“We are nowhere near alike.” Her eyes blazed. “I save lives. You take them.”
He bowed his head.
"Give yourself up." She sensed a shift in the dynamic. "Take your punishment. Do your time."
“Where are you going?” he asked, as she rose and headed towards the door.
“I’m leaving,” she answered. “I don’t care what you do to me, I’ll take my chances. But, if you take my life, you’ll continue to dwell in the hell you blame your mother for.”
“Wait,” he ordered. “They might shoot you by accident. I’ll tell them we’re coming out.”
She watched him pull the phone from his pocket and put it to his ear. “Don’t shoot. We’re coming out. Your detective inspector will be in front.”
24
Disaster
She drew in her breath, as he grabbed her, once more placing the crossbow to her neck. “You don’t need that,” she said, through clenched teeth.
“Yes, I do.”
He pulled back the bolt on the door, pushing her through it.
She blinked, as the bright sunlight stung her eyes.
He made the weapon obvious to those watching. Holding it at right angles to her head, his forearm around her neck.
Without warning, he stretched out the arm with the crossbow, aiming towards the line of police. He pushed Yvonne to the ground.
“No!” Yvonne yelled, as the first shots rang out. She got up as fast as she was able.
Bullets smashed into her right shoulder and left thigh.
As she fell, the world became a blurred vision of grass, trees, sun and sky and Tasha, running. More bullets whizzed through the air above.
The last sound she heard was Wyn’s body crashing to the polythene floor.
25
Time
Overhead lights rode in and out of focus. Yvonne blinked several times, trying to clear the haze.
A kaleidoscope of shapes, bustling here and there, became nurses in smart uniforms. The daylight fuzz, became the window opposite.
“Hi, welcome back. I thought I’d lost you.” Tasha’s face leaned in and the DI realised she was holding her hand.
“I saw you running. They could have killed you.” Yvonne accused, pushing herself up and wincing in pain.
“Hey… Don’t get up. I ran, because I saw you go down and I was desperate to get to you.”
“I’m sorry for putting you through that.”
“We’ve got no nails left. You know that. Your team… me… You had us pooing ourselves, big style.”
Yvonne grimaced. “The DCI will have my guts for garters.”
Tasha laughed. “He’ll eat them with a nice chianti.” She put a hand to her mouth. “Sorry, that was in bad taste…”
Yvonne chuckled. “It’s okay. It’s a safe space.”
“The doctor said you were very lucky. You clavicle was smashed, and the bullet that hit your thigh went straight through, without hitting either your femur or your femoral artery.”
“Wow.”
“Yes, wow. You’re one charmed lady.”
“And Sealander?”
Tasha shook her head. “I’ve learned nothing about him, since he was surrounded by officers and paramedics. You were both airlifted here. I don’t know if he made it. He took a lot of bullets.”
“I heard them.” Yvonne pursed her lips. “How long will I be in here? Did they tell you?”
“At least two weeks, I should imagine. But, no, they told me nothing. Even though I bombarded them with questions. They would not let me in to begin with. It’s just friends and family. Kim was here, earlier, with the children.”
“My sister? Is she coming back?”
“She’ll be here soon. They’ve gone to get something to eat.”
“I can’t wait to talk to them.”
“I’ll go while they’re here. There are strict limits to the number of visitors. I’m sorry, I implied to the medical staff I was your partner.”
“You did what?” Yvonne gave Tasha a stern look which turned into a laugh. “You bugger.”
“Kim helped.” Tasha grinned.
“She what?”
“Well, they wouldn’t let me in.”
“I’ll have words with the pair of you.”
“It helped that I brought a bag with your pyjamas and make up.”
“Did it now?” Yvonne pulled out her tongue. “Well, since you’re my partner, I could do with a sneaky sandwich and a cup of tea. Am I allowed food? I’m starving.”
“They've said nothing. I’ll check with a nurse and, if it’s okay, I’ll get you something. Then, will you forgive me?”
Yvonne grinned. “I’ll think about it.”
“You have more war wounds than many of the army veterans I know.” DCI Llewellyn stood by her bed, hands on hips; his tie knot, halfway down his chest. “What did you think you were doing? They could have killed you. I’ve never known anyone so careless with their own well-being.”
“I’m sorry.” Yvonne grimaced.
“Meanwhile, you’re facing months in recovery and we’re down a brilliant DI, until you’re mended.”
“I am sorry, really, I am.”
“On a personal note, Yvonne, I’ve never been so terrified. I was sure you were a goner. Don’t you bloody dare do that again?”
“I’ll try not to, sir.”
“Why did you get up, when the shooting started? Are you carrying a torch for Sealander?”
She shook her head. “I hadn’t fallen for him, if that’s what you mean.” She meant it. “I had the urge to mother a tiny boy. A boy who spent long hours sitting on the stairs, watching his life unravel in front of him, powerless to do anything about it. A boy who, at the tender age of ten, witnessed the bloody aftermath of his father’s suicide.”
