For the Sake of the Children: The first Chloe Webster thriller (Chloe Webster Thrillers Book 1)

by Alex Highcliffe

  94

  Chloe finally felt like it was all over as she relaxed on the stark white hospital bed. Her father lay in the next bay and a young doctor was checking him over behind a plastic curtain. Chloe herself had been given the all clear. She would probably have a stiff neck for a few days but the discomfort would fade, as would the redness and bruises around her throat. Her broken nose might not ever look the same again but it would mend in time. On the other hand, the memory of the incident would take much longer to heal. Every time she closed her eyes she was back in that room, swinging on that rope, while the two men watched and jeered. Whoever Mr Crawford was, she owed him her life. And her father’s life. He was undoubtedly next on their list. She shuddered and looked across at her father as the doctor pulled back the curtain and headed off down the ward.

  ‘Is everything all right dad? What did the doctor say?’ she asked, trying to hide the concern in her voice.

  ‘She said I’ll be fine. A good number of bruises and a cracked rib or two; nothing that won’t heal. We were lucky there kiddo, it could easily have gone the other way.’ His voice was unsteady and he too was clearly still haunted by the whole thing. ‘Who was that guy who saved us?’

  ‘I honestly don’t know. I’ve come across him before at work, but he’s definitely not who I thought he was.’

  ‘Hello Chloe, I’m PC Hutchings. The doctor said you were up to answering a few questions now.’ The policewoman from the warehouse breezed in and pulled up a plastic chair. ‘I won’t keep you long. I think we might have spoken once before on the telephone? About Miss Swanson?’

  ‘Yeah, I think we probably did. What do you need to know?’ Chloe was exhausted and really didn’t feel like doing this now. ‘I’m really tired.’

  ‘I’ll try not to keep you long. I just have a few questions. First of all, I guess I’d like to know who’s responsible for the three bodies at the warehouse where we found you. Any information you can give me would be…’

  ‘Three bodies?’

  ‘Yes… Oh sorry, you probably don’t know yet. Mr Howson… Ben Howson… he died shortly after being admitted here. He took a nasty blow to the head I think. It resulted in a bleed on his brain and he never regained consciousness apparently. You knew him didn’t you?’

  ‘I did, yes. We worked together.’ Chloe felt genuinely sorry. She still believed he had become involved in something which had snowballed out of control. After all, she was wrapped up in the same thing herself. Did they really ever have a chance to get out? She’d tried but it had almost cost her dearly.

  ‘And the third?’ she asked wearily. ‘You said there were three bodies.’

  ‘Yes, as well as the man inside the warehouse we found the body of a younger man outside. Do you know who that might be?’

  ‘No I don’t, sorry. But a man had left the warehouse a little while before you arrived. Mr Drabble they called him. But he wasn’t what I would call young.’

  ‘Ah yes, we’re familiar with Mr Drabble. He would never have told you his name unless he was sure you weren’t going to be around to repeat it. We’ll need you to testify against him, once we’ve found him of course.’

  ‘Fine,’ Chloe didn’t care what she was agreeing to; she just wanted it all to be over.

  PC Hutchings checked back through her notes, tapping her pencil on her notebook as she did so.

  ‘So if Drabble left earlier, and you never saw the young lad outside, who killed Howson and the other guy?’

  ‘They killed each other,’ said Chloe confidently. Her father looked across at her, but she ignored him. ‘Ben had a change of heart and tried to back out and there was a fight. Jez kicked him and he fired a shot which must have hit Jez in the head. At least, that’s what I assume from the injuries. Of course, I wasn’t paying too much attention at that stage, seeing as though I was dangling on the end of a rope.’

  PC Hutchings went quiet again and made a clicking noise with her tongue at the top of her mouth.

  ‘So who cut you down?’

  ‘Ben did. He cut the rope and freed my father, and then he collapsed. To be honest it’s all a bit of a haze really.’

  The policewoman turned to Chloe’s father.

