by M A Comley
“Please try not to worry. We’re going to do our utmost to find Brittany. We’ll need the address of the property where the viewing took place and the name of the person she had the appointment with.”
“It was a townhouse in Winchester Avenue, and the woman she was due to meet there was a Sasha Dobbs who contacted us this week. We rang her back on her mobile and got all her details.”
“Can I see them?”
“Of course. I have them to hand, obviously. I’ve tried calling her number every ten minutes or so. The phone is dead.”
Sara nodded and slid the sheet of paper with the number on it in Craig’s direction. “Try it again, for me, Constable.”
“We should have done the thorough checks, admittedly, but we’ve been under a lot of pressure. Two of my girls are off work, one with malaria, and Jody is still on maternity leave. Brittany assured me she felt comfortable with the woman every time she spoke to her over the phone, and I was satisfied with her decision. And now this… Please, you have to bring her back to us safely, you hear of so many frightful things happening to young women these days. Women getting killed by deranged individuals. Oh God, did I say that? I shouldn’t be talking such rubbish out loud.”
“It’s okay. You’ve done the right thing by contacting us quickly. We’re on the case now. We’re going to give it our all to bring her home, I promise you. I need to know if Brittany has had any problems lately.”
“In what respect?” Miranda dabbed a tissue under her eyes to catch the tears as they fell.
“Has she argued with anyone, perhaps here or maybe on the street, another shop owner or something along those lines?”
“Now you’ve mentioned it… just the other day she had a problem parking her car out back when the guy next door, in the off-licence, refused to move his car. It was blocking our entrance. Bloody idiot, he is. Always playing the big I am, flashy car that matches his smile.”
“What sort of problem? How did it manifest?”
“He mainly shouted at her. I went out there to try to calm things down a bit. Rude man, he told us to F off. I pulled Brittany away, insisted she should ignore him.”
“Did he make any threats?”
“Not outright, but the inference was there, if you get my drift?”
“I do. Okay, we’ll stop by and have a word with him. What about strange viewings or calls that you’ve thought a little weird, anything there?”
“No, nothing since last year. A man kept booking appointments with Jody when she first found out she was pregnant. It made her feel uncomfortable, so I stepped in on one of the appointments. By that I mean, we both showed up at the viewing. He got the message and hasn’t contacted the branch since. I got the impression he was harmless enough, just took a fancy to Jody. Ordinarily, I think she would have brushed it off, but her hormones were raging and heightened the issue for her.”
“All right. I don’t suppose you can remember his name? If you have his address, even better. We can run his details through our system, just in case.”
“That makes sense. But take on board that he hasn’t been around for months, more than that, maybe over a year. I don’t think he’s likely to be involved, do you?”
“Stranger things have happened. Answer me this, are you in contact with the other estate agents?”
“Yes, of course. We might be in competition with each other but we still look out for one another.”
“You mean if there’s a problem with a client you help to spread the word?”
“Exactly. There’s like an unspoken code between us.”
“Glad to hear it.”
Miranda pushed back her chair and stood. “Let me get the man’s details for you. I think I can roughly remember his name.”
“That’ll be great.”
“I’m going to check with my staff, if that’s all right.”
Sara nodded, and Miranda left the office.
“Do you really think it’s worth interviewing the bloke next door?” Craig asked.
“What makes you say that?” she replied, intrigued as to what he was getting at.
“I might be speaking out of turn here but I thought we were looking for a female suspect. Everything we’ve gathered so far is pointing in that direction.”
“Possibly. Although we can’t rule out a couple being involved.”
He tutted. “You’re right, of course. Forget I spoke.”
Sara tapped his knee. “Don’t ever apologise for raising a query, Craig.”
He smiled.
Miranda wandered back into the room and handed Sara a slip of paper. “His details. Cameron Stitch. His address is there. Of course, there’s always a possibility he has moved since he was registered with us. Maybe he was a genuine buyer and found a suitable property elsewhere.”
“Maybe the jungle drums might know?” Sara asked, hoping the woman would make some calls for her to save them time back at the station.
“I could ring the other agencies, if you want me to.”
“Perfect. Every bit of help we can get at this stage is a bonus. Why don’t we go next door, have a word with your rude neighbour and drop back to see you again in a few minutes?”
“Sounds good to me.” Miranda picked up her phone while Sara and Craig left the office.
They nipped next door and asked to speak to the manager. The young male assistant went in search of his boss and returned with a tall man in his thirties, his hair gelled back. His suit had a designer look about it, and his shoes shone brightly under the shop lights.
“Hello, I’m the manager. How may I help?”
Sara produced her ID and introduced herself and Craig. “Sorry, I missed your name, sir.”
“It’s David Davidson, am I in trouble?”
“We’re led to believe you had a run-in with the ladies next door recently.”
“Is it a crime to have words with someone nowadays? I wasn’t aware of that.”
Sara found his response laced with sarcasm and took an instant dislike to him.
“It is when the person you had an argument with has been reported missing,” Sara retorted, her gaze locked with his.
Davidson’s eyes widened. “What? And you believe I have something to do with her disappearance? Are you crazy?”
