Under The Woods: a heart-stopping police thriller (The Forensic Files Book 4)

by K. A. Richardson

  Under the Woods

  The Forensic Files Book 4

  KA Richardson

  Copyright © 2018 KA Richardson

  The right of KA Richardson to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by her in accordance Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

  First published in 2018 by Bloodhound Books

  Apart from any use permitted under UK copyright law, this publication may only be reproduced, stored, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, with prior permission in writing of the publisher or, in the case of reprographic production, in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency.

  All characters in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  www.bloodhoundbooks.com

  For my mam, Jeannet. Because I’m my mother’s daughter.

  Contents

  Also by KA Richardson.

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Epilogue

  A Note from Bloodhound Books:

  I’ve Been Watching You

  Time To Play

  Watch You Burn

  Acknowledgments

  Also by KA Richardson.

  The Forensic Files

  I’ve Been Watching You ( Book 1)

  Time To Play ( Book2)

  Watch You Burn ( Book 3)

  Praise for KA Richardson

  "Kerry is such a talented writer, able to spin an all consuming tale that grabs your attention from the very first page and refuses to let you go until the action packed finale." Joanne Robertson - My Chestnut Reading Tree

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  " I really enjoyed reading Watch You Burn and it was worth the 2AM bed time and the following tiredness the next day!" Helen Giles - Life Of A Nerdish Mum

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  "KA Richardson style of writing is fresh and crisp making this story an easy read." Shell Baker - Chelle's Book Reviews

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  "A good crime read that makes me want to check out other books in the series." Babus Ahmed - Goodreads Reviewer

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  "A brilliantly thought out plot, wonderfully described characters lead to a book that you won’t want to put down." Misfits Farm - Goodreads Reviewer

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  "This is an intoxicating read, and it ends in a way that thrilled me. I can't wait for book 2." Tracy Shephard - Goodreads Reviewer

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  ‘KA Richardson has the writing talent and story-telling skills to be with us a long while. I can’t wait to see what she brings us next!’ – Howard Linskey, author of No Name Lane, Behind Dead Eyes, and the David Blake series.

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  ‘A great follow on from With Deadly Intent with no punches pulled. This one is a must-read.’ Sheila Quigley, best-selling author of the Seahills Series and Holy Island Trilogy.

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  ‘KA Richardson writes with such knowledge, it’s like watching an episode of Silent Witness.’ Tara Lyons, author of The DI Hamilton Series.

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  ‘KA Richardson is a brilliant Northern writer. She’s created some of my favourite characters and her writing sings. LOVE LOVE LOVE IT.’ Eileen Wharton, award-winning author of Blanket of Blood.

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  ‘A truly talented writer taking the reader on a thrilling roller coaster of riveting suspense.’ Jayne Tomlinson, Branch Manager, Darlington Building Society.

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  ‘With her attention to detail and her impassioned prose, KA Richardson is a fresh and exciting voice in the crime fiction genre.’ Ian Ayris, author of Abide With Me and April Skies.

  Prologue

  This one was his first.

  He’d had her now for about two weeks – she’d shown impressive fight at the start, confident she’d be able to outwit him. And he’d let her think she was succeeding. For a while, anyway.

  Now, though, she lay at his feet, unconscious. Blood trickled down the side of her head, congealing in a pool and matting her hair.

  He hadn’t thought about whether it would be hard to kill her.

  He’d enjoyed the games. He’d liked watching her struggle with his tasks, seeing how far she would go to keep herself alive. He’d also taken delight in reminding her that he held the key to her escape. It had caused frissons of excitement shooting down through his stomach. It was addictive, that feeling – it put his brain on edge, and he felt more alert for it.

  Now, though, the work would begin. He figured he could be tentative – unsure at the minute whether he’d have the strength to kill instantly. No one was ever going to find her, anyway. He had the perfect place in mind for burying her – so perfect, in fact, he’d be able to see her again whenever he wanted.

  He frowned as he glanced around the dishevelled living room of the house he rented. It would be messy – unless he strangled her. That wouldn’t leave much to clean up. He wanted to enjoy it, though – he knew without ever having done it that it would give him the ultimate satisfaction – nothing would ever beat the feeling. Christ, if he got this excited from hurting her just imagine what he would feel when he finally extinguished the light in her eyes.

  He straightened the tarpaulin underneath her body, making sure the edges were aligned, and she was dead in the centre. He grinned at his unintentional pun – dead was right.

  He knew he didn’t want to ruin her face – despite the track marks up her arm showing she was a drug user, she had pretty features. Her cheek bones were high and accentuated, her lips full and rose-coloured. She wore no make-up – he wouldn’t have let her apply it, anyway. He had snatched her from under a bridge and shoved her in his car before she could grab any belongings.

