She nodded.
Sarah gave her a look that said she thought she was crazy before looking past her to Brittney, who appeared more concerned.
“What did your mum say?” said Brittney.
“To wait right here. She’s coming to get us.”
“Then I think that’s what we should do.”
“But it’s only Reid,” said Sarah.
“And we know he’s done bad stuff,” said Brittney. “Listen to Leah.”
“Fine,” sighed Sarah while Leah gave Brittney a grateful smile.
CHAPTER 26
“Mum,” exclaimed Leah when she saw her determinedly striding towards them.
“You okay?” said Rachel, regarding her with concern.
“Fine. Reid was here.”
Rachel’s eyes flared black. “Let’s go.” She looked to Leah’s friends. “Come on girls, I’ll take you home.”
“Thank you Mrs Law,” they said in unison.
Leah noticed her mum kept her right hand in her coat pocket as they walked through the shopping centre and headed into the car park, towards her car and she knew she was holding her taser, her black eyes constantly scanning their surroundings. She even glanced through the windows of the car before unlocking it.
“Get in girls,” she said, still keeping a lookout while Brittney and Sarah got in the back and Leah jumped into the front passenger seat.
When the three girls were in, Rachel even went as far as to open the boot and check inside before getting in the driver’s seat and setting off.
Sarah still thought everyone was being overly-dramatic but Brittney picked up on the tension in the car. If Rachel Law thought someone was dangerous then they obviously were.
They dropped Brittney off first then Sarah, Leah feeling guilty when she was glad to see the back of her friends but she didn’t want them getting caught up in the mess she’d made.
“Sorry Mum,” she said when it was just the two of them in the car.
“Not your fault sweetheart,” she replied. “We thought he’d done one. Clearly he’s very stupid.”
“Where’s Dad and the boys?”
“The boys are having tea at their friend’s house and your dad was at a business meeting. I called him. He should be home by now.”
“Good,” said Leah, relaxing. “Do you think Reid’s back to cause trouble?”
“Undoubtedly.”
As they rolled up the drive they were greeted by two police cars on the drive.
“Oh my God, what’s happened?” exclaimed Leah.
Rachel yanked on the handbrake and leapt out, Leah hurrying to catch up. Just as they reached the front door it opened and Ryan was led out in handcuffs by two police officers.
“Ryan,” cried Rachel. She glared at the two officers. “Let him go.”
“Sorry,” said Ashley, following them out. “He’s wanted in connection with a murder.”
“Murder?” she exclaimed. “Don’t be so ridiculous.”
“What murder?” said Leah.
Ashley’s eyes softened with sympathy. “You should go inside. You don’t want to hear this.”
“Don’t patronise me,” she said.
Ashley couldn’t help but think how much she looked like her mother. “I can’t give you any more details.” He looked to his men. “Get him in the car.”
“Ryan,” said Rachel, flinging her arms around his neck and kissing him. “I’ll send our solicitor over to the station. You’ll soon be home.”
“You can’t take him away,” said Leah.
“I won’t be gone long,” said Ryan, looking down at her. “I promise I’ll be back tomorrow.”
Rachel pulled Leah to her as he was bundled into the car.
“I’m sorry,” Ashley told them before he got in the car too. “I tried to warn you.”
Rachel’s gaze was cold. “Ryan hasn’t done anything wrong and tomorrow you’ll be apologising for being an idiot.”
“I hope that’s true,” he said before getting into the car.
“This is because of Reid,” said Leah as they watched them go.
“I agree. It’s no coincidence this happens just as he comes back.” Rachel mistrustfully regarded their surroundings, which were nothing but shrubbery enclosed in rolling fields. “Come on, let’s get inside. I need to call our solicitor.”
Jules realised she couldn’t hide away upstairs forever. She stayed in the bath so long the water was cold by the time she got out. Lisa and Stuart had already left, she’d heard them depart about fifteen minutes ago.
She got out of the bath, wrapped herself in a towel and padded into the bedroom she and Jackson were to share. It was very nice, large with fitted wardrobes but for all the emotion she felt she could have been staying in an anonymous hotel.
Jackson had already hung her clothes up in the wardrobe and she pulled on a fresh black hoodie and black jeans, which was what most of her wardrobe consisted of, hesitating before removing the hoodie, putting on the t-shirt Mikey had given her then pulling on the hoodie over it. The t-shirt gave her some comfort, something familiar in this unfamiliar world.
She froze when she heard footsteps on the stairs and Jackson poked his head around the door. “Alright babe?”
“Yeah, fine,” she said, the empty words coming to her so effortlessly now.
“Why don’t you come back down now my parents have gone? Cara can show you her rabbit.”
“She’ll probably think I want to eat it,” she said flatly. “She thinks I’m a big bad monster.”
“That’s not true. Come on, give it another go,” he said, holding his hand out to her.
“Fine,” she said, walking past him to the door, ignoring the hand he offered her.
At the bottom of the stairs she hung back, wanting Jackson to go into the lounge first.
Cara was sitting on the floor playing with a couple of dolls.
