Web of Darkness

by Bali Rai

  ‘OK.’

  ‘I’m serious, Lily – we’re surrounded by backup, and air support is ready. If he’s in there, we’ll get him, even if he runs. There’s no escape for him now.’

  ‘I don’t care about him,’ I told her. ‘I just want Tilly.’

  Evans radioed in, and spoke to DI Meadows. When he gave her the signal, she exited the car. The doors were fifty metres away, and she walked carefully, a baton in her right hand. I watched the building for signs of movement, and wondered where the other officers were. What if he was watching? I thought. He might see them and then he’d kill Tilly. I started to panic, and the car began to close in. I opened my door, fighting to breathe.

  Up ahead, DC Evans was nearing the barn doors. She didn’t hear me open the car door – her focus was trained on the barn. She approached the entrance and walked through, tense and ready to strike. I followed her steps, unsure of what I was doing. I only wanted to see Tilly. Nothing else mattered. Not my safety, not him – just my best friend.

  When DC Evans reappeared quickly, her face pale, her mouth open, I knew something was wrong. She reached for her phone and made a call, taking deep breaths . . .

  I ran then, closing the distance quickly. She heard me approaching and shouted for me to stop.

  ‘NO, LILY!!!’ she screamed.

  I avoided her attempts at stopping me, and burst into the barn. In front of me, hanging from a mezzanine level, were two bodies . . .

  One was Tilly. She was naked, her expression almost serene. Vomit bubbled in my stomach, erupting towards my mouth.

  The second body was that of our form teacher, Mr Warren . . .

  Dave Warren . . .

  Three months later . . .

  I stood watching Tilly’s mum being led away by her ex-husband. She was dressed in black and wailing. Her legs started to buckle but Mr Anderson held onto her. I wiped my eyes and wondered where he’d been when Tilly had needed him. Thing is, I was transferring my own guilt and anger.

  Tilly’s dad hadn’t kept her affair a secret.

  Tilly’s dad hadn’t let her face danger.

  Tilly’s dad hadn’t got her killed.

  That was down to me . . .

  I was standing under an oak tree, the rain getting heavier each minute. The droplets hit the ground with such force that they seemed to bounce. I watched them because I didn’t want to look up. I didn’t want to see the faces of my ex-schoolmates and their parents. Dr Woods, Mr Dhindsa and Dave were still at the graveside, huddled under a large black umbrella. Apart from Dave, I had no desire to see any of them.

  My mum was by the car. She was chatting to Kane’s mum, Deanna, probably about how she and Dave were trying again. They’d become closer since Tilly had died, and it was good to have him around the house again.

  Kane had his arm around my back. He was explaining why Danny hadn’t come. Apparently, he’d been too distraught and his family were still on his back about being gay. We’d hardly communicated at all recently, and I knew he was someone I would lose touch with. On the few occasions we had messaged each other, he’d been sharp and to the point. I suppose he was one of many who would always blame me for what happened to Tilly – just like her mum.

  Mr Warren turned out to be the killer. The police linked him to every death – Amy, Max, Molly and Tilly. The shock wave was huge. No one could quite believe it. That one of the most respected and loved teachers at our school could hide such a dark secret was hard to understand.

  But the evidence had been conclusive. It was all linked to him – the rope used to hang each of them, Max’s ring, and Molly’s tote bag . . . The digital evidence was the same. From Charlotte to Benedict to the Fat Bitch page aimed at Amy – the trails all went back to his IP address.

  And when the police checked into his background, they found other cases that aroused their suspicion. There was mounting speculation that he’d done it before, and that he’d committed suicide as a final act – to gain notoriety as a serial murderer.

  The media were like sharks at feeding time – thrashing about looking for any advantage. They covered every detail of the investigation and printed story after story. Even now, three months later, with the investigation over, and the funerals finally planned, the coverage went on.

  See, no one could understand why. Like, maybe they got that David Warren and Tilly were having an affair, and the teacher was scared of getting caught, but why had he killed the others as well as himself? And then why leave the evidence just lying around? The journalists made up theory after theory, even after the police had revealed his links to other possible victims. From a suicide pact to a religious cult – they even suggested that Tilly and Warren had planned it together. That they’d made some weird death contract with each other. It was all bollocks and it drove me insane with rage.

  I no longer cared why he’d done it – only that he had. My heart was filled with grief and guilt and I felt empty inside. I wanted my sister back, and would have done anything to make that dream come true. If he had been standing with me now, telling me to kill myself in order to save Tilly, I would have done it.

  He had taken everything. I didn’t go back to school, never mind sit my GCSEs – I couldn’t. I had long counselling sessions, and my mum took extended leave to look after me. I was given strong medication that knocked me out most days, and left me a trembling mess for the rest . . .

