Dark of Mind

by Robin Roughley

  'John, is everything OK?' she asked, her chestnut-coloured, shoulder-length hair shone in the hallway light.

  'No, it's not bloody OK, this man just hit me for no reason and…'

  'What is Faith doing in that car and why is she crying?' the woman asked.

  'Jesus, Livy, didn't you hear what I just said?' Hinton demanded.

  'Of course I did but…'

  'She came here crying and whining, expecting me to take her back just like that,' Hinton clicked his fingers, his face set in a grimace of disgust.

  Bannister had heard enough, turning his back on Hinton he looked closely at the woman, her make-up done to perfection, her full lips pursed.

  'If you have any influence over this piece of shit then perhaps you can get him to see that being pregnant isn't a crime.'

  Livy looked at him and nodded slightly. 'He's upset about what happened, but he'll calm down given time,' she responded.

  'How dare you two talk about me as if I wasn't here, and I tell you now there is no way I will ever change my mind about that whore!' Hinton roared.

  'Unbelievable,' Bannister snarled as he stormed out through the door, heading down the drive, his face livid with fury.

  Yanking open the car door he got into the car and started the engine before turning to Faith.

  She looked at him with saucer-like eyes that overflowing with tears. 'Is he still angry with me?' she asked in a whisper.

  Bannister thought for a moment, choosing his words carefully. 'Look, Faith, I don't know your father and according to his girlfriend he'll calm down in the end, but…'

  'Don't listen to a word she says,' Faith interrupted as more tears spilled from her eyes. 'I know she acts all nice but believe me she isn't really like that at all.'

  Bannister thought about pushing the issue and then he simply sighed. 'OK, but obviously your father needs time to get used to all this and if he can't do that then you're better off without him.'

  Faith seemed to shrink in the seat at his words. 'All I ever wanted to do was make him proud of me and now I've ruined everything.'

  'You've ruined nothing,' Bannister insisted. 'Belle and Kelly told me how you've lived your life trying to please him but believe me, sweetheart, some people are just not worth the effort.'

  Her eyes widened in surprise. 'But he's my father,' she whispered.

  Bannister sighed as he rubbed a hand across the back of his neck. 'Did Kelly tell you that for the first sixteen years of her life I was out of the picture?'

  Faith shook her head at the revelation. 'No, she never said anything.'

  Bannister smiled though Faith could see the sadness in his eyes.

  'I was an idiot and by the time I realised it me and Suzanne had split up but not a day went by when I didn't regret it. I never stopped loving either of them but I missed out on so much and now I try and make it up to them both, but the truth is I failed Kelly when she needed me the most,' he paused and sucked in a gulp of air, 'what I'm trying to say is that given time your old man might realise he's the one to blame for all this but if he doesn't then I want you to know we will help you in any way we can.'

  Faith nodded gratefully and then lowered her head as the tears trickled down her cheeks.

  Bannister glanced towards the house, the front door was closed, and he shook his head sadly before driving away, his features carved with a mixture of sadness and disgust.

  96

  Bradley Robbins looked around the busy accident and emergency reception area, his hand was wrapped in a wet tea towel and throbbed like a bitch.

  On arrival he had been taken to a small cubicle where a young nurse had checked the damage, her face impassive as she looked at the blistered skin.

  Then he had been sent back to wait his turn to be seen by a doctor.

  Before leaving the house, he had filled the flask with boiling water, taken four painkillers and run the tea towel under the cold-water tap. Then he had made his way over to the hospital and parked up a couple of minutes away on a small country lane before opening the door and stepping out, flask in hand. Unscrewing the lid, he had gritted his teeth and poured the water over the back of his left hand, gasping at the sudden pain, his eyes screwed closed. Throwing the flask into the ditch, he had wrapped the towel around his hand and got back into the car, his face wet with sweat as he drove away.

  Minutes later, he had walked into A&E, the pain making him feel sick as he lied about what had happened to the receptionist, saying he had spilled the hot water onto his hand whilst making a coffee.

