“Oh, you’re here,” she said. “I was just about to call you.”
“I needed a wee.” I grabbed a trolley, and we entered the supermarket. I wanted to blurt it out, ask her, but how could I? The store was crammed full of shoppers.
“How’s Claudia?” she asked, piling two loaves in the trolley.
“She’s good, yeah,” I said, tight-lipped.
Rachel glanced at me and squinted. “You okay?”
I nodded. “Just tired.”
After collecting a few items, we headed to the checkout, splitting the bill in half. I found myself sneaking the odd glance at her, questioning if she could have really said those things to Matt. If I just blurted it out, there was a chance I could lose her friendship again. We each carried two bags and headed to the exit. Rachel turned towards the steps to the underground car park.
“Don’t tell me, you brought the car anyway.”
She shrugged. “I’m not going to walk all the way home with this lot when I can drive.”
I sighed. I’d really wanted to talk to her on the walk home. “I’ll let you take the bags, but I’m not getting in the car, Rach. I’ve been in enough trouble to last me a lifetime.”
“Suit yourself.” She wrinkled her nose haughtily. “What’s wrong with you anyway?”
“Nothing.”
We reached the bottom of the steps.
“Maggie…”
“Okay. Have you been seeing someone?”
Her eyebrows furrowed as she pointed in the direction of the car. “Me?”
I nodded.
“Seeing someone?”
I nodded again.
“No. Why?”
“It’s just something Claudia said.”
“What else did she say?”
We reached the car, and Rachel placed the bags on the ground while she searched for her key.
“Nothing.”
“Come on, Maggie. I know you.”
I took a deep breath. “She said you told Matt I was sleeping around.”
She picked up the bags and put them in the boot. I placed mine beside them. “You’ve got to be having a laugh.”
I shook my head as my phone rang. I didn’t recognise the number so I answered it.
“Maggie?” a male voice said.
“Yes.”
“It’s Detective Jones. Can you talk for a minute?”
“Yeah. What about?”
“I wanted to let you know we’ve found what Detective Stuart was working on before he died.”
“Really? What was it?”
“It seems, after examining the CCTV, there was a small gold-coloured Toyota seen approaching each of the crime scenes.”
My world crashed to a stop. I struggled to breathe, yet I knew I had to maintain a calm appearance. I tried to stay upright on jelly legs, and my heartbeat thudded in my ears, deafening me. I casually glanced towards Rachel who was standing a couple of feet away from me. “Really?” I said, trying to keep my tone level.
“We’ve traced the last registered owner, but it seems it belongs to an elderly woman who’s currently in a nursing home. What I wanted to know is, have you seen any cars matching this description hanging around at all?”
I chewed my lip and smiled at Rachel. “Er, no. Sorry.”
“Never mind. It was worth a shot. We hope to interview the woman tomorrow, but we don’t hold out much hope of getting any information. The nursing home staff said she’s got dementia.”
“I see. Oh well, good luck.” I was struggling to keep the tremor from my voice. I ended the call and turned to Rachel. “Okay, you get going, and I’ll see you back at the house.”
“Who was that?”
I looked at my phone, stalling for time. “That? Erm, that young detective we met the other day. I think he fancies me.”
She squinted, clearly not buying it. Then, she shut the boot and walked to the driver’s side. “Get in, Maggie. It’s only around the corner.”
“I’m not getting in the car, Rach. I’ll see you there.” I set off at a brisk walk, giving her no chance to argue.
When outside, I crossed the road and headed down a side street before pulling my phone from my pocket again. My fingers trembled so much I struggled to ring the detective back. I almost cried as he answered the phone.
“Yes, Maggie?”
The words wouldn’t come, and I was aware I was panting into the phone.
“Maggie? Are you okay?”
“I…I know who it is. The killer, I know who it is.”
“Okay. Go on.”
Startled by a screech of tyres, I spun around to see Rachel speeding towards me. I could see her face clearly through the windscreen and knew she planned to kill me.
I screamed and dropped the phone. “Rachel, no!” My body had frozen. There was nothing I could do to prevent the car slamming into me.
My feet left the pavement, and I crashed into the brick wall of the terraced house beside me. A white-hot explosion went off in my head. I faded out. I was vaguely aware of being lifted, but I couldn’t force myself to open my eyes. An excruciating pain in my leg caused me to scream in agony. Rachel was dragging me along the ground.
I couldn’t bear the pain as a blackness descended on me.
46
“Shit, boss,” Duncan Jones said as he rushed into DI Kent’s office. “I think I just heard Maggie getting attacked.”
“What the…?” Ashley jumped to her feet and grabbed her jacket from the hook beside the door.
He quickly told her what had happened.
“Casey,” she said to her assistant, “I need you to track Maggie Simms’s mobile and send me the co-ordinates.”
Casey nodded and tapped furiously on the keyboard.
“Let’s go.”
The two detectives ran to the car, and Ashley got in the driver’s seat. “So, tell me once more. Where did she say she was?”
