by Jacey Ward
“You can say that again,” Sasha murmured, remembering how he had looked when he’d attacked her. Looking back at Donna, she tipped her head a little, wondering whether to ask what was on her mind.
Donna grinned. “Something on your mind?”
“You can always tell,” Sasha replied, with a laugh. “Yes, actually. I know this sounds really strange, but did he have anything that might change the color of his eyes?”
“Change the color of his eyes?” Donna repeated, frowning. “No, I don’t think so. Do you mean colored contacts?”
“I don’t know what I mean,” Sasha sighed, thinking just how ridiculous she sounded. “Last night I was sure I saw his eyes practically glow yellow, but I must have imagined it.” There had been the lengthening nails and the sudden shock of dark hair, but Sasha put it down to her mind going crazy at the time. She wasn’t about to let Donna in on those details!
“You need to go home and rest,” Donna replied, firmly, her expression sympathetic. “You’ve put everything into breaking this case for months on end and now, finally, you’ve done it. It’s no wonder Stephen’s made you take two weeks off!”
Sasha laughed softly. “I know, although the only reason I agreed to two weeks was because he let me finish off all the paperwork first!”
“Well that’s done,” Donna said, firmly. “So what’s keeping you?”
The truth was, it felt odd to be going home, knowing that the case was closed. There would be a lot of different things to deal with in the next few days – the family, the funeral and even the newspaper reports that would be out in force. Was it strange that she didn’t really want to miss that? At the same time, Sasha felt her body grow tired, even just standing and talking to Donna. Her arm was aching again, which meant she needed more painkillers and that would probably make her mind a little bit fuzzy.
“You’re right, of course,” she muttered, shaking her head. “It’s weird to want to stay, right?”
“Not weird, no,” Donna replied, quietly. “Understandable, but not weird. But for your own good, I’ll be calling you a taxi and getting you home before lunchtime.”
Sasha opened her mouth to protest that she could drive, only to look down at her strapped up arm.
“Yeah, that’s not happening,” Donna chuckled, as if reading her mind. “A couple of the officers drove your car home for you this morning. The keys are at the front desk.”
“That was very good of them,” Sasha said, truly appreciating their thoughtfulness. “Well, I’d better get my desk cleaned up and then head on out!”
“I’ll call that taxi for you in about an hour, shall I?”
Mentally calculating everything she had to do, Sasha nodded, thanking Donna as she left.
Sitting back down at her desk, Sasha put down the sheaf of papers and began to leaf through things one at a time. There was so much information to take in that Sasha found herself almost overwhelmed with all the evidence that stacked up against him. It appeared that, even though Thomas Clifford McBain was part owner of the whisky company, he had very little to do with it. He lived apart from his brother, out in the back of beyond, with only a dirt track leading up to his house.
The house itself, from the evidence photos, was in quite a state. There were things everywhere, with a mixture of dirt and blood on the floor of one of the bedrooms. It was assumed that room had been where he’d taken his clothes off after a kill, and had just never gotten around to cleaning it. He’d been so arrogant that Sasha guessed he’d probably believed he’d never be found out.
“A mixture of animal and human blood,” she murmured, reading the evidence beneath the photos. Animal blood? A shudder raked through her as she wondered whether or not he’d practiced his killings on animals first, before moving onto human victims.
However, there were no tools present at his home, which made Sasha wonder what he’d used to take his victims apart. They’d found claw like marks, and wounds that had a serrated edge to them, but there was no evidence of the tools he’d used to make those marks. Sasha frowned, something niggling at her. That didn’t make sense. He had to have used something, although they’d never quite been able to put a name to the tools used to make the marks. It was frustrating that they hadn’t been able to tie up that end of the investigation.
“It’s not for you to worry about, Sasha,” she told herself, signing off on all the evidence and adding her own notes to the pile. Turning to her computer, she set up an ‘out of office’ email response, shut it down and got to her feet, swaying slightly as she did so. She was tired. It was time to go home.
Putting her key in the door, Sasha laughed aloud at the sound of barking coming from inside her house.
“Okay, okay,” she laughed, managing to get the key turned with her one good hand. “It’s just taking me a bit longer than usual.”
Bramble, her sweet little dog, barked happily as she stepped inside. Bramble had been a stray she’d found amongst the brambles down by one of the lochs. That had been a few months ago now and, at the time, Sasha had no intention of keeping the animal. She had phoned the local animal rescue center and had said she’d take her in the following day, only for it to snow heavily and close the roads near Sasha’s home. Bramble had become a permanent fixture ever since.
Truth be told, it was nice to come back to Bramble every day. She was always pleased to see Sasha and it brought a smile to Sasha’s face to see Bramble.
“It’s cold out there,” she warned, as Bramble rushed outside, her tail sticking straight up as she put her nose to the ground.
Sasha lived by herself in a house that was far away from all the small villages. She liked the isolation, as well as the views of the land all around her. She could see the deep green forest on one side, and the sea on the other. The sunrises and sunsets could be breathtaking, and, occasionally in the depths of winter, there was the northern lights that lit up the sky. She never felt afraid, living out here by herself.
