by Jay Nadal
“I can’t remember the last time I was up here as a student,” Scott remarked. “Nor do I want to remember how many nights I spent at the East Slope bar drinking snakebite and black.”
Abby laughed. “Now you’re showing your age…snakebite and black?”
“Yep and that was tame. I wasn’t brave enough to try the brain neutraliser.”
“I can’t imagine you drunk,” Abby said, staring at Scott through narrowed eyes. Her mind conjured up a vivid picture of a more youthful Scott staggering from side to side, with beer stains down his front, and splashes of puke on his trainers.
“No, not me, I was a good boy,” Scott said, his expression as deadpan as possible.
Abby inhaled deeply as they made their way from the car park towards the East slope accommodation complex. The mixture of diesel and salty sea air had been replaced by an earthy freshness that felt invigorating and cleansing with each breath. “It’s just so nice round here. I’d love to run through these wooded trails,” Abby remarked, her gaze transfixed at the wooded area beyond the slope.
Scott observed students milling around chatting, others walking from one block to another. One thing was certain, with the end of term fast approaching, there were decidedly fewer students.
Nothing had changed from Scott’s recollection. The familiar single-storey building that was the East Slope bar hadn’t changed. Its low roof and red brickwork were a familiar feature on campus. They followed the brick path that ran alongside the accommodation block. Foliage from the mature trees left a mottled patchwork of light and dark as the sun crept through the gaps in the canopy.
The East Slope accommodation wouldn’t win any architectural prizes. Twelve rows of flat roofed single-storey accommodations were staggered up the hillside. Each row just a few feet higher than the preceding row that offered both a uniform and uninspiring impression.
The insides weren’t much better, with impersonal and uninspiring corridors. Abby pinched her nose and sniffed a few times whilst staring at Scott. “Hardly a clean fresh bouquet…”
“Smells like a mixture of stale sweat, booze, dirty clothing and weed,” Scott remarked. “Yep, welcome to student land,” he said with a jaunty wink.
Scott knocked twice on the door and waited a few moments before he knocked again more firmly causing the door to shake in its frame.
The door opened just a few inches to reveal a set of dark brown eyes looking suspiciously at them. “We are looking for Freddie Coltrane,” Scott enquired.
The eyes shifted between Abby and Scott. “Um, who’s asking?” he asked with uncertainty.
“I’m Detective Inspector Baker, and this is my colleague Detective Sergeant Trent from Brighton CID,” Scott announced as they both held up their warrant cards. “May we come in? We’d like to ask you a few questions about Hailey Bratton.”
The man paused as he weighed up his options before opening the door. Freddie Coltrane was dressed in dark blue jeans, white T-shirt and a crease free light blue denim shirt. His neatly gelled brown hair and designer stubbly beard suggested that personal appearance was high on his list of priorities.
He stood to one side to allow the officers to enter. With the three of them in the room, space suddenly became claustrophobic. The room was just wide enough to fit a single bed widthways along one end beneath the window. To the left of them was a desk and a double wardrobe, and to the right of them was a small bedside table. The three of them stood in the only space available. It was a dark and gloomy room, but surprisingly clean, uncluttered and tidy.
Scott and Abby exchanged glances as Abby raised an eyebrow.
Freddie crossed his arms defiantly and pushed out his chest. “What can I do for you?” he asked firmly.
“We’d just like to ask you a few questions about the recent disappearance of Hailey Bratton.” Scott wanted to pace the room and look around, but there was hardly any space to move. It was a functional but very small room. A further two paces forward and he’d be close to touching Freddie’s bed.
Freddie nodded, as Abby pulled out her notepad and pen ready to start taking notes.
“We understand you are in a relationship with Hailey. Is that correct?” Scott started.
“Yeah.”
“And when did you last see her?”
Scott noticed Freddie’s eyes shift down to his left which suggested that there was a degree of internal self-talk going on. Freddie’s eyes then tracked up to the right, which Scott took as Freddie about to lie or create something that he hadn’t necessarily seen.
