by Lee Cockburn
His arms held on to the ledge above as he stepped slowly down the steps from the attic, his face red with anger and from his efforts a few minutes before. He looked in the bedroom and licked his rough lips, tongue rasping over them as he imagined himself kissing Susan all over as she writhed beneath him, but not with pleasure. His footsteps were heavy on the stairs as he stomped his way to the bottom. How the fuck am I gonna find that scared little cow now? I’ll really fuck her up. She won’t get away from me that easily and as for that wimpy little fucker she calls a boyfriend, I’ll cut his balls off and choke the life out of him with them. She’s fucking mine and I’ll make sure he sees that before I kill the little rat fuck. John’s thoughts were running away with him, he could almost taste her, and he could picture the end scene as he raped her over and over as Andrew was made to watch. He chuckled deeply to himself as he walked through the hall and into the kitchen. He opened up one of the cupboards, then another and another until he eventually found something to eat.
“Biscuits, great! fucking nice ones too, the posh little bitch.” He ate half the packet before walking back into the hall and seeing the papers on the floor.
They weren’t here before, he thought. He bent down and picked them up. They had been under Susan’s arms and touching her skin and he could smell her scent on them. His arousal once again obvious to see as he took a deep breath in. The smell of her was driving him wild. He came back to his senses and started to finger his way through the pile of papers, huge fingers clumsily flicking each page.
“Shit, pish, crap, useless fucking shit,” and then he stopped and his heart skipped a beat as he could not believe what he was reading. The venue, the dates, the cost, the map to their dream escape, everything that he needed to hunt his prey down, once and for all, was there, almost gift wrapped for him to find.
“What a stupid fucking bitch. She deserves to fucking die for being that fucking dumb, unless she wants me to find her.” He roared with laughter. It was as if he had just won the lottery; he was so amused by her monumental error, he felt like jumping up and down like a child at Christmas. He was going to get her and she had helped him find her. For a few moments he had wondered how he was going to go about this but, like in Hansel and Gretel’s fairytale, crumbs had been left to guide him to the ultimate prize - Susan.
He pulled the curtains over very slightly to look outside to see if the coast was clear. Connie Anderson was also looking out of her window directly across the road, eyes fixed on her poor unfortunate neighbour’s house; she had heard the car leaving a while before and was looking out to see if Susan was back again. She was sad about what had happened to Susan, thinking to herself, if only I had looked out on the night that poor girl had been attacked I could have done something, phoned to help her, anything to stop it. She had seen Susan and Andrew leaving half an hour before, but still wanted to look out for the house, just in case something was to happen to it when Susan wasn’t there. That’s funny, I thought I saw the curtain moving. No, don’t be silly, there’s nobody there. Connie doubted herself and made a point of focussing on the curtain where she thought she had imagined the movement, her ageing eyes struggling to focus. See, it was nothing, silly old me, she convinced herself. Just then she saw it: a hand, a huge hand at the bottom of the curtain leaning on the windowsill. Then a face, a face that stopped her heart and her breathing for that moment. Her heart started to thump through her chest almost painfully. Her blood ran cold as she watched him look up the street and terror flushed through her. His head was facing down the street, but it was slowly moving to scan the rest of the area including Connie’s house. Her curtain was just slightly open and she did not want it to move and have it catch his eye. So when his face started to look straight at her window, she stood motionless. Will he be able to see me? Could my curtain just be lying this way? What if he sees me? What will I do? John stared at the house opposite him. He was checking to see when he could leave. He didn’t know whether to go via the front or back door and what was the best option in daylight, as there were houses to the rear where he assumed there would be people, since this place was full of pensioners. Connie’s eyes were going dry as she hadn’t blinked, because she was too scared to stop watching him for even a second. At least if she could see him, he wasn’t coming to get her. There was a net curtain on Connie’s window. She could see out quite well but anyone outside would struggle to see her, she hoped. John picked his nose and wiped it on Susan’s window sill; every little bit of his disrespectful behaviour pleased him, every degrading little action made him feel empowered. Connie moved her hand causing the net curtain to twitch and John turned his head like a jackal in the direction of the minute movement, his cold eyes focused and black. He stared right at her but could not see her; he sensed her as she watched him. He pushed his face through the curtains, his facial expression like that of Jack Nicholson in The Shining when he pushed his head through the door to the terror of his wife. John no longer concealed himself, he wanted to frighten whoever was watching him. Connie’s breathing was now so fast she felt light headed. She leaned her head down for only a moment and then resumed her position, only to see that he had gone - no hand, no face, nothing was left. She stood anchored to the spot, too terrified to move, her eyes fixed on the house in front of her. There was foliage both in her garden and in Susan’s, enough to give someone cover if needed, as John knew all too well from his night with Susan. With her shaking hand Connie reached for the phone, still frightened to move, just in case she had not given herself away and it was just her silly imagination. She dialled 999 and it seemed like an eternity before she heard, “Hello, which emergency service do you require?”
