by Conrad Jones
‘It means that if you put anything in my mouth, I’m likely to vomit and choke to death.’ She lied. It was worth a try. Having her hands freed and being able to use the toilet was an incredible relief. She didn’t want him to cuff her up again.
‘That’s a chance I’m willing to take,’ he said. ‘I’m not as stupid as you think I am.’ He stuffed a sock into her mouth and then tied the other one around her head. ‘There we are. That wasn’t too difficult, was it? I think the police are nearby. Can you hear the engines?’ April nodded. ‘Not that you need to worry about it. Don’t get your hopes up now. They won’t look around here for long. I’ve fixed it all nice and neat outside. You’d never know anyone was ever in here. Once they’ve gone, I think we should begin, don’t you?’
April shook her head and closed her eyes. Tears ran down her face. He could see them in what little light was filtering through the window. They looked like tiny streams of diamonds. There would be many more of them tonight before he released her soul to the darkness.
The sound of vehicles approaching came to them. They both froze, listening as they neared. April prayed they would stop and save her from the monster. The monster heard them coming too and he smiled. He didn’t care if they found him or not; she would die either way. The vehicles reached the farmyard and stopped; their flashing blue lights strobed the bathroom ceiling. April felt a glimmer of hope inside.
‘Come on,’ Mathew said as April redressed. He took her into the bedroom and pushed her onto the bed. Fastening her hands with the rope, April started to buck and wriggle, desperate to loosen the gag but it equated to nothing more than a few muffled squeaks. The sound of voices reached them. Police radios crackled. He licked her face and she froze in fear as he pushed the knife against her neck. The boy had gone away again; the beast was back.
‘Any more from you and I’ll kill you now. Save some energy for later. You’ll need it.’
***
Outside, the ARU circled the farmhouse quickly. They moved in silence and stayed close to the walls; it didn’t take long to check it was clear. The lead armed officer came back to the control point and gestured to the dwelling.
‘This place must have been subject to an eviction of some kind. It’s been professionally sealed. All the ground floor access points are boarded up. It’s completely secured and there’re no signs of ingress.’
‘Okay,’ Alan said. ‘Let’s move on. Check the barn and the stables first, then the bunkhouse. Look out for the Renault.’
The teams moved in fours, checking every available nook and cranny. Ten minutes later, the barn and bunkhouse were called clear. It was a massive anti-climax. Alan could feel the tension in the air. The need to find April Bifelt was tangible. Losing one of their own was unthinkable. Alan gathered the team and they regrouped.
‘The witness report said the Renault was seen driving across the fields,’ he said. He pointed a spotlight towards the museum. He could just make out the bus behind the security fence. ‘The witness was over there, which means it must have been heading away from the buildings across that field towards those woods.’ The team agreed. ‘I want Alpha Team to drive and check the woods; Beta and Gamma Team, double check this area and all the buildings again. They must be here somewhere.’
***
Anwen opened the gates at the museum and allowed the police in. Armed officers streamed between the vehicles and barked orders at her, Joss, and Naz. They looked bamboozled and nervous. It didn’t take them long sweep the museum buildings. The outside spaces were called clear. Anwen identified the detective in charge and approached her. Kim was talking to one of the armed officers.
‘This is a bit over the top, isn’t it?’ Anwen asked.
‘Not really. We’re looking for a killer and we know he was logged onto your Wi-Fi hub not long ago. We have to check he’s not here.’
‘The museum has been closed for renovations since Tuesday and all my outside gates are alarmed and covered by CCTV. No one has broken into the property. I’m absolutely certain of that.’
‘All the same, we need to check. Who is here with you?’ Kim asked.
‘Just those two,’ Anwen said, gesturing to the men.
‘Who are they?’
‘Joss Jones, my cousin and his friend Naz.’
‘Joss Jones from Holyhead?’ Kim asked. She looked over at the men, recognising him immediately. They’d crossed paths years before and Joss’s reputation was well known on the island. ‘What is he doing here?’
‘Like I said, he’s my cousin.’
‘That doesn’t answer my question. Why is he here?’
‘He’s visiting his cousin.’
