by A L Fraine
“You poor, idiot officers of the so-called law,” Wilson said. “You have no idea of the truth. You have no idea what we know and how much we control. This is but the beginning. We will rise again; I can assure you of that. In fact, it has already begun.”
“What are you talking about?” Kate replied, confused by his ramblings.
Wilson looked over at her, his chest glistening in the diffused light from the dirty windows.
“Kate. Beautiful Kate. How naive you are. It’s been a pleasure watching you, you know. To see you learn what Nathan already suspects.”
“Tell me what you know,” Nathan barked at him.
Wilson looked back at Nathan and smiled. “Why should I? After all, we all have our secrets to keep, don’t we?” he said, with a knowing look back at Kate.
Kate swallowed.
She did not like the look he just gave her and wondered what he might be referring to. Ireland maybe?
Nathan stepped closer, holding his baton threateningly. “Get on your knees and put your hands behind your head, interlocking your fingers.”
Wilson looked back at Nathan with a smug grin. “Make me.”
Nathan stepped closer to Wilson, his baton ready.
“Careful,” Kate said.
“Listen to your partner,” Wilson commented. “She knows what she’s talking about.”
Nathan lunged, probably hoping to catch him mid-speech when he was less ready for him, but Wilson moved quickly and stepped in closer. He grabbed Nathan’s arm before the baton could strike him. Wilson twisted Nathan’s wrist and thrust his other hand forwards. The hand with the knife.
Kate rushed forward, swinging her own baton and hitting Wilson on the forearm. He yelled in pain and withdrew from Nathan, who fell back.
“You bitch. You fucking bitch. You could have broken my arm.”
“You mean I didn’t? Damn, mind if I try again?”
“You think you’re so clever, with your radios and sticks. But you’re nothing. Do you hear me? Nothing! You have no idea what’s out there. No idea at all.”
“Do you ever talk sense?” Kate asked, keen to keep him talking as she stood over Nathan, protecting him, hoping that the Armed Response Team would hurry up. She needed backup.
“But I guess you might know something. Just a little something.”
“I know all sorts of things,” Kate replied defiantly.
“What about, Ireland?”
“What?” Kate asked, suddenly alert.
Wilson smiled, but Kate saw nothing humorous there. “Aah, yes. Now that hit a nerve, didn’t it?”
“What do you know about me and Ireland? Huh? What? What do you know?”
“Now, now, no need to get angry,” he said, raising his empty hand in a calming manner, but it did nothing for her. She could almost feel her blood boiling up inside of her as he spoke. She wanted to know what, if anything, he knew about her past, and the death of her aunt.
“I’ll show you angry. Tell me what you know!”
Wilson only smiled, and then rushed towards her, swinging his arm.
With her baton in both hands, she swung again as he rushed in at head height and caught him across the face.
Wilson yelled in pain as he dropped to the floor, the knife skittering away as Kate pulled her cuffs. She dropped one knee onto his back, not being too careful how heavily she landed on him and grabbed his left arm.
Within seconds she had both hands cuffed and was stepping away from the prone man. He turned his head and looked up at her.
“You bitch. This isn’t the end, you know. No way.”
“You’d better believe it. I want to know what you know for a start.”
“Nothing. I know nothing. Just a lucky guess is all, stupid cow.”
Kate frowned, unsure whether to believe him or not, but she knew she’d get to interview him, and maybe he’d spill something then.
“You’re in for it, you know. You and your partner. You just wait…”
“Shut it, dickhead,” she replied, having had enough of his crap. Climbing off him, she rushed over to Nathan. He held his hand to his hip where blood was seeping through this fingers. “How bad is it?”
“Ugh, I don’t know. Have a look,” he said.
Kate pulled his hand away and lifted his shirt to see the stab wound. It was bleeding quite badly, but it didn’t look too deep.
From the other end of the building, she heard voices shouting, “Police.”
“Down here,” Kate called out, guiding them in. Seconds later, several officers ran into the room. They cursed as they saw the body of Mark hung up, but were soon assisting Kate and Nathan, and calling in an ambulance while Wilson continued to rave about utter nonsense.
CHAPTER 27
“You didn’t have the decency to die on us, then?” DCI Dean said to Nathan. He was perched on the edge of his desk with a cheeky smile on his face as he spoke to them.
Kate looked sideways at Nathan, who smiled back. “Sorry boss, you’re not getting rid of me that easily.”
“It wasn’t too serious then?” the DCI asked.
“About an inch deep. They sewed me up and sent me on my way. Desk duty for a few weeks, but I’m fine basically.”
“Well, you’re going to have your hands full processing everything from your arrest of Wilson anyway, so you’ve timed that quite nicely.”
“Always looking to make your life easier, Skipper.”
“Of course you are. So, he’s confessed to it all then?”
Nathan nodded to Kate as he pressed his hand against where Kate knew the stab wound to be.
“That’s right, sir. He couldn’t very well deny killing Mark, and we found plenty of DNA linking him to both Jordan and Naomi’s deaths, including video footage of him killing Naomi in her apartment from the hidden camera he had installed in her room. We also found footage of him kidnapping Jordan.”
