Death Rider (The Rider Series Book 2)

by Samantha Bassett

  I hugged hold of Kate, tears running down my face. I was about to speak when there was an explosion and our world went white.

  34

  Rush

  I woke from my deep sleep to the sound of people in the kitchen below. Confused, I pulled on my dressing gown and crept down the stairs grabbing a riding crop as some form of protection. As I turned the corner, I saw the staff gathered in the kitchen. I was about to question what they were doing when I saw him. I gasped.

  “Adam?” I rushed towards him, grabbing him in my arms. Suddenly a thought struck me. “Shit! Have you broken out of jail?”

  “You know what sis, you’re not the first person to accuse me of that, but no. I’m sorry to destroy the obvious kudos of being an escaped convict, but, I’ve been released without charge.”

  “You’ve been what? Sorry, did I hear you right?”

  “Your hearing is as impeccable as ever, I’ve been released.”

  “What? What’s happened?”

  “To be totally honest, I’m not sure… They woke me up in the middle of the night, my barrister was there and they rushed me out the door. Apparently to make sure the press didn’t get wind of it. I’ll find out later as he’s coming over. But Amanda, for Christ’s, sake, where’s Kate?”

  * * *

  I opened my eyes. Everything was brilliant white, including my body and Hilary who was clutched in my arms. I looked up at the sound which seemed to be coming from a far distance, there was slamming and a crashing noise then suddenly everything became bathed in an eerie blue light. I felt firm, muscular arms grabbing me I was lifted and dragged away out into the cold air.

  Outside the tack room, reality hit home. I looked up to see I was in the arms of a fireman, I struggled, confused as he tried to put a mask on my face. He was telling me I’d inhaled some sort of powder; this would help me catch my breath.

  It took some time and a lot of explaining before I finally understood what had happened. Unbeknownst to Sally, the tack room not only had loud and annoying fire alarms, but also a state-of-the-art fire suppression system. The fireman explained the whole stables were alarmed and protected. So much so that, as soon as the system had detected smoke the alarm had sounded in Sally’s cottage, as the alarm had not been cancelled within two minutes it had automatically dialled the fire brigade and when the flames had burst out, the tack room had been doused with high-pressure extinguishing powder to put out the flames. He told me using water-based sprinklers would cause damage to the expensive leather. I guess I was nodding but this was all going over my head.

  It was at that moment, he allowed me to slither from his arms as I doubled over in pain. Screaming in agony. I felt my jeans become soaking wet. “My waters have broken… It’s too soon…” I was sobbing, now hysterical. This was far too soon. Oh, God, I was about to lose my baby. A paramedic grabbed me laying me on a stretcher. She tried to calm me, but I was beyond words, desperate, clutching at my stomach. They loaded me into the ambulance and we were rushed away.

  * * *

  “So, what is happening at the scene?”

  “Well Tom, it’s unclear exactly what has happened here. It seems there has been a fire in the stable block of her Devon home.”

  Yes, a fire… I smiled to myself, the television was on in the background, I could just hear the news reporter speak, behind him there were fire engines. Oh, it looked as if there were at least five there, it must have been a really big fire. What a terrible shame. I giggled, looking around to ensure no one was watching me.

  I’d driven through the night, just stopping for coffee to keep me awake before I completed my journey. I had thought that Scotland would be a good place to start a new life. Somewhere deep in the HIghlands, away from too many people. The BBC news report about a fire at a famous actress’s home was so engaging. I had to stop myself from looking too excited.

  “Well, the actress wasn’t home at the time of the fire, but police are questioning one of two people found in the tack room where it’s believed the fire started.”

  My heart stopped. Police were questioning? How could they question them? There wouldn’t be enough of them left to question, surely…

  “It seems that thankfully an automatic fire sprinkler system quickly doused the flames…”

  My coffee cup smashed as it hit the floor. Several people looked across towards me. I was already on my feet, running back towards my car in a blind panic.

  * * *

  I knew I couldn’t sleep. I’d looked at the empty bed, the one I had shared with Kate and knew I couldn’t be there alone. Amanda had tried to persuade me not to drive to Devon immediately and had only prevented me by forcibly taking my keys. She had eventually gone to bed, exhausted after all that had happened, I couldn’t blame her and had kissed her on the cheek before watching her climb the stairs to bed.

