Cold Justice

by Lee Weeks

  ‘Are Mawgan or Towan in the house?’ asked Carter.

  ‘No,’ replied Sandford. ‘There’s no sign of anyone here. But it looks like someone’s taken some items out of the gun safe – it’s been left open.’

  ‘Can you see what’s missing?’ asked Carter.

  ‘A shotgun, for sure.’

  ‘Eb,’ Carter said as he hung up. ‘Get hold of Pascoe and tell him he needs to get Leonard and the forensic team over to Stokes’ farm. Tell him what’s happened. And, get him to put out an alert for Mawgan and Kensa. Tell him we are keeping Raymonds in custody.’

  After calling Pascoe, Willis phoned Lauren; there was no reply, and she left a message: ‘Lauren, Kensa’s gone missing. She may be headed your way. Lock all doors and stay inside.’

  Another call came from Pascoe.

  ‘We’re following the sighting of a yellow Fiat. It’s been seen heading towards Penhal. We think it was hidden in a barn with farm machinery on the outskirts of Penhaligon.’

  Carter grabbed his keys as Willis got to her feet.

  ‘Let’s go. We want to be ready.’

  ‘What about Raymonds?’

  ‘He can wait. Lock the door.’

  Mawgan stood outside Cam’s cottage watching the yellow Fiat coming over the cliff road towards her. She thought about running, but then she saw Cam at the wheel. Kensa got out brandishing the shotgun and called to Mawgan to come over. Mawgan walked towards them. All the time she kept her eye on Kensa. When she had left her that morning she was sure there wasn’t a sane thought left in Kensa’s head. She’d threatened to skin Mawgan alive as she chased her round the house. Now, when she looked at Kensa, she saw she was beyond help or hope, but Mawgan had to try.

  ‘Walk towards the mine,’ Kensa said as she waved the shotgun at them.

  ‘Is my son there?’ asked Lauren, shouting so her voice could be heard above the sea pounding the cliff face below.

  Kensa didn’t answer as she marched them down towards the mine. They stood on the side of the derelict building and the wind died right down as they sheltered outside the old ruins.

  ‘Kensa, stop all this now, before it’s too late.’

  Kensa shook her head as she turned to look out to sea; the sun’s rays were creeping through the storm clouds. She put up a hand to shelter her eyes from the glare.

  ‘You’ve lied to me.’

  ‘No, Kensa. I’d never lie to you. We’ve shared so much, you and me.’

  ‘Did you know she had my son?’ Lauren asked. Mawgan nodded.

  Cam shook his head and groaned, ‘Why would you do such a thing?’

  ‘I didn’t know until we were home. Then she gave him to me to help look after and I panicked. I didn’t know what to do with him. I moved him around the place. I promise I looked after him, kept him warm. I kept thinking I would tell the police that day but I didn’t know what would happen to us. Then my dad found him and threatened to tell Raymonds. He said he would say that Cam was involved, and that would mean the end of Cam getting his restaurant. It would mean the end of all our dreams. I couldn’t let him do that. I hit him over the head with the spade till he was dead and I stuck him on the spike. I didn’t care at that moment. I hated him so much for all the things he did to us. I went to get the boy, to give him back, but Kensa had already taken him. I’m so sorry.’ Cam was staring at Mawgan with a look of disbelief and devastation. ‘Oh my God, my poor little boy.’ Lauren looked at Kensa. ‘How could you do that to a little boy? Why did you take him?’ said Lauren. ‘You had no right.’

  ‘You want to talk about rights?’ Kensa snapped. ‘Where are mine? I want what I’ve lost. I never had a childhood. They took it from me. The only good thing that ever happened to me was Toby. I wanted that baby so badly, but they wouldn’t even let me have that. Where are my rights?’ She shook her head and said remorsefully, ‘I’m sorry. I’ve been feeding him. I’ve been finding clothes for him to wear. But now Misty’s gone . . . I can’t do it. I don’t want to see him any more. I didn’t want to hurt him, but he’s crying all the time. I’m sorry.’ She started to cry. ‘I’m so sorry.’

  ‘Please don’t say you hurt my son?’

  The police helicopter hovered above them.

