I didn’t know how to reply to Alex. Fortunately, I was saved by the taxi. Uber hadn’t yet reached us, so #AAATaxis it was. They’d added the hashtag for online use. The marketing strategy was advanced, but the bigoted opinions of the driver were not. We smiled at each other as he recognised Alex, told her he loved the programme, and then shared his views on crime and punishment with us for the next twenty miles.
All we could do was laugh when he drove off into the town.
‘Does Uber give bigotry ratings to drivers?’ I asked Alex. ‘Can you choose the political leanings of your driver to create in-car political harmony?’
‘I can’t believe how bad normal taxis are,’ she laughed. ‘They all bitch and moan about Uber, but they need to up their game. It’s a long time since I had to sit through a load of bollocks like that. He wouldn’t survive five minutes on Uber. Have you ever thought about London, Pete?’
I had. I was thinking about it all the time. Since I’d chatted with Ellie, I’d done that thing where you go through all the options in your head. You try to picture what it would be like. So far, it was looking good. Life was much more civilised in bigger cities.
We worked our way through a couple of pubs, and then headed for the safest nightclub that I could think of. It was the gay club, the one where the younger guys went from the office. Fanny’s this one was called, after Julian Clary’s famous dog. What a great name for a gay nightclub. We’d be able to spend a night in there without testosterone-fuelled outbreaks of violence and drunk fat guys hitting on Alex.
It was early in terms of nightlife, so the music was at reasonable levels. It was wall-to-wall great tunes. I’d neglected this side of my life. Meg and I would never have gone out to a club.
‘Shall we do cocktails?’ I asked. ‘Mix it up a bit?’
‘Why not?’ Alex laughed. ‘It’ll make a change from white wine.’
The night moved on, the club got more crowded, we became increasingly drunk, the music got louder. We got up and danced. I’d forgotten that Alex loved to dance. I hated it, but she’d always dragged me up and I always had fun when I got there. I was a disgrace on the dance floor, like a cack-handed MC Hammer without the trousers. Alex didn’t seem to mind. We even got up on the dance podiums. I was larking around pretending to do pole-dancing moves, and at one stage we had most of the nightclub clapping us, urging us on. I love gay clubs. I’d forgotten what a great laugh they could be.
‘I’ve got to pee!’ Alex shouted over the music. ‘Which way to the loos?’
I pointed out where I thought they were. She had to walk right across the dance floor; it was a long way to go to reach a toilet. She was gone some time and I’d begun to wonder what had happened to her.
While I was waiting, I went to get us a couple of soft drinks. It was time to start the dilution process if we were going to see anything of Sunday. I’d managed to buy the drinks and return to our seats by the time Alex returned.
‘I just met a friend of yours!’ she yelled at me over the music, which was getting far too loud for old gits like me.
‘Oh yes, who was it?’ I asked, intrigued to know who she’d met. The younger reporters came to Fanny’s, but I hadn’t spotted any that night. They usually arrived when the pubs were throwing everybody out.
‘He’s not a journalist, said he knows you personally as a friend. He must have seen us together. He knows all about you: where you live and work, where you’re living at the moment. Sounded like a close friend to me.’
‘What did he look like? Did he tell you his name?’
‘Dark hair, gaunt, quite cold eyes actually. Balding, he’d shaved off his hair, down to a number one or number two blade. Not the type of person I’d expect to be your best friend, sorry about that.’
I was intrigued and getting a little unsettled. This didn’t sound like anyone I knew. I tried for a name again.
‘Did he tell you his name? Surely he told you who he is? Can you see him in here now?’
Alex looked around, then turned back to me. She shrugged.
‘I can’t see him now. Said he’d be seeing you soon, though. What did he say his name was? It was something short. Jeff ... Joe ... no, Jay! That’s it, he said his name was Jay Dee! You know him?’
I knew him alright. His name wasn’t Jay Dee, it was JD, the nutcase who’d been sending those letters to the radio station. And now he’d decided to show his face at last. Just as a new dead body had turned up.