  I’d sat at the kitchen table, staring out of the window at the lights which flickered across the bay. My mind was racing with thoughts of what had happened, what was happening as this was far from over. Until I had my wife in my arms this could never be over.

  I sat silently dwelling in my own mind as I had in my prison cell, however, the silence here was deafening. Gone were the shouts, the swearing and noise of the prison. The ticking of the clock in the hall and the creaking of the old farmhouse was all that there was.

  I had never felt so alone as I did here, watching the first glimpses of the sunrise set fire to the water beyond the window. It had been a view I had enjoyed with Kate. I didn’t know if I could even see it the same way if she wasn’t there beside me.

  There was a movement upstairs, Amanda rolling over in her sleep no doubt. I wished I could sleep, escape the what if’s for just a moment. I sat as the sun rose and was still there as I heard the sound of movement on the yard. The horses kicking and the grooms starting to feed. No matter what happened, there had to be a routine for our animals.

  I was just about to stand up, step out into the day, maybe help the staff with some stable management tasks to try and take my mind off what was happening, at least until Amanda let me escape to find Kate. Suddenly there was a pounding on the front door. As I opened it I saw two police officers standing on the doorstep.

  My heart sunk. Did this mean my positive feelings had been completely wrong?

  * * *

  The normality of having Adam back was amazing, all we needed now was Kate to return. I looked up as I was sweeping down the main yard after mucking out had been completed, ready for breakfast. I’d left Adam to sleep in but would call him over. We could all be together, well almost all of us. We would share breakfast, just like in the old days.

  It was then I saw the police car pull up outside the farmhouse, the two officers pounding on the door before Adam came down. Moments later he was dressed and being led to the car. I saw red, throwing down my broom I rushed towards the car.

  “What are you doing? You can’t arrest him! Adam are you okay?”

  “I’m sorry miss…” The officer held me back. “We’re here to escort Mr Bishop, not arrest him.”

  “Escort him? What do you mean? Where are you taking him?”

  They ushered Adam into the back of the police car. One of the policemen approached me.

  “Look. He’s not done anything wrong, we’re not taking him away for that reason. Something has happened. Look, I really can’t say. We’re under orders to take him to Devon as quickly as we can. Now, I am sure you understand, we need to be on our way.”

  He got into the car and I watched as it drove rapidly away, blue lights flashing.

  * * *

  “How is she? The woman I came in with? How is she?”

  “Miss Wessington, please be calm.” The nurse pushed me back down onto the hospital bed, promising to find out what had happened to Kate, but only if I would rest. I wasn’t sure how I could rest at all. I was scared for Kate, they had bundled her away in an ambulance, she had been in obvious pain and screaming about her baby.

  Th
e police had wanted to know what had happened. I’d spent most of the night answering their questions. Early in the morning, I recognised the officer who had come to the yard after Olivia’s death. She looked pained as I explained what Sally had done to us, telling me they no longer thought Adam was responsible and they had therefore dropped all charges against him. I needed to know what had happened to Kate, I felt responsible for her and all she had been through. Oh, if she lost her baby, it would all be my fault. The police officer had looked as if she was about to cry, I’d found it all very strange.

  I looked up as the nurse came back towards my bed, she handed me a cup of water and some pills telling me I must take them. She promised she would find out about Kate for me and tell me as soon as she had any news, but only if I took the medication. I quickly swallowed the two yellow pills.

  My body ached, I was desperately hungry, so far, the best thing which had happened to me had been having a shower. Watching the filth wash from my body was cathartic. The nurses had only allowed me to eat a little food, but I was assured drip feeds were ensuring my body would recover.

  My sudden yawn caught me by surprise, I honestly wasn’t tired. I sighed and closed my eyes for a moment, just a moment I told myself.

  I was overtaken by a deep sleep.

  * * *

  The police car had driven me at speed towards the motorway.

  “Where are you taking me?”

  I was bristling, the last time I had been in the back of a police car. I pushed the thought from my mind, the officers had been at pains to tell me that this wasn’t an arrest. I needed to be transported to Devon. The moment they had said that my heart had sunk, Kate! Was she okay? Oh, God! He’d shrugged, they had been told nothing more. I was to be taken, at speed to the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital. It was clear they were to get me there as quickly as possible.

