Dark of Mind

by Robin Roughley

  'Stone has it all on a voice recorder, and I want you to catch the bastard and lock him up forever,' she spat, blood trickled through the gap where her two front teeth used to be, running down her chin in a thin rivulet of red.

  Bannister looked down and felt the anger flare in his mind as he crouched down to his haunches. 'This isn't just about you, you poisonous cow, that ex-husband of yours is responsible for the death of Mitchell Banks, a man who was innocently birdwatching when his throat was slashed open and then stabbed through the heart, and you bear some responsibility for all this.'

  'ME!?' Beth gasped, her eyes alight with anger and pain.

  'You cheated on Robbins with his own brother, you stuck the bloody knife in and twisted it, and he turned into a monster, there is a young woman who will spend the rest of her life locked up because she was brainwashed into killing Jake and trying to kill you.'

  'That has nothing to do with me,' she spat as she struggled into a sitting position, the blood now coating her chin. 'Yes, I had an affair, but millions of people do that so don't you dare try and lay the blame on me.'

  'Guilty as fuck,' Bannister snarled before rising to his feet.

  Beth Robbins glared up at him, her hands twisted in the grass, the fury building.

  Before she could respond Bannister turned his back on her and strode towards Stone.

  Odette looked down at the woman whose bloodied face was smeared with hatred and then she followed suit, walking away and leaving Beth Robbins to her own toxic thoughts.

  135

  Lasser sprinted along the sandstone path, arms and legs pumping, the anger fighting to break free as he thought of Robbins with the sly gleam in his eyes, the air of superiority as he used people to get what he wanted in life. He pictured Jilly Stone, a young girl who had been suffering after the death of her mother, a girl who had withdrawn into herself as she tried to seek a way through the darkness. But instead had come into contact with Robbins.

  The anger went off the scale as the images collided in his mind, Benny Foster, a man with no life, another individual failed by the system, slicing at his flesh in an effort to alleviate the internal pain, then his brain had been rewired by Robbins, turning a desperate man into a killer.

  Mitchell Banks flashed through his mind, a man enjoying his hobby only to die a lonely, pain-filled death on the gravel path that led through the woods.

  Lasser increased his speed, the images driving him on, the need to get his hands on Robbins increasing with every stride he took.

  136

  All coordination vanished as Robbins staggered along the lane, his heart thudding, his vision blurring as he tried to drag air into his lungs, his feet slapping unevenly on the tarmac.

  His mind was a tangled mess of fear and dread, tears streamed from his eyes as he ran, the pain in his hands throbbed from where he had hit the floor, his cheek stung from where the flesh had been ripped open and his mind was transported back to when his hated brother would bully him for no reason. The taunts, the ridicule, the physical abuse he had been subjected to on a daily basis flashed through his mind, each memory weakening what little resolve he had left.

  When he had been released from the unit he had spent time gathering all the information he could about the death of his brother, he had read reports that he had been hanging out of his bedroom window as he burned, yet no matter how hard he had tried Robbins had never been able to find any images of his scorched brother. The disappointment had been acute, yet now he pictured Jake, the flames engulfing his face as he screamed, but this time his brother was chasing him as he burned. Bradley Robbins yelped in terror, suddenly convinced that Jake was the one chasing him through the darkness, determined to catch him and make him pay for his agonising death.

  The image filled his mind, Jake hunting him down and when he caught him there would be no beating, he would simple grab his brother and pull him close, pull him into a burning embrace of pure agony.

  Robbins never even saw the figure loom out of the darkness; his arms open wide.

  'Are you my Master!?' Benny Foster screeched as the two men collided.

  Bradley Robbins screamed as they fell to the ground in a twisted tangle of arms and legs.

  Any thought of his burning brother vanished from his mind as Robbins got a blast of Foster's fetid breath in his face, he screamed again as he struggled free and lurched to his feet.