‘Just visiting his cousin?’
‘Yes. Just visiting.’ Anwen felt the detective staring at her. She felt guilty without knowing what she felt guilty about. After a life of being a law-abiding citizen, her cousin had brought his shit to her doorstep. ‘I was the one who called it in about the Renault being on the farm next door; April Bifelt has been my best friend since primary school. We went to Llaingoch together. I thought the police would be grateful for the information.’
‘I know it was you that called it in and we’re grateful, of course, but Mathew Hudson was logged onto your Wi-Fi hub after that call was made. So, you can see our concern. It was very possible he’d broken in here and attacked you. We have to consider all possibilities in a case like this.’
‘I didn’t realise he was logged on to my Wi-Fi,’ Anwen said, shocked. ‘He must have been on the other side of the fence. Naz saw the Renault from the top of the double-decker over there.’
Kim looked towards the bus. She turned to the armed officer. ‘Check the woods on the other side of that fence from the bus,’ she ordered. The uniformed officer headed for the gates and organised the team to spread out into the woods. Another armed officer came from inside the museum. ‘Anything?’ she asked.
‘The site is clear,’ he said. He leaned closer to Kim out of earshot of Anwen. ‘There’s welding gear in there and it’s still hot. It looks like they’ve been working on a couple of Land Rovers. Apart from that, there’s nothing out of the ordinary.’
‘Okay. Thanks,’ Kim said. She headed over to where Joss was standing. Naz was smoking. Anwen followed her. All three of them looked nervous. ‘The sergeant said you’ve been working on some Land Rovers in there,’ she said. They exchanged nervous glances.
‘Yes. We’re rebuilding two old Defenders,’ Anwen said, nodding.
‘Rebuilding?’ Kim asked.
‘Yes. We strip them to the chassis and then rebuild them, swapping every nut and bolt for stainless steel ones and replacing any damaged panels. They’re like new when we’ve finished with them,’ Joss said.
‘Joss imports them.’
‘So, I’ve heard,’ Kim said, smiling. ‘Along with other products, eh, Joss?’
‘I’ve no idea what you mean, officer,’ Joss said. He shrugged. ‘If you mean other vehicles, then yes. The company is called Anglesey Land Rover but I import all sorts. Cadillacs, Corvettes, Chevies, you name it, we renovate it.’ He smiled. ‘You know where my unit is, don’t you?’
‘Oh, I know where it is. Don’t you worry about that,’ Kim said.
‘Are you insinuating that I’m doing something illegal, detective?’ Joss asked. ‘You’re welcome to look around the unit any time you like. Every vehicle has the correct documentation. They have to be kosher for me to unload them from the docks. No paperwork, no vehicles. Everything is above board.’
‘It’s what is on-board that worries us,’ Kim said, dryly.
‘What are you insinuating?’
‘Oh, I think you know what I mean,’ Kim said. ‘Rumours are rife and usually, there’s no smoke without fire.’ Joss raised his eyebrows and winked. Kim looked at her watch. ‘I think you’re lucky we’re in a rush. On another occasion, I may be tempted to have a good look around.’ No one spoke. Anwen looked uncomfortable. Kim turned to her. ‘Thank you for calling in what
you saw. It might save someone’s life.’
Kim turned and walked away. She slipped through the main gate and closed it behind her. The museum was quiet again. Joss took a deep breath and wiped the sweat from his brow. He looked at Anwen and half smiled.
‘That was a close one,’ he said, shaking his head.
‘Don’t you dare smile at me,’ she warned. She shook her head and pointed a finger. ‘Now, get your shit out of my museum before I stick it somewhere painful.’