  ‘We have a sighting by the old mine at Garra. I can see Kensa, she has a gun, possibly a shotgun. She appears to be holding Lauren, Cam Simmons and Mawgan Stokes. Armed response teams are on their way.’ Pascoe radioed back to Carter and Willis. ‘It’s too windy for us to set down close. We’ll drop behind the headland and meet you up there.’

  Willis and Carter drove through the seawater that had completely covered the road and had reached the door of the police station. As they turned at the end of the shops, ready to take the cliff road, they met Jeanie and Toby coming the other way.

  ‘Follow us,’ Willis mouthed to Jeanie. They led the way towards Garra.

  Chapter 50

  Raymonds sat bolt upright in the chair as he waited. He looked around the room – it had been many years since he’d sat in the police station that he’d known as a second home for the most part of his life. This was the only real interview room they had. This was the room without the window, cold in winter, hot in summer. He strained to hear the comings and goings in the rest of the building. He couldn’t. There was a terrible stillness in the room and he began to feel that panic build in him that he’d felt the night he’d waited in the services car park. It was the panic he felt now when he had to admit that some things were beyond his control. He no longer had the might of the law behind him, the unquestionable authority.

  He was dreading going home to Eileen. He would have to tell her that her only son was dead. She would look at him with that expression that he loathed so much and all the pain in the world would be reflected in her eyes and she would ask him how.

  Kensa seemed to cling to the old mine wall as if she were hanging on to the earth as it turned.

  ‘Where’s my son, Kensa? You said you’d take me to him.’ Lauren spoke as calmly as she could.

  ‘I come up here to think, be close to people,’ Kensa said, as she stared out to sea.

  She picked up the gun and aimed it at Lauren. ‘Come with me.’

  ‘No, Kensa, what are you doing?’ Cam called. Mawgan stepped towards her.

  ‘Kensa, don’t do it.’

  ‘There they are,’ Willis said, as they came in sight of the mine. They pulled up and Jeanie parked beside them. Carter got out and went around to talk with Toby.

  ‘Make sure you stay in the car until it’s safe. Stay with him, Jeanie, and make sure he has a vest on if he comes out.’

  Carter and Willis walked towards the mine.

  Kensa called out: ‘I want to speak with Toby,’ as she saw them coming.

  ‘You’ll have to put the gun down,’ replied Carter. ‘We can’t let Toby or anyone else be at risk. You need to tell us where Samuel is.’ Above them, the seagulls screamed as they circled on the wind. ‘He needs to be found now. He’s an innocent little boy, it isn’t right, you know that. Mawgan, do you know where he is?’

  ‘What’s right or wrong?’ Kensa walked backwards towards the cliff edge. ‘Old man Simmons pushed Ella off this edge after he’d brought her back from Plymouth. I saw him but I was too frightened to tell anyone. I can still hear her scream as she fell. Was that right?’

  Cam started to cry. Mawgan held him as he staggered back and slumped against the mine wall.

  ‘I was abused all my life, we all were,’ said Kensa. ‘We were hunted down like animals when we were children. Was that right?’

  ‘No,’ replied Carter. ‘It wasn’t, and we will find the people responsible.’

  ‘They’re dead now. Martin Stokes, Old Man Simmons. They’re dead and never made to speak the truth about it.’

  ‘But we can take Raymonds to court. He knew what was going on.’

  ‘Oh yes, he knew. But the Sheriff is untouchable.’

  ‘Kensa?’ Willis stood forward. ‘Listen to me; no o
ne can make it up to you. It’s a dreadful thing that happened to you and no one can make the bad memories disappear. But there are so many people that can help you cope, help you build a great life for yourself. You’ve been brave all your life. You’ve been a fighter. Don’t give up now. Samuel is a small child like you were. Don’t let these horrible things happen to him too. You have the power to make him happy again. Just tell us where he is.’

  ‘Toby?’ Kensa shouted up to the car. ‘I need to talk to you. Then I’ll tell.’

  Toby looked petrified as he sat watching the cliff top through the windscreen. He reached for the handle of the door. Then he turned to Jeanie.

  ‘I have to go to her, I have to get out of the car,’ he said to Jeanie.

  ‘Okay, I’m coming with you,’ said Jeanie. The door was almost whipped out of her hands as she opened it. She went around to the boot and fitted him with a bullet-proof vest.

