Then he'd had Julie who had run like the wind, her spirit to survive had been bright and he had thrilled at her ability to stay alive. Yet now that had all been taken away and she had been murdered by some bastard behind the wheel of the car.
Suddenly he came to a halt, the anger turned to fury as he thought of the fragility of life, how one minute Julie had been running in full control of her limbs and the next she was sprawled on the ground, her body shattered and lifeless. Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm his emotions. The last thing he wanted when he spoke to Rea Lomax was the anger to show in his voice, he needed to be in control, needed to lay things out before her without any hint of fury in his voice.
Closing his eyes for a moment, he discovered that Julie was once again waiting to invade his mind. During the chase she had given her all and for a few nerve-jangling seconds he had been convinced that the car would have stopped and offered her assistance There was no doubt if that had happened then he would have been left with some very difficult questions to answer, but nevertheless he would have admired her fortitude. She had been the real deal, the spirit to live had been strong and he suspected that the urge to actually fight for her life would have been equally resilient, though now he would never get the chance to put it to the test.
All that effort, all that love wasted.
Opening his eyes, he sighed, had no idea what the woman named Rea was like or even what she had been doing on that country lane at gone midnight, but the fact that she had stopped and put the call in for help told him something about her character. Some people would not have done that, after all the driver had left Julie to die on the road whilst the woman named Rea had done the decent thing.
He started to walk again his mind rolling back the years as he thought about the times he had played here as a child, usually he had been alone and that had suited him fine. He had never been one for making true friends though over the years he had learned that in life you had to pretend to be something that you were not, the reality was it was the only way to get people to do what you wanted. It had taken him a while to learn that lesson and it was only once he was at boarding school that the penny had dropped, prior to that he had been content to spend time alone in the woods and open fields that were part of the family estate.
Moving past a towering oak, he let his fingertips brush against the gnarled bark, some of the trees were over five hundred years old and as a youngster he would try to imagine what they had witnessed over such a vast span of time. As a child he had imagined himself as some Robin Hood character battling evil, and now he smiled at the naivety of the recollection. Life had taught him that there was very little good in the world, no matter what anyone else thought or what they tried to teach you the truth was that in the end it was always evil that triumphed.
For those who tried to fight the tide were inevitably crushed by the wheels of greed, he knew this to be a fact because he was one of the largest cogs in the machine that obliterated everything in its path.
Once you learned that simple truth then the rest followed easily enough, it freed the individual to follow their true path through life, and that is exactly what he was doing, safe in the knowledge that he would never be caught, at least not in this lifetime.
The path meandered around the trees; a woodpigeon flapped its wings as it watched the man below move through the forest.
Suddenly, he reached the clearing and at last he smiled as he saw the squat conical building to his left.
The icehouse was over a hundred and fifty years old and although he had never seen it used for its original purpose, he had learned that it had another more practical use, one that he had discovered years earlier when he had caught a stray dog and locked it in the underground chamber.
He could still recall clanging the iron door closed and then pressing his ear to the metal, the sound of the barking dog muffled.
For over a month he had fed and watered the animal and then it had been time to go back to boarding school and he had forgotten all about the dog until he had returned home six months later.
Inevitably the mongrel had starved to death and yet it had remained remarkably intact thanks to the thick walls of granite that were covered with earth that always kept the interior of the icehouse cold, no matter how much the sun blazed down.
Now, all these years later, he was putting it to use again, and he knew that the screams would be swallowed by the dense structure, more than half of which was buried underground, offering even more insulation against the cries of the women he had kept there.
His grandfather had been the first one to take him down the steps of the icehouse and the boy had been astounded by the inside of the building. It had been almost magical to his young mind and for a while he had made it his secret hideaway, he would go on raids fighting the enemy and then return to the icehouse safe in the knowledge that his imaginary foes would never hunt him down.
As with all things time and life had pushed childish fantasies from his mind and yet now it was once more his secret hideaway again, a place very few knew about and no one apart from him ever came to visit.
Coming to a halt by the door, he lifted the heavy metal key from his pocket and slipped it into the lock. Then he stepped back knowing that the woman named Rea would have heard the sound and her heart would now be racing, her mind flaring with the terror of the unknown.
This was the beginning of everything, the start of the thrill and hopefully something more, something vital and life affirming, just as it had been with Julie, and he felt his body shiver in anticipation. Rea Lomax wasn't Julie, she could never be that special, but with a bit of luck she would offer some sort of challenge. If not, then he would remove her from the board and find someone else to take her place though he was well aware that the clock was ticking and there was little time to waste.
Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward and yanked the door open, and then he was staggering back as the woman exploded towards him, arms outstretched as she thrust him back, her roar blasting out into the forest.
He fell back into the blanket of last year's fallen leaves, his eyes wide in astonishment and then she flew past, her hair streaming out as she sprinted into the trees.
