by J. A. Gill
'Hardy, the only reason your are not dead is because I need information, once I have it I will kill you. If you lie to me I will also kill your family,' said Vlad.
I struggled to my feet and leaned against the fence lining the path. 'You left?' I said. 'Why would you come back?'
'I didn't leave. No, but you knew that didn't you. That's why you're here. When I built this house, I had some private rooms fitted. Those rooms are not on any plans. I don't know why but from time to time I have to be alone with someone special and during those moments I cannot be interrupted. I understand you knew Aleksandra, and just like the others, she cried and begged when I took her to my private room and showed her the blade - they all cry and beg. They don't realise I can't hear them. I just see their mouths opening and shutting, like little fishes.' Vlad was in my face now, opening and shutting his mouth like a fish.
'The need comes and goes, Mr Policeman Hardy - it comes and goes - they come and go - life comes and goes.'
'What do you want?'
'Good question. You know what, before we get down to that let's go somewhere more comfortable. Let's go back to the house where you and I can be all alone. We'll be cosy. Maybe I can have a drink. You can have a bleed. What do you say, does that sound like fun?'
Vlad pressed a gun to my head and motioned me forward. I thought about my gun under my buttoned jacket. I had an advantage in that British police don't routinely carry a firearm so why would he look? I prayed he wouldn't.
Sixty-Two
Vlad pushed, shoved and prodded me up to the house. He insisted on telling me about his day and how having been holed up in a single room for almost seven hours there were certain oversights that he could now see would need to be rectified in future room designs.
We reached the top of the garden, turned right and climbed the same staircase I'd climbed earlier that day -- under very different circumstances. 'I watched everything on CCTV of course,' said Vlad. 'I've got cameras all over the house and garden.' I pictured Vlad behind me with a Cheshire cat grin on his face.
We climbed the last few steps and reached the terrace where I stopped and wiped my bloody nose with my sleeve. I took the chance to look down for the two officers on duty below. 'They can't help you, Hardy. They're off duty, permanently,' said Vlad. A shadow below caught my eye and caused Vlad to turn his head and look. That was the chance I needed. I twisted round and brought my fist down on his face, at the same time I raised my leg and launched him down the staircase with my foot. Vlad fell backwards and as he did smashed his head and body on the hand rail. In an effort to lessen his fall he dropped his gun and made a grab for the railings. He rolled and smashed his way down the steps. I took a few steps back and pulling open my jacket I took out my Glock 17 for the second time that day. I hesitated for a moment to take stock. Should I run? Should I fire? Should I arrest? I stepped forward and pointed my weapon. Vlad was already back on his feet and at the top of the stairs. I stepped back and allowed him onto the terrace.
'You're under arrest,' I said. 'Get face down on the floor.'
'Really? I don't think so Hardy. I've tried prison. I didn't like it. It's the poor food mainly, it doesn't agree with me.' Vlad took a step forward.
'Get face down,' I demanded. Again Vlad moved forward. His hands out and to his sides. He was unarmed. He just kept walking towards me.
'If you were going to shoot me you would have done it already. How about instead we make a deal? We call it even and I'll just jump into my boat down there and we pretend like none of this ever happened?' Out of the corner of my eye I again caught sight of a moving shadow. Was it real or a symptom of the blow to the head? Was my mind playing tricks on me?
In the darkness, to my left, a voice came from the shadows. 'Never hesitate.' I stepped back and glanced from side to side trying to locate the voice. 'Never, ever hesitate,' came the voice again but this time from behind me. In the darkness, I could see nothing. I kept the gun trained on Vlad.
Vlad recognised the voice and saw him first. 'Orel, my friend,' said Vlad. 'I'm happy to see you, what are doing here? Now Hardy, you have a very serious problem.'
'I came here to find you, Vlad,' said Orel who was passing through a patch of light.
'I have this under control, though perhaps while you're here you could cover poor Detective Hardy while I take his gun,' said Vlad. He stepped forward to take my gun and I stepped back to prevent that happening.
Out of the darkness Orel came up close behind me. He pressed his gun against my head. 'Put the gun on the table,' he whispered.