  'Get away from me!' Robbins gasped and took three stuttering backward steps, convinced that he was seeing an apparition of the dead.

  'It is you!' Foster gasped as he recognised the voice and lumbered to his feet, his arms opening again, his face full of rapture.

  For the briefest of moments, Robbins contemplated turning and running but then he thought of the legion of people chasing him, his hated ex-wife, the bastard woman copper and the imposter Zero with his burning brother leading the way.

  'Mr Stone said you hated me, he said you used me and never loved me,' Benny Foster gasped, tears sliding down his grizzled cheeks. 'But no matter what he said, Master, I never believed him.'

  Robbins continued to back away, his arms held out in front of him as if to ward off an evil spirit.

  'Get out of my way, you worm…'

  'I just want to serve you, that's all I want,' Foster cried.

  Bradley Robbins felt the anger writhe inside. 'You're nothing to me, do you understand what I am telling you? YOU are nothing but shit on the bottom of my shoe, YOU are inconsequential, YOU…'

  'ROBBINS!'

  The name blasted out and even through the terror Robbins recognised the voice.

  'Lasser,' he hissed, the fear escalating as he spun around and peered into the darkness.

  The moon shone down, and he could see the hated copper running towards him along the lane and suddenly he knew he would be caught, there would be no escape, no future, no life.

  He didn't see Benny stagger towards him, his arms open wide.

  'You don't mean that, Master, you can't mean that,' he pleaded.

  Robbins spun around just as Foster slammed into him, forcing him back, his arms wrapped around Robbins in a tight embrace.

  They fell hard to the tarmac and then suddenly he was pinned to the ground as Foster straddled his chest, his face shining in the gloom, the madness filling his gaze.

  'You promised you'd save me, you said you'd help me go out in a blaze of glory!' Foster screamed as he reached down and clamped his hands either side of Robbins's head.

  Before he could answer, Benny lifted his master's head and slammed it back against the ground.

  'You killed my mother!' he howled as he lifted the head and smashed it down again. Bradley Robbins's skull gave an audible crack and his eyes fluttered and twitched before rolling back in his head.

  His legs thrashed, he could feel his head coming apart, sense his brains slithering through the rent in the back of his skull.

  'I gave up everything for you!' Foster screamed again as he smashed the head back for a third time, the blood spreading out across the ground in a slick pool of dark red, carrying with it small fragments of white bone that shone in the moonlight.

  137

  'NO!' Lasser bellowed as he saw Foster smash Robbins's head into the ground again and then he spotted the flash of spiralling blue lights through the trees and heard the sound of an engine working at high speed.

  'Shit,' he barked as he tried to increase his speed, his eyes fixed on the two men in the middle of the road.

  The ambulance came roaring around the corner, the headlights illuminating Foster as he sat astride the body in the middle of the road. Lasser heard the bite of tyres gripping the tarmac but he already knew it was way too late, the ambulance was going too fast and there was no way the driver would be able to stop or swerve.

  He saw Foster raise his arms into the air, his head thrown back as he howled out the anguish and then the ambulance hit him, the bumper ramming into his back, his spine exploded and then he was slammed forward, his face annihilat
ed when it hit the tarmac, spraying a gout of blood six feet away from the mangled remains.

  Lasser staggered to a stop, his chest rising and falling, his face running with sweat as his shoulders slumped.

  Lowering his head, he took a deep breath and then he was walking forward, fully aware that there was no longer any need to rush.

  138

  Two days later

  Bannister and Lasser stood at the foot of the hospital bed, Odette sat in a chair to their left.

  David Stone looked from one to the other, his face pale on the plumped pillow, the cast on his leg shone white as he unscrewed the lid from the bottle of juice and took a sip.

  'Look, I don't care what any of you say, I would do it all again if I had to.'

  Bannister sighed and nodded. 'I can understand that.'

  Odette glanced at her boss in surprise but kept her mouth closed.

