Be My Killer: A completely UNPUTDOWNABLE crime thriller with nail-biting mystery and suspense

by Richard Parker

  ‘Positive.’

  ‘Or your crew?’ Soles nodded at them.

  ‘No.’

  ‘They were right behind you, and sound can sometimes play tricks.’ Soles plucked a few leaves off his shirt.

  ‘I know what I heard; at least two men. You definitely didn’t speak to them?’

  ‘No, only to tell them to stop,’ Drake said tersely.

  ‘So, did anybody else see more than one of them?’ Sweeting darted his eyes around. He was clearly spooked by what had happened in the forest.

  ‘I didn’t.’ Soles met Hazel’s gaze. ‘But it was dark in there.’

  ‘There must have been two. The one on the bike and the one who attacked me.’ The bridge of her nose pulsated under the napkin.

  ‘You should let us call you a medic.’ Weiss restrained a belch.

  ‘I’m fine.’ She pinched and waggled it for everyone’s benefit and didn’t react to the pain as it shot up the middle of her forehead. She wouldn’t give the crew a reason to leave. Not after what Lucas had shot in the forest. ‘Rena will be back soon.’ She’d dispatched her to pick up another bag of ice from town. Hazel examined the napkin in her hand. The spots of blood were smaller. ‘Where were the tracks you found?’

  Soles watched Lucas examining his camera for damage. ‘Edge of the forest; looked like a dirt bike. I followed the flattened ferns all the way to a gap in the perimeter fence.’

  ‘But we don’t know where the other one went.’ Sweeting glanced at the doorway as if he expected them to appear there.

  ‘Could still be hiding in the forest.’ Drake seemed to enjoy topping up his unease until Soles shot him a look.

  ‘And you don’t know if it was Jacob Huber that slugged you?’ Weiss chugged the last of his beer.

  Hazel resisted touching the bruise on her neck again. ‘I told you, he came from behind.’

  ‘So who was on the bike?’ Weiss nervously clicked his signet ring on his bottle.

  ‘Could have been completely unrelated. Kids hang out here all the time.’ But Soles didn’t sound convinced.

  Lucas puffed his cheeks but didn’t say anything.

  ‘Well?’ Hazel knew why.

  ‘No damage.’

  ‘You want omens?’ She gestured at the intact camera.

  Lucas shook his head. ‘Really? You’ve just been assaulted and we’ve found Henrik’s burnt clothes.’

  ‘And that’s not enough subject matter for you? Doesn’t this look like a ploy to deliberately terrify us?’

  ‘Well, it’s fucking working,’ Sweeting declared.

  ‘Whose ploy?’ Lucas grabbed the last beer.

  ‘Henrik’s writing a book. And we know his last attempt to take his own life was pretty media friendly. Hoodwinking a movie crew would be a great last chapter.’

  Weiss set his empty bottle down on the desk. ‘Come on, Hazel. The burnt clothes, his medication; that’s all part of the act? Maybe whoever attacked you attacked him. He could be lying dead out there.’

  Hazel knew everybody had to be thinking it. And she was the one who had invited him to Fun Central. Was she unreasonably clinging to the hope that his deceptions in the past were the reason for his absence?

  ‘Do you think we’re in danger?’ Sweeting asked Soles.

  He pursed his lips.

  ‘Then let’s pack up and get out of here.’ Sweeting fixed Lucas then Weiss.

  Nobody answered.

  Soles swung on his jacket. ‘If I were you, I’d do as he says. Plenty of motels in town. Let me know where you’re staying. If you see Henrik Fossen or Jacob Huber or get any more trouble in the meantime, just call me on the direct number I gave you. I don’t have enough men to go combing a forest the size of Holtwood, but if there’s still no sign by tomorrow I’ll call in some local backup.’

  ‘Would you object to me interviewing you again, Officer Soles?’ Hazel knew there wasn’t going to be an ideal time to ask but she was still determined to question him about his relationship with Meredith. Wade Hickman was convinced he was involved in her death, and Soles had blatantly lied about the frequency of his dealings with her. Had he really carried out his threat that not even her parents would recognise her if he caught Meredith dealing again?

