Sleep Tight

by Caroline Mitchell

  Downes crossed his legs, his ankle resting on his knee. His foot twitched as he spoke. A restless body and a restless mind. ‘So you’re telling me that this doctor holds a grudge against Nathan Crosby because he took the child the doctor abducted? That was years ago. Why’s he acting on it now?’

  ‘There’s more to it than that. A lot more.’ She paused, loath to implicate Nathan in any wrongdoing. If they arrested Doctor Tanner, he could turn on Nathan and implicate him in the acid attack, something that would carry a lengthy prison sentence. But he would have to prove it first. ‘It’s off the record,’ Ruby said. But alarm bells were ringing in her mind. The status of their relationship had changed, and she did not know if she could trust DI Downes anymore.

  ‘I can’t work with one hand tied behind my back,’ he said, sensing her discomfort. ‘We’re police officers, we don’t pick and choose which criminals deserve to be prosecuted and which ones don’t. If they’ve committed an offence, they’re coming in.’

  ‘Fine,’ Ruby said, ‘We’ll get the doctor in for questioning on the kidnapping charge after we speak to the little girl.’

  ‘So that’s all you’re telling me?’ Downes said, his face creased in a frown.

  ‘Yes,’ Ruby said, relieved that Downes had made up her mind for her. ‘I don’t think it’s in the public interest to delve any deeper.’ She rose, steadying herself as a fresh wave of tiredness weakened her legs. ‘I’d best instruct the troops, see what we can dig up on Doctor Tanner with a view to progressing the investigation.’

  ‘Steady on, I’m sure we can work around this. What else have you got on Crosby?’

  But Ruby carried on as if she had not heard him. ‘I’ll instruct the team, put together a package and we can go from there.’

  The chances of Doctor Tanner being at his registered address were slim. Nathan would have had it checked out as soon as the thought entered his mind. His absence was a small blessing. Had they harmed Tanner then any evidence of his murderous crime may have gone down with him. It was a race against time to find him. She could only hope that he would not strike again.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  As Ruby entered her flat, she felt a chill descend. It was not from the growing fog outside, but the fact her flat was pitched in darkness. She had switched on the living room light when she left, and now the gap beneath the door revealed nothing but darkness. Leaving the light on was a habit born out of unease. She saw the way some of the residents had looked at her, and their sideways glances suggested they knew what she was. The police were not welcome in her tower block, though her association with the Crosby family afforded an ounce of protection – unless they were the ones chasing her. Her heartbeat sped up a notch as she shoved her key in the lock. Sure the door was secure, but the Crosbys never let a little thing like a lock and key stop them. Thoughts of seeing Nathan fired a spark of hope within. Would he be angry for her perceived betrayal, or perhaps he just wanted to spend the night? She hoped it was the latter. She slid her hand over the light switch, her body stiffening at the sight of a figure by the window. As the light bulb flashed on, she emitted an involuntary gasp: it was not Nathan, but Lenny. By the menacing look on his face he was not best pleased.

  ‘Oh, it’s you,’ she said, reluctantly closing the door behind her. ‘What are you doing here? Is Nathan with you?’ Her eyes darted around the room then back to her unwanted guest. She was relieved to see the only thing in his hands was a bag of cheese and onion crisps. A small act of assertiveness – eating the little food she had left. She knew the Crosby family would be angry at Nathan’s narrow miss with the law. But what had he told them? Was Nathan losing faith in her already?

  ‘Of course he ain’t here. As if he’d risk getting nicked a second time,’ Lenny said, scrunching up the half-eaten bag of crisps and throwing them on the floor.

  ‘That wasn’t my fault,’ Ruby swallowed, cursing herself for the nervousness in her voice. ‘I was followed.’

  Lenny took a step towards her. ‘And why would you be tailed unless someone knew you were meeting him?’

  There was no way Ruby was putting DI Downes at risk for doing his job. She may have been mad as hell with him, but if she squealed that Downes was responsible, there was a chance they would invoke their own form of revenge. Lenny was on edge, who knew what he was capable of without Nathan to rein him in?