  Kensa allowed the gun to grow heavy and low in her hand as she watched Toby walk towards her and she seemed to teeter towards the edge of the cliff as the wind returned in gusts, but she kept Lauren near her.

  Carter watched the officers take up their positions on the perimeter of his vision. He trusted Pascoe to know what he had to do. No one would want to be the officer to pull the trigger on Kensa, but they would, if they had to.

  ‘Kensa, Toby cannot come any closer while you’re holding the gun,’ Carter said, but it was more to try and halt Toby than influence Kensa.

  ‘Hello, Kensa,’ said Toby as he kept his eyes on her trying to see the girl he had loved, all those years ago.

  ‘Toby, stay back,’ ordered Willis, but Toby only slowed down his pace.

  Kensa was breathless, she was smiling, and at the same time her eyes were swimming with tears as she looked at him.

  ‘Toby? I’ve been waiting for you, for so long.’

  ‘Please, I’m begging you, let Samuel go. Tell us where he is.’

  ‘He is in the safe place. I never loved anyone but you, you know? I know you would never have hurt me, it was all lies.’

  ‘I wasn’t capable of harming you, I loved you.’

  Kensa gasped as if someone had kicked her in the chest.

  ‘You don’t love me any more?’

  ‘I will always love you, but I’ve realized I cannot control who I love. Lauren understands too. I’m sorry.’

  Kensa pulled Lauren towards her and Carter could feel the tension as twenty officers got ready to fire. Kensa moved closer to the edge of the cliff, taking Lauren with her.

  ‘Don’t do it, Kensa, don’t do it,’ pleaded Mawgan, ‘otherwise no one will ever believe our stories. No one will ever care what we have to say; they will just remember us as those “mad ones” on the cliff top. They’ll never know what we did to stay alive, what we suffered. Kensa, don’t do this to me, don’t do it to us. Step away from the edge. Let Lauren go.’

  Lauren took a step away as Mawgan stepped forward.

  ‘We deserve better. All the pacts we made as kids. We knew we had to stay alive at all costs, didn’t we? I’ll go to court and tell them about my dad, what he did to us. I’ll make sure the town knows what happened to us. Things will be different now.’

  Kensa turned and looked out to sea. The Atlantic raged and churned.

  Mawgan held out her arms and reached for Kensa.

  ‘Come on, we’ll face this together, like we’ve always done.’

  Kensa smiled as she cried. But her eyes still burned. She was distracted by Toby. He had begun walking away.

  ‘Kensa, please,’ Mawgan said as she saw Kensa getting anxious again. She held the gun tight.

  ‘Toby, stop where you are,’ Carter shouted.

  ‘Give me the gun, Kensa,’ Mawgan said, and walked forwards, reaching for it.

  Kensa fired, and the bullet hit Mawgan full on. She was blown backwards. Carter held up his hand to stop the officers from firing.

  Cam knelt and held Mawgan on the ground as he looked around blindly for help.

  ‘I came back for you, Mawgan. I came back to be with you. I would have done anything to make us happy.’

  Her eyes were losing their focus as she smiled. ‘It’s not our time, is it? Run to the safe place, Cam, that’s where the boy will be.’ Mawgan looked at Cam to see if he understood – he nodded. Then she passed away. Cam bowed his head and sobbed.

  Kensa turned and opened her arms like a bird. Then she dropped off the edge of the cliff.

  Raymonds looked around the room and thought how they had done a rather shoddy job in putting the place back as it was. There were still tourist posters on the walls advertising the Poldark Mine and the Traditional Cornish Village where time had stood still. He stood and went to the door and listened: no noise, no sound at all. He tried the door, it was locked. He stood in the middle of the room and for a moment he closed his eyes and he felt as if he were falling.

  Outside in the street, Towan revved up Raymonds’ Silver Fox till it was smoking. Then he spun the Ford Cortina in the sand as he roared past the police station, spinning the car round in the entrance to the beach outside Cam’s café and then racing back along the road. He turned into the car park behind Marky’s Surfshack and lined up the Silver Fox with the bottle banks at the edge of the car park, beneath the sign saying not to feed the seagulls. He revved, and then he let her fly, and the Silver Fox smashed into the bottle bank.