“Maybe. Where were you at lunchtime today?”
“Here. I haven’t left the shop all day. It’s ordering day. You can ask my two members of staff.” He pointed at the young man who had returned behind the counter. “This is Steve, and Adam is out back counting the stock with me.”
“We’ll do that in a moment. Why did you feel the need to have a go at Brittany Dawson?”
“Because she lacked patience. Those women are all the same. In and out of that damn car park all day, our paths are bound to cross at times and hold-ups are bound to happen. Some people tend to deal with them better than others. She always flies off the handle, that one. I’m sorry she’s gone missing, though. I take it that occurred today?”
“Yes. I don’t suppose you’ve seen anyone suspicious hanging around in the past few days?”
“No. Not that I’ve noticed. I really don’t know what else I can tell you. You can take my word that I had nothing to do with it.”
Sara got the impression she was wasting her time. She asked to verify Davidson’s account of his whereabouts with his staff, which they did, and then she and Craig returned to see if Miranda had further news for them.
“Any luck next door?” Miranda asked.
They had rejoined the woman in the office and sat opposite her. “No joy. I could tell by his reaction he didn’t know Brittany was missing. How did you get on?”
“I rang several of the other agencies, and they checked their systems. They all had him on their books, so maybe we misread his intentions at the time. My friend at Spooner’s told me she sold him a detached property not long after I showed up on that last viewing with him.”
“Interesting. I don’t suppose you got his address from your
friend?”
“I did. I explained the situation, and she was only too willing to hand it over, with the caveat that you didn’t get the information from her.”
“Agreed. Thanks for your help.” Leaving with the information, Sara drove back to the station and set the team digging into Cameron Stitch’s background. Nothing came to light on the man, so they quickly put him aside as a suspect. Likewise with David Davidson. Sara just didn’t get a bad feeling about the man, and the shocked reaction she’d received from him, once he heard Brittany was missing, was enough to put her mind at ease. Therefore, they found themselves back to square one. The only difference to this morning was that there were now three women missing instead of two.
6
After changing her clothes and eating a swift sandwich to keep her energy levels high, Libby jumped back in her Golf and set off for the next location. Ashleigh Calder, her next victim, was waiting.
She arrived too early and, knowing the woman’s routine well, she drove around the block a few times and then parked in one of the bays at the rear of the boutique, next to Ashleigh’s convertible Merc. What she wouldn’t give to own a car like that. Maybe she could force the woman to part with the keys and sign the log book over to her, once the games began. Ashleigh’s boutique was the place to go if you or your fella had deep pockets. Libby had never set foot in the shop but had checked out the prices online, and they were astronomical. No wonder she can afford to drive around in an expensive car.
Her gaze zeroed in on the back door to the shop. Even that was nicely presented with a hanging basket full of beautiful blooms, positioned on either side of the door. To anyone else, the expenditure would be classed as a waste of money, but not to Ashleigh. When Libby had visited and put Ashleigh under surveillance, the woman lovingly tended to the plants every day. Watering the baskets, feeding them when necessary, to maintain and, possibly, prolong their blooms.
She swapped seats, made herself comfortable and sat low in her seat, in case Ashleigh was watching her from inside. She doubted it, but she thought it would be better to err on the side of caution, nevertheless.
Finally, after ten minutes of Libby sitting with a kink in her back, Ashleigh appeared. She tweaked the baskets, deadheading a couple of the flowers and placing the faded ones in the bin to her right. The next second, she was heading towards the Merc. Libby prepared herself. She would need to overpower the woman swiftly, and from what she could remember from their schooldays, Ashleigh never did anything without going down with a fight first.
Libby had something special at her disposal to combat any anticipated trouble. The can was in her right hand and, with her left, she opened the passenger door of the Golf. Ashleigh glanced up in surprise and unbelievably recognised her.
“You. What are you doing here?”
Libby gulped, her tough exterior taking a hit under Ashleigh’s piercing stare. She panicked, knew if she didn’t react quickly the opportunity would pass her by and her plan would be shattered into a gazillion pieces. Do it! I have to do it, now!
Aiming the can, she pressed the top, and the spray hit Ashleigh full in the face. The woman screamed. Libby had to act fast. To shut her up before someone came to her rescue. She belted Ashleigh in the face a couple of times. Ashleigh grunted and dropped to the ground, however, before Libby had the chance to bind her or pounce on her to subdue her in another way, Ashleigh bounced back onto her feet and took up a combat stance, her hands slanted, ready to attack karate style.
Libby wasn’t fooled, she’d done her homework on Ashleigh, on all of them. She was aware that Ashleigh had attended a local karate class only the once and decided to never return, after not being able to hack it, Libby guessed. Libby engaged the woman in a karate stance of her own and watched the confusion rise in Ashleigh’s face, her eyes watering and constantly blinking from the effects of the pepper spray.
“Give it up, I know you bailed out after only one lesson, unlike me. Come willingly, and I’ll go easy on you. If you choose to put up a fight… well, let’s just say you’d be foolish to entertain doing that.”
