The central door to the office clicked open suddenly, the noise loud in the silence of the office.
His breath caught in his throat as Cass entered. Her hair was tied up messily and tendrils hung down around her face and neck. He almost smiled as he saw the pens stuck through the ponytail at the back. Tiredness marred her eyes, and he knew she’d had a tough day too.
He frowned slightly, remembering the image of the old man in the cave before he had been taken to the morgue. It was imprinted on his brain, and he knew he would revisit it later both before and after sleep came. He shook off the thought and smiled at Cass as she approached his desk.
‘Hey. I just wanted to pass you the preliminary disk of photos from the PM. I’ve sorted through and put the most relevant on there. The exhibits are all on Socard and have been handed over to the exhibits officer.’
Alex nodded slowly. ‘Brill thanks. You off home?’
‘Yeah, everything’s pretty much tied up for now. Time to take Ollie for a walk.’
Alex allowed a millisecond of thought before asking, ‘Would you like some company?’
Cass stared at him, surprised after their earlier conversation that he wanted to spend time together. Then she came to a decision, ‘Yeah, sure. It’s a nice night out. Meet you in the car park?’
Alex nodded. If he’d thought about it, he probably wouldn’t have asked her at all, let alone expected her to say yes. She flashed him a grin and left.
‘What the hell are you doing?’ he muttered to himself as he quickly organised the paperwork into a pile, grabbed his mobile, keys and wallet before following Cass.
Within what seemed like minutes, they were clipping the leash to Ollie’s black and silver collar and leading him out of the back door to the cottage.
‘How come you live so far from town?’ asked Alex.
Cass paused a moment, considering her answer before replying. ‘The area is brilliant for Ollie. He gets in and out as he wants with the electronic key in his neck, and he just loves to chase the bunnies. I like the solitude, when I come home from work there’s no traffic sounds, no people, just this.’ She indicated ‘this’ with a wide sweep of her arm, towards the shadowy woods at the bottom of the garden.
‘I guess some people are just suited to country living. I like working in town, but I love coming home to peace and quiet. What about you? You live in town, right?’
‘Yeah, just a little apartment. Helen got the house when we divorced a few years ago. It’s enough for just me.’ It was lonely, however. Despite talking about his ex, he kept the bitterness out of his voice.
‘Do you get on?’ asked Cass, curious to find out more.
Alex shook his head and then remembered they were walking in the middle of a dark copse and that she probably couldn’t see him.
‘Not so much. It didn’t end very well. It wasn’t her fault; she was looking for something I couldn’t give her at the time. I was always working, trying to give the force my all to progress and get us the life I thought she wanted. I sometimes spent nights and days at a time at work. It got so we barely saw each other – and before I knew it she’d moved her stuff out, saying she couldn’t cope with being a cop’s wife. I guess it was just one of those things that aren’t meant to be.’
Cass heard the emotion and pain in his voice and didn’t know what to say. She bent and unhooked Ollie’s leash, smiling into the moonlight as he bounded off to chase invisible prey. As she glanced up at Alex, he caught her gaze with his, his eyes piercing in the dim glow of the moon.
‘I’m sorry,’ she said simply.
Alex paused a moment, contemplating how to respond.
Eventually he settled on ‘Me too,’ and carried on walking alongside Cass.
Suddenly she left his side at a dead run, the oversized dog lolloping along with her. He stared for a moment, not quite understanding. Swiftly, he followed at a jog.
‘You OK?’ he asked as he caught up to her with ease.
Smiling a little ruefully, she slowed her pace down to a walk.
‘Sorry, Alex. Sometimes I just like to run with Ollie, I forgot you didn’t already know that if that makes sense. Besides I have cobwebs at the moment that need clearing.’
They jogged together for a couple of minutes, then Cass slowed and turned to face him. Under the light of the moon, he could see the concern on her face.
He stopped too, waiting patiently and allowing her the time to gather her thoughts and continue.
‘I have a little trouble trusting people, and more trouble opening up. Since Carl hurt me, I’ve never really spoken to another guy. It makes me a little nervous that you’re here with me, and more nervous because I feel like I can talk to you.’
‘You can tell me anything, Cass. Though I should probably tell you I already know about the baby. I spoke with DCI Proffitt at Durham.’
Alex watched as Cass’s face went deathly pale. Shit – he’d been nowhere near her train of thought. The silence stretched and suddenly Cass turned and ran full pelt back along the path towards the cottage.
Running behind her, Alex said, ‘Cass, wait. Please.’
Dammit, you’re a bloody idiot McKay.
He pushed open the back door, and paused, listening for her. Faint sobs were coming from the bedroom, and he took the stairs two at a time, his stomach in his mouth as he approached her. Ollie glared at him from the bedside, asking with his doggy eyes how he could be so stupid as to upset his mum.
She was face down on the bed, crying quietly into the pillow.
‘Cass,’ he said softly, placing a hand on her back. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. Cass, please.’
Slowly she turned to her side, her eyes glassy. She had a look of desperation, and for a moment he was lost for words.
Without speaking, he gathered her into his arms, and started stroking her hair. She tensed, then slowly collapsed into him, letting her emotion loose and shuddering with each heartfelt sob.