  ‘It’s not exactly a big secret anymore,’ Ruby lied. ‘I’ve tried to keep our relationship under wraps, but since Cathy came on the scene. . .’

  ‘Ah yes, Cathy. Another member of the family you’ve abandoned.’

  Ruby flinched as he spoke about her daughter in that way. Lenny always had a knack for pressing her buttons. ‘Isn’t it about time you were straight with me?’ she said, unable to resist turning the onus onto him. ‘Why didn’t you tell me about Doctor Tanner? You wouldn’t like to keep Nathan on the run, would you? So you can put the family business back where it used to be?’

  Lenny set his jaw as he walked towards her. Her heart hammering, Ruby stood her ground. She was fed up being scared of the Crosbys. All the same it did not do to rile him. Making Lenny angry was like poking a stick at a nest full of hornets.

  He grabbed Ruby’s jaw, his fingers digging into her skin as she tried to push him away. ‘Just because family loyalty means nothing to you, don’t mean we’re all the same.’

  Ruby squirmed beneath his grip, drawing back her foot to kick him in the shin. But Lenny pre-empted her movements, slamming her hard against the door. The back of her head rebounded against the wood, and he used the full force of his weight to immobilise her. The smell of cheese and onion reeked on his breath. Her stomach clenched as she froze, her eyes trailing down to his spare hand. Lenny always came tooled up, and one false move from her could land her in serious trouble.

  ‘If you were any other bird I’d be teaching you a lesson right now, just for getting Nathan into bother.’ Lenny’s eyes glazed over, a smile curling on his lips. ‘He might believe your story of being followed, but I don’t.’

  Ruby held his gaze, one hand on his chest and the other on his forearm. ‘But I’m not just any other bird, am I? I’m the only person that can get Nathan out of this mess. If you’re as loyal to your brother as you say you are, you’d best start working with me.’ Squaring her shoulders, she looked him firmly in the eye. ‘What is it with you every time you come round here? Can’t you have a conversation without copping a feel?’

  It was enough to make him release his grip. Lenny ran his fingers through his hair, suddenly unsure of himself. Ruby knew she presented a whole set of problems in his black-and-white world. It was true: if she was anyone else God knows what he would be doing to her right now. But Ruby fell between the cracks and for now she had been offered some protection. She was also one of the few people who had the guts to answer him back. She sidled past him to the cabinet. Pulling out two glasses from the cupboard, she eased the cork off a bottle of spiced rum. Sitting at the coffee table, she beckoned him over.

  ‘I need whatever you’ve got on Doctor Tanner, because it sounds to me like he’s our suspect.’

  Standing over her, Lenny sniffed the contents of the glass before taking a sip. ‘Whatever Nathan did to him happened years ago. We’ve pissed off enough people between then and now. It could be anyone.’

  ‘No, you’re wrong,’ Ruby said, wishing he would sit down. ‘The autopsy report said the killer is skilled with a scalpel, possibly a surgeon or doctor. Granted, it could be a nurse, or even a vet, but from what Nathan has said, Tanner knew the girls personally. He has a vendetta, and he’s not afraid to spill blood.’ She thought about the torture he was rumoured to have induced on his victims while Lenny watched on. ‘The stitches were clean when they sewed Ellie Mason back up. But it’s the whole fairy-tale thing that got me thinking. Maybe he’s got a fetish, dressing them up because there’s not much beauty in his life.’

  Lenny blurted out a laugh. ‘Like Phantom of the Opera, you mean? Mum’s
been to see that twice this week, driving me effin’ mad she is, singing it around the house. God, you want to hear her when she hits those high notes.’

  Ruby couldn’t help but smile. In that split second it was like old times. It never ceased to amaze her how Lenny could change from being frightening to amicable in a matter of seconds. He was well respected in the circle he mixed with, and some would even say popular. Ruby thought back to when they were children. Her telling him stories as she tried to move the sullen look from his face. Quite often she did, but sometimes his face came with bruises, and no amount of silly jokes could dissolve the heat from his anger then.

