Never Forgotten

by G H Mockford

  ‘Cambridge missed out on you, didn’t they?’ Felicity said with a mocking smile.

  ‘So you thought you’d do the same to her,’ Stephen pointed at the sobbing woman in his father’s arms.

  ‘Oh, it’s a little more subtle than that, Stephen. No one was going to die, until you and your girlfriend turned up. We were going to give Georgia back – eventually. She would have been broken. A nervous wreck. A fruitcake for mummy to look after.’

  ‘The old woman and the policeman? Were they real?’ Georgia asked. Stephen could tell she was using all her willpower to not break down in front of her tormentor, the woman who had pretended to be her friend – twice.

  ‘You didn’t imagine them if that’s what you mean,’ Felicity smirked. ‘I was the old lady. Felix was the policeman. A little disguise and some pig’s blood…’

  Stephen remembered how Bryonny had said the blood in the doorway didn’t seem right.

  ‘So, I was right. There were two of you. I was right,’ Georgia said.

  ‘A lucky guess. But I notice that none of you is bothered about the fake Felicity. Felix and I had been kidnapping people for months perfecting our act. She was the penultimate victim. She served many purposes in the end.’

  ‘You’re sick.’

  ‘How observant, sister dear.’

  ‘I am not your sister,’ Georgia bit back.

  ‘No, I guess not. If you were, we wouldn’t have needed to drive you insane,’ Felicity laughed.

  ‘You failed. You didn’t get what you wanted,’ Georgia said defiantly.

  Felicity smiled and bent closer to the teenage girl. ‘Having bad dreams are we?’

  Georgia sank back and despite her bravado, hugged her knees close to her chest.

  ‘Somehow Felix contacted you, didn’t he?’ Stephen said, hoping to draw Felicity’s attention back to him. It worked. ‘You didn’t just disappear at the Goose fair; you ran away together. Whose idea was all this?’

  ‘That’ll be mine. I didn’t factor you in; that was the problem. I should’ve known. It’s always the quiet one. Never the one you expect. All those times the shrinks focused on my dear brother, but I should have been the one they worried about. And my brother? He was a fool. All these years he thought he was in control, but it is was I who was using him. Now, as lovely as this catching up is, it’s time for you all to die.’

  The sound of the hammer being pulled back on the pistol brought silence to the room, capturing everyone’s attention.

  Stephen stepped around the end of the sofa. If he could make himself a target, perhaps the others could stop her before she acted on her threat.

  ‘Stop moving, Stephen,’ Felicity said and brought the weapon up.

  ‘There’s more answers to be had yet. Why make Georgia live on the streets?’ Stephen asked.

  ‘That was an accident, I’ll confess. We were meant to meet Georgia, make her think we were on the way to the airport and then kidnap her. Unfortunately, Felix and I got a little caught up in something – the body-double, I think – and as a result I was late to meet her. It did have us worried, I must confess. But when we discovered she didn’t returned home, we went looking. Two whole weeks it took. Luckily I was always dressed as Annalise, so you never recognised me, even though you walked past me several times while, ironically, looking for me.’

  A blur of movement came from Stephen’s right.

  A shot went off.

  A scream filled the room.

  Stephen threw himself at Felicity. They fell to the floor, her gun arm trapped between them across her body.

  Another shot was fired.

  Something, somewhere in the room shattered.

  Felicity went wild. Her teeth snapped at Stephen’s face as he pinned her to the floor. Then she brought her legs into play, and she threw Stephen to one side. He rolled across the carpet and came to a halt when he hit the sofa.

  A quick glance showed that his father was now on top of Donna, desperate to shield her from the mad woman with a gun.

  Another shot was fired.

  Stephen felt no pain. He rolled over.

  Georgia, who had been the blur, was grappling Felicity. The mad woman struggled to get to her feet. Stephen got up just as Felicity threw her head back and delivered a blow to Georgia’s face. As soon as his half-sister was clear, and before Felicity had a chance to make the most of her freedom, Stephen charged and rammed into her, driving her into the mantelpiece.

