by Kerry Watts
Jessie and Dylan edged closer, slowly and carefully, trying not to spook Caroline into doing something stupid. Not quietly enough, it would seem, as her head snapped round to face them. She grinned at the sight of the two detectives creeping closer.
‘Well, well, well, how appropriate – the cavalry has arrived.’
Jessie’s instinct for self-preservation in the face of a suspect with a knife should have kicked in and stopped her moving closer to Caroline but Rachel’s life was in danger. Jessie heard Dylan say something about calling for backup and to be careful. Jessie’s attention was too focused on Caroline. The best outcome here was to take her in without injury to anyone, including Caroline herself. Jessie’s hand automatically rose up in front of her chest.
‘I only want to talk; please, put the knife down.’
Caroline laughed. ‘That won’t be happening any time soon.’
‘What is it you need? Maybe I can help you. Let me help you,’ Jessie pleaded as she shuffled forward – more slowly now, but she didn’t want to stop if she didn’t have to.
‘I imagine by now you know what she did,’ Caroline retorted.
‘I know about David and your mum if that’s what you’re asking, yes.’
Caroline pointed in Rachel’s direction with the blade of the knife.
‘So you agree she ruined my life. Good, that’s a start.’
Jessie had to dig deep. Empathy – she needed to show Caroline she was trying to understand.
‘I know it feels like that to you.’
‘I beg your pardon?’ Caroline retorted.
Shit! Jessie thought.
‘I mean…’ Jessie began until Rachel intervened.
‘I know you must hate me, Caroline, but I never meant for you to get hurt. I was just a fourteen-year-old kid!’ Rachel shouted. ‘There’s not a day has gone by that I haven’t been so sorry for what happened. You have to believe that.’
‘Very good, give that girl an Oscar. What a performance. Go on, let’s see the tears now,’ Caroline mocked then frowned at the sight of Dylan joining Jessie. ‘Backup has arrived, Detective. Hardly seems fair. Two against one.’
Dylan edged closer with his hand up. Being several inches taller than her, Caroline stared up at him.
‘Come on,’ he whispered. ‘You and I can sort this out.’
‘Don’t come any closer – I’m warning you,’ Caroline yelled.
‘Dylan!’ Jessie called out.
‘Come on, Caroline. I get it, I really do.’ Dylan smiled and stopped just within touching distance. ‘Come on,’ he whispered.
Jessie saw the confusion grow on Caroline’s face at Dylan’s approach. Caroline glanced past him then returned her focus to his raised hand, which was edging closer to the knife.
‘Sure, I’ll come,’ Caroline said slowly then reached forward and stabbed Dylan once in the stomach. She pulled the knife back out and looked him in his wide eyes. ‘You won’t be such a smart-arse in future.’ She nudged past him, causing him to slam his back into the saddling-box wall before sliding to the ground.
‘Argh, God,’ Dylan cried out and held his hand over the wound, which dribbled blood, his eyes wide and staring. ‘What have you done?’ he murmured.
‘Dylan.’ Jessie collapsed to her knees at his side. ‘Rachel, pass me a towel or something!’ she screamed in panic. ‘And call an ambulance.’
‘Go after her,’ Dylan moaned and screwed up his face against the searing pain in his abdomen.
92
Jessie was torn. She would be devastated if anything happened to Dylan. He was like her best friend – hell, her brother – as well as the best partner she’d ever had. What the hell would she tell Shelly and his kids? She called for backup.
‘Hold that towel!’ Jessie shouted to Rachel.
‘It’s OK – I know what to do. The ambulance is coming.’ Rachel replied before Jessie could finish. ‘Go!’ she shouted. ‘You have to stop her before she hurts someone else.’
‘Hang in there, Dylan,’ Jessie called out before racing out the saddling box.
She didn’t have to look very hard for Caroline’s location. She just had to follow the screams. People carrying a knife dripping with blood tend to stand out, causing alarm amongst everyone who sees them.
Jessie ran after her through the parting of the terrified crowd. Caroline weaved a path towards the entrance to one of the main stands and Jessie traced her every bloodstained step until the two women were together on the deserted top floor, most punters having been eager to get trackside for the start of racing. Jessie was sickened by the sight of the blood covering Caroline’s hands, dripping down her arm and off the tip of the knife. She panicked that Dylan had lost so much blood. The sound of sirens offered little consolation. Jessie hoped the paramedics would make it to him in time.
‘Caroline, stop,’ Jessie called out breathlessly. ‘There’s nowhere left for you to go.’
Caroline halted and turned to face her.
‘I didn’t mean for your colleague to get hurt. You have to know that. He just got in the way.’ Caroline pointed towards her with the dripping blade of the knife. ‘He shouldn’t have done that. He should’ve stayed back.’
‘I know,’ Jessie replied.
‘You don’t know anything,’ Caroline remarked and tapped her head with one of her blood-soaked fingers in time with her words. ‘How could you? You’ve never been in here.’
‘You’re right, I haven’t,’ Jessie agreed. ‘Help me try to understand, then I’ll be able to help you.’
