Someone To Save you

by Paul Pilkington

  Sam thought about that. Doug had a point. Why else would Marcus make it so obvious? And then it became clear – if Sam wanted to see Anna again, he would have to give Marcus what he wanted, he would have to play the game.

  ‘I have to go,’ Sam stated. He went to move past Doug, who held firm his position.

  ‘This is crazy, Sam.’

  ‘I know,’ Sam admitted. ‘It’s all crazy. But I’ve got no choice. Now let me go.’

  ‘Then I’m coming too,’ Doug announced. ‘I’m not letting you go there on your own - no way.’

  Sam nodded. ‘Thanks.’

  ‘You know this is crazy,’ Doug repeated, as they drove across the capital in darkness towards South London. ‘Absolutely crazy.’

  Sam nodded as he stopped at a red light. It took all of his self-control not to plant his foot down hard on the accelerator and burn rubber; such was his desire to reach their destination.

  ‘I don’t think Claire believed me. I’m a terrible liar,’ Doug continued, having just explained to his wife that there was a last-minute meeting at the hospital so he wouldn’t be home for dinner. ‘Not that it’s important right now.’

  Sam nodded, not really listening to his friend. He was too busy thinking through what he was going to do once he reached Marcus’s flat. The more he considered it, the more he thought about what could go wrong. Marcus was the one in control here. Was he just handing Marcus everything on a plate? Maybe now was the time to tell the police.

  ‘So are you going to tell me what was in the bag?’ Doug asked.

  Sam pushed away thoughts of the police. He couldn’t risk it. He didn’t want to risk it. ‘The ring is Anna’s engagement ring, with Cathy’s hair wrapped around it.’

  ‘Christ. And the photograph?’

  Sam reached behind him and pulled out the photograph from his back pocket, handing it to Doug. ‘A photograph of Cathy – it was taken the night before she was murdered.’

  ‘Shit. Really?’ Doug said, looking at the note on the back. ‘You sure?’

  ‘I know who took the photograph. I was stood by him when he took it.’

  Doug looked stunned. ‘Marcus Johnson?’

  Sam nodded. ‘He took it with his Polaroid camera. The night before Cathy was killed – we were in the clubhouse on the camp site. It had a bar and dance floor. They started playing Abba and Cathy jumped up and started dancing like there was no tomorrow.’

  ‘Dancing queen,’ Doug said, looking again at the photo.

  Sam nodded.

  Doug re-read the message. ‘What a sick bastard.’

  ‘Yes, sick.’

  Twenty minutes later they slowed to a stop.

  ‘We’ll stop here,’ Sam said. ‘Marcus’s flat is just around the corner. I don’t want to go any nearer in case he sees us.’

  Doug nodded. A new tension had descended during the final few minutes of the journey, as the reality of the situation hit hard.

  Sam turned to Doug, who looked genuinely fearful. ‘I want you to wait here.’

  ‘No, I’m going with you.’

  ‘I need you to wait here,’ Sam said. ‘In case anything goes wrong. If I’m not back in ten minutes, I want you to call the police. Tell them everything.’

  ‘But…’

  ‘And if Marcus is watching, I don’t want to spook him by seeing you there too. He wants to see just me.’

  ‘But you don’t know what he’ll do to you. If he’s killed before…’

  ‘He could have done it before now,’ Sam said, ‘when I was in his flat. I don’t think that’s what he wants.’

  ‘You can’t be sure though.’

  ‘I know. But I’m just going to have to take the chance.’

  ‘Sam,’ Doug said, ‘we’ve known each other for a long time, and I really trust your judgement, I do. But this just seems mad, really mad. Are you sure about this? Are you sure we shouldn’t just call the police now?’

  ‘I’m sure,’ Sam lied. In fact, he wasn’t sure at all, but he had made his decision.

  ‘Okay,’ Doug conceded, but not looking happy about it. ‘I’ll wait here. But if I don’t hear anything from you in exactly ten minutes, I call the police.’

  ‘I expect it.’

  Sam climbed out of the car, leaning in for one last word to Doug, who looked sick with worry. ‘I have my mobile with your number on speed dial. If I get into trouble, I’ll call. So be ready.’

  Doug nodded. ‘Please, Sam, be careful.’