  But I pulled through, and slowly I started to get on with things. I was doing it slowly, and needed support from Mum and Kane, but the physical pain was over. My stomach no longer ached, the phantom stabbing pains in my chest disappeared and my head no longer throbbed all day, every day. I was even considering going back to college, to restart my stalled education. But that was still a way off.

  Emotionally, I was still at that abandoned barn, looking up at Tilly’s body hanging from a rope. It was an image that I would never break free from – I knew that. The counsellor had said that, at best, the vivid colours of it might fade to black and white – but it would always be with me. She compared my case to shell shock, like people got during wars, and said that I was traumatized.

  I didn’t know what I was. I just knew that I missed Tilly and that my life would never be complete again. Not without her . . .

  Kane said he was going to talk to some lads he knew. I nodded and watched him walk over to them. The rain was easing now, and people were starting to leave. Molly’s funeral was happening later the same afternoon and I guessed that most of them were planning to attend that too. I looked over at Mum and she gave me a little half-smile. Safe in the knowledge that she and Kane were close by, I decided to walk around the edge of the cemetery. The path that encircled the graveyard was visible at every point; I’d never lose sight of either of them. In fact, I’d not lost sight of them for the past three months – one of them was always around, just to reassure me.

  I had reached the furthest point from Tilly’s freshly filled grave when the IT technician who’d been wrongly arrested walked through the nearby gates. He was wearing grey combats, a red and white plaid shirt and heavy walking boots. A backpack hung from his left shoulder. I stopped dead in my tracks, wary, even when he smiled at me.

  ‘Lily, isn’t it?’ he said. ‘We’ve never met but I’m Joe Spinner.’

  I nodded. ‘I know who you are,’ I told him. ‘The funeral is over.’

  He shook his head. ‘Story of my life,’ he told me. ‘Always late.’

  I told him that the other teachers were still around if he wanted to see them, but he shook his head.

  ‘I don’t work at your school any more,’ he revealed. ‘I got offered a post in the Middle East – Oman . . .’

  I wondered why he was telling me his business. When he asked how I was feeling, I shrugged.

  ‘What’s it to you?’ I asked, unconcerned that I sounded rude. I didn’t care about much any more.

  ‘It must be hard, that’s all,’ he told me. ‘After all, you’re the only one left now.’ His voi
ce dropped. ‘No more Lily and Tilly Show . . .’

  I stood and stared at him, my mouth hanging open. How on earth could he know about that? My legs trembled but I couldn’t move. I wanted to call to Mum and Kane but my tongue felt suddenly thick, like it was too big for my mouth. I nearly retched. Dave Warren was the killer. This was all wrong . . .

  Joe Spinner pulled a knife from his pocket and held it by his right side. I could see it clearly but anyone watching from Tilly’s graveside wouldn’t.

  ‘Just a little insurance in case you decide to scream,’ he said. ‘I’m glad we can finally meet. I’ve watched you, but you’re never alone. Good job you decided to go for a walk today. I was running out of time.’

  The only word that escaped sounded like a desperate gasp for air: ‘Why?’

  He looked at me and smiled. I saw the cruelty in his eyes, the kick he got from what he was doing. I realized then that I was looking into the face of real evil. He was the man behind it all. He was ‘Benedict’; he was ‘Charlotte’.

  ‘What can I say?’ he replied. ‘Why is such an awkward question to answer. You see, most people only understand murders when they come wrapped in nice, neat boxes, complete with instructions.’

  I turned to look at Mum but she was busy chatting, and didn’t notice. Now that the police had closed the case, she was no longer too worried about me being in danger. My stomach felt like it had been washed out with acid. I wanted to vomit.

  ‘Look at me!’ he snapped.

  I turned back and saw rage in his eyes. Yet as soon as he smiled it seemed to vanish, as though he could turn it on and off at will.

  ‘There are no nice, neat boxes here,’ he continued. ‘No instructions. See, if I were a jealous ex-lover, people would understand. If I stabbed my neighbour over a fence dispute, people would get it. They read about criminals who kill each other and it makes sense to them. Murder always has a reason, doesn’t it?’

  I nodded, still unable or unwilling to move. I didn’t know which.

  ‘Wrong, Lily!’ he said, his voice filled with almost childish delight. ‘See, when I showed Amy how to tie the noose, and helped her to place it round her neck, I wasn’t angry or jealous, or after her money. I had no motive, not really. And, besides, she wanted to die. I just helped her to achieve her dream.’

  I blinked hard and wondered if Kane had seen us yet. In my head, I imagined him running over, tackling Joe Spinner to the ground and taking the knife. But that wasn’t going to happen.

  ‘The same with Molly and Max. They were just things that I wanted to destroy. They fell into my web by clicking on the video of Amy’s – just as you did.’ He paused and looked around the cemetery behind me. Satisfied that no one was coming, he continued. ‘Tilly too,’ he said. ‘I didn’t hate her or anything. You see – it doesn’t always make sense, does it?’