For a few seconds, he remained on his backside head tilted as he looked up at the perfection of the blue cloudless sky and then he threw his head back and laughed.
'YES!' he bellowed, safe in the knowledge that there was no one to hear his cry of joy, and then he scrambled to his feet, taking a moment to brush the leaves from his trousers, the beaming smile lighting up his face as he dragged the hair from his eyes and sprang forward.
This was wonderful, this was life affirming he thought as he dashed into the forest.
The chase was on.
19
Erin Nash sat up in bed, phone in hand as she checked last night's footage from the security camera at the rear of the property. At one point she had spotted next door's cat slinking its way along the top of the fence before vanishing into the bushes. Once satisfied that nothing untoward had happened during the night she had turned her attention to the camera that monitored the front of the house, including a section of the road.
When she saw that the night had passed without incident, she breathed a sigh of relief just as the bedroom door opened and Barry came into the room, a tray held between his hands.
'Breakfast in bed, what have I done to deserve this?' she asked with a smile.
Handing the tray over, Barry Joy sat on the side of the bed and shrugged.
'I know you didn't sleep much last night, so I thought it was the least I could do before I head off to work,' he said with a smile of his own.
'You didn't have to do that,' she looked at the boiled egg with two rounds of toast and a hot coffee.
Barry looked at the woman he loved and then sighed; despite her smile he could see tension in her eyes. 'Listen, Erin, I know these threats are a total bloody nightmare, but we are not going to let that man ruin our lives.'
> Erin nodded though her eyes looked guarded.
'I know you find it hard to believe anyone and after what you've been through then it's hardly surprising, but you have me here now, you're not alone anymore.'
'I don't know what I'd do without you,' she said as she picked up the spoon, holding it tight in her right hand whilst trying to quell the sense of approaching doom.
'Are you going to be OK today?' he asked before checking his watch.
'I'll be fine,' she replied trying to inject a tone of confidence into her voice.
'Are you sure?' he asked looking at her closely.
'Positive,' she nodded and then smiled again.
Barry held her gaze for another couple of seconds before nodding and rising to his feet. 'OK, but if you need me then ring and I can be back home in ten minutes.'
'I will I promise,' she paused, 'but believe me, Barry, if he was going to do anything then it will be at night.'
Barry Joy felt his anger flare as he thought about Nash – his obscene body pumped to the maximum – abusing Erin, a woman who was a size eight and weighed around seven and a half stone.
When she saw the look on his face, she placed the spoon on the plate and held out her hand, he grabbed it and gave it a squeeze.
'Like you said, we are not going to let him rule our lives, you get to work, and once I've had my breakfast I'll get up and do the weekly shop. Now, is there anything you fancy for your tea?' she asked.
'I really don't mind, whatever you cook is always delicious.
'Not as delicious as breakfast in bed,' she replied as her hand slipped from his and she picked up the spoon again.
Dipping, he kissed the top of her head. 'OK, I'll ring you in a couple of hours to see how you are.'
'OK, but if I don't answer then I could be in the shower.'
'Well, text me if you miss the call.'
Erin nodded and watched as he left the room, two minutes later she heard the car back down the drive, lifting the tray she placed it by her side before swinging her legs to the floor.
Despite Barry's comforting words she knew that the fear was still there, it always would be, she could feel it now pushing at her mind, trying to sneak in then it could swamp her and…
Rising to her feet her hands came together the anxiety building.
'Get a grip of yourself,' she hissed before heading from the room, the breakfast on the tray forgotten about as she slowly started to unravel.
It was a sensation that she was only too familiar with.
20
Lasser slid the window down as Carole spoke to Bannister on the phone.
'Nash attacked you?' she asked, her voice tight with surprise.
They were heading back into town with the intention of paying Rea Lomax's father a visit.
'He did, but what he hadn't accounted for was Odette kicking him in the bollocks,' Bannister replied. 'Anyway, we've looked around the house and Nash has blown-up images of himself on the walls, oiled to the max and some heavy duty BDSM on his laptop.'
'So where is he now?'
'At the station awaiting questioning.'
Lasser checked the mirrors and thought of Carl taking a cast of the two footprints in the soft earth, his tongue had been protruding slightly as he concentrated on the job at hand.
'Listen, Alan, I need to know why you went to see Clifton Nash in the first place?' Carole asked.
Lasser glanced at her before turning his attention back to the winding lane.
'I went because he's threatening to kill his wife and…'
'Have we actually been able to prove that?' she interrupted.
'Not yet but we will.'
Lasser heard the chief sigh and knew what was coming next.
'Come on, you know the score, Nash denies sending any threats and we have no proof that he is the one behind all this.'
'Not interested,' Bannister replied, his voice curt.
Lasser winced.
'You might not be interested, but others will be if they think you are harassing an innocent man,' Carole replied, keeping her voice calm, though Lasser could tell it was a struggle.
