Her Secret Past: A completely gripping and heart-stopping crime thriller

by Kerry Watts

  She felt helpless as Tommy’s bed was wheeled past her at speed. The words ‘bleed’ and ‘brain’ rushed over her in the fog of panic.

  A young student nurse offered to make Arlene a cup of tea. At least that was what Arlene thought she said. It all happened so fast. She grabbed her phone and pressed on Gordon’s number.

  ‘Come on, come on; pick up, son.’ Arlene listened to her call go straight to his voicemail. She tried again; she knew he would pick up eventually. He always did. Why had he run off like that? She wondered if he’d struggled to process seeing his dad like that.

  Arlene had never felt so alone. Sure, she and Tommy were divorced and they’d had their problems over the years, but the thought of life without him in it in some form or another was too awful to contemplate. How would Gordon cope? How was he processing the death of his grandparents?

  A horrifying thought struck her. Nausea gripped her stomach and she prayed Gordon wasn’t in some way involved.

  29

  ‘Nobody is saying they’re going to lock you up, Rachel.’ Jessie edged closer and pointed to the hay bale next to her. ‘Can I sit?’

  ‘Sure,’ Rachel answered with her head down, her eyes fixed on her bare feet.

  ‘I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t go where the evidence takes me – you must know that.’

  Rachel shrugged. ‘But what evidence? I’ve been nowhere near the Anguses’ place since I bought the paddock.’ She scoffed before shaking her head. ‘All I wanted was to create a gallops for my horses. That’s not a crime, is it?’

  ‘There’s a size-four boot print and a hair.’

  ‘I suppose you’ve decided it’s my boot and hair then?’ Rachel’s voice oozed defeat.

  Jessie could see how frustrated Rachel felt but it wasn’t a lie. She had to go where the physical evidence led her.

  ‘I’m going to need a DNA swab from both you and Kenny.’

  ‘Kenny is a suspect too then? Doesn’t the gunshot-residue test prove our innocence?’ Rachel snapped. ‘Why the hell would he want to kill them?’

  Jessie didn’t have an answer for her. There was no reason to suspect him, not really.

  ‘Shall we go back to the house?’ Jessie stood up and wiped loose hay from her clothes.

  Rachel sighed, resigned to her fate almost. ‘Can I have five minutes with the horses?’

  Jessie was reluctant to oblige but the look in Rachel’s eyes won her over. She hoped showing a measure of trust wasn’t a mistake.

  ‘Five minutes,’ Jessie whispered and moved away just far enough to allow her a little privacy.

  ‘What the hell are they doing out there?’ Kenny paced back and forth.

  Dylan felt dizzy just watching him.

  ‘Jessie knows what she’s doing, don’t worry.’

  Kenny scoffed. ‘Rachel is more vulnerable than either of you know.’

  ‘I understand,’ Dylan started to say.

  ‘Do you, Detective? Do you really?’

  Dylan had read up on the Alice Connor case after they’d discovered Rachel’s real identity. Manipulated and groomed at the age of fourteen. Coerced by a young man into murdering the only parents she’d ever known was the defence at the time. She’d given birth to David’s baby the summer that followed, and the child had been put up for adoption within a couple of days. The best thing for Rachel and the baby, he agreed. Now with the death of Malcolm and Jean Angus, he wanted to keep an open mind on the level of manipulation involved. The crime scenes couldn’t be more different, though. The photos from the Connors crime scene had turned Dylan’s stomach when he’d viewed them. So much blood. At least the Anguses hadn’t suffered that same horror.

  ‘I do try, Mr Ferguson, but no, I can’t understand fully what she’s been through. How can I?’

  Kenny glanced behind him when he saw Rachel walk back towards the front door and rushed out to greet her.

  ‘Rachel,’ he called out and wrapped his arms around her.

  Dylan followed him and looked to see what expression Jessie wore in a bid to find out what had happened out there.

  ‘I’m fine. I just want to get this over with.’ Rachel spoke softly. ‘They want DNA from both of us.’

  ‘What?’ Kenny began to protest until Rachel squeezed his hand and shook her head.

  Her eyes pleaded with him. ‘Let’s just do it so that they can leave us alone, yes?’

