by Alex Pine
James was momentarily lost for words and he sat in stunned silence, listening to the vile thug who had driven him and Annie out of London.
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
Annie was at home when she received James’s text. Normally she would have asked him if he wanted her to prepare some dinner, but food was the last thing on her mind.
Instead, she poured herself another glass of wine in the hope that it would dull her senses and help her to get to sleep later.
She felt seriously uptight, and her mind was swamped by negative thoughts. But that was surely to be expected since it had been another harrowing day.
She carried the wine into the living room, switched on the television, and dropped onto the sofa.
She had already made up her mind to tell James about the abortion when he arrived home. If she didn’t, he was bound to hear it from someone else now that the cat was out of the bag.
She wasn’t sure how he was going to feel about her keeping it from him. They’d told each other years ago that they’d be open about their pasts. But she hadn’t, not entirely, and now she felt guilty about that. Was it likely to put further strain on their marriage at a time when they were faced with so many other challenges?
On the TV the newscaster announced that they were going over live to a press conference at Cumbria police headquarters in Penrith. Three people were sitting behind a table and Annie recognised James’s boss, DCI Tanner. She’d never met the man, but James had shown her pictures of him and she’d seen him on the local news.
He was the one who kicked off the conference by welcoming members of the press and the broadcast media.
‘We’ve invited you here this evening to answer your questions about the terrible events that have taken place in the Cumbrian village of Kirkby Abbey,’ he said. ‘As you are aware, a second murder was committed there last night. The victim has been identified as Miss Lorna Manning, the headmistress of the village primary school. This followed the murder on Saturday night of local publican Charlie Jenkins, who was killed while walking his dog.
‘You should know that we believe the two murders were committed by the same person or persons. Both victims received fatal stab wounds to the body and there is other circumstantial evidence, which I’m unable to share with you at this time, that indicates a link. I fully understand that people in Kirkby Abbey are very worried, and so we’ve set up an incident room in the village hall. Officers in cars and on foot will patrol the streets throughout the night. At the same time, a major investigation is under way, led by Detective Inspector James Walker, who is himself a resident in the village.’
There were lots of questions, but it would have been obvious to anyone watching that the police were short on answers. Annie was glad that they were at least acknowledging that the killings were linked even though they’d elected not to mention the threats in the Christmas cards.
Nothing she heard reassured her that this crisis was going to be short-lived. It was clear they feared there would be more killings.
Annie found herself reflecting on something Father Silver had said during the service earlier in the day.
‘The devil himself has descended on our small village, but we must not let his dark shadow extinguish all the light in our hearts.’
That was easier said than done, Annie thought, especially for the majority of people in the village whose faith in God wasn’t as resilient as Father Silver’s.
On the TV the story changed to dire warnings about the bad weather. Widespread disruption was predicted and councils were being advised to prepare for the worst.
Annie had never known the run up to Christmas to be so horrendously depressing. It was meant to be the season of peace and goodwill to all. But here in Kirkby Abbey it was like hell on earth, and soon the weather would make things even more perilous.
During all her years in London she had never been so scared or disillusioned, not even when James was receiving threats from that degenerate criminal, Andrew Sullivan.
It was getting to the point where she was thinking that she should never have persuaded James to move to Cumbria. What if it proved to be the biggest mistake she had ever made?
She went to drink some wine and realised that her glass was empty.
‘Just one more,’ she told herself as she got up and headed for the kitchen.
When she got there, she noticed the card from Janet, which she’d left on the table. She put the glass down, picked it up and tore it open.
When she slid the card out of the envelope the sight of it caused her heart to curl in on itself. She only just managed to stifle a scream by clamping a hand over her mouth.
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
James had decided to walk home from the village hall to give himself time to think. He moved slowly, forcing his limbs into an uneven rhythm, while pulling Lorna Manning’s wheeled case.
Snow crunched under his shoes and a fierce wind whipped the flakes against his face and coat. The temperature had dropped dramatically, and had frozen the slush that had piled up earlier on paths and driveways, but he was oblivious to how cold and uncomfortable he was because in his head he kept replaying the strange conversation he’d had with Andrew Sullivan.
‘One of my snouts wanted me to know that a couple of his colleagues at the Yard have been making enquiries on your behalf,’ he’d said. ‘You’ve apparently got it into your head that I’ve followed you and your wife to your little hideaway up north so that I can get my own back for what you did to me.’
James wasn’t surprised that a couple of bent coppers had tipped him off, but he was surprised that Sullivan had responded by contacting him directly.
‘Well, I hate to disappoint you, Detective Walker, but I’m nowhere near your place,’ he’d continued. ‘I’m taking a break in good old Cornwall, and I’m just leaving the police station in Newquay after telling them exactly what I’ve been up to this past week. You’ll soon be getting a call from a detective sergeant named Ackerman.’
‘Are you being serious?’ James had replied.
‘You better believe it, man. No way am I being drawn into whatever shit is going down where you are. But while I’ve got you on the line, I will remind you that you and me do have some unfinished business. So sooner or later we will be meeting up. And it’ll be at a time and place of my choosing.’