  Sam strode across the concrete area towards the tower block, running through various scenarios, trying to push any negative thoughts from his mind. He glanced up at the tower as he approached the entrance, trying to pick out Marcus’s flat. He scanned across the fifth floor, trying to remember how many flats along it was – but he couldn’t remember exactly. And none of the windows gave anything away – there was no shadowy figure watching him from above, or at least anyone he could see.

  Sam reached the entrance and made for the staircase, making light work of the concrete steps. He didn’t feel nervous or afraid. Instead anger was still the dominant emotion, driving him. Anger that this man, his one-time friend, had once again sought to hurt those closest to him.

  He emerged onto the fifth floor and made straight for Marcus’s door. This time he knew exactly where he was going. He knocked three times as the anger rose within him, priming him for what was to come. Sam heard movement from within the flat and then the door opened.

  Sam launched himself at Marcus, taking him by total surprise and knocking him off balance as they both fell into the flat. Sam kicked the door shut as he held Marcus firmly by the collar and dragged him over to the sofa.

  Marcus was in total shock, his face contorted. ‘Sam, what the hell are you doing?’

  Sam held him down on the sofa, using all of his weight to subdue him. ‘Where’s my wife?’

  ‘What? Your wife, I don’t know what…’

  ‘Tell me where she is,’ Sam demanded, tightening his grip.

  Marcus’s face reddened as the blood welled up. ‘Sam, I don’t know what you’re…’

  ‘Tell me damn it,’ Sam shouted. ‘What have you done with her?’

  ‘I don’t know what you’re…talking about,’ Marcus strained to say through the constriction that Sam was applying.

  Sam reached back and pulled out the photograph, thrusting it in Marcus’s face. ‘You remember this?’

  Marcus looked at the photograph, his eyes searching its every detail. ‘I…don’t…understand.’

  ‘You took this, remember?’

  ‘How…did…you…get…it?’

  Sam pressed down harder, as if he could physically force the truth from within him. ‘Stop playing these sick games, Marcus.’

  ‘You’re…really…hurting…me Sam.’

  Suddenly, Marcus found room for manoeuvre, thrusting his right fist deep into Sam’s solar plexus. The pain was intense, and Sam folded, releasing his grip. Within seconds Marcus was on top of him, pressing his knees into Sam’s arms. Sam waited for the next blow, but it didn’t come. Instead Marcus just held him there, breathing heavily.

  Sam tried to move.

  ‘Don’t fight me, Sam,’ Marcus gasped. ‘I don’t want to hurt you.’

  ‘If you’ve hurt Anna…’

  Marcus shook his head in anger and frustration. ‘For Chrissake, I haven’t got your wife. Where did you get the photo?’

  ‘Don’t pretend you don’t know.’

  ‘I don’t know, Sam,’ he said, his voice raised. ‘Where did you get it from?’

  ‘It’s your photo. You sent it.’

  ‘What? I haven’t seen that photograph for over fifteen years. I gave it to Cathy that night on the dunes. It was the last thing I ever gave her…’

  Marcus trailed off but his grip remained firm.

  He snapped back from his thoughts. ‘You really think I did this?’

  Sam said nothing.

  ‘You still don’t believe me, Sam, do you?’ he
said, tightening his grip. ‘After all these years, you still can’t bring yourself to believe me. You can’t believe me that I didn’t kill Cathy.’

  Sam still remained silent.

  ‘Your first reaction was to assume it was me. You were sure that it was me. You came around here without any doubts.’

  ‘I just want to find my wife,’ Sam said, torn about whether or not to believe him. Was this just another part of his game, or was he really telling the truth? ‘If you have her, Marcus, then please let her go.’

  ‘Jesus, Sam, please just believe me. I had nothing to do with Cathy’s death, and I don’t know what has happened to your wife.’

  ‘I don’t know what to believe.’

  Marcus softened. ‘When did she go missing?’

  ‘About three o’clock today.’

  ‘It wasn’t anything to do with me,’ he said, ‘I swear it, Sam. Please, believe me.’

  ‘I want to.’

  ‘He couldn’t have done it,’ a familiar voice said from behind. Sam, amazed, turned to see Louisa emerging from the bathroom. ‘He’s been with me all afternoon.’