Eventually her shoulders stopped shaking, and she pulled back, wiping the tears from her face.
‘Sorry,’ she whispered, ‘It’s just so hard to think about losing…’
‘I shouldn’t have brought it up, Cass, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.’
‘You didn’t, Alex. I should’ve told you already.’
‘Why did you stay, Cass? Why did you stay with him if you were pregnant?’ His voice was raw, and he felt like a tool for asking, but he needed to know. It had bugged him since he found out, and the more time he spent with Cass, the more he wanted to know about her, to understand how someone so amazing could put up with something so horrible.
He heard her inhale deeply, preparing herself to speak.
‘You need to understand something. Back then I wasn’t the person I am now. I was so shy – I had no self-confidence, and my self-esteem was low. I didn’t know what I wanted out of life. When I met Carl, he was charming, good looking and way above my league. I was flattered he showed an interest. When we moved away together, I genuinely thought I was going to spend my life with him. I was happy.’
She paused, struggling to keep her emotion in check. For the first time, she actually wanted to talk about it with someone other than her counsellor.
‘The first time he hit me, he was drunk. He’d been out with the boys from work and his tea was in the microwave. He’d decided he didn’t want sausage and threw the plate at the wall in a temper, and then hit me for not knowing that he didn’t want sausage. Afterwards he was so apologetic, he cried, and I thought it was a one-off. By the time I realised it wasn’t, I barely spoke to my mum, had no friends, no job and I was a wreck. I didn’t know who to turn to, and Carl had told me so many times that the police would agree with him, that I was useless and a crap girlfriend who didn’t take care of him, that I believed it.’
She stopped again, glancing at Alex. His face was passive, and she couldn’t read what he was feeling, but she continued.
‘I was a slow bloomer. I didn
’t know I was pregnant till I was nearly four months gone. That was about two weeks before Carl…’
Cass coughed a little, trying to control her emotion. Alex held her hand, silently encouraging her to go on.
‘Carl was over the moon, he thought I would have a boy and he could bring his boy up to be just like him. And I was terrified that he would do just that. He stopped hitting me, didn’t lay a hand on me once for weeks. I said before he thought I’d been with someone he knew? That someone was his best friend, Tony. Tony was always nice to me, he knew something was wrong, knew Carl hit me. Tony did come round that night, he came to ask me if I was OK, he told me he would help me leave, gave me money. But I was so terrified Carl would find out, I wouldn’t let Tony in the house. He left about half an hour before Carl came home. He was steaming drunk – I’d packed a case, but I knew I wouldn’t make it before he got home. I kept thinking just one more night.’
Tears filled her eyes again, spilling over onto her cheeks.
‘Carl came in the bedroom full of hell. He thought I’d been sleeping with Tony, that I’d been having an affair for months. He dragged me out of bed, and starting punching me, screaming that the baby was Tony’s and that when he was done with me he was going to go and teach him what it meant to be a best friend. I don’t remember a great deal about what happened. When I woke up in the hospital with my mum next to me, I just knew I wasn’t pregnant any more.’
A huge sob escaped, and Alex pulled her into his arms, kissing the top of her head. He whispered softly, understanding now, ‘It’s OK. Shhh, you’re OK.’
‘I killed my baby, Alex, I should have left. I should have left.’ She sobbed against his chest.
Alex felt tears prick his own eyes, and he was angry that Cass had been in the situation in the first place. All too often the police know what’s happening, but their hands are tied unless the victim says something, agrees to press charges. For Cass, they’d never had chance to help, all because she was so afraid. He felt a knot settle in his stomach. If Jameson ever came near her again, he would wring his neck. Pigs would fly before he let that bastard hurt her again.
All the shit he’d had with Helen suddenly paled in comparison. Yes, she’d never seen him, and he loved his job more than her, but he had never once hit her or thought about hitting her. Not when she slapped him, not when she screamed at him an inch from his face, and most definitely not when she’d left him. He couldn’t imagine a time when he would ever raise his fist to a woman. He hoped Cass knew that too.
Alex shifted position slightly to lean back on the headboard and pulled Cass close, until her sobs finally ebbed, and he felt her breathing eventually slow into slumber. He lay there for a while, pressing his lips to her head, and eventually dropped off himself.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Cass’s Cottage – 13 October
Cass stirred as the sun’s rays shone through the window and onto her eyelids. She moved against her pillow, thinking how warm and cosy it was. When her pillow moved in response, she lifted her head and opened her eyes.
She was greeted with Alex’s grey eyes staring back. He smiled sleepily, and whispered, ‘Hey,’ as he kissed her on the head.
Suddenly shy, she felt her cheeks flush as she smiled back.
What on earth is the matter with me? She felt like a giddy school kid with her first crush.
Noting her silence, and that it wasn’t awkward, Alex let her process for a moment. When she looked up at him the second time, the shyness had gone to be replaced with some other emotion in her eyes. It took a minute for him to recognise the look as need, but when he did, he was lost. He bent his head towards her slowly, his lips pausing millimetres from hers as he felt her breath quicken against him. He was surprised when she leant forward, pressing her lips to his softly.
