“What do you care? You’ve got a new son now. You don’t need me anymore.”
“I will always need you.” She slammed her foot into the police officer’s knee, forcing him to release her. She ran past the hopping officer towards her son, her pain and fatigue forgotten in her fear. “Please Archie, you have to put the gun down.”
The armed police tightened their fingers on the triggers of their weapons when Archie aimed the gun at her.
“Do not shoot,” she yelled at them. “Please. He will not hurt me.”
“You sure about that Mum?”
“Yes because you are not completely lost. I love you so much Archie. You’re my son and you always will be.”
“Where’s Ellie? I want Ellie.”
“They won’t let her come here Archie.”
“Why not?”
“Because you’re holding a gun,” she exclaimed.
“I want Ellie,” he yelled.
“I’m sorry but that’s not happening. Why are you doing this Archie?”
“I’m finishing off Dad’s work.”
“What do you mean?”
He lowered the gun. “Aunty Rachel.”
Beth’s eyes slid up to the sign on the front of the bus he was standing next to and her blood ran cold. It said Exeter.
“She betrayed the family,” he continued. “She’s the reason he’s dead.”
Beth could sense the police officers around them wondering and whispering. “Honey, no she isn’t. She was nothing to do with it. Your dad’s enemies hurt him.”
“She’s his enemy.”
“No she wasn’t. He was like a brother to her.”
“Then why did he try to rape her?” he roared.
Beth cringed, the police officers surrounding them freely discussing this shocking revelation. At least the watching crowd, which included journalists, were too far away to hear. “He didn’t honey.”
“Yes he did, I saw him. He said he was going to fuck her like she’d fucked the family.”
Beth closed her eyes, tears rolling down her face. She’d never known how much he’d remembered of that awful day, he’d been so young. Now it turned out he remembered everything. Having his head almost severed from his neck had been too good for Alex Maguire. “Sweetheart…”
“Don’t tell me it didn’t happen because I know it did,” he roared. “I was there. She’s a traitor and she has to die. That’s what our family does to traitors.”
“Archie,” she said, fighting to retain control of her calm. “Please put the gun down so we can talk about this properly.”
“You’re just afraid of me giving away family secrets.”
“Right now I’m only concerned with you, my beautiful boy.”
“Beautiful?” he laughed. “You don’t think I’m beautiful, you think I’m a freak.”
“I do not.”
“How can you still be friends with Rachel after what she did?”
“She didn’t do anything sweetheart…”
“Liar,” he yelled, raising the gun.
All the police began shouting at him to drop it. Beth knew she had to end this soon or they might just end up shooting him.
“What are you going to do Archie, shoot me?” she said. “Well go on then.”
“Mrs Cutter,” called a female police officer. When she attempted to approach, Archie fired a warning shot at her, making her duck behind a police car.
“Don’t think I won’t,” said Archie, aiming the gun back at his mum. “I’ve got good at using this.”
“So I can see,” replied Beth. “But you’ve dragged this out long enough. If you’re going to shoot me then just do it.”
Archie took a deep, determined breath, aiming the gun at her chest. He wasn’t good enough yet to get off a head shot. His finger began squeezing the trigger while she stared back at him, unafraid.
Even though he was considering killing her, Beth’s heart went out to her son when tears filled his eyes and his hand began to shake. Thank God he still had some feeling left for her.
With a cry of rage he turned the gun on the police officers. Before he could get off a shot blood sprayed from his right arm and he dropped the weapon with a cry. While Beth ran to her son, the officers rushed forward and snatched up the gun.
“It’s okay baby,” she soothed, hugging him as he sank to the ground, a hand pressed to his arm. “Everything will be alright now.”
“I want to go home,” he said, starting to cry.
“Sorry lad,” said a plainclothes officer holding a pistol. “You won’t be going home for a long time. The officer you shot in the stomach died an hour ago.”
Beth began sobbing uncontrollably while Archie frowned up at the officer. “But he couldn’t have. It was just a little hole in his tummy.”
“Tell that to his wife and three kids,” he replied, making Beth cry harder.
“Mum,” said Archie. “You can make this go away. I want to come home.”
He touched her hand and Beth recoiled from him.
“Mum,” he exclaimed.
Without a word she got to her feet and staggered away, tears pouring down her face.
Archie continued to call for her as his hands were cuffed before him but still she refused to look back, the paramedics on standby to attend to his gunshot wound. Enraged, he threw himself against one of the police officers and headbutted him. Three more officers piled on top of him, forcing him to the ground while he continued to struggle and fight. Even when he continued to call for her, Beth refused to look back.
Jules and Ryan fought their way to the front of the crowd, shoving people out of the way.
“We’re too late,” said Jules. “But they’ve got Archie in custody, thank God.”
They watched the furious boy being shoved into a waiting meat wagon. The doors were slammed shut, blocking out his cries.
“There’s Beth,” said Jules, spotting her sat in a police car, the door open, her face buried in her hands.
They ducked under the incident tape and ran towards her.
“Hey,” said an officer.
When he attempted to intercept them, they dodged around him.