  35

  ‘You’ve been with him?’ Sam said, sitting up as Marcus climbed off him.

  Louisa nodded as she edged towards him. ‘I came over here just after you left for the airport.’ She glanced at Marcus, who simply nodded. ‘Marcus couldn’t have had anything to do with it, Sam, I really believe that.’

  Sam looked down to his left, his chest feeling like it was being crushed with the strain. This changed everything. Suddenly there was no-one to suspect, no-one to blame, and no way to find Anna.

  ‘Sam, I want to explain,’ Louisa continued, taking a seat next to him.

  ‘I just want my wife back,’ Sam replied as his stomach turned in knots.

  ‘I know, I know.’ There was an uncomfortable pause. ‘What happened?’

  Sam looked up at her. ‘You didn’t get my call? I left a message.’

  ‘I left my mobile at work by mistake,’ she explained. ‘In my desk drawer.’

  ‘But you didn’t call to find out what had happened,’ Sam stated.

  Louisa reddened. ‘I was over here with Marcus before I realised I didn’t have my phone with me, and I didn’t know your mobile number.’

  ‘It doesn’t matter,’ Sam dismissed.

  ‘I called your home phone but there wasn’t an answer. I’m so sorry Sam.’

  Sam refrained from saying what he really thought; that he felt genuinely betrayed by one of the few people he truly trusted. Instead he held his tongue, knowing that to say such a thing would hurt Louisa deeply. ‘Anna wasn’t at the airport when I got there. Someone’s got her, Louisa, the person who killed Cathy. I got a call warning me not to go to the police and I heard Anna scream. Then this was left in my pigeon hole.’

  He brought out Anna’s engagement ring, still with the blonde hair wrapped around it.

  Louisa she took it from him. She looked at Sam with a mixture of disgust and amazement. ‘Cathy’s hair?’

  Sam nodded. ‘And Anna’s ring.’

  Louisa looked across at Marcus, gesturing towards the photograph he was still holding. ‘And the photo.’

  Marcus handed it to her. She studied it, front and back. ‘My God, Sam, I remember this. I remember it so well. We were on the dance floor…the night before she died.’

  ‘I have to find who did this,’ Sam said, watching as Louisa scrutinised the photograph once more. ‘Before they hurt Anna.’

  ‘Do you still think I’m behind all this, Sam?’ Marcus asked. ‘Do you think I have your wife? Do you think I killed Cathy?’

  Sam looked at him but didn’t answer. Instead he turned to Louisa – a thought had just occurred to him. ‘If you think Marcus hasn’t got anything to do with it, why did you come straight over here?’

  ‘Because he is part of this, Sam, but not like you think. Whoever’s doing this, whoever has Anna, and whoever killed Cathy, is targeting all of us. We’re in this together and we need to work together.’

  ‘You really believe that?’

  ‘Totally,’ she replied. ‘Marcus didn’t kill Cathy, he didn’t do any of this, I just know he didn’t. I’ve never been as sure of anything in my whole life, Sam.’

  ‘How can you be so sure?’

  ‘Trust,’ Marcus said.

  Suddenly Sam realised. ‘You’ve seen him before today haven’t you?’

  Louisa nodded. ‘We’ve been meeting for the past few weeks.’

  Sam shook his head and smiled ruefully. ‘All this time, and you didn’t tell me. All the things we discussed, and you just kept quiet.’

  ‘I wanted to tell you, Sam, believe me I did. I nearly told you, but I just couldn’t find the words.’

  ‘Couldn’t find the words?’ It was such a cliché.

  ‘No, I couldn’t. I was going to tell you, but then when all the strange things started happening, the phone calls and the notes and you starting talking about Marcus maybe being involved, it just got harder.’

  Another suspicion rose. ‘Have you two been in touch since the very beginning, since the trial?’

  ‘No, Sam, I swear. Just these last few weeks - I hadn’t seen or spoken to Marcus since the trial, just like you. But a few weeks ago I got a call from Marcus’s parents…’

  ‘They were worried about me and thought I could do with a friend,’ Marcus interjected. ‘I didn’t ask them to do it, but I was glad they did. Louisa’s been a big help for me. I’d probably have gone crazy without her support.’