  I stared out of the window. The rush, was Kate dying, miles away lonely and scared? Or, was it too late? Was I being rushed to identify her body? I tried to push the thought from my mind. The miles passed, I was getting ever closer to the inevitable, my heart racing, part of me never wanting the journey to end, to postpone any terrible news, the rest of me desperate to be there for my beautiful wife. I had been away from her for so long, yet she had stood by me and tried to prove my innocence. I would never forgive myself if anything had happened to her.

  It seemed like days, the journey dragging on through miles of motorway and then finally into a town. There were the signs for the hospital. The car drew to a halt, the door was flung open and I was rapidly ushered through reception past a scrum of police and photographers.

  The nurses looked shocked to see me as they rushed me through the endless corridors, nobody would speak to me or tell me what had happened, how my wife was. Finally, pushing through the door I saw her. Kate was pale, a drip attached to her arm. She looked up. It was a pained cry which cut through me. I ran to her, clutching her in my arms. She looked frail, I held her tightly as she sobbed.

  “Adam!”

  I promised I would never let her go again.

  VI

  Dreams For The Future

  “Fire is one of the greatest fears of horse owners. Read our essential guide to fire safety.”

  Horse & Hound

  35

  New Beginnings?

  “Kate!” I woke with a start, flinging back the bedsheets, there were tubes attached to my arm. I reached to yank them out but my hand was grabbed firmly.

  “Miss Wessington, please. Lie down.”

  I looked around me. A hospital bed, in a private room, a policewoman had stepped through the door, the nurse was gently helping me. I was confused and hungry.

  “Come on, Hilary. You’ve been in the wars.” The nurse stroked my arm, smiling warmly. “You need to rest and stay calm.”

  War? My mind was cloudy, I couldn’t think. I allowed myself to be laid back down on the bed. “Is she okay?”

  “It’s the morphine she was given. She’ll be confused. Give her time. What with everything she’s been through…”

  The nurse turned her attention back to me, smiling as she checked the machines which stood beeping beside the bed.

  “Where am I?”

  “It’ll come back to you soon. You’ve rested for a few hours. Soon you’ll start to feel better. You’re in the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, we just want to make sure you are fit and well. We’ll get you something to eat soon.”

  * * *

  Attempted Murder at Actress’ Home

  The intrigue deepens in the case of what has now been confirmed by the Devon and Cornwall Police as an arson attempt at the home of Oscar-nominated actress Isla-Mae Gomez. Local sources have stated that there were two women tied up in the tack room at the time of the fire which had been started by an improvised incendiary device. It seems the individual who set the device was not aware a high-powered fire suppression system had been installed in the building. The system doused the flames before it became the scene of a grizzly double murder.

  At this time there is no official word from the Police, however, they have stated that they are seeking equine groom Sally Elizabeth Benson who had been sacked from her employment by Isla-Mae Gomez just the day before. Miss Benson is thought to also have been involved with the murder of Olivia Wright-Turner who had been stabbed and found buried in manure at the stables of event rider Hilary Wessington. Adam Bishop, the man who had previously been arrested for her murder was released from jail overnight in a shock move.

  A spokesperson for Isla-Mae Gomez has said the actress is distressed by the situation, however, made it clear that she and her husband were in London at the time of the incident.

  The story was on the front page of every newspaper and had been running as one of the lead stories on the television news. I was staying in a seedy bed and breakfast in the outskirts of Glasgow. I’d gone out early to collect the papers, scared when I saw my face peering from the front pages, a photograph from my days grooming for Hilary.

  It was clear that they were both alive and, as far as I could tell, had told the police in extreme detail who I was and what I had done.

  What the hell could I do? This was a disaster. There should have been nothing left, no evidence, just a pile of ash and a suicide note. I couldn’t even sell the saddles and bridles which were in the boot of my car. I had better do nothing more than hide in this scruffy room if I didn’t want to be caught.

  I stared at the four walls of the tiny room. How could it have gone so wrong?

  * * *

  “Mr Bishop?”

  I looked up; the doctor gestured for me to join him. We stepped outside of the private room where Kate was sleeping.

  “Sir, were you aware your wife was pregnant?”

  I nodded.

  “Mr Bishop, your wife went through an extraordinary ordeal, the lack of food and water, she was beaten…”

  I could see the doctor was struggling. “Are you telling me Kate has lost the baby?” I sighed, looking down. I’d prepared myself for this since being told she had gone into early labour; I’d been warned that this may be the case and that I should be ready for the inevitable news. With what she had been through, there would have been no chance.