by Anne Coates
Her mood matched the overcast sky. Everything was such an effort now. Just getting herself out of bed in the morning seemed a major achievement. And still there was no news about Tom.
The doorbell echoed in the hall before Sunita appeared. Hannah could hardly believe the vision before her. The woman who had always been so smart and elegant looked as though…
Hannah didn’t have time to register anything else as she was grabbed from behind and her arm yanked up her back, her body twisted round by the force. The pain made her yell out which brought a slap from her attacker.
“Shut it, bitch.” He was dressed all in black with a balaclava masking his face.
Sunita had disappeared into her brother and sister-in-law’s sitting room. The man in black pushed Hannah to follow. The scene which met her eyes was heart-wrenching. The Kumars – husband and wife – were tied to two upright chairs. They looked terrified. But the cuts and emerging bruises on their faces bore witness to what must have been their struggles.
“I am so sorry.” Sunita’s voice was little more than a croak. Another man, similarly clad to the one holding her, pushed Sunita into a chair with the butt of a rifle. Hannah was forced down on to a chair as well, the man’s hands digging into her shoulders.
She realised there was yet another man watching them. He too was dressed in black and wore a balaclava.
“You have been slandering us, Ms Weybridge.” His accent was south London and his voice sounded as though he smoked too much.
“We want you to stop writing your fairy stories about Asian girls going missing.”
“And what good do you think that will do? It’s in the public domain now.”
The man laughed. “In the public domain,” he mimicked. “Do you really think the English public gives a toss about these girls?” He nodded at the man standing behind her. The punch came out of the blue and the blow to her side winded her. “You really must stop interfering in matters which have nothing to do with you.”
She screwed up her eyes but couldn’t prevent the tears seeping out.
“We need to know where you got your information. Who’s been peddling these lies?”
“Journalists never reveal their sources they –” Hannah was on the floor with a boot pushing down into her back. She couldn’t breathe. Her vision was clouding. In the background she could hear a woman crying, pleading…
The sound of shattering wood.
“Armed police. Drop your weapons now. Put your hands on your heads.” The shouted commands came from somewhere above Hannah. The pressure on her back gradually lessened but she screamed out as the boot found her hand and crushed down on her fingers.
A shot rang out. More shouts. Curses in a language she didn’t know. Hannah didn’t dare move.
“On the floor. Put your hands where we can see them.”
Hannah could make out what looked like a woman’s ankles belonging to someone standing in the doorway. The person moved aside as the men who had assaulted the Kumars and then her were roughly bundled out of the room.
“Hannah?” A pause. “Can you hear me Hannah?” Claudia Turner’s voice. What was Claudia doing there?
Hannah raised her head slowly and her eyes focused on the chaos of broken furniture around her. Slowly she rolled to one side and brought her knees up to a foetal position. Her back ached. But she was alive. She pushed herself on to her knees with her uninjured hand. Her head was spinning. She thought she was going to be sick.
“Take it easy. Deep breaths.” A paramedic’s arm went around her shoulder; he helped her to her feet and into an armchair. He put an oxygen mask on her face.
Mr and Mrs Kumar had been untied and were being attended to. Sunita was being led from the room.
“Hannah, I am so sorry.” What was Claudia doing kneeling in front of her? Why was she sorry?
Benton stepped forward. “They’re ready to leave now, Guv.”
***
At Kings College Hospital Hannah had been given a thorough examination and put into a side ward. She had seen a police officer at the door.
“In spite of everything you’ve been through, you seem to be relatively unscathed.” The A&E consultant smiled at her. “We’ll have to wait for some of the tests to come through, but your spinal X-rays show nothing untoward. You have two broken fingers on your left hand and you are going to be sporting some choice bruises.” He sat on the edge of her bed. “How are you feeling?”
“Horrible.” Hannah didn’t want to cry in front of him, but it was a real effort to hold back her tears. She had been petrified at the Kumars’ house. It was hard to believe that she had survived, and she still didn’t know how the police had arrived in the nick of time.
“How are the Kumars?”
The consultant’s expression changed slightly. “Mr and Mrs Kumar have already been discharged. Cuts and bruises but no real damage. Miss Kumar is –”
“Is waiting to say thank you from the bottom of my heart and to apologise for what we have put you through.” Sunita glided into the room. She was wearing fresh clothes and looked her usual immaculate self – apart from her haunted, sorrowful expression. She sat on the chair next to the bed. Straight-backed. She stroked Hannah’s hand with its strapped fingers. “Those animals – I am appalled, appalled by my countrymen. You have done so well to expose them and –”
What she was about to say was overruled by the imperious call of “Mama”. In the doorway stood Janet holding Elizabeth. The world tilted one way and then another. Janet was smiling although she looked close to tears.
Sunita stood up and bent forward to kiss Hannah on her forehead. “I will leave you to be with your daughter. God bless you.”
