by Rob Ashman
Time to say goodbye, Chris.
The gravel on the ground snatches at the wheels as I walk out of the car park and turn right towards the promenade. I have to grab his collar every now and again to prevent him toppling forward. I sing a suitable tune: ‘Rock-a-bye baby, on the treetop.’
We cross the main road and the entrance to the Central Pier stands in front of us in all its past glory. The yellow and red lettering look grey against the white corrugated flashing and the promise of ‘Family fun above the sea!’ seems a little overstated.
It is out of season so the pier is closed to visitors, but is open to the tradesmen who maintain and renovate the structure and the rides. I walk around the side to the compound where they store their gear, manoeuvring the wheelchair through the bollards to the fencing at the back. I unzip the bag and pull out the metal bar from the warehouse. There is a wire mesh gate in the fence, the chain gives way as I lever it open and push the wheelchair through the gap.
Inside is a wooden boardwalk which runs for about twenty-five yards either side of a parade of kiosks and gaming huts. This part of the pier bridges across the sand from the road to the structure itself. I used to love running under it as a child pretending it was a big American flyover. The clatter of the footfall from the tourists up above was the rumble of cars and lorries travelling overhead.
‘Rock-a-bye baby, on the treetop. When the wind blows, the cradle will rock.’
The wheels clatter against the gaps in the planks. I reach mid-way and roll the chair up to the barrier at the side, rummaging around in my bag for the rope.
I tie one end to the rail and slip the noose over his head. The slip knot is beautifully crafted with thirteen turns of the rope just like the one in the Lakeland Hotel - the one I never got to use. I fish out the marker pen and tilt his head back so his face is illuminated by the moon. I write on his forehead.
The knot slides comfortably to the side of his neck and I heave him onto his feet. The rail is chest high and it’s a struggle to lift him up. I put my shoulder under his arse and drive with my legs, he folds at the waist, hanging over the side.
‘When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall.’
I take the mobile from my pocket and flip the back off. The battery snaps into place as does the SIM card. I replace the back, push the on button and tap a message onto the screen.
I slide the phone into the pocket of his jeans along with a folded piece of paper and grasp his feet. My chest fills with the pride of a job well done, a job that would have made Jono and the boys proud. Bringing justice to those who deserve it – that’s what we did.
‘And down will come baby, cradle and all.’
I flip his legs over the top. There is a moment of silence then a jolt as the handrail takes the full weight. I can hear the strands of the rope squeezing together as the knots tighten.
I take one last look at the towering Ferris wheel and bid it farewell. I never thought there was anything that could make this place more beautiful. I was wrong.
The wood and iron structure fades into the night as I make my way down the promenade, the silhouette of the body hanging below the walkway no longer visible against the sea.
Chapter 54
Kray was drumming her fingers against armrest.
‘I know you don’t want to talk, Roz, but can you stop doing that?’ Tavener was finding his boss’s anxiety infectious.
‘This doesn’t feel right,’ Kray said.
‘Of course it doesn’t. Two people sat in a car at half one in the morning isn’t natural.’
‘It’s too contrived. Jarrod isn’t going to think we’ve really pulled the security from Lang’s house. I think he’s getting us to look in the wrong direction.’
‘It can’t be to target the others on the convicted list. You’ve contacted their support officers twice in the last hour and they’re all fine.’
‘Ah! I can’t stand this.’ Kray slapped her hands onto the dashboard.
Her phone rang, it was Taylor. She listened to the voice talking fast on the other end, then her phone beeped. She pulled the mobile away to read a copy of a text message.
‘Fuck!’ Kray yelled at the top of her lungs.
‘What is it?’
She disconnected the call. ‘Jarrod’s mobile went active three minutes ago at the Central Pier. Taylor received a text on the second phone.’ Tears welled up in her eyes, she held up her phone so Tavener could read the screen. It read: Come and get your boy.
‘Shit, that’s a good thirty minutes from here.’
‘I fucking knew it.’ Kray slapped the dashboard again. ‘Get going we can brief Bagley on the way.’
Tavener gunned the engine and screeched away from the kerb. Kray called into the control room to mobilise any officers located in the vicinity of the pier then called Bagley. She called the coppers who were baby minding the other offenders – this could be another diversion.
The blue lights reflected off the shop front windows as they hurtled towards town. Bagley took on the role of co-ordinating a ground team to lock down the area, leaving Kray to manage whatever was at the pier.
The same words bounced around in her head.
Please don’t let him be dead, please don’t let him be dead.
She tried to force it to the back of her mind but it refused to give way. It kept repeating, over and over again.
Please don’t let him be dead …
Kray called Taylor who confirmed that the phone hadn’t moved. She then took a call from Bagley.
‘Roz, I have a police officer at the scene and he says there is a body hanging from the pier.’
‘Oh my God.’ She clasped her hand to her face. ‘Who is it?’
‘He can’t tell. It’s twenty feet in the air, there’s no way we can get to it, he’s called in the fire brigade to assist.’
‘Is it male?’
‘He thinks so.’
