I’d slumped back down in the straw. Shit! This could become complicated.
* * *
“Dan, what do you mean there’s still nothing?”
“Exactly as I said Amanda, there is no news. Her vehicle hasn’t been seen. She hasn’t been seen. I don’t know what else there is for me to say?”
“I’m sorry… I just don’t know what to do?”
“Keep the business running for her and Adam and keep her staff safe. That’s the best thing you can do.”
“I know, but I want to do more…”
“We all do… Keep strong.”
* * *
I was sweeping the stable-yard when I heard her footsteps, the rattle of her ridiculous stilettos. I’d been waiting for something to happen, the inevitable showdown. I turned to face her.
“Miss?”
“Oh yes, now you are so polite to my face you prostituta. He told me, how you had basically laid yourself bare to him, trying to steal my husband from me. You slut!” I was caught unawares as she flew towards me, grabbing my ponytail and dragging me to my knees. I cried out in shock.
“You thought you could exploit him. Tease him and entrap him. What were you going to do? Try and sell your sordid tale to the gutter press? You puta!”
“No, miss… He needed no teasing. He came here sniffing around with a hard-on like a rabid dog. He told me he wasn’t getting what he needed from you!”
Her backhanded slap stung, her diamond engagement ring sliced through my skin and blood started to drip down my face. As she had a tight hold of my hair, I had taken the full force of her blow. She flung me down, quickly placing one of her stilettoed feet on my chest as I lay there.
“Do you think I am weak? Or maybe you think I am stupid? Or both? Let me tell you, bitch! I am not stupid… And I am far from weak.”
She pushed her weight onto my chest, her stiletto heel pushing into my flesh like a blade.
“I’m sorry…” I gasped looking up at her as she sneered down at me, her perfect legs honed by an excessively expensive personal trainer. The thought crossed my mind that it had been a shame she hadn’t wanted to join us in the stable. I wasn’t into girls, per se but I could always make an exception for someone like her.
“It’s too late for sorry. I grew up in the Brazilian favela, the slums. There were no police there. You had to fend for yourself. I worked up from there, fighting my way to the top and I didn’t care who I hurt on the way. I’ve met gold-diggers like you before. Bitches who thought they didn’t need to work, people who thought they could sleep their way to success. I broke all of those who stood in my way and I’ll break you also. I want you out!”
“What?”
“You heard me… Slut!” She shifted her foot, placing the sole of her designer shoe onto my neck, starting to push down with all her weight, I struggled but was unable to break free. “I want you gone. I’m taking Edward to London where he can be supervised and I want there to be no trace of you when I return. And don’t let me find you. Do I make myself clear? Speak up, bitch!”
I was struggling to breathe as she crushed my neck beneath her foot, let alone speak. I tried grabbing for her leg but she just increased the pressure on my neck. I gasped, spluttering, pinpricks of bright light in my vision.
“I think I have made myself clear and you understand. And, if you think you can sell your story, don’t. I know people. You would just become one more missing person.”
She laughed, releasing the pressure on my neck, walking back across the yard. I rolled into a fetal ball. As much as I was scared and frustrated, there was a part of me that was impressed by this powerful woman. Impressed, and just a little turned on.
* * *
I watched the car leave, despite being hidden in the shadows I could see her looking out towards me. She had left me with an issue. I had wanted to play more with my new companions, draw out the torture for just a little bit longer. I had started to really enjoy Hilary’s suffering; it was delicious after all the times she had put me down. However, now I needed to change my schedule if I needed to be gone in just three days, my opportunity for long term suffering was gone. It was a shame, but I guessed this could become a positive.
I could sort this out, go and find somewhere else to go. I wouldn’t need to rush, I had already decided to clear out the tack room when I left, some of those five-thousand-pound saddles would make enough second hand for me to not have to rush to find a new job straight away. I deserved a short break, so I could lie low for a bit. I was sure that the lady of the house could afford new ones, just call it a going-away present to a well-loved and respected groom.
So, I had to decide what to do with Hilary and Kate, tomorrow would have to be the day and I so wanted them to suffer as I had done. A couple of glasses of good whisky would give me the inspiration I needed.
32
Things to do…
I rose early. It was a delightfully sunny day; the horses could enjoy some time in the beautifully maintained paddocks. All things considered; it was better for them to be out of the way for the day’s activities. I didn’t want to hurt them. I wasn’t a monster. People were fair game, but I would give my life for my horses.