  Now, he closed his eyes and blocked out the noise that the other patients were making; the woman in the corner whimpering as she held her broken arm against her chest, the drunk with the bloody face who cursed low under his breath, and the small child who had a saucepan lodged onto his head all faded as he imagined Zero making the bitch pay for what she had done.

  The smile flickered across his face, picturing the blood and gore, the screams of agony as Zero went to work. He hoped her boyfriend was there as well and perhaps even his daughter, all screaming, all dying in the slaughterhouse.

  When he felt the tap on his shoulder, he cracked his eyes open, the nurse smiled at him.

  'The doctor will see you now,' she said.

  Over in the corner, the woman with the damaged arm whimpered in pain and Robbins grimaced at the sound. 'Look, I've taken a couple of painkillers and to be honest it sounds as if the young woman in the corner needs help more than I do.'

  The nurse looked surprised and then she nodded. 'That's very kind of you.'

  'Not a problem,' he replied as she moved away.

  He hated hospitals, always had, but just this once the longer he spent sitting here then the stronger his alibi would be.

  Closing his eyes again, he went back into the delicious daydream, one full of blood, screams and carnage.

  97

  Lasser dished the stew out onto two plates, his stomach rumbling as the delicious aroma filled the confines of the boat.

  'Do you want any beetroot?' he asked as Jackie appeared from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her, another one keeping the mass of hair piled high on her head.

  'Yes please,' she replied as she eased around him to sit down on the sofa and then began to rub at her hair with the towel.

  Reaching into one of the cupboards he lifted the jar out and unscrewed the lid, he was in the process of forking some beetroot onto the plate when his phone started to ring.

  He felt the familiar sinking feeling inside as he fished it from his pocket and checked the number before answering.

  'What can I do for you, Rog?' he asked as he speared more beetroot onto the fork.

  'I've got some information on Beth Robbins.'

  'Ah well done, mate.'

  'Don't thank me just yet, boss.'

  Lasser felt his bubble burst as Jackie appeared at his side and grabbed her plate of food before heading back to the sofa.

  'So, what have you found out?' he asked.

  'Well, after the divorce she reverted to her mother's maiden name.'

  'Which is?'

  'Sharp, but the thing is she had a child and…'

  'We know that, Rog, a boy, he was there when Pamela Fitzsimmons attacked Beth Robbins.'

  'Right, well, the thing is she put the child up for adoption.'

  'She did what?' Lasser asked, shocked at the news.

  'Had the kid adopted over twelve months ago, and now she's just dropped off the radar.'

  Lasser glanced at Jackie, she had the plate on her knees, the food untouched.

  'I can't find a viable address for the woman,' Roger admitted with a sigh.

  'But surely she must have left a paper trail of some sort?' Lasser asked as he placed the lid back on the jar.

  'Nothing so far.'

  'How can that be?' Lasser reached for the pepper pot, his face set with concern.

  'The only thing I can think of is that she's getting her money from someone else. I did find her ba
nk account details but as yet I can't gain access without permission.'

  'But surely there's an address tied to the account?'

  'Well, there is,' Roger paused, 'but you see the thing is the flats that she lived in were demolished nine months ago to make way for a new estate.'

  Lasser felt the confusion deepen.

  'There is another explanation for all this,' Roger said in a low voice.

  'Go on, I'm listening.'

  'Beth Robbins could already be dead.'

  Lasser almost groaned aloud at the suggestion and then he thought of Robbins and shook his head. 'Keep looking, Rog.'

  'But it would explain why there's no trail to follow,' Roger offered.

  'I realise that but if Robbins is responsible for all this then he is doing it to kill his ex-wife and why would he bother if she was already dead?'

  'Well, perhaps he doesn't know that she's dead.'

  Lasser saw Jackie shake her head slightly and he nodded in agreement.

  'Just keep searching, Robbins has had a long time to plan all this and there would be no point if she was no longer alive.'