“Hey sweetie,” said Jackson, kneeling before her. “Let’s show mummy Flopsy.”
He didn’t give her chance to object, scooping her up and carrying her out into the back garden to a hutch set up on the lawn.
Jackson set Cara down on the grass and opened the hutch, scooping out a beautiful white fluffy rabbit. He handed Cara a handful of lettuce leaves.
Jules couldn’t help but smile at how happy Cara was feeding her pet rabbit. She knelt beside her and stretched out a hand. “Can I stroke Flopsy?”
Cara frantically shook her head and started to cry. “You’ll hurt her.”
Jules retracted her hand. “I won’t honey.”
“You’ll hurt her, you’ll hurt her,” she yelled.
Jules got to her feet and took a few steps back. “Cara, I would never do that.”
The child glared at her before turning back to her rabbit, calming down now Jules was a good distance away.
“Jules,” said Jackson.
But she ignored him, running back into the house, blinded with tears.
Jackson sighed, wondering how the hell he could fix his family.
Ashley and Ryan sat opposite each other at a table in an interview room, the latter’s cuffed hands resting on the tabletop.
“So, are you finally going to tell me what this is about?” said Ryan.
“Where were you this morning between one thirty and three?”
“At home in bed.”
“Can anyone corroborate that?”
“My wife.”
“Was she awake at the time?”
“Not that I’m aware of.”
“Then it’s not much of an alibi.”
“What do you expect at that time of night? Now what is this about? Who am I supposed to have killed?”
He opened the buff folder on the table before him and tossed some crime scene photos before Ryan. The images were nasty, the poor sod had gone through a lot before he’d died. Ashley noted how Ryan’s eyes didn’t so much as flicker as he took in the gruesome photos. Not even the best poker player in the world could have maintained tha
t neutral expression when confronted by such horror. Ryan didn’t react because he’d seen much gruesomeness in his time and no doubt caused plenty of it too.
“Cardew Milliband,” said Ashley.
“Who?” he frowned.
“You must know Cardew? He’s a bit of a local celebrity. You might know him better as Babette Del Rio.”
“Still doesn’t ring any bells and I don’t think I’d forget a name like that.”
“He was a local entertainer at a transvestite bar in Exeter. He was found beaten to death. There were also signs of torture on his body.”
“I’m sorry to hear that but why do you think it’s anything to do with me?”
“Because the gang unit I spoke to about yourselves said torture was a speciality of yours when dealing with anyone who stood in your way.”
His face hardened. “How dare you.”
“I’m only relaying what I’ve been told and please drop the innocent act. It doesn’t wash with me.”
“Listen. I didn’t lay a finger on this Cardew person, I’ve never even heard of him. I was at home in bed with my wife when someone else hurt him and you think it’s me because of something some moron once told you?”
“No. I think it’s you because of this,” he said, producing an item in a clear plastic bag from inside the folder and dumping it on the table before him. “Recognise it?”
Ryan did indeed recognise it, sadly but he wasn’t about to let on. “What is it?”
Ashley held up the bag for him to see. “It’s a hammer and not only was it used to beat Cardew but it’s covered in your DNA.”
“Hmmm. Convenient, don’t you think?”
“Incriminating is more the word I’d use.”
“So that’s your theory, is it? I killed this Cardew then left the hammer somewhere around his body, which was very helpfully covered in my DNA. How ridiculous.”
“Then how do you explain its presence at the crime scene?”
“I kept that in the garage, not the house. I suggest someone snuck in and stole it.”
“That’s a little far-fetched, isn’t it?”
“No more far-fetched than your silly theory and, unlike yours, I think I can prove mine.”
“How?”
“We have CCTV footage all over our property and one of the cameras covers the garage. If someone did sneak in there, it should have caught them in the act.”
“Perhaps. We will be reviewing all the CCTV footage on your property.”
“Good. And what on earth do you think my motive is?”
“It has all the hallmarks of a hate crime.”
“Why would I hate someone I don’t even know and have never heard of?”
“I’ve only your word for that.”
“I’m not lying,” he said through gritted teeth. “And if you’re insinuating I would hurt someone for working in a transvestite bar then you’re a fool.”
“Cardew didn’t just work there, he was a transvestite and he’d been the target of hate crimes before.”
“And because I have a criminal record you automatically assume I have draconian ideas about morality? Well let me set you straight on that score. I don’t. In fact the only type of person I loathe is a stupid one. I have nothing against transvestites. If a man wants to dress up as a woman it’s his own business and no one else’s.”
“I quite agree but that doesn’t alter the fact that a personal item of yours covered in your DNA turned up at a crime scene.”
“It’s obvious what’s happening here and it astounds me that you haven’t mentioned it yet. You told me before that you thought someone was trying to emulate me, maybe even set me up for their own crimes. Well that’s exactly what’s happened only they’ve gone a step further.” He knew Ashley had been waiting for him to broach this subject and he was loathe to oblige him but he had little choice.
“Interesting you come to that conclusion,” said Ashley, triumph in his eyes.
“It couldn’t be helped,” he said through a tense jaw.
“Have you ever come across that man you saw in the park that day?”
