With Deadly Intent

by KA Richardson

  It missed and she turned back towards him, her eyes blazing and pure venom dripping from her mouth as she spat, ‘Fuck off you alcoholic old twat.’

  Scott watched as the old guy stepped back, the bench hitting the back of his knees and causing him to sit back down with a thump. A filthy looking dog barked at her loudly, not moving from his owner’s side, and he heard the man mutter under his breath about the youth of today having no respect. For a moment he felt disgust at the way she’d spoken to the old guy, registered the look of hurt resignation on his face. Then his loyalty set in.

  ‘Kourt, you OK?’ he asked, jogging over. Kourtney’s cheeks were flushed with crimson, but she smiled broadly at him.

  ‘Yeah I’m fine. The old prick’s been bitching on since we got here. Sam’s on the bandstand. She’s got some shit. You wanna share a smoke?’

  Scott felt his stomach drop a little, so much for a quickie before work. Still, a few puffs would set him right. He followed her onto the bandstand, took the joint and inhaled a long drag, leaning back as he felt the glow.

  The Denes Park, Sunderland – 28 September

  Albert Grieves felt the edge of the bench hit the back of his legs as he stepped backwards, shocked at the way the girl had yelled at him. He’d seen a lot of bad things in his life, but he had never been spoken to in that manner before. He felt his creaky knees give way, and his bottom hit the bench with a thump.

  Shaking, he ran his hand down the neck of his dog, Scruff, who had now stopped barking. The dog turned in a circle a few times before sitting down on the bench next to Albert’s leg and pushed his head back into his hand.

  ‘It’s all right, Scruff.’ He heard the words fall from his lips softly, but he knew it wasn’t all right, not really. There had been a point when the girl had been yelling at him where he had thought she might actually strike him. It scared him.

  Kids these days have no respect. My daughter would never dare talk to anyone like that. She’s such a good girl.

  He felt his heart swell with pride, but then the other memories invaded. It was his fault, he should have kept a better eye on his boy, not let him buy that damned motorbike. But back then he had believed that kids needed to find their own way, grow into their own person. And because of that mistake, his Tommy was dead and gone.

  The hurt was almost overwhelming. Albert reached for the bottle of White Lightening from the carrier bag on the bench, and took a long swig, feeling the liquid make its way down to his belly.

  He felt tears shine in his sad eyes, and slightly embarrassed, he swiped at them. He felt guilty now; he really shouldn’t have thrown the can at the girl. She was just a kid. He supposed her comments were warranted. Just like his daughters had been. It had been years since he’d seen her now. The last exchange had been emotional to say the least; he could still remember her exact words.

  ‘You need to get a grip, Dad. Tommy’s gone, but it doesn’t mean you are. What happened to him was not your fault. You’re still here and you need to start living again, not sit staring into the neck of a bloody bottle. I will not stand here and watch you drink yourself into an early grave. You either give up the drink or you give up me.’

  Tears fell from his eyes as he remembered his response to her ultimatum. He had walked away with nothing but the clothes on his back, a decision he had regretted ever since. Sometimes life just sucked.

  He wiped the tears again, and took another long drink, shuffling in the seat until he found a comfy spot. Feeling sorry for himself, he laid his head on the back of the bench and closed his eyes. Maybe I’ll stop drinking tomorrow and contact Ellie. Maybe.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Cass’s Cottage – 29 September

  It had been another long day. Cass had said her goodbyes at the office then picked up a Chinese takeaway on her way home, looking forward to munching her way through chow mein and salt and pepper ribs with something trashy on the TV.

  She pulled up on the driveway, the smell of the hot food making her stomach grumble loudly and grabbed the bag from the passenger seat. Pushing her key in the lock, she realised the door was already unlocked.

  ‘Crap,’ she muttered under her breath as she pushed it open. ‘It’s a bloody good job I live in the sticks. You daft bugger, leaving the door unlocked.’

  She flicked the switch in the hall and glanced up expecting to see Ollie bounding down the stairs towards her. But he wasn’t there.

  ‘Ollie?’ she called, placing the food on the unit and kicking off her shoes. ‘Time for dinner?’