  ‘This has got to stay between us. If this leaks to the press it’ll compromise the investigation, and I need a strong case for when it gets to court. Oh, and there’s something else too,’ she said, her thoughts tripping over each other. ‘Nathan pulled a gun yesterday. He could have got himself shot. You’ve got to tell him to keep his cool until I sort this all out.’

  ‘You needn’t worry about me. I didn’t build my reputation by being a grass,’ Lenny said, tapping his foot against the tea-stained coffee table. ‘And I don’t need you telling me what to say to my family.’

  ‘You do when he’s inches away from getting shot. There were armed officers present, they don’t mess around.’

  Lenny looked grim-faced as he knocked back another swig of rum. ‘Is that everything?’

  Ruby snapped out of the image she had been playing in her head since her encounter with Nathan. She had pictured him getting shot so many times it was almost as if she were recalling a memory. He had come too close to the law this time, perhaps this would shake some sense into him. Ruby sighed, casting her gaze upwards to the man before her, the man who would never let his brother go.

  ‘The coroner found rat faeces in Ellie Mason’s hair. Whoever took her went to a great deal of trouble to mould her into a certain type of image, but she must have been left alone at some point. It had to be somewhere rats could have nestled up to her. This doctor, did he have pet rats?’

  ‘What? No,’ Lenny said. ‘He was a respectable-looking geezer. . . for a nonce.’

  Ruby screwed the lid back on the bottle of rum. ‘Is there any way you could have got that wrong?’ she said, knowing how Lenny hated being accused of making mistakes. Why had Doctor Tanner moved on to women if he had intended to sexually abuse the child? Hurt her, yes, perhaps even kill her, but was she a potential abuse victim or someone on whom he could practise his skills?

  ‘A bloke kidnaps a kid and leaves her naked and unconscious on his bed, what do you think he was gonna do to her? Read her a bedtime story?’

  ‘Alright, I get your point,’ Ruby said, with a hint of irritation. ‘Just have a think. Let me know if you can come up with any old acquaintances, places he frequented, cars he drove.’ Canned laughter blared from the television in the flat next door. Her neighbours were nocturnal creatures, they held little consideration for the people around them. ‘What was he like when he worked for you?’ Ruby said. ‘Doctor Tanner, what can you tell me about his personality? Had he any family?’

  ‘Personality? Thought he was something special. Pretentious git,’ Lenny snorted. ‘As for his family, his parents gassed themselves when he was a kid. At least, that’s what my old man said. They were a weird bunch by all accounts.’

  Ruby masked a yawn with the back of her hand. ‘He always struck me as strange.’ She blinked back her watery eyes. ‘How’s Cathy?’

  ‘I didn’t come here for a family reunion,’ Lenny said, his face clouding over as he rested his empty glass on the coffee table. ‘Just sort this out.’

  Ruby craned her neck as Lenny headed for the door. His stride was sharp, determined.

  ‘And if I can’t, what happens then?’

  ‘Let’s say it won’t just be Nathan’s neck on the line.’

  ‘What do you mean by that?’ Ruby rose from her chair.

  Lenny bared his teeth in a ghoulish smile. ‘Get this case solved and you won’t have to find out.’

  Ruby bolted the door as Lenny left, shoving a chair against the handle. It would not stop him coming back, but it would slow him down. Precious minutes to give her time to react.

  The baseball bat that lived under her bed now lay nestled beneath her duvet. Lying in bed, she took small comfort from it as she resurrected their conversation. She had barely slept over the last few days and needed a clear mind for work. A bubble of fear rose inside her, defying her vow to stay strong. She pulled the duvet tightly around her as a blast of icy air filtered in through the window. Nathan’s absence felt like a physical ache in her chest. What she would give to be in his arms, feeling the warmth of his body as he wrapped himself around her.

