Locked Away (DI Sara Ramsey Book 13)

by M A Comley

  “Something with colour, black is so dreary.”

  Carla’s eyes widened. “You’re kidding me? Most of my wardrobe is black.”

  Sara sighed, pointed, telling her partner to wait a sec, and crossed the hallway to her bedroom. She returned carrying a light-coloured dress decorated in pink, blue and yellow roses. “I was thinking something like this. You can team it up with either a matching coloured jacket or one of your black ones. What do you think?”

  “I think it’s stunning and can totally see you wearing it, however, not wishing to cause offence, it wouldn’t suit me at all.”

  “You haven’t caused offence. Will you do me a favour and try it on? You might surprise yourself.”

  Carla rolled her eyes. “Is that an order?”

  “It could be.” Sara sniggered as yet another eye roll came her way.

  “If it’ll stop you nagging. Umm… isn’t there a slight height difference between us?”

  “What’s five inches between friends? And yes, the dress is a little long on me so it should be the perfect length for you.”

  Carla took the offered hanger and walked back to her room. Sara paced the floor like an expectant father standing in the birthing suite at the hospital until she appeared again. Shoeless, Carla entered the room and twirled. The dress clung to all the right places and flared out at the bottom. She looked a vision of beauty, if you ignored the prominent discolouration to her face.

  “What do you think?” Sara asked.

  Carla stared at her then turned to observe her reflection in the full-length mirror. “I was hoping you’d tell me.”

  “I love it. Des will, too. In fact, I think you’ll take his breath away the minute he lays eyes on you. And no, I’m not bullshitting you, I’m deadly serious. I would never set you up for a fall.”

  “I know you wouldn’t, you’re too kind-hearted. Crikey, I never thought I’d ever see myself in something as floral as this. I must admit, I’m loving the outfit.”

  “Correction, you’re rocking the look. It’s incredible on you, suits you down to the ground. Want me to check my wardrobe for a suitable jacket?”

  Carla’s cheeks flushed. “Would you mind?”

  “Not at all.” Sara quickly rattled through the hangers and withdrew a pale-blue jacket. “Hmm… it’s a possible. Try it on.”

  Carla hitched the jacket on, but the arms were far too short. “I don’t think it’s going to work, do you?”

  They both chuckled.

  Sara proceeded to pass several more jackets, but they all ended up on the rejection pile for being too short.

  “Forget it. I’ll stick to a black one instead,” Carla said.

  “Defeatist, no you won’t. Here, what about a cardigan instead. I have a pretty blue one and a bubblegum-pink one which should suffice.”

  “Bingo! And the winner is, the pink one, I think. What about you?”

  “It’s perfect, in every way. No idea why I didn’t think of it in the first place. It’s the wrong time of year for you to be wearing a jacket anyway. Now all we have to do is try and disguise those bruises and our work is done.”

  “It’ll take a bloody miracle to cover these beauties.”

  “Oh, ye of little faith. Leave it to me to work my magic.”

  “You’re too kind, doing all this for me after a hectic day at work.”

  “Shut up and sit down at the dressing table. One question.”

  Carla sat and gulped. “Go on.”

  “Do you trust me?”

  “Of course I do, with my life.”

  “Wow, okay, that’s not the answer I was expecting, but it’s good to know. Promise me you won’t take a peek until I’ve finished.”

  “I promise.” Carla glanced at her watch. “Time is running out. I’m due to meet him in half an hour.”

  “Don’t fret. It’ll only take me five minutes.” Sara got to work, digging through her makeup bag to find her old faithfuls, and after applying concealer and foundation she had a great base to work with. She stood back to view the final result. “There, what do you think?”

  Carla tentatively swivelled on the stool and jutted her head forward. She let out a low whistle. “Bloody Nora. Is that really me? You’ve worked wonders.”

  “I only brought to life the beauty beneath. Embellished the good bone structure you have. So pleased you like the results.”

  “Hey, I think you’ve missed your true vocation.”

  “Get away with you. At college I used to doll up all my friends for their nights out. So plenty of practice, I suppose.”