  Cass frowned slightly as she picked the bag back up and wandered into the kitchen. She gasped, dropping the bag of food as she saw Ollie on the floor.

  His eyes were glazed, and he was convulsing, his teeth gnashing together loudly, and there was a pool of strong-smelling urine underneath him. Cass knelt beside him, refusing to let panic take over. Gently she stroked his neck, talking in hushed tones. She kept the motion up as she rang the emergency vet number on her mobile. Tears threatened to fall as she listened to the line connect and then ring.

  ‘Park Lane Vets out of hours – how can I help?’

  ‘It’s Cass Hunt. I have Ollie registered with you and need to speak to a vet immediately. He seems to be having a seizure.’

  ‘Hold please,’ said the female voice.

  Seconds later a male voice came on the phone. ‘Cass, it’s Matt. Where are you and Ollie, and how long has he been convulsing?’

  Cass almost sighed as she recognised Matt’s soft voice. He had always been Ollie’s vet and she hadn’t dared hope he would be on duty.

  ‘Home. I don’t know how long. I just got home. His teeth are gnashing, and his tongue is bleeding a bit. He’s wet himself too. He won’t respond to my voice. What do I do, Matt?’

  He heard her voice, thick with panic and said, ‘He hasn’t had seizures before has he? I’m at the surgery – I can be with you in about forty minutes or you can bring him straight in?’

  ‘I’ll bring him in. Do I need to do anything? Or just pick him up and put him in the car?’

  ‘Just bring him. I’ll get the emergency room prepped. Mind yourself when you lift him, he’s not in control of his teeth. See you soon, Cass. Try not to panic and drive safe, OK?’

  Cass hung up the phone, rammed it into her pocket and picked the dog up carefully, feeling his convulsions ripple as she held him to her chest. A single tear trickled down her cheek and she acknowledged she was petrified.

  Ollie was her best friend.

  Taking a breath to steady herself, she carefully lifted the dog, and carried him to the car before laying him in the boot, jumping in the driver’s seat and quickly driving off.

  Not registering her speed, she arrived at the surgery in around twenty minutes.

  ‘This way, Cass,’ said Matt, bypassing the receptionist and leading Cass to a room at the rear.

  Ollie’s convulsions had slowed but he was still jittery and twitching. Matt carefully listened to his heart, which was pounding fast, and silently checked his eyes, and breathing.

  ‘It’s possibly an isolated incident. His seizure is slowing now, Cass. I’m going to give him some Valium and a little anaesthetic to help it stop and allow his body to recover. We’ll then run a scan and see if we can locate the cause. He’s going to be here at least overnight, Cass. Get yourself home, and I’ll call you as soon as I’ve finished the exam.’

  ‘What if he wakes and I’m not there?’ Cass gulped, the lump in her throat feeling bigger by the second. Her voice sounded small to her, and she for a second, she wondered if she needed to repeat herself so Matt could hear.

  ‘Cass, I’ll look after him. You need to go home, love. I’ll call I promise.’

  He placed a hand on her arm, giving her a gentle push towards the door. He always felt bad having to force the owners off, but he had work to do and he couldn’t do it with her standing there.

  Cass nodded, swallowing hard. She didn’t remember the journey home but by the time she p
ushed open the front door, she wasn’t able to stop the tears falling. She sat on the couch, pulled her knees to her chest and wept. Ollie had always been there for her, and she knew he was in the best place but she still felt guilty for leaving him and worried he wouldn’t be OK.

  When the phone finally rang, Cass jumped visibly, still lost in her own little world. She glanced at the screen and took a deep breath before answering.

  ‘Hey, Cass, it’s Matt. The seizure’s stopped. He’s still anaesthetised but I’m hopeful he’ll be responsive when he comes round. I’m going to stay with him tonight, so you don’t need to worry. I’ll call if anything else happens, OK?’

  ‘Thanks, Matt,’ was all Cass could manage.

  ‘Cass, I don’t want to scare you but I still need to do an ECG tomorrow. Long seizures like this one can cause brain damage. There is still a chance Ollie won’t recover. I can’t do that until tomorrow, but I ‘ll ring you as soon as I’m done. Try not to worry. I’ll be looking after him as if he was my Bruno.’

  Cass hung up the phone, and sat for a minute, just staring into space.