CHAPTER 37
April listened to the static from the radios as the policemen communicated with each other. They seemed to be nearby; so close she could hear their voices. She wanted to scream and scream. She wanted to hear them smashing the doors down and charging up the stairs. If there was a way to get their attention, she would try it. Even if he stabbed her before they reached him, she had a chance to survive; more of a chance to survive than if they moved on and left her there at his mercy. Mercy? That was a joke. She’d seen what he was capable of. The boy was a crackpot; a total fruit-loop; a raving psycho on steroids. He was an animal on a killing spree that would only stop when he was stopped by force. There was no way she could stop him; he was in total control while she was bound and gagged. She had to tip the scales in her favour, even if that meant being badly wounded in the process. It was the only chance she had; she couldn’t do anything else but roll the dice and see where they landed. She put her fingers into the waistband of her trousers and touched the toothbrush she’d taken from the sink. It was the only weapon available to her. A toothbrush wasn’t going to stop a strong young male, but it might slow him down long enough for her to attract attention. There was no other choice. Fight and take a chance or do nothing and die like a sheep being slaughtered. She’d never been a sheep and she wasn’t going to start now.
She’d seen a weakness in Mathew Hudson. He was emotionally immature with a mummy fixation; mentally and emotionally affected to say the least. It was easy to embarrass him; that meant he had an Achilles’ heel and she needed to exploit that weakness. She turned to see what he was doing.
Mathew stared into her eyes for a long time without blinking. His lips were moving silently; he looked to be in a trance-like state. His eyes seemed to search inside her head. Could he see what she was planning? She hoped not or she would die before she had a chance to move. It was a long shot but the only shot she had.
***
Kim caught up with the armed search team on the other side of the fence; a mixture of armed response, uniformed officers, and detectives were fanned out in a search pattern. There was a small group of them studying something at the base of a sycamore tree. They spotted her coming.
‘Sarge,’ one of them said, waving her over.
‘What is it?’ she asked. Torches illuminated a flattened patch of ferns and there were scuff marks on the roots of the tree and a shoeprint in the mud.
‘It looks like someone was sitting there for a while,’ she said. ‘We know Hudson was online so let’s assume he was sitting here. Try to pick up the museum Wi-Fi on your phones.’
‘It’s coming up on my phone,’ one of the detectives said. ‘It’s password protected but there’s a strong signal. If he had the password, he could’ve accessed the Internet from here.’
‘I’ve got it too,’ another said.
‘Me too.’
‘Okay,’ she said. ‘Let’s say he was sitting here and used the museum Wi-Fi to communicate with the other psychos online, then where did he go?’
‘Over here, sarge.’ A detective pointed to a trampled path through the ferns. ‘There are footprints through the undergrowth heading straight across the field towards the farmhouse over there.’
‘How many people?’
‘One, sarge.’
Kim decided to call Alan on the mobile rather than using the radio channels. She dialled and he picked up immediately.
‘What is it, Kim?’
‘He was using the Wi-Fi from the other side of the museum fence in the woods. There are footprints heading in your direction.’
‘How many people?’
‘Only one, I’m afraid. Is there any sign of him?’
‘Not yet,’ Alan said. ‘I’ll call you back when we’ve got anything.’ Headlights illuminated the scene. Alpha Team were returning from the woods in their Jeep. They stopped nearby. Alan walked towards the driver’s door to speak to them. ‘Did you find anything?’
‘The Renault has been pushed into a pond and partially covered with branches. CSI can go over it in the morning; he was probably trying to stop it being seen from the air,’ an officer said. ‘There’s a trail cut through the undergrowth. It’s heading through the trees away from here; north, north-east, although it seems to veer west after a few hundred yards.’
Alan leaned into the vehicle and put his forefinger to his lips.
‘Say that you think the trail leads away from here but say it louder,’ Alan whispered. The officer looked confused. ‘I think someone is listening to what we’re saying,’ he said, pointing to the farmhouse. ‘We know he was near the museum using the Wi-Fi and there’re tracks heading back this way. His vehicle is in a pond and he has a hostage. The other buildings are clear so, that’s the only place he can be. I want him to think we’re moving the search away from here.’ The officer nodded that he understood.
‘There’s a trail heading through the trees away from here,’ the officer said, loudly. Alan nodded and put his thumb up.
‘That must be Hudson. He’s dumped the vehicle and made a run for it,’ Alan said, as loud as he dared, without sounding feigned. ‘Take Delta and Epsilon Teams and follow the trail on foot. Alpha Team use the jeeps and track him from the treeline and the roads.’