  He’d seen her go through withdrawal – begging and crying for him to give her something, anything, to ease the crippling cramps she’d had. Her body now had its own unique fragrance from not being bathed for so long – it was cloying and sweet, but he kind of liked it.

  She’d been so desperate to get out and get her next fix that she’d done everything he’d asked without question. It was that compliance that did it for him. It made him feel so powerful when she just accepted his word as a given. She’d thought obeying would allow her to go free. And he’d considered it – he genuinely had. But when it came to the decision, he just couldn’t let her go. She was too precious.

  She hadn’t seen the metal pole coming – it had connected with her temple with a dull thud, and she’d fallen to the ground. Her face hadn’t even had time to form a surprised expression.

  He’d worked around her then – placing her onto the tarpaulin. And that was where she lay now. Dirty, smelly and more beautiful than anyone he’d ever seen before.

  He knew it was time, though. She’d given up over the last couple of days – she had no spark left in her pale blue eyes �
�� she had gone past the fighting stage. She was now too submissive.

  He shook his head a little. What a waste. They could have continued their relationship for much longer, if she’d chosen to just keep going.

  He trailed a calloused finger down her cheek towards her neck, then used his opposite hand to do the same.

  His fingers curled around her throat which whitened under the pressure of his grip. Her breath caught in her throat, and he squeezed tighter.

  Panic made her come round slightly, and he felt her struggle beneath his weight. But he maintained the pressure on his grip. She thrashed a little more, then gave up her hold on life. Her struggles stopped, and her lips turned blue. He held her tightly for a little longer, making sure she wasn’t faking.

  Then, he rolled the tarpaulin around her, hoisted her up over his shoulder and left the flat. He knew no one else would be around – and even if they were, no one would confront him. He squashed her into the boot of his old Subaru estate and drove out of the city.

  He’d already prepared her resting place – he knew she’d like it there. The trees gave shelter and bluebells grew there every spring. He was strong because of his day job – he had to be. Carrying her from the road through the woods in the dark was relatively easy. He knew where the rabbit holes and tree roots were – he’d been here so many times he could have walked it with his eyes shut. He ignored the rustlings of the local wildlife and strode with purpose to his special place.

  He left the tarp in place and lowered her into the waiting hole – then moved the tarpaulin so her face was in view. The moonlight made her look almost angelic. And he knew that would be her name from now on – the real name didn’t matter to him – she was his. She would be forever, his first Angel.

  The loosened soil was easy to move, and he covered her quickly, then threw handfuls of moss and undergrowth over the slight mound when he was done. If anyone happened on this clearing, they would never know what they walked on top of.

  His Angel – his treasure.

  He smiled in the moonlight, and bade her goodnight, knowing he would return soon to show his love.

  1

  9th December, 2135 hours – Desperado’s Mexican restaurant, Sunderland

  The annual Forensics Christmas party was being held in Desperado’s restaurant. The staff had booked the room months before, and it had been decorated perfectly for the season. Sparkling fairy lights twinkled, the tree lights flickered in all the bright colours, and tinsel adorned the lizards, saguaro cacti and mariachi guitars mounted on the wall. Christmas fitted well with the orange and greens of the restaurant’s normal décor. TJ Tulley’s brother, Jacob, had been on the dancefloor with Ben now for ages, leaning on his stick as Ben danced at his side. They looked good together, and TJ could see the love in their gazes.

  TJ had met a few of the people her brother Jacob had worked with over the years – he’d been in digital forensics now for going on ten years, and she always got an invite. But as she glanced around the office party, she realised she didn’t know everyone. There were quite a few faces unfamiliar to her. Her head was pounding in time to the music, and she wished – for the second time that night – that she’d just said no to Jacob’s demands she come to his work’s Christmas party.

  Glancing towards the door at the side of the bar, one particular man drew her attention. He had sandy blond hair cut in a rugged style, stubble on his chin and was propped up at the bar nursing what looked suspiciously like something non-alcoholic. Not that she could blame him – she was on Diet Coke herself, being designated driver. But if the migraine threatening to end her evening wouldn’t bugger off, she’d be designating the driving to the local taxi firm.

  ‘You want to stay away from that one,’ whispered Deena Davis, one of the CSIs, nodding her head towards the man at the bar. ‘He’s a player, that one. Would rather pull my toenails out with my teeth than see him.’ TJ knew Deena was drunk, but she wondered if there was any truth to it. He definitely had the looks to be a charmer. She’d probably be better off staying away.