Slowly I placed the gun on the table and Orel picked it up. Vlad rushed up and for a second time punched me in the face. As I fell he punched me once more, this time to the side of the head causing everything to go dark. When I came to I was in a chair in the kitchen. My hands were fastened to the back of the chair with zip ties. I looked around, my right eye was swollen shut forcing me to look as best I could through my one good eye. The house was quiet, strangely peaceful. The double doors to the terrace were closed. My mouth tasted of blood. My nose and ears throbbed. I could see Orel leaning against a breakfast bar watching me. Vlad was close by pouring himself a whisky, he was behaving oddly, almost manic, I wondered if he'd taken something and was high.
'Why did you hesitate?' said Orel snapping his fingers to get my attention. He was talking to me. I looked at him blankly. 'When Vlad fell down the stairs earlier. You hesitated. You stopped to think instead of just shooting him. Why?'
'I didn't hesitate. I need to arrest him, not kill him.' I said.
Orel stood up from the breakfast bar and walked towards me. He waved my gun from side to side as he spoke. 'You hesitated. You know as well as I do that Vlad here is a rapist, a coward who tortures and murders innocent women. Unlike you and I, Vlad here has given up trying to understand and nurture his humanity. He is not interested in what it is that makes him human, he has no concept of order. He does not see the beauty of life but instead is controlled by his own selfish desires. He is an untrustworthy dog. Yet you hesitated to put him down when you had the chance and now look at you. So I ask again, why did you hesitate?'
Vlad downed his whisky and poured another. 'If it's all the same to you, Orel,' said Vlad. 'And because I am in the room, can we perhaps not have this conversation right now?' Vlad pulled a knife from a block and flashed it at me. 'How about instead we find out from your new friend who gave up my location today and who gave up the fact I was meeting Mr Foster. Then let's get the hell out of here.' I pushed back in my seat. My eyes shifting from Orel to Vlad.
'Vlad, you enjoy your drink, I wish to have a conversation,' said Orel. Orel began admiring my gun and then continued. 'I have decided to retire after tonight. I'm going to vanish. So I think it's important then that my last kill should make a difference. I'd like it to mean something and to be significant.'
Orel raised my gun and pointed it at me, first at my chest then at my head, he looked me in the eye. He turned and pointed the gun at Vlad. Vlad never saw it coming and I watched in amazement as Orel put a bullet in Vlad's head. Vlad sank to his knees disappearing out of sight behind the bar. Orel walked round the breakfast bar and fired twice more. He looked over at me.
'Today is your lucky day, Hardy.' Orel removed the magazine from the gun. Racked it empty. Checked the chamber. Then placed it on the breakfast bar in front of me. 'Never hesitate again.' Orel cut the ties and released my hands. 'Papa told you he would take care of the situation and he has. This ends tonight. You're free to go.' Orel handed me a handkerchief for my nose. 'Leave through the front. There are things I need to do here.' I picked up my Glock and walked slowly out of the house.
From the roadside, I watched as flames and smoke began to engulf the building. I felt a sense of closure as I watched the flames rise up against the night sky. I sat and rested on a low wall across the street from the beach house. I winced as I touched my nose and felt my eye, I ached all over and felt exhausted. I took out my phone and called home, I n
eeded to hear the familiar voices of those I love. As soon as I heard the excited squeals of my little girls a wave of comfort and reassurance hit me and I was unable to prevent tears from rolling down my face.
Sixty-Three
Monica and I visited Anya several times over the next few weeks. Monica went with her to counselling, it was good for both of them. Monica helped Anya find a shared flat with some college students. It was good to see Anya was quickly putting the recent events behind her and putting her life back into some sort of order. It was reassuring to see her coping so well. As the weeks passed I visited less frequently and though I didn't lose touch exactly, when I did call by Anya was usually either out or busy. It all seemed natural enough and I was pleased she was moving on.
It was around four months after the events at the beach house had occurred that I was called by a Detective Kerry Barnes. 'Remember me?' said the detective, 'I was with you and Osborne at Vlad's beach house.'