  That night her nightmares produced rat-infested tunnels and a darkness so thick she could barely see her hand. In the distance, a light appeared, framing the doctor she once knew, and the glint of a scalpel in his hand.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Shrouded by dark thoughts, Ruby cried out as she awoke. Her heart was beating faster than was good for her. The day’s events had plunged her into a series of nightmares as her brain tried to comprehend recent events. Sweat trailed down her back as she unfurled the sheets from around her feet, while the memory of her nightmares replayed in her mind. Although she disagreed with Nathan’s methods of dealing with perceived paedophiles and murderers, she could understand a knee-jerk reaction. But this had been planned, cold and calculating. Why hadn’t he just called the police? She knew why: because on the street where she grew up, police were not your friends. It had been easy for her to blame their violence on Lenny, and perhaps Nathan was right, she had been burrowing her head in the sand all these years. It was time to face up to who Nathan really was.

  As she lay back in bed, the doctor’s face came into view. Pale and cunning, he leered at her – no hint of remorse behind his beady black eyes. Just what had he planned for that little abducted girl? And as for all the people he had tortured… Some would call the acid attack karma. The pain must have been immense as his flesh melted away. Was that why he had waited for his revenge? Ruby had read stories of acid burn victims in the news. They were inspiring people who had turned their lives around, devoting their time to helping others as a result of their experiences. Not so with the doctor. ‘There’s good and bad in everyone,’ her mother used to say. Mum… She was overdue a visit, but once again work had dictated her routine. Her mind ticked over as she tried to process it all.

  Going through her phone, she replied to the spate of Facebook instant messages from Cathy. She could see her father in her, her quick temper and those stormy eyes that carried a depth of emotion. Her hair was growing now, her dark waves touching her shoulders. Her frame was still too thin for Ruby’s liking, but it was not for her to say given they were still building their relationship. Asking her to stay indoors, Ruby urged her daughter to keep herself safe until the killer was behind bars.

  As she dressed for work, Ruby took comfort in seeing how uneasy Nathan had been as he recalled what he had done. Deep down he knew it was wrong. Now it had come back to haunt him, with innocent victims paying the price. Violence breeds violence, and Ruby had to break the cycle before it claimed another victim.

  The phone rang in her hand, making her jump to attention. It was Downes.

  ‘Are yous awake?’ he said, the urgency of his voice hastening her departure.

  ‘Walking out the door now, boss. What’s wrong?’ she said, fiddling with her keys. She would take the stairs. The lift would only cut her phone signal, and right now she needed to know what was going on.

  ‘Meet me at the Britannia Leisure Centre. We’ve got another body.’

  * * *

  Ruby stood by the edge of the pool, hands deep in her blazer pockets as the police diver broke the surface of the water, the feeling of déjà vu creeping over her skin. It was not that long ago she had been following enquiries with the manager about Lisa Caldwell. Danny Smedley may
be remanded in prison, but as far as Ruby was concerned, the streets were far from safe. And now Ruby’s officers were urgently reviewing missing person reports to ascertain the identity of their latest victim. This was the doctor’s work; it had to be. Why else would the body be dressed in a costume from a fancy dress store?

  As crime scene investigators gave the diver the thumbs up, he made his way towards the body to gently bring her in. Her long wavy hair swayed in the water, the unnatural tint of red a warning signal to those who approached. Around her wrist was a seashell bracelet and, together with the silver halter-neck top and fishtail netted skirt, it formed an image that made Ruby’s heart turn over. ‘The Little Mermaid,’ she whispered.

  Downes agreed with her findings with a sombre nod of the head. But this story had a far from happy ending, and the fact a theme was arising made it even worse: they had a serial killer on their hands. Ruby held her breath as the diver gently turned the body over. She knew what was coming, it wasn’t just the tinge of blood haloing the victim’s head that gave it away. Ruby had studied the grimmest version of the most popular fairy stories. Devoid of the saccharine-sweet ending, they were enough to keep anybody awake at night. And now the doctor had belched out a second victim, which meant he was on the prowl again.

  Ruby leant over the side of the pool, breathing in the distinct chlorine vapour. The victim was a similar age to Ellie, who had been posed as Snow White. With the same pale skin and artificial lashes, there was no doubt in Ruby’s mind that they had met their deaths at the same cruel hand. In keeping with the story, fresh cuts criss-crossed the soles of the young woman’s bare feet.

  ‘Can you open her mouth for me, please?’ Ruby said, taking her phone and activating the torch.