  Eventually the silence of the cottage invaded her thoughts, and she jumped up from the couch. She started by cleaning the kitchen floor, throwing the cold food into the bin, and scrubbing the tiles hard before moving onto the surfaces. Within a couple of hours, the cottage was sparkling, and Cass needed something else to distract her. The black sky threatened to envelop the woods from above, but she grabbed the hose and began washing her car, quickly progressing to hoovering the interior. One benefit of living in the sticks was you didn’t have to watch the noise levels so much.

  The exterior light shone on her as she scrubbed the car cleaner than it had been the day it had first sat in the show room. Tiredness was slow in seeping into her bones though, and once she finished on the car, she smiled grimly to herself in the dull glow.

  Deciding there wasn’t a lot more she could do cleaning wise, she wandered into the kitchen and picked up the phone.

  ‘Mama? It’s me. Sorry to wake you,’

  ‘Cass, is everything OK? It’s two in the morning. Something’s happened. Are you OK?’

  Cass felt her breath catch as she answered.

  ‘I’m fine, Mum. It’s Ollie. He was having a seizure when I got in from work. I’ve had to leave him at the vets. Matt doesn’t know if he’s going to pull through. He’s going to do some scan or other tomorrow and ring me.’

  Her voice dropped to a shaky whisper. ‘I’m scared, Mum.’

  ‘Aw, sweetie, I’m sure he’ll be OK. He’s a strong pup. He wouldn’t have made it through everything he did when he was tiny just to give up now. And you’re strong too, love. No matter what happens, everything will be OK.’

  ‘You’re right, Mum. Thank you. I’m sorry I woke you.’

  ‘Anytime, love. Now you won’t have eaten tonight, I want you to make a snack, just some toast or something, and get yourself off to bed. Matt’s the best there is, you’ve said so a million times. He will look after Ollie, and you need to look after you. ‘

  ‘OK, Mum. I’ll ring you tomorrow.’

  At her mum’s acknowledgement, Cass hung up the phone and mindlessly opened the fridge. She knocked up an omelette and carried it through to the living room. Eating on autopilot, she turned the TV on, quickly found the Good Food channel and let the soothing voice of James Martin wash over her.

  Sleep soon arrived and feeling the chill, her subconscious prompted her to pull the tattered blanket round her shoulders. Alex had left it on the couch, and she hadn’t really been home to move it since. She took a deep breath, inhaling his faint scent, with her head on the arm, and then quietly whispered ‘Alex,’ before her mind left her in slumber.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Ryhope Police Station – 30 September

  Cass prepped the fresh coffee maker in the kitchen, putting cups out ready for the team who would be in shortly. She knocked hers up, inhaling that smell that only freshly brewed beans can give, and wandered through to her office.

  It was still too early to ring Matt, but her body had pulled her from sleep with a jerk a few hours before by the nightmare returning. This time though she woke alone, with no sloppy kisses from Ollie to dry her tears and let her know everything would be OK. So, she’d gone for a walk to clear her head, and then headed into work. She had already placed a load of exhibits from the store into the property system and organised the staff rota for the next month.

  Cass sighed a little; she ‘d be glad when Kevin finally came back to work. She missed having him around to talk things over with. She had prescheduled a staff meeting for the three area depots for later that morning, intending to bring up the little things that had been bugging her for some time – the things Kevin normally dealt with. She supposed it was part of management, but it didn’t mean she had to like it.

  She glanced up as a shadow passed by her door.

  ‘You’re in early, Frank. Lots of transports today?’

  The handyman stared at her for a second, almost not comprehending.

  ‘Oh, yeah, there sure is. Just trying to get a head start. Gonna be a long day. How come you’re here so early Cass? Normally it’s only me and the 24:7 boys in at this time, and right now it’s about time for their McDonald’s run.’

  Cass felt her stomach curdle at the thought. McDonald’s was bad enough later in the day as an emergency meal, but for breakfast? Not that she’d tried their breakfast range but grease first thing on a morning was something she’d never been able to face.

  ‘I feel the same way,’ said Frank, seeing her grimace as he went to move away from the door. He turned to leave, then almost as an afterthought, he turned back towards Cass.