'Of course, detective Barnes, I remember you. How are things in Drug Squad?' I asked.
'Busy, busy. You know how it is. We congratulate ourselves on making one huge seizure, when we know another five got through,' said Barnes. 'How's your nose? I hear it got busted pretty badly.'
'Good as new, you'd never know it happened.'
'Great news, that's great news,' said Barnes.
'Anyway, you didn't call me to talk about my devilishly good looks. How can I help?' I was a little apprehensive asking as the investigation into the shooting of Vlad was finally being wrapped up.
'You're right. I do have something on my mind. The thing is, I might be able to help you. Meet me out front as quickly as you can. I'm across the street in a silver BMW.'
I grabbed my coat and headed out. When I saw her last Barnes was kitted out in Kevlar ready for action, today her hair was down and she was wearing a hint of makeup and looked relaxed in casual clothes, she looked very different. 'Glad you could make it,' she said. 'Let's go for a little drive.'
'What's this all about?'
'It's better I show you. But let's just say, after I interviewed her and took her statement your girl Anya and I got chatting and though at the time I couldn't put my finger on it, something just didn't sit right with me. Since then the whole thing has been nagging away at me. Something just didn't feel right. Whether it was the way she too easily agreed to help, I don't know. At the time, I wanted Foster so badly I was happy she volunteered. After the raid, I couldn't stop thinking about all the pieces. You know how it is, it's what makes a detective a detective I suppose, we just never know when to let go.'
'Osborne told me she volunteered,' I said. 'To be honest I didn't believe him, the Anya I was told about was scared and on the run.'
'She did volunteer and she came through, effortlessly. She delivered Foster. You nailed Vlad. It was all neat and tidy, it almost had a silk bow on top.'
I looked at her and thought how neat and tidy wouldn't exactly be the way I would describe the events that day.
'What are you getting at?'
'I did some follow up work,' said Barnes.
'Really? What sort of follow up work?' I asked.
'I know you must have questions. I know you've been helping her get settled. I can only assume you had questions, even if you're not sure what they are. I'm pretty sure you don't stay in touch with every witness on a case. I also know you're too decent to be hanging around her because she's hot.'
I ignored the last part. 'How about you get to the point. What are you suggesting? Do you have a question? if you do just come right out and ask it.' I wasn't sure where Barnes was going with this and now felt I was being scrutinised.
'I'm not suggesting anything and I didn't mean to deflate your male ego. Here we are. We'll park here and walk the rest of the way.' We got out of the car and headed to Knightsbridge. We crossed the street and stood opposite Harrods. Barnes's phone rang. She talked loudly. 'Yep. Okay. Okay. We're right across the street. We'll head round the side.'
Barnes nodded toward the side street. 'Perfect timing, they're on their way out.' she said.
'What are we supposed to looking at?' I demanded, impatiently. Barnes looked at me and smiled playfully. I wasn't happy about being kept in the dark but played along. We crossed the road and stood alongside a row of luxury cars all parked waiting for the millionaire shoppers to return.
Barnes nudged me. 'Keep watching.' After a few minutes of people coming and going the doors eventually opened and Barnes indicated this was what we had been waiting for. Out through the doors came a finely dressed young woman who was full of smiles and laughter. She was arm in arm with a much older man who was carrying several Harrods bags. I recognised him instantly, it was Papa. Papa was in a tailored suit and looked ten years younger. He leaned forward and the couple kissed, he then opened the door to a shiny white Range Rover and the young woman started to get in. As she did so she looked left and right. Looking my way she paused and then looked again. She lowered her sunglasses and then took them off to get a better look at me.
'Anya?' I said. I watched in disbelief as she got into the Range Rover and leaned over again and gave Papa another kiss.
'Yep,' I heard Barnes say beside me. 'We can't prove it but I guess she struck a deal with Papa. Papa clearly had a plan to use us to remove Foster and Vlad. Anya was his way of making sure he had the right information to make that happen. Smart huh.' I took a step forward and felt Barnes's hand on my shoulder. 'Your girl Anya is doing just fine. She's landed well and truly on her feet. From what I understand she is now living the millionaire lifestyle. This is just a little shopping trip before she and Papa, whose like a new man I might add, jet off for a few weeks on his yacht in the Mediterranean'.
