Driven by Fear (The DS Lasser Book 27)

by Robin Roughley

  'Please tell me you didn't have him locked in the car?' Carole asked dreading what she was going to hear next.

  'I may have at some point accidentally caught the central locking, I tried to get the man to calm down, but he was acting like a raving madman.'

  'He won't have been ''acting'', he would have lost the plot because you saw the truth of who he really is,' Lasser said.

  'What truth?' Carole asked.

  Lasser fiddled with the pack of cigarettes in his pocket before answering. 'Brewster sees himself as the great crusading journalist, he sees no boundaries to getting to the truth, there are no limits, but somewhere deep inside he knows that the things he does and the way he acts are despicable and you made him see that side of himself and he will hate you forever now.'

  'Like when you fished him out of the canal?' Odette asked.

  'Exactly, but that was even worse because it's there for the world to see and always will be.'

  'But ultimately he said nothing of any value regarding the case?' Carole asked.

  Bannister looked at her and shook his head. 'Truth is, I don't think he knows anything, he does know that there's a story to be had here, but that's about all.'

  'And do you think he will start digging?'

  'That depends, if he gets a whiff that Jepson could be involved in some way then he could back off completely, because as we know, his lordship has shares in the media group that Brewster works for and he would never bite the hand that feeds,' Bannister said as he dragged a hand across his head.

  'Mark my words, somewhere along the line Brewster will do a piece about all this and no doubt he will blame Julie Emmeret in some way for getting herself killed and the same with Rea Lomax. Anyone else would see victims, he sees cannon fodder,' Lasser said darkly from over by the window.

  Carole looked at them each in turn seeing the frustration in their eyes.

  'OK, what do we all think about Jepson, could he be involved on some level?' she asked.

  Bannister's cheeks inflated and then he let the air out in a whoosh. 'We have no proof on the man, yes I know that there are links but that is only through the land that Jepson owns and nothing more than that.'

  Odette shrugged her shoulders. 'I've never even met the guy so I can't say either way, but I do know that Elizabeth Evans had nothing but good things to say about Jepson.'

  'Salt of the earth,' Lasser said with a scowl.

  'I can only go off what she said,' Odette replied.

  Lasser nodded in disappointment. 'Yeah, I know.'

  'And I take it you think he is involved?' Carole asked.

  Lasser continued to flick the cigarette packet over in his pocket, the need for a cigarette growing. 'I do, but I have nothing to back that up apart from the fact that I don't fully trust the guy.'

  'That's because you trust no one, especially those with pots of money,' Bannister replied as he folded his arms.

  Lasser glanced at his boss. 'Well, that can't be true.'

  'Of course it's the bloody truth, we all know it,' the DCI fired back.

  'But I trust you.'

  Bannister's face started to heat up nicely. 'You cheeky bastard, I don't have pots of bloody money!'

  Carole smiled and Odette stifled a laugh as Bannister fumed.

  Lasser ignored him and turned to Carole. 'All I'm saying is that Jepson has the resources to be involved in something like this and so far, it has all happened on land that he owns, he was seen on or around the time that Julie Emmeret vanished, and we know he had to pass the lane where her car was found.'

  'Yes, but he provided us with a legitimate reason as to why he was in Bangor at that time,' Bannister reminded him his face now glowing.

  Carole sighed. 'Alan's right, the land and the visit to Bangor can all be explained away and besides what motive would he have for taking Julie in the first place? We had the report from Doc Shannon and as far as he was concerned, she hadn't been harmed in any way prior to her death.'

  'I see that as another reason not to trust his lordship,' Lasser answered his expression hardening.

  'What are you waffling on about now?' Bannister demanded.

  'Look, under normal circumstance why does one person snatch another?' Lasser asked looking from one to the other.

  'I see what you're getting at,' Carole said. 'But not all cases like this end in violence, I mean, there's kidnapping for monetary gain, that's an option.'

  'Yes, but Julie Emmeret was missing for four months before she turned up, and in that time there had been no demands of any kind,' Odette said.

  Carole looked at Lasser who nodded in agreement.

  'It just reminds me of Fripp,' Lasser paused, 'he had billions and all the time in the world and look how he turned out.'

  Rising to his feet, Bannister dropped the empty cup into the wastepaper basket.

  'The difference is Fripp had reasons for hating the world, he had been confined to a wheelchair all his life, he had all the trappings of the rich, but his disabilities meant he couldn't enjoy any of the wealth,' the DCI reminded him.

  Lasser continued to flick the pack of cigarettes over in his pocket. 'I get that, but Jepson told us he has no problem filling his time, but what does that actually mean?'

  Bannister folded his arms as he looked at Lasser.

  'Holidays, golfing, fancy dinners, croquet on the lawn, that's not forgetting yachting or lounging in the sunshine reading poetry. I mean, come on, Lasser, aristocrats always find meaningless ways to kill time and they always will, and when they've had enough of that there's always the orgies in the woods and satanism,' Bannister said with a sniff.

  'You could easily add hunting people down just for the fun of it to your list,' Lasser added, his face serious.