  Kenny closed his eyes with a long sigh and kissed the top of her head, then led his wife back inside.

  ‘Have you got the swab kits on you?’ Jessie asked and held out a hand.

  ‘Sure.’ Dylan took two kits from his inside pocket and handed her a pair of gloves.

  Nobody spoke while the samples were taken but the atmosphere was electric. Jessie placed the second swab into the container and sealed the bag.

  ‘When will we know?’ Rachel asked and dabbed her thumb over the saliva on the edge of her mouth. ‘I just want to get on with my life.’

  ‘When I’m officially able to rule you out, I promise I will let you know as soon as possible.’

  ‘Thank you,’ Rachel whispered. ‘I’m sorry about running away. I just panicked. This and the phone calls. I just had to get out of here. I couldn’t breathe all of a sudden.’

  Dylan shot a wide-eyed stare at Jessie.

  ‘Phone calls?’ Jessie probed.

  ‘What phone calls? You didn’t tell me about any calls,’ Kenny interrupted.

  Rachel remembered the fear she’d felt when the mysterious caller had spoken to her. I know what you’ve done. That’s what he’d said. What did he mean? Did he mean what she’d done as a teenager or did he think it was her that killed the Anguses?

  She felt her heart rate increase again. There were too many people crowding her in that small hallway. That detective was standing right in front of the door, obstructing her escape. She tried to inhale a huge gasp of breath but it was like she was unable to force enough oxygen inside. The room became so hot. Her chest tightened and she thought she was about to die. Rachel stared at Kenny. Then there was nothing but darkness.

  30

  ‘Get her a glass of water,’ Jessie told Dylan.

  Kenny looked on as his wife slowly sat up from the floor, where she’d fallen after she passed out, knocking her head on the hall table as she went down. He crouched low next to her.

  ‘Are you OK, sweetheart?’ Kenny reached for the cut on the top of Rachel’s forehead.

  She pushed him away and blushed. ‘Don’t fuss. I’m fine. It’s nothing.’

  Dylan handed her a tall glass of cold water and smiled. ‘Here you go. Take it easy with that.’

  ‘Thanks,’ she muttered and sank half the chilled water straight away.

  ‘That was quite a clatter your head took. I think maybe you should get a doctor to have a wee look at that.’ Dylan added.

  ‘You’re very kind.’ She drank the remainder of the water and handed him back the glass. ‘I’ll be fine, honestly. I just got a little light-headed, that’s all.’ Rachel got to her knees and began to stand up again. Jessie offered her hand to her and a sympathetic smile.

  ‘Thanks,’ Rachel murmured.

  ‘Dylan’s right. It wouldn’t hurt to have that checked out,’ Jessie agreed.

  Kenny wrapped an arm around his wife’s shoulder and led her back into the living room. ‘She says she’s fine so could you please just do whatever it is you came here to do and get out of my house?’

  Before Jessie could respond the living-room door was shut firmly in her face.

  ‘What do you make of that?’ Dylan asked.

  Before she could tell him what she thought, Jessie had to answer her phone, which was buzzing inside her pocket. She lifted a finger to her lips to motion Dylan to be quiet then frowned. Dylan did as he was told and turned away. He moved into the Fergusons’ kitchen to wait for Jessie to end her call.

  ‘Sorry, Dylan, that was forensics. No gunshot residue on any of them.’

  ‘Shit. Wha
t now?’ he commented.

  ‘Come on, let’s get back to the station,’ Jessie conceded. ‘Grab the boots.’

  Once they were outside, Dylan nodded towards an outbuilding tucked at the back of the cottage, close to the kennel block.

  ‘What about searching in there?’ Dylan pointed to the timber structure with a flick of his head. ‘What about his guns? Where does he keep them?’

  Jessie turned to face him and pursed her lips. ‘Do you reckon he keeps any at home. Rather than Stanley gun club, I mean?’

  Dylan shrugged as Jessie hammered on the Fergusons’ door again. She was about to knock again until the door swung open to reveal a red-faced Rachel. It was clear she had been crying.

  ‘Kenny’s guns. Where does he keep them?’

  Rachel frowned. ‘He keeps them at the club usually…’ Her words drifted away.

  ‘Usually?’ Jessie probed.