A bolt of electricity shot through his veins as he deepened the kiss, tasting the sweet tang of her tongue as she brushed it swiftly against his. Groaning slightly, he pulled her closer, increasing the pressure slightly as she ran her hand up his chest and onto the top of his arm. His skin prickled as he felt her breasts harden against his chest, and his senses went into overdrive.
A sudden thought invaded his mind that they’d agreed to take it slow, and forcing himself not to rush her, he pulled back slightly, breaking the kiss and opening his eyes.
Cass whimpered her disappointment, her eyes opening, filled with desire as she stared back at him. She allowed herself to let her feelings envelop her, recognised that she felt safe in his arms, and wondered for a split second whether she could be imagining it.
His voice gruff, Alex said, ‘I don’t want to rush you, Cass. We agreed we’d take it slow and…’ His voice cut off as Cass leant in, catching his lips with hers once more.
He felt his arousal rise, and not breaking the kiss, he moved position, so he was over her side. Their mouths ground together hungrily, her arms round his back, her nails gently scraping at his T-shirt. Torn between not wanting to stop, and feeling responsible, he pulled back again.
‘Cass, wait, I don’t want to force you into something you might not be ready for.’
‘You’re not forcing, Alex.’ Pausing slightly, she stared into his eyes, and made the decision to be completely honest. ‘I want you. I need you.’
It was all the affirmation he needed. Moaning into her mouth, he enveloped her, their movements much more frenzied now. Cass arched her back into him as he gently cupped one breast, gasping as he moved his mouth to her neck. She dragged her nails down his back, grabbing the bottom of his shirt and lifting it, sliding her hands underneath. He moaned into her neck, suddenly needing to feel her skin on his. Sitting back onto his side, he pulled her slightly into a sitting position.
He lifted her shirt as she raised her arms. The delicate lace of her bra did nothing to hide her arousal as he reached behind and unclipped the clasp, allowing the scrap of material to fall off the bed. Cass undressed Alex, both of them silent.
He drew in a shuddering breath, her closeness almost too much to bear. They quickly threw off their trousers, and Cass shyly pulled the top throw over herself. Alex responded by pinning her to the bed gently as he pulled the cover away. He kissed her again, the skin on skin contact almost too much. Within moments they were both panting, wanting.
He rose above her, and thrust forward slowly, controlling his speed and entry until Cass couldn’t take any more and pushed forward onto him. Their mouths connected once more as they moved together. Groaning simultaneously, the world exploded, stars flew, and Alex collapsed onto Cass.
‘Wow,’ whispered Cass against his neck. ‘That never happened before.’
Alex lifted his head, kissed her tenderly, and whispered back, ‘To me either.’
‘So, taking it slow is out of the window I guess?’ Grinned Cass, pushing him so he shifted his weight off her. ‘I’m gonna go jump in the shower – you can join me if you like.’
He grinned back, her mischievousness was infectious. ‘Lead the way.’
Ryhope Pier, Sunderland – 14 October
He glanced down the pier towards the cave one last time. Today was his last visit to watch the goings on. The news crews had got bored, their little boats no longer bobbing out on the steady waves. And for all he understood the basics of forensics, he didn’t know why the police held the scene for so long. It surely couldn’t take this amount of time to determine that the old guy had been beaten to death with a hammer.
It had served a dual purpose though.
The young man was now well and truly established as showstopper number three. He knew Andy saw him as an easy mark. He gave him money when he asked, bought him alcohol and cigarettes, and was generally playing the part of being the lonely middle aged man with a new friend.
His dislike of the young man was growing in intensity, and he wasn’t convinced he’d be able to keep up the pretence much longer. Andy was growing ever more demanding and somewhat threatening. He also knew he was being drip-fed false information. T
he boy thought he could lie to him and get away with it. He pushed the sudden wave of anger back with difficulty. Why not just kill him now and be done with it? He was convinced Andy was going to try to rob him at some point and knew the teenager was offering a fake story to ward off any unwanted police attention.
It had taken him until that morning to figure out why Andy was so familiar.
He had seen Andy and his girlfriend in the park harassing Albert on several occasions. Andy had probably seen him too, but he was confident that his disguise in the park had been different enough for the teenager not to realise. The he was a homeless man; now he looked like a fisherman, shaggy beard, flat cap and a gum shield.
He knew where Andy lived and that he worked in the local McDonalds with a bunch of other spotty, arrogant teenagers, and he also knew Andy was actually called Scott Anderson. He knew Scott’s girlfriend was called Kourtney with a K, and generally sported large gold loops in her ears and a velour tracksuit that was around two sizes too small for her chubby middle. It was just too easy nowadays to find out information.
It was Scott’s attitude that was proving hard to bear.
He gritted his teeth. It was never good to be pressured into doing something sooner than planned.
But try as he might to stay calm, his patience was growing thin. He liked the routine of a three-week wait between shows, the time to plan every last move. It was the perfect amount of time to allow things to die down before his next masterpiece.
But this one wasn’t progressing as well as he had hoped.
With Deadly Intent Page 14
