‘I'm sorry to interrupt. I just overheard what you said. I wasn't intentionally listening to you, I don’t want to appear like a busybody, it’s just that - well, I saw him, the person who delivered the letter.’
I don’t usually receive letters by hand, so I’m interested to see what she has to say. ‘Great, what did he or she look like?’
She laughs. ‘He was wearing a long black coat and one of those Russian style hats.’
‘Did you see his face?’ I ask, hopefully.
She stands frowning, then shakes her head. ‘It was so quick, he just popped the envelope on the desk, then walked out. I think he had a beard, but I'm not sure, it could have been a scarf.’
I thank her and run upstairs to our apartment and rip it open. A piece of paper falls onto the floor.
COME TO HOLLAND PARK MAIN ENTRANCE 9.00PM TONIGHT - DON'T TELL THE POLICE.
For some reason, I've been expecting this. The other day I was in a car park loading the car with groceries and I had a strange feeling I was being watched.
I drove home and watched in my rear mirror to see if I was being followed, but saw nothing unusual.
The next day when I was on the small kitchen balcony I had the weirdest feeling I was being watched. I remember looking down, but there was nothing unusual. I get this feeling a lot, I think I’m being followed, I’m not imagining it. DCI Thomas told me to call him if I think something's wrong, but he's in Oxford.
The front door suddenly opens, it's Mum.
‘I thought you went to Oxford, Mum, what happened?’
She flops down on the sofa. ‘I did, but I didn't feel too good, so I took the next train back to London. I took the 36 bus from Paddington to Queensway, so much traffic, I should have walked.’
She gets up and goes to the kitchen. ‘Would you like a cup of tea, or coffee?’ she calls.
‘Nothing thanks.’
Mum looks a bit pale, but she often does lately, if only she would stop running around. Mum and Dad are getting divorced and this is how she deals with it, she still hasn't said much, but I can see she's stressed.
Suddenly she pops her head round the kitchen door. ‘I'm alright Beth, don't worry, it must have been something I ate last night, I thought the pizza tasted funny.’
Shall I tell her? I don't want to worry her but...
She comes in with her coffee and sits down.
‘Mum, take a look at this.’ I hand her the letter. ‘It was delivered by hand.’
Her eyes widen as she reads the note. ‘Did you phone DCI Thomas?’
‘Not yet, I...’
‘You have to call him, or I will.’
Of course, she's right. I grab my phone and call him; it goes to voicemail. I leave a message saying it's urgent and to call me.
Within minutes he's on the phone asking me to scan the letter over to him. He gives me strict instructions not to go outside and says he’ll see me soon.
Mum's making cheese on toast, I sit watching the news.
Then I think about Nick – did he leave the note? I keep thinking of him sitting in the garden talking to me, how nice he was, I was really getting to like him.
‘I'm going to the park for a walk Mum, to get some fresh air, I'll be back in a minute.’
‘You can't, you heard what DCI Thomas said,’ she says, coming into the hall with her toast.
‘Well he's not here, is he?’
‘But Beth…’
‘Sorry Mum, but I have to go out for a bit to clear my head.’
She looks so worried, so I quickly add.
‘I'll be careful, I'll just go for a walk up to the top of Queensway and back.’
31
BETH & DCI THOMAS
Holland Park
London
I don’t take long, it's too cold, just a brisk walk, then I'm back at home. Mum's tidied up and coffee's bubbling away in the kitchen.
Not long after getting back my phone rings.
‘Beth, just to let you know everything's been arranged for tonight, so don't worry, when you go to Holland Park, you'll be covered.’
‘By covered, what do you mean?’
‘You won't be in any danger, just act naturally, they mustn't know they're being watched.’
‘Will you be with me?’
‘Beth, this area is covered by the Metropolitan police. A very good friend of mine called Inspector Hawes will contact you soon. Just do what he says, he’ll call you before you leave and go over it with you. Now take down his number just in case you need to call him.’