  The marble shelf dug into her back and the pain forced Felicity to drop the gun. Stephen foolishly allowed himself a moment of triumph, and he paid for it. Felicity drove her knee into his groin.

  He crumpled to the carpet.

  Stephen watched, stunned, as she moved in to bring her knee up into his face.

  ‘Stop!’

  The single word filled the room.

  Everyone did as Georgia commanded. Even her mother stopped crying. Stephen allowed himself to fall back onto the carpet so he could get some space between himself and his attacker.

  Georgia had the gun in her hand, pointing directly at Felicity. She stepped away from her and moved towards the hall door in the corner of the room. The gun shook in her outstretched hand.

  ‘Put it down, Georgia,’ Stephen said. The teenager shook her head. ‘Throw it away. Out the door behind you. We have her now. She can’t frighten us without the threat of the weapon.’

  ‘She’s killed people. She’s…’

  ‘Dad. Tell her,’ Stephen said, glancing at his father. He was still covering his wife, his face ashen.

  ‘I have killed, dear, sweet Georgia,’ Felicity said. ‘And I haven’t stopped yet. I’ll never stop. I’ll kill you. Your mother. Fraser. Your sanctimonious brother. Come on. Kill me. Finish this. Or I’ll finish you. Finish you all.’

  Georgia’s arm stiffened. The gun wavered a little less.

  ‘Kill me,’ Felicity said, getting off the fireplace and stepping forward.

  ‘Georgia, don’t,’ Stephen said. ‘It’s what she wants. If you kill her, you become her, and her revenge will be complete.’

  Felicity kept walking forward, past Stephen, until the barrel of the Makarov pushed against her chest. ‘I tricked you. Used you. Tortured you. Get your revenge. Now. Before it’s too late. No one will blame you.’

  Keeping his eyes fixed on both his sisters, Stephen got to his feet. He could easily grab Felicity now she was in front of him, but what if Georgia fired by accident and hit him? ‘Georgia. Don’t do it.’

  The whole of Stephen’s world started to crumble as Georgia leaned forward, pushing the gun harder into Felicity’s chest, causing her to rock back and stumble.

  ‘You lose,’ Georgia said, and flung the weapon behind her out into the hallway.

  Felicity shook her head and said, ‘Stupid girl.’

  And launched herself at Georgia.

  Stephen reached behind him, grabbed a statue off the mantelpiece and brought it down on Felicity’s shoulder. There was a grunt of pain, and she fell to the floor, eyes closed.

  ‘I’ll never be like you,’ Georgia said.

  Eighty-One

  WEDNESDAY 8.55 P.M.

  Tonight was the night. The big re-launch. The New Manor. Same staff, mostly. Same beer. New menu. New décor.

  Stephen pulled at the collar of his white shirt and fiddled with his black bow tie. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt so trussed up, but if Cliff wanted it, Cliff would get it. For tonight, Stephen was a waiter, but only on the understanding that once Cliff had taken on new staff, Stephen could go back behind the bar.

  He left the newly refurbished kitchen. It was all change. Even Trev had gone, replaced by a new chef and menu. Upon entering the teeming lounge, Stephen was greeted with a cheer, and piercing through it, a strident wolf-whistle.

  In a booth opposite the kitchen door sat Bryonny, Rees and Stokes, the detective she’d hugged at the old farm house. Stephen blushed and smiled as he sauntered over, removing the notepad from the apron
Cliff also insisted he wore.

  ‘You look like a stripper,’ Bryonny said.

  ‘I’ll do you a private show if you like.’

  ‘Oh, please,’ Rees rumbled.

  ‘Are we too late for food?’ Bryonny asked.

  Stephen looked at the clock over the bar. ‘You’re just in time, but even if you weren’t, I’m sure I could sort something out.’

  ‘He’s good, isn’t he Bryonny?’ Rees said.

  ‘That would be telling,’ she said.