  ‘Yes, he’s got one here just now.’ Rachel snatched a set of keys from the hall table. ‘There’s one in the shed. Locked in a cabinet, though.’

  Dylan’s eyes widened as he caught Jessie’s gaze.

  ‘Could you show me please?’ Jessie requested.

  ‘Sure, follow me.’

  Rachel led the two detectives into the back of the large outbuilding Dylan had pointed to moments before. She battled with the padlock for several minutes, giving Jessie ample time to scan the state of what appeared to be Kenny’s office. Sheets of paper strewn everywhere on his desk and other surfaces gave the impression he was a very disorganised man, though the success of his haulage company seemed at odds with that chaos. Ferguson Haulage was an award-winning company, scoring accolades for environmental and business programmes.

  ‘Shall I have a go?’ Dylan suggested while he watched Rachel struggle.

  Rachel shook her head. ‘No, I think I’ve got it.’ The lock opened with one final push. ‘There, look for yourselves.’ The cabinet door swung open with a loud creaking sound. ‘Not exactly an easy weapon to access, is it—’

  Rachel’s audible gasp filled the room. ‘I don’t understand.’ She pointed to the empty space inside the cabinet. ‘It was here.’ She hesitated. ‘I’m sure it was here.’

  31

  Caroline Peters grinned and stood to greet her friend who’d arrived for coffee. Julia Dean had been working for the Fergusons for six months and the two women had hit it off immediately. Julia was keen to hear more from Caroline about the rumours concerning the deaths of her employers’ neighbours. The police had even questioned them, she’d heard.

  ‘Hey.’ Julia hugged her then removed her navy leather jacket and slung it over the back of the coffee-shop chair. ‘Any more news?’ she asked.

  ‘Not as far as I know,’ Caroline answered. ‘I’ve ordered you an Americano, by the way – hope that’s OK – and a fruit scone.’

  ‘You know me so well.’ Julia grinned and rubbed her fingers through her cropped brown hair.

  ‘Rachel wasn’t pleased with them. Did you know that?’ Caroline beamed without attempting to keep her voice down. ‘They objected to her plans or something. Got her application rejected.’ Pride at knowing this information oozed from her features.

  ‘That doesn’t mean she’d bump them off.’ Julia disagreed with her friend’s theory. ‘That’s a bit of a leap, don’t you think?’

  ‘I’m just telling you what I’ve heard.’

  ‘I can’t believe that Rachel could be capable of something like that,’ Julia insisted. ‘So what do you think happened? She took a gun and blasted her neighbours dead because they messed up her plans? I just don’t see it. Come on – don’t be daft!’

  Caroline shrugged and poured milk into her cup. ‘Stranger things have happened, I can assure you.’

  Julia shook her head as Caroline’s phone rang inside her handbag.

  ‘Hang on – sorry, I better get this.’

  Julia sipped and frowned as the look on Caroline’s face changed. She watched her hang up quickly and gather her things.

  ‘I have to go; I’m really sorry,’ Caroline blurted out.

  ‘What’s happened? Is there something wrong?’

  ‘It’s, erm—’ Caroline stammered. ‘It’s Rachel; she’s been taken to the police station to answer questions.’

  Julia gasped. ‘No!’

  ‘Do you still believe your boss is innocent?’ Caroline chirped as she grabbed her coat and hurried out of the café after tossing a ten-pound note down onto the table.

  Julia’s heart thundered so fast she worried she was having a heart attack. This couldn’t be happening. Not now. Not when she was so close.

  32

  Opening the cupboard and finding the gun missing, Jessie explained that she felt she had enough to take Rachel in for questioning. A call to the gun club confirmed that Kenny’s gun was logged as being off the premises at the moment. So where was it? Neither Kenny nor Rachel could answer that question. Given that the missing weapon matched the calibre of the bullets that had killed the Anguses, Jessie had no choice but to pursue that line of enquiry.

  Rachel tried to keep calm. The last thing she wanted was a panic attack in the back of this Audi, in handcuffs. She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing, then stared out of the back window of Dylan’s car at the stunned face of her husband, who held his phone next to his ear. He’d pressed the number for their solicitor almost as soon as the detective had said Rachel was to be questioned.

