‘Daisy? Daisy?’ Kate called excitedly. ‘It’s the police. Knock if you can hear me.’
The banging started again, quicker now. Urgent.
‘Quick,’ Kate demanded. ‘Pass me the bolt cutters.’
Patel obliged, reaching for the padlock. ‘This looks like the same type used at the sports hall.’
Kate recognised it too. Jamming the lock into the tool’s jaws, Kate and Patel worked together until it snapped in satisfaction, dropping to the floor with a crash. Patel yanked open the closed shutters, holding it aloft so Kate could prise the door open, and as she did the shuffling and scraping inside chilled her heart.
Scurrying to the far corner, amongst a carpet of crisp packets and sweet wrappers, a gaunt and timid creature blinked against the bright light flooding through the door; her lips dry and chapped, wrapped in a dirty blanket. Despite the strawberry fresheners stapled to the inside of the door, the smell of stale faeces was overpowering.
Crawling in on her hands and knees, Kate forced the terrified child to make eye contact. ‘Everything is going to be okay, Daisy. My name is Kate and I’m going to take you home.’
The girl didn’t move at first, and for a moment Kate couldn’t believe she was looking at the face of the girl whose every line and dimple she’d memorised. Kate continued to crawl forward ever so slowly. ‘The man who took you is gone now. You have nothing to be afraid of, my darling.’
And as if the spell was broken, the girl rushed forward, wrapping her tiny arms tightly around Kate’s neck, refusing to let go. Kate fought the stinging in her own eyes, knowing she had to stay strong. She had to get Daisy to safety. She’d made that promise.
*
Daisy finally released her grip on Kate’s neck when the paramedics gave her a sedative and strapped her into the stretcher.
‘I’ll stay with you,’ Kate promised, as they carried the gurney across the sand. ‘I promise you have nothing else to be scared of.’ Looking back at Patel as SSD’s head, DI Steve Hardy, arrived on scene, Kate instructed, ‘I want every inch of the hut processed. You’re to run point while I’m at the hospital with Daisy. She is in a bad state, and my guess is he was drugging her somehow. Check the water bottles, and I’ll have the hospital run her bloods for cross-examination purposes. Let’s make sure we tie up the loose ends for Daisy, for Petr Nowakowski and Maria Alexandrou.’
Patel nodded, before extending his hand to shake. ‘You found her, ma’am. If ever there was a time to take a pat on the back, this is it.’
Kate shook his hand, but it would be some time before she accepted any credit for her part. Over the coming days her rigorous self-examination would assess whether she could have done more to identify Neil’s and Imelda’s activities sooner, and whether Daisy’s nightmare could have been avoided.
Epilogue
TWO DAYS LATER
Sitting down at her desk, Kate wasn’t surprised to find the incident room empty. After the discovery of Daisy on Thursday, she’d promised the team the weekend off, subject to any major case breaking.
‘Ma’am, what are you doing here?’ Laura asked, as she entered the room and began to unravel her scarf.
‘I thought I’d make an early start on some of the paperwork,’ Kate smiled back. ‘I gave the team the weekend off, why are you here?’
‘Snap,’ Laura said. ‘I was bored at home and figured I might as well do something constructive. I thought you were going to your daughter’s birthday party?’
Kate smiled. ‘I will be, but I have a couple of bits and pieces to sort out first.’
‘Any news on whether the CPS will be pressing charges against Phillips for bribing Imelda Watkins to secure the swimming pool job?’
‘The Fraud team are now handling that, and despite a thorough examination of both Jackson’s and Vardan’s hard drives, no indecent images of children were identified, which is a relief.’
‘And Imelda Watkins?’
‘Is on remand, awaiting a trial date. She’s kept to her word and is chirping like a canary. Hendrix’s team are looking to build a case against Watkins’ silent partners. I guess we’ll just have to watch this space.’ Kate paused. ‘What’s that?’ she asked, pointing at the large box on Laura’s desk.
‘It came for you last night,’ Laura replied, lifting and carrying it over.
Kate’s eyes widened as she saw how neatly it was decorated.
‘Don’t worry,’ Laura teased. ‘I checked inside. Open it and see for yourself.’
Kate stood and tentatively lifted the lid. The perfume from the flowers hit her nose before she’d even spotted the petals inside.
‘Val Emerson dropped them round,’ Laura confirmed. ‘She wanted to personally thank you for finding Daisy, but I said I’d pass on the flowers. They’re in a pot of water, so should last a few days.’
Kate lifted out the vase and put the roses to her nose and inhaled deeply. ‘They’re beautiful. I think I might leave them here, though. They brighten the dreary walls, don’t you think?’
‘They’ll help block out the smell of Patel’s latest coffee bean mash-up too.’
‘Did Val say how Daisy is doing?’
‘The hospital want to keep her in for observation,’ Laura confirmed, ‘certainly until she’s at a more stable weight. Apparently she’d lost nearly a stone since she disappeared. She hasn’t been able to say much about her experience in that hut, but SSD believe he was drugging the water he was bringing her each day so she’d remain compliant, and wouldn’t make a noise to attract anyone to her location. It’s amazing that she didn’t freeze to death out there. She’s lucky to be alive, and owes you her life, ma’am.’
‘Owes us, Laura. The whole team contributed to finding her. Remember that.’
Laura smiled. ‘I will. I’m going to go and fix a drink. Do you want anything?’
Kate shook her head, as she heard her guest approaching. ‘I have an errand to run, but I’ll check in with you later. Don’t work too hard: that’s an order.’
Kate waited until Laura had left the room, before gathering her own coat and meeting Quinlan in the corridor. ‘Are you ready to do this?’
‘Are you kidding? I’ve never been so scared my entire feckin’ life, ma’am.’