  “And yet you never seem to wear much makeup for work.”

  “There’s a time and place for everything. I happen to think being a heavily made-up copper detracts from my authority, if that makes sense?”

  “It does.” Carla stood and hugged her. “I’m so grateful, for everything. Oh God, the tears are bloody welling up again.”

  “You dare make a mess of my masterpiece. Go, you should get on the road.”

  “Thanks, Sara. I truly appreciate you going out of your way for me.”

  “I haven’t. It’s what friends do for each other. You look a million dollars. Pass a message on to Des for me.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Tell him he’s a very lucky man to have you on his arm tonight.”

  Carla’s mouth gaped open. Seconds later, she recovered. “I can’t say that.”

  “All right then, as soon as you leave, I’ll give him a call and tell him myself.”

  “Jesus, you would as well, wouldn’t you?”

  “Too right I would. Enjoy your date and be yourself. Don’t be embarrassed about your bruises, they’re well camouflaged, and there’s no possibility of that gunk wearing off during the evening either. Hmm… not sure if the lipstick will survive, depends how much kissing you do at the end of the evening.”

  “Hey, I thought your advice was to take things slowly.”

  Sara grinned and shrugged. “Do you always take my advice?”

  Carla sniggered. “In other words, see how the date pans out and take it from there, right?”

  “Yes, see how you click. He seems a decent chap to me, but if there’s no sign of flirting during the course of the evening, I’d give him a swerve when he asks for a second date.”

  “Jumping the gun a little, aren’t you?”

  “Not at all. Any man would be a fool if he didn’t want you on his arm for a second date.”

  “Let me see how the first date goes first.”

  They both descended the stairs.

  The front door opened, and Mark entered as they neared the bottom. “Wow, stunning, Carla, absolutely stunning.”

  “See, I told you.” Sara sidled up to Mark, flung an arm around his waist and kissed him.

  “You look stunning as well, wifey dearest.”

  “Thanks. My jealousy gene was on full alert for a moment there.”

  Mark kissed her again. “No need. I’m all yours for the rest of our lives.”

  Carla squeezed past them to get to the front door. “My cue to leave you two lovebirds alone for the evening.”

  “Have fun,” Sara replied with a warm smile.

  “He’s an extremely lucky man. In fact, I’m a little envious of him,” Mark said.

  “Gosh, you guys, will you stop it with the compliments? I’m not used to receiving them.”

  Sara’s heart went out to Carla. She held out a hand for her to take. “That’s because you’ve been surrounded by the wrong type of people. Let’s hope your luck is about to change, sweetheart.”

  “Thanks.”

  Sara watched her friend leave, convinced that DI Des Williams wouldn’t let her down this evening.

  10

  Here she was, lying in wait, at almost six p.m., nervously surveying the area around her. Her car was parked at the end of a small road—only a few houses here. Nicole Davis should arrive any second, according to the notes she’d made over the past few weeks. The same day, th
e same time.

  At that moment, she caught sight of Nicole’s estate car in her rear-view mirror. Nicole pulled up outside the large bungalow and went to the back of her car to unload the two yapping dachshunds. Libby’s adrenaline kicked in. She started up her Golf and rolled the car forward until it was sitting behind Nicole’s vehicle. She wound the window down to hear what was being said and at the same time preparing herself for action. She ran her fingers over her weapon of choice, sitting on the passenger seat beside her.

  “Goodbye, Mrs Synch. See you next Monday. Have a good weekend.”

  “I will, dear. And the same to you. Thank you so much for taking such good care of my babies.”

  “Aww… it’s always a pleasure to walk Trixie and Barnie, they’re little angels. I wish all my clients’ dogs were as well-behaved as they are.”

  “I’ll be sure to give them an extra treat on your behalf,” the old woman shouted and then closed her front door.

  Libby watched Nicole approach her car, carrying an envelope with her payment inside, plus a small tip, she shouldn’t wonder. Nicole got closer to her car. Libby quickly exited her vehicle and called out.

