by Lisa Stone
Amit felt sick. Ben still hadn’t used his name, yet there was a casualness in his tone that suggested he knew him. If he came here, he couldn’t risk him hearing the bitch shouting or screaming as she had when her father had come. He’d have to gag her and tie up her again, and quickly, and the only way he was going to be able to do that was to sedate her first. Not anaesthetic, he daren’t risk any more. He’d used the muscle relaxant, which would paralyse her while he tied her up and gagged her. And, as a bonus, it would give her a taste of what was to come. Fully conscious but unable to save herself.
Wiping his forehead again, he stood and let himself out the back door, nearly tripping over as he went. It was happening too often, he thought, and the continual sweating suggested he could be sickening for something. Once he’d disposed of the bitch, he’d run some blood tests on himself and see if there was anything amiss.
Before entering his lab, he glanced up at the bedroom windows of his neighbours’ house. There was no one there. Hopefully David King was getting ready to return to his own home now. He was too inquisitive for his own good, like his daughter, knocking on doors and asking questions.
Inside the lab, he worked quickly, and took a phial containing the muscle relaxant and a syringe from the cabinet and the roll of parcel tape from the drawer. The most difficult part was going to be getting the muscle relaxant into her. She would be desperate now, aware her end was close, and was certain to put up a fight. But Alisha wouldn’t be helping her again, he was sure of that. He had her back where he wanted – too scared of him to act. He could see it in her eyes, and she and Emily would be feeling lethargic now without food, as their bodies used what little energy they had to keep them warm. A good move that, turning off the heating, he thought.
As Amit let himself out of the lab, he glanced up at the windows of his and his neighbours’ houses, but there was no sign of anyone. Once inside, he tucked the parcel tape into his trouser pocket to leave his hands free and then filled the syringe from the phial. He crept silently upstairs; the element of surprise would give him the advantage. He listened at their door for a moment. It was quiet, not even the sound of the child’s television or PlayStation. Perhaps they were asleep?
In one movement, he quietly slid back the bolt and burst into the room. Emily was sitting on the floor with her back to the wall and Alisha was by Eva’s bed. With the syringe held like a dagger, he rushed at Emily. She tried to get up and Alisha made a move towards him.
‘Stay there!’ he yelled. Alisha froze and he plunged the needle into Emily’s arm, emptying in the syringe. She gave a small cry and grabbed his hand, but only for a second. The muscle relaxant took immediate effect. She crumpled to the floor like a rag doll and lay where she fell, eyes open and staring up at him, for even the muscles in her eyes were paralysed now. Just as he liked them.
Taking the tape from his pocket, he straightened Emily’s limp legs and began binding her ankles, winding the tape round and round, working his way up to her knees. He was aware of Alisha out of the corner of his eye, watching him, petrified. ‘Make one move and I’ll do the same to you and Eva,’ he snarled.
Having secured her legs, he bit through the tape, his face not far from her crotch. Her arms lay limp at her sides and she stared back impotently.
‘Hope you don’t want a piss, it might be difficult.’ He smiled malevolently.
Picking up her lifeless arms, he lay them across her chest and began binding them together, starting with her hands and working up to her elbows.
‘You don’t say much now, do you?’
Her jaw hung open, slack and unresponsive, as if she’d had a stroke.
Eva began to cry. ‘Silence her now or I’ll tape her mouth shut,’ Amit hissed.
Alisha went to her daughter.
As he bit through the tape at Emily’s elbows, his head pressed against her breasts. ‘Hmmm nice,’ he said. ‘Shame I haven’t got time to linger.’ Emily stared back mutely.
Arms and legs bound, he pressed the tape firmly over her sagging mouth, then wound it around the back of her head and over her mouth again. It gave him a thrill seeing her unresponsive but able to watch him. His patients on the operating table had their eyes closed when anaesthetized so they had no idea of the power he held, but Emily did. He could see the raw fear in her eyes.