“No. And what about poor Liam Howard? Or have you forgotten about him?”
“Course I haven’t forgotten. His body was found exactly where Gerard said it would be. We’ve only just managed to identify him. His head was blown apart by three gunshots to the skull.”
“Poor bastard,” said Ryan sadly, shaking his head, able to imagine what that man must have suffered before he died. He snapped himself out of it. “Now I’m done talking. I want my lawyer.”
“Come on Ryan, help me out here, if you’re so innocent. Have you ever seen him again?”
He folded his arms across his chest. “I want my lawyer.”
Ashley sighed and got to his feet, gathering together his evidence and stuffing it back inside the folder. “Fine, that’s your right. Interview suspended. For now.”
Ryan glared at him as he left the room.
Jules climbed into bed, feeling awkward. Before the coma she’d always slept naked but that didn’t feel right anymore, so she wore a long vest and a pair of shorts. She lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling as Jackson got in beside her.
“Don’t,” she said when he tried to wrap an arm around her waist.
“Sorry,” he said, retracting his arm. “It’s just so good to have you back. I’ve missed you so much.”
“You had Cindy to keep you warm,” she retorted.
“I wish I’d never clapped eyes on the woman.”
“Don’t lie to me Jax any more than you already have. I know you’re excited about being a dad.”
He knew she deserved the truth. “Yes, of course I am but it’s only about the baby. Not her.”
“It will be when you see her belly growing. I remember how excited you were when I was pregnant with Cara and she wasn’t even yours. You’ll love that child and so you should but one day your emotions for the baby will become tangled up with feelings for Cindy.”
“No way. I love you, not her.”
“You might not always feel that way,” she said sadly.
“Yes I will. Don’t destroy us Jules, we’re great together. You’re still settling in. Once this place feels like home you’ll feel different.”
“Yeah, maybe.”
Gently he took her face between his hands, forcing her to look at him. “I love you. I don’t think you realise how much.”
There was so much she wanted to scream at him but once again she kept it all in and she just nodded.
“Do you still love me?” he said.
She nodded again, looking down at her hands.
He pressed his lips to hers, running his fingers through her hair, wanting to feel the dynamite that exploded between them every time they had sex but she barely responded.
“I can’t,” she said, pushing him away.
Jackson was stricken. She’d never done that before. Jules had a very high sex drive and they used to be all over each other. The sex was incredible and he was desperate to feel her again but there was no way he was going to push her. He didn’t want her retreating even further from him.
Helplessly he watched as she rolled onto her side, facing away from him, pulling the duvet up to her chin and closing her eyes. With a sigh he lay down beside her, wanting to touch her but not daring.
Just as he was drifting off to sleep she said, “I reckon Cara thought I’d hurt Flopsy because she remembers the Slatterys abducting her and taking her away and putting her through so much fear. But it’s got mixed up in her head and she thinks somehow I was responsible for handing her over to them.”
“We took her to see the psychiatrist you see. Cassandra is a child psychiatrist too. Mikey recommended her because she can be trusted to keep things to herself and DI Dwyer was sniffing about. She came to the conclusion that thankfully Cara didn’t see you injured or being attacked but she did realise that something bad had happened to you. Maybe she blames you for the pain and fear she felt about w
hat had been done to you?”
Jules rolled onto her back. “You could be onto something there.”
“Maybe. Do you think we should see marriage guidance or something?”
“I’m not ready to talk about all that yet,” she said before turning back on her side and closing her eyes, indicating the conversation was over.
Ryan spent an uncomfortable night in a cell at the local police station while the police trawled through the CCTV over the past three months on his property and he was released on bail the next morning.
He was home by lunchtime. Leah didn’t have to go into school that morning as she had a free study period, so she was waiting for him, throwing himself at him the second he came through the door.
He hugged her back. “I told you I’d be back today.”
“On half a million pound bail,” said Rachel, kissing him. “It’s fortunate we can afford it. Have they finished looking through the CCTV footage yet?”
“Not yet.”
“Let’s hope they find something on it,” said Rachel.
“I’ve no doubt they will. Reid stole that hammer and planted it at the crime scene. I’m sure of it.”
“Looks like you’re right,” said Rachel. “Leah saw Reid at the shopping centre yesterday.”
“He turns up just as I’m framed for murder,” he sighed.
“I’m so sorry Dad,” said Leah. “This is my fault.”
“No, it’s his and we’re going to stop him.”
“I’ve made discreet enquiries as to his whereabouts,” said Rachel. “But nothing. The man’s a ghost. Battler and Bruiser said they’d help out but they’re swamped with work. Perhaps we should get someone to help us?”
“And who else do we know with the ability to track down someone so elusive while not revealing to the police everything we know? Because in order for them to help us properly, that’s what we’ll have to do. I am not dragging Jez and Mikey into this, their presence will only make matters bleaker for me in the eyes of the local police and by all accounts Jules is in a mess after what Jackson did.”
“Yes, I can’t get over that one,” said Rachel. “And to think I felt sorry for him. Anyway, we’ve come up with someone else, someone more north of the border.”
Retribution Page 29