That’s not all she heard: heavy steps were coming from her kitchen. Her heart sank as she remembered that she had been out to feed the birds earlier and foolishly she hadn’t locked the door behind her. Oh what a fool, she thought. Ever since Susan was assaulted I’ve always locked up. Shoot! Have I got time to hide? I’ve got to try. Move!
Her shaky voice quivered when she said, “Help me, quickly.”
The footsteps inside got louder and were moving in her direction, Connie moved fast for an old lady. She went to the second door in the living room that led to a study and round into the rear of the house. John had not disguised his presence in any way but had underestimated his prey. Entering the living room, he fully expected to simply choke the life out of the interfering little busy body but to his surprise the room was empty and a phone lay on the table.
“Fuuuuccckk!” He lifted the phone and a voice spoke.
“Hello, hello! Are you still there?”
“I’m here. There is nothing happening. It was just my senile old mother imagining things and I couldn’t stop her getting the phone in time. Sorry.”
“Okay, are you sure you don’t need any of the services?”
“No services needed - false alarm, sorry. Sorry to have wasted your time,” John said convincingly.
“Sorry, I didn’t catch your name Sir.”
John hesitated, then replied, “Smith. Bye, then,” he said quickly as he hung up.
The call taker put a call straight through to the police; there was no way she was going to let this one lie. She had to send a set to check everything was okay anyway. She read out the address to the police and that was when the street name sounded painfully familiar. Instead of a single set doing a quick check, she also sent out a call on the city wide frequency for any free set to make its way there as well, just in case there was something more sinister going on. John slammed the phone down and made his way to the other door; he knew the police would check things anyway, they were not that stupid.
Connie lay face down on the floor, her hand gently pulling the bed clothes down to hide her beneath the bed, her face pushed into the carpet. She began to sob, trying hard not to breathe loudly or make a sound. There were five bedrooms in her house and she’d gone into the third in the hallway. Please come. Please, please, I don’t want to die. That po
or girl, that hideous man. Please help me, god, help me. Her hands were clasped and praying for help. John rushed through the house. He saw all five doors and went to the fifth hoping that she would have hidden in the furthest room. He crashed through the door, door, slamming it against the wall. He yelled out a cry of rage, knowing he didn’t have time to find her if he didn’t want to get caught and he didn’t want that. He was on a quest to finish what he had started with Susan.
He called out to Connie, “You’re a fucking lucky little grass. If I had the time, I’d rip your loose mouthed jaw right off, you fucking old cow.”
John crashed through the house like a wild bear. He had to be quick, some police weren’t slouches. He sprinted up the street, turned the corner and jumped into his car. He heard the sirens when he ran; he heard them coming from town and he headed the opposite way. He drove at an average speed so as not to draw attention to himself, his hire car blending in with the other traffic causing no issues at all. He knew the drill, the road blocks would be coming out soon on the major routes and some of the smaller ones but he’d be well on his way up north by then.
Chapter 24: Out of Touch
Susan laid her head back on the seat of the car, Andrew was looking forward when she looked at his face. She could see the worry etched there, although she knew he would try and hide it from her, to be strong for her. She knew even the strongest man would fear John Brennan. He was not normal; he was a very deranged and dangerous person, almost inhuman, capable of anything and she knew it.
Taylor could not believe what she was hearing on the radio.
“A male fitting the description of John Brennan has been seen within the home address of Susan Hamilton’s house,” and it appeared he would have killed the neighbour if he’d had the chance.