“A couple of days ago, I guess, she came over here and spent the night with me.”
“Can anyone confirm that?” Scott pushed.
Freddie shrugged. “Dunno, Why? You think I had something to do with it?”
“I’m not suggesting anything, Freddie. We just need to corroborate your story, and will be asking the same questions to everyone who knows her. And what is your relationship like?”
He laughed. “I’d hardly call it a relationship,” he said as he narrowed his eyes. “It’s just a bit of fun, you know, the stuff you do at university. It’s not like we would get married tomorrow, ey?”
Scott’s lack of response and the following silence left an unease in the room that Freddie was keen to fill.
“We like a good drink, get pissed up and grab a burger. Most of the time we come back here and you know…”
Scott shook his head. “You know what?”
Freddie narrowed his eyes and glanced back and forth between Abby and Scott, as a hint of embarrassment tinged his cheeks. “Seriously…Do I really need to say?”
“It would be helpful, Freddie, because DS Trent is taking notes.”
Freddie sighed and stuffed his hands in his jeans pockets. “We come back here and fuck for a few hours. There…you satisfied?”
Abby interjected, “Have you any idea as to why she may have gone missing?”
Freddie shook his head. “No, none.”
“Had she said anything to suggest that something was bothering her, or that she was in trouble?”
There was a further slight shake of his head, but Abby continued.
“Any idea where she may have gone, or do you know of any other friends or family close by?”
“No, I haven’t got a clue.”
Scott noticed a pack of bleach wipes sitting on the shelf above his desk. “I have to say, Freddie, this is probably the cleanest, tidiest and freshest smelling student room I’ve ever been in. I’m impressed.”
Scott’s observation unnerved Freddie for a moment. “I don’t like a mess. Mum always said a tidy room is a tidy mind.”
Scott felt Freddie probably took that to the extreme, as he noticed four pencils neatly aligned on the desk, and several pairs of trainers and boots in a neat row beneath the desk. He noticed through the partial open wardrobe door that his clothes hung neatly organised in colourways.
Abby tapped her pen on her notepad. “Well, Freddie, we’ll continue to make our enquiries over the next day or so and may need to come back to ask you further questions. Will you be around?”
Freddie nodded quickly. “And when you find her, remind her that she owes me thirty quid. She’s really pissed me off by disappearing with my money, no trace of her, bloody typical.”
His outburst caused both officers to take notice. “And why would that bother you? We are dealing with the unexplained disappearance of Hailey.”
“Hey, listen. Thirty quid is a lot of money for a student. She is always borrowing money off me, and I never get a single penny back. So when I do ask for money back, she fucking disappears, cheeky mare.”
Scott and Abby paused by the East Slope bar as Abby looked over her shoulder and glanced back up to the halls that they had just left. Her eyes narrowed. “You know for someone whose girlfriend is missing, he didn’t seem particularly concerned about her safety, or her whereabouts. He seemed more annoyed about his money than anything else.”
Scott stood there with hi
s hands in his pockets. “He knows more than he’s letting on. He’s definitely seen more of her than he claims to have. The place was spotless, almost too clean. You could eat your dinner off his table.”
“Tell me about it. That room was cleaner than any room in my house.”
5
He sat back in his chair and closed his eyes, his crossed feet resting on the edge of the desk. Random songs that were being played on his favourite radio station Smooth Radio satiated his mind. His little DAB radio sat alongside his laptop. The only other two things on his desk were a glass of red wine and a small desktop lamp that cast a faint glow across the room.
His fingers tapped in rhythm to a song by the Four Seasons. A small smile broke on his face, pleased with his ability to tap in time with the beats of the song.