Leaving her nose free so she could breathe, he cut the tape with his teeth again, his face close to hers. ‘Intimate, or what?’ he said. ‘But not as intimate as we’re going to be when I take off all your clothes ready for your ice bath.’
She stared back like a startled doll.
Leaving her on the floor, he straightened and looked at Alisha, cowering on the bed beside Eva. ‘Don’t you dare remove the tape this time or I’ll come back and do the same to the both of you.’
‘Can I just have some food for Eva and her tablets?’ Alisha pleaded.
Amit was about to say no and that before long she wouldn’t need either ever again, when he had an idea. He could use the idiot child as a bargaining tool, just to make sure Alisha did as she was told. ‘I’ll bring them up as long as you don’t remove the tape. Any sign that it’s been tampered with and I’ll stop her food and tablets again.’
‘I promise I won’t touch her.’ Alisha’s voice trembled.
He knew she wouldn’t, for any thoughts of saving her friend had now been erased by the opportunity to save her daughter, albeit for only a few more days.
Chapter Fifty-Two
David followed the same route he had the previous evening and knocked on those neighbours’ doors who hadn’t answered. There were six in all and three still didn’t answer; perhaps they were at work. He made a mental note of their house numbers to return to later. He’d leave no stone unturned, although he was sure if anyone could help it would be Amit Burman’s wife, Alisha. Not only because she was at home all day, but now he knew she and Emily had become friends – for why else would Emily have phoned her so often?
He opened their front gate with only marginally less foreboding than he had the previous night. Although it was daylight and dark shadows no longer fell across his path, there was still something inhospitable and menacing about the house. Something that told callers they weren’t welcome and to stay away. He shrugged off the feeling. He hadn’t come here to make friends with the doctor but to find out if Alisha knew anything about Emily’s disappearance. He pressed the button on the security grid. The intercom connected with a small crackle.
‘Yes, who is it?’ Amit’s voice, but surely he would know who was at the door from the CCTV cameras?
‘David King, Emily’s father,’ he said. ‘I called round last night.’
‘What do you want? I told you yesterday I didn’t know anything about your daughter and I still don’t.’
‘But I think your wife might. I think they were friends.’
Silence, although the intercom remained open. ‘What makes you think that?’ he asked presently.
‘Could you come to the door so we can talk? I would find it easier.’ Didn’t the man have any manners? David thought.
Silence again, then the intercom disconnected and a few moments later Amit opened the door.
‘Thank you,’ David said. ‘Would it be possible to talk to your wife? I think there’s a chance she might know something about Emily’s disappearance’
‘She’s not well enough,’ he said bluntly. ‘I’ll tell her. What is it?’
‘When I saw you yesterday you were under the impression that Emily didn’t know your wife, but it seems they’ve been chatting on the phone and were probably friends.’
‘Whatever makes you say that?’ His green eye narrowed suspiciously.
‘Emily called your landline from her mobile a number of times in December. Ben has had access to her phone records. I’m guessing your wife phoned Emily too, and they probably saw each other. As they were friends, it’s possible Emily might have confided in Alisha who she was seeing and where she was going.’
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nbsp; Amit smiled, unsettling David. ‘I spoke to my wife after your visit last night, and it’s true that Emily did call our landline a number of times, but they weren’t friends. It seems your daughter was bored with being at home all day with a child and was lonely and looking for friends. To be honest, Mr King, Emily began pestering my wife and Alisha had to make it clear she wasn’t interested in her friendship. She is busy and has plenty of friends. I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I can’t be of any help and I need to tend to my wife now. She is very poorly.’
‘Oh, I see, yes, of course, I’m sorry,’ David stammered. ‘Thank you for your time. Sorry to have troubled you.’
Bitterly disappointed, David returned down the path.
Upstairs in Eva’s room at the rear of the house, Emily lay on her side and concentrated on not being sick. Her father had been here again, she was sure of it. She’d heard the front doorbell ring and then what sounded like his and Amit’s voices, but she couldn’t make out what they were saying. The drug he’d given her was starting to wear off, but with it came surges of nausea. If she was sick with her mouth tapped over, she knew she’d choke on her own vomit. She breathed deeply through her nose and forced herself to calm down. In and out, in and out, just as her mother had told her to do when she’d suffered from car sickness as a child. In and out.