  But something about him held her interest – he looked sad, sat there on his own. Deciding to make her judgements for herself, she wandered over. It wasn’t that she was interested in anything happening, in truth she was a little bored of being stood on her own. But he was easy on the eyes and she found herself wondering what was bothering him.

  ‘Hi, I’m TJ, Jacob’s sister. You driving, too?’ She realised her voice sounded husky and coughed lightly, taking a sip of her coke.

  ‘Yeah, something like that. I’m Jackson Docherty. You’ll know Kev, my cousin?’

  ‘Kevin Lang? Yeah, I do. I’ve not seen you at these parties before? Have you not worked in the department long?’

  ‘Been in the force a few years, but I normally work out of Darlington. Was sent up here a month ago as they’re shifting everyone about. It’s not too bad, though – the staff in the office are canny.’

  ‘You seem… well, if I’m honest, you seem sad, sat here on your own. You okay?’

  ‘Yeah, just having some personal issues. There’s this lass who… actually, don’t worry, I’m fine. No point wasting your time talking about something that doesn’t even matter. I’m going to get some grub. You want anything getting?’

  TJ shook her head and smiled, watching as he made his way to the buffet. Then, the pounding in her temples grew stronger, and she decided now was a good time to head back home.

  * * *

  10th December, 0910 hours – Rainbow Riding Stables, Durham

  She still couldn’t believe this was all hers. Well, almost, anyway. Once the paperwork had gone through, Teresa Jane Tulley would be the owner of Rainbow Riding Stables – it had taken every penny she had, and a hefty loan off Jacob, but it was all going through.

  TJ had already been on site for over six months as manager – she’d loved horses since she’d been a child and had always ridden. When her friend who had been running the stables had decided to up sticks and emigrate, she’d given TJ first dibs and a bargain price.

  Turning, she made her way back up the path that led to the farmhouse. Her home. It still felt weird calling it home – she’d lived most of her life in the house her parents had left her and Jacob when they died. Moving into such a big house was… strange. She liked it, but it had taken some getting used to – the constant silence and night-time sounds. TJ avoided the long thistles alongside the path that had grown almost as tall as her, and missed the pothole that needed filling.

  Her eyes narrowed as she approached the back door. It looked wrong.

  The hairs on the back of her neck stood to attention, and she felt her heart start to race. Her blood pounded in her head, and she stopped. No way could she go up there.

  She turned, and walked smack into the new stable hand, Paul Jones.

  TJ jumped backwards, her hand at her mouth as she stifled a small yelp.

  ‘Sorry, miss. Didn’t mean to startle you. Was coming up to ask about the feed order. We’re running a bit low on the general feed.’

  TJ shook her head, clicking into business mode. ‘We can’t be – I ordered last week, and it was delivered Friday – I unloaded it myself into the store. Were you checking the right room?’

  The man’s eyes closed to almost slits as he looked at her like she was crazy. ‘I might be new, miss, but I know where the storage room is. There’s only a fifth of the tub left. Enough for the next couple of days.’

  Something crashed inside the house, bringing TJ’s mind back to the issue with the door. ‘What the hell…’

  ‘Problem, miss?’ asked Paul.

  ‘Someone’s in the house,’ she said quietly. ‘The back door looks ajar. I definitely closed it, and that crash sounded like someone has dropped something. I should call the police, or Jacob, maybe.’ Her voice dropped to a whisper as she added, ‘I don’t want to go inside.’

  ‘I’ll go check it – stay here.’ Paul strode purposely past her leaving her on the path staring aft
er him.

  She couldn’t let him check the house, could she? He worked for her – she was his boss. Wouldn’t it be – unprofessional?

  TJ knew she couldn’t just leave him to it. She followed him up the path and pushed open the back door.

  The house was silent – she couldn’t hear Paul’s footfall on the hardwood floors, or anything else, for that matter.

  When he suddenly appeared from the doorway to her left, she jumped backwards so hard her hip collided with the dresser behind her. The jolt caused a vase to leap to its death, smashing all over the hall floor. Pain spread outwards from the impact point, and TJ groaned. ‘Ow, you’re obsessed with sneaking up on me today. Did you find anything?’

  ‘Just this,’ he said, holding out a cat that was hissing at him loudly. ‘Is it yours?’

  ‘No. Aww, the poor thing is terrified. Let me take it outside. I think it’s feral.’

  ‘Damn right it’s feral. Darn thing scratched all up my arm. The crash you heard was this knocking over your table lamp, I think. Nothing missing, though. Must’ve been a cat burglar.’ He grinned widely at his obvious joke, though his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes.