CAPTIVE ON THE FENS a gripping crime thriller full of twists

by Joy Ellis

  ‘With those curtains, and the fact that this room only has one window facing away from the lane, I think we can light a candle, if we can find one. I’ll go look in the kitchen.’

  He returned a few moments later grasping a handful of bent and grubby household candles. ‘Essential if you live in a place like this. The old lady had dozens in the kitchen drawer.’ He lit one and placed it on the table. ‘This cottage is so well hidden that no one would ever find it at night. We are safe with this tiny light.’

  Jessie finished beating the dust from the old cushions and put them back on the chairs. ‘They don’t even feel damp.’ She wrapped one of the car blankets around her and sat down. ‘It’s going to be a long night.’

  Joseph placed a box on the floor between them. ‘We won’t starve. I always keep emergency rations in the car. I’ve been caught out too many times, on obo for half the night and shop handy.’ He bent down and poked around in the box. ‘Water, Diet coke, Mars bars, a packet of Hobnobs, some Jaffa Cakes and some salted rice crackers.’

  ‘A banquet, no less.’

  ‘Not what I would have liked to provide for you on such a special occasion.’

  Jessie sighed. ‘It really hasn’t sunk in yet. I mean, I know he’s alive and he’s been taken somewhere safe, but until I see him for myself, well . . .’ She gave a little shudder. ‘I keep thinking he will be skin and bone, haggard and sick. I’m almost scared to see him.’

  ‘That’s natural, Jess. And you are in shock too. It’s a big thing to take in. And this isn’t exactly helping, is it?’

  ‘Could be worse. If the boss hadn’t driven here to find us like something out of Dune, we could be dead right now.’ She frowned. ‘Why didn’t they follow her onto the fen?’

  ‘I think they are too savvy for that. If they’d checked out this area, they would know that there was a good chance of getting lost or finishing up in a dyke. And if Carver is losing his grip on his men, they might think the risk wasn’t worth it.’

  ‘Plus, I suppose they had no way of knowing if the driver of the Land Rover was alone, or had a full complement of tooled up SCO19 armed response officers on board.’

  ‘True. Whatever, I’m pretty sure that they bailed out after a while. They will either regroup, or quit.’

  ‘So we sit it out until dawn, when the boss comes back with the cavalry?’

  ‘Yes, petal. You have the pleasure of my company all night long.’

  ‘I could do worse.’

  ‘How are you at word games?’

  ‘As I was probably nine when I last played one, total crap.’

  ‘Good, I hoped as much. I’m a bad loser.’

  ‘How about the Two Truths and a Lie game?’

  ‘Oh yes, I like that.’ He grinned broadly. ‘Let’s save that one until the early hours when you are at your most vulnerable.’

  ‘Perfect. Same goes for you.’ She looked down at the box. ‘Can I have a biscuit?’

  ‘Help yourself. Let me guess? Jaffa cake?’

  ‘Got it.’

  They talked for a while, then Jessie asked, ‘The boss has a pretty unusual surname, doesn’t she? I’ve never heard it before.’

  ‘Galena? Yes, I knew it as a kind of rock or mineral, mined for its silver content. But she said it had nothing to do with that. Apparently it’s a place name. Her ex-husband’s great grandparents came from the town of Galena, Illinois, in the USA.’

  ‘She kept the name after the divorce?’

  ‘By now she couldn’t change it if she wanted to. She simply is Nikki Galena. But I still think her name came from the grey rock with a silver thread running through it.’

  ‘A silver lining? I think it should be a heart of gold. She’s something special, and I’m proud to work with her.’

  ‘Well said, Detective.’ Joseph swallowed.

  ‘And even the Christian name. “Nikki” isn’t exactly traditional, is it?’

  ‘I googled that when I was bored one day. It’s quite weird, because they say that people with the name Nikki tend to follow professions that serve humanity. And it stems from Nike, the Greek goddess of Victory. Another site said that people with NK in their names are unimpressed by status or symbols of success. All they need is loyalty, and they will return the favour by being a faithful and dependable friend.’

  ‘That’s spookily accurate, isn’t it?’

  ‘I’d say.’

  ‘Do you think you and the boss will ever get together?’

  Joseph choked on his Hobnob. ‘Whatever made you say that?’