“She didn’t. She said she’d been shopping and was on her way home. When I first spoke to her, she seemed vague, as though somebody was listening. Then, she called me back a couple of minutes later, and she was in a panic. She said she knew who the killer was, but she didn’t get a chance to tell me. The next thing I knew, she screamed, and I heard the phone clatter to the ground.”
“What else did she say?”
“Nothing. Oh, hang on, she did say something. No, Rachel.”
“Rachel?”
He nodded.
“Are you sure?”
“I heard it loud and clear.”
The car phone rang.
“What’ve you got for me, Casey?”
“The phone is at nineteen Abbottsford Lane.”
“Great, Casey. Now, see what you can find out about Maggie’s friend, Rachel. Her details are in the file.”
“Will do, boss.” The line went dead.
“Do you really think that pretty young thing could be responsible for all the deaths?” Duncan said.
Ashley gave him a sidelong glance. “You were only too eager to blame Maggie, and she’s the same size.”
“True. But Maggie seems much tougher somehow.”
“Only because she’s had to be. Rachel, on the other hand, has been indulged her whole life. Her father’s a real toffee-nosed snob.”
“I didn’t realise you knew him.”
“We met him the night Maggie came in to make her statement.”
Duncan doinged the heel of his hand off his forehead. “Oh, yeah. I forgot.”
They pulled into Abbotsford Lane. Number nineteen was the middle of the row. Too-short, grey net curtains hung at the manky window. They climbed from the car, and Duncan tapped on the scuffed yellow front door. They heard somebody bouncing down the stairs before the door swung inwards.
“Who the fuck are you?” The woman wore a grimy white T-shirt and little else.
“We’re looking for Margaret Simms. Is she here?” They both held up their ID.
“Never heard of her.” The woman went to slam the door, but Duncan put hi
s foot in the way.
“If she’s not here, then how come her phone is inside your house?”
The woman opened and closed her mouth like a trap. She shook her head. “I didn’t steal it. I found it lying on the pavement.”
“Go get it. Now!” he said.
She scurried off and appeared moments later with the white iPhone.
Duncan took it from her. “Tell me what you saw.”
The woman scowled. “Fuck off! I’m not a grass.”
“Either you tell us what you saw, right now, or I’ll drag your skanky arse down the nick and throw the book at you.”
“All right, all right, take a chill pill, man. I didn’t see much. The girl with the phone was hit by a car. That’s when she dropped it.”
“Then what happened?”
“The driver dragged the girl over to the car and lifted her into the boot.”
“Tell me what the car looked like?”
“It was gold. I don’t know the make.”
“One last thing – what did the driver look like?”
“Another girl. One of them rich-bitch types, you know with glossy long hair, and a snotty face.”
Ashley and Duncan ran back to the car. Ashley called through to Casey again as Ashley sped from the street.
“I was just about to call you, boss,” Casey said. “I didn’t find much on Rachel Mendoza, but when I checked out her parents, I realised her mother’s maiden name is the same as the owner of the gold car.”
“Yeah, we’ve just worked that out too.” Ashley said. “Text me the old woman’s address, and alert the Armed Response Team – we may need their assistance. I don’t want to take any chances. This girl has killed enough people already.”
47
My head pounded, and from the agonizing pain in my leg, I knew I’d broken it. I couldn’t make out where I was at first – it was dark – but, from the movement, I figured I was in the tiny boot of the car.
My heart raced. The stifling air surrounding me was hot, and sweat broke out over my whole body. “Rachel,” I wheezed, the breath stuttered within my chest. I checked my jacket pocket for my inhaler. Nothing.
“Rach?” I said louder not sure if she could hear me but tried to keep my tone lighter, hoping to be able to talk some sense into my suddenly deranged friend. “Rach, let me out! Can’t we talk about this?”
“What is there to talk about?” Her voice was muffled, but I could hear her. “I was willing to leave it alone, but that wasn’t good enough for you, was it?”
“I don’t know what you mean. Please, Rach. I think my leg is broken – I need to go to the hospital.”
“Oh, you know all right. Questioning me, pretending you and I were still mates. I’m not a fucking idiot!” She yelled the last bit, and it was clear she was past the point of reasoning.
She turned a corner, causing me to shoot backwards and smash my already throbbing head on the car. It took a few minutes for me to clear my thoughts enough to try again. “Rachel, please. Listen to me. We are still mates, I swear. I didn’t believe a word Claudia said to me.”
She didn’t respond, but I could hear her sobbing.
“Rach. Speak to me, please. Tell me what’s wrong and how we can put it right. You’re my best friend.”
“That’s bullcrap, and you know it. I saw you with that other girl. The goth. Acting all giggly, like best mates, as though you hadn’t a care in the world.”
That threw me. “She’s just a mate. I promise you, Rach.” I hadn’t picked up on her jealousy of Caroline. I couldn’t even remember them being in the same place for more than five minutes. “Is that what all this is about? My friendship with Caroline?”
“You stupid bitch. It’s not all about you, you know.”
The car came to an abrupt stop, and I rolled backwards, screaming with the pain in my leg. I bit my lip and tentatively turned myself, resting my leg in the least painful position. I could hear Rachel ranting to herself, and what sounded like her banging her hands on the steering wheel. Grateful we were no longer moving, I took several deep breaths before trying to reach out to her once more.