  'I called at the police station three times, I even printed out the conversation between my daughter and Robbins and handed them over to you and you did nothing.'

  'Believe me that will be looked into,' the DCI promised.

  'That's what that other detective, Cooper, said but he was full of shit,' Stone said as he screwed the lid back onto the bottle, his face harsh with anger. 'I mean, what was I supposed to do? I needed to find out who was responsible, so I tracked him down.'

  'But how did you manage it?' Lasser asked.

  Stone glanced at him before rubbing at his eyes. 'I studied the conversations between Jilly and that bastard. Then I checked the history on her computer and went on the site and posed as someone who was at the end of their tether, there were a few people who responded, some offered to help, and others gave me advice on the best way to kill myself.'

  Bannister felt the disgust rise inside. 'But how did you know you had the right one?'

  'To be honest, it took a while and even then, I wasn't convinced I had the right guy. But I managed to follow some other links he was involved with and there was something there that made my skin crawl, it was as if he was trawling the site looking for something specific. Then I found three threads where he had used the phrase ''it's quicker to go down the road rather than across the street''.'

  'He told them the same thing he told your daughter?'

  Stone nodded. 'It's not a unique saying especially when it comes to suicide, but he used those exact words and one minute he seemed to be understanding as if he empathised with the person he was talking to and then he just cut them off and told them to kill themselves.'

  'So, you played a part, and he took the bait,' Odette said with a hint of admiration in her voice.

  'He was already using Benny Foster, but I think he liked the idea of having someone else to take his place if Foster failed in the tasks he was set.'

  'And he gave Foster the order to attack Marshall and kill Banks just to make sure he would follow his orders to the letter?' Lasser asked.

  Stone nodded. 'I think Robbins got excited when he realised Benny Foster did as he demanded, yet he made mistakes that led you to discover Foster's identity.'

  'Which means he would have known it was only a matter of time before we found Foster and locked him up?'

  Stone turned to Odette. 'That's why he had me waiting on Broadway, I picked Benny up from the roadside and Robbins rang and told me to he wanted Foster to die badly.'

  'And you led him to believe you had done exactly that?' Odette asked.

  'That's right.'

  'You fooled Robbins into trusting you?'

  'It was the only way to get closer to him, I know I should have handed Foster over to you, but I couldn't risk Robbins finding out.'

  'Because then he would have known that you lied to him about killing Foster?'

  Lasser and Bannister listened both aware that what Stone was saying made perfect sense.

  'I kept him in an old caravan I'd lived in while I restored the house and made sure he was looked after; I know he was a murderer, but I blame Robbins completely. Benny Foster was a desperate man who just needed a purpose in life, and he was offered one by that twisted bastard.'

  'But how did he end up at Rivington?' Odette enquired, fascinated as the tale unfolded.

  'That was wrong of me, I took him there in the back of the van, I just wanted Robbins to see that all his twisted plans had failed, his ex-wife was still alive and so was Foster, I wanted them standing in front of him then he could see that all his schemes had come to nothing.'

  'So, Foster got out of the back of the van when Beth Robbins was parked up?' Lasser asked.

  'He must have done, I told Benny to stay quiet – she didn't even know he was there.'

  Lasser pursed his lips as he pictured Foster walking aimlessly along the road and finding his master, a reunion made in hell.

  'So, when I saw you at Hinton's place you were actually there at Robbins's order?' Bannister asked.

  Stone sighed and nodded. 'That's right, after you took the girl away, I waited and then I heard screaming coming from the house, the front door was open, and I found Beth Robbins on her knees and the guy had his hands around her throat.'

  'You hit him, didn't you?'

  'I did and then I put her in the car and drove away, she slept at my place and the day after I told her all about the reason I had gone to the house in the first place, as soon as I played her the recording she told me it was her ex-husband and the rest of it you already know,' he finished as he reached over and placed the bottle on the bedside cabinet.

