Her ankle was throbbing, sending spasms of pain shooting up her leg. With a rush of desperate courage, she struggled to her feet. Above her she heard the door slam shut, leaving her in darkness.
‘No, no! Don’t leave me here!’ she shrieked.
Catching her breath, she froze, listening. In the darkness she could hear panting.
‘Get away from me!’ she cried out.
As she tried to feel her way towards the steps, a guttural growling swelled into a deafening roar that echoed off the walls of the narrow chamber. Her legs felt weak. Disorientated, she shuffled backwards searching for the stairs, and let out an involuntary moan as her shoulder hit the wall behind her. She whirled around, trembling, as the roaring reverberated around the narrow space once again.
38
Geraldine felt more cheerful the next morning than she had been since her move to York. Without another word being exchanged on the subject, she was relieved to know that her colleagues were aware of her recent history. Until she had gone out to eat with Ariadne, fear of letting something slip about her demotion had kept her on her guard. Now she felt she could relax. Not only did everyone know about her recent history, but no one seemed to care or be at all curious about the reason for her disgrace. The likelihood that Ian had played a role in smoothing the way for her move was an additional source of gratification. For once, she had no reservations about going for a quick drink with her colleagues after work. Whatever had happened to her in London was in the past. She had come to York to stay, and was determined to make the best of her situation. Despite the blot on her reputation she had remained in a job she loved, where she could dedicate her life to serving justice. She couldn’t think of anything else she would want to do, or anywhere she would rather be than on Ian’s team in York.
‘You’re looking cheerful today,’ Naomi remarked as she and Ariadne joined Geraldine and Ian in the canteen at lunch time. ‘Does this mean there might be some good news at last?’
Geraldine glanced at Ian who returned her look with a quizzical expression.
She turned back to Naomi and shook her head. ‘No, nothing new, I’m just happy to be here getting on with the job.’
‘Not that we’re getting anywhere,’ Ariadne grumbled. ‘Whoever killed Mark and Amanda certainly did a good job of it –’
‘In what sense would you call their murders good?’ Geraldine asked, raising her eyebrows in exaggerated surprise.
‘I meant he’s doing a good job of keeping his identity hidden,’ Ariadne explained herself although they all knew what she had meant.
‘The killer could be a woman,’ Naomi pointed out.
‘And we don’t know for certain that we’re looking for just one killer,’ Geraldine added.
As though by tacit agreement, the others changed the subject. Geraldine listened in silence for a few minutes as her colleagues chattered inconsequentially. All she wanted to do was discuss the investigation. She had been criticised in the past for having tunnel vision, but she was content with her single-minded dedication to her work. Still, she wanted to fit in with her new colleagues, so she joined in the lighthearted banter as well as she could, competing to make the others laugh. There was some desultory gossip about a retired constable Geraldine had never met, and then the conversation drifted on to Eileen. Geraldine listened closely, keen to discover as much as she could about the detective chief inspector, but she heard nothing specific.
‘She’s getting crabbier,’ Naomi complained.
‘She’s always had a short temper,’ Ariadne agreed.
‘I know that, I’m just saying she’s getting worse,’ Naomi repeated.
There followed a brief debate over whether Eileen’s temper was deteriorating under the pressure of a double murder investigation.
‘I’m going to miss Ted,’ Ian said, putting an end to comments which were becoming increasingly vexatious.
Ariadne agreed that the police station wasn’t the same without Ted’s cheery face.
‘I wonder what he’s doing,’ Naomi said.
Ariadne replied that a constable had called in to see him and found him busy in his garden. ‘He was always a keen gardener,’ she added.
‘It’s so important to have interests outside of work,’ Naomi said, and the others murmured in agreement.