In the end, the idea which struck me was so beautifully simple, it would solve my problems and allow me to get away with a little tack theft unnoticed, to be honest, I was surprised I hadn’t thought of it earlier. I crossed the yard with a spring in my step, I had things to do.
* * *
“Are you awake?”
I opened my eyes, nodding to Hilary. I’m sure I looked as bad as she did. Her face filthy and gaunt, her eyes sunken, her features scratched and bruised. Her clothes were torn, covered with dried blood and dirt. Her hands covered in scratches where she had tried to claw at the door to escape.
The stink from the bucket set up in the furthest corner of the room was overpowering, but we had somehow become used to it. I no longer wanted to cry, I had gone past the point of emotions, even the pangs of hunger that had tormented me seemed to have passed.
I struggled to a sitting position. I was awake but I wished I wasn’t.
Over the last, hours? Days? Who knows, the time had all merged into nothing. We had tried to escape, tried to shout for help and tried to reassure ourselves we would be alright. There would be people looking for us, we would escape.
We’d given up on such futile thoughts now. The only thing in our mind was how we kept going until the inevitable happened.
“What the hell happened to Sally?”
“Kate, I don’t know. She was always a lovely person and such a caring groom. She’d seemed a bit distant in the last few months but, I could never have seen this coming. I always cared for her, I made sure she was well paid, I wanted to make sure her cottage was comfortable and we often had nights out together to thank her for what she did for me. I used to tell her how vital she was, how I couldn’t compete without her, but it seems she didn’t get that feeling. I thought that we were friends. Oh, God, how could she have turned against me like this and I just didn’t see it coming? I blame myself. I must have been so self-absorbed, maybe I wasn’t making enough time for her? How could I have missed this? I’m sorry Kate, you’ve been dragged into this.”
“Hilary, I got myself here.”
“Looking for me! Trying to help me! Yet again, it’s my fault. What can I do? I’ve tried to convince her but she just looks though me with those empty, staring eyes. I could never imagine that the young groom I took in to save her bacon would turn into a cold-blooded killer…”
“We need to have a plan.”
“To do what? We’ve tried everything we can… It’s over.”
Hilary slumped down against the wall.
* * *
It seems there is trouble in paradise as Oscar-nominated Isla-Mae Gomez was seen having a very public and heated argument at the Ivy in Soho last night. Witnesses state that when the couple came into the club the atmosphere between them was frosty, and it
only got worse when shouts were heard about another woman.
Is three’s company too much for the newlyweds? It seems that Edward’s famous womanising ways may have reignited flames in their already tumultuous marriage. Neither would comment as they left the club separately.
I smiled ignoring the rest of the gossip column on-screen, enjoying instead the photograph of my previous employer lashing out at paparazzi as she stormed out of the club. “Oh dear, was this all because of little old me?” I laughed, closing my laptop and leaning back in the chair. I looked around the tack room, there were certainly a good few things I could make money from, it was a shame I couldn’t get away with selling the horses. Time to relax, I was going to have a long night on my hands.
* * *
“Kelly?” I looked up; John was standing in the doorway. “Have you two minutes?”
“Come in… I’m up to my eyes in paperwork, I could do with a break from all of this nonsense. I hope it’s good news you’re bringing. I could do with that too!” I gestured to the piles of reports and printouts which were strewn across my desk.
“Oh, I don’t think I’m going to be giving you any good news I’m afraid.”
“Try saying that without that grin on your fat face!”
“Well, if you would rather hear it from the Chief Constable.”
My heart sunk. John was trying to hide his delight at something, he was smirking. I had a painful feeling he was bringing me bad news and that it involved me. “No… Spit it out.”
“It’s the horsy killer?”
“What?”
“That murder at the stables.”
“Go on…” Yes, John. Go on spit it out. I could see his repressed glee. He was itching to tell me I’d done something wrong and, I guessed he had already told the Chief Constable his news.
“I’ve spoken with the tech geeks. I took it upon myself to get them to take another look at the CCTV footage.”
“I thought we had discounted that?” My heart was sinking.
“Well, I thought it was worth another look. I didn’t want to go to trial and get tripped up by something stupid.”
“Look, John. This is a simple cut and dried case. We have undeniable proof he did it. End of.”