Chapter Eight
JD’s sudden appearance screwed up the evening for me. We’d had a great time and I didn’t want Alex to worry. I kept the truth from her, I didn’t want her to know whom she’d been talking to. I’d tell her later, the next day. I’d also be speaking to my boss Diane. If the coppers came round about the murder, I’d be telling them straight away that they needed to find this JD guy.
Alex and I took the taxi back home. It was a fair drive back to the campsite, and fortunately we had a lovely Asian guy driving us. He opened the doors, drove considerately, and didn’t chat once the pleasantries were out of the way.
Alex fell asleep with her head resting on my shoulder. It was all I could do to rouse her again when we finally reached the static caravan. I paid and tipped the driver, thanked him for dimming his lights as he drove through the site, and accompanied Alex to the door.
As I placed the key in the lock, the door opened again.
‘Bloody hell! There’s something wrong with this damn door. I know I locked it this time.’
Caravan doors aren’t the most impregnable barriers on the planet. Tom Cruise and the MI boys would have no trouble getting in, but this was ridiculous. I’d have a word with Vicky the next day. She could have her VIP meet-and-greet and I’d ask her to send around Len the maintenance man.
I helped Alex up the steps and into the caravan.
‘You okay? Do you want a drink of water or something?’
‘I’m fine, Pete. I’m knackered. I need some sleep.’
‘No problem, let’s sleep it off.’
‘Pete, don’t take this the wrong way ... can I sleep with you tonight? Not sex or anything, can I be in the same room with you? I want the company tonight. Tell me no if you don’t want to.’
Truth be told, I was pleased she made the suggestion. After so many years of marriage, I was finding it hard coming back home to an empty bed. And she was right. It wasn’t anything to do with sex that night. It was the companionship that I wanted too, the presence of somebody next to me in the bed.
I checked through the caravan, making sure that the doors were properly closed. There didn’t seem to be any problem on the inside, the doors were shut fast. Maybe the problem was with the outside mechanism. I resolved to start using the door at the back of the unit until Len had checked things out.
I went ahead to the bedroom while Alex was brushing her teeth. I pulled back the quilt, which was looking more ruffled than I remembered. The bottom sheet looked as if someone had had sex on it. They were Becky’s sheets. She’d told me that they weren’t clean, but I’d assumed she meant that she’d slept in them. Surely she hadn’t been shagging in them?
She was a grown woman, after all. If she’d picked me up in the bar, there was no reason why she shouldn’t have picked up someone else earlier in the week. She was a hot woman and I wouldn’t be the only one lusting after her, but I was pretty certain that the stain hadn’t been there before. The light was a bit dodgy in the room, with only a single lamp I’d probably missed it. I didn’t want Alex spotting it, so I pulled over the quilt and took out a couple of spare blankets from the wardrobe.
She walked into the room, still looking tired.
‘I need to sleep!’ she said. She took off her shoes, lay on the bed and did exactly that. She was asleep in moments. I checked the doors once again, then turned out the lights and joined Alex on the bed. We were both fully clothed, I’d even left my socks on.
It took me a while to drop off. I’d been rattled by JD’s appearance. I
remembered Ellie telling me about her stalker, Tony Miller. He’d turned out to be a proper psycho. There was no way I was ignoring JD’s appearance. It had to be connected in some way with the death at the house. Were the police calling it a murder yet? Glenn Elliot might have had a heart attack, I suppose.
I wondered if I could call the police there and then. It wasn’t a 999 call. I tried to remember the other number that they gave out, the one for non-emergencies. I couldn’t remember it. 911 was the American number. We’d done it on the radio, what was it? I’d Google it as soon as I got up in the morning. I was too tired now.