  “Hi, sorry, can you help me? I think I took a wrong turn somewhere a while back and now I’m lost.”

  Nicole smiled and nodded. “Of course, if I can. I don’t really know this area too well, but I’ll give it a try. I know what it’s like to get lost, it happens to me a few times every week without fail.”

  “Thanks. I’ve got an appointment in Granger Road. I thought it was around here…”

  Whack! Nicole fell to the ground with a grunt.

  Libby worked swiftly to bundle her body in the boot of her car and then put her foot down on the accelerator and drove across town in the heaving traffic. The final one, now the real games can begin. Today was just a taster of what they can expect. I’ll make sure they enjoy being back together again after all this time.

  A short distance from the lockup, Libby checked her mirror to make sure she wasn’t being followed and let out the breath she’d been suppressing for the final part of her journey. Outside the building, she unloaded her package and locked the car. Nicole was lighter than a few of the others, making the task easier than she’d anticipated. She opened the outer door, securing it with a bolt behind her, and then unlocked the door that led to the cells. There was a vacant one at the end, which had been prepared for the new arrival. She lowered the woman’s feet onto the floor then dropped her onto the bed. Nicole stirred, her eyelids flickered open, and her hand raised to shield her eyes.

  “What the…? Where am I? And what did you do to me?”

  “Hello, Nicole. Remember me? Maybe not. Some of the others recognised me, not all of them, though.”

  Nicole inched herself up on her elbows and took in her surroundings now that her vision had cleared a touch. “No, I don’t remember you. Who are you?”

  “Libby Johnson.” Her lips parted into a grin the second Nicole showed signs of recognition. “Ah, as suspected, you recall my name. Is that all you remember?”

  Nicole’s head turned to the wall, and she shook it. “No. Oh God, we were so wicked to you. I’m so sorry for the things we said and did back then. We were only children, we didn’t know any better, not then.”

  “And you do now? I’m glad to hear you have regrets. The others haven’t shown much in that respect which is a little disheartening, to say the least. I want you to rest this evening. Take in what is about to happen, and I’ll deal with you tomorrow, okay?”

  Nicole’s expression was one of confusion. “Sorry? No, it’s not all right. Deal with me? What in the hell do you mean by that?”

  Libby laughed. “Why should I spoil the surprise? You’ll find out when the time is right. Until then, rest and take it easy. You’ve been run off your feet all week, walking those dogs of yours.”

  “How do you know what I do? Have you been following me?”

  “Ah, the penny has finally dropped. Some might class it as following, others might regard it as keeping you under observation, but then again, there will be some who might even call it stalking. Either way, you’re here now, so make the most of your time off. I have something special planned for you tomorrow.”

  “In what respect? Why are you doing this? To redress the past? We didn’t know what we were doing, not then. We can’t be held responsible for what we did as children. Please won’t you reconsider?”

  Libby shook her head slowly. “No, your actions have blighted my life for years. Caused me numerous sleepless nights and destroyed any confidence I may have had.”

  “You seem pretty confident to me,” Nicole muttered.

  “That’s because of a recent transformation. The change in me has been significant, both inside and out.”

  “I can see. It’s quite dramatic on the exterior. I can’t see what’s going on inside, obviously, but I know you don’t really want to be doing this. You were such a sweet girl, back in the day.”

  “I was, and look where that got me.”

  Nicole held her head low, in shame. “I’m sorry, it was abysmal the way we treated you. I admit it. Why don’t we both accept that and move on?”

  “That might be satisfactory for you, but not for me. This is all about revenge. Your gang made my life hell, intolerable most days. It’s taken me a while to arrange all this, but let’s just say you ladies have never been far from my thoughts over the years. I’ve despised each and every one of you for decades and been plotting this in my dreams for years. Timing is everything, they say. The decision to complete my plan was forced upon me…”

  “What are you saying?”

  Libby came to her senses. She’d opened up, nearly revealed the truth. She mentally gave herself a good shake to get back on track. “Nothing. There’s a bite to eat over there. One bucket for washing, the other to use as a toilet.”