“Beth,” called Jules.
She looked up and gasped with relief to see them. “I’m so glad you’re here. They’re with me,” she told the panting police officer who had chased after them. “They’re family.”
“That doesn’t mean they can be here, this is the scene of a major incident.”
“Please, I need them.”
“Well, okay but you don’t go any further than this car,” he told them.
“We won’t,” replied Ryan.
“Good,” he said before returning to his post.
“The police officer Archie shot in my home is dead,” rasped Beth. Her eyes flicked from one to the other. “You already know, don’t you?”
“My contact told me on the phone,” said Jules gently. “You vanished before I could tell you.”
“Fifteen years old and already he’s a murderer.”
Neither Jules nor Ryan mentioned the fact that they hadn’t been much older when they’d taken their first life.
“You should know, she continued. “He was yelling about Alex trying to rape Rachel. Every police officer heard.”
Ryan released a grunt and looked down at his hands, attempting to contain his emotions.
“He remembered everything about that day,” she continued. “I’ve never been sure how much he remembered, he’s always been so closed mouthed about it but now I know. He was going to get on a bus to Exeter, that’s why he was here. He was going to kill Rachel.”
“What?” they exclaimed in unison.
“He blames her for Alex’s death. He says she betrayed the family. He must have overheard Alex yelling about how she’d cheated on Danny with you Ryan when he was locked in that office and it had a bad effect on him. Alfie left to fetch help but Archie was left in that office with Holly, able to hear everything. Thank God Holly was to
o young to understand.” Fresh tears tumbled down her face. “Alex did this to his own son. Now he’ll spend the rest of his life locked up and if he is ever let out what sort of life will he have?”
“Don’t worry about what Archie said,” replied Jules. “We’ll ensure the fallout from that is minimal. But Archie…all we can do is make sure he’s got a good solicitor.”
“Riley’s awake,” said Ryan. “Why don’t we take you and Ben to see him?”
“Yes please. That would be wonderful, if this lot will let me go.”
Jules spotted a police officer on her payroll and her lips curled into a smile. “Just leave that with me.”
Ryan and Beth watched her stride over to the officer, who was in charge of the scene. At first he shook his head but as she continued to talk he soon wilted. Jules strutted back to them in triumph. “You can go but he will come round to the house later to interview you. Do you want to stop for a change of clothes?”
The thought of returning to that house where her son had murdered someone was overwhelming. “No. I just want to see Riley. I have a change of clothes at the hospital.”
Ryan helped her to her feet and she clung onto his arm as they negotiated their way to the car. Jules was driving Mikey’s Audi as her precious Loki was having the bullet holes in the bodywork repaired.
His dad’s words never grass echoed in Archie’s head as two police officers attempted to ask him questions. He was in a hospital bed in a private room with an armed officer on the door. The bullet wound in his arm had only required cleaning up and stitching. His gran was here as his appropriate adult who was obviously appalled by the situation but was doing her best to hide it.
“I made it all up, alright?” Archie snapped at the officers as they once again asked him what he’d meant about his Aunty Rachel and his dad. “I wanted to hurt Mum and I knew that would do it.”
“Why make up such a specific lie Archie?” said the one with the bushy moustache.
He shrugged. “Dunno.”
“Do you know what really happened to your dad?”
“No but I know who he was. I bet you don’t you ba…”
“Archie, please,” said his gran.
“Sorry Gran,” he mumbled.
“I’ve had quite enough of this officers,” she continued, looking to them. “Archie has been through a trauma and he’s injured. The last thing he needs is you trying to wheedle information out of him about his family. If you don’t stop immediately I will put in a complaint at the highest level about your conduct.”
Archie smirked at the two officers when they got to their feet, defeated.
“The Inspector will be in shortly to formally charge you Archie,” said the one with the moustache before leaving.
“Whatever,” he retorted.
“Riley,” breathed Beth, Ben in her arms.
Ryan and Jules followed her in but remained at the back of the room.
“Hello sweetheart,” he smiled, holding his arms out to her, still too weak to rise.
Before telling him anything about Archie she wanted him to meet his son so she kept all of her emotion in.
“Meet Ben,” she said.
“Hello baby boy,” he beamed as she placed him in his arms. “You are so beautiful.” He kissed his head and looked to his wife. “Now are you going to tell me what’s wrong?”
“I…”
When she began to cry Jules and Ryan stepped forward.
“Sit down,” said Jules, gently steering her to a chair. “Leave it to us.”
“Ryan?” said Riley, worry in his eyes. “What’s happened?”
Ryan took the chair on the opposite side of his bed and gently began to explain.
“Bloody hell Mum,” exclaimed Leah, almost dropping the cheese sandwich and glass of orange juice she’d been carrying through to the lounge.
“Sorry sweetheart,” she replied. Rachel was exhausted and feeling so down she’d hoped to have some time to herself. “Why aren’t you at college?”
“I don’t have any lectures until this afternoon. Have you been out all night?”
“I went to Dee’s last night and we got into the wine, so I stayed over. What?” she added when Leah frowned.
“You look a bit upset.”