She’d spent hours talking to him, but apart from the facts, it was difficult to get him to elaborate on anything at all. His lawyer was one of the best in London, and he’d clearly been schooled on what to say, and what not to say.
“Creepy bastard,” the DCI muttered.
“We’re uninstalling the other cameras he had placed in his other properties, including the one in my apartment,” Kate added.
DCI Dean nodded. “Very good. Looks like we’ve got him bang-to-rights then.”
“It appears that way, sir.”
“What about all the occult stuff? What was that all about?”
“We’re not sure, to tell you the truth. He’s not really telling us much. That lawyer of his is causing us all kinds of trouble.”
“How on earth did Wilson Hollins get Clement Alexander Parish as his lawyer? Even if he could afford him, why would he defend someone like Wilson?”
“I’ve no idea sir, but he’s a nightmare to deal with.”
“Alright, well, keep at it. Maybe he’ll slip up.”
“Will do, sir. Also, FYI, Mark’s family has been informed of his death, as well.”
“Good, thanks. Well done, both of you. This was some impressive work.”
“I couldn’t have done it without Kate,” Nathan said.
Kate blushed at the compliment. It was a little unexpected, but she took it anyway.
“I can see that. Well, thank you very much, you’ve got plenty to do though, so let's crack on.”
“Sir,” Nathan replied, and hobbled towards the door. Kate opened it for him and let him start to make his way through.
“Kate,” DCI Dean called to her.
“Sir?” she answered.
“A word please, on your own,” he said.
“Of course,” she answered, swapping a brief glance with Nathan, who smiled at her, his expression suggesting that he knew what this was about, and was resigned to it.
Kate closed the door behind Nathan and turned to face the DCI, who gestured to one of the chairs as he moved around the desk and sat behind it.
“Thank
you, sir,” Kate said taking the offered seat. “What can I do for you?”
“How have you found your first week here? It’s been an eventful few days for you.”
“It has, sir. Yes. But it’s been good, thank you.”
“And Nathan?”
“What about him, sir?” Kate asked, slightly confused.
“Did you work well with him?”
She shrugged. “I guess.”
“Okay. Well, as I said when you joined us, your posting with Nathan was a temporary one and based on your performance over the past week, I think we can find you a more permanent partner. Someone less focused on conspiracy, shall we say?”
“Um, sir. May I speak freely, please?”
“Of course.”
“With all due respect, sir, I would actually prefer to stay Nathan’s partner. If that’s okay with you?”
The DCI’s eyebrows raised. “Are you sure?”
Kate smiled. “Quite sure, sir. I feel that we worked well together and that we complement each other’s skill sets. So, if it’s all the same, I’d prefer to stay put. If that’s okay with DS Halliwell of course.”
“Hmm,” he replied, looking a little surprised and confused, but then seemed to accept her judgement. “As you wish. Providing Nathan is alright with this, then I am too.”
Kate smiled. “Thank you, sir.”
Kate returned to her desk to find Nathan sitting back, relaxing in his seat. He looked a little stiff and tense due to the wound. Kate thought he’d returned to work far too soon, but Nathan was having none of it.
“It’s been good working with you, Kate,” Nathan said, opening one eye as she neared their desks.
“I’m glad. And it’s a good thing too, because you’re going to be stuck with me for a while longer yet.”
Nathan opened the other eye as well. “What do you mean? You’ll be moving on to another partner, right?”
Kate smiled. “Nope. I refused the offer. I’m happy to continue as your partner.”
“Really?” Nathan asked.
“Don’t sound so surprised,” Kate admonished him.
“Oh, okay, sure,” he replied, a smile growing on his face. “Sounds good.”
“Glad you’re happy about it.”
“I am. That’s good news. I was getting a little frustrated by the constant turnover of partners, to be honest.”
Kate smiled. “Well, no more. You’re stuck with me. How about I bring in some Fig Rolls to celebrate?”
Nathan blinked. “DCI Dean? I’d like to object to this decision,” he called out.
“Alright, alright, I’ll bring some nobs in for you to guzzle.”
Nathan smiled. “Hobnobs, I’ll have you know!”
Kate winked and clicked her tongue at the same time. “Gotcha.”
Nathan nodded with satisfaction, and Kate smiled to herself as she returned to her desk and started to wade through the paperwork that needed filling out and completing.
As she worked, her mind wandered, and she thought about the surveillance that Wilson had her under, and how much planning something like that would take, and something about it just didn’t sit well with her.
“You know, it’s all a little too convenient for my liking, you know? Me ending up in the flat that just so happens to be bugged by the very first person I investigate for the Murder Team. It’s all a bit suspect.”
Nathan turned to her and nodded. “Yeah, it is. I’ve been thinking the same thing. Something like that takes time and planning. It’s not something you can do randomly or set up in a matter of days. But then, that would suggest they knew what was going to happen. It would suggest some kind of conspiracy.”