The consultant who had slipped out of the room to give Hannah and Sunita some privacy, returned. “I have prescribed some painkillers. The nurse will bring them and then you are free to go home. I’ll be in touch with your GP but any problems, just phone on this number.” He looked awkward. “You may want to talk through what happened with a counsellor from Victim Support or…”
“I am not a victim, doctor…”
“Never a victim – a soldier wounded in battle.” Claudia had joined them. She looked shattered but also elated. “All the perpetrators are in custody. One of them started blabbing as soon as he was arrested. Even gave us some more names. So we’ll be kept busy thanks to Hannah.” The nurse came in with the meds. “And now I’m going to see you safely home.”
In spite of her protests, Hannah was transferred to a wheelchair. Elizabeth was delighted to ride on her mother’s lap with a police officer pushing and Janet and Claudia either side. Elizabeth waved in her queenly fashion and shouted not quite so regally, “Bye. Goodbye.”
Once they were ensconced in the car (Hannah hadn’t failed to notice the police escort but didn’t comment) Hannah turned to Claudia who was sitting next to her. “I know we have so much to go through. But just one thing – how did you know?”
“Benton made something of a breakthrough with one of the families. What they revealed convinced him you were in danger. He went to your home and when he found out you had left to visit the Kumars he instigated the armed response team. A long shot which paid off.”
“Well I never thought I’d be thanking DS Benton for saving my life.” Hannah chuckled.
“Don’t worry, it’s not a complete conversion. He’s going to give you hell for keeping things to yourself.”
“I can live with that.”
The car and escort drew up outside her house. There was an enormous bouquet of flowers in front of the door and a police officer standing to one side.
“Hope he wasn’t put on flower guarding duty.” Hannah’s weak attempt at a joke brought a sniff from Janet who was sitting in the front. She got out first, unlocking the door and switching off the alarm before coming back for Elizabeth. Claudia helped Hannah inside. “We’ll talk but not now. The officer outside will leave with us. But there’s an observation unit parked across the road.” She hugged H
annah then let herself out.
“There’s just one thing I do need to tell you…” Claudia looked sheepish. “Ravi isn’t dead.”
“What!” Relief, joy, fury all competed in a whirl of emotions.
“He was found hanging in Peckham Park but he wasn’t dead. The person who found him got him down in time, saved his life. But we announced that he’d died on arrival at hospital. That was a ruse, I’m afraid. To protect him and to make the perpetrators think they were in the clear. Ravi and his family were taken to a safe house as a precaution. He gave us detailed descriptions of his attackers. And he knew one of the men so we had a name.”
“Who?” Hannah didn’t know why she had asked it was highly unlikely she would know him.
“One of the men who attacked you. We didn’t get to him soon enough I’m afraid. I’m sorry.”
Hannah was dozing on the sofa when Janet came into the sitting room carrying a tray. “I know you’re going to say you’re not hungry, but your tablets say to be taken after or with food. I’ve made you fish pie – comfort food that will slip down.” She waited for Hannah to move into a more upright position and placed the tray on her lap.
“Where’s Elizabeth?”
“Asleep in bed.”
“God what time is it? I’m so sorry Janet, you should have left ages ago. Why didn’t you wake me?”
“I have now – with food. And if you don’t mind, I’ll join you.”
Hannah watched her leave the room and return with a second tray. She sat on the other sofa. “Come on, eat up.”
Hannah did as she was told. In spite of thinking she wouldn’t be able to swallow a mouthful, she finished the meal and considered Janet.
“Who’s with your mother?”
“My sister. I phoned her and told her she had to help.”
“Good for you, but I wish it wasn’t on my account.”
Janet placed her tray on the coffee table and passed Hannah a glass of water and her tablets.
“Now do you need a hand with anything before I leave?”
Hannah shook her head. “Thank you so much, Janet. It was so good to see Elizabeth and you at the hospital.”
“DI Turner collected us.”
“Did she, now? Well I can’t thank you enough for being here for us.”
Janet took the trays to the kitchen and Hannah could hear her stacking the dishwasher.
“I think I’d better see you up to your room, before I go. God knows what the DI would do to me if I let anything else happen to you.”
Slowly they made their way up the stairs. Janet stopped outside the bathroom. “I won’t follow you in,” she joked.
“I’m glad to hear it.” Hannah thought about taking a shower but worried she might keel over so she just cleaned her teeth and removed what was left of her make-up.
After settling her in bed, Janet paused at the door. “Never a dull moment with you, is there?” She smiled but Hannah could read the fear in her face. “I’ll be back early in the morning so don’t worry about anything, okay?”
Hannah nodded. “Thank you.” She snuggled down into her bed and reached for Birdsong, but she had nodded off before the door was closed and locked by Janet who then got into the car waiting to take her home.
***
Hannah woke and saw the radio alarm registered 03.44. What a strange time to wake up. She ached all over and her fingers were pounding with pain. The bedside lamp was still on and she reached for the analgesics the doctor had prescribed, left by Janet on her bedside table. Slowly she got up and went into Elizabeth’s room. She was sleeping soundly.
Comforted, Hannah went back into her own room, turned off the lamp and went over to the window. Opening the curtains a fraction, she peered out into the street. The white van was still there. She wasn’t sure if she should be reassured or more worried that something else might happen.