“My heart bleeds.” The DCI frowned. “Lots of children go through hardship. They don’t all turn into psychopaths.”
“Yes, he’s a monster. But, he was born a blank slate.” She shrugged. “I wanted to pick him up and carry him off the stairs, tuck him in with his favourite teddy and a bedtime story. I’m sorry, you must think I’m losing it.”
“He’s still alive, Yvonne.”
“He is?” She stared, wide-eyed.
“I don’t get how. He’s got more holes than a Swiss cheese. He’s in intensive care, under armed guard, and appears to be stable. Doctors are sure he will make it. Though, he’ll go through months, if not years, of trial, when he’s recovered and he’ll spend the rest of his life behind bars. However, he's still here because of you. You saved his life.”
“I did?”
He nodded. “According to the armed response team, the bullet that hit your shoulder would have turned his lights out… permanently.”
“Head shot?”
“Head shot.”
“Told you I’d be back.” Tasha grinned and plopped a bunch of grapes and two magazines down on the bedside cabinet.
“Good job.” Yvonne raised an eyebrow. “The nurses would have suspected that we’d split up.”
“Nice to see you’re on form.” Tasha grinned. “What did Llewellyn say to you?”
Yvonne sighed. “He thinks I’m a hopeless risk-taker. He’s pissed at me, right now.”
“He’ll get over it. He cares about you, you know?”
“How’s my team doing?”
“Dewi’s acting up.”
Yvonne laughed. “Dewi’s always acting up.”
“You know what I mean… He’s doing your job, while you’re in recovery.”
“Good to hear everything is in safe hands.” Yvonne winced as she changed position.
“Still hurting, then?”
“Just a bit. What about you, Tasha? How are you? Have you sorted your cottage?”
Tasha rubbed her chin. “It’s coming along. The cottage is clear and the reparation work has started. I’m still at your place at the moment. I hope that’s okay?”
“Sure. Stay as long as you need.”
“I'll st
ay long enough to help you settle back in, when you get home. You will find things difficult, at first.”
“Thank you, Tasha.” She reached to squeeze her friend’s hand. “Thank you for being here.”
Six weeks later, Yvonne visited the station, on crutches. She wanted to be there, for when the mothers and fathers of the dead girls collected the few bits and pieces that had belonged to their daughters.
“Are you fit enough for this?” DCI Llewellyn asked, a tender look in his eyes.
Yvonne nodded. “I want to do this, sir. I feel like I owe them this much.”
“The Benoit family send their thanks and best wishes to you. They can’t be here. Nicole’s remains are being flown out to France for burial, today.”
“And, the others?”
“Susan Denham, and Clive and Debbie Sutton are waiting, through there.” He stepped back and allowed her to hobble to where the parents waited in reception.
They stood, as she entered and Susan Denham ran over to her and gave her an awkward hug, afraid of hurting her. “Thank you. Thank you for finding our children’s killer.”
The DI almost dropped her crutches. She smiled and grimaced, wincing at the pain in her shoulder.
“Oh, God. I’m sorry.” Susan stepped back. “I get carried away.”
“No need to apologise.” Yvonne looked at her crutches. “I can’t wait to get rid of these things.”
Clive Sutton put pressed Yvonne’s arm. “Thank you for finding our daughter’s killer. I can’t imagine what you, yourself, went through for us… and for our girls. We will always be grateful.”
Yvonne shook her head. “You don’t have to thank me.” She smiled. “Your daughters were amazing women. Their loss broke many hearts. Their deaths affected everyone we interviewed. They miss your girls. I want you to know I don’t regret a moment of what happened. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. The killer is where he ought to be and, with your help, we’ve prevented him from taking the lives of many more. You helped catch him. Without your input, he would have continued taking precious young lives. I am the one who should thank you.”
As she watched them leave, the DI closed her eyes, seeing the reconstructed faces of the dead girls. In her imagination, she gave each of them a hug, to say goodbye. Tears welled, but stayed where they were.
“It's good to have closure.” Dewi’s voice came from behind her.
“Dewi!” She turned, to see him coming over to take his turn in giving her a hug.
His hug was gentle. “You gave us a helluva fright, lady.”
She screwed her face up. “Sorry.”
“Cup of tea?”
She grinned. “You know me so well.”
Keys clanked and scraped.
His back muscles tightened.
The door flew open.
“Here are the papers you requested, Sealander.” The prison officer tossed them onto his bed. “And here,” he said, handing over the items, “is the needle and thread for your button.”
“Thank you.” Sealander took the need and cotton. “What about the scissors?”
The officer shook his head. “No scissors.”
“But-”
“I’ll be back for the needle in twenty minutes, just before lights out. Don’t lose it. If you do, you’ll find yourself in solitary.”