As much as he liked Smooth Radio, he found their adverts frustrating which always spoilt the ambience. The Four Seasons segued into Dreams by Fleetwood Mac, Ah, one of my favourites, he thought. His enjoyment was cut short as the song faded out early to make way for an advert from some garage that he didn’t quite catch the name of. Who cares if you’ve been servicing Mercedes for thirty years? Why don’t you just fuck off?
He glanced towards a long rectangular metal box that sat on the far side of the room. The thought of opening the lid sent dark, erotic shivers through him. It never failed to surprise him just how excited he got each time he lifted the lid to stare at his prize. He felt like a child on Christmas Day opening his Christmas presents, a mixture of curiosity and excitement rippling through him at the prospect of what he might find.
He slowly rose from his chair. “Well, my dear, as Fleetwood Mac just said, ‘You say you want your freedom…Well, who am I to keep you down?’ I think you’re ready to go.”
He knelt by the box, his fingers hovered a few centimetres above the metal, quivering in excitement. He released the padlock from its housing. It had been left loose. He’d forgotten where he’d placed the key, but that didn’t concern him. With his cargo securely bound, there was very little opportunity for his precious commodity to escape.
He lifted the lid and took in a soft exquisite breath. “Look, Sally, Hailey’s still fast asleep. She’s clearly enjoyed staying with us, don’t you think? Yes, I thought you’d agree.” His eyes marvelled and opened wide in excitement as he glanced at Hailey. “You are just so beautiful, simply divine and a gift from the gods. I’m so thankful that our paths crossed. Thankfully the police didn’t come to your rescue. They were clearly far more stupid than I expected them to be. And now the time has come for us to say our goodbyes. You see our relationship was a brief one and if I’m honest Sally doesn’t want me to have anything too permanent.”
He reached out to caress her face and paused before he continued.
“Sally’s my wife. You’ve been so comfortable here. You haven’t really had the opportunity to meet her, but I know she approves of you. She told me not so long ago.”
At the end of his tenderly spoken words, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pair of scissors and shuffled up towards her face. He reached in and cut a large section of one of her curls, and delicately folded it, before placing it in a small heart-shaped silver pendant box. He sat back on his haunches to take one final moment to admire this beauty in front of him. “Thank you for my little present. I shall cherish it forever. But for now my sweet princess, you need to rest,” he said softly.
Getting her out of the box proved more of a challenge than he’d anticipated. He hadn’t factored in that moving an unconscious dead weight was considerably harder than moving someone who was conscious. Every time he tried to lift a section of her body, her weight was redistributed elsewhere. He first attempted to lift her from under her armpits but after several failed attempts, he gave up. Then a thought crossed his mind. He walked round to the back of the metal container and with all his strength got a firm hold beneath the box. He tipped it over to one side, allowing Hailey’s body to spill out.
“That’s much better,” he said through short, sharp breaths.
He grabbed each wrist and dragged her across the floor, each step straining his body. Once propped up into the seated position, he grabbed her from behind in a bear hug and used every ounce of strength to lift her. His eyes bulged, and his teeth clenched under the exertion. He blew out a laboured breath as he finally managed to unceremoniously dump her in the boot of his car.
As he caught his breath, his eyes focused hard in the darkness of the night. There was no one around, no curious bystanders, no workers or any late night revellers.
“I told you, Sally, that I didn’t need any mates. They’d just try to control me like everyone else has. You see I’m way too clever for them. Besides with you by my side, what more could I want?” With a turn of the key, he started the ignition of his car and cruised off slowly into the darkness.
He’d chosen his spot carefully. No one would disturb them here, nor would anyone find her until the morning at the earliest.
Hailey shifted and moaned, her semi-conscious state allowed a greater ease of movement as he manoeuvred her between two trees. Her muffled groans were quiet enough to not disturb him. Her eyes occasionally flickered rapidly beneath her sweaty, lank hair that clung to her pasty face. He smiled to himself, pleased with his impeccable timing. Hopefully, she’d be awake soon enough to see his parting gift.
