by M A Comley
Sara laughed. “Thanks, Craig. Anyone else?”
“I’ll do it,” Carla offered, eventually.
“No, you should get some rest.”
“Bollocks. I need to be here, trying to track this bastard down.”
Sara raised her hands; on the one hand, she was delighted with her partner’s response, and on the other, she couldn’t help worrying that Carla was pushing herself too hard, willing to remain at work rather than be at home, due to the bashing she’d received a few days before. A place which should be deemed as safe and secure to a copper. “All right, I’m not going to argue with you. Let me get the all-clear from the chief and we’ll go from there.” From her own perspective, she hoped Mark wasn’t going to kick up a stink when she broke the news. There was no reason to think that way, he’d always been very easy-going with her working overtime in the past, before they’d tied the knot, but she was wary about pushing the boundaries all the same. Happy husband, happy life!
She paid the chief a visit. Recapped the two investigations she was running and her frustrations at hoping to get the girls back swiftly, along with implementing the necessity for some of her team to work over the weekend, to keep on top of the cases. The chief didn’t seem too happy with the request but, in the end, she reluctantly agreed it was the right course of action, if there was any hope of finding the two girls alive.
Sara relayed the news to her team and accepted Craig and Carla’s suggestion that they should join her. Now, all she had to do was break the news to Mark. She decided the best way for her to do that was over a nice steak dinner and a glass of wine. She rang him at work. “Sorry to disturb you.”
“It’s fine. I was just thinking about you. Thought we’d go out somewhere nice over the weekend.”
“Hmm… about that, going out, I mean. Sorry, love, I was going to break the news to you gently over dinner tonight, but I have to work this weekend.”
Silence greeted her for a few seconds until Mark let out a long sigh. “If you must, I was looking forward to spending some quality time with you. Do you really have to give up your entire weekend?”
“I’ll have to see how it goes. The sooner we catch this bastard, the safer the women of Hereford are going to be, in my mind at least.”
“I get that. Ignore me, I’m just being selfish. No doubt I can find something to do around here to keep me occupied. Or I could pay your parents a visit, see if they need any urgent chores doing. I know your father’s been ill this week.”
“You’re a good man, Mark. I was full of trepidation about breaking the news to you.”
“Why? I’m not a tyrant, Sara. I’ve never had a pop at you about your work before, have I?”
“I know and I appreciate it. I still want to cook you a nice meal this evening, to make up for letting you down.”
“Correction, you’ve done no such thing. I won’t try to dissuade you from cooking, though.”
“How about I stop off at the supermarket on the way home and grab us a couple of nice steaks?”
“Sounds good to me. I have a late appointment this evening, I should be home at around seven.”
“Excellent, gives me enough time to shop and make a start on the meal. I’ve gotta run now. Thanks for understanding, Mark, I knew there was a reason why I married you.”
“Get away with you. Marriage is about compromising, isn’t it? I foresee us having to do a lot of that over the years to come, given our demanding careers.”
“We’ll do our best not to let that happen though, yes?”
“You have my word. See you later. Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
She hung up and immediately dialled her mother’s number to ask how her father was doing. “Sorry, Mum, I was hoping to drop in and see you both over the weekend, but I need to work.”
“That’s all right, dear, needs must, eh? No news on that missing girl, I take it?”
“Not yet, no. Mark’s going to be at a loose end, he’s planning on popping around to see if you have any chores for him to do.”
“If he’s sure. The jobs are mounting up around here, since your father became ill.”
“Just make a list. Sorry I won’t get a chance to pop in and see you. Looking forward to next weekend though, Mum.”
“I know you do your best, love. Take care. Speak soon.”
Sara ended the call with a smile on her face and an ache in her heart, knowing that she wouldn’t be able to check on her father’s health in person over the weekend.
8
Harvey clapped his hands and then fisted the air in triumph. “I finally did it.”
Daniel stared at him, trying to figure out what he was on about. “Spill, the suspense is killing me.”
“That bird from the solicitor’s up the road.”
Daniel shrugged. “What about her?”
Harvey exhaled noisily. “She’s finally agreed to come on a date with me.”
“Oh, right. Don’t tell me, she’s your next victim.”
Harvey frowned. “Why the pissed off tone? What if she is? Have you got something to say about that?”
“Nope, forget I said anything. I’ll be glad when all this is over. Hate being on tenterhooks all the time, wondering if the coppers are going to track us down.”
“Why should they? Up to now we’ve been super cautious. They’re busy chasing their tails, I’ve got no intention of giving them anything useful to latch on to in their hunt for us, either. You need to learn to relax, bro, and leave all the nitty-gritty to me. Have I ever let you down before?”
Daniel sighed and hitched up a shoulder. “I suppose. I need to get my own life on track, Harvey.”
“What are you saying? You want to pull out?”
“Maybe.” Daniel threw a pen across his desk. “I don’t know. I don’t like the idea of those two girls being alone in that house, with barely any food or water. It’s not right. What if something happens to them?”
“Such as what? They’re chained to the frigging bed, numpty.” Harvey prodded his temple as if insinuating Daniel was thick.