“But-”
The door banged shut, followed by the sound of keys in the lock.
Sealander threaded the needle, biting off just enough cotton for the task ahead. He placed it down onto the small desk in his room and crossed the couple of feet to his bed and the day’s newspapers.
She was all across the front pages. The heroine detective making a good recovery. Soon to be back at work
He read the stories out loud, through clenched teeth, then ripped the front pages off.
Two of them carried the same photograph. Taken from the front. She was on crutches, struggling to get somewhere. The others, stolen profile photos. One showed her going into a shop, another, getting into her car. In the last ones, she was entering the station. Going ‘for a visit’.
He sneered. Between them all, he had enough for what he intended.
He cursed at the lack of scissors and set to ripping out the images of her, separating the out the bits he wanted.
Then, laying them all out on the tiny desk, he began sewing them together at the edges. Piece by piece. Neat, delicate stitches.
Sweat stood on his brow, the result of the concentration needed to prevent the needle from tearing the tiny strips.
He checked the clock. Two minutes until lights out. The screw would be back any minute.
He placed the gruesome, three-dimensional image of her on his desk, stepping back, when he heard the keys turning in the lock.
“Needle.”
He had the urge to stick him with it. Instead, he held it for the officer to take, his shoulders hunched in submission.
The officer studied Sealander as though aware of the dark thoughts churning behind the smile. Cautious, he extracted the items from Sealander’s hand.
That was that. The door shut. The lights went out. He made his way to back to the desk, feeling along the surface for the newspaper effigy.
He lifted it up, pressing it to his lips before holding it at arms length in front of him. “This isn’t over, Yvonne. It will never be over.”
The End
Afterword
Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed this book, I’d be very grateful if you’d post a short review on Amazon. Your support really does make a difference.
Mailing list: You can join my emailing list here : Anna-marieMorgan.com
Facebook page: AnnamarieMorganAuthor
You might also like to read the other books in the series:
Book 1: Death Master:
After months of mental and physical therapy, Yvonne Giles, an Oxford DI, is back at work and that's just how she likes it. So when she's asked to hunt the serial killer responsible for taking apart young women, the DI jumps at the chance but hides the fact she is suffering debilitating flashbacks. She is told to work with Tasha Phillips, an in-her-face, criminal psychologist. The DI is not enamoured with the idea. Tasha has a lot to prove. Yvonne has a lot to get over. A tentative link with a 20 year-old cold case brings them closer to the truth but events then take a horrifyingly personal turn.
Book 2: You Will Die
After apprehending an Oxford Serial Killer, and almost losing her life in the process, DI Yvonne Giles has left England for a quieter life in rural Wales.Her peace is shattered when she is asked to hunt a priest-killing psychopath, who taunts the police with messages inscribed on the corpses.Yvonne requests the help of Dr. Tasha Phillips, a psychologist and friend, to aid in the hunt. But the killer is one step ahead and the ultimatum, he sets them, could leave everyone devastated.
Book 3: Total Wipeout
A whole family is wiped out with a shotgun. At first glance, it's an open-and-shut case. The dad did it, then killed himself. The deaths follow at least two similar family wipeouts – attributed to the financial crash.
So why doesn't that sit right with Detective Inspector Yvonne Giles? And why has a rape occurred in the area, in the weeks preceding each family's demise? Her seniors do not believe there are questions to answer. DI Giles must therefore risk everything, in a high-stakes investigation ofa mysterious masonic ring and players in high finance.
Can she find the answers, before the next innocent family is wiped out?
Book 4: Deep Cut
In a tiny hamlet in North Wales, a female recruit is murdered whilst on Christmas home leave. Detective Inspector Yvonne Giles is asked to cut short her own leave, to investigate. Why was the young soldier killed? And is her death related to several alleged suicides at her army base? DI Giles this it is, and that someone powerful has a dark secret they will do anything to hide.
Book 5: The Pusher
Young men are turning up dead on the banks of the River Severn. Some of them have been m
issing for days or even weeks. The only thing the police can be sure of, is that the men have drowned. Rumours abound that a mythical serial killer has turned his attention from the Manchester canal to the waterways of Mid-Wales. And now one of CID's own is missing. A brand new recruit with everything to live for. DI Giles must find him before it's too late.
Book 6: Gone
Children are going missing. They are not heard from again until sinister requests for cryptocurrency go viral. The public must pay or the children die. For lead detective Yvonne Giles, the case is complicated enough. And then the unthinkable happens...
Watch out for Book 8 coming in the new year…
Also by Anna-marie Morgan
More books in the DI Giles Series:
Death Master
You Will Die
Total Wipeout
Deep Cut
The Pusher
Gone
Coming soon : Book 8 in the DI Giles Series
Bone Dancer Page 13