  Then he turned to face them. 'What will happen to me now?'

  'That's up to the courts,' Bannister said. 'But chances are it will be a suspended sentence, especially when they consider the circumstances, after all you didn't actually hurt anyone and in the end you discovered who was responsible for all this, so if it was up to me you would walk away scot-free.'

  Stone looked surprised at the DCI's words.

  Bannister jutted out his chin. 'I know I speak for the three of us when I say we'll make sure those in power know what you did and the reason you did it, and if we can help then we will.'

  Lasser and Odette nodded in agreement and Stone swallowed the emotion.

  'I appreciate that.'

  'And we appreciate what you did,' Bannister said as he turned and headed for the door, Lasser and Odette following.

  Stone watched as they left and then the tears came as he thought of his wife and daughter, both dead, leaving him in a world of pain and regret.

  'It's quicker to go down the road rather than across the street,' he mumbled as he broke down.

  139

  Lasser rose to his feet, and tapped the spoon on the champagne glass, the room slowly falling silent as he looked out over the assembled people – all dressed to the nines – Spenner by his side sported the same suit as Lasser, his face beaming at his new wife by his side.

  Tess looked lovely, her hair piled high on her head, the white off-shoulder dress suited her perfectly, accentuating her long, slender neck and setting off the gold chain, two hearts combined, that Spenner had presented her with.

  Everyone looked towards Lasser and he did a quick scan of the faces he knew, Bannister and Suzanne sitting with Kelly and Belle, Faith Hinton sat between them both, a smile on her face.

  Odette was over to the left at a table with Rog, Doc Shannon and Silvia his wife, even Monty the crime scene photographer was there sitting alongside Carl from the SOCO team.

  Lasser glanced to his immediate left and smiled at Jackie, feeling the love for her as she smiled back, looking stunning in a pale pink dress, her dark hair shining.

  'OK, first of all I'd like to thank you all for coming,' Lasser said as he faced the room again. 'I know it's traditional at times like this for the bride and groom to be nervous, especially when it comes to the best man's speech. A couple of weeks ago Tess rang me to talk about the wedding in more detail, she said I would have to wear an electric blue suit with a top hat and pink cravat and I must admit the thought terrified me, espec
ially when she mentioned that we would be arriving in a golden horse-drawn carriage.'

  Bannister guffawed as people smiled at the image.

  'So, having made me sweat I thought this would be a great opportunity to get my own back.'

  At his side Spenner swallowed the sudden sense of unease, even Tess started to look nervous.

  Lasser took a sip from the glass letting them sweat for a few moments before continuing. 'The trouble is I have no stories to tell that would embarrass the pair of them, and believe me I've tried to think of some,' he paused for a moment before continuing, 'the truth is I have worked with John Spenner for almost six years now and it has been an honour to have him in the team and to class him as a friend,' another pause as he looked around at the assembled guests, 'and I know there are plenty of people in this room who recognise how valued he is and how much we owe this man. The job we do is never an easy one and there are times when we all need support and to be able trust the people we work with without question,' he glanced towards Odette and smiled, before clearing his throat. 'And John Spenner is a man you can trust, not just to get the job done, but a man you can literally trust with your life, he will not shirk his responsibilities and you know he will always have your back no matter what the personal costs may be. But at the end of the day what counts is knowing you are going home to someone who will always love you, always support you even in the darkest times. Someone who will never let you down but will be there for you. Someone you want to raise a family with, grow old with, someone who loves you for the person you are. I don't know Tess all that well, but I know Susan Coyle counted her as a friend. That is a high-enough recommendation for me to know that, in Tess, John has married his soulmate and also for me to count Tess as one of us.'

  Suddenly, applause filled the room and then people started to rise to their feet and Spenner looked on amazed, even Tess joined in the applause.

  Lasser stepped to one side and joined in.

  'Well said, Lasser!' Bannister bellowed and then the guests were cheering.