I watched as the Range Rover approached but I couldn't see past the tinted windows. I wondered whether Anya was watching me as the vehicle passed us. 'Sometimes,' said Barnes. 'we get the result we want but not in the way we want it. In my book, it's still a good result.'
Sixty-Four
I was owed some leave and Chief Superintendent Webster insisted I take some now Vlad's investigation was wrapped up. 'I don't care what you do so long as it's not working on any investigations. Now get out of here, I don't want to see you for at least a week, preferably two,' said Webster with the best of intentions.
With no contact from the Gallery Killer for months now and no firm evidence implicating Simon Baker now seemed the right time to move the family back into the family home. Mum and dad had been amazing but now seemed the right time. We needed some day to day normality back in our lives. Whatever that is.
I was spending precious time with Alice and Faith and I was loving it. I didn't see how it could be done but it got me wondering whether I could find a way to have a better work-life balance. We were returning from Windsor and a day at Legoland. Monica was going out with girlfriends that evening so I called home to let her know I hadn't forgotten and I was on my way. I then called Rayner and he decided he'd come over around nine, after the girls were in bed, for a beer and to keep me in the loop with ongoing investigations. There was a lot happening and things were moving fast so he was happy to keep me up to date with the direction the investigations were taking, so long as I was recuperating.
The girls were in their pyjamas and were busy telling Monica about their busy day at Legoland. The three of us disappeared upstairs to read stories and talk, giving Monica space to bathe and get ready for her night out. The girls couldn't resist running back and forth between rooms to see what Monica was wearing and to offer advice, make-up tips and trying on a little makeup themselves. Eventually the girls settled down and after some prayers for Mummy we turned out the lights and I went downstairs.
Monica was in the kitchen when I came downstairs, she was all dressed up for the evening and checking her phone for messages. She looked beautiful. Heels, a tight fitting black dress, hair up and just a little makeup. 'Wow, you look great. Are you sure you're not going on a date, come on, whose the lucky guy?' I said.
'Now that, Detective, would be telling.'
'Well, enjoy yourself. Relax. Have fun. Be good. Don't drink too much. Stay safe.'
'You sound like my Dad.'
I thought I may as well lay it on thick. 'To be on the safe side I'd like the names of everyone you're going out with tonight. I'd like their mobile numbers. I'd like their home address and home telephone numbers. Who is the designated driver? Is your phone fully charged? Do you have your pepper spray? You know, I may even have a spare Taser in the back of my car, shall I get it?' I guess Monica could see I was exhausted despite my effort to stay upbeat and my teasing. 'Are you sure you're okay with me going out tonight? I don't need to go. I can go another time. It really doesn't matter.'
'You're kidding, right?' I'm fine. You're not to worry about me. You have your own life and the last thing I want to do is get in the way of you rebuilding it. Anyway, Rayner's coming over for a beer, I'll be fine.'
There was a knock at the front door. 'I guess that's my ride,' said Monica.
'You have a great time. It's not too late for me to find that Taser.'
'You really are a bundle of fun,' laughed Monica.
'I'm just saying you can never have enough self defence tools when you look as good as you do.'
I opened the front door to two of Monica's girlfriends, another two were in the car waving to me. I waved back. They were all laughing and already having a good time. 'Good evening, Detective Inspector,' said the two women on the doorstep. They were giggling and clearly I was missing a joke. I recognised the two women as Sam and Ali. I was pretty sure they'd already had a glass of wine (or two or three) and their girl's night had started some time earlier.
'Good evening, Samantha. Good evening, Alison.'
'We were wondering,' said Samantha, trying hard to suppress her laughter. 'We were wondering, is it only the constables or are detectives, like yourself, also equipped with a big truncheon?' Monica gathered her two friends and whisked them off the door step. I watched the three of them laugh and giggle like teenagers down to the car and then I waved as they drove off.