Listening to the conversation, Geraldine wondered what she was going to do when she retired. She could envisage only empty days stretching ahead of her. She looked forward to spending more time with her adopted sister, Celia, and her family. She hardly saw her niece, Chloe, any more. When she visited these days, Chloe was often out, busy with her friends. And she would be able to see more of her twin who was still virtually a stranger, despite being biologically closer to Geraldine than anyone else could ever be. And she would go and see her friend and former colleague, Sam. But there was no denying that leaving work would leave a gaping hole in her week. More than ever she was glad to have been given the opportunity to continue working as a detective.
Convinced that Ian had taken a hand in persuading Eileen to take her on she smiled at him, but he didn’t notice. He seemed to be intent on something Naomi was saying, the two of them engrossed in what appeared to be a private conversation, leaning forward in their chairs, their heads almost touching. Ian left, and a few moments later Naomi stood up and followed him. Geraldine remained behind with Ariadne.
‘There’s definitely something going on,’ Ariadne said, nodding her head, as though she was carrying on an existing conversation. She turned to Geraldine. ‘You know Ian, don’t you?’
‘I used to work with him, years ago.’
‘Do you know what’s going on between him and Naomi?’
Geraldine raised her eyebrows. ‘What do you mean, what’s going on?’
‘Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed the way she follows him around all the time, like a little lapdog?’ Ariadne laughed.
‘They work together,’ Geraldine said, smiling in an attempt to hide her irritation.
Although she didn’t say that in her opinion such gossip was at best a waste of time, when Ariadne pressed her for an opinion, Geraldine gave a noncommittal grunt, and the conversation moved on. For Ian’s sake, Geraldine hoped the speculation about him and Naomi was true. Although not as beautiful as Ian’s estranged wife, Naomi was undoubtedly attractive and bright, and she seemed like a pleasant young woman, if rather shallow. If she could make Ian happy, it was no more than he deserved, especially after the way his wife had cheated on him, deserting him to have another man’s baby. But the thought that Naomi might supplant Ian’s former wife gave Geraldine a cold feeling, as though she herself was being supplanted by Naomi. She knew it was ridiculous of her to resent Ian’s relationship with Naomi. He had never said or done anything to suggest Geraldine had ever meant anything more to him than any other former colleague. She had no business feeling disappointed. All the same she felt oddly deflated as she stood up and left. Returning to her desk, she turned her attention back to the more important question of who had a motive to kill both Mark and Amanda, but her thoughts kept wandering back to Ian and Naomi.
39
‘You ready then? Everything’s in place. I told the boys you’re rock solid, so you’d better not let me down.’
Abe’s gaze was steady, but Eddy noticed a faint sheen of sweat on his upper lip. As though reading his companion’s thoughts, Abe wiped his mouth on his sleeve, muttering. ‘It’s bloody hot in here.’
Eddy nodded. The atmosphere in the pub was oppressive, with an unpleasant smell of sweat and hops, and piped music blaring out a repetitive beat. A couple of girls were sitting at the next table, their shrill voices raised above the din of the music. Eddy’s head felt heavy and he was suddenly so tired he thought he would fall asleep if he allowed his eyes to close even for a second. But of course he couldn’t nod off while Abe sat glaring at him across the table.
‘I said, are you ready? Jesus, are you deaf?’
Eddy squirmed in his h
ard seat. ‘I heard you.’
‘Because if I thought you were getting cold feet –’
Abe broke off, leaving an unspoken threat hanging in the air between them.
‘I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,’ Eddy assured him.
Abe’s thin lips twisted in a grin, displaying yellowing teeth. He leaned forward until their noses were almost touching and Eddy caught a whiff of his bad breath. It took all of Eddy’s self-control not to jerk backwards. Forcing himself to sit still, he stared back at his companion.
‘That’s good, because there’s no bottling it,’ Abe said. ‘We’ve got to be able to rely on you a hundred per cent. This isn’t a game.’
‘I never said anything about it being a game. If I say I’ll do something, I do it.’ Although Eddy didn’t know exactly what he was getting himself involved in, he had tumbled to the fact that it was illegal. ‘What exactly is this job, anyway? I need to know what I’m letting myself in for before I agree to anything.’