Rachel forced a smile. “Just the hangover from hell.”
Mother and daughter stared at each other in silence. Leah knew her mum was lying but she couldn’t figure out why.
“I’ll grab a shower then a nap,” said Rachel, already heading to the stairs, Leah watching her go.
Once she was in her bedroom Rachel closed the door and locked it. She stripped off and hurried into the en-suite bathroom. Only once the shower was running did she release the tears wanting to fall, the sound concealed by the spray.
CHAPTER 52
Miller knocked on the door of the ACC’s office, Leonidas by her side.
“Come in,” he called.
They entered and he looked up expectantly. “Any sign of DCI Dwyer?”
“None Sir. He still hasn’t come into the office and we checked his home. He’s not there and it looks undisturbed, although some clothes and his passport are missing.”
Falmouth’s expression was grim. “Any movement on his passport?”
“Not yet Sir but we’re keeping an eye on it.”
“You think he was forewarned about his arrest?”
“I do Sir.”
“By who?”
“One of the officers on the Organised Crime Unit,” she replied, spotting her chance for some revenge. “Most likely DS Dempsey.”
“I’ll be having words with him. Good work Sergeant, or should I say Detective Inspector,” he added, making her smile. “Keep me informed but if Dwyer does leave voluntarily this may save the force some embarrassment.”
“My thoughts exactly Sir.”
He looked to Leonidas. “Thank you Inspector for your assistance. You may return to Liverpool now, we’ve detained you long enough.”
“Glad I could help. My DCC said he’d be in touch.”
Falmouth nodded and returned to his paperwork, dismissing them both.
“So,” said Miller after they’d exited Falmouth’s office. “Are you leaving for Liverpool immediately?”
“Afraid so. I’m running two other investigations.”
“I thought before you left perhaps we could have dinner together?”
“Thanks for the offer but I don’t have time.”
“Oh.”
“Besides,” he said, already walking away. “You’d be better off with that pretty security officer in the hospital.” They’d been to visit Paula together to speak to her about the Portendorfer case. She was on the mend and he’d felt like a spare part as they’d gazed at each other the entire time. He looked back over his shoulder at her and winked. “I think she’d like the company.”
“Yes,” she smiled. “Perhaps you’re right. See you around Leo.”
“You too Sandy,” he replied before turning the corner.
Paula was woken by someone taking a seat by her bedside. “Sandra. Nice to see you.”
“You too. I brought you some chocolate raisins.”
“You star,” she smiled, slowly sitting up. “These are my kryptonite.”
Sandra opened the packet and handed it to her.
“Ta,” said Paula. “Now, I’m going to tear into these bad boys. Don’t judge me.”
“I won’t. I’m the same with dry roasted peanuts.”
“So any word on Dwyer?” she asked before stuffing a handful into her mouth.
“It looks like he’s done a runner.”
“Wow, really?”
“His passport and some of his clothes have gone. I reckon that sleazy sod DS Dempsey warned him.”
“Let’s hope he doesn’t come back. It’s about time he was kicked into touch. I hate to think how many innocent people are in prison because of him.”
“His case against Mikey Maguire and Jez Law for Amber Maguire’s d
eath has collapsed anyway. One of his witnesses turned up dead and the other has vanished. The DNA evidence against Jez for Estelle’s murder has been kicked out too because it was tampered with.” She felt bad that poor Sheldon was in trouble for that one but he shouldn’t have allowed Dwyer to bully him in the first place. Surprisingly she felt no remorse for passing on Ray McGinnis’s whereabouts to Jules Maguire. He was as guilty as Dwyer. “They’re being released tomorrow.”
Although Paula didn’t say it, she was pleased. She liked them. “So, what’s next for Organised Crime?”
“You’re looking at the new DI. I’ll be running the unit until we get a new DCI.”
“Let’s hope he’s better than the last two. I can’t fucking stand bent coppers.”
All Sandra’s hopes died. She was a bent copper after what she’d done. If Paula ever found out…
“Where are you going?” said Paula when she got to her feet.
“I have to get back to the office. I’m glad you’re on the mend.”
“Will I see you again?”
“I’m going to be really busy what with being promoted and clearing up Dwyer’s mess. I don’t know when I’ll have any free time again.”
“Sandra…”
“Goodbye Paula,” she said before hurrying away, head bowed.
Paula watched her go, confused and disappointed.
The second the gate opened Jules flung herself at Mikey, her thighs locking around his waist, her arms wrapping around his neck so tightly she nearly choked him.
“Oh God I missed you,” he said, enfolding her in his arms and kissing her.
In contrast, Jez gently held Cathy to him, mindful of her sore stomach. They kissed and smiled at each other, Jez cradling her face in his hands.
“I knew you’d do it babe,” Mikey told his wife.
“No way was I going to let those wankers keep you. Come here bruv,” she said.
She looked to Jez, whose heart almost stopped when he gazed into his sister’s eyes. Mikey and Cathy didn’t notice as they were hugging.
“Jules,” he began, silenced when she hugged him.
With a sigh of relief he clung onto her and kissed the top of her head.
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