'Look, we all know he's the one threatening her, Erin Nash has no enemies apart from her animal of a husband. He has served time in the past for abusing her and now she has a chance at freedom he can't stomach it, and…'
'We still need to prove it.'
'And I've said we'll get the proof.'
'Well, be quick about it, because all it needs is some sharp solicitor to take up his cause and they would be all over us like a rash, claiming harassment, entrapment and police brutality.'
'Nash's the brutal one,' Bannister replied, his underlying anger coming through loud and clear.
'Well, get him questioned and then I want to see the team about this hit and run.'
'Problem?' Bannister asked.
'Yes, a serious problem, and I want everyone on this.'
'Why, what's happened?'
'I'm not going to explain it over the phone,' she paused, 'just make sure you get every available officer into the conference room.'
'Understood.'
Carole tapped at the screen before sliding the phone into her pocket. 'Do you have any idea why he's focussing on Nash?'
Lasser thought for a moment before answering. 'Truth is he's trying to avoid bad things happening to a good woman.'
Carole sighed as the warm breeze drifted through the open window. 'But he knows the rules better than anyone.'
'I agree,' Lasser paused and dropped a gear, 'though we all know those rules are wrong to start with.'
'I can see it's no use asking you to back me on this,' she said with a heavy sigh.
'But he's right, Erin Nash has no enemies, her husband is behind all this and yet even when we get the proof he will only be reprimanded and that will be it. Nothing will happen to the man, and chances are that at some point he will explode, and his wife and new partner will be the ones who suffer. Like you said, Bannister's no fool and he knows that if he can't be stopped then they could both end up dead, all the warning signs are there, but our hands are tied because of the ''rules''.'
Carole knew he was right, it had happened enough in the past, stalkers who took no notice of the warnings that the police dished out, knowing that they were untouchable until they actually followed up on their threats, by which time it was too late, and the innocent suffered.
Then she pushed Nash from her mind and thought about the dead woman on the deserted country road.
'We need to ID the victim,' she said, the breeze ruffling her hair as they continued along the narrow B-road.
'And we need to find the missing Rea Lomax,' Lasser reminded her.
Carole nodded before sliding the window up slightly. 'I keep trying to think of another scenario, I mean, it sounds farfetched to think that the woman dies after being chased across open ground in the middle of the night and then Rea Lomax is snatched and vanishes.'
Lasser changed gear, the need for a cigarette growing with every minute that ticked by.
'Could Draper be lying when he says that they argued, and Rea got out of the car?' Carole suddenly asked.
'It's always a possibility,' Lasser admitted.
'Perhaps they were in the car together on Hamley Road, he hits the woman, Rea makes him stop and she calls for help. But while she was doing that, it would have given Draper time to think about the consequences and all he sees is the trouble he's in. So, he tries to persuade Rea to get back into the car, she refuses, he flips, there's a struggle and he forces her into the car and drives away.'
'And does what with her?' Lasser asked as he reached the junction and turned right.
'I shudder to think, but you've questioned the man so what do you think, is he capable of something like that?'
Lasser thought for a moment as the car picked up speed. 'We know he's a bullshitter, but the truth is I believe that Rea got out of the car as he said, and he drove off, I think she was alone when she put the call in.'<
br />
They fell silent, both thinking things through, neither of them able to find anything positive about the night's events.
Outside, the first of the swallows appeared, flying over the fields performing aerial acrobatics as the car sped along the road, the time ticking away as they headed into town.
21
Rea dashed through the trees, the remains of the rope dangling from her wrists as she sprinted forward.
Everything passed in a blur, her breathing hurried and laboured, the feeling that she was moving further away from help, further away from civilisation ploughed through her mind as she ran. The ground was uneven and littered with hidden divots and twice she almost stumbled over a tree root hidden by a blanket of fallen leaves.
She had no idea how long she had been locked away in the cold and dark, though after her initial terror she had used her time wisely to free herself from the ropes. Then she had fumbled through the darkness, her hands moving over the rough stone until she had reached the metal door. Eventually she had slumped down onto the shale-covered ground, resting back against the door, the passing of time had lost meaning as she waited to see what would happen. When she had heard the key in the lock she had tensed and crouched slightly like a runner ready to explode from the blocks. As soon as the door had opened, she had blasted forward, the light assaulting her eyes, she had vaguely been aware of the man in front of her though she had been too frantic to gather any details, thrusting him back and setting off running as he staggered back and fell.
Now, she ran blind, and it took all of her willpower to slow down, knowing that she couldn't simply continue to run into the unknown without any sort of plan. Eventually she came to a stop and turned full circle, her eyes searching the trees looking for any hint of movement as she swiped the sweat from her brow and licked her dry lips, her punished lungs drawing in the air as she gulped.
When she heard the snap of the branch, she spun to the left and almost screamed out in anguished disbelief, the man stood about twenty feet away and then bizarrely he began to clap his hands together.
Driven by Fear (The DS Lasser Book 27) Page 7