  ‘Right,’ Stephen said, moving the conversation on, ‘what can I get you?’ He took their order and handed it over to Jaydeep, the new chef. He was an excellent cook, and any leftovers or anything that was almost out of date, Cliff said he could have for the Mission.

  Stephen returned to the bar. He wove his way through the crowd and sat next to Stokes, opposite Bryonny.

  ‘Aren’t you meant to be working?’ Rees asked.

  ‘I’m on a break. Kitchen’s closed.’

  ‘Drinks?’

  ‘Sorry, DS Rees, waiter service has now stopped.’ Stephen smiled. ‘But I can get a round in.’

  Rees chuckled and Stephen took everyone’s order.

  The four sat and drank in silence for a while and Stephen, feeling an outsider, checked on the food and came back with it a few minutes later.

  ‘Felicity should be up before the judge this time next week,’ Rees announced. ‘We’ve had a few problems with the CPS, as usual. You’ve been very lucky, Mr Bridges. Twice.’

  ‘I didn’t plan any of this.’

  ‘I know. That’s why I went out on a limb and managed to convince the DCS.’

  ‘It’s unfortunate I didn’t ring you a few minutes earlier,’ Bryonny said. As soon as he’d knocked Felicity out cold, he’d gone to call Chambers, only to find she was calling him. ‘If you’d known that the body’s DNA didn’t match with Felix’s, maybe Felicity would never have even have got into the house.’

  ‘At least the way it happened we had her contained. She might have run off and come back at a later date,’ Stephen said.

  Rees nodded his agreement.

  ‘How is Georgia?’ Stokes asked.

  ‘About as well as you can expect,’ Stephen answered. ‘I saw her yesterday. I think Dad’s taking them all on holiday, you know, to get away.’

  ‘The victim support team will do all they can,’ Stokes added. ‘And you, Stephen?’

  ‘What about me?’

  ‘How are you?’

  ‘I’m fine,’ he said, looking across at Bryonny, who was avoiding his gaze. Unwilling to discuss it any further, Stephen collected the empty plates and left the police officers to it.

  It had been a successful opening night by the looks and feels of things. The new menu that Jaydeep and Cliff had created together was a huge success. People loved the mix of spicy Caribbean and Punjabi food.

  Stephen removed his apron, hung it on the back of the door and stepped back into the noisy pub and went behind the bar. He immediately felt at home. Comfortable. Relaxed.

  ‘Thank you for doing that, Stephen,’ Cliff said. ‘It’s been a good night.’

  ‘It has,’ he agreed.

  ‘Once the new waitresses start, you’ll be back here, I promise. But you don’t want to be worrying about that. I think your night is about to get a whole lot better,’ Cliff said as Bryonny came up to the bar. ‘See you tomorrow.’

  ‘Good night, Cliff,’ Stephen said. He left the bar, slipped his arm around Bryonny and together they went outside into the starlit night and walked home.

  Acknowledgements

  This story wouldn’t have been possible without the considerable help, support and advice from many people. Of those, I would especially like to thank Nichola. It’s been one hell of a ride.

  About The Author

  Gareth grew up in numerous places across Britain, but always in the countryside. He studied for a degree is history in Carmarthen, Wales and still has a fond attachment to the country. Gareth has lived in Nottingham for the last ten years and has adapted to city life quite well despite his rural upbringing.

  Fascinated by heroes, and the hero’s journey, from a young age, he grew up in a golden age of heroes. The late Seventies and Eighties were littered with films and TV shows quenching his thirst for all things heroic - Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Robin of Sherwood, The Water Margin and Superman: The Movie. The list goes on and on.

  Gareth brings together these passions, his life experience, and his almost inexhaustible imagination, to bring worlds of his own creation to a bookshelf or eReader near you.

  Additional Information

  Please try to find some time to review this book on Goodreads and from wherever you bought it.

  Please visit my website taralynbooks.com where you can find up to date information and find links to my Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads and Pinterest pages.

  Thanks for reading.

  G H Mockford

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