The next few hours pass very slowly. Jamie comes home from school, Mum and I try to act as if nothing's wrong and make dinner. Mum's worried something will go wrong and who can blame her. My insides are churning, I feel sick so I make mint tea which helps a bit.
At 8.10 pm, I receive a call from Inspector Hawes.
‘Hello Beth, I know DCI Thomas spoke to you earlier, I’m just following up to introduce myself and make sure you’re OK. If you have any worries don’t hesitate to call me, you have my number?’
‘Yes.’
‘In fifteen minutes go and collect your car and drive to the park. We will be in contact with you all the time so don’t be worried. Just drive to the spot indicated in the letter and wait.’
At 8.25, I go round the back to the car park, it's quiet now, only the lights in the overhead apartments make it not seem so creepy, if it wasn't for them it would be pitch black.
It doesn’t take long to drive to Holland Park. I’m nearing the main entrance and slow down. There’s a streetlight so I park close to it. I can't see anyone outside but they're hardly going to make themselves conspicuous.
Twenty minutes later I'm still waiting, nobody's shown up. Maybe it's a prank. I'm sat here like an idiot, no phone calls, no tap on the car window, nothing. I look around, deciding what to do next, then call DCI Thomas.
‘It's me, what's happening?’
‘I know as much as you do, Beth.’
He sounds slightly irritated probably because he’s not in charge.
‘I can’t just sit here, shall I get out and stand in front of the entrance so they can see me?’
He pauses for a moment. ‘I’ll call you back in a minute.’
A minute passes, then my phone rings, it’s DCI Thomas.
‘Okay, stand in front of the entrance, we've got you covered.’
I get out of the car and stand there for about five minutes. I start walking up and down, it's cold, hardly anyone's around, just me and a few people coming home from work or a night out.
My phone rings, I jump and look around, expecting to see Nick, hiding behind a tree.
‘Beth, get in your car,’ DCI Thomas mutters. ‘Drive home, we'll see if anyone follows you.’
The drive back is uneventful, I park in the street outside our apartment, not in the car park, it's dark round the back and too damn creepy, just the sort of place someone would jump you.
Mum's in the kitchen looking worried. ‘What happened, Beth?’
I shrug. ‘What a waste of time that was.’
‘Where've you been Mum,’ asks Jamie, coming into the kitchen. ‘I didn't know you went out?’
I left him watching The Philosopher's Stone, his favourite Harry Potter film.
‘Oh, I just popped out for some milk, did you enjoy the film?’
‘Yeah, it was great. Can I have a hot chocolate?’
‘Of course, but first I have to make a call, be back in a minute.’
I close my bedroom door and call DCI Thomas, he picks up immediately.
‘I don't know what happened tonight, Beth. We're checking to see if there’s anything suspicious, we're going through the CCTV outside the park, maybe we missed something. I'll call you tomorrow, and don't go out, okay?’
It reminds me of when I was a virtual prisoner in Oxford - the police outside - Nick always being so concerned, making me stay at home when he knew damn well...
‘Beth are you still there?’ he sn
aps.
‘Yes, I was just thinking about Nick and the sighting of him in the Lake District. Have you heard anymore?’
He doesn't say anything, is there something he's not telling me?
‘Oh, I thought I told you, it turns out it wasn't him, just someone who looks like him. We did hear something about him being seen in Spain, but I'm still waiting for more details.’
‘But Nick's not stupid he knows how the police work. He's probably laying low for a while until this quietens down. If he's in Spain, he's not coming back here knowing the police are after him.’
He grunts. ‘I know that's what I thought. Anyway, forensics have the letter you gave me, we may have some news tomorrow. Now go to bed, try and sleep.’
Jamie's in bed, Mum's drinking wine and watching a late-night film.
‘I’m going to make a tea, Mum. Do you want anything?’
‘No thanks. Jamie went to bed, I think he’s doing some homework.’
I raise my eyebrows. ‘Very good, did he have his hot chocolate?’
‘Yes, I made it.’
I go into the kitchen, it’s strange but even in here I get the feeling I'm being watched; psychiatrists would probably say it's because of what happened, but I still get the feeling I'm being followed.