  ‘Oh, just nosiness.’ Jessie eyes had a mischievous sparkle.

  ‘We are friends, okay? Really good friends.’

  ‘You two are so well suited. You like each other, and you trust each other, and—’

  ‘Whoa! I was like that with my spaniel, but I didn’t think about marrying him.’ He took a swig of water. ‘To be honest, Jess, even if it had crossed my mind, it would ruin everything we already have.’

  ‘How?’

  ‘We wouldn’t be able to work together for a start. It would split up the team, and,’ he looked at her seriously, ‘we both had bad marriages. Now we have friendship and companionship, plus a damned good working relationship in a job we both love. There is simply too much to lose.’

  ‘So you do love her.’

  Joseph didn’t think he needed to answer that.

  ‘She loves you. I saw it the first day I came to work with the team.’ Jessie nibbled on her biscuit. ‘But I hear what you say. And I understand. I’ve seen what this job does to marriages. I’ve seen more domestic trouble and strife, separation and divorce than I’ve had hot dinners.’

  ‘But you still want to marry Graham.’

  ‘For some reason I always thought we were different. I knew I could make our marriage work. I never doubted it for a minute.’

  ‘And now? If Graham still wants to marry you, will you say, I do?’

  ‘I think we are going to have to start all over again. Like it or not, we are two different people now. No one could go through whatever Graham has and come out of it unscathed. I’ll just be there for him and we’ll see what happens. It’s all I can do.’

  ‘You are an astute and wise person, Jessica Nightingale.’

  ‘Thanks, Sarge. Now, how about that game of two truths and a lie?’

  * * *

  Nikki glanced at her wall clock. Almost ten o’clock. With none of her team around her, she felt cut adrift, and anxiety about Joseph and Jessie had her pacing the floor. She had left them in one of the most inhospitable and inaccessible places in the entire Fenlands, which made it one of the safest too, but still she worried.

  It was late, but she knew that Eve was a late bird, and she was sure that she wouldn’t mind getting an unexpected call from her daughter.

  ‘Eve Anderson.’

  ‘It’s me, Nikki. How are you?’

  ‘I’ve just got in from the studio actually. Just finished another masterpiece.’ She laughed. ‘Or not, as is probably the case.’

  Nikki had a flash of inspiration. ‘Fancy a coffee?’

  Eve didn’t hesitate. ‘Shall I put the kettle on?’

  ‘No, meet me in Mario’s. He makes wonderful coffee and he won’t mind a couple of late stragglers.’

  Eve asked no questions. ‘Fifteen minutes?’

  ‘Perfect.’ Nikki grabbed her coat from the back of the door and hurried from the office.

  In a quarter of an hour exactly, she and Eve were ensconced in a small booth at the back of Mario’s restaurant. The waiter had placed the tray of coffees on the table in front of them and to Nikki’s delight there was also a large plate of delicious Italian snacks and appetisers.

  ‘I rang ahead,’ Eve said. ‘Because you haven’t eaten, have you?’

  ‘I meant to, but I sort of got waylaid.’

  ‘As I suspected. It’s only Bruschetta and mini pizza and some dips, but it will keep you going. Tuck in.’

  Nikki did. ‘Lifesaver.’


  ‘So, what do you need to talk about that needs to be said “undercover?”’ Eve looked at her knowingly.

  ‘Apart from being in the RAF, you spent a lot of time working for the MOD, didn’t you?’

  Eve nodded.

  Nikki kept her voice low even though there was no one left but a scattering of diners and one or two waiters. ‘I need a favour. I’m looking for a safe house.’

  ‘How soon?’

  ‘Dawn tomorrow.’

  ‘Just time to make up the spare bed. Blue or pink duvet cover?’

  ‘Pink.’

  ‘And will she have chaperones?’

  ‘Two, around the clock, eight hour shifts.’

  ‘Put them in workman’s clothing, give them some decorators’ tools and equipment, and find them a battered van — if you have the time.’

  ‘All the vans in the station pool are battered,’ Nikki said, ‘but I’ll need to get hold of one that isn’t registered to us.’

  ‘Good, and I’ll go directly from here to Tesco and get some food in for my “niece” and the nice men who are going to redecorate the dining room. Duration of stay?’