Alisha would know exactly what her father had said, her hearing had been sharpened by being incarcerated in this house. Emily waited until she was able and then struggled onto her back so she could see Alisha. She was slightly turned away, sitting on Eva’s bed and stroking her forehead to stop her from whimpering. Emily tried to speak, but with the tape covering her mouth, only a low guttural noise came out. She tried again with the same result. Alisha must have heard her but refused to look in her direction.
Suddenly the bolt slid on the door and Amit came in. Emily froze. Had he come for her? Surely it wasn’t time yet? She wouldn’t stand any chance of fighting him off bound like this. Rigid with fear, she watched him go past her and to Alisha. He was carrying something. A plate. Yes, of course, she’d heard the trade-off, Eva’s food and tablets as long as Alisha didn’t untie her.
She saw Alisha accept the plate with a small, grateful nod, then Amit came towards her. Emily cowed as he loomed over her, grinning vindictively, and checked the tape. Straightening, he left and she breathed again. It wasn’t her time yet.
Emily watched Alisha feeding Eva. The child was ravenous and ate without stopping, then Alisha gave her daughter the tablets, but there were none for her. She seemed not to care and had probably given up hope of saving herself.
The nausea was wearing off now, but what had passed between Amit and her father? Emily needed to know. She needed that shred of hope, a small lifeline to cling to, so she wouldn’t give up. Her family and the police were out looking for her. They must be. Why else had her father come here again? It was surely only a matter of time before they found her. But what had her father said to Amit? She tried to ask Alisha, but more unintelligible noises came out from behind the tape.
Alisha must have guessed what she wanted to know, for without looking at her, she said resignedly, ‘Amit told your father we weren’t friends. He won’t come back again.’ And that was all she said for a very long time.
David didn’t feel able to go straight home and face Ben until he’d composed himself. He walked around the block, calling at those houses again where he hadn’t got an answer before. A couple were in but didn’t know anything.
With nothing more to prolong him, he returned home. As he let himself in the front door using Emily’s key, Ben immediately appeared in the hall.
‘You’ve been gone ages. How did you get on?’ He was full of hope and expectation. ‘I’ve checked Em’s phone account and she called Alisha in previous months too. What did Alisha say?’
David avoided his gaze as he hung up his coat, steeling himself for what he had to tell him. ‘Let’s sit down, lad,’ he said and touched Ben’s arm to go into the living room. Pat was in there keeping Robbie amused and she too looked up expectantly.
David shook his head.
‘I saw Amit Burman, not his wife,’ he began, sitting on the sofa beside Ben. ‘She was too ill to come to the door. Amit admitted Emily had been phoning Alisha but insisted they weren’t friends.’
‘That doesn’t make sense,’ Pat said. ‘Why else would Emily phone her?’
‘Hear me out, please,’ David said a little sharply and turned to Ben. ‘It seems Emily was lonely and bored with being at home all day and kept phoning Alisha, wanting to be her friend. Eventually Alisha had to make it clear she didn’t want Emily’s friendship.’
There was silence before Ben said, ‘Em never told me.’
‘No,’ David said gently, ‘perhaps she didn’t like to admit that being a full-time mother wasn’t enough for her.’
‘But she was the one who wanted to extend her maternity leave. I asked her more than once if she was happy, and she said she loved being at home with Robbie. Why would she lie?’
‘I don’t think she was lying,’ David said. ‘But knowing Emily, she probably wouldn’t want to worry you with her problems. You’d just got a big promotion and were working hard.’
‘So it was my fault!’ Ben snapped.
‘No, he’s not saying that,’ Pat put in conciliatorily. ‘I can see why Emily wouldn’t want to burden you with her worries.’
‘So she left me for another man instead!’ Ben said bitterly. ‘I bet she can tell him!’
