'

  'I don't know. I think it's best we find her and watch this guy around her.'

  Walking into the building, Belle received a phone call from Jacob as they entered the elevator.

  'I'm on my way,' he explained.

  'Me and Adam have been out searching for her. We've just arrived back at the apartment to see if she's come back home,' she informed him of the situation on the search.

  'Okay,' he replied. 'Keep me updated.'

  The pair of them entered the apartment after reaching their floor, to find Kate sat in the dark, sobbing her heart out. Belle ran over and sat beside her, pulling her into her embrace.

  'Where have you been?' she asked.

  Kate could barely string two words together. 'I went for a walk,' she sobbed. 'Why would they lie to me?'

  'Who?'

  'My parents. Why would they keep this from me?'

  'They probably had a good reason,' Belle tried to console her but also hiding something else from her.

  Kate just sat crying hysterically in Belle's arms as Jacob and Ally burst in. Adam turned towards them both with sadness on his face.

  'She was here when we arrived,' he explained to them. 'She's distraught, Jacob. We should have told her.'

  'I thought...' Jacob lowered his head.

  'That's the problem, you thought,' Adam rudely replied before storming out of the apartment.

  Jacob chased after him and confronted him in the hallway. 'What's that supposed to mean?'

  'I wanted to tell her, but you told me not to. We always do as you say and now look at our sister. She's sat in there crying her eyes out.'

  'And you think this wouldn't have happened if we'd have told her?'

  'She wouldn't have been mad with us and have a stranger tell her that he's her father,' he shouted, walking away from him and to the elevator.

  Jacob shook his head and returned to the apartment, witnessing his sister’s heartbreak.

  'I’d better go,' Ally said to him. 'I'll inform Hannah's parents. You just stay here with your family. I'll be fine.'

  'I don't know if she'll want me around, to be honest.'

  'You're her brother, no matter who her parents were. You've been there her entire life. You are her family,' she explained.

  'Thanks, Ally. I'll call you later,' he said as she walked through the door.

  'Okay, speak to you soon.'

  Jacob shut the door as she proceeded to the elevator. She wanted to be there for him, but this was a family matter, one she didn't want to intrude on. Jacob sat opposite Kate and Belle and tried his best to explain why he kept it from her.

  'Kate. I'm really sorry. Me and Adam only found out...'

  'Don't talk to me,' she rudely snapped at him. 'I don't want to hear excuses because you feel bad. To have a pure stranger come up to you and tell you he's your father, do you know how that feels?' She rose to her feet.

  'I'm sorry.' Jacob had tears in his eyes. 'If I knew he'd show up...'

  She cut him off again, 'You'd what? You'd have told me? You should have told me anyway!' she shouted.

  'It doesn't change anything. You're still my sister,' he tried to explain.

  'But I'm not though, am I? I'm nothing to do with you or Adam. You're not blood relatives.'

  'But that changes nothing. We've been there for one another, ever since I can remember,' he continued to try to calm and console her.

  'But it does!' she shouted. 'You're not my brother!'

  She stormed off to her bedroom and slammed the door shut behind her, leaving Jacob and Belle alone. Jacob's eyes began to leak tears, while Belle moved over towards him and gave him a huge hug.

  'She'll calm down,' she embraced him. 'She doesn't mean it.'

  'I think she does though. I made the mistake of hiding this from her. I should have just told her.'

  * * *

  Scarlett Thatcher was ravenous. Her hunger had taken over her thoughts, being the only thing on her mind as she tried to get a good look at her surroundings. But it was no good. It was too dark. Her lips were dry, gasping for a slight drop of water. Her throat dry and itchy was unable to say a word to the woman lying next to her.

  The woman's body was bone and scrawny like she hadn't eaten for weeks. Even though Scarlett had been trapped for a week, her body was not as bad as the woman next to her. In that time she hadn't even had one meal or fluid.

  'Hey. Are you okay,' Scarlett asked the lady.