The call from Detective Ackerman in Newquay came just minutes later.
The DS identified himself and gave his office number so that James could check it out if he had any doubts about him being who he said he was. He explained that Andrew Sullivan had arrived unexpectedly, told them who he was and demanded to speak to a senior officer.
‘He told me he wants to prove to you that he’s been here in Cornwall for the past five days,’ Ackerman said. ‘He’s given me the name of the hotel he’s staying in and listed all the places he’s been to. He says he fears you might try to stitch him up for something he hasn’t done.’
James asked him to look into the alibi Sullivan had given and spelled out why he wanted to know about Sullivan’s movements.
‘If the bastard is telling the truth and isn’t involved in what’s going on here then it’ll be a big weight off my shoulders,’ James said.
‘Then I’ll make it my business to get back to you as soon as possible,’ Ackerman replied.
It was seven-forty-five when James let himself into the house. He had time to hang up his coat and kick off his shoes before Annie appeared in the hallway.
‘I’m so glad you’re back,’ she said. ‘I’ve got some things to tell you.’
Her appearance startled him, but he tried to mask his reaction to it with a smile.
‘I’ve got things to tell you too, hon,’ he said. ‘But can we pour ourselves a couple of strong drinks before we chat?’
She held up a glass that he hadn’t realised she was holding.
‘I’m already way ahead of you,’ she said.
James knew she’d had a rough day, what with Lorna Manni
ng’s murder, the church service, and her Uncle Bill. It was also likely that she’d been told that Daniel Curtis wanted to know if she’d had an abortion. If she had, then maybe she was about to confront the issue head-on by telling him whether or not it was true. He was ready to assure her that it didn’t matter to him either way.
Her eyes were dry but raw, and she looked smaller somehow, as though crushed by the weight of grief and worry. His heart went out to her, so he stepped forward and gave her a hug.
‘We’ll get through this, hon,’ he whispered, his lips brushing her cheek. ‘We’ve just got to tough it out like everyone else in the village.’
Annie eased herself away from him and grasped his elbow with her free hand.
‘Come into the kitchen,’ she said. ‘I’ve already poured you a large whiskey. I’ve just got to add the ice.’
He sat at the table while she fixed his drink and topped up her own glass with wine. He wondered how many she’d had but thought it best not to ask. He’d never known her to drink so much and he knew the stress was to blame.
He was keen to tell her about his conversation with Andrew Sullivan, though not the part where he’d talked about meeting James to settle some ‘unfinished business’. If the guy’s alibi checked out then it’d be one less thing for Annie to worry about. But he wouldn’t say anything until she got what she needed to get off her chest.
He stayed quiet as she put their drinks on the table. But before sitting down she returned to the worktop and picked up an object that was all too familiar to him.
‘I went to see Janet Dyer today and she gave me this,’ she said, handing it to him. ‘I didn’t open it until a short time ago and it gave me a shock.’
It was another card with the Twelve Days of Christmas design. James opened it up and read the message inside, which was scrawled in blue ballpoint.
To Annie and James.
Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to you both.
Janet xxx
‘I can see why it gave you a fright, Annie,’ he said. ‘It’s the same as the cards that were placed on Lorna Manning’s body and delivered to me and Father Silver. But I don’t think it means that Janet is—’
‘Hold on a sec,’ she broke in. ‘What’s this about a card on Lorna’s body? You haven’t told me anything about that.’
He realised his mistake and sighed. ‘That’s because I haven’t seen you since we found it.’
‘Did it contain another message?’
He nodded. ‘I’m afraid it did.’
‘Then are you going to tell me what it was?’
‘I really shouldn’t.’
‘Oh, come on, James. Don’t start hiding things from me. I’m caught up in this whether you like it or not. So I’ve a bloody right to know.’
He conceded the point, and after a swig of whiskey, he brought her up to date. He told her about the card found in Lorna’s dressing gown and the message that read: Two down, ten to go. Merry Christmas to the people of Kirkby Abbey.
Annie’s eyes shot wide as she sucked in a loud breath.
‘Oh, my Lord, James. That’s shocking.’
‘I know, Annie. But the perp’s living in La La Land if he really believes he can claim ten more victims.’
He then showed her the picture on his phone of the framed photo of Lorna that was left on Nadia Patel’s grave.
Annie listened to him without speaking, a variety of emotions twisting her features out of shape.
It was when he got to the phone call from Andrew Sullivan that she was prompted to ask a question.
‘Do you think he was being honest?’ she said.
James shrugged. ‘His alibi is being checked out, but it’s got to the point where I genuinely don’t believe he’s behind this. The evidence, such as it is, points to someone living here in the village. And by the way, Janet Dyer is not on our list of suspects. She probably bought a bunch of those cards from the village store just like so many other people have.’
‘I do hope you’re right,’ Annie said. ‘I would hate to think she’s somehow involved.’