  Jessie twisted round to see Rachel leaning her head on the window with her eyes tight shut. It looked like she was carrying out some kind of meditation. No bad thing maybe. Jessie didn’t fancy dealing with another of Rachel’s fainting episodes en route to the station and hoped Dylan would get there as soon as the speed limits would allow. A quick phone call to the station arranged a further search of the Fergusons’ property, using a bigger team with a firearms canine too. Kenny was adamant his gun should be in the cupboard. So where was it? she’d asked and Rachel’s face told Jessie she knew exactly what was coming next. Once she had a DNA match, Rachel would be charged without question.

  ‘I feel sick. Can I have some air?’ Rachel called out and gasped for breath.

  The sign for Luncarty was up ahead, which meant another couple of miles and they would be back at the station.

  ‘Open the window,’ Jessie whispered to Dylan, who pressed the window button until fresh air smacked Rachel in the face.

  The strong wind that blew in as they travelled at fifty-five miles an hour was a shock, and Rachel screwed up her eyes against the cold blast. Dylan peered into his rear-view mirror and made the window go up a little just to reduce the blast.

  ‘I need air,’ Rachel screamed and panted now to catch her breath. ‘My chest feels so tight. You have to stop the car!’ she roared and kicked the back of Jessie’s seat. The car was almost at the entrance to the dual carriageway and if they didn’t stop now they would be committed to their destination and unable to stop until they got back to Perth.

  ‘Pull over,’ Jessie ordered.

  ‘Here?’ Dylan questioned.

  ‘Yes, here!’ she repeated.

  Dylan indicated and stopped his Audi at the entrance to the slip road onto the A9 towards Perth. He glanced in his rear-view mirror, relieved the road was quiet behind him, then switched on his hazard lights.

  ‘Help me; I can’t breathe,’ Rachel shouted and snatched at her handcuffs. ‘Get these off me.’

  Jessie leaped from the passenger seat and ran round to the back door and tugged it open. She helped Rachel out of her seat and moved her away from the slip road and back towards the main road through the village. When the two women were out of his car Dylan spun the vehicle around, illegally, and drove it the small distance back into Luncarty.

  Rachel continued to pant. Her lips started to tingle then her nose and cheeks. If she didn’t regain control she was going to pass out.

  ‘Rachel, look at me. Focus on my voice.’ Jessie was out of her depth. She’d only seen thi
s done once before on a training exercise. She had to get Rachel to focus her attention on one spot then work on her breathing. ‘Focus your eyes on my eyes. Come on – look at me. Copy me.’ Jessie inhaled a huge breath and held it.

  Rachel was aware that the detective was saying something but all she wanted to do was escape. Her chest was tight and she feared she was now having a heart attack.

  ‘Look at me.’ Jessie had a hold of her arm in one hand and tugged Rachel’s face towards her with the other. The contact made Rachel gasp and push her away. Jessie stumbled and lost her grip. This was Rachel’s chance. She shot back into the centre of the village, down the steep hill onto Scarth Road.

  ‘Get her!’ Jessie roared.

  Dylan didn’t need to be told twice. He leaped from the car and bolted after her in a heartbeat, catching up with her within seconds. He took firm hold of her wrist and pulled her towards him.

  ‘Hey, come on.’

  Dylan’s voice was deep and soothing. He held her close to him and Rachel felt protected. She couldn’t explain it. Then it hit her. He reminded her of David. Part of her was horrified by the way his touch made her feel but another part had been searching for it for the past thirty years. She broke down and sobbed into Dylan’s chest as his arms enveloped her. He kept tight hold of her and guided her back up the hill towards his car. Jessie nodded a simple thank you to Dylan as they passed.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ Rachel whispered while Jessie helped her back into the back seat.

  Jessie crouched low next to her. ‘We’ll be in Perth in five minutes tops. I’ll ask the doctor to have a chat with you when we get there.’

  Rachel nodded. ‘Thanks, I just panicked. I suffer with anxiety but you’ve probably already figured that one out for yourself.’ She tried to laugh to hide her embarrassment.

  ‘Do you usually take any medication for it?’

  ‘Not anymore, but I used to.’ Rachel sighed. ‘It’s been a long time since it’s been this bad.’