Taylor put her head in her hands and said to Marcus, “Pass me the phone, I need to at least try and tell Susan how far he’s willing to go. Get the Scenes Examination Branch down to Susan’s house and see how he got in there and where he’s been hiding all this time, as there have been cops there most of the day. Get in touch with the car that’s been assigned to getting Susan out of the city. Get them to stop their motor. “To PC Lomond, are you receiving,” Taylor spoke into the radio, exasperation on her face, an almost painful expression had obliterated any warmth and feeling of pleasure that had been experienced earlier that day.
Kay looked over from the other side of the office She could see the tense body language in Taylor and the beaten dog look that hung over Marcus. She had heard the office whispers and knew that it wouldn’t be long before Findlay would be on the warpath.
“PC Lomond, receiving.”
“Constable Lomond, tell me you’re still with them? Tell me they haven’t gone yet and that they are still in sight.”
“That’s a negative, Serg. We made sure they got through the traffic quickly and they went onto the M9 over ten minutes ago. They’ve been out of visual contact since then.”
“Received. You did well getting them away quickly in normal circumstances but we want them back. He’s been in her house. Who knows what he knows.”
“Did they say where they were heading before they left?”
“No Serg, sorry,” PC Lomond stated.
“Marcus, get onto the other forces’ Roads Policing branches and see if we can track down Susan’s vehicle before he does.”
“I’m on it,” said Marcus as he turned to speak on the phone to the other Scottish Divisions. “Who the fuck has she told where she was going? Tell me someone knows what her plans are.”
“Fuck, fuck, fuuuccckkkk! Please don’t let him get her.”
Andrew turned off the motorway quite soon after getting onto it and turned to Susan. “Scenic route, I think. Let’s get away from all of it, even the speeding traffic. We’re not in a hurry are we?”
“Nope,” Susan said in a soft voice, as she put her hand gently on Andrew’s thigh and squeezed it lovingly.
“Nobody will find us where we’re going,” Andrew smiled.
Where they were going was an isolated luxury log cabin in the middle of a wooded area, a large expanse of unpopulated beauty, as remote as it could possibly be. There was a loch beside the cabin with a couple of small rowing boats for the residents to make use of on lazy sunny days. There were hills on three sides and it was described as idyllic in the advert. A haven to escape from everything, a piece of paradise with a taste of Scotland’s beauty. Without a map or previous knowledge it could prove a very hard place to find and that is why Susan and Andrew had chosen the location; they had been meticulous in their search criteria. The cabin was five star and had every modern convenience. It contained a sauna and a Jacuzzi, and a large cinema-screen television with a pre chosen selection of films. There was enough luxury food and provisions pre-paid for the weeks ahead with a couple of deliveries of fresh goods throughout the stay. It seemed to be the perfect getaway. It cost a bit, but the setting and what came in the package was exactly what they wanted. Susan had decided that life was for living and no longer something that she would take for granted. She was going to spend her money less wisely from now on.
Andrew’s eyes were fixed on the road. Susan leant over to him and kissed him on the ear, whispering, “Thank you. Thank you for being here with me, thank you for everything you’ve done for me and thanks for believing in me.”
Andrew’s heart skipped a beat. He liked what he’d heard and he truly loved Susan, even though their time together had not been that long.
He put his hand onto her thigh and she met it with her hand. Glancing at her, he said, “I wouldn’t want to spend my life without you now, every minute with you has been a gift. I’ve never met anyone like you before. You’re beautiful inside and out.”
He was about to say he loved her but decided to wait until they reached their destination. The setting there would be just perfect - a coal fire, nice wine and the perfect location.
The drive seemed to take forever; they got lost ten times on the winding roads and had to ask numerous people for directions, but they were finally on a single track pathway. Their car bounced from dip to dip, rock to rock and round numerous dodgy verges but they eventually found it. The cabin stood on the edge of the loch. There was a small jetty into the water and the views all around were breathtaking. Dark green fir trees merged with varying colours of other species of tree to cover the sides of the hills. There were small streams running down into the loch. The place seemed deserted, only a small herd of deer on the hill top, several does and a few fawns, and thirty metres or so away stood the most magnificent and beautiful beast they’d ever seen. The stag, with huge antlers and a thick wiry coat, watched over the females and their young and appeared to look in the direction of the approaching vehicle. Susan’s smile was wide, her shoulders loosened and the tension she was not even aware of started to lift from her like a curtain going up in the theatre. Her heart came alive and she felt good. She felt happy and for that moment she felt free, a feeling she had not had for a long time.