  She didn't answer. Scarlett tried to nudge her with her elbow, but the chains and shackles around her wrist didn't let her reach that far. The woman hadn't moved in hours. The smell of the room was foul, like a vile odour of what she could only imagine dead corpses to smell like.

  'Hey, lady,' she called out again, but no answer.

  Scarlett pulled on the chains, trying to free herself, but no such luck. She desperately wanted to see her family again, to kiss her girlfriend and feel her warm embracing hug. She started to get teary, before trying again to free herself.

  A voice came out from the dark corner. 'I wouldn't do that if I was you.'

  'Who said that?' Scarlett asked.

  'You won't be able to see me. It's too dark in here,' the female voice replied.

  'How long have you been here?'

  'I think it's almost been two weeks. Hard to tell in here,' the female voice explained.

  'Are you as hungry as me?' Scarlett asked.

  'I'm starving,' she replied. 'I think she's starving us to death.’

  'She?'

  'Yeah, I only ever seen her the once, when I first arrived.'

  'How'd you wind up here?'

  'I was out with friends, just about to go home when they put a bag over my head and stabbed me with a needle. The next thing I know I woke up here. What about you?'

  'Similar situation. Out with friends, bag over my head and an injection of some sort.'

  The woman next to Scarlett awoke and started to talk with an itchy voice, but she couldn't understand her. The voice from across the room knew what she was asking.

  'She's asking for water. She'll be next.'

  'What do you mean, she'll be next?' Scarlett demanded to know what she meant by her comment.

  'They'll come and take her. She's on death's door.'

  'So, these people enjoy watching us starve to death?'

  'We only leave here when we're dead,' the woman explained.

  The women could hear the jingle of keys as somebody approached the door to the room, and what sounded like the key turning in the door. Footsteps entered the room as the squeaky door creaked open.

  'Anybody dead yet?' the woman shouted and laughed as she walked in.

  'Go to hell!' Scarlett shouted.

  The woman laughed. 'You first.'

  She edged closer to Scarlett and leaned in close. She smelt the air surrounding Scarlett and the lady next to her.

  'Somebody's close to death around here,' she chuckled again.

  Scarlett mustered as much saliva as she could before launching it into the woman's face.

  'You little bitch!' she yelled at her, before slapping her a
cross the face, knocking Scarlett's face to the floor.

  Chapter 16

  The next morning, Barnes arrived at the CID before 7 am, to see Ally in the briefing room. She spent the whole night trying to figure something out that Hannah Jones' parents had told her when Barnes walked in.

  'Morning,' he greeted her. 'Early bird catches the worm, hey?'

  She chuckled, but he noticed something wasn't right with her.

  'Okay, what's wrong?' he asked.

  'Just something Hannah's parents said to me last night. They told me she'd been missing for over a week,' she explained.

  'Missing? So this can't be linked to Jack Roberts then?' he expressed his thoughts.

  'That's what I thought. That means there could be two killers out there. Both struck in the exact same place on the exact same night. That can't be a coincidence.'

  'Two separate killers. I'll pass it over to another team to investigate,' he said, removing his phone from his suit jacket.

  Seeing that Julia Higgins had left a voicemail, Barnes decided to call her back. It took a few rings before she finally answered.

  'Thanks for calling back,' she answered. 'I've completed the post mortem and I've found something strange. Our victim did die of asphyxiation due to the strangulation around her throat, but she also hadn't eaten in days,' she explained her findings.

  'Do you think she could've been anorexic?' he asked.

  'No. She may have weighed considerably less than what she should, but there are no clear signs that she was suffering from anorexia.'

  'So somebody starved the girl, then strangled her to death?'

  'The lab has run the DNA found on Hannah's body and it's a match to Jack Roberts,' she informed him.

  'That's great!' Barnes shouted with delight.

  'But listen, Joe. The blood found on our victim isn't hers, neither is it Jack's.'

  'Then whose is it?'

  'We don't know. Hopefully, the forensics will be able to tell you, but I'm afraid there might be somebody else out there who starved Hannah Jones.'