by M A Comley
“Now you’re talking in riddles. What are you on about?”
“The woman who turned up at my place yesterday—I ran a check on her and came up blank. Then I ran a check on her car, and that’s when it hit me. AJ, bring up the CCTV footage of the Calleja brothers going off with those women, will you?”
Lorne and Katy followed AJ back to his desk, where he pulled up the file. “That’s what I thought. That car and that woman were at my bloody property yesterday. Shit! I was so wound up about Onyx that it just didn’t register. Holy crap! That Carol picked up such negativity from her just proves her involvement in this.”
“All right, Lorne, calm down. Shit happens. How do we rectify the situation? That’s what we should be asking.”
“Why don’t you and I take a ride out to her address?”
Katy surprised Lorne by suggesting, “Let’s go. No point in hanging around.”
Lorne grabbed her bag and ran after Katy, calling back over her shoulder, “AJ, keep searching that footage. This woman might pop up near the scene. If she does, we’ve got her.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
A weird sensation had shadowed Felicity since her visit to the rescue centre. She felt as if someone had stripped her naked, and she struggled to put her finger on why or how. It could have connected with the woman who owned the place or the woman who had arrived at the property just as Felicity was leaving. She concluded that her uneasiness was because of the older woman. She remembered turning to see the woman eyeing her with what appeared to be disdain at one point. At the time, Felicity thought she had imagined it, but the more she recalled the situation, the more certain she became that in the coming few days, their paths would cross again. The next time, there would be a triumphant conqueror. One of them would die.
Julie popped her head around the curtain. “The women are ready. So are the men, for that matter.”
“I’ll be right there.” She shrugged into her black cloak, which empowered her and chased away the sensation causing her angst. Then she collected the gadget she’d picked up on her trip out. She grinned smugly, imagining the men’s reaction when they saw it.
Pulling back the curtain, she entered the room. A telling silence descended, interrupted by the odd gasp from one or two of the men.
“Okay, ladies, hand me your lists, if you will?” She walked down the line of women, gathering the sheets of paper each of them held out. Reading through the notes, Felicity sorted them according to how much they disgusted her. The men who deserved the severest treatment went to the back of the pile. “Right, what do we have here? Ladies, when I call your name, please come and stand beside me. Elaine.”
With trepidation evident in her stride, Elaine left the group and made her way to join Felicity, who had moved in front of Elaine’s ex, Lee.
“Elaine, it says here that your ex-partner failed on many levels. The three things you feel he stole from you the most were your self-respect, your parents’ inheritance money, and your love.” Felicity turned to the man in question. “So, Lee, tell me—what do you have to say about the charges brought against you? Guilty or not guilty?”
He eyed both of the women as if they had just returned from a stint in an asylum. His lip turned up, and he spat on the ground, missing Felicity’s feet by a few inches. “No comment.”
Quick as a flash, Felicity aimed the implement she held in her hand and prodded Lee in the chest. The man cried out as the cattle prod made contact with his skin. “Uh, oh! Wrong answer.” Felicity withdrew the prod and smiled at Lee. “Do you want to try and answer that question again?” She raised the cattle prod to within inches of his chest, giving him the opportunity to reply before she struck a second time.
“Er…guilty. But there are reasons for that—”
Felicity zapped him again. The man screamed and thrashed around. “Did I ask you to enter into a conversation with me? No. He’s guilty, ladies. What do you suggest we do with him?”
The women looked too petrified to speak up, frustrating her more than Lee’s response had.
“Come now. Don’t be shy. He admitted his guilt. Do we set him free or keep him here?”
A unanimous “keep him” rang out from the crowd. Satisfied with the answer, Felicity continued down the line to the next man.
“Sally, step forward, please?”
Silently, Sally joined Felicity next to her ex. “I’m sorry, Terry,” she whispered.
Infuriated, Felicity glared at Sally but said nothing to her friend. She turned to the man trembling in front of them. “Let’s see. Well, I’d say Sally here has told some untruths where you’re concerned, young man.”
“I didn’t, I swear,” Sally mumbled, her eyes cast down at the ground.
“Let’s pick out the worst of his crimes, shall we? Refusing to pay for even the groceries during the seven years you were married.” Felicity shook her head in disgust. “You ate the meals she prepared for you, didn’t you?”
The man kept quiet.
“How do you think food gets to the table? First, it has to be bought from the shop, packed, carried home, unpacked, and cooked.” She spoke to him as though she were explaining the process to a five-year-old.
Finally, the man plucked up enough courage to speak. “I provided her with a roof over her head. I paid all the bills. What more should she have expected?” His voice dripped with sarcasm.
Felicity glanced sideways to see Sally cowering a little when the man spoke. Without warning, Felicity jabbed the cattle prod into Terry’s stomach. He yelled, cussing and calling Sally all the names he could think of. Felicity deliberately kept the prod on his skin until he looked as though he would pass out from the pain. Sally ran to his aid, but Felicity yanked her away.
“Mags, Kaz, take Sally out of the room.”
The two women marched forward and gently unattached Sally’s grasp from her ex’s neck.
“I won’t leave him. She can’t do this—she can’t. We have to stop her,” she shouted as the two women dragged her into the next room.