The undergrowth and surrounding hedges rustled in the cool summer night’s air. Nocturnal creatures that rummaged for food and hunted under the darkness of the night would be his unsuspecting audience.
He secured a length of rope around each of her wrists before securing them between two trees. With one hand wrapped behind her waist, he was able to get her to stand, her legs buckling as her body fought to take control. With the other hand, he pulled the two supporting ropes tight, leaving her strung up in a crude improvised crucifix position that forced her head to flop forward.
He took a few steps back to admire his handiwork, pleased with what he’d been able to achieve so far. Pulling a sharp knife from his back pocket he leant forward and nicked the skin on her neck. The sharp spasm of pain forced a squeal from beneath Hailey’s gag as her eyes shot wide open.
The moon’s glow in the clear night sky and the torch that he’d left close by were enough to show the silvery balls of liquid that formed on her neck. As their weight built, they seemed to merge together magnetically to form a trickle that started to creep down her neck.
Hailey glanced around in a daze, her eyes unable to lock on to anything, her consciousness not enough to warn her of the danger she faced.
A deep grumble emanated deep from within his throat before he inhaled deeply and bent forward. Hailey bucked for a brief moment, her arms fighting the ties that held her firmly in place as he came within touching distance of her. The warm metallic taste of her blood sent shivers through his body, his eyes rolled up as he savoured the flavour on his tongue. This was just the beginning.
Every one of her senses willed her awake, begging her to fight back, but weakness, hunger and dehydration left her limp and defenceless.
“Bless you, Hailey. I admire your courage, perhaps that’s why I chose you. But now you’re free to go.” Without hesitation, he leant in and drew the knife across the side of her neck, the sharp steel sunk deeply into her soft flesh. He stepped back briefly to admire his handiwork as pulses of dark liquid erupted from her neck. Hailey choked, her eyes widening with terror. For a brief moment, her head flailed around like a woman possessed before dropping once final time.
He stepped in closer and ran his fingers through the warm blood as it pulsed out over his hand. He rubbed the warm, viscous fluid between his fingers before licking the tip of his thumb and savouring the sweet stickiness as it clung to the insides of his cheeks.
“Oh, you’re good. You’re really good. I knew I could trust Sally to find the right person,” he said, smiling his pleasure. He tilted his head to one side to admire his handiwork, as he stud
ied her with curiosity.
With his knife firmly gripped, he ran the thin blade deep across her navel like a butcher would with a thick cut of meat. More viscous liquid trickled as he thrust his empty hand into the open wound and savoured the warmth of her innards as they enveloped his hand. A final thrust of his hand outwards left part of her intestines hanging out through the open wound. She tossed and jerked frantically for just a few seconds before she succumbed.
Her outstretched arms took the full weight of her body as she collapsed.
Hailey’s head slumped forward one last time.
6
The warmth of the morning sun bathed Scott’s face as he ran along the seafront. Its golden globe sat high in the blue sky as seagulls drifted in the thermals along the shoreline, their familiar screeches signalling their presence. The hustle and bustle of Brighton played out around him. The familiar line of traffic snaked its way along the seafront starting and stopping at the multitude of traffic lights that dotted the road.
On this occasion Scott had chosen not to listen to his iPod as he ran, choosing instead to soak up the sounds of life around him. He was already two miles into his run, but his body struggled to keep the pace. His mind drifted as it invariably did whenever he ran. Work seemed to preoccupy his mind. In fact, if he was honest with himself, in recent weeks it had been the only thing that occupied his mind.
A pang of guilt twisted inside his chest. He’d been so busy at work, that he’d not taken the time to visit the graves of Becky and Tina. He knew that he was getting stronger, for each time he thought about them, he didn’t have this overwhelming urge to break down and cry. He would never come to terms with their deaths, but acceptance was a far better state of mind than grief, sadness and guilt. He made a promise to himself to visit them at the earliest opportunity.