“What do you want? It’s been years since we last met. I barely recognised you.”
“Unlike the others. They’re still none the wiser.”
“What? Are you telling me you’ve seen the others?”
“Oh yes. They’re all safely confined in a special place. You’ll be joining them soon.”
“I bloody won’t.” Ashleigh turned and legged it, screaming furiously as she ran.
Libby jumped on her back and beat her to the ground, silencing her cries for help with every blow. Finally, Ashleigh lay still beneath her. She needed to act rapidly, to get Ashleigh in the car before someone appeared to try to help her. The woman was slight but heavier than the others because she was a few inches taller and had obviously built up her muscle mass through exercise. Libby was intrigued to know how that snippet of information would present itself when the games began. A thrill of excitement travelled down her spine. After a couple of attempts, which involved different stances, she managed to lift Ashleigh and drop her in the boot of her car. Keen to get back, she drove at speed to the lockup and unloaded her latest acquisition. Whilst Libby carried Ashleigh through the building, she woke up and lashed out with her arms and legs, forcing Libby to drop her on the floor. Ashleigh squirmed back against the wall and used it to help herself get to her feet. One look into her eyes and Libby could tell Ashleigh was still in a daze and possibly too groggy to put up much of a fight.
“Come on then, tiger, let me have it. You know you want to, it’s whether you’ve got it in you to take me on. In case you hadn’t noticed, I have the strength and determination of a charging rhinoceros. So bring it on!”
“I don’t want this. I just want to go home. Why are you doing this?”
“Guess! You and the others need to be taught a lesson. You took great pleasure in making my life hell once upon a time. Well, let’s just say that Sleeping Beauty has now woken up and is determined to right the wrongs of her past.”
“I’m sorry. I’m sure the others are, too. Are they here?” Ashleigh glanced down the long corridor.
“Yes, they’re here. Isn’t it nice? You all being back together again? Except this time, I’m the one in control, not you.”
“What are you talking about? What do you intend doing to us?”
Libby laughed and tipped her head back. “All these questions are futile. When the time is right, the games will begin. I can’t wait for it to happen either. Matching you against… no, I’ll stop there. Let you stew on that for a while. We’re going to have a blast together. Maybe not for some of you; in the end, it’s going to come down to the survival of the fittest.” She leaned in and winked at Ashleigh. “My money is on you being the triumphant one, the victor if you will. You have the strength of character to succeed. I can also tell you work out as well. Don’t let me down, Ashleigh, will you?”
Ashleigh refused to respond. Her gaze travelled the length of the hallway again. “What’s down there?” There was a tremor to her voice that sent a satisfying thrill through Libby.
“You’ll find out when the time is right. Now, are you going to cooperate and walk on your own two feet or do I have to knock you out again?”
“No. I think I can manage to walk. Please don’t hurt me.”
“Good. Let’s go.” Libby tugged at Ashleigh’s elbow.
The woman resisted at first until Libby glared at her.
It was a painstakingly long journey. Libby gave Ashleigh the benefit of the doubt, putting her intrinsically slow speed down to the fuzziness in her head.
“Come on, try and up your pace. It’ll be dark soon.”
Ashleigh looked at her as if she belonged on a psych ward. “Are you kidding me? There are no windows in here, what does it matter what’s going on outside?”
Libby winked. “Nice to see there’s nothing wrong with your observational skills. This way, only a few steps more.”
The o
uter door was firmly shut. Libby kept one eye on Ashleigh, who she’d placed beside her, as she opened the door that led to the cells. “In here. This one has your name written on it.”
“Help! Let me out of here! Please, I don’t want to be here. Help me!”
“I don’t want to be here either. Please, let us go!”
“Nor me. I echo what the others have said. Let us go, please.”
The three occupants took it in turns to cry out. Libby shoved Ashleigh into her cell and guided her to the thin mattress. She pointed out the essentials in the confined space along with their uses and left. Libby checked Ashleigh’s demeanour through the spyhole. She was downcast at best, her feistiness now a thing of the past. After ensuring Ashleigh was okay, she peered into the other cells to observe the women. All of them shrank back under her gaze. Once she’d checked on them, she stood in the middle of the room and shouted, “Rest now, my beauties. I will return in a few hours. The games will begin then, now there are four of you. It would be ideal if you were all here, but time hasn’t been on my side lately. The fifth one will join you shortly, I promise. Until then, we’ll have some fun getting to know each other again.”
She slammed the outer door shut and stood back against the wall, pretending she’d left the women alone.
Ashleigh was the first to speak. “Hello, I’m Ashleigh Calder. Who are you, and do you know what she wants from us?”
“Ashleigh, is that really you? This is Jennifer Moore, my maiden name was Sims.”
“My God. Have you been here long?”
“A few days. More time than I care to remember. I don’t know who she is. Do you?”
“I know her but I’ve forgotten her name. She’s spoken about revenge. Has anything happened yet?”
“No, nothing. The others are here. Introduce yourselves, girls. It’s good to be back together again. We’ll be stronger as a group, I’m sure we will.”
“You reckon,” Ashleigh grumbled.