Abe’s expression darkened and his eyes seemed to burn holes in Eddy’s head. ‘You already agreed. That means you’re committed to seeing it through. It’s too late to start asking questions. We’re going tomorrow. You’re the driver. So you’d better get used to it. Stay cool and clear-headed.’ Ignoring Eddy’s protests that he was a master of self-control, Abe continued. ‘You can’t back out now. And you can’t fuck it up, or we’re all in the shit. Me and the other boys don’t take kindly to people who screw things up for us. It’s not just a question of the money. If you get us all banged up… well, let’s just say I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes if that happened. Even in the nick you’d be looking over your shoulder every minute of the day. And once my boys got their hands on you –’ he glared at Eddy. ‘I’ll break your balls myself if you let us down. It’s nothing personal,’ he added, seeing Eddy’s horrified expression. ‘But seeing as I introduced you to the gang, I’d feel responsible if you blew it.’
Eddy nodded anxiously. He had an uneasy feeling he was getting himself in too deep, but wasn’t sure how to distance himself from Abe. If he tried to walk away, not only would he lose the money he desperately needed, but he’d risk upsetting his new acquaintance, which didn’t seem like a good idea. He wasn’t sure whether he should be more worried about falling foul of the police or of Abe. Either was enough to give him nightmares.
‘So you just take things nice and steady. Do as you’re told, and you won’t lose –’ Abe broke off and his gaze moved slowly across Eddy’s face, lingering on each of his eyes as though weighing up how long it would take to gouge them out. ‘You won’t lose your chance of getting your hands on some easy money,’ he concluded.
Eddy licked his lips nervously. ‘I won’t let you down. Honestly, you know you can rely on me.’
Abe grunted and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. ‘Let’s step outside. I need a smoke.’
Eddy hadn’t finished his pint but he didn’t dare refuse. Gulping down a last mouthful, he followed Abe outside.
‘It’s a lot of money,’ he muttered as he caught up with his companion. ‘All I’ve got to do is drive the car? And that’s it?’
‘Keep your voice down. Yeah, that’s all you’ve got to do. It couldn’t be easier. And there’s no risk to you. Meet me here at four. I’ll give you the keys.’ Abe took a long slow drag of his cigarette as he glanced around. ‘It’s an old black BMW.’ He inhaled again and then told Eddy the registration number of the car. ‘Make sure you don’t forget it.’
Eddy nodded. ‘Got it.’
‘Go straight to the car. Get in and wait. Watch the pavement on your side of the road. When you see me, start the engine. Don’t hang around. As soon as I’m in the car, put your foot down. I’ll direct you. That’s all you need to know.’
Before Eddy could reply, Abe turned on his heel and walked away. Eddy wandered back into the pub, hoping that his glass would still be on the table. It was. Resuming his seat, he gulped the tepid beer. To be paid so much for doing nothing more onerous than driving a car seemed like a good deal, but the set-up was risky. Abe seemed confident he would get away with enough money to pay Eddy a tidy sum just for driving the getaway car. That must mean he was planning a serious robbery. For some reason that no longer seemed as worrying as it had done just a few minutes earlier. With Abe no longer around, Eddy began to relax.
By the time he had finished his beer, he was feeling quite bold. To make that sort of money, he guessed they must be going to rob a jewellers, or a bank, but he didn’t want to think about that too much. All he needed to focus on was driving the car, which couldn’t be difficult. Abe had told him it was an old BMW. He wished he had asked to drive it beforehand to get used to the controls, but he supposed it would be no different to any other car, and Abe had made it clear that the less Eddy knew about the job the better. That was fine, because it meant that if anyone gave the police a tip off, Eddy couldn’t be suspected of being a grass. And if Abe and his accomplices were caught, Eddy would simply drive away without them. He wouldn’t get his money, but even if the worst happened, at least he’d be in the clear.