‘I’m sure she isn’t,’ James said. ‘But I will go and talk to her tomorrow. Now, what about your uncle? Did you manage to track him down?’
She nodded. ‘I had a drink with him at The King’s Head after I left the church. He said he went for a walk last night but didn’t meet up with anyone. This morning he went to the garage to check on his car, which had been recovered.’
‘Well, I did mention to the DCI what you said about Bill,’ James said. ‘It’s been agreed that I should have a chat with him, just to be sure I’m right in believing he’s not the perp.’
‘I don’t think he is either,’ Annie said. ‘It’s just that his behaviour has been so odd and all this bad stuff started happening as soon as he arrived here.’
‘I’ll go and see him tomorrow,’ he told her. ‘But to be on the safe side I’ll get a uniform to put The King’s Head under surveillance tonight. If he ventures out, we’ll know. Now, have you told me everything you know about his movements last night and today?’
Annie gave it some thought before replying.
‘There is one other thing you should know,’ she said. ‘Bill says he got confused after leaving the garage and started walking away from the village. Daniel Curtis was passing in his car and stopped to offer him a lift. He accepted.’
She paused there and chewed on her bottom lip. James could see she was struggling with how much to reveal to him.
‘I already know about that, Annie,’ he said. ‘Daniel Curtis was the last person I interviewed today and he told me.’
Annie’s back straightened and her jaw inched forward.
‘Did he also tell you that he pumped Bill for information about me?’ she said.
James nodded. ‘He’s trying to find out if he made you pregnant just before you broke up with him. Janet Dyer told his father that you had an abortion.’
Annie stared at her husband for several seconds, one eye squinting.
Then she said, ‘It’s true. I got pregnant and had the baby aborted. I’m really sorry I didn’t tell you. It isn’t something I’m proud of. And I certainly don’t want Daniel Curtis to know about it. Janet was the only person who knew outside the family and she should not have told Daniel’s dad. I’ve been to see her and she knows I’m not happy.’
She made a noise in the back of her throat and started sobbing. James stood and walked around the table to comfort her.
‘Don’t let it upset you, hon,’ he said. ‘It really doesn’t bother me that you had an abortion back then or that you didn’t tell me. It was none of my business. All that concerns me is your wellbeing. Whatever you did or didn’t do in the past won’t change how much I love you.’
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
Annie had been in bed for the best part of an hour, but James was still wide awake and struggling to get his thoughts into some kind of order.
He’d stayed up because he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep with so much on his mind. He was trying to pull together a plan for tomorrow while reflecting on the long, emotional conversation he’d had with Annie.
It was now 11 p.m. and he was on his fourth whiskey. It’d be the last though, because he didn’t want to wake up in the morning with a stinking hangover.
When they had talked about the abortion his wife’s eyes had teared up. It was clear that the secret coming to light had resurrected so many bad memories and made her question once again her decision to go through with it. She had even confessed to James that she was fearful that it might be the reason she hadn’t become pregnant, despite their trying. James very much doubted that was the case and had tried his best to console and reassure her. He told her that he had warned Daniel Curtis to stay away from her. But he didn’t go so far as to make her aware of the other man’s loathsome remark – I want to know if it’s true that your wife killed my baby.
The guy was so obviously a shitbag, and it concerned James that he appeared so w
orked up over something that happened twenty years ago. Was it because he was now in his fifties and without children of his own? Or did he resent the fact that Annie had taken action without consulting him and he wanted to make her pay for that?
James knew that Daniel wouldn’t believe Annie, even if she told him that she’d never had an abortion, and he didn’t think she should have to lie. She was only sixteen at the time and they had split up – it was the right choice for her given the situation. There was no reason for her not to tell the truth.
James switched off the television. He had seen and heard enough of the news, which had been dominated by the weather and ‘The Christmas Killer’ who was terrorising a Cumbrian village.
But he wasn’t ready for bed so he turned his attention to Lorna Manning’s suitcase. He’d already emptied the contents onto the coffee table, but hadn’t yet sifted through it all. There were small personal diaries going back some ten years, plus a bunch of cardboard folders and large brown envelopes.
He didn’t plan to wade through them all tonight, and would send them over to Kendal tomorrow, but he was curious to know if any of the files and documents offered a useful insight into their second victim.
The first three envelopes he opened contained the sort of things that are often stored away in drawers, filing cabinets and cases. There were Lorna’s divorce papers, her son’s birth certificate, life and home insurance policies, and documents relating to her career as a teacher.
It was when he picked up the fourth envelope in the pile that he realised he hadn’t been wasting his time. On the front was written a single sentence: Open in the event of my death.
Inside was a sheet of A4 paper with a number of printed paragraphs on one side, along with two newspaper cuttings dated ten years ago.
Once James had read through them, he had the answer as to why the headmistress had been such a troubled soul.
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
Tuesday December 20th
James snapped awake to the blare of the alarm clock on Tuesday morning, five days before Christmas. He turned on his side, stretched out an arm, and flicked it off.