“Come on, Bramble!” Sasha called, seeing Bramble disappear into the long grass, after having seen a pheasant. “I’m freezing out here!”
With a happy bark, Bramble came back to the house, her entire body quivering with the cold. It was a relief to step into the warm house, although Sasha made sure to lock the door behind her.
There were a couple of messages on her answering machine that she made a mental note to take care of later on.
Kicking off her shoes, she walked to the kitchen and pulled out a bottle of wine. It might only be early afternoon, but after the last few days, Sasha felt as though she deserved it.
Chapter Five
“Now, you’re to turn off your work phone, do you hear me?”
Sasha chuckled. “Yes, boss.”
She could hear Stephen sigh at the other end of the phone. “It’s been five days, Sasha, and the station hasn’t burnt to the ground just because you’re away.”
Hearing the note of rebuke in his voice, Sasha cringed inwardly. “Yes, I know, she replied, her stomach twisting. “I just had to know what’s been going on.”
There was a brief pause. “Everything’s under control. All the paperwork’s been released, the family have been informed and the body was released to them a couple of days ago.”
Sasha bit her lip. “Did they take the news well?”
“What do you think?” The wry response told Sasha more than his words ever could.
“I’m sorry,” she replied. “Not that it’s unexpected, of course, but I know that must have been hard for whoever broke the news.”
“I did it myself,” Stephen answered. “Thought it would be best coming from me.”
Sasha nodded slowly, chewing on her bottom lip. She had, of course, needed to break some devastating news to families before, but it never got easier. In fact, it only got more and more difficult. She’d been shouted at, cried on, and sometimes even ordered to leave. To find out that your brother was dead was one thing, but to discover that he was a murderer, was quite another. She
didn’t envy Stephen.
“Now,” Stephen said, briskly. “I’ve looked at your hospital records and I’ve decided that you’re taking the entire month off.”
Sasha gasped down the phone.
“And don’t argue with me either,” Stephen warned, as though he could see her preparing to disagree with him. “You need to heal, so I’m adding two weeks onto your leave. Two weeks of recovery, and then two weeks of holiday. You need it Sasha.”
“I’m fine.”
He laughed. “Tell me the truth, Sasha. And don’t forget, I know when you’re lying.”
She sighed heavily, aware that her body was still aching with pain. “I’m sore still but that doesn’t mean I can’t work.”
“I’m aware of that,” he said, gently, “but you’re not one to take time off, Sasha, and I think this is important for you, both physically and mentally. What you’ve been through is emotionally draining and I need you to take the time to recover. Do you understand?”
Sasha wanted to argue, wanted to make her case, but his reasoning was fair. “I guess so.”
“Good,” he replied, evidently grinning from the lightness of his tone. “And will you promise me to turn off your work phone now, please?”
“I promise,” Sasha mumbled, rolling her eyes.
“Excellent,” Stephen returned. “Okay, I’d better go. Take it easy and see you in a few weeks’ time!”
“Bye,” Sasha muttered, hanging up the phone and, before she could change her mind, turned it off. The blank screen seemed to mock her, teasing her for being so antsy about being so disconnected from work.
“I suppose I have to try and take that time, like he said,” she mumbled to herself, laughing aloud when Bramble came running over to her, jumping up at her leg.
“More time to spend with you, huh?” she chuckled, bending down to rub Bramble’s belly. “Okay, how about we go for a walk?”
Bramble barked and ran off towards the direction of the front door. Sasha grinned and went to pull on her boots, pausing only to pick up the newspaper that had been pushed through the door.
The news about the killer’s capture and death was headline news, and Sasha’s name had been mentioned several times. There had been the interview with the coffee shop owner, just like Sasha had expected, although not much was said. In this quiet spot in the Highlands, news like this spread quickly, with everyone wanting as many details as possible.
Of course, it was wonderful news that the killer had been finally taken out, although Sasha’s couldn’t help but feel sorry for the family of the killer. The McBain’s ran a good business and she hoped things wouldn’t be badly affected. Shrugging on her coat, she shook her head to herself, knowing that on many occasions, sales went up after something like this. It was as though people wanted to be associated with the terrible situation, in whatever way they could. It was pretty morbid.
Shuddering, Sasha shoved her hat on her head, before struggling to zip up her coat. It was difficult with one hand, although she could at least move the fingers of her strapped up arm without too much difficulty. Eventually, after multiple tries and a few frustrated exclamations, Sasha managed to zip it up and made her way out the front door.
She didn’t need to keep Bramble on the lead since she had such good recall, as well as the fact that there was no one else around these parts. She hadn’t heard another car in the four days she’d been at home. Locking the front door, Sasha slipped the keys into her pocket and walked down the path towards the forest at the back of her property.
“Come on, Bramble!” she called, turning left towards the trees. “This way!”
Bramble came at once, running as fast as she could. Sasha laughed as, together, they made their way into the woods.
The paths were so familiar that Sasha walked without thinking, hardly aware of where she was going. Lost in thought, she made her way through the trees, across two small streams and towards the very center of the forest. It was a cold, crisp day and the fresh air brought a tinge of red to Sasha’s cheeks.
