by J. A. Gill
To The Mentor,
I have achieved so much thanks to your guidance and wisdom and the help of the group.
The investment has been worth every penny.
Find enclosed a souvenir as requested.
Carpe Diem, SB
Kelly opened the copy of the Great Gatsby and removed the USB stick. She picked up the silver Saint Christopher necklace. She held it up and then turned it over to read the inscription: "To Our Darling Faye. Happy 18th Birthday. Love You Always, Mum and Dad"
Kelly lit a cigarette. She then set light to the note, placing the burning paper in a silver ashtray and watched as it burned out. She admired the necklace enjoying the significance of what it meant and imagining what had taken place for it to have become a part of her collection. She finished her cigarette and her glass of wine and then walked over to a narrow floor to ceiling book case. Sliding the bookcase to one side revealed a second large safe set back into the wall. Originally designed for a bank the safe had been modified to Kelly's specifications. This safe was around two meters high and two meters wide. Shelves, hooks and drawers had been installed along with power and spot lights. Kelly opened one of the display drawers and placed the Saint Christopher necklace on the black plush velvet surface. 'Perfect. Thank you Mr Baker.' Kelly stood back to take in the vastness of her collection. The safe was full of rings, bracelets, watches, earrings, necklaces and even a gold tooth. Souvenirs all sent to her by appreciative clients, students and admirers from all around the world. I'm going to need a bigger vault. Perhaps a walk-in vault. This is almost as much fun as collecting my own souvenirs. Almost.
With a smile on her face Kelly 'The Mentor' Lyle decided it would soon be time for a new game of cat and mouse. Detective James Hardy would perhaps fair better than her previous adversaries.
Seventy-Three
I felt I had come up for air and was finally able to breathe again. Once more I could focus on what matters most to me - my family. Being here now, surrounded by so much love, I have to ask myself how I am able to get so lost in the nightmares that creep into my life. I can only assume that it's precisely because I have this lifeline that I can descend to depths I often have to. Monsters live in dark places and to catch them you can't be afraid of the dark.
It was Sunday and my home was filled with music, conversation, laughter and the smell of great British home cooking. Monica and mum were working together on preparing roast lamb with garlic and herbs, minted new potatoes and an impressive array of summer vegetables. Having offered to help I didn't need to be a detective to work out my woeful culinary skills weren't required. Instead, I was informed the meal was almost ready and I should go make myself useful by helping dad wrangle Alice and Faith to the table - with washed hands.
I watched as dad chased the girls from room to room. In his usual comic manner, he was more interested in making them squeal with delight, as he repeatedly hid and jumped out on them, than actually getting them to the table. Eventually he ran out of puff and when they approached to check he was okay he grabbed them and carried them off for hand washing.
The house phone began to ring. Mum looked at me in a way that said, I know you're going to answer it and we both know you shouldn't. I hesitated for a moment and then picked up the receiver.
'James Hardy,' I said.
'Detective Hardy. Sorry to intrude, I know how precious family time is to you.'
'Who is this?'
'Forgotten me already, James?' the voiced teased. 'Even after our romantic evening under the stars? You remember our time together outside the little Cornish cottage don't you. You and I sat huddled together waiting for the emergency services while Simon Baker's lifeless and bloody corpse grew cold. You know I could so easily have ended you there and to all the world it would have looked as though you were just one more casualty of Mr Baker.'
'Karen Lyle?' I asked. My mind raced trying to fit the pieces together. 'I don't understand?'
'Does Karen 'The Mentor' Lyle help you? Goodness me, I hope you're going to be smarter than this when we start our games. I was worried Simon Baker had given the game away but it appears you're still clueless.'
'What do you want?' I asked.
'So glad you asked. Though you could sound a little more excited. I mean, just for you, I have decided play again sooner than I had anticipated. You should be flattered. Before we start it is important you understand the rules.'
'Rules?'
'Jamie, I am so glad you asked. The rules are simple - there are no rules. There are no limits to which I will not go. Nothing and nobody is beyond my reach and I don't play fair. You must understand I expect you to fail at stopping me. During the course of our adventure together innocent people will get hurt, and consequentially die. We'll embark on our journey very soon but right now I don't want to give too much away and spoil any surprises. I know you have a full house so I'll let you get back to your family, give Monica and the girls a kiss from me. I'll be thinking of you.' Click. The phone went dead.
Alice and Faith ran past me and hid behind the sofa. Dad was pretending he couldn't see them. 'Everything alright son?' He could see from my expression things were far from alright. 'How about you help me get those two little rascals to the dinner table before we're all in trouble with your mother. They must be hiding around here somewhere.'
With a loud playful roar I turned and reached out to grab Alice. Dad rounded the sofa and approached from the other end. It wasn't long before dad and I had the girls cornered.
'It's ready, dinner is on the table,' called Monica.
And just like that, family life resumed. For the time being at least.
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About the Author
J. A. Gill was born in Dorset, England in 1970. He was educated and began his working life in Dorset, later moving to London where he lived and worked for 20 years. Married and with two children he returned to Dorset to establish his writing career and develop the DCI James Hardy series.
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To Mrs G, BG and EG.
Acknowledgments
I am indebted to my family for their unwavering support, patience and guidance.
Huge thanks also go to my advanced reader group for their advice and candid feedback.
J.A. Gill ebook
First published in Great Britain in 2017 by J.A. Gill
Ebook first published in 2017 by by J.A. Gill
Copyright © J.A. Gill 2017
The moral right of J. A. Gill to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All the characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead
is purely coincidental.
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