  ‘They said Marcus had just moved down to London,’ Louisa continued, ‘and that they were worried about him being here on his own after what had happened since he got out of prison and went back home. He’d been attacked, Sam. The people there, they wouldn’t let him get on with his life.’

  Sam looked across at Marcus who sat impassively, his arms folded across his chest.

  ‘He was forced to move out of the area. That’s why he came to London.’

  ‘Why did his parents call you?’

  ‘You know our parents were always good friends. They knew I was working down here, and thought I could help.’

  It didn’t add up. ‘But why would you agree to see him? You thought he killed Cathy, just like I did. Why would you meet with the person who you thought killed your best friend?’

  Louisa hesitated just long enough. ‘I…’

  Suddenly for Sam it all became clear. ‘You didn’t think he’d killed Cathy, did you?’ Just like his mother, she had kept this from him for all this time.

  Louisa looked away, her eyes glistening with tears. ‘I didn’t know what to believe, Sam. At one time, yes, I thought Marcus had done it, long ago, but then, I don’t know, I wasn’t so sure anymore. I just wanted to do the right thing. And I wanted to find out the truth.’

  Sam ran a hand along his face. ‘It was only ever me, wasn’t it? I was the only one not to see it. All these years, the real murderer has been out there, free. And now they’ve got Anna.’

  ‘Someone’s playing with us all, Sam,’ Marcus said. ‘And I want to find out who it is just as much as you do. This person is trying to hurt us all. We’ve got to start working together and trusting each other.’

  Sam looked across. ‘Is it really that easy, after everything that’s happened?’

  ‘We haven’t got a choice,’ Marcus replied. ‘Look, I’m only going to say this one more time, but here goes.’ He looked straight at Sam. ‘I didn’t kill Cathy. I did lie to you, Sam, but only about our relationship. And yes, I do feel bitter about what happened - really bitter. I went through fifteen years of hell in prison. But I’m still here, and if I thought it would bring Cathy back, I’d do it all again. We were young, but I loved her, just like you and Louisa did. Please, believe me. Don’t let this evil bastard win.’

  Sam considered Marcus’s words. ‘I believe you.’ He was pretty sure that he meant what he said, but it still sounded strange to say it.

  ‘So where do
we go from here?’ Louisa asked. ‘Have you contacted the police?’

  Sam shook his head.

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘I told you, the person said they’d hurt Anna if I involved them.’

  Louisa didn’t look convinced. ‘So what are you going to do?’

  Sam thought on that. ‘I’m not saying that I won’t involve the police. But right at this moment, I just don’t think I can risk it. I have to do something though.’

  ‘Then what?’

  Sam turned to her. ‘Louisa, I need a massive favour from you - Richard Friedman’s address.’

  Louisa looked puzzled.

  ‘You said he lived with his sister,’ Sam explained. ‘I need to talk with her, try to understand more about how he fits into this – how he got Cathy’s locket. Maybe there will be something in the house that might explain things.’

  ‘But won’t the police be doing that kind of thing?’

  ‘Maybe, maybe not, but I’ve got to do something Louisa. I can’t just wait for something to happen. And it seems that whoever has got Anna wants me to play the game. Engaging with this person might be the best chance I have of getting Anna back safe.’

  ‘If the hospital find out I’ve shared patient details, I could lose my job.’

  ‘I know,’ Sam replied. ‘That’s why you’re not going to give me his details.’

  ‘I don’t understand.’

  ‘I’m going to take them. Have you got your office keys with you?’

  ‘Yes, but, if someone sees you doing this, looking through confidential records, you’ll never work as a surgeon again. Your career will be over.’

  Sam shrugged. ‘If that’s what it takes.’

  ‘I’ll do it,’ Marcus said. ‘Give me the keys, tell me where to find his file, and I’ll go in there and get his address. I’ve got nothing to lose.’

  Sam shook his head. ‘I can’t ask you to do that.’

  ‘Please, let me,’ Marcus replied. ‘I want to do it.’

  ‘You’re both crazy,’ Louisa said. ‘I’ll get you his address. I can do it without raising any suspicions.’

  Just as Sam was about to reply, there was a firm knock on the door. ‘Police. Open the door please.’