Kray let the phone rest in her lap, the tinny voice of Bagley still buzzed on the line, urging attention. She gazed out front at the urban scenery speeding past, tears running down her face.
‘Roz, what is it?’ Tavener asked. ‘Roz!’
‘They found a body hanging from the pier, looks like it’s male. I think it’s Chris.’
‘It might not be, Roz get a grip.’
‘It’s Chris, I know it is. Jarrod made us look the other way and killed him. He said he would kill him if he interfered and now he’s dead.’
The car skidded to a stop and they both jumped out. Kray ran along the promenade and down the concrete steps onto the sand. Tavener got a search lamp from the boot and chased after her.
Kray was sobbing as she ran, she could see the black silhouette of the man dangling at the end of the rope. The lone copper was stood beneath it, looking up.
Fucking hell, Chis, what have I done?
Kray reached the pier first, straining her neck back to look up at the figure twisting in the sea breeze. She ran one way then the other trying to get a better look.
What have I done?
Tavener arrived and the torch beam flooded the underneath of the boardwalk. Kray yanked it from his grasp and aimed it at the man hanging from the handrail. The powerful light hit him full in the face.
Who the fuck is that?
Chapter 55
Three weeks later
Kray tapped at the door and entered Bagley’s office. He was elbow deep in paperwork and looking stressed. It was early afternoon, and despite the hour, she had her bag in one hand and coat in the other.
‘I have news.’
‘Can it wait, Roz? Quade and I are in front of the cameras again in an hour doing another public appeal.’
‘Bloody hell, they are going to give you two your own slot on daytime TV.’
‘Yeah, very funny. Plus, she’s breathing down my neck about the overtime.’
‘I may be able to help with both of those.’
‘I doubt it.’ He bent his head over his laptop and bashed away a
t the keyboard.
‘I’ll tell you anyway - we can stop looking for Alex Jarrod.’
Bagley’s head snapped up.
‘Have we found him?’
‘Kind of. Do you remember I took the precaution of informing the security services about Jarrod, just in case he popped up on their radar?’
‘Yes.’
‘They’ve been in touch and it would appear he didn’t so much show up on their radar as show up on a mortuary slab in Jalalabad.’
‘Shit.’
‘Turns out he was working for a private security firm in Afghanistan and was killed in a car bomb attack. The details are pretty sketchy.’
‘Are they sure it’s him?’
‘It’s him all right. He left instructions that in the event of his death any money in his account was to be transferred to his ex-girlfriend, Julie Clarke. She’s confirmed the cash is in her bank.’
‘Have we spoken to the security firm?’
‘I have and they insist they enlisted Jarrod when he was already in Afghanistan. I put it to them that they played a role of getting him out of the country and they simply told us to prove it. One of their head guys used to be Jarrod’s commanding officer. I’m sure if we look hard enough the evidence will point us in their direction but we will never make it stick.’
‘Good news - we found him, bad news - he’s dead. Christ, I’ve been living and breathing this damned case for so long it will take a bit of getting used to not having it hanging around my neck.’
‘You getting used to it? I think you’ll find we’ve all lived and breathed it. Still, you can tell Quade the resources are freed up which will help with the figures.’ Kray turned to walk away having delivered her update.
‘You going somewhere?’ he asked.
‘Yeah, you signed off on me having an early finish.’
‘Wait a moment. I’ve been meaning to talk to you. The internal investigation team are wrapping up their inquiry into what went on in CJU and they have reopened the recruitment process to appoint a new head.’
‘Yes I received an email to that effect yesterday.’
‘Let me know when you need to take time away from the job.’
‘That won’t be necessary, Dan, I’ve withdrawn my application.’
‘Whoa! Hang on, what do you mean?’
‘I’ve pulled out.’
‘We need to talk about this.’
‘No, Dan, we don’t.’
‘I think we do. And where are you going?’
‘That’s none of your business.’
‘Are you applying for other roles?’
‘Nope, I’m staying on in CID.’
‘What? You should have told me.’
‘I’m telling you now.’
‘But … but … how—’
‘I guess me being around is just one more thing you’ll have to get used to.’ She walked out.
‘Kray get back here.’
‘No, Dan, right now there’s somewhere I need to be.’
Chapter 56
Kray gazed out over the Irish sea from her position on the hillside, shielding her eyes against the low February sun. She could see the array of wind turbines in the distance, the day was clear and bright.
‘Chris didn’t die, how about that? Fuck knows how. He had a fractured cheekbone, a fractured eye socket and a bleed on the brain. Not to mention a busted nose. I should carry a government health warning saying: Caution, getting close to this woman may result in death or severe injury. And before you say anything I know he made a catastrophic error in judgement. If he had involved us when he met with Jarrod under the pier we would be two bodies less and he wouldn’t have been wired up to fuck knows what in a hospital bed. But as you and me both know we are all prone to errors in judgement. I mean I can’t talk – my error got you killed, so I can hardly judge him too harshly. A police officer found him wandering along the Prom after he woke up and made a run for it from the car. Well, when I say run, it was more of a stagger.’