  “But you can’t keep me here, not like this, it’s barbaric.”

  She leaned in and sneered. “And terrorising me as a child wasn’t?”

  “I can’t… remember that much… about it,” Nicole stated, tripping over her words.

  “Why? Because the results didn’t affect you personally? You lot made my existence a living hell. I went to school feeling physically sick most days. Tried my best to avoid you at the gates, but you were always there, waiting for me, to satisfy your daily needs for humiliating someone inferior to yourselves. Not bothering to consider the consequences your actions made to my life. Why me? All I wanted to do was go to school to learn. I had a tough life, every carer does, no matter what age they are, but to be forced into the position of caring for your mother at such a young age and then… to be brutally punished by the likes of your gang, for having the compassion to care for your parent, used to be so demeaning. No matter what I used to say to you guys, you ignored my pleas, just to get your kicks. Well, now it’s my turn. The boot is on the other foot, and I have no intention of holding back. I’ve grown stronger over the last couple of years, physically and mentally, and now I’m ready to cause you as much, if not more, misery than you inflicted on me.” She sighed, reflecting on the pitiful way she’d begged them to stop treating her so badly. “Back then, you thought it was good fun to demean people in front of the other kids. Damn, maybe I haven’t thought this through properly after all. Maybe I should have created some kind of arena and put you lot centre stage so the others could cheer or jeer you on.”

  “What are you talking about? What are you intending to do with me?”

  “Hush, you’ll find out soon. For now, I must insist you rest and conserve your strength for what lies ahead of you.”

  “What? You can’t do this. It’s illegal to hold someone captive, against their will.”

  Libby placed a finger on her cheek and glanced at the ceiling. “Is it? Bugger me, now there’s a thing.” Her gaze lowered to the puzzled Nicole once more. “Don’t be so ridiculous. Do you think I care if I’m breaking the law or not? Punishment and revenge go hand in ha
nd, and that’s what I’m craving right now. Enough talking. I’m going to lock you in. There’s a spyhole on the door, you’ll be able to see what’s taking place, and it’ll give you an idea of what to expect when it’s your turn in the spotlight. Although, your debut will be slightly different. I have something extra special lined up for you.”

  Nicole gasped and shuddered. “What? Why are you singling me out?”

  “You were the one who made a mockery of me in front of the boy I fancied. I was mortified when I saw him laughing at the state I was in, the day you poured a bucket of cow poo over my head after school. My mother…” She stopped, a large lump forming as she remembered the way her mother had broken down and cried in her arms that day. Libby had been forced to set her own feelings of humiliation aside to make sure her mother pulled out of her deep depression before nightfall. Aware that if she didn’t succeed, she would have been up all night, seeing to her mother’s needs if sleep evaded her. A carer never has a life of their own. Their sole aim is to ensure the person they care for has a quality of life similar to the one they once had, when they were fit and able-bodied.

  “Your mother what?” Nicole asked, sympathy resonating in her tone.

  “It doesn’t matter. Rest.” With that, she turned and left the room. She fixed her shoulders back and stood erect, giving herself the strength she needed to proceed. There was no way she’d crumble now, not this far down the line.

  She stopped to open one of the cells. Ashleigh Calder moved back on her bed, clearly not willing to take part in the next round.

  “Come now, Ashleigh. Time’s a wasting.”

  Ashleigh stayed put.

  “Move it! Do I have to come in there and drag you out?”

  “No. Please. I don’t want to do this. I’m not a bad person, not really.”

  “I’ll be the judge of that. Now shift your arse or I’ll shift it for you.” Libby took a couple of steps into the room.

  Ashleigh propelled herself off the bed, screaming, head down, aiming at Libby’s midriff. Libby expected the women to put up a fight now and again, so she was prepared for the onslaught. She waited until the timing was right and leapt out of the way. Ashleigh’s head slammed into the wall. She dropped to the floor, out cold. Libby fetched the bucket of water and tipped it over her head. Ashleigh came to, dazed, but Libby got the impression she was ready to put up another fight if it was necessary.