  'No problem, boss,' Roger replied.

  Lasser tapped at the phone and then sighed heavily, his appetite suddenly vanishing.

  98

  Suzanne listened with a mounting sense of revulsion. 'And he actually hit her?'

  They were sitting in the conservatory, the light muted, the garden beyond the patio doors was smothered in darkness.

  'Well, I didn't actually see him hit her, but let's just say it's a good thing the guy was passing to put a stop to it, otherwise Christ knows what would have happened.'

  'What the hell is wrong with that man?' Suzanne asked in a voice trembling with emotion.

  Bannister stretched out his legs and stifled a yawn. 'I have no idea, but you were right, I couldn't have left her alone with that dickhead.'

  'What about the girlfriend, what did she have to say about it all?'

  'She tried to say he needed time to calm down and then he started ranting again, so I left them to it.'

  Handing him the glass of wine she sat down by his side. 'So, what happens now?'

  Bannister shrugged. 'Well, of course I told Faith she could stay here for as long as she wanted to.'

  'Like I said earlier, you're a softie at heart,' she confirmed with a smile.

  'I just hope her old man sees sense, I mean, there's only so much we can do for the girl and he has no right to blackmail her or bloody slap her.'

  'At least you kept your cool.'

  'Believe me, if I had seen him hit her then I would have given the prick a good hiding.'

  'Thank God the other guy spotted it first.'

  Bannister grunted as he took a quick sip from the glass. 'I know Kelly and Belle will look after her so for now we just let things settle down and then try again to sort it.'

  Reaching out, she loosened his tie and popped the top button of his shirt.

  'Are you after having your wicked way with me?' he asked with eyebrow raised.

  'Well, it is a Monday,' she smiled back.

  'Yippee!' Bannister said as he leapt to his feet, then he stopped and turned. 'Hang on, it's Tuesday not Monday.'

  'So it is,' she replied as she sprawled out on the sofa. 'Well, while you're up you might as well take the wheelie bin onto the lane, it's collection day tomorrow.'

  'You bloody tricked me!'

  'And then you can put the bean machine on and make me a coffee.'

  'I feel like a skivvy,' he sulked.

  'Oh, and the washing needs putting in the dryer.'

  Bannister glared at her for a moment. 'Good job I love you.'

  'Isn't it just,' she smiled as she rested her head on the plumped cushion. 'Now chop, chop, I'm thirsty here.'

  'Yes, boss,' he mumbled as he headed into the kitchen.

  99

  'Calm down, John,' Livy said.

  Hinton paced the room, his eyes stark with anger. 'Don't tell me to calm down, you stupid bitch.'

  Inside, she seethed at the insult, but she managed to keep her face impassive. 'Having a go at me solves nothing.'

  Hinton spun around to face her. 'My daughter is pregnant, have you any idea what that actually means?'

  'Yes, John, I know exactly what it means.'

  'It means her life is ruined; it means that while I have been spending a fortune on her education, she has been whoring her way around campus.'

  Livy kept her mouth closed, deciding it was better to let him rant rather than put herself in the firing line.

  'What is it with you women?' Hinton suddenly demanded. 'You're all the same, you always fuck things up and spend your time sponging off a man!'

  She pressed her lips tighter together when what she really wanted to do was jump to her feet and head into the kitchen, pick the biggest knife from the wooden block and stab him.

  'I mean, look at you, what do you ever contribute to this relationship?' he demanded.

  'I think it's time I gave you some space before we both say things we'll regret,' she said as she rose to her feet.

  'Another whore who thinks she can run out on me,' Hinton snapped as he made a grab for her arm, his face rigid with bourgeoning violence.

  Livy managed to avoid his grasp, swerving around the coffee table before dashing into the hallway.

  'Teach you to run out on me!' Hinton screamed as he tore after her.

  She made it to the front door and yanked on the handle just as he grabbed a handful of her hair and snatched her back, making her yelp in pain.

  'You're all the same, I gave you everything and get fucked over in return!'