  ‘Sure.’ He regarded her suspiciously. ‘But I’ll come see you in town.’

  62

  Hazel wasn’t about to leave Fun Central but knew she had to persuade the others to stick it out. If they all walked, it was unlikely there would be any justice for Meredith or the others. She waited for the officers to hit the bottom of the stairs. ‘Sweeting, if you need to go you can. I don’t want anyone here that doesn’t want to be.’

  Sweeting looked to the others for support. ‘Even if we’re stupid enough to stay, what the hell can we shoot now anyway?’

  ‘It’s a fair point.’ Lucas turned squarely to Hazel.

  ‘This. I really think you should be running. At least to test the camera.’

  Lucas sighed, lifted the Lumix and started recording.

  The patrol car’s engine started and Hazel paused for the sound to fade before she addressed them. ‘The local police are looking for any excuse to get rid of us.’

  ‘Any excuse?’ Weiss shook his head.

  ‘The complexion of the shoot is changing. How can we afford to quit now? If there’s two of them, there’s five of us and we’re documenting everything as we go. Let’s analyse what’s happened and do a risk assessment.’

  Everyone was looking at the floor.

  ‘So we all agree that Henrik’s shirt didn’t set itself on fire either.’

  Weiss eventually nodded. ‘Eve and Jacob Huber have threatened to kill him in the past. And burning him was what he asked for.’

  Hazel responded down the lens. ‘Which is why I don’t think it’s anything to do with them. They’d be the most obvious suspects.’

  ‘But Jacob Huber’s got one brain cell.’

  ‘Sweeting… ’ Lucas cautioned him and pointed at the camera.

  Sweeting lowered his voice. ‘If he got wasted and ran into Henrik around the pond… It was his phone you found so it was probably him that attacked you, and he’s still out there.’

  Hazel zipped up her puffer jacket against the chill in the office. ‘Doesn’t make sense. Means he showed up here to make trouble after Henrik went missing.’

  ‘To cover up what he’d done?’ Weiss took off his spectacles to clean them.

  Sweeting self-consciously fussed his straggles of hair. ‘Perhaps Eve Huber’s covering for him. She pulled up here unannounced. If Henrik does wind up dead, she’s got witnesses to the fact her brother was meant to have gone AWOL.’

  Hazel ditched her napkin. ‘Hardly a good alibi though. If she was going to lie for him, why not just say Jacob was with her at the motel when Henrik went missing?’

  Sweeting fell silent.

  Lucas panned to Hazel and waited for her attention to shift to the lens. ‘So, what d’you really think’s happened to Henrik, Haze?’

  She knew Lucas was using his Lumix to make her admit the worst case scenario but she was the one who had insisted on their camera dialogues. Hazel took a breath. ‘I don’t know but I offered him protection. I haven’t even begun to process what that means if he has come to any harm.’

  ‘But you have to deliver an online edit to Criteria by April nineteenth… regardless.’ Lucas didn’t look up from his lens.

  Anger spiked, but before Hazel could respond she was distracted by Rena’s appearance at the door.

  She picked up on the atmosphere. ‘What have I missed?’ She dumped a bag of ice on the desk.

  Hazel dragged it towards her. ‘On-camera production meeting.’

  Rena bristled. ‘Shouldn’t you have waited for me?’

  Hazel punched a hole harshly in the bag with her thumb. ‘Anyone want to leave now? We’ve certainly been in more dangerous spots.’

  Bewildered, Rena waited for the crew to answer.

  Hazel hoped there
were enough remnants of loyalty to keep them from the door.

  After a long silence Lucas shook his head, then Weiss.

  Sweeting was last. ‘But, like I say, what are we meant to be shooting?’

  Rena was eager to make up for her absence and quickly tugged her schedule out of her back pocket. ‘OK. Maybe we should bring Eve Huber back. Interview her about Henrik’s disappearance.’

  Hazel plucked out a cube. ‘No. She’s focussed on finding Jacob. I’ll call her and see if she’s heard anything.’