Kate nodded. “You might be right…”
CHAPTER 28
Two men sat in a dimly lit room, on brown leather, wing-back chairs, facing each other and enjoying a glass of brandy.
“Did he succeed?” asked the first.
“We’ll find out soon enough. We have our man going in as his solicitor,” the second answered.
“Hmm. Wilson always was a bit of a wild card.”
“He got a little too public, a little too quickly,”
“Perhaps. But if we’re going to succeed, some subtlety will need to be sacrificed. Do you have a plan in place in case he talks?”
“Of course. He’ll be found having committed ‘suicide’, which given the nature and severity of his crimes, shouldn’t be much of a stretch. We’ll be suggesting he pleads insanity anyway.”
“That’s a long shot.”
“Worth trying.”
“I guess. What about those detectives? Mr Halliwell has come close to us before. Looks like he’s got a more permanent partner now.”
“It does. We’ve been looking into them a little bit, but we’re getting some resistance.”
“Resistance?”
“I think, perhaps, our enemies might be aware of them.”
“That’s not good. The Herald will not be pleased.”
The second man shrugged. “I’m not worried. We’ll deal with them if we have to.”
“I see. Very good. What about the hunt for the book? Any progress?”
“Some. Time will tell.”
“Excellent,” the second man replied, and raised his glass. “May the Grey Queen find us worthy.”
The first man nodded, clinked his glass against the other one, and took a sip of his drink, savouring the flavour. Exciting times were coming, that was for sure.
CHAPTER 29
Kate walked up to the building that housed her small apartment. It looked like a large house and had probably been just that, once upon a time. But it had long since been divided up into small apartments, varying from the larger ones with more rooms on the ground floor, to the four studio apartments on the top floor, one of which was hers.
Walking in through the communal front door, she found several letters on the side waiting for her, placed there by whomever had been first to sort through them.
She picked them up and made her way upstairs into her flat, closing the door behind her.
Her place consisted of two rooms, the bathroom and the living space. The latter had a small kitchenette, and served as both her living room and bedroom as well.
She threw the letters on the countertop and hung her coat on the back of the front door, but stopped partway through the action. Had she seen what she thought she had?
Looking back at the countertop, one of the letters was handwritten and postmarked from Ireland.
Knowing what this letter was, her stomach dropped, and she felt slightly nauseated at the thought of it. Even so, a fascination with it fell over her, and she found herself reaching out for it and lifting it from the countertop.
Her name and address were written in the same handwriting she had come to know so well, and knew would be a match for all the other letters she’d received over the past ten years since her aunt’s murder.
Letters that were from Fiona’s murderer.
For a moment, as often happened, she considered throwing it in the bin, or burning it, but then her curiosity got the better of her, and she ripped it open. She wanted to know what the bastard was going to say to her this time.
Kate.
Congratulations. You’ve finally captured your first killer. Well done. How did it feel? Was it good? Did you get a thrill? A rush, when you finally had him in those cuffs?
I know what that’s like. I know the thrill of the hunt all too well. But you know that, don’t you?
Was the feeling as intense as the one you had when you confronted Duane back in Ireland?
I’m guessing it was probably not quite the same, was it? Did you hurt this killer as much as you hurt Duane? Or does putting someone behind bars, not quite match up to putting someone on life support?
Maybe I will get to ask you sometime.
Would you like that? Would you like to meet me… again…?
I could, perhaps, come to Surrey and show you how a real killer operates.
How about that? Really give you something to chase.
Maybe that would give you that thrill again.
Or, how about I inform DS Halliwell about what you did in Ireland? That might be fun too.
What do you say?
I’ll be watching…
Rage had slowly boiled up inside her as she’d read the letter, and she hated that she couldn’t tell anyone about them. Not without potentially incriminating herself.
But that had been self-defence. Duane had attacked her when she’d confronted him and blamed him for the murder of her aunt. She hadn’t attacked him. Hell, she hadn’t even meant to hurt him.
She wondered if the Irish Garda would see it that way though. It was so long ago now that the details sometimes got a little confused in her mind.
Frustrated, she screwed up the letter and threw it across the room, knowing that she’d find it later, flatten it out, and put it in the folder with all the others she’d received over the years.
With a sigh, she sat on her bed and buried her head in her hands as she tried to calm down. Eventually, she looked up and stared at the screwed up paper ball on the floor.
“I’ll get you, you little shit. One day, I will get you, I promise you that.”
Author Note
Thank you so much for reading this, my first Novel. It has been a joy to finally get this done, and I really hope you liked it.
Of course, this isn’t the end of Kate and Nathan’s adventures, and I have plans for many more books in this series.
I’ve always enjoyed thrillers and thought about the idea of writing one. I even wrote a Murder Mystery interactive play once, but it wasn’t until I recently watched the first series of True Detective, that the idea of finally trying to write a thriller took hold.
This series is very much inspired by that series and films like Seven, and I’m looking forward to fleshing out this world and slowly revealing more of it to you.
Book 2 is next, and I will be getting on with that very soon. By the time you read this, it will likely already be underway.