‘It’ll be okay. The supe knows I’m coming over to see him, but he doesn’t know what for. It’s better that we meet away from the office and prying ears.’
‘What if he fires me on the spot?’
Kate had never seen Quinlan looking so terrified. ‘He can’t dismiss you. He’ll be upset, angry too, I expect, but he’ll respect you more for coming clean, before he finds out what’s happened. Try not to worry. I’ll be with you the entire time, and I’ll make sure things don’t get out of hand.’
‘I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, and for Tara. She told me you’d let her crash at your flat a couple of nights. It should have been me offering her support. If I wasn’t such a coward…’
‘Hey, look at me. Parenthood comes as a shock to all of us, even those who have been trying for a baby for years. Believe me, it takes some getting used to. What counts is what you do from here. Whatever decision you and Tara reach, you need to be grown-up about it.’ Kate rubbed his shoulder. ‘Now, come on, are you ready to get the shit kicked out of you?’
He forced a smile of gratitude, and led the way down to the car park.
*
Did you miss the nail-biting first instalment of the Detective Kate Matthews crime thriller series? Order Dead to Me now and find out how it all began!
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Order here!
Dead To Me
Detective Kate Matthews Series Book 1
Order here!
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How do you catch a killer who knows your every move?
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The woman lay flat on the table, her face to one side, her wrists bound with thick tape. Deep scratches marked the wood beneath her fingers, now resting cold and still…
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When a woman’s body is found in an abandoned bar near the Southampton docks, Detective Kate Matthews is called in to lead the investigation. She must solve this case to prove she is coping with the death of a close colleague.
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Kate knows a pile of ripped up newspaper cuttings discovered at the victim’s house must be a piece of the puzzle, but her team keep hitting dead-ends… Until she finds a disturbing clue that convinces her of three things: The murder is linked to the body of a man found hanging in a warehouse, she is on the hunt for a calculated serial killer, and the killer is watching her every move.
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Kate realises there will be another victim soon, and that her own life is in grave danger, but no one else believes her theory. Can she find and stop the most twisted killer of her career, before another life is lost?
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Order here!
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An absolutely NAIL-BITING thriller that will keep you guessing to the very last page. Perfect for fans of Robert Dugoni, James Patterson and MJ Arlidge.
Hear more from Stephen
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Also by Stephen Edger
Detective Kate Matthews series:
Dead to Me
Dying Day
Cold Heart
A Letter from Stephen
Thank you so much for taking the time to read Cold Heart; it really does mean the world to me. Please sign-up to my newsletter here if you’d like to be kept in the loop about what’s going on with my other titles:
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As a character, Kate is never far from my mind. Whenever I find myself facing a difficult decision in my life, I now ask: what would Kate Matthews do? And I usually find I arrive at the right conclusion. If you want to be kept updated about Kate Matthews and my other novels, you can sign up to the mailing list on my website.
You can also get in touch via Facebook or Twitter. I genuinely read and respond to every message I receive. Writing can be such a lonely business, and nothing thrills me more than hearing from a reader who has enjoyed my books; I promise I won’t bite!
If you enjoyed Cold Heart, I would be so grateful if you could leave a review. It doesn’t need to be long, just a few words, but it makes such a difference. It will help new readers discover one of my books for the first time. I cannot overstate the importance that book reviews play for authors. Every review has the potential to lead to an extra sale, and every extra sale encourages a writer to work on their next story.
Thank you again for reading my book. I hope to hear from you soon.
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Stephen Edger
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Dying Day
Detective Kate Matthews Series Book 2
Order here!
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Her dark skin looks almost grey; the effect of the elements and death’s touch. Her limp body left pressed against a wire fence like trash. I make a silent promise that I will do everything I can to catch the person who did this to her…
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Exactly a year ago, Amy, a young detective on Detective Kate Matthews’ team, was killed when she was sent undercover to catch a serial killer targeting young girls.
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Kate never forgave herself for letting the killer slip through her fingers…
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As the case is reopened and the campaign to find the culprit begins again, Kate is told to stay well away, and for good reason: another girl’s body has been found.
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Kate is determined to connect new evidence to the old to catch this monster before more innocent lives are taken. The trail runs cold when her prime suspect is found dead. But then why is the body count still rising?
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The answer is more terrible than Kate could possibly have imagined, and the killer so much closer than she thinks…
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Order here!
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An absolutely heart-stopping read that have you sleeping with the lights on. Perfect for fans of Robert Dugoni, James Patterson and MJ Arlidge.
Acknowledgements
I’d like to say special thanks to the following people, without whom Cold Heart wouldn’t be in existence today:
Parashar Ramanuj, my best friend for more than twenty years and my first port of call whenever I have strange questions about medical procedures and body parts; Joanne Taylor, who has been reading and providing feedback on my novels since the beginning; Elaine Emmerick for reading and championing my work; and my incredibly supportive family, in particular my wife Hannah, who puts up with my mind wandering mid-conversation as a new plot twist strikes.
As ever, I’d also like to thank my eagle-eyed editor Jessie Botterill and the incredible team of editors, cover designers and marketers at my publishers Bookouture. I’ve learned so much and everyone has made me feel so welcome. I’d also like to give a shout out to the other Bookouture authors who are massively supportive and super talented.
Final thanks must go to every reader of my books for encouraging me to follow my dream and not to give up.
Published by Bookouture
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An imprint of StoryFire Ltd.
Carmelite House
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Copyright © Stephen Edger 2018
ISBN: 978-1-78681-348-0
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Stephen Edger has asserted his right to be identified as the author of this work.
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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers.
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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places and events other than those clearly in the public domain are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
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Stephen Edger has asserted his right to be identified as the author of this work.
Cold Heart: Absolutely gripping serial-killer fiction Page 30