The sharp retort of a branch cracking made her pause. She was all alone as far as she knew, but that had sounded like someone walking somewhere nearby. Looking all round her, Sasha saw that the paths were clear, but that didn’t mean that someone wasn’t walking in between the trees. Bramble, who evidently sensed that something was wrong, barked once before lapsing into silence, coming to stand next to Sasha.
Another snap had her jumping with surprise, her skin rippling with tension.
“Is someone there?” she called, her voice making its way through the trees. “Hello?”
Silence.
Slowly, Sasha drew in one long, deep breath, telling herself that she was being ridiculous. She’d been walking in these woods for months now and had never had anyone try to attack her. In fact, the only other people she’d met had either been dog walkers or cyclists. Why was she so tense all of a sudden? It didn’t make sense.
“Come on, Bramble,” she muttered, giving herself a mental shake before following after her dog. The sound had probably just been a deer.
Sasha walked for another mile or so, her ears still alert for any kind of strange sound. Seeing the small wooden bird hide in front of her, which alerted her to the fact that she was now right in the middle of the forest, Sasha headed right for it. She was tired and sore, her body still aching from her fight against Thomas Clifford. Maybe she shouldn’t have walked so far.
Finding an old tree stump, Sasha sat down carefully, glad to have some time to rest. Laughing, she watched as Bramble ran, full tilt, towards a pond.
“You’re the one who shot my brother.”
Sasha screamed aloud, jerking so violently that she fell off her tree stump. Scrambling to her feet as best she could, she stared up at the large, angry looking man in front of her.
“I – I’m sorry?” she repeated, her heart thumping wildly in her chest. “What did you say?”
His lip curled, his dark brown eyes flashing. “I said, you’re the one who killed my brother.”
She didn’t understand what he was saying, the shock and surprise of his presence clouding her mind.
“You shot an innocent man.”
Sasha backed away, holding her one good hand up in front of her. She hadn’t brought her gun with her, or any kind of weapon, which meant that already, this situation was pretty dangerous.
“You need to stay out of this,” she said, firmly, wishing that Bramble would stop barking so incessantly. “You’re only going to add to your burden if you come after me.”
Her mind scrambled to work out what he was saying, slowly realizing that this was the other McBain brother. Torin, if she remembered right. He was tall and broad across the shoulders like his brother, with a strong jaw, a shock of jet black hair and a fair amount of stubble. He only wore a t-shirt, leaving no doubt about his strength since she could plainly see the outline of slabs of muscle that formed his chest, shoulders and stomach. This wasn’t a man to be trifled with.
“It’s Torin, isn’t it?” she asked, softly, hoping that the fire in his eyes didn’t mean that he was going to do something stupid. “Thomas was your brother.”
“You shot an innocent man,” he spat, his hands curling into fists.
She shook her head, a surge of sympathy in her chest. “He wasn’t innocent, I promise you. I know how difficult this must be to take but all the evidence –”
“Don’t tell me that you know anything about what I’m going through!” he shouted, his voice echoing through the forest as he slowly advanced on her. “Have you ever had the police at your door, ready to tell you that, not only is your brother dead but they believe he was a serial killer?” His face was contorted with anger and, for the first time since he’d appeared beside her, Sasha felt true fear.
What should she do? She couldn’t reason with him, not when he was so angry. And, even if she did, chances were that he wouldn’t listen to her anyway and it might push him towards violence. Sasha could tell fro
m his stance alone that he was right on the cusp of losing his already tenuous hold on his temper.
“You’re right,” she said, honestly. “I haven’t been there. I don’t know what that’s like, but you can’t blame me for his death. I had to protect myself. I gave him ample warning, but he kept coming.” The memory of everything he had shouted at her, everything he had threatened, forced its way back to her mind, making her shudder. “I can’t imagine how difficult this must be for you, but I swear to you that I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“You took his life,” he hissed, his eyes narrowing. “That was wrong.”
Sasha was about to reply, but to her surprise, she saw that his eyes had begun to glitter with the same shade of gold that she had seen with Thomas when she’d been fighting for her life. She’d never seen anyone’s eyes do that before. There was something uncanny about it, something almost mystical or otherworldly.
“I can’t let you get away with what you did,” he said, eventually moving closer until her back was at the wooden hut. “You’re going to pay for taking his life, Sasha.”
Sasha frowned, keeping her stance strong. The last thing she wanted was to show fear in this situation because that would give him the advantage.
“You’re not going to lay a finger on me, Torin,” she said, firmly. “This isn’t right and you know it.”
“What you did wasn’t right!” he cried, throwing his hands up in frustration. “You killed my brother! You put the blame for all those other deaths at his feet, just so you could tie up your investigation with a neat little bow!”
Sasha’s heart picked up its pace as he neared her. She had nothing to fight him with, especially not with her arm strapped up like it was. What did he intend to do in order to ‘make her pay’?
“Your boss Stephen told me everything,” Torin continued, his voice dropping to a low, silky tone. “All about how many months you’ve been working on it, how desperate you’ve been to find the killer and how hard this was for you.” He shook his head, practically snarling at her. “You shot first and asked questions later. How convenient for you!”