“That’s as maybe, but I thought with a court date due I wanted to go back over some of the details again. Just to be sure. Anyway, the techy lot have looked at the CCTV footage again, and between them and the scenes of crime people we are convinced now Adam Bishop is not the person we are seeing on the images of the assailant.”
“What? Six months ago, this was a foregone conclusion. You were there, the technical people agreed, scenes of crime agreed. How come they have now just suddenly changed their minds. And what is this ‘we’ who seem to have agreed with this without my knowledge.”
My heart was sinking, I knew where this was going.
“Well, following that tip-off that you discounted…”
“Do you mean the perp’s wife who had illegally accessed the footage? That was months ago and, more importantly, it wasn’t just me who discounted it as total nonsense, you said it was stupid and that I should ignore it!”
“Well, nevertheless I asked the geeks to look at it again in more detail. See if she could have been right, just in case, as I said. I didn’t want to stand up in court and have the defence prove something we weren’t aware of. I just don’t want us to look like twats in public.”
No John, but you wanted me to look like a twat in private. I bit my tongue but I knew what was going on here. Bravo John, you’re making way for your promotion. Very clever, if I wasn’t the target of his one-man campaign I’d almost be impressed.
“Sure, but why do I think you are enjoying this? Okay, I’ll bite. What are they saying now?”
“Well, they’re saying, with the height of the doorway, which we had measured again, I sent someone back to the scene to double-check, and the height of the suspect.”
“Oh John, you have been a busy bee. So, they think it’s not him?”
“No, not think. They know. One hundred per cent it can’t be him. He could still have killed her, but it’s certainly not the man we charged who you see walking out with the murder weapon.”
I put my head in my hands. This case had been sewn up months ago, we were just waiting for the trial. It had been obvious, there were a glut of clues that pointed to Bishop having been the murderer. I didn’t need my second in charge suddenly stirring things up. Even if he meant well, which I’m sure he didn’t. He wasn’t getting any younger and was desperate for promotion. Honestly, I wouldn’t put it past him, withholding information until the last minute so I looked stupid and he could rise as the new golden boy. Well, John, I may have missed you setting me up but you have done so perfectly.
He smiled at me before leaving. “Let me know if you need anything. Gov.”
There was no going back now. The original crime scene had been bad enough, but there was nothing left of that now, the stables had been cleared and with them any lasting evidence. And now, both the stables owner and the perp’s wife had apparently fallen off the face of the earth.
Who had done it then? The media would have a field day. Shit! I could just see the lawsuits rolling in—defamation, emotional duress, and who’s to say how much the Bishop’s stable had lost in revenue? Worst of all this was just about to land heavily on my doorstep. John may well get his promotion, but at what cost?
I’d been well and truly stitched up.
* * *
The door opened, we both looked up as Sally entered the room, the cattle prod held out in front of her. She threw a bundle of baler twine at my feet.
“Right, I want you to tie her hands together.”
She gestured to Hilary. I stood up, watching as Sally sneered at us, gently grabbing Hilary’s hands. I put them behind her back as instructed and tied her wrists with the rough orange twine.
“Tighter! I don’t want her to get away…”
I tightened the knots before stepping back. Sally grabbed my hands and dragged them behind me, roughly tying my wrists.
“Right, come with me.”
She held the door open and ushered us out into the farmyard. It was early evening, the yard lights were on, casting harsh shadows. She walked us onto the stable yard and towards the tack room.
“Sit down. Make yourselves comfortable.”
There were two wooden chairs in the centre of the room. Hilary and I sat down and Sally roughly tied our legs to the legs of the chair. I whined as the twine cut into my flesh. This only seemed to please Sally. Once she was happy that we were firmly tied she took a step back.
“Right. Sadly, I can’t keep you as my guests anymore. The time has come for me to move on. Sooner than I would have liked, but there you are. So, you are going to stay here.”
I gasped, she was going to leave us, I didn’t know how long it would be before someone would find us, but hopefully, we would be discovered and freed. Oh, God, an end to this madness. Then, as Sally busied herself, dragging things into the room in front of us I realised the horrific truth.
She had first placed two straw bales on the floor before us, onto that she placed an electric heater. Reaching down into a bucket she pulled out a soaking wet towel, strong fumes hit us and I recoiled realising the towel had been dipped in a bucket of petrol. Sally draped it across the top of the heater.
Death Rider (The Rider Series Book 2) Page 23