  ‘How’s the murder enquiry coming along? You know who the killer is yet?’

  ‘Evidence is there so fingers crossed, though nothing as yet.’ Her response was automated, her attention already turned back to the computer screen.

  ‘Well you have a good day now.’

  ‘You too, Frank.’

  She listened to the soft tread of his footsteps as he made his way down the corridor.

  The ‘to do’ pile on her desk now looked a little less intimidating than the ‘done’ pile. Cass took a long gulp of her now lukewarm coffee and got up to take the bags of property through to the transit store in the front office.

  When she returned, she could hear the grumble of the coffee maker as it worked to keep the coffee warm. Popping her head round the door, she saw Deena in the kitchen.

  ‘Hey, Deena, you OK?’

  ‘Thanks for the coffee, Cass. I’m fine thanks, just heard from Faith. She’s on her way in and she’s bringing us all breakfast. She grabbed one for you too.’

  ‘Great thanks. I’ll be in my office.’

  When Faith walked in a few minutes later with her arm full of McDonald’s bags, Cass almost groaned out loud. What were the odds?

  She thought for a moment she might get away with just not eating but Deena and Faith decided invading her office and eating together was the plan for the morning. Deena placed a fresh cup of coffee in front of her, and Faith handed her a small bag.

  ‘Hope you like sausage and egg muffins?’

  ‘Who doesn’t?’ said Cass, trying not to give away the fact her stomach was threatening to churn.

  She pulled open the top of the bag and her stomach, taking her by complete surprise, growled loudly in response to the hot, fried smell coming from the bag. Faith smiled at her, her muffin already in her hand, and took a big bite.

  They both groaned their appreciation, chewing as Cass pulled hers from the bag. Tentatively, she took a bite and her mouth exploded, lost in the taste sensation.

  ‘Mmmmm,’ she muttered. ‘Why have I never tasted this before?’

  Deena exchanged a glance with her friend. ‘Never?’

  Cass shook her head and took another bite, just as the office phone started to ring loudly.

  ‘Cass Hunt,’ she answered, swallowing
the food down quickly. It changed to a solid lump in her throat as she heard Kevin’s voice. ‘Cass, it’s going to be a couple of weeks before I’m back. Madge passed away in her sleep last night.’ His breath caught on the sentence and she could hear how close to tears he was.

  Her eyes began to shine as her voice turned gruff with emotion. ‘I’m so sorry, Kevin. Take as long as you need. If there’s anything I can do please let me know.’

  He caught a sob as he said his goodbye, and Cass carefully replaced the receiver, her appetite now well and truly a thing of the past.

  Deena and Faith had also put their breakfast down.

  ‘Poor Kev. We’ll get a card while we are on the rounds today. I’ll email round about a collection. Did he say when the funeral would be?’

  ‘No, not as yet. When I find out I’ll let you know. Faith, thank you for the breakfast. I’m sorry I can’t finish it.’

  Faith nodded as she packed up the wrappers and leftover food, and they made their way back into the CSI office.

  Cass put her head in her hands, for just a moment as her composure threatened to break. Poor Kevin. She’d got to know him quite well since being promoted to CSM. Madge was his whole world. She could only imagine how he must be feeling.

  After a few minutes of thinking about Kevin, her thoughts wandered to Ollie and she decided she’d waited long enough, picked up the phone and called the vet’s number.

  The Denes Park, Sunderland – 30 September

  Sitting on the bench, Albert was lost in thought. He barely registered the shadow of a man passing him, but he noticed the weight change on his bench immediately.

  Eyes blazing, he turned to confront the interloper, believing it to be those horrible kids from the bandstand. Surprised, his eyes took in the figure of a man. Registering his dishevelled clothing, Albert realised the man was like him. Homeless. His eyes narrowed suspiciously.

  ‘Wanna drink, old-timer?’ asked the man, offering the neck of the open bottle of Bells. Albert wanted to refuse; he really did. But it had been so long since he had had a swig of whisky. He was still pondering when the man added, ‘It’s all right, mate. I’m just in the mood for company is all. Normally sit over in the Lodge, but the damn kids are running riot. Bloody skateboards and bikes flying everywhere. Can’t stand the little shits.’