‘You don’t think I’ve asked for help!’ Caroline scoffed. ‘I’ve been passed from one doctor to another. Nothing worked.’ She tapped her head again. ‘The thoughts never left.’
‘I’m sorry,’ Jessie said without thinking it through.
‘Sorry for what? Why do people say that?’ Caroline asked.
‘I’m sorry that people did those bad things to you.’ Jessie recalled a suggestion in some of the paperwork that Caroline had been the victim of serious sexual abuse as a teenager.
‘You’re sorry, so that makes it all OK, does it?’ Caroline blasted.
‘Malcolm and Jean Angus didn’t hurt you. They didn’t deserve to die,’ Jessie said and watched Caroline give that statement some thought. Perhaps she wasn’t as unreachable after all. ‘I know you’re angry with Rachel but she was just a kid. She didn’t know what she was doing. Did you really think you would get away with framing her for murders that you committed?’
‘Oh, and David did know what he was doing, I suppose.’
‘I’m not saying that, no. They were both mixed-up kids who did an awful thing that has had terrible consequences for a lot of people, you included.’
Jessie’s phone buzzed in her pocket, which startled Caroline into stepping backwards away from her.
‘It’s OK, Caroline – it’s just my phone.’ Jessie pulled it from her pocket and held it in the air then laid it onto a seat next to her. Jessie was relieved to see that it was a text from one of the officers who must be using Dylan’s phone. He must be OK. ‘It’s from my partner. He’s all right.’
‘That’s good. I liked him. He looks like a gentle man. Caring.’
‘He is,’ Jessie replied. ‘And he’s a good father.’
‘Not like the men my adoptive dad let do those horrible things to me. They weren’t gentle.’
‘I’m sorry that happened to you.’
‘But it wouldn’t have happened if David was around, would it? If Mum hadn’t died when he went inside. We could have stayed a normal, happy family but she stole all that, didn’t she?’ Caroline glanced down at the blade then lifted it higher.
Time seemed to move in slow motion as the knife slid across the front of Caroline’s throat, causing blood to pour onto her clothes.
‘No!’ Jessie screamed and surged forward. She grabbed hold of Caroline’s falling body and dropped to her own knees. ‘I need some help in here,’ she roared into the air and forced both of
her hands onto the four-inch-long slit in Caroline’s throat that was now leaking her life out onto the floor.
93
Caroline was pronounced dead as soon as she arrived at the hospital, but Jessie knew she’d been lost long before that. Jessie had cradled the young woman while the ground around them filled with a river of Caroline’s blood. Keeping her hand on the wound to stem the flow became futile. She wasn’t sure how long the ambulance had taken to arrive. It was still such a blur. The paramedic had insisted that Jessie should be checked out too and she’d been powerless to stop herself being swept up on the wave of concern. She couldn’t remember calling Benito but here he was jogging towards her before scooping her up in his arms.
‘Jessie, I was so worried about you.’ Benito kissed her cheek and held her close to his chest. His touch seemed to bring Jessie round from the fog of her shock. She pulled out of his embrace. ‘I have to see Dylan.’ Jessie tossed aside the blanket the nurse had given her.
‘Hey, hey, Dylan is fine. It wasn’t nearly as bad as doctors first thought. He’s going to be fine. Sure, he’ll be sore and bruised but he’s OK. His wife is with him,’ Benito said and kissed her lips gently. ‘You’ll be fine too,’ he whispered.
‘Will I?’ Jessie asked.
Benito nodded. ‘I’ll take care of you.’
The doctor gave Jessie a clean bill of health and discharged her. She and Benito were walking hand in hand towards his car when Jessie felt in her pocket for her phone.
‘Damn, I’ve left my phone. I’ll catch you up,’ she told him and turned back towards the ward.
The sound of crying could be heard as she passed one of the rooms that had its door slightly ajar. Jessie’s curiosity drew her closer and she gasped when she spotted Haley slumped on the bed, holding her wrist. She was clearly in pain. Jessie felt sick. She wanted to go in and tell her to run and never look back, but before she could move Dan snuck up behind her.
‘Jessie, what’s happened to you?’ He looked concerned by the blood on her clothes.
Jessie recoiled from his touch and stepped back.
‘What have you done?’ she asked, her voice trembling a little under the pressure of the fear she felt.
Dan put his arm round Haley’s shoulder. ‘Haley tripped, didn’t you, you silly thing?’
Jessie’s eyes met hers, pleading with her to cry out for Jessie’s help. Jessie’s heart pounded. Come on, just say it!
‘Yes.’ Haley’s voice shook. ‘I tripped.’
Jessie knew her smile wasn’t real.
‘Take care then,’ Jessie told her and pulled the sideroom door shut quietly behind her.
Jessie walked away and clamped her hand over her mouth to stifle the tears that tumbled out. There was nothing she could do for Haley, for now.
When Jessie spotted Benito waiting for her by his car, her pace quickened until she found herself running and slamming her body into his warm, safe arms.