While I wait for the kettle to boil, I glance out of the window, it's a bit windy and getting much colder now, summer's gone and the long winter nights are drawing in.
I take my tea out onto the small kitchen balcony. A few people pass by, they all look so normal, but what did I expect? Someone standing under a streetlight, reading a newspaper, his collar turned up, his hat pulled down.
I stand sipping my tea, surveying the street then freeze. A glint of light from a car below catches my eye. Is someone inside the car smoking? Ten minutes later I'm still watching the car, hands cupping my mug of tea to keep warm. After a couple of minutes I go inside.
Mum looks up as I go into the living room. ‘Is everything alright?’ she says, giving me a worried look. ‘What did DCI Thomas say?’
‘He said he'll get back to me in the morning.’
She doesn't say anything, just frowns. ‘Well, they'd better do something soon. Did he say anything about Nick? Have they found him?’
‘He said there's been a sighting of him in Spain, don't worry Mum, they'll get him soon.’
She puts down her empty glass of wine and looks at me. ‘But I am worried Beth, if he's in Spain, who sent you that letter?’
32
LATER THAT NIGHT
I sit up in bed. I'm sure I heard something, maybe it was a cat outside, or people coming home from a night out? Whatever it was, it woke me. I wish I had my Glock, I feel so vulnerable. Shall I get a knife? What time is it? My phone's under my pillow, I drag it out and peak at it - 3.20 in the morning. I must go back to sleep, DCI Thomas is calling me tomorrow and he gets up early.
I close my eyes, then freeze. It's as if Mum's cat Tabitha jumped on my bed. But Tabitha's in Oxford, she’s staying with Mum's next-door neighbour.
I turn over to reach for the light switch.
What the fuck!
Something’s over my mouth, I can't shout, I can't move, it’s that same smell, then everything goes hazy.
I can hear my phone ringing then it stops. I try to sit up, but my head feels heavy, then I remember - someone was in my room.
I half crawl out of bed, everything's blurred. I look down - my nighty, my pants, where are they?
What happened?
I stand holding my head looking around the room, it all looks the same. I grab my dressing gown, my phone rings, it's DCI Thomas. I stand staring at the phone, I can’t move, I feel heavy.
Mum knocks. I can’t move. She knocks again, then opens the door.
‘Didn't you hear your phone? DCI Thomas just phoned me, he wants to talk to you.’ Then she stops. ‘Beth! What's wrong, you look as if you've seen a ghost?’
She leads me over to my bed, I sit down and tell her what happened. She grabs my phone; presses redial, DCI Thomas answers.
I sit listening to her talk – my head's fuzzy, I don't know what happened, I go to the bathroom, lock the door and look at myself. No bruises, no cuts, I'm not in pain. I sit on the toilet seat, hands over my face, I want to remember but I can't.
The next few hours are a blur.
DCI Thomas suggests I have some tests taken, just to be sure I’m OK. He drops us off then goes back to the station.
After they’ve done all the tests Mum gets me a cup of tea, then we sit and wait for the results.
Much later, maybe an hour but it could be less, a policewoman comes in.
‘Sorry, for the long wait.’ She hesitates and looks at me, and I know by her expression what's coming,
I shake my head.
No! Please tell me it's not what I'm thinking.
‘It's not good, not what we hoped for.’ She puts her hand on my arm. ‘I know this is difficult, the forensics team are at your house right now.’
What happened in Oxford was bad enough, but this! I sit staring ahead, I want to shout, I want to scream, I want to kill whoever did this. How did they get in? Did I leave the kitchen balcony door open? I'm sure I locked it, I always do.
The policewoman says she’ll arrange for us to be driven home. Mum says no, we'll get a taxi.
The taxi pulls up outside our block, the police are just leaving. Mum stops and talks to them, I rush inside straight to the kitchen. I want to see if the balcony door has been tampered with.
Mum comes running in after me. ‘Go and sit in the living room, Beth, I’ll make us a coffee, or would you rather have a brandy?’