Felicity scanned the crowd. “Anyone else going to object before I continue? These men deserve all the punishment they’re going to get for the way they’ve treated you all over the years.”
“It’s the women who need further punishment from us, not the other way round,” the gutsy—or foolish—Jordan shouted.
Felicity stormed over to the insufferable man, yanked his head back, and forced the cattle prod into his mouth. The man shook and twisted violently until Felicity withdrew the tool. “When will you learn to keep your big mouth shut, Jordan? Actually, I’ve had enough of your outspokenness to last me a lifetime. I have something very special planned for you this evening.”
The man’s eyes bulged with fear, and the sound of him gulping echoed around the room. “Why? I’ve done nothing. You have to let me go.”
“May I remind you that I don’t have to do anything! You, on the other hand, are going to suffer for all the pain and anguish you subjected Dara to over the years. I hope to God she now sees the real you. Do you, Dara?”
Dara was near the back of the crowd, hiding behind another of the group members. “Yes,” she called out.
“Then believe me when I tell you that your retribution will come to the fore later this evening, dear lady.” Turning back to Jordan, she said, “Now keep your trap shut! You hear me?”
A muffled groan escaped his lips. She let go of his hair, and his head dropped onto his chest. The rest of the men accepted their fate and promised to sign over all they had to their ex-partners as recompense for their despicable behaviour. Felicity felt like punching the air when her scheme looked as though it had paid off. Jordan was the only exception. Even his brother, whose wife wasn’t even in the group, had agreed he had major faults and had promised to make it up to his wife once Felicity had set him free, if she set him free.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
When Lorne and Katy arrived at Felicity’s address, the drive was empty. Suspecting no one was home, L
orne rang the bell just in case.
“Nothing. Shall I go around the back and have nosey?” Lorne asked, already heading towards the alley a few doors up from the terraced house.
“Like I can stop you,” Katy called after her. “I’ll see if I can spot anything through the window in the meantime.”
Lorne entered the back garden easily enough. The piece of string holding the two gates together was hardly a deterrent for intruders. “Some people seriously need to look at their home-security methods,” she grumbled.
“Who’s there? Get out, or I’ll call the coppers,” a wizened old man shouted over the fence next door.
Lorne looked over the wooden panel and showed the man her ID. “Hello, sir. I am the police. We’re here to speak to Miss Randolph, but she doesn’t appear to be at home. Any idea where she might be?”
“How the heck should I know?” he retorted, giving her a puzzled glance.
“Okay, let me ask you this—when was the last time you laid eyes on or heard Miss Randolph at the premises?”
The man played with the sparse whiskers decorating his chin. “Let me think now. Mandy came last Thursday to see me. Was she here then? You know what? I can’t remember. It’ll be either Wednesday or Thursday of last week.”
Disappointed, Lorne wrinkled her nose.
“That’s the best I can do, lassie. I don’t stand out here all day, keeping an eye on my neighbours, you know.”
“I understand. Perhaps you can tell me where she works?”
“Nope. She tends to keep herself to herself, that one. Sorry I can’t help you.” He started walking towards the back door of his house, obviously fed up with answering her questions.
“Just one last question before you go in, sir. Do you know if she has a boyfriend? Perhaps she’s a frequent visitor at his home when she’s not here?”
He turned back to her and shrugged. “Wouldn’t know, lassie. Like I’ve said already, she’s a bit secretive. Lord knows I’ve tried to strike up a conversation with her, but she’s just not interested. Try Mrs. Connell on the other side. She might know something more.”
“Thanks, you’ve been very helpful. Can I ask you to ring me if she turns up?” She held out a business card for him to collect.
The old man mumbled his annoyance at having to cross the garden again after almost making it into his house. He snatched it from her grasp. “No bother. I’ll ring if I can.”
Lorne ventured up to Felicity’s back door, but it proved pointless. The kitchen was empty, no traces of life at all. So, if she’s not staying here, where is she staying? Defeated by her exploits, Lorne returned to the front of the house to find Katy already talking to the neighbour on the other side of the suspect’s property.
“Any luck?”
Lorne shook her head. “You?”
“No, nothing. Mrs. Connell here seems to think that Felicity is staying somewhere else right now.”
Lorne nodded. “I came to the same conclusion after seeing no sign of life around the back. The kitchen is immaculate, not a thing out of place. Have you asked Mrs. Connell when she last saw Felicity?”
“I did. She thinks it was about two weeks ago. She’s not certain, though.”
“I saw the neighbour who lives next door, and he thought he saw her maybe last Wednesday or Thursday.”
Mrs. Connell frowned. “Ah, I was away at my daughter’s then, so I couldn’t tell you if he’s right or wrong.”
Katy gave the woman one of her business cards. “Not to worry. Would you mind ringing me if you see her come back here?”
The lady eagerly took the card and tucked it into the pocket of her apron. “I’d be happy to. Can I ask what the urgency to contact her is? It can’t be concerning her parents because they died a while back. Poor things, killed outright in a car crash on the motorway.”
“Nothing in particular, really. We just want her to help us with our enquiries,” Katy replied.
