Rush hour was over and the streets were negotiable if not entirely clear. Tags rode carefully, seemingly unperturbed by the shadow of Alonso. Stella held on, easy and relaxed, confident in Tags’ handling of the powerful beast beneath. Although the rain continued to spatter down, the jacket was extremely warm and she felt suddenly liberated by the fresh air. Months of solitude had caused her to stagnate, and every breath blew away another fusty cobweb. She leant back and let her hair fly in the breeze, savouring every lungful of oxygen as if the element was new to her.
They pressed on towards the M4 with Alonso in tow. A hundred yards behind an unmarked squad car tracked them all.
Chapter 54
Annie sat in silence debating what to say. Kamal had asked her a straight question and he deserved a straight answer. But there was no straight answer to give. The complexities of her life couldn’t be summed up in a sentence, a paragraph, or even a long-winded speech. She had spent years in therapy trying to come to terms with what happened, and even then she had only skimmed the surface: how could she possibly quantify it all to someone else.
“I don’t know,” she said, eventually. “I don’t know why he called me Tracy. Perhaps I remind him of somebody. You know what those guys are like – they’re all fucked in the head.”
“Maybe,” said Kamal. “But he seemed very certain of his words. And if it was a mistake then you certainly overreacted to it.”
Annie stared out of the window, a sickening storm of emotion welling inside. She desperately wanted to tell Kamal everything, after all – he had opened up to her, but she could see no way of explaining it without him hating her. As soon as she told him the truth their friendship would come to an end. He would think her evil. And he would be right.
Kamal reached across and caressed her hand. “Listen,” he said softly. “Whatever it is, I do not mind. You know the evil I have done in my life, I am not able to judge anyone else.”
Annie turned to face him, then quickly looked away. His eyes were kind and open, filled with a compassion that she didn’t deserve. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m just not ready to talk about it at the moment. I wish I could…” She stuttered and choked back the tears. “I just can’t…It’s too much.”
“Do not fret,” said Kamal, continuing with his calming tone. “You do not have to say anything. The past can stay where it belongs. All that matters is what you do now and in the future.”
Kamal’s words, however, did not register. Annie’s moistened eyes were fixed on the TV in horror. She was staring at a picture of herself.
Chapter 55
Stella felt alive, losing herself in a windswept moment as the Harley cruised down the motorway at an even seventy, its robust engine emitting a satisfying, throaty grunt. Cars passed by with passengers giving admiring yet slightly envious glances. She revelled in the freedom of the open road, forgetting temporarily the reason for her journey, and the fact they were being followed.
After a while she looked back briefly to check on Alonso who, sure enough, was still tailing them, and wondered how on earth Tags was going to lose him drifting along at such a sedate speed. She wanted to ask, but the noise was far too great for any form of verbal communication.
Just after Bristol Tags made a pit-stop at the Gordano services. Stella remembered the last time she had been there, four months earlier when she and Jennings had been on their way down to Exmoor.
“I thought we’d grab a bite to eat,” said Tags as he dismounted.
“Sounds good,” Stella agreed.
They headed for the café. Behind them Alonso followed. A plain clothes detective tracked them all.
After standing dutifully in line and filling their plates from the breakfast buffet, they sat down at a table by the window. Tags started to wolf down his greasy morsels.
“Alonso’s over there,” said Stella, pointing.
Tags didn’t bother looking round. “I know,” he said, between mouthfuls. “Don’t sweat it. Eat your food.”
Stella shrugged and did as she was told. The food was slightly cardboardy but the tea was good and helped wash it down. They ate in silence, mainly because of Tags’ blinkered occupation with his meal.
When he eventually lay down his cutlery, Stella spoke. “How are we going to get rid of Alonso?” she asked.
Tags grinned. “Don’t worry about it,” he said. “Everything’s in hand. And besides it’s not just Alonso, we’ve got the rozzers for company as well.”
“I haven’t noticed them,” said Stella.
“You wouldn’t have, you’re too preoccupied with Alonso. But believe me they’re here somewhere. They’ve been tracking me for months.”
Stella looked round to see if she could spot any likely suspects. Twenty feet behind her she noticed a man on his own sipping coffee and reading the Guardian, she immediately made him for police. “You’re right,” she said. “Three tables back, grey suit.”
“You’ve got him,” laughed Tags.
“So how do we lose them?” she pressed.
Tags finished his tea with a slurp. “All in good time,” he said. “Now, I expect you’ll be needing the loo before we head off won’t you?”
“I guess so,” she replied.
“Well, run along then. I’ll wait here.”
Stella made her way to the toilets, wondering why Tags had been so keen to get rid of her. Perhaps he was going to pull a stunt on Alonso and the cops while she was gone. Ultimately it was out of her hands so she just had to trust him.
The ladies’ toilets were busy enough but there were plenty of spare cubicles. She passed by a few on the grounds of hygiene until finding one that was suitable. She entered, but before she could close the door, a figure shot in with her.
“What the—!?” she shouted.
The woman put a finger to her lips. “Shssh,” she whispered. “I’m a friend of Tags’.”