‘Yes, sir.’ Alpha Team fired up their vehicle and took off across the field in the direction they’d come from. Delta and Epsilon Teams didn’t exist.
Alan signalled to the rest of the ARU officers to drop back into the shadows and take cover; all apart from the team leader and two men. He pointed to the farmhouse and called them close.
‘You said the ground floor is secured but I think he’s in there and if he is, so is April Bifelt . I want to walk the entire footprint again and figure out how this horrible bastard got into that house,’ he whispered. ‘I want him to think we’ve gone while we’re looking. Once we find his entry point, we’ll make a breach plan, okay?’ The officers nodded. He turned to the other officers and shooed them back from the farmhouse.
‘The rest of you, let’s go. We’re moving out,’ Alan shouted. ‘He’s not here. He’s long gone. Let’s move out.’
Alan and his team moved quickly to the side of the building and checked the windows. There was nothing amiss. They reached the rear of the house and began to look in minute detail at every aspect of it. When they reached the drainpipe, Alan looked up; the pipe gave access to the bathroom window. He shined a penlight on the metal. There were clumps of rusty paint missing. He shone the light on the grass and there were shards of rusty metal in the grass. The officers all nodded that they understood what had happened. Hudson had shinned up the pipe and climbed into the bathroom window but how did he get an unwilling hostage up there? That was one question, they needed to answer. The next question was how to get inside without alerting him.
***
Mathew listened to the policemen leaving and his mood lightened. His plan had worked. They were so stupid. He was far too clever to be caught by the mundane; Fabienne had told him so and he had to agree. She told him how special he was, and he believed her. The entire police force was looking for him and he was right there watching them making one mistake after another. All the king’s horses and all the king’s men couldn’t catch little Mathew Hudson. He had them running in circles. His confidence was immense. He felt invincible. April was his focus now; it was time to give her to the darkness. It was time to take her soul and then he could move on to the next one and the next one; his appetite for evil was insatiable and growing all the t
ime. His heartbeat increased as he imagined what he was going to do; the pain he would inflict and the anguish he would cause would echo through time. This murder would be monumental. He sat up and whispered to April.
‘I’m going to make sure they’ve gone. One peep out of you and you’ll regret it, understand?’ April nodded. She couldn’t believe the police had gone. Her heart sank to new depths, lower than she’d thought possible. Her mind was numb. She was staring death in the face and it was smiling back at her.
He tiptoed to the window and peered around the edge of the curtain. The material smelt musky; it was the smell of decay. He liked it. Everything began to rot and die the second it was created. It was one of the universe’s certainties. The smell of death and decay comforted him; it made him feel at home. He moved the curtain a little and could see a police vehicle driving across the field towards the woods. The lights pierced the darkness below the foliage. They were on a mission to fail. It would take them hours to follow his trail through the trees on foot and he would be gone before they realised it was a wild goose chase. He smiled in the darkness at their stupidity.
‘Suckers,’ he whispered to himself. Other officers were leaving on foot in the other direction. He could see lights in the distance near the museum. ‘You can’t catch me, you can’t catch me, you can’t catch me for a penny cup of tea,’ he sang, quietly. ‘They’re such fools. Idiots.’
He turned around and went back to the bed. April was still, lying on her side, her hands bound at her front. He wondered where to begin. It didn’t matter. Once things got going, he would be on autopilot. Her antics in the toilet had put him off somewhat but he could get over that. She was bleeding and that was disgusting but there would be plenty of blood, anyway. Fabienne told him to create something they would remember forever, something sickening and vile; something that would make the news and make the mundane ones who listened to it, sick in their cornflakes. He would do just that and more. Much more. She would be a masterpiece of cruelty.
‘They’ve all gone, April. No one can help you now,’ he said. He cut the gag free and she spat the sock from her mouth. ‘I think we’re alone now, doesn’t seem to be anyone around,’ he sang, quietly. He put the flat of the blade to her throat. ‘I think we’re alone now, the beating of your heart is the only sound.’ He put the knife next to her ear and made a tiny cut. A trickle of blood ran down her neck. He leaned close and put his mouth over the wound, sucking the blood from her skin.