  Rena flipped a page. ‘What about Griff Needham or Sheenagh O’Connell?’

  Hazel tore off another napkin, added the ice and pressed it briefly against the swelling. ‘Let’s just take a few moments to figure this out.’

  Rena rolled her eyes. ‘Hazel, we can’t afford to lose the rest of the day.’

  Hazel bit her lip. ‘Perhaps we should let the guys take five then have an emergency production meeting.’

  Rena chewed on it a little too long before nodding. ‘OK.’

  Hazel tried to distract her further. ‘And I promise if Keeler hasn’t called you by tomorrow, we’ll make it official with the police.’

  ‘Don’t worry about that. He texted me when I was driving into town.’

  ‘That’s something,’ Sweeting said.

  Hazel felt one of many knots loosen. She noticed Rena was smirking. ‘I take it everything’s OK?’

  ‘He missed his flight and there’s not another till tomorrow.’

  ‘Is he heading back here?’

  ‘Staying in Broomfield.’

  From Rena’s expression, Hazel guessed there was one more rendezvous planned. ‘At least we can cross him off the list.’

  63

  April shivered and wondered how much longer she had before hunger and exhaustion made her fall out of the tree. She was sure the grown-up was still down there. Just when April thought they might have gone, she heard boots circling again. Every now and then their progress would halt, as if they were listening for her. They knew she was hiding. It would be getting dark soon, and her thumb tips were wrinkly from sucking them too hard.

  She’d considered sliding down the trunk and sprinting as fast as she could but April could never discern exactly where the grown-up was and thought she might run straight into them. But now her mother and father would have missed her and probably called the police.

  They didn’t know about her secret trips to Apriltown. She always told them she was going to Blue Grove Park to meet friends. They would be looking for her now though. April visualised the whole neighbourhood gathered outside her home; the TV cameras recording everyone as they were arranged into search parties like she’d seen on the news.

  Any moment, the forest would be full of people and she craned through the boughs for her first sight of them. April imagined yelling to attract their attention, and her parents rushing forward and being ready to wrap her in a blanket as soon as her feet touched the ground.

  April vowed that, as soon as she was safely home, she would never venture out again. She pictured her bedroom with her in it, cosy under her duvet listening to the hot water boiler ticking away like it did first thing in the morning. If she ever got back there April would never leave it, just snuggle into her pillow and be secure and surrounded by her toys and books.

  Her stomach gurgled, and she put her hand over it. It seemed so loud. Would the grown-up be able to hear it? April hadn’t eaten since breakfast and that had only been a sliced banana. Her father had offered to make eggs, but she hadn’t wanted them. April hated the crispy bits that were always on the bottom when he cooked them. Now her mouth watered at the thought.

  Why would the grown-up be so interested in her? What was it they wanted to do if they did take her away? But April knew what she’d hidden under the bush might be an answer.

  She’d already decided what she’d do if the grown-up found her. Whatever they said to her, she’d refuse to come down. April would tell the grown-up where she’d hidden the ball on the strap and pictures – if that’s all they wanted. But if they tried to scale the tree, even though it made her feel sick, she’d climb even higher.

  April gazed up at the branches above. They would take her weight, but the grown-up would be too heavy and never get to her.

  How long had it been since she’d last heard them? Maybe she should count backwards from twenty and, if there was still no sound of their boots, start to clamber down.

  64

  Rena was seated at one of the yellow coral tables in Neptune’s Party Zone. It was quiet there but she’d given up on Hazel ever joining her for their emergency meeting. She was still talking to the crew upstairs so Rena was at her laptop seeing what she could shift around in the schedule. Her iPhone buzzed – a text from Keeler.

  Want to hook up before I fly out of here?

  Rena smiled lopsidedly and replied.

  Things getting crazy. Don’t think I’ll have time to meet you in town.

  She waited. The response was the one she was angling for.