“We’ve got to find her Marcus, what else can we do? There have been no sightings of their vehicle, nothing, absolutely diddly squat.”
“That’s what they probably wanted, an escape from everything, but the good thing is, if we can’t find her then neither can he.”
“We don’t know that,” Taylor said in a raised voice. “Forensics are back and that creepy bastard was up in the attic whilst Susan and Andrew were in the house. We don’t know what they might have said to each other when they were getting Susan’s things. They didn’t want the cops to go in with them.”
“Have you tried both their phones?”
“No answer on either one. They really must’ve wanted to disappear. Mind you, who wouldn’t after what she’s been through?”
Taylor looked up towards Kay but she had left her desk. However, Fran caught her eye and held her gaze; it was so quick Taylor could have imagined it but there was definitely a lingering look directed straight at her. In the
past there would have been no hesitation, Taylor would have held the stare back and tested the water to ensure that there was actually some interest there. This time her thoughts went straight to Kay, the way she made her feel was very different to before and very powerful. Fran was a good looking girl and well worth a bit of flirtatious contact. Taylor would always struggle with women. She could not help herself when someone paid her that little bit of extra attention, especially if it was in a sexual way. She was about to look away as Fran was busy writing, but Fran must have felt Taylor’s quizzical stare fixed in her direction. She looked up and their eyes met again. There was no doubt about Fran’s intention; Taylor could feel her gaze in numerous places and was well aware of what that meant. Fran held her stare and then dropped her eyes in a seductive way before turning away with a slight but subtle and deliberate lick of her lips. Taylor cursed herself, cursed her beauty because if people didn’t make a play for her, life would be so much less complicated, simpler and it would be far easier to remain faithful.
Marcus just sat staring at Taylor in disbelief; he shook his head in a comical manner and winked at her. “How come it’s always you? I’m a decent looking guy, what about me?”
“You’re fucking gorgeous Marcus, and you know it, they know it, we all know it. If I was straight, even I’d go there.”
Marcus smiled as Taylor went on, “The only problem with you, which isn’t really a problem, is that you’re a good guy and no matter how much they flirted with you or how good looking they were, you wouldn’t cross that line. You’re married, so why try?”
“Hmmm, good point, so you’re saying I am gorgeous then?”
Taylor took a huge sigh and threw a toy Bagpuss at Marcus’s face. “Yessssss, you are but don’t let it go to your head.”
Marcus smiled and carried on with the search he was doing on the computer. Taylor lay back in her chair with her hands on her head. Just then Kay walked by and looked right at her, a slight smile crossed her lips, a knowing smile, one that oozed lust and desire, one that caused a flutter in Taylor’s stomach. Taylor could still smell the scent of their frantic love making only a couple of hours before, subtle but a constant source of arousal, as her mind would flit back to their encounter. Unbeknown to the two secret lovers, Fran had also been looking at Taylor’s lithe body stretch back over the chair, her blouse tight over her breasts, nipples visible, her neck showing with her blouse open down to her bra; she wore tasteful white gold jewellery, which complimented her olive skin. Fran was looking at Taylor’s eyes when Kay had walked into the room and she had caught sight of the looks that had passed between the pair and was now well aware that this was far more than just a friendly relationship. You must be kidding me. Kay? Never! I thought she was straighter than all of us, I thought she was a hot blooded heterosexual man eater. Hmmm, how wrong was I? I wonder how far they’ve got. That look was pretty heavy and it was most certainly mutual on both sides. Fran was not a bad person in any way but couldn’t help the way she was starting to feel for Taylor, and the glance she had just shared with her also had motive. Funnily enough this did not seem to put Fran off; she wasn’t looking for more than just a bit of flirtatious fun. She knew Taylor was a player; she’d just never thought that she’d be one of the ones playing now.