Kray bent down and wiped away the grime from the top of the stone, the black marble glistened in the sun.
‘The guy hanging from the bridge was Judge Bernard Preston. He had enough sleeping pills inside him to put an elephant to sleep. In his pocket was a note saying: Sometimes you have to lose a battle to win the war. A reference to Jarrod not killing Casey Lang. Preston also had a note written on his forehead which said: Prevention is better than cure. You got to hand it to Jarrod, he played us like a penny-whistle. He made us look one way while he took care of business.
‘We never caught him. He disappeared into thin air only to show up dead in Afghanistan. He managed to get himself blown up in a car bomb explosion. I briefed Bagley this afternoon and I think he was pleased, though it was difficult to tell. Oh, and I told him I wasn’t going for the CJU job. He was not happy and looked like I’d kicked him in the balls, which I suppose I did in a way. It felt good. Speaking of the delightful Casey Lang, she submitted a formal complaint against Bagley and was suing the force for wrongful arrest, but that’s all gone quiet after we found a stash of drugs at her home along with a ton of cash. No wonder she wasn’t keen on giving us the house. Oh, I do have something that will make you chuckle. You remember I went for that job as office manager at a solicitors, well … the fuckers said no! Can you believe that? I aced that interview. I don’t know what Amanda from HR was doing, she obviously didn’t have a clue.’
Kray took a letter from her pocket. ‘Listen to this, ‘we do not feel you have the experience we are looking for’. No shit, they only had to read my CV to know that. And what about this, ‘please feel free to apply for any of the other exciting opportunities Willis and Broughton have to offer’. Cheeky bastards. They can stuff their job up their arse.’
Kray took a deep breath and turned her face to the sky. Her bluster and bravado melted away and tears began rolling down her cheeks.
‘There is something else I need to tell you.’ She wiped them away with her sleeve. ‘It’s about Chris, well, erm, I like him and I think he likes me, and it’s difficult for me to let go. When I’m with him, half of me is with you, half of me is here talking to a lump of marble and I can’t do that anymore.’ Kray sunk to her knees, placing her hands on top of the gravestone. ‘I love you and will always love you, but you’re dead and I’m not.’ Her tears dripped from her face into her lap. ‘I know you would want me to be happy, and I think I can be with Chris, but not if half of me is on this hillside with you.’
Kray rummaged in her bag and drew out a chef’s knife. ‘The last time I brought this here I wanted to slice my wrists open and you said no. You gave me the strength to put the knife down and now I want you to give me the strength to move on.’
She dug the blade into the grass and began to hack at the soil. Using both hands she carved away a square of earth.
Kray dropped the knife and licked the third finger on her left hand, easing the wedding ring over her knuckle.
‘Every time I see this I think of you, every time I feel it, I think of you. If I keep it in a drawer at home one day I will find it and I will be right back here again. I can’t do that, I can’t risk that.’ Kray held the ring to her lips, then placed it into the hole, covering it with the square of grass and pressing it flat.
‘I’ll still come to see you, but I can’t go on living my life with one foot in the land of the living and the other in the land of the dead. I know you’ll understand.’
Kray put the knife back in her bag, stood up and wiped her face, emotional exhaustion washing over her.
She meandered back to her car, wondering what the traffic would be like between here and Chis Millican’s place. Reaching into her bag she pulled out a white plastic object, it was four inches long with a small window in the side. She turned it over and over in her hand.
Across the window were two blue lines. She tossed it into the glove compartment. There had been enough revelations for one day. That one could keep.
Acknowledgm
ents
I want to thank all those who have made this book possible – My family, Karen, Gemma, Holly and Maureen for their encouragement and endless patience. Plus, my magnificent BetaReaders, Nicki, Jackie and Simon, who didn’t hold back with their comments and feedback. I’m a lucky boy to have them in my corner.
I would also like to thank my wider circle of family and friends for their fantastic support and endless supply of helpful suggestions. The majority of which are not suitable to repeat here.
Also by Rob Ashman
DO YOU LOVE DARK AND COMPELLING CRIME THRILLERS? THEN YOU'LL LOVE THE ACCLAIMED MECHANIC TRILOGY.
Buy your copy here
THERE ARE THREE UNMISSABLE CRIME THRILLERS IN THIS SUPERB VALUE BOXSET:
Those That Remain
In Your Name
Pay The Penance
THOSE THAT REMAIN:
Lucas is coasting towards retirement in a mundane Florida police precinct when a brutal serial killer, codenamed Mechanic, lands on his patch. Three years ago, they thought Mechanic was dead. But Mechanic is very much alive and no family is safe from the savage, ritualistic murders that the sadistic killer is compelled to commit.Mechanic is always one step ahead and Lucas is forced to operate outside of the law. But who can he trust and who is Mechanic?
Soon Lucas will learn that the truth is more terrifying than he could ever imagine and in order to find the answers he needs, he might have to put his life on the line…
IN YOUR NAME:
Police detective Lucas has become consumed with tracking down the deranged killer, known as Mechanic, and bringing the murderer to justice. Nothing else matters, not even his wife. His marriage is falling apart.