  Twisting around, she snarled as her own fury exploded, her right hand flashed out, her long false nails raked at his face, drawing twin lines of blood that oozed from the torn skin.

  'Kill you!' Hinton screeched, grabbing at her throat, his hands tightening, his demented eyes bulging with rage.

  Livy Sharp tried to lash out again, but his raised arms blocked the path to his face, and suddenly she couldn't breathe as he drove her to her knees, her head thrown back, her mouth gaping but soundless.

  Then the front door crashed open and Hinton snapped his head up to see the man who had pushed him over on the drive. Before he had the chance to react, the man was on him and John Hinton felt his nose crack as the fist slammed into the centre of his face.

  His hands sprang away from Livy's throat and he was driven back across the hallway stopping only when he crashed into the wall. Hinton's legs started to buckle, his vision blurred as he slid to the floor, a stream of blood ran down from his mashed lips and nose, staining his shirt red.

  He blinked several times and then Livy's face appeared before him, her eyes laced with a hatred so acute that for a moment he couldn't fathom the intensity and then she was attacking him, her nails slicing at his face again, making him scream in pain as one of her nails gouged across his left eye and then she was being hauled back, and Hinton collapsed to the side with a thump.

  Livy spat like a vicious cat and lashed out her right leg, the stiletto of her Jimmy Choo gouged into the wreckage of Hinton's face, his eyes fluttered, and he collapsed to the right, the blood spreading over the white tiled floor as darkness claimed him.

  100

  As soon as he saw the flash of orange light at the darkened window Lasser felt the fear inside roar through his mind as he hurtled down the path, Odette by his side, her breathing light and fast and full of terror.

  At the last second, he dipped his shoulder and slammed into the red painted door sending it crashing inwards with an almighty bang. Then suddenly the air was filled with a piercing scream of agony as he dashed along the short hallway before sliding to a stop, his eyes widening in shock as the woman burned.

  She was kneeling in the corner of the room, her arms wrapped around the small boy, flames leapt up licking the woodchipped ceiling above.

  Lasser felt Odette push past him and yet he couldn't move, the horror of what
he was witnessing anchored him to the spot, then Beth Robbins screamed again, her long hair extensions melting, the black smoke writhing around her head like Medusa, her pitiful wail echoing round the small room, the air redolent with the stink of petrol mingling with the ghastly odour of scorched human flesh.

  Over to his left, Lasser saw Pamela Fitzsimmons standing with her gaze locked on the burning woman and her young son, the box of matches held in her right hand, her face expressionless.

  He watched Odette snatch off her jacket and lunge forward, trying to smother the flames and still he was unable to break the spell, the fire continued to rage and then he heard another scream and he watched the fire leap towards Odette, the hungry flames roaring up her arms and into her face.

  Lasser grabbed the doorframe in both hands and tried desperately to thrust himself into the room yet he couldn't seem to break free from the terror, all he could do was watch as the roaring inferno intensified, the screams blasting at him like a physical entity as the three of them burned.

  Even when Odette collapsed to the floor he stood and watched, his soul shrivelling with guilt and shame as her face burned, her mouth stretched wide in an all-consuming agony.

  Then suddenly he broke the spell and dashed forward, already knowing it was way too late to save anyone, his bellow of despair ringing out as the flames roared.

  When he felt the touch on his arm, he snapped his eyes open and gasped as the images wavered in his mind.

  'It's OK Lasser, it's OK.'

  Whipping his head around in confusion, he saw Jackie looking at him, her eyes wide with shock, dark hair framing the look of concern on her face.

  'You were having a nightmare,' she whispered.

  Lasser's cheeks inflated with relief as he wiped the sweat from his brow with a shaking hand, his eyes closing in distress.

  Then he caught the whiff of smoke and the terror roared back into his mind.

  'Here, take this.'

  Opening his eyes, he saw Jackie holding out the lit cigarette and he took a pull, dragging the smoke deep into his lungs before letting it out on a trembling sigh.