“Ah, I’ll be sure to ring you if she shows up. I’m here all day long, apart from when I’m out, of course.”
Lorne chuckled as she and Katy made their way back to the car. “That was a touch of the Irish if ever I heard it. What are you thinking?”
Katy unlocked the door, and they both got in. Katy contemplated Lorne’s question as she started the car. “Let’s get back to the station. Maybe her parents’ death could be the key here.”
“In what way? A trigger, you mean? The trigger which has made her abduct these men, if she’s abducted them?”
“Maybe. What if her parents had a house somewhere local, and she’s staying there instead of at her own home? What if she has reverted back to something grave that took place in her childhood and feels safer at her parents’ house rather than here?”
“It’s plausible.”
“That’s the frustrating part.”
• • •
AJ excitedly beckoned Katy and Lorne over to his desk when they arrived back at the incident room. “I searched all the CCTV footage close to the men’s places of work and stumbled across this. I know it’s a little late, but at least it’s proof that this Felicity Randolph is involved in this crime. I even managed to get a good look at her plate number this time.”
“That’s great, AJ. We had no luck at her address, unfortunately. Do we know what type of job she does? Maybe we could catch her at work?”
AJ tutted. “I couldn’t find anything, not that I really knew where to look. I just carried out a general search. Anyway, I’m glad you’re back. I have more disturbing news to add to your woes.”
“Well, go on.” Katy slumped down in a spare chair. “Add to our frustrating day, why don’t you?”
“We’re getting reports that another two men have gone missing, both from their workplace. I see a recurring theme here.”
“Don’t tell me—both in the same area, too?” Katy asked.
“Looks that way, one might be a touch outside the radius we had penned, but it’s still within striking distance,” AJ confirmed.
“Have you tracked down the CCTV footage yet, AJ?” Lorne asked.
“I’m in the process of doing that now. So far, I’ve spotted the same car, this Felicity Randolph’s car, at one of the scenes. I wonder what her objective is.”
“With little else leading us to any possible connections between the men, who’s to say what her objectives are? Are the men just being abducted, or is there something far more sinister going on? As far as we know, no dead bodies have turned up yet. So the former scenario seems to be the best route to take in our investigation,” Lorne told the team thoughtfully.
Just then, DCI Roberts walked into the room. He listened in on their conversation for a moment before he interrupted. “So, let me get this right—we have a prime suspect, yet we can’t trace her? I take it all the usual checks have been made to ascertain any other probable addresses where she might be hiding out? Parents, other family members, perhaps?”
Katy clicked her fingers. “We learnt this morning that her parents lost their lives in a car crash. I suppose we could try and locate their home. Maybe they left it to her in their will.”
“Good call, Katy. I’ll see what I can find out.” Lorne hurried over to a spare computer. First, she searched for the couple’s death certificates. Bingo!
She jotted down the address and returned to the group. “That turned out to be easier than I thought.”
“Great job, Lorne.” Sean Roberts patted her on the shoulder.
“AJ, can you trace the address on the map and compare it to the direction we spotted Felicity’s car going in the other day, on the original CCTV footage when the two brothers were abducted?”
“Give me two secs, and I’ll have it.” AJ’s hands flew across the keyboard.
“Was there anything in particular you wanted, sir?” Katy asked Roberts.
“Not really. I wanted a break from my dreary paperwork duties. I thought I’d amble down here to see how the case was progressing. Is that o
kay, DI Foster?”
Lorne suppressed the snigger toying with her mouth.
“Oh, yes, fine. If we discover where the address is—it’s only a matter of time, knowing AJ’s super skills—would you like to venture out there with us, too?” Katy asked her superior.
Lorne waited for the sparks to fly between Katy and Sean Roberts after Katy’s sarcastic comment.
However, Sean nodded and waved a finger in the air. “What an excellent idea. It’s about time I got out in the field to see how my two favourite women police officers are coping out on the streets.”
Katy groaned and headed for her office.
Lorne flicked Sean’s arms with her fingers. “You’re a wind-up merchant, Sean Roberts.”
“That’s DCI Roberts, if you don’t mind, DS Warner.” He grinned and followed Katy into her office.
“I sense trouble,” AJ said.
“Nah, Sean—sorry—DCI Roberts is just fooling around. Testing her. God knows I had enough of that treatment from him when I was in Katy’s shoes. Come on, let’s see what we can find out about this address.”
She leaned over AJ’s shoulder and watched the screen flip between the tabs he had open at the top. Before long, she felt boggle-eyed and decided to sit down in the chair next to him rather than staring at the constantly changing screen.
“Here it is. I think we’re on to something for definite. Shall I put a call in for uniform to go out to the property for a snoop around?”
“Hold off on that for now. I think Katy and I should go out there and see for ourselves first.”
Katy’s office door opened, and Roberts, looking smug, came out, followed by Katy, who wore a peeved expression.
“Anything?” Roberts asked, obviously adding to Katy’s annoyance.
Lorne stifled a grin and concentrated on the screen rather than looking at either of her superiors. “According to the footage from the other day, AJ and I predict the car, or cars, were heading out to this address. Do you want to take a ride out there, Katy?”