  Raymonds stood tall, breathing deep; he could still smell the old police station. Those were good times. He had no regrets. He’d made a few bad judgement calls, it was true. But he hoped that people would remember him for the good things he’d done. He’d always had the good of the community in mind. It was never about him.

  He looked up at the ceiling. The strip lights of the original room had been replaced with a pendant light. He shook his head.

  ‘Shoddy.’

  Chapter 51

  ‘What did she mean by the safe place?’ asked Willis.

  ‘It was a place where we hid where no one would find us,’ answered Cam. He stood watching them zip up the body bag with Mawgan inside.

  ‘Will you show us where that is?’ Willis asked.

  Cam nodded as he turned away from the cliff top.

  Pascoe left instructions for his officers while he took one of the police vans and, led by Cam, they headed away in convoy.

  They drove back towards the Stokes farm but went off on a track before they got there and pulled up at the old barn that Willis and Carter had been to before, with Pascoe. It was still stacked with straw bales up to the ceiling. Carter went round to talk to Cam when he got out of the car and they opened the barn doors. The dust from the straw flew around them.

  ‘Are you sure this is the place?’ Carter asked incredulously.

  Cam got out of the car and stood looking at the barn, pale-faced and shell-shocked as he tried to cope with what had happened. Carter put his hand on his shoulder. He nodded.

  ‘Thank you, Cam, we appreciate how hard this is for you.’

  It was eerily quiet inside the barn, until a dove flew out from the roof cavity. It sent a shower of dust and then the barn settled again into silence.

  Cam stood for a few minutes looking at the bales. They had been stacked so that their load was balanced. He ran his hands along the lowest row, counting until he stopped by a section that had two bales, end on. He knelt and slid his hands either side of one of the bales, wriggling it out like a piece out of a Jenga puzzle.

  Lauren was watching, quietly terrified, from the entrance.

  ‘Do you want to wait in the car, Lauren?’ asked Jeanie, looking back at her. She shook her head.

  Toby came to stand next to her.

  ‘When we were young we had a farmhand called Billy who was really kind to us kids,’ said Cam as Willis knelt beside him and helped him gently dislodge the bale.

  ‘He could see what was going on and so, when he stacked these bales in here, he created a tunnel for us as he went.’ They finished sliding out
the bale.

  ‘We’d try and make it to here and then we’d scramble in and pull the bale to, and we’d hide in here, all night sometimes.’

  ‘Could Samuel really be in there now?’ asked Carter as he joined Willis on her knees by the tunnel. ‘Is there any air?’

  ‘There’s enough,’ answered Cam, ‘the stack is still standing, I presume the tunnel is still there.’

  Willis lay down on her side and peered into the gap between the bales. Does it widen out?’

  ‘Yes, to the width of the two bales after about ten feet, just briefly. There’s a section in the middle where we used to stay overnight if we could get here. There is an exit over here,’ Cam said as he walked along the front of the bales and stopped at the far left, feeling along until he found the bale on the second level. He carefully slid it out. Carter and Willis followed him over to take a look.

  ‘This drops down into the stack then?’ asked Willis, as she reached her arm inside to try and gauge what was beyond where she could see with her torch.

  ‘Yes.’

  Carter cupped his hands to his mouth and called Samuel. There was no reply.

  ‘We need a camera probe like they put in drains. Have we got one?’ Carter looked across at Pascoe for an answer.

  ‘I can get one within the hour.’

  ‘Then we will wait.’ Carter was just getting to his feet when he paused and looked at Willis’s face. She held her finger to her lips and listened hard at the tunnel exit. ‘You heard a noise?’ She nodded. Carter called across to Lauren and Toby. ‘Come over here and try calling him.’

  They hurried across and knelt together and Lauren called into the darkness.

  ‘Samuel? Hello, Samuel. Talk to Mommy. Can you hear me? Samuel?’

  Carter and Willis strained to listen as the faintest reply came from deep inside the stacks.

  ‘Mommy?’

  ‘Samuel, baby. We’re coming. You be a good boy now and stay still, stay there. We’re coming to get you.’ She couldn’t speak as she looked at Toby. She swallowed and breathed and wiped her eyes.