I swing round and look at her. ‘The door lock, it’s broken, how could they do this without us hearing?’
She sighs. ‘Whoever it was knew what they were doing. Forensics have checked everything.’
In the living room she fills two glasses with brandy, I gulp it down and lay on the sofa, she sits on a chair near the window drinking hers.
The next thing I know the phone's ringing.
I'm still on the sofa, Mum must have covered me, the small lamp is on. How long have I slept?
Mum comes into the room. ‘Beth, it's DCI Thomas, do you want to talk to him?’
I shake my head. ‘What time is it?’
‘It’s just gone 6.00 in the evening, are you sure, he might have some news.’
I shake my head; she closes the door.
I don't want to think about it, I pull the cover up over my head, close my eyes and try to sleep but all I can see is Nick. Did he do this?’
33
MUCH LATER THAT EVENING
I can hear Jamie whispering to Mum, it’s 10.45 in the evening. I’ll freshen myself up then go and see them.
Jamie looks up when I walk into the kitchen, Mum quickly pulls out a chair and gives me a wink.
‘How do you feel? You won't be eating any more of those pizzas, will you?’
Jamie's watching me strangely, I can tell he doesn't believe Mum.
Mum fills a bowl with soup and places it in front of me.
‘She'll be alright, don't worry Jamie, this soup will make your Mum feel better.’
Jamie comes and sits beside me.
‘Anything I can do Mum?’
I ruffle his hair and kiss him. ‘I just need to get this bowl of soup down me, then I'll be as right as rain.’
He keeps looking at me, a worried look on his face, I hug him to me. ‘No more pizzas for me for a while.’
It's late, so after I eat he reluctantly goes to sleep, an hour later so does Mum. I stay in the living room I can't go near my bedroom.
Early next morning I’m in the kitchen making coffee when my phone rings, it’s DCI Thomas.
‘Sorry, I couldn't talk yesterday, I hope you understand.’
‘Of course, I’m sorry this happened, Beth. I just want you to know...’
He stops for a few seconds; I can hear him breathing.
‘Yo
u know who it was, don't you?’
‘No, Beth, but I think I know where Nick is.’
I hold my breath and wait.
‘Don't get your hopes up, these sightings can be misleading but from what I know, he was last seen heading for the port, in Malaga. He's probably trying to get a boat. The Spanish police are onto it. I'll let you know as soon as I hear anything.’
So, who was it?
As if reading my mind, he quickly says. ‘If he's in Spain, then you know what that means.’ He stops, then quickly adds. ‘We've got all the ports and airports covered, so…’
‘Then who was it?’
I really did think it was Nick, but why would he come here? If he's on the run, and after all that's happened, I hardly think he'd be visiting me.
‘We don't know, Beth. It takes time, it could have been a random act, we’ll soon find out.’
‘Okay,’ I mumble.
‘Don't worry. I'll be in touch as soon as I know something, in the meantime, think seriously about taking that trip to Athens.’
I can't believe he just said that. It's the same old thing they all keep saying - get out of the country, forget about it, but it won't help, it will never stop until I find out who did it.
I stand staring down at the street below. If it wasn't Nick, who was it? Major Oliver Hudson and the rest of those horrible people are in prison, aren't they?
The kitchen phone suddenly rings, it's DCI Thomas again.
‘Beth, I'm sorry to trouble you again, but there's been a new development.’
From the sound of his voice I know it’s something awful. ‘Yes, what is it?’
‘I’ll come to that in a minute, but first let me run through some things with you. You were right about Nick, he was on drugs, probably still is, but there's something else, it's about the Major.’
I feel sick. ‘But he’s in prison.’
‘Yes, he is, Beth. But the Major has his finger in many pies. He befriends people, gets them used to the good life, if you can call it that, and then he gets them hooked on drugs, the rest is easy. Anyway, Nick wasn't the only one, we're investigating the Detective Superintendent, seems he also dabbles in drugs.’
The Beth Papadakis Thriller Box Set Page 13