“About that, you think it’s right to treat them worse than we’d treat an animal?” Daniel shouted.
“Are you for real? Who cares how the frigging girls are treated? I don’t. As long as we get the money that’s owed us in the end, that’s what’s keeping me going. The thought of all that lovely dosh running through my fingers. Money, the root of all evil.” He let out a sinister laugh.
“The sign of evil, Mum always says. I’m still not au fait with this, bro. Can’t we bring the hand-over day forward? Why do we have to keep the girls, feed them et cetera for longer than a week? It doesn’t make sense, none of this does.”
“And that, dear bro, is why I’m the perceived brains of this outfit and not you.” He leapt out of his chair and jabbed his finger in Daniel’s chest. “I’m in charge. I’m the one with the contacts and the nous to pull this off. Left up to you, that plane wouldn’t leave the airfield.”
“About that. We need juice and I don’t have the funds to fill her up.”
“Take it out of petty cash.” He returned to his chair and dug around in the drawer next to him, threw the tin at his brother and sniggered.
“You’re such a fucking moron at times. It was a genuine dilemma, one that I’d like an answer to; instead, you bloody insult my intelligence, not for the first time. It’s becoming problematic, Harvey.”
“Oo… big words for you. I’ll transfer some funds from my bank account to the business account, which is lacking at present.”
“And where did you get that kind of money? You’re always pleading poverty.”
“Shipman may have bunged me an upfront payment.”
Daniel sat upright in his chair. “What? And you didn’t think to mention it? What am I? Your lackey or your damn business partner?”
“Not five minutes ago, you were telling me you wanted out, so you bloody need to make your mind up. I’ve had it with your whining, Daniel
. If you want out, then I can arrange that, no problem, but don’t come running to me when your bank balance runs dry.”
Daniel picked up another pen and tapped it on his legal-sized notepad. “You think you’ve got one over on me, you’re wrong, bro. I’m going to bide my time and leave you at your most vulnerable.”
Harvey laughed and shook his head. “See, even divulging that tells me how fucking naïve you are.”
“Screw you.”
“I’ve tried, I don’t tend to get as much satisfaction doing it that way.” He tipped his head back and laughed like a crazed hyena.
Daniel shook his head. “You’re sick.”
“Careful, you keep saying that and I’m likely to take offence.”
“Fuck off.”
“Okay. I’ll leave you to finish up here, I have a date to prepare for.”
“Warped shit! Date my arse.”
“A date with destiny.” He tucked his chair under the desk, slipped on his jacket and headed out of the door.
He waved at his open-mouthed brother through the window and jumped in his car. Driving home, he put on some Ed Sheeran to get him in the mood for what lay ahead of him. However, he found himself distracted, recapping the conversation he’d had with his twin. He needed Daniel, if only for the use of his plane. How could he likely circumvent not using him? He wracked his brain and failed to think of a different option.
Once he was at home, he showered, dressed in a grey pin-striped suit and ran through how he predicted the evening ahead might pan out. Shit! I should’ve checked if Daniel would be available for later on, knowing what a foul mood he was in when I left.
He punched his brother’s number into his mobile. “Hi, yeah, just checking if you’ll be free later.”
“Oh, right, so I do have my uses after all.”
“Don’t be so pathetic, Daniel. I need to know that you won’t let me down.”
“Have I ever let you down before? Think carefully, bro.”
“No, never. Does that mean you’re not going to start?”
“Yep, I’ve got your back as always, for now. I’ll fill the plane up and be ready from nine o’clock onwards. Text me when you can to let me know when to expect you.”
“You’re the best, Daniel. All this will be worth your while, I promise.”
“It’d better be.”
Harvey ended the call and did a little jig on the spot. Having his brother on board would help the evening be the success he projected it to be. He dabbed aftershave on his freshly shaven chin and stood back to admire what was on offer. “She’s gonna be thrilled with the results, big man. You’ve got this.”
He left his home and drove the short distance to where he’d arranged to meet the luscious Layla. He had volunteered to pick her up from her house, but she’d insisted that wasn’t necessary and that she’d prefer to meet at a public location. He’d played along, telling her that she was doing the right thing in the current climate.
His driver dropped him across the street from the Miller and Carter restaurant and Layla appeared as he approached the restaurant. He leaned forward and kissed her cheek, which instantly warmed beneath his lips. “You look incredible. I’m not late, am I?”
“Thank you. If you’re late then so am I. Shall we go in? It’s freezing out here.”
She wasn’t dressed for a winter evening. She wore a slinky knee-length black glitter dress, accessorised with a silver shawl wrapped around her shoulders. Very smart and sexy as hell. His erection sprang to attention, his excitement mounting at what would come later.
“Come, let’s get you inside before you freeze to death. I appreciate the effort you put in for my benefit.”
“Oh, no, I always dress up when I go out for a meal. It’s the way I was brought up by my parents. Can’t stand people, men in particular, who casually show up in ripped jeans and expect their dates to be okay with their appearance.”
“I’m the same. Jeans are for a date at the bowling alley, do you bowl?”
“I’ve been known to, in the past, not that I’m any good. Thank you for making the effort, I would’ve felt awkward had you not worn a suit this evening.”
“The pleasure is all mine. I hope we make a connection this evening, I’ve been dying to ask you out for months.” He opened the front door and gestured for her to go ahead of him.
She giggled. “I know you have. My mum always tells me to ‘treat men mean to keep them keen’.”
“And how is that advice working out?”
She waved her hand from side to side. “Unsuccessfully, so far.”
The host welcomed them. “Do you have a table booked?”
“Yes, I booked it earlier today in the name of Davis,” Layla replied.
“Ah, yes, I have it here. If you’d care to follow me.”
Harvey glanced around at the early diners tucking into their sumptuous meals. The smiles on their faces told him he was in for a treat, in more ways than one this evening. He held Layla’s chair out for her, charmer that he was.
The waiter appeared at their table to take their drink orders. “What would you like? Shall I get a bottle of prosecco?” Harvey asked.
Layla smiled her approval. “Sounds delightful.”
After the waiter had left, she leaned forward and whispered, “We’re sharing the bill. I need you to understand that I’m an independent woman of means.”
He snorted. “Oh, is that so? We’ll decide later.”
She shook her head and narrowed her eyes. “Either we agree the point now or I walk out of here.”
He was taken aback by the harshness of her tone. He hated bossy women, punishing her was going to be his absolute pleasure. He turned on the charm and grinned. “If you insist, I know when I’m beaten.”
“I do. And, thank you. Now, the taxing question is, what do we choose from their excellent menu?”
“My preference has always been to plump for their finest steak. How does that sound to you?”
Her finger ran down the menu and paused at the dish he’d suggested. She tapped it a few times and then trailed her finger back across the other dishes on offer. “I’m not sure I’m in the mood for a steak tonight. I’m not really one for consuming a lot of red meat. I think I’ll have the chicken fillet instead.”
He glanced at the menu and noted the price; the dish she’d chosen was one of the cheapest available. “Looks tempting, I must say. No, I’m a man of my word, I tend to stick with my initial option when there’s a choice to be made.”
“Admirable quality,” she replied, “I fear I’m a bit of a ditherer, especially where choosing a meal is concerned.”
“What about your everyday life? You seem a very astute lady to me.”
She smiled as the waiter reappeared to take their orders. Harvey requested the meals they’d selected, and the man drifted off again. “Sorry, you were saying?”
“I suppose I have a certain skill for detecting what’s wrong in a person, at least, I’ve been known to in the past.”
“I see. Are you saying you’ve never made a mistake when deciding if a male companion has the makings of a good boyfriend or not?”
She sat back and laughed. “I wouldn’t go as far as to say that. Tell me about yourself, I’ve known you a few months now, since you and your partner opened up the office down the road from where I work, how’s it going there?”
“I can’t complain, and my partner is my twin brother. Although to look at us, you wouldn’t believe it.”
“Wow, I would never have guessed if you hadn’t told me. So you’re not identical twins. Who’s the oldest, you or him?”
“Me. Which gives me the right to boss him around.”
They both laughed. He admired her gleaming white teeth and the cute dimple that appeared in her flushed cheeks.
“What sort of work do you do?”
“We’re financial experts. There’s not a lot we don’t know about stocks and shares and a few secret money-making ventures that I can’t discuss.�
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“Oh, why’s that?”
“If I divulged any secrets, then I’d be forced to kill you,” he told her with a straight face. Her horrified expression made him chuckle. “Sorry, my idea of a joke. Please forgive me. Upon reflection it was probably something I shouldn’t have mentioned on a first date.”
“Or any date,” she chastised. Her smile had disappeared and was replaced by a scowl.
He soon realised he’d overstepped the mark and dug deep for a charm offensive. “So, tell me what you like to do in your spare time.”
She toyed with the stem of her wine glass for a moment or two before responding, “I like to keep fit. I’ve seen you and your brother down at the gym, that’s where I first noticed you.”
“You have?” He cast his mind back, trying to recollect seeing her there. He couldn’t, but he lied and said, “Ah, yes, I knew I recognised you from somewhere other than the solicitor’s. Do you go there often? I’m guessing with a stunning figure like that, at least a couple of times a week, am I right?”
She sniggered. “Yes, I try to get down there at least three nights a week, depending on my work schedule. Sometimes my boss asks me to remain behind and type up an urgent report he needs for court the following day. I never like to refuse.”
“Why? You’re entitled to have a life of your own outside office hours, aren’t you?”
“You’re right, of course. It’s just that if I said no, I know he’d take offence and do all that he could to get rid of me.”
“What makes you say that? It hardly seems fair to me.”
“I’m assuming it would be the case because he sacked my predecessor for doing the same thing. She put a family dinner before working overtime for Christopher and she was fired the next morning.”
“Jesus, what a tyrant of a boss. Not sure I could work for anyone that rigid. You need to have a good rapport with your staff to get the best out of them.”
“I think you’re right. I tend to keep my head down at work, do what I’m told when I’m told and no backchat. I detest it sometimes. Wish I could find another role more suited for my skills, but jobs are hard to come by since the lockdown last year. The economy is still in a bad way.”