I thought about Steven Terry and his warning to me. He’d got it completely right last time. What had he said this time around? He’d already said that there was more death to come in the house. Well, that was Glenn Elliot. He’d warned me that the lies would have to stop. I’d been honest with Alex, I was going to tell her everything in the morning. I’d tell Meg too, everything. If she ever showed her face again.
He warned me about the women in my life. Who were they? Meg. Alex. Ellie was over, we were still friends, but we’d had our fling.
Meg and Alex. Did Becky count? And the single mums? Surely the casual encounters weren’t important, they were all back home by the end of each week. It wasn’t as if we sent each other postcards.
I thought about Becky for a while. She’d been prepared for an intimate encounter the previous night, right down to the masks and oil. Even down to the pubic pruning – she was freshly trimmed, ready for sex. There were signs of sexual activity on the sheets, there was no reason to suppose that I was the only bloke she’d slept with that week. But she had suggested that we see each other again.
She’d set out specifically to get into my pants the night before, she’d said as much. And the masks and oil, that wasn’t something that was whisked out of a handbag during a regular one-night stand.
I’d need to make sure I chatted to Becky again, there was something about our encounter that didn’t ring true. I fell asleep with Alex’s hand draped across my chest, thinking about all the things I would have to do the next day.
We woke early, considering our previous night of booze and dancing. As I lay awake in the bed next to Alex, I started to itemise the things that I would have to get done that day. Her arm was still draped over me from the night before, she’d barely moved since we fell asleep.
‘Hi Pete, my mouth tastes like a sandpit. I should have drunk more water before I crashed out last night. Do you want a cup of tea?’
It was nice to have somebody else to put the kettle on. A simple thing, but I’d grown used to doing it myself every morning. Even if you’re only sitting there in an early morning haze, it’s still nice to have someone else around.
We’d had a good night. Until JD had spoiled everything. This is how they get you, like a tick burrowing into your skin and feeding off your blood. Now the guy had shown his face, I’d get the police on the case. In fact, this was a positive outcome in a way. Now he’d surfaced, he would have to stop hiding in the shadows.
I thought about weaponry and protection. Was there anything I could carry with me, legally, in case he did a Tony Miller on me and turned into a psycho? Sally had been waving an air pistol around when she decided to get to the truth about Meg and Jem. It had been extremely effective in scaring the living daylights out of us. I wondered if I’d be able to get one locally and maybe carry it around with me. Sally had used one that Jem had bought to shoot at targets in the garden with his oldest two kids. Ironic that – it was Jem himself who became the target.
It’s fine being in a country with gun laws, but when there’s a nutter on the loose, it would be handy if you could invoke a bit of USA constitution and get yourself tooled up. The nutters never seem to have any problems getting their hands on proper guns, it’s the rest of us who are left with our pants down when the violence begins.
I’d maybe keep that to myself, not mention it to Alex. I didn’t want to frighten her. I also didn’t want the cops to catch me with a weapon. That would make the local papers, they’d love a story like that: City Murder Man Gun Shock.
I brought Alex up to speed about JD over our first cup of tea of the day.
‘How tall was this JD guy, Alex? Could I take him in a fight?’
I smiled at her, trying to lighten up the question, but wanting an answer.
‘He was one of those small guys, lean and fit. Not a muscle man, but he looked like he was in good shape. He had a lot of tattoos on his arms. They call them sleeves, don’t they? They looked quite good actually.’
‘What was he like? Friendly? Aggressive?’
‘Look, Pete, there’s no point fretting about this guy. At least he’s shown his face now. I’ll keep an eye out for him, and if I see him again, we’ll call the police. Maybe even take a picture. You should have told me about him earlier, I could have done something about it if you had. I hope you’re keeping that phone of yours charged now, after last time?’
I’d changed my phone since the killings six months ago. It had a decent battery life and I made sure that it was charged. If any crazed killers started abducting people again, I’d be ready for them. I could Snapchat my way out of trouble.