Stella looked her up and down. She had long dark hair just like her own, and was wearing exactly the same outfit. Apart from a few disparities in their facial features she could have been looking in a mirror. The penny slowly dropped.
The woman handed her a leather holdall. “Put on these clothes, put your hair up, then go to the Days Inn hotel next door – room 301. Good luck.” She exited the cubicle leaving Stella to her own devices.
Stella chuckled as she thought of Alonso and the cops following Tags on a wild goose chase with her doppelganger in tow.
After changing into her new apparel of black jeans and jumper, she fixed her hair and left the toilets. Tags’ bike had gone, and so had Alonso’s Vectra. The switch had been successful.
She walked casually over to the hotel and breezed through reception, eyeing the room numbers as she went. After a couple of wrong turns she found 301 and knocked on the door.
There was no answer so she knocked again. This time the door opened slowly and a familiar beady eye poked through the crack. It was Oggi.
Stella didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. In the end she did neither. “Well, let me in then,” she said.
He opened the door and shuffled her in quickly. He’d only just had time to shut it when she leapt up and gave him a hug.
“Steady on,” he said. “You’ll do me a mischief.”
She let go for a moment, but then grabbed him again and kissed his beard. “It’s just good to see you,” she said.
“Likewise,” said Oggi. “I’ve been looking forward to it. I’m sorry it couldn’t have been sooner, but it’s a bit difficult arranging a social life at present. Can I get you a coffee or a tea. I’ve got some nice shortbread from the service station.”
“Coffee would be great,” she beamed.
She sat down on the edge of one of the beds and took off her boots. They were brand new and pinching slightly. “I hope you don’t mind,” she said to Oggi. “I don’t think they smell too much.”
“Not at all,” said Oggi. “The way I’ve been living for the last three months, they’re positively fragrant.�
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“You don’t smell too bad now,” she commented.
“No. You’re lucky, I’ve had a bath.”
“Where have you been hiding out anyway?” asked Stella.
“On the moors,” he replied, pouring Stella a coffee.
“Bloody hell!” said Stella. “In this weather? You must have been soaked to the bone. And January and February were so cold as well. I’m amazed you didn’t catch hypothermia.”
“It wasn’t that bad,” Oggi insisted. “I made myself a nice little dugout with a fire, and Tags and Dino brought me supplies, so I haven’t starved.”
Stella sipped at her coffee. “All the same,” she said, “it can’t have been easy. Wasn’t it lonely?”
Oggi nibbled at a piece of shortbread, looking awkward. “I suppose it was, but I didn’t really think about it. I guess I was just pleased to be free. I felt a bit like Grizzly Adams.”
“Well, you’ve certainly got his look,” she laughed.
“Yes, but I’m afraid the beard’s going to have to go. I’m going to shave all my hair off as well. I can’t risk being recognized.”
“No, of course not,” agreed Stella. “But to be honest there’s a much bigger manhunt going on at the moment. The Prime Minister was shot at last week, or hadn’t you heard.”
“Yes, of course,” he nodded. “It should take some of the heat off. I think it might give me a chance to get out of the country.”
“Is that your plan then? To escape to some warmer clime? Maybe live out your life in Brazil like Ronnie Biggs?”
“Not exactly,” he said. “I’ve got a bit of a mission on. I need to help a friend out with something important.”
Stella put down her mug. “Don’t you think it’s a bit more important to get yourself sorted out? If you get caught it’s a lifetime in prison. The way the police have portrayed you, they might even consider bringing back the death penalty.”
“I hope it won’t come to that,” he said. “But don’t worry, what we’re doing involves leaving the country anyway.”
Stella got up and stretched her legs. “So who is this friend? He must be a good one if you’re taking risks.”
Oggi stroked the back of his neck nervously. “Well, yes, he is a good friend. I think you might know him.”
“Oh, really? What’s his name? Is it Tags?”
Oggi shook his head. “No, not Tags. I think you’d better sit down.”
Stella did as he requested, her stomach presaging something ominous.
Oggi got up and opened the bathroom door. “Come on mate,” he said. “You’d better come out and face the music.”
Stella stiffened as the figure appeared in the doorway. She took a brief look, then fell to her knees and started to convulse.
Chapter 56
“Turn it off!” Annie screamed. “Turn the fucking thing off!”
Kamal held up his hand, indicating that she should be quiet. “No,” he said. “We must see this.”
The newsman began to talk…
“Early this morning police found the mutilated bodies of a woman and child at a house in Greenwich. They have been identified as Miriam and David Steele. Police urgently want to interview this woman – Annie Steele – in connection with the murders. The public are warned that she is extremely dangerous. Let’s go over to our correspondent Alan Tilbury who’s outside the house now…”
“Hello Trevor. Yes, this is a particularly grisly scene. Police were alerted early this morning when a neighbour saw a young lady fleeing the house. The neighbour came round and found the two bodies in the living room. She immediately called the police who were here within minutes. It was then that they discovered the true horror of what had occurred. Their throats had been slashed and both bodies had sustained multiple stab wounds. One officer said it was the most distressing sight he’d seen in thirty years on the force…”
Annie’s body began to shut down.