Back in bed she snuggled down as the painkillers began to take effect and she was able to go back to sleep. In her dream Tom was walking towards her saying, “I’ll phone you soon…”
The ringing woke her. “Hannah – are you okay?” James’ voice sounded distant.
“I’m fine. Just a bit bruised.”
He said something she couldn’t hear. “Sorry, I’ll have to go. I’m due in theatre. I’ll call you later.”
There was a light tap on the door. Janet’s head appeared. “I heard your voice and… oh, Hannah, what’s happened?”
“Nothing. It’s just…”
Janet sat on the side of the bed and held Hannah in her arms while she sobbed. She didn’t move until they heard Elizabeth calling. Janet brought the child to her. Then left them together. By the time she returned with a breakfast tray for Hannah, Elizabeth was playing boo and blowing raspberries at her mother.
“Come along young lady – breakfast.” Elizabeth looked about to protest. Then smiled at her mother. “Bye bye.”
Hannah looked at the breakfast Janet had prepared for her. Grapefruit juice, scrambled eggs on toast, coffee.
“Thank you, Janet, I don’t think I can eat anything.”
“You have to or no tablets. Try a little…”
“Oh, by the way –?”
Janet paused as she was leaving the room. “Yes?”
“Who were the flowers from?”
The story – the one Hannah had been working on for so long – was front page news. Claudia had held a press conference acknowledging Hannah’s work in exposing the murders of Amalia Kumar, Nadia Chopra and Yamsin Sagar. Hannah had become the story once again. Fortunately there were no photos that could identify her.
CHAPTER FIFTY
“Do you feel up to some visitors?”
Hannah hadn’t even heard the doorbell. “Who is it?”
Janet didn’t have time to reply before Mr Singh burst into the room. “Mrs Weybridge it is your very good friend, my daughter Alesha.” Hannah almost laughed at his expression of concern when he noticed her bruises. “My wife has sent you one of her most special curries to help you recover. Better than all that takeaway food…”
Alesha nudged him. Hannah noticed she was looking happy and relaxed. “Daddy!”
“And I would like to introduce you to my sister, Tania and her daughter, Surjit.”
The older woman came forward and took Hannah’s hand. “Thank you. Thank you.” Then she was overcome by tears.
Alesha took it upon herself to explain as brother comforted sister. “Ms Weybridge, my aunt had sent Surjit into hiding as protection –” Surjit was nodding vigorously and smiling like she’d never stop.
“I told my mother I didn’t want to go through with the arranged marriage but we were warned that there would be consequences if I refused. Mummy got me away and although the family threatened her she would not tell them where I was. My mother can be rather fierce.”
As she said that the whole family laughed. “But,” said Mr Singh, “you have exposed the villains. And for that we are most humbly grateful.”
Hannah still hadn’t got a word in edgeways. “When you are recovered, Ms Weybridge,” said Surjit’s mother, “you must come to us for a proper celebration with the whole family.”
“Thank you.” The words seemed inadequate but what else could Hannah say? She felt exhausted by such exuberance.
“We will leave you in peace,” Mr Singh concluded. “The food is in your kitchen.”
Goodbyes over, they left, and Hannah sank back into the sofa cushions feeling shipwrecked.
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
The car pulled up outside the house. Hannah was ready to leave. Apart from the strapping on her left hand, she didn’t look any the worse for wear after being attacked at the Kumars.
“You look very smart.” Janet smiled her encouragement.
“Thank you.” Hannah kissed Elizabeth and left.
A uniformed officer opened the car door for her. Hannah took a deep breath and got in.
Hannah willed herself to breathe normally as the plane taxied along the
runway at RAF Northolt and came to a stop. Claudia was standing next to her in full dress uniform. Seven uniformed police officers marched to the undercarriage which opened. A coffin covered by the union flag and an officer’s hat was manoeuvred out, then hoisted on to their shoulders with one officer leading the way. They marched the short distance to the waiting hearse. The coffin was placed inside. The men saluted and passed either side then joined the line which included the Commander of the Metropolitan Police.
Then another person came into focus. In full dress uniform with a walking stick to aid him. Tom Jordan. The man who she had feared dead was walking towards her… Claudia gave her a gentle push. She stumbled then found her momentum and walked towards him until she was in his arms; she clung to him, oblivious to the sound of clapping which erupted around them.
They drew apart and Tom took her arm as they walked towards the awaiting dignitaries. The hearse, she noticed, had left. Claudia was beaming at them.
Hannah knew this moment would stay in her memory forever.
And then three shots rang out.
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
The private room that Lord Gyles had hired in the Savoy overlooked the Thames. In spite of everything that had happened there was a party atmosphere. That the proprietor of The News had managed to organise this at such short notice was a tribute to his influence and the diplomatic skills of his PA.
Georgina Henderson glided across the room towards Claudia Turner. She handed her a glass of champagne. “I love a woman in a uniform,” she said as she introduced herself.
Claudia laughed. “Fortunately I’m not required to wear it too often.” She sipped her drink. “I wasn’t sure this would go ahead after what happened.”
“Another front page scoop on our rivals? Always something to celebrate.”
Joe and Phil had just arrived and soon after James put in an appearance.