  ‘Is that how you remember it Mr Webster?’

  ‘To be honest I wasn’t looking, love. My daughter was hanging from a rope in front of me and I chose not to watch. I’m sure you’ll understand that.’

  ‘Oh I do Mr Webster. There are just a couple of things that don’t quite add up. You see, the only gun we found was tucked into the other man’s belt. Why would Ben put it there after he’d used it? Also, no knife has been recovered from the room, so I’m a little unsure as to how he could have cut you down.’

  ‘Well perhaps I’ve not remembered it exactly right. As I say, it was a very distressing time. They were arguing and fighting and I heard a gunshot. Then I dropped to the floor when the rope was cut, or broke, or whatever. ’ Chloe yawned and slid down into her bed. ‘Can we do this another time? I’m so tired.’

  ‘Okay Miss Webster. Listen, thank you for your help. We’ll get looking for Drabble. I will need to speak to you again, but I’ll leave you and your father in peace for now.’

  As the policewoman left the room, Jack raised his eyebrows expectantly, a half-smile on his face.

  ‘He saved us dad. And George. I dread to think what would have happened if he hadn’t turned up. Whoever he is, I’m not about to be responsible for locking him up for twenty five years if I can help it.’

  Her father smiled. She was so loyal, and he loved that about her. ‘That’s my girl,’ he said.

  95

  ‘Chloe!’ squealed George with delight as he pulled away from the social worker and ran down the ward.

  ‘Hello little man. How’re you doing?’ Chloe found herself smiling for the first time in a while. George leapt onto her bed and wrapped his arms around her, causing her to wince as her neck jolted.

  ‘I see you’re okay then George. Have you seen the nice doctor.’

  ‘Yep. He gave me a lollypop.’

  ‘Lucky you. I haven’t been given a lollypop.’

  George looked up at her. ‘Haven’t you? I’ll go and get you one.’

  She laughed and hugged him tightly. She really had grown fond of the boy over the last couple of days and was relieved to see that he had apparently came through the recent events unscathed.

  ‘Come on George, we need to go.’ The social worker was firm but not unpleasant.

  ‘Where are you taking him?’ asked Chloe.

  ‘To see his mother.’ She mouthed the words at Chloe so as not to ruin the surprise for George.

  ‘I don’t want to go. I want to stay with Chloe.’

  Chloe shuffled up the bed to a sitting position and gently eased George on to her so that he was sitting on her legs and looking her in the eyes.

  ‘Do you know what George? I think you’re really gonna like the place you’re going to now. This nice lady’s got a brilliant surprise for you. Why don’t you go and see what it is and then come back and tell me all about it.’

  ‘But I like it here.’ He looked so forlorn that Chloe wanted to hug him and tell him that he could stay here and that he didn’t have to go with the social worker. But she knew he had to go, and she knew he would be glad that he had gone.

  ‘Go on George. Go and see what the nice lady has for you. And if you don’t like it, you can come straight back here. Is that a deal?’

  ‘Promise?’

  ‘I promise. And I haven’t broken any of my promises yet, have I George?’

  The trust that the boy had in her was not lost on Chloe and she swallowed the lump that appeared in her throat. He climbed off the bed and took hold of the social worker’s hand again, waving at Chloe as he ambled out of the ward.

  And he never came back.

  Chloe knew that was a good thing. George had been reunited with his mother; he was where he belonged, safe at last and with the person who loved him the most
.

  96

  The Timer settled himself down on the hillside surrounded by early spring flowers. The morning breeze ruffled his hair as he looked down on the scenic Peak District village of Castlefield. He raised his binoculars and traced a river as it made its way down from the hills opposite, coursed through the centre of the village, looped around the old castle ruins before heading on down the valley towards Sheffield.