Alex and I finished our drinks and then took it in turns to shower. We decided to get a newspaper. I wanted to know if there were any more details about Glenn Elliot’s death, I’d forgotten to turn the radio on for the hourly bulletin. I wasn’t even entirely certain that it was Glenn who’d died.
‘We may well run into Vicky. She’s a fan of yours. If you want to hide in the caravan, you’re welcome to. I’ll get the paper.’
‘No, it’s fine, I’m used to it. She sounds okay and she’s done you a favour letting you rent this place and giving you the bar work. Let’s get it over with.’
Vicky deserved her success at the caravan park. We could see her through the office window processing the takings from the Saturday night. She jumped up when she saw Alex and me approaching.
‘This is Vicky Walters, Alex. She’s a huge fan!’
For the first time since I’d met her, Vicky didn’t know what to say. Alex was great, putting her at ease, being really nice to her. She got the real celebrity treatment that morning. Alex shared a few insider secrets, signed Vicky’s copy of the TV listings magazine, which had a picture from the TV show inside, and made her feel really special. No wonder everybody loved Alex so much, there was no edge to her at all, she made Vicky’s day.
Eventually it was time to move on. I wanted to ask Vicky a couple of questions before we left the office and moved over to the campsite shop.
‘You won’t forget to ask Len to look at the lock, will you Vicky? I had another problem with it last night. I’m getting really concerned.’
‘No luv, don’t worry, I won’t forget. He’s in at 10 o’clock on a Sunday, I’ll send him straight over. Are you in or out today? Is it okay if he lets himself in? I don’t want him disturbing you two.’
I knew what she meant by that. But Alex and I were just friends. Len might have got a surprise if he’d walked in on me a couple of nights beforehand, but he was safe with Alex around. I didn’t want to mess things up with her, I’d done enough of that with all my other relationships already.
‘It’s fine, Vicky. Send him over whenever. We’ll be going out today, we’ll get some breakfast in town then go on and make a few visits.’
I hesitated over the next question. I didn’t want to tip Alex off about what had happened with Becky. Part of me was ashamed to admit it to her, it was my idiot side, which I had difficulty controlling.
‘I know that you can’t tell me about other guests, Vicky, data protection and all that, but you don’t know if there’s a lady called Becky or Rebecca on the site, do you?’
I probably gave more information than was needed.
‘She was talking to me in the bar the other night, seemed like a nice lady. She was on her own, no kids or hubby in tow. She hadn’t been left any fresh she
ets in her room, I suggested that she pop in to see you. She was a bit embarrassed to ask. Do you know her?’
Alex gave me a knowing look. Vicky flicked through some papers on her desk.
‘Single occupant, luv? Initial R. Can’t see anything here. Becky, you said?’
‘Yeah, she’s here for two weeks.’
Vicky looked at a different set of papers.
‘We’ve only got three families staying on from last week, luv, and they’re all big groups. It’s funny you mention sheets, though. We did have a set taken from a caravan on the far side of the site. I didn’t believe them actually, they probably stole them or something like that. I let them off, gave them the benefit of the doubt, but they swore that someone must have come in and pinched their sheets. Double bed too. Usually it’s kids pissing in the bed that causes sheets to go missing.’
Vicky looked at Alex again.
‘I’m sorry, luv, I should mind my language.’
Alex smiled, put her at her ease again, and we said our goodbyes.
That feeling was back again. The one that I had when Meg had gone AWOL in the hotel.
First JD had turned up in the city, seemingly following my movements. Now something wasn’t quite right with Becky. Had she lied to me about her name? As a single woman sleeping with a strange bloke on a one-night stand, maybe that was a sensible thing to do. Vicky said that there were no single females, only family groups staying on the site for a two-week period. Had Becky been lying about her name and her family situation? Maybe she was in one of those open marriages. I’d look out for her on site. I had her number, I’d try and contact her later, when Alex wasn’t around. But Alex was onto me already.
‘You slept with that woman, didn’t you?’
It wasn’t accusing, it was more taking the mickey.
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