  ‘Unknown. Are you sure you’re okay with this?’

  ‘Dead right, I am. Art is fine, but there are only so many pictures you can stick on the wall. I’ll get bored if I don’t do something constructive soon.’ She touched her lips with a finger. ‘And I know not to ask questions.’

  ‘I can tell you the basics. You’ve probably had more use out of signing the Official Secrets Act than I have.’

  ‘Maybe.’

  ‘She’s a police officer, a detective, and she is under immediate threat from a trained killer. We suspect a mole in the station, so we can’t use our usual places of safety. Other than a few trusted colleagues, no one knows you are my mother, and only Joseph knows your new address. I want to hide her in plain sight, right here in Greenborough.’

  ‘Smart thinking.’

  ‘Take this.’ Nikki handed her mother a cheap pay-as-you-go mobile phone and a charger. ‘Joseph and I use them for this kind of thing. You’ll find all the names and numbers that you might need logged into the Contacts.’

  Eve slipped the phone into her handbag. ‘Give me a code word, in case anything,’ she paused, ‘anything unplanned happens.’

  Nikki thought for a moment. ‘Pizza. If I see or hear that, either in a message or in a conversation, I’ll be round with a herd of policemen and big guns.’

  ‘How many extra toppings for a helicopter?’

  Nikki laughed out loud. ‘You really are up for this, aren’t you?’

  ‘I miss my job more than I can ever tell you, Nikki. So don’t worry about your little flower, she’ll be safe with me. By the way, what’s her name? My niece?’

  ‘Er, um, Michelle. We’ll call her Michelle Anderson, okay? And she’s from Loughborough. I happen to know she’s familiar with that area, so it’ll keep things simple. Not that I’m expecting her to speak to anyone while she’s with you.’

  ‘I know the drill, Nikki. I’ll be ready and we’ll take it from there. Your officers on protection will explain what’s expected of me.’ She sat back. ‘Now finish up this food before it gets cold.’

  ‘Thanks, Eve. I know this is over and above, but I really do appreciate it.’

  ‘And I appreciate you thinking of me, and your trust.’

  ‘If I can’t trust my mother, who can I trust?’

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Nikki had arrived at the station just before midnight, and the call on her mobile made her jump.

  ‘Inspector Nik?

  ‘Mickey! Can’t you sleep?’

  ‘No one is sleeping on the Carborough tonight, Nikki.’

  She stiffened. ‘Why? What’s happening?’

  ‘I tried to get hold of Joe. Is he okay? His phone was dead.’

  ‘He’s out on an investigation, it’s probably switched off.’ She didn’t like lying to Mickey. ‘But what’s going down on the Carborough?’

  ‘Joe wanted news on King Rat. Well, it appears that he doesn’t like the Fens anymore. Everything he’s involved in is closing down.’

  ‘Our colleagues in Derbyshire did light a blue touchpaper, although we weren’t sure how badly the fire would affect him.’

  ‘It affected him badly, Inspector Nik, because his army has disbanded. No one wants to be connected to him anymore, and I’ve heard that some of his boys are already looking for deals from you guys. He’s turned from being King Rat to an outcast overnight.’

  ‘It couldn’t happen to a more deserving man.’

  ‘I agree with you, and so does Raymond. He’s well pleased the man has done a runner.’

  Nikki paused then asked, ‘Do you know a man called Gibson Ash?’

  ‘He’s one of Freddie’s men,’ said Mickey without hesitation. ‘He hasn’t been on the scene for quite a while but he’s back now. He was involved in finding women for Ratman’s sex clubs. Bit of a charmer, or so I’m told.’

  ‘You know him?’

  ‘Not personally. He’s not my kind of person, Nikki, not anymore,’ Mickey chuckled. ‘But I still keep my eyes open and my ear to the ground.’

  ‘I want to talk to him, urgently.’

  ‘I’ll do what I can.’ Mickey gave a little yawn. ‘Give my love to Sergeant Joe, won’t you?’

  ‘Of course. And thank you, Mickey.’

  ‘No worries. Oh, and one other thing before I go, one of Freddie’s men who has come over to Raymond’s side, has it on good authority that Mr Venables is on his way to the East Midlands Airport. They run regular flights to Holland from there, and as he has a nice little flat in Amsterdam . . .’