  He focused the glasses on one particular house set a little way out of the village itself. A sprawling residence built from local stone and surrounded by well-maintained gardens, it was unusual not only because of its sheer scale, but also because of the exceptionally high level of security. Huge metal railings formed an unbroken perimeter around the grounds, and a guard box stood by the main gates. A couple of men dressed in dark suits could be seen roaming the gardens, with dogs pulling on leads in a way which told him they weren’t family pets.

  He smiled to himself. It was high security indeed, but not enough to stop him. The night before he’d been over the fence, completed his task and out again before anyone knew he was there. And now he could relax and watch things pan out in just the way he’d planned.

  The front door of the house opened and a large man stepped out, holding his coat close to his chest in the breeze and pulling the door shut behind him. Drabble spoke briefly to one of the security men before climbing into the driving seat of a black BMW standing on the expansive gravel driveway.

  The Timer was disappointed. He’d hoped that Drabble’s wife would be in the car too. Mickey had told him they had no children, and he’d hoped to remove the whole family in one go. He wasn’t overly concerned about the wife, but he did like to keep things tidy.

  He pulled out his mobile phone and dialled a number he knew by heart. Placing the phone to his ear he could hear the cheerful tones as the numbers were relayed down the line.

  At that moment the door of the house opened and Mrs Drabble stumbled across to the car in a pair of heels that were simply too high for the surface of the driveway. It didn’t look like she was going with him, rather that she wanted to say something to him or give him something he’d forgotten. She staggered up to the car and leaned into the driver’s window which Drabble had wound down for her. In his ear the Timer heard the phone connect.

  A huge explosion ripped through the peaceful landscape. The car disintegrated in the blast as flames soared into the air. Pieces of hot metal were littered across the driveway in front of the house and although one or two of his men started to move towards the wreckage, they soon stopped as the realisation hit them.

  Mr and Mrs Drabble were dead.

  What perfect timing - two for the price of one. That just leaves Miss Webster.

  97

  ‘So we don’t have to move away after all?’

  The Timer looked at his wife. His love for her was absolute and the thought of uprooting her from the life they had made together here had made him hate himself. Or at least, hate his work. His two girls sat either side of her on the sofa and grinned up at him in delight.

  ‘That’s right. The risk has gone. We’re safe.’

  It had been a couple of weeks since he’d disposed of Drabble. He’d heard on the grapevine that what was left of the gang had disbanded, not that it was a huge organisation in the first place. Some of his men had been glad of the opportunity to change direction and start again without repercussions. Others had found similar employment elsewhere. He doubted that anyone would be looking for him, so there was little point in forcing his family to move to a strange town with all that that entailed.

  His mobile hummed.

  ‘I’m sorry I have to take this,’ he said, looking at the screen. ‘I won’t be a minute.’

  In the kitchen he placed the phone to his ear and listened.

  ‘Mr T? Stevie Kirkland. I’m impressed. That was some show you put on at Drabble’s house. I hope you found the cash?’

  The Timer said nothing.

  ‘Good. Now, if you ever need any work you just give me a call and I’m sure I can find something for a man of your talents.’

  Silence.

  ‘Stay in touch.’

  The phone went dead. He’d done this one thing for Kirkland because it suited him to get rid of Drabble. Kirkland had told him where Drabble was and provided the explosives. But he wouldn’t be doing anything else for him. The Timer knew that Kirkland was the brains behind the child adoption scam, and that made him feel sick to the stomach. If he saw Kirkland again, it would only be to kill him.

  Back in the lounge, his wife and daughters were still sat on the sofa waiting for him. He picked up his youngest daughter and sat down where she had been sitting, placing her on his lap. He put his arm around his wife and eldest daughter and pulled them all close.

  ‘We’re safe,’ he repeated. No one can harm us now. There are still a few rats running around this city, but there’s plenty of time to catch up with them. For now, we’re safe.’

  ‘Rats, daddy? I don’t like rats.’

  ‘Don’t worry angel, daddy will get rid of them. It might take me a while, but I’ll do it. Trust me sweetheart, I’ll make this city safe for you two if it takes me all my life.’