Epilogue
Six months later
Jessie waited in line to buy the coffees. It was her treat. Passing his sergeant’s exam was a big thing for Dylan – something he’d wanted to do for a long time. Jessie was happy for him even if it meant he might move away from her. It wouldn’t be quite the same without him, but she’d just have to wait and see what happened. She owed him so much for the support he’d shown her following Gordon’s attempt on her life. Gordon’s defence of not guilty by means of diminished responsibility was accurate as far as Jessie was concerned. The lad clearly had problems, and she hoped he would get the support he needed. His admission to starting the fire on Rachel’s property didn’t surprise Jessie. He’d said he wanted to ensure her secret remained hidden. Gordon would have done anything for Rachel.
Jessie had to admit it was uncomfortable seeing him flanked by prison officers at Malcolm and Jean’s funeral. Tommy Angus had looked like a broken man who was barely holding it together as he leaned on Arlene. Jessie’s heart had broken for the man. It had looked like his battle with the booze was still ongoing.
‘Detective Inspector Blake.’
Jessie turned at the sound of her name being called, surprised by the familiar face standing behind her.
‘Hello, Rachel,’ she answered. ‘It’s good to see you. You look well.’
‘I am – I mean, we are.’ Rachel pointed to the woman with the short brown hair sitting at the table in a far corner of the coffee shop, sipping from a tall glass.
Jessie followed the direction she was pointing and wondered what Rachel meant because she was indicating towards Julia Dean, one of Kenny’s drivers. It was clear Rachel had noticed Jessie’s confusion.
‘Caroline wasn’t the only one of Kenny’s staff who was keeping a big secret.’
‘Sorry, you’ve lost me,’ Jessie admitted.
Rachel leaned in closer to avoid being overheard by the other people in the queue.
‘Julia is my daughter,’ she whispered. ‘The baby I had to give away.’
‘Oh,’ Jessie remarked with her eyes wide, remembering the photo she’d found in Rachel’s drawer. She must be the baby in the photo. David’s daughter too. ‘I’m happy for you both. Finding each other after all that time must be wonderful.’
‘She knows everything too,’ Rachel whispered this time from behind her hand. ‘She already knew before we met. How she found out I don’t know. I don’t care. She hasn’t judged me, not once. I have her back in my life and that’s what matters.’
‘I’m really happy for you,’ Jessie repeated as Dylan returned from the men’s bathroom.
Rachel nodded to acknowledge him then said her goodbyes before rejoining Julia at their table.
‘Wow,’ Jessie exclaimed.
‘What?’ Dylan asked and took his cup from the counter before moving across to tip three sugars in it.
Jessie’s phone rang before she could fill him in on the news. She narrowed her eyes as she listened then gave Dylan’s arm a tap.
‘Come on – grab your coffee. You’ll need to drink it on the go. We’ve had a shout.’
Jessie walked on ahead and unlocked the new car that she’d bought only two weeks previously. She’d gone for a Fiesta again because it was simple and easy to drive and that’s all she needed.
Jessie smiled at Dylan, who was wiping coffee from his tie as he walked towards her. A woman pushing a pram across the road caught her eye. Jessie smiled and waved at Haley before turning away and getting into her car.
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Books by Kerry Watts
Detective Jessie Blake Series
Heartlands
Her Missing Child
Her Secret Past
AVAILABLE IN AUDIO
Heartlands (Available in the UK and the US)
A Letter From Kerry
Hello, readers,
Thank you for downloading the next instalment in the Jessie Blake series. Please do sign up below if you’d like to be kept in the loop with news and information on other books in the series. Your email address won’t be shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.
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For those of you that have read the earlier books I hope you have enjoyed this one as much as the others and that you are growing to love Jessie the way I do. If you have enjoyed this next part of the Jessie Blake series I would be very grateful if you would leave a review for me on Amazon and Goodreads, not to mention tell your friends and family about her.
Hearing from readers is something I enjoy and I’m always keen to connect on social media, where I can be found most days chatting and talking nonsense.
Thanks
&n
bsp; Kerry xx
Heartlands
‘A totally captivating and addictive read. I loved this book!… Had me totally mesmerised from the very first page. This has to be on your 2019 to-be-read list!’ Booked Up Girl, 5 stars
Call it mother’s intuition, but I knew she was dead the moment she was late home. As I listened to her phone ring and ring, that’s when I knew for sure. My little girl was gone.
Fifteen-year-old Shannon Ross is missing and her parents are distraught. With her long blonde hair, easy laugh and perfect grades, she’s the girl everyone at school wants to be.
Detective Jessie Blake is called to Inverlochty, the missing girl’s home town in the Scottish Highlands, and finds Shannon was keeping a diary full of friends’ and neighbours’ secrets. She knows the kind, outgoing boy who’s sleeping with his teacher and the quiet woman who’s been having an affair with her best friend’s husband.
Just as Jessie and her team are beginning to understand Shannon’s complicated world, her lifeless body is found on an ice-cold river bank on the outskirts of town. And when Jessie tells Shannon’s family the heart-breaking news, she senses something isn’t right. The loving family is beginning to show cracks. Did Shannon know about her father’s alcohol problems and violent past? Why does Shannon’s mother keep finding excuses to leave the room, when Jessie wants to ask her questions?