  I could always meet you in our toxic little oasis…

  Rena swallowed while she considered how to say yes without appearing too eager. Jesus, who was she kidding? It was a booty call. After that afternoon, however, she didn’t feel safe heading back into the trees. She looked down at her watch and allowed the second hand to do three circuits before typing.

  I’ll text you when we’re done but it might be a late one tonight. Will explain when I see you.

  Rena lazily shuffled some papers around in her folder until she got a text back. He took longer than she did.

  OK – standing by. What can I bring?

  Rena took a swig from her mineral water and thought about it. Eventually she sent him her answer.

  Something to keep us warm.

  She rolled the phone over in her hand a couple of times before it vibrated again. Keeler had rapidly sent her a selection of emoticons:- a smiling face; a heart and two cocktail glasses. Hazel walked in, and Rena put away her phone. ‘So, what’s the score? Still got a crew?’

  ‘For the moment.’ Hazel pinned her ash-blonde hair behind her ears. ‘Looking at the schedule we could finish with our motel guests and send them home early.’

  ‘We might have had word from the police about Henrik or Jacob by then.’

  ‘Just what I’m about to find out; I’ve had a call from Detective Bennett. Wants to have a face-to-face with me in his office.’

  ‘Because?’

  ‘Wouldn’t say.’

  ‘Sounds ominous. D’you think he’s going to shut us down?’

  ‘He can try.’

  ‘Shouldn’t we all come along with the camera?’

  ‘Don’t think that would help our case.’

  ‘What else can I do then?’

  ‘There’s not a lot more we can achieve today. Couldn’t get Eve on her phone or at the lodge so she’s probably still out looking for Jacob.’

  ‘What about Griff and Sheenagh?’

  ‘We’ll send for them tomorrow. I don’t want to push it. I’ll let the crew grab some sleep, and we’ll start early in the morning.’

  ‘What time?’

  ‘Let’s say six thirty so we’re ready to shoot an hour later.’

  Shit. Rena couldn’t afford to stay out with Keeler as long as she hoped.

  ‘When I get back, I’m going to tuck myself away for the rest of the evening. Have a think and write some notes.’ Hazel gingerly touched the bridge of her nose. ‘Hopefully, by tomorrow, I’ll have more of an idea about a new direction. You should hit the sack as well.’

  ‘OK.’ Rena didn’t meet her eye.

  Hazel turned to leave then halted. ‘Rena, I appreciate you rallying the guys like you have been but maybe you should throttle back.’

  ‘Throttle back?’

  ‘Just… you know, give them some breathing space.’

  Rena nodded, but her face flushed because she knew Hazel was giving her a dressing-down.

&
nbsp; ‘You’re doing a great job of moving everything along but now is probably the time to exercise a little diplomacy. With the current situation, it’s something we’ve both got to be mindful of.’

  ‘Sure.’ Rena nodded again.

  ‘Thanks. See you in the morning.’ Hazel left.

  Rena took a deep breath. It was something she’d learnt to do since the first day she’d worked at Veracity. Didn’t Hazel know Rena had the interests of the production at heart as much as she did? She pulled out her phone and sent Keeler a text.

  School’s out. How soon can you make it?

  His reply was immediate.

  I’m there.

  Rena grinned and tapped her screen.

  Text me when you are and we’ll work something out.

  She closed her laptop and was just leaving the room when another text arrived.

  Make sure you’re not followed!

  She hurried to the bathroom to freshen up before any of the others could hog it.

  65

  Hazel could hear Detective Bennett talking on the phone but knocked on his office door.

  ‘Need a second!’ he yelled.

  Turning to the long row of chairs against the wall outside, she briefly scanned the stern faces assembled there and found an empty seat at the end. Hazel became aware of crying and leaned forward. At the other end was a scrawny, thirty-something woman. She wore a grubby yellow baseball cap screwed down over her long tangles of sorrel hair and was clutching some sheets of paper. She wiped away a tear with her thumb and nervously jigged her denim-clad leg. The laces of her dirty white plimsolls were untied.

  ‘Here, keep the pack.’ The Hispanic woman seated next to her offered her some tissues from her handbag.

  ‘Thanks.’ She took them.