The room fell silent. Robbie, sensing the atmosphere, left his toys and toddled to his father. ‘Daddy, isha eve,’ he babbled and tried to get his attention. Distracted and deep in thought, Ben ignored him.
‘We’ve had Christmas Eve,’ Pat said and brought him back to his toys.
‘I’ll phone the police again,’ David offered, ‘but I’m not sure what else I can do unless Emily gets in touch. Then I’ll talk to her.’
‘So will I,’ Pat said.
‘And say what?’ Ben snapped harshly. Robbie moved closer to his grandmother.
‘That she needs to come home,’ David said.
‘And what makes you think I’m going to take her back?’ Ben asked, his eyes blazing. ‘I couldn’t trust her again after this.’ Standing, he stormed out of the room.
Robbie watched him go. ‘Daddy, isha eve.’
‘No, love,’ Pat said patiently. ‘Christmas Eve has gone.’
‘Isha eve,’ he repeated agitatedly and began to cry.
Taking him on her lap, she cuddled him. ‘I doubt the poor child will ever enjoy Christmas again,’ she said quietly. ‘It will be permanently scarred by the memory of his mother leaving.’
David nodded sadly in agreement.
Chapter Fifty-Three
Beth Mayes, Matt Davis and the rest of the team left the briefing from the DCI sombrely and with plenty to think about and work on.
‘I hope that body they found in the quarry isn’t Emily King,’ Beth said, as she and Matt returned to their desks.
‘Ditto, but the DCI said first indications from forensics was that she was in her late seventies or eighties so that would rule out Emily.’
‘She also said they couldn’t be one hundred per cent certain yet because the pike had got to her. I didn’t realize fish could be that vicious.’
‘Pike eat anything,’ Matt said. ‘My father used to be an angler and he said they could take off your fingers if you caught one. They can grow to three feet long.’
‘Nasty critters,’ Beth said with a grimace. ‘Well, whoever she is, she certainly didn’t fall into the quarry by accident, not with all those stones in her pockets. It was either suicide or someone threw her in. Forensics will be able to tell if she was dead before she went in the water.’
‘And if it was murder, then whoever put her there didn’t know the quarry was used by divers to practise.’
‘But then neither do most people,’ Beth said, tapping her computer keyboard. She p
aused. ‘I thought so. All our missing persons logged in the last three months – apart from Emily King – have been accounted for now. The runaway teenagers are back with their parents or in care, and the two missing husbands have been in touch.’
‘Which could suggest the woman wasn’t from around here,’ Matt said.
‘Or she hasn’t been reported missing yet. Either way, I think I’ll call in on Emily’s partner on my way home. He’s sure to see it on the news and Emily’s father has phoned in again.’
‘You’re good,’ Matt said. ‘You’re already signed up for the New Year’s Eve shift tonight as well, haven’t you?’
‘Yes, but I’m off now though. I’ll call in on Ben on my way home, get some sleep and be back on duty for tonight. Don’t you just love New Year’s Eve?’
‘Not a lot.’
Half an hour later, Beth pulled up outside Ben’s house. She knew David and Pat King were staying there; she also knew that no one at this address would be celebrating New Year, although they were likely to be up and unable to sleep from worry. For anyone with a loved one missing, New Year was just another painful landmark, another night of agony to get through while trying to remain positive. Thankfully, most missing persons turned up or got in contact within forty-eight hours, but that clearly hadn’t been true of Emily.
As Beth got out of the car, she wondered now, as she had before, about the attraction of the guy who had persuaded Emily to walk out on her child, apparently decent partner and nice home. Ben had no recorded history of violence. She’d checked.
A man she assumed to be David King answered the front door and she showed him her ID. ‘Has she been found?’ he asked, his face immediately creasing into anxiety lines. ‘I’m Emily’s father.’
‘No. But I need to talk to you and Ben. Can I come in?’
He showed her into the living room and called upstairs to Ben.
‘Where’s the little boy, Robbie?’ Beth asked as she sat down.
‘My wife has taken him out for a breath of fresh air. The poor kid.’