  Bannister flapped a hand at him. 'Straws again,' he snapped.

  'What about Draper and Nash?' Carole asked before Lasser could fire back a reply.

  'Are we even sure that they were taken by the same man?' Odette asked.

  'Has to be, and don't forget about Mr Softie Top and his mention of the gorilla.'

  Odette looked at Lasser in confusion. 'What are you talking about?'

  Lasser quickly explained about the conversation with the ice-cream man and the march that the market traders had made to Jepson's mansion and the man who had stood to one side looking threatening without even trying.

  'Yes, but Jepson denied having anyone like that working for him,' Carole reminded him.

  'Just because he denied it doesn't mean he isn't lying,' Lasser responded.

  Carole didn't look convinced and then she stood up. 'To be honest I don't know where we go from here, but we need to keep looking for Rea Lomax, we need to keep digging until we find something we can chase down.'

  'So, what are we going to do about Jepson?' Odette enquired.

  'You and Roger take a closer look at the man, see what else you can find out online,' Carole suggested.

  Odette nodded in understanding.

  'What about us?' Bannister asked.

  Carole shrugged, her expression one of frustration. 'Like I said, keep digging, we need a break here.'

  The three of them headed for the door, Carole watched them leave, before slumping into her chair, the sense that they were running out of time continued to push at her senses.

  79

  'I need to contact my father,' Rea paused, 'I need to let him know that I'm OK.'

  They were walking through the trees, dappled light hitting the woodland floor, the bluebells out in abundance.

  Jepson felt the flash of annoyance inside, he was still thinking about the ''appetiser'' and the fact that he'd had to offer it was making his anger boil.

  'Would that be OK?' she asked.

  Jepson came to a halt and looked at Rea and suddenly he had the urge to strangle her, to kill her right here and now beneath the trees, how could she ever replace Julie and in such a short period of time?

  The truth was Julie had been in peak physical condition way before he had
started to mentor her, and she had been more than ready to take on any challenge.

  'Can I do that, can I contact my father?' she asked again.

  Jepson managed to drag up a smile and then he nodded. 'I would prefer it if you sent him a text for now, would that be acceptable?' he asked.

  'But a text could be from anyone, and it would torment him not knowing if the message was from me or someone else.'

  'Not if you tell him something personal, something only you two would know.'

  She thought for a moment before nodding. 'I can do that for now, but at some point, I will need to speak to him.'

  'Of course,' he replied as they set off walking again, the anger growing with every step.

  'Tell me more about Julie, tell me what really happened between you two?'

  Jepson slipped his hands into the pockets of his jacket, the urge to throttle the woman still raging through his mind and the truth was he didn't fully trust himself not to act on those urges.

  'Why was she running, why were you chasing her.'

  'I've already told you, it was part of her tutorage.'

  'But what does that actually mean?'

  'It means she was looked after, she was cherished, she wanted to become more than she was.'

  'And chasing her did what exactly?'

  When the old house came into view Jepson slowed down slightly.

  Rea looked at the place as they approached wondering what the house had been used for out here in the middle of the forest.

  'This used to be the gamekeeper's cottage,' Jepson explained as if reading her thoughts.

  'You really do lead a privileged life, don't you?'

  His lordship gritted his teeth, her questions bombarding him, the tone of her voice hinting at derision.

  'I was born into wealth, and I am fully aware of how fortunate my lot in life has been,' he answered, trying to keep the anger disguised.

  'So, where's the gamekeeper now?'

  'No one hunts on this land anymore; I don't allow it.'

  'And yet you were hunting Julie, you…'

  'I was not hunting her, I was helping her,' he snapped.

  Rea felt the shiver of fear pass through her mind, deep inside she heard the voice of reason screaming that she had made a mistake, she'd had the chance to walk away from all this and yet now here she was back with the man who had kidnapped her, and she had done it of her own free will.

  'Idiot!' the voice rose in her mind, and she winced at the volume.

  Jepson looked at her and smiled though she could see the residue of anger in his eye, buried deep but nonetheless it was there.

  'I understand you have questions but what I am offering cannot be rushed, it's not something that is black and white, now I gave you the chance to walk away, didn't I do that?'

  She nodded. 'Yes, you did.'

  'And you were the one who came back, no one forced you, so I would ask that you respect my methods and embrace my teachings, and one day you never know you may even thank me.'

  Before she could reply, Jepson was striding towards the house, she watched for a moment, amazed by how quickly he covered the ground and then she set off after him.

  By the time she reached the front of the property he had vanished inside, and she stood in the sunlight unsure what to do.

  Seconds later, he reappeared with a phone in his right hand, holding it out he smiled, the anger had gone from his eyes, and he looked casual again.

  'Your own phone got damaged,' he explained. 'So, I hope you know your father's mobile number?'

  'I know it off by heart,' she replied.

  Jepson smiled. 'That's good,' he paused, 'I realise this is an unusual request, but would you allow me to read the text before you send it?'

  'Why?' she asked.

  Inside the anger flared again, and Jepson held the sigh at bay.

  'You need to learn to trust me and likewise I need to know I can put my faith in you,' he said.