  I nodded again. ‘Just do what you came to do,’ I said, thinking that I was about to die. I thought about Amy and Max and Molly, and most of all, I heard Tilly’s laugh echoing around inside my head. Maybe this was what I deserved . . .

  Only, he didn’t kill me. He just started to laugh.

  ‘I’m not here to murder you,’ he said. ‘I just wanted to meet you. To let you know that I’m going to walk away. That I’ve done all of this and I will never pay . . .’

  I felt my throat loosen and more words came tumbling out. ‘I could tell the police,’ I said.

  ‘Tell them what, you silly little bitch?’ Again the rage in his eyes went on and off in a flash. ‘You have nothing on me,’ he continued. ‘And they have everything on Dave Warren. It’s all tied up and pretty, just how they like it. They won’t change that for you. I gave them their killer . . .’

  I shook my head. ‘I don’t understand why you’re here. Why not just walk away?’

  ‘I told you. I’m here because I wanted to meet you,’ he said. ‘I wanted to explain.’

  ‘But you haven’t said why,’ I replied. ‘You’re just talking shit, like you did online.’

  ‘Ah – good old Benedict . . . he got you, didn’t he?’

  I wanted to take his knife and push it through his head. He sensed my anger.

  ‘Wow,’ he told me. ‘Didn’t know you had that in you, Lily. That’s the fight I saw in Tilly’s eyes, right before I kicked her off that ledge. Just think of the confidence I’ve given you. Back in January you were pathetic. Tilly’s lapdog. You should be thanking me . . .’

  My eyes began to water, as he looked around one last time.

  ‘OK,’ he said. ‘I’ll tell you why. I killed Tilly and the others for one reason alone. I did it because I could.’

  ‘You did it for fun?’

  My heart started to tear open. Inside, something was yelling . . .

  ‘For the game,’ he replied. ‘The same reason I’m letting you live too.’

  ‘The game?’

  He nodded. ‘I’m letting you live because it’s worse than killing you. That would be too easy. Just think, tonight when you go to bed, and the whole world is reading about psycho Warren and his serial murders, you’ll know . . .’

  He looked deep into my eyes as the voice in my chest started to get louder.

  ‘You’ll know that I’m out there. That I did all this and walked away. And you’ll never be able to tell, Lily, because no one will believe you. They’ll just think you’ve gone crazy again. It will be our little secret, Lily – yours and mine – to share, for ever . . .’

  He turned and walked to the gates, but I still couldn’t move. When he stopped and turned back, he was smiling again.

  ‘Have a nice life, Lily Basra. I’ll send you a postcard sometime . . .’

  About the Author

  Bali Rai has now written eight young adult novels for Random House Children’s Books. His first, (un)arranged marriage, created a huge amount of interest and won many awards including the Angus Book Award and the Leicester Book of the Year. It was also shortlisted for the prestigious Brandford Boase first novel award. Rani and Sukh and The Whisper were both shortlisted for the Booktrust Teenage Prize. Bali also writes the hugly popular Soccer Squad series for younger readers.

  He was born in Leicester, where he still lives, writing full-time and visiting schools to talk about his books. www.balirai.co.uk

  ALSO BY BALI RAI:

  (un)arranged marriage

  ‘Absorbing and engaging’ – Observer

  The Crew

  ‘A jewel of a book’ – Independent

  Rani and Sukh

  ‘Heart-wrenching love story that will exert its power over you long after the book is finished’ – The Bookseller

  The Whisper

  ‘Unflinching and authentic’ – Publishing News

  The Last Taboo

  ‘This is brave, committed writing . . . it deserves a large audience’ – TES

  The Angel Collector

  ‘Page-turning thriller’ – Birmingham Post

  City of Ghosts

  ‘A heart-rending tale from a talented author’ – The Times

  Killing Honour

  ‘Rai never shies away from difficult topics . . .

  It’s utterly compelling’ – The Bookseller

  Fire City

  ‘A gritty read . . . the plot moves along at a rapid pace’ – The Bookseller

  And for younger readers:

  Soccer Squad: Starting Eleven

  Soccer Squad: Missing!

  Soccer Squad: Stars!

  Soccer Squad: Glory!

  WEB OF DARKNESS

  AN RHCP DIGITAL EBOOK 978 1 409 04592 2

  Published in Great Britain by RHCP Digital,

  an imprint of Random House Children’s Publishers UK

  A Random House Group Company

  This ebook edition published 2014

  Copyright © Bali Rai, 2014

  First Published in Great Britain by Corgi Books, 2014

  The right of Bali Rai to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in acco
rdance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

  This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorized distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

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