  ‘Okay daddy.’

  His wife looked across at him and the look on his face told her that he meant every word.

  And that frightened her to the core.

  98

  ‘Dad, I’m going now. I’ll see you later,’ called Chloe as she put on her coat and opened the front door.

  ‘Okay love. Hope it all goes well. And Chloe?’

  ‘Yes dad?’

  ‘Stay out of trouble.’

  She laughed. ‘I will.’

  She’d handed in her notice at work shortly after she left hospital. The firm didn’t require her to work it and so she never returned to Anderson, Gormley and Drake. She’d since heard that the firm was under investigation by the Law Society and several staff had been suspended pending the outcome. The police had been asking questions too.

  She’d spoken to Ray and arranged to meet him for a coffee. He turned out to be a very pleasant person away from the office. He’d really opened up to her when they met and explained that at that time he was under tremendous stress and that he knew things weren’t right but didn’t know what to do about it. He told her that Drake had taken early retirement although the police continued with their enquiries and he hadn’t been completely exonerated yet. Ray himself had moved on to another law firm in Sheffield and was now much more relaxed. He remained fiercely protective of his clients though. Chloe thought about warning him not to take it too far this time, but she knew he wouldn’t listen.

  The conversation had eventually come around to Ben. It was obvious that Ray had no idea about his involvement with Drabble’s gang, and Chloe changed the subject quickly after that.

  ‘What do you think will happen to the firm?’ she’d asked him.

  ‘I suspect it will close down. Loads of people are leaving; they don’t want to be associated with the rumours that are doing the rounds, and I can’t blame them really. I guess that’s why I left.’

  They’d finished their coffee and agreed to stay in touch, both knowing that they probably wouldn’t. But it was likely they’d come across each other again in their line of work - the Sheffield legal community was a close one – and the thought of that didn’t bother Chloe at all. She’d changed her mind about Ray. Ray Fuller, family lawyer and guardian of his clients. She knew they’d meet again.

  She gave her father a hug and reassured him again that she’d be all right. Her new position was as a family lawyer at a small law firm in the North West of Sheffield. She could drive there in a few minutes, and her shiny new Mini sat proudly on the compact driveway next to her father’s car.

  It was a beautiful morning and she looked out over the hills surrounding the countryside. How lucky she was to be alive to see this view every day.

  Dark thoughts forced their way into her mind and cause
d a shiver to run the length of her spine.

  99

  The Timer sat in his car, parked on the hill next to Bradmill railway station. This was certainly a chocolate-box little place and he could see why the girl and her father were attracted to it. He placed his binoculars to his eyes and peered down the hill to the cute little cottage at the bottom.

  ‘Very nice place you’ve got there Miss Webster,’ he said to himself as he swept his gaze along the line of houses. ‘No wonder you don’t want to leave daddy.’

  The front door swung inwards and Chloe appeared in the frame, apparently still holding a conversation with her father.

  ‘He’s worried about you my dear. And so he should be, he’s your father; that’s what fathers are for. They worry about their little girls, and they look after them.’

  He smiled to himself at the sight of Chloe hurrying out to the car. He did like her. She was such an ordinary girl. At least, she was to the outside world. But he knew there was more to her than met the eye. She had an edge to her, a dark side even. He couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was or why it was there. Something must have happened in her life to make her like that. Maybe it was something to do with her mother not being around. Was she dead? Or had she left them? Either way, it probably cemented her sense of loyalty. She probably reminded him of himself; an ordinary guy with so much more to know.

  As she climbed into the car, the Timer pulled out his phone. He smiled to himself as he dialled the number. The tones played merrily in his ear.

  And then the phone connected.

  100

  Chloe jumped at the sound of her own ringtone. She wasn’t sure whether it was a hangover from the experiences of the last few weeks, or because she’d left the volume higher than usual to make sure it woke her in time to leave for her new job that morning. Either way, her heart was racing as she placed the phone to her ear.