“…We have been given unprecedented details of the crime, due to the urgency with which they need to find the suspect. And I can reveal exclusively that the real name of the woman in question is in fact Tracy Tressel, the infamous double killer…”
Kamal turned to Annie. She was almost catatonic. He squeezed her hand and returned to the news.
“…Alan Tilbury there, reporting from Greenwich. I believe we can now go to Chief Inspector Roger Drabble of the Metropolitan Police, who can tell us more about the case. Good morning Roger. Thank you for agreeing to talk to us.”
“Good morning Trevor.”
“Tracey Tressel will be a familiar name to most of our viewers, but if you could just give us a brief reminder of exactly who she is…”
“Of course. Eighteen years ago an eight-year-old girl was found guilty of murdering her father and her sister in a savage knife attack. She was subsequently sectioned and treated. She was released six years ago having been deemed no longer a threat to the public. She was given a new identity and reunited with her mother. The girl in question is Tracy Tressel, or Annie Steele as she is now known. Unfortunately, as has now been proved so tragically, her release was a mistake.”
“There will be questions as to the safety of her release and the culpability of those who facilitated it of course, won’t there Roger?”
“Of course there will, but that is not the issue for the time being. The most important thing is to find and capture this very dangerous woman. In her current state of mind there is no telling what she may be capable of. She represents a very great risk to all members of the public, which is why we have taken this very unusual step of releasing all details to the media. We need the whole country looking for this woman. But I must warn people not to approach her in any circumstances. If you see her, phone the police immediately. Do not, I repeat, do not try and apprehend her yourself.”
“Thank you Roger…Chief Inspector Roger Drabble there, giving us some background to the case. We will of course keep you updated of any further breakthroughs throughout the day.
“In other news…”
Kamal picked up the remote and muted the TV. He continued to hold Annie’s hand. “Annie,” he said. “Annie.”
There was no reply.
“Marvo!” he shouted. “Marvo! Get in here!”
Marvo was at the door in an instant. “What is it?” he asked.
“It’s Annie, she’s gone into shock.”
Marvo knelt down in front of her and tested her eyes. “Fuck!” he said. “She’s completely fucking gone.” He put his massive hands either side of her head and closed his eyes, letting the power surge through to his palms. He held for thirty seconds and then stopped. Some colour had returned to her previously cadaverous cheeks. “Annie,” he said. “Can you hear me? Just give me a little nod if you can.”
She nodded briefly.
Marvo held her hands in his. “Now just breathe slowly. Everything’s alright. Everything’s going to be alright.” He turned to Kamal. “She’ll be fine. I’ll go and make some tea. Just hold her hand.”
Five minutes later he returned with mugs of tea and a small breakfast for Kamal. Annie took her tea silently and drank only at Marvo’s bidding.
“What the fuck happened man?” he asked Kamal. “She was fine this morning. What did you say to her?”
“Nothing,” said Kamal. “I said nothing. It was the television news.”
“The news?” questioned Marvo. “I’ve never seen the news do that to anyone. I know it’s boring, but this is ridiculous.”
Kamal picked at his food lightly. “There have been murders,” he said. “Her family have been murdered.”
“Fuck me!” exclaimed Marvo. “What the fuck’s going on here Kamal? You know I never ask questions, but this is starting to freak me out. How much shit are you two in exactly?”
Kamal sighed. “You are a good man Marvo, I do not wish to burden you with our problems. Give me a couple of hours and we will be gone.”
Marvo cocked his head. “Don’t be so stupid Kamal. You’r
e not going anywhere for days – that’s doctors orders. I’ll help you like I always do. It’d be nice to know what’s going on that’s all. The more I know, the more I can help. A problem shared etc…”
Kamal put down his fork. “Well, I suppose you are going to see the news at some point…It is like this…” He related their tale briefly, including the news item and Annie’s real identity.
When Kamal had finished Marvo sat back in his chair. “Jesus H Christ! That’s fucking crazy! No wonder she’s in shock…Tracy Tressel, well I fucking never.” He sat forward in the chair and gave Kamal a serious look. “What are you going to do?” he said.
Chapter 57
Stella spat the acrid taste from her mouth, and gazed at the pool of vomit through watery eyes. A light switched on in her head and she suddenly remembered where she was, and what was happening. Looking up to the doorway she stared hard at the blurry vision.
Oggi helped her to her feet. “Here, have this,” he said, handing her a wad of tissues.
She wiped her eyes and then her lips. Then, with frightening speed, she took two steps forward and punched Stratton square in the face. There was a sickening crunch and he stumbled backwards and landed in the bath holding his nose. His legs dangled over the side. Oggi stifled a snigger.
Stratton removed his hand and stared at the blood. He smiled up at Stella. “Nice to see you too,” he said.
Stella looked into his eyes, and against the angry tide felt a surge of warmth flow through her. The confusion welled. Desperately she tried to suppress a grin. But the harder she fought, the stronger the urge became, until eventually the only way to break the stalemate was to let go of her hatred. “You fucking bastard,” she laughed. “I fucking well hate you!”
Stratton held out a bloody hand. “Any chance of helping me out?” he grinned.
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