40
Traces of earth found on Amanda’s body had been analysed. There hadn’t been much to work with, but a tiny scraping of mud from her dressing gown had yielded some interesting results. Eileen had gathered the team together to discuss the findings.
‘So the soil didn’t come from where the body was found?’ someone asked.
Eileen merely grunted. The report concluded that the soil had come from a cultivated garden. Microscopic fibres from plants including roses and daffodil bulbs had been found, along with traces of pine bark and evidence of dog waste from a Pitweiler, a cross between a Pit bull and a Rottweiler. The report was unequivocal; the mud couldn’t have come from land adjoining the road where the body had been discovered. The findings tied in with the scene of crime officers’ judgement that Amanda was already dead when her body had been deposited there.
‘She left a single shoe outside her house,’ Eileen said. ‘Why? She must have known we would find it. Was she trying to tell us something?’
No one answered.
‘What about the dog faeces found in the mud?’ Geraldine asked. ‘Did the victim or anyone living nearby own a potentially dangerous dog like that? If it’s a dangerous cross-breed, surely it can’t be that common?’
Again the questions were met with silence. The specimen had been carefully analysed but the results were frustrating. No dog matching that description had been registered with a certificate of exemption anywhere in the area which meant that if the animal lived locally, the owner was keeping the dog illegally. That alone was cause for concern. A trained dog handler at the police station confirmed what they all knew, that such a cross-bred animal could be dangerous.
‘These dogs are required to be registered for a reason,’ the dog handler explained. ‘An animal with that genetic heritage can become vicious if it’s not properly cared for and effectively trained. The same is true of any dog, of course, but this kind of Pitweiler typically combines the strength and aggression of a Rottweiler with the temperament of a potentially belligerent Pit bull. If it’s being held somewhere in the area, we need to be notified so we can check that appropriate safety measures are in place, like keeping it muzzled in public. And we need to be sure the animal is being well cared for. We have no record of any such animal living in the York area. If you track it down, we need to speak to the owner and check the dog’s living conditions are appropriate. It would need to be properly exercised, and well trained, and of course it would have to be muzzled.’
A team was set up to question people who lived near Amanda’s house, moving in ever widening circles, searching for information about a large dog being kept somewhere in the area. Despite the slightly baffling evidence, there was an air of renewed optimism in the team as they went about their allotted tasks. They were all aware that if they could only trace the dog, they might find the killer, and an unusually large dog had to be eas
ier to find than an unknown man. Since she had already questioned her once, Geraldine started her enquiries with Moira who had been living next door to Amanda. Moira looked slightly taken aback to see Geraldine on her doorstep, and she hesitated when Geraldine explained she would like to ask a few more questions.
From along the hallway, they heard Geoff’s voice calling out, ‘Who is it, love?’
‘It’s that policewoman come back with more questions.’
‘You’d better invite her in, then,’ he answered.
Still Moira hesitated.
‘Is there a problem?’ Geraldine asked.
Moira looked uncomfortable. ‘It’s just that, well, we’ve been thinking we’d really like to keep the poor thing. But of course, if there’s someone who has a claim to it –’
It took Geraldine a moment to work out what Moira was talking about. As soon as she realised, she hurried to reassure her.
‘I’m not here to talk about your neighbour’s cat. I’m here as part of a team conducting an investigation into Amanda’s murder. I can assure you we’re not interested in her cat, and I’m sure you’re looking after it very well.’
Ironically she had actually come to ask about a dog. When she explained what she was there for, Moira invited her in at once. Geraldine accepted so that she could speak to Moira and her husband, either one of whom might have heard or seen something about a large dog living in the vicinity. But she might as well not have bothered as neither Moira nor Geoff could offer any helpful information although they spent a long time discussing what breed of dog one of their other neighbours owned, finally agreeing it was a corgi.
‘Like the Queen’s dogs,’ Moira said.
‘But not a big dog,’ Geoff added.
Death Rope Page 16