“What’s it all about, then, Rach? Tell me. You know you can tell me anything.”
She mumbled something again, but I couldn’t make out the words above the steady thrum of the engine.
“I can’t hear you, Rach. Let me out so we can talk.”
“What’s the point? It’s all over now, anyway. I heard what that cop said.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Please. Let me out.”
“The car! Fucking Jake left a trail, and it will lead them straight to me.”
My worst fears were suddenly confirmed. “Are you saying…?”
“Come on, spit it out. Are you asking me if I tried to shut him up? Course I did, you stupid bitch.”
I was suddenly aware the boot was filling with fumes. “Rachel. What’s that smell? Let me out. I’m begging you.”
“If only you’d told me the truth sooner. He said he loved me. That we would be together.”
I tried not to inhale deeply, but I was beginning to feel sick. What was she on about? Was Jake the boyfriend? “I don’t get you. Were you seeing Jake?”
She laughed. “You are one stupid bitch, do you know that?”
“Then tell me. Who are you talking about?”
“We were planning to be together. That’s what he told me. Said he’d wait for me to leave school, and we would marry, but until then, I had to keep our affair secret.”
I still couldn’t work out who she was talking about. But I could tell her speech was becoming slurred too. “Who was it? And what does it have to do with me?”
“When she became… sick I was glad. It would mean we could finally be together.”
The realisation slammed into me. “Kenny? You were sleeping with Kenny?”
“Of course it was Kenny. We were together for…three years. I can’t believe you never… noticed.”
I gasped.
She began to cough.
“Rachel? There’s a leak of some kind. It’s making us sick. Please, let me out.”
Silence.
Feeling woozy, I closed my eyes and let myself sink down into the darkness.
48
Duncan jumped from the car outside number twenty-one, leaving Ashley to park up. He approached the front window of the bungalow and peered through the glass shading his eyes. The lounge was empty. He crept around the house, doing the same with each window, but there was no sign of anybody.
A steady humming sound confused him, but he couldn’t work out where it was coming from. He cocked his head to the side and held his breath, trying hard to make it out. He jumped out of his skin as Ashley rounded the corner in front of him.
“Anything?” she whispered.
“No. Nothing.”
“Let’s go for a drive. They can’t be far.”
Back in the car, Ashley put another call through to Casey.
“There’s no sign of anybody at the house. Find Rachel’s mobile number and track it.”
“On it.”
“Also, can you run the number plate through the ANPR database? We need to find them, and fast.”
“I have done, boss, but nothing’s come up since yesterday.”
“Which means they must still be local otherwise if they’d headed onto the main roads it would have been flagged.”
“I’ll check Mendoza’s number, and get back to you.”
They had made their way back to the supermarket when the phone rang a few minutes later.
“Did you get it?” Ashley barked.
“Yeah, it’s showing the mobile is at the Findlay Street address.”
“But we’ve just been there, and there’s no sign of anybody.”
“Maybe she left her phone behind?”
Ashley nodded. “Shit! And there’s been no sighting still?”
“Not a thing.”
Duncan slapped the heel of his hand on his
forehead. “They’re in the garage. Quick, get back there.”
“Did you hear that, Casey? Get me some back up at Findlay Street ASAP. You’d better make it an ambulance too.” Ashley said, as she did a highly illegal three-point turn and earned herself a chorus of car horn blasts from passing motorists. “Why didn’t you check the bloody garage?” She shot him a fiery glance.
“There were no windows. I heard a strange sound, and I was just about to investigate when you appeared around the corner and scared me shitless.”
“So, it’s my fault you didn’t do a proper job?”
Duncan exhaled from his nose like an angry bull. “I didn’t say that, boss. I was distracted, that’s all.”
“Let’s hope for your sake you haven’t cost that poor girl her life.
As they pulled onto Findlay Street, they heard the sound of approaching sirens. Two marked cars skidded to a stop in the middle of the street seconds later.
Duncan didn’t hang about. He raced to the garage door and tried to yank it upwards, but it wouldn’t budge. The sound he had heard earlier was suddenly much louder and confirmed his suspicions. The engine was running inside.
He had first-hand knowledge of this kind of thing, as his cousin had committed suicide in the same way. Contrary to popular belief, a hose wasn’t needed for death to occur pretty damn quickly. He dreaded what awaited them on the other side of the roller door.
The uniformed police smashed through the front door and stepped aside to allow him and Ashley to enter first. As the male, he felt he needed to take the lead, although it was the last thing he wanted to do.
Half a dozen strides had him in front of the internal door. He braced himself and covered his mouth and nose with his forearm before entering.
In the garage, he acted on impulse. He pounded the door opener with the heel of his palm and raced to the car to turn off the engine.
Rachel Mendoza was slumped in the driver’s seat as though she’d closed her eyes for a nap. Ashley dropped to her knees beside her while Duncan rushed to the boot.
Another siren sounded in the street, and taking a glance, he saw an ambulance pull up and two paramedics jump out. He felt relief flood him, although he didn’t hold out much hope by the looks of the first girl.
Maggie: a gripping psychological thriller Page 19