  'Surely the fact that I came back here is proof of that?'

  Jepson shook his head slowly. 'It was curiosity that brought you back to me, nothing more than that, you wanted to know more, and I can understand that, but trust and curiosity are not the same thing.'

  Rea thought for a moment before nodding. 'I can agree with that.'

  'Thank you.'

  She looked down at the phone before tapping in her father's number and then she thought for a moment before starting to type the message.

  Jepson watched her closely, his expression one of burgeoning anger as the phone in her hand beeped as she hit the keys.

  Julie had never been like this, making demands, then again both her parents had been dead, so she'd had no family to contact, and the truth was he had become her family, the one person she had been able to trust in life, and now she was gone.

  He felt his eyes fill with tears at her tragic loss, he had mentored Julie and the thrill of watching her blossom had been absolutely wonderful, yet it was even more than that, he had been enriched himself, he had learned more from her than anyone else including his own parents – both long dead.

  'I've finished,' she looked up at him, her eyes widened as she saw the distress on his face.

  'What's the matter?' she asked.

  'What a fool I am,' he said as he wiped at his eyes.

  'Is it something I've done?'

  He smiled shakily. 'No, not at all I was just thinking of Julie.'

  Rea held the phone out, her hand trembling slightly. 'You loved her, didn't you?'

  Jepson sniffed and laughed lightly. 'Oh, it went way beyond mere love,' he answered as he took the phone and read the message.

  'Dad, it's me, I'm not hurt, I'm fine. I know you'll think this could be some kind of hoax, but it isn't and to prove it to you I need to tell you something that only we would know.'

  Jepson glanced at Rea as she looked at him expectantly, then he was reading more of the message.

  'When Mum died you put a white rose in with her and a picture of the three of us at the park, you told me that on that day I fell and grazed my knees you carried me all the way home on your shoulders. I was eating an ice cream and a blob of it fell onto your head. I promise we will speak soon, but do not worry, I am fine and more importantly I am happy. Love you always.'

  There were three capital Xs at the end of the message and Jepson nodded as he handed it over.

  'Is it OK?' she asked.

  'It's perfect.'

  Rea found herself smiling in relief, the warning voice vanishing completely as she sent the message.

  80

  Dan Lomax was standing by the open kitchen door looking out over the garden as the old dog hobbled about looking for somewhere to do her business.

  He had spent the night on the sofa, his dreams had been vivid and full of terror, in one he had been running in the darkness knowing that his daughter was close by but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't find her. At one point he had been dashing along empty darkened streets, he could have sworn that he had seen Rea in front and then she had vanished around the corner, by the time he got there the road had been deserted. Then the nightmare had shifted, and he had been running along a road he had recognised, fields on either side, the moon hanging high in the night sky and then he had come across the body slumped on the road and it was his Rea, broken and bloody.

  It was still dark as he thrashed himself free of the horror and he had been standing at the kitchen door now for what felt like hours, his mind numb with the pain of losing his daughter.

  The dog wandered over and stood in front of him, tail wagging, her head tilted slightly as if confused by her master's immobility.

  Looking down at her, he sighed. 'What are we going to do?' he asked.

  The dog's tail picked up speed, milky eyes blinking up at him.

  When he heard the sharp beep he turned and frowned, the phone was on the kitchen table, and he winced as he moved towards it, his muscles cramped from having stood in the same spot for so long.


  Picking it up, he wiped the tears from his eyes and then he frowned as he saw the message icon, tapping it open his heart seemed to stop beating as he read the first few words. Then he gasped, his eyes quickly scanning over the message, his heart beating once more.

  'Calm down,' he hissed and closed his eyes for a few seconds trying to steady his raging emotion. He opened them again and started to read. His hands starting to shake and by the time he had finished he collapsed onto one of the kitchen chairs, his eyes fixed on the screen as he read the message again.

  When he read about the time at the park, he started to cry and raised a hand to the crown of his head as if he expected to feel the wetness of the sticky ice cream. His wife had laughed, and he had shaken his head as Rea giggled on his shoulders.

  'It feels as if the biggest seagull in the world has crapped on my head,' he could remember saying.

  He had grimaced as his wife continued to laugh before eventually handing him a tissue and…

  The memory fragmented as he re-read the words.

  Rea was OK, she hadn't been hurt, hadn't been… killed.

  'Oh, thank God!' he cried out the words, the relief flooding through his mind and body in a torrent.

  Then he read the message for a third time before going back to the main screen and snatching the card from his pocket, it took him four attempts to type in the mobile number.

  'Come on, come on,' he gasped as he tried again, eventually getting it right before hitting the call icon, waiting in desperation for the detective to answer the phone.

  81

  Bannister had the phone clamped to his ear as the siren wailed, Lasser behind the wheel of the Audi as they sped along the road.

  'Lomax has just called, he says he's received a text supposedly from his missing daughter!' Bannister explained to Carole having to raise his voice above the racket. 'I know it's bloody unbelievable but we're on our way over there right now, and as soon as we know more, I'll call you.'

  Pocketing the phone, he grabbed the strap above the door with his left hand as he shook his head.