  ‘Music to my ears, Mickey. You are a star.’

  ‘I am, aren’t I?’

  One down, thought Nikki as she ended the call. And if Mr Fabian were to do the same, she’d feel a whole lot better.

  * * *

  Joseph walked around the old cottage, leaving Jessie dozing in her chair. She looked exhausted. Joseph knew that the shock of today’s news had caught up with her. He tried his mobile, then pushed it back into his pocket. Dead spots on the Fens were just that — dead.

  He wanted to phone Tamsin, just to hear her voice. Since they had put aside their differences, she had become immensely precious to him. She always had been, but now that he was able to share that lovely, happy side of her, he was the closest he’d ever come to being totally content with his life. And now his girl was going to marry. He shook his head, marvelling at the fact that he was going to be part of her future life. He had always believed that one day he would learn about her forthcoming marriage from a notice in the paper or a terse message from Laura. The fact that she would be on his arm as they walked up that aisle filled him with delight.

  He opened the back door and looked out onto the silent fen. He loved remote, he loved Knot Cottage, but he did not love this place. It might have been idyllic once, when Nikki was a small child, but not now.

  He listened for a few minutes. The marsh wilderness was far from silent. Mainly he heard water — dripping, trickling, splashing. It came from the river close by, from the pools in the marshy ground, and it moved slowly along the myriad ditches, drains and dykes. Small animals scurried through the undergrowth. A soft wind rustled the leaves in the overgrown garden. And then there were those noises that were hard to explain. The creaks and groans of rotting fence posts and barn timbers could sound like wheels turning slowly on rutted ground, and he knew exactly why some of the old locals were superstitious. Owls and other night birds could freeze the blood with their screams.

  There was one sound he could not identify. A strange keening noise that wasn’t part of the fen. It had to be animal, maybe a feral cat or a fox, although they were not prevalent on the marsh. He shivered and ducked back inside, locking the door behind him. He went over to where Jessie slept.

  ‘I’m only resting my eyes.’

  ‘And I’m the Duke of Marlborough.’

/>   Jessie yawned and stretched, then drew the blanket tighter around her. ‘Shall we try to have a look at Keel’s diary?’

  ‘Sure. It’ll pass some time.’ He fetched the book, dragged his old chair next to Jessie’s and picked up the candle. ‘Once upon a time . . .’

  Jessie shook her head. ‘Oh my! How on earth are we supposed to make sense of all this?’

  Each page was filled from margin to margin, almost covering the paper beneath. There were sketches, cut-out pictures, writing and some odd art work that was a cross between graffiti and doodling.

  ‘He’s actually quite talented,’ whispered Joseph. ‘These drawings are very good.’

  ‘I’m sure you’re right, if you could tell what they represented.’

  ‘I don’t think we are going to decipher this by candlelight. We need a bright light and a clear brain for this lot.’

  Jessie leaned closer. ‘What is this? It looks familiar somehow.’

  Joseph stared at a sketch of an old ramshackle building. It appeared on several of the final pages, and in each case had a list of dates and times printed clearly down one side of it. Jessie was right, it did look familiar. ‘And this? It’s a drawing of the headlights and radiator grill of a car.’

  ‘The mystery boyfriend’s posh car?’

  ‘I’d say so. It’s an Audi A6, an executive saloon.’ He turned a page. ‘Oh, this is very dark indeed.’

  The page featured twisted trees, and black-robed figures with slanted red eyes, long, pointed fingers and elongated legs. ‘It’s going to be hard to sort fantasy from fact.’ He flipped back to the beginning. ‘It starts more like an ordinary scrapbook type of diary, but as time goes on, Keel’s artwork changes dramatically. The final pages look almost psychotic.’

  ‘And scary. I’ve seen books like this before, in the bedrooms of stalkers, obsessive freaks and predators.’

  ‘I don’t think it’s meant to be like that. Some of his sketches are beautiful, and he’s written little poems beside Dina’s name. It’s more an ode to love than a threat to her.’

  ‘Those black creatures didn’t look too loving.’

  ‘I think that’s his fear for her. Something happened to her, and I think it scared him, so he has portrayed that person as a night creature.’