Heartbreaker (Brennan and Esposito Series)

by Tania Carver

  Marina was damaged. Marina had been hurt. By her husband. Even better.

  Yes.

  Perhaps she was the one. The one to finish on. She could finally set him free.

  Yes…

  He nodded to himself at how clever he was.

  But another thought entered his mind. A darker one. What if she was lying? Or what if it didn’t work? He didn’t have time, something like that? He would need insurance. A way to prevent that happening.

  He looked round the room, worked out who was expendable, who was not. Who was useful, who was not. He made up his mind quickly.

  ‘Claire can go,’ he said into the phone. ‘The other one stays.’

  He hung up.

  93

  Marina put her arms up, let the technician thread a wire across her body, prior to pulling on a stab vest. Phil stood beside her, his own stab vest in place, anxious.

  ‘You sure about this?’ he said.

  ‘As sure as you are,’ she replied. ‘You agreed with me.’

  He leaned in closer, cutting off the rest of the activity in the trailer. Just the two of them. ‘Well, yeah, it made sense.’

  ‘So why are you asking if I’m all right with it?’

  ‘Because…’

  ‘Because it’s me,’ said Marina.

  ‘Well, of course. I mean —’

  ‘Do I ever stop you from doing what you’re supposed to? Am I asking if you’re all right with wearing a stab vest and leading a team in through the back?’

  ‘Well, no, but —’

  She turned to him. The technician had finished. ‘Well what?’

  ‘I just…’

  ‘What?’ said Marina. ‘You want to keep me safe?’

  ‘Course I do.’

  She stretched out her arms, felt her muscles coil and uncoil. Spring-loaded, ready to punch out. She had changed into her gym kit and training shoes, the Lycra sculpting her body, helping her to move as freely as she wanted to.

  ‘I don’t want to lose you,’ he said.

  A smile spread slowly across her face. ‘You won’t,’ she said.

  94

  The day was fading, dark creeping in, when Marina approached the front door of the house.

  She felt alone, the distance between the incident room and the house seemingly immense as she walked, but she knew that was only an illusion. Time hadn’t slowed down or speeded up. It only felt that way.

  She was scared. She had agreed to do this, told Phil she was fine with it and smiled at him, but it was bravado. Out here, in this open space, she felt so alone. Like she was walking away from safety towards… what? Danger? Uncertainty? Both. She was doing this because it was the right thing to do. Facing her fear, trying to conquer it. Because there was something bigger at stake. But there was also that gnawing thought that she might enter that house and never emerge. She saw Josephina’s face becoming more distant with every step she took.

  She would see her again. She kept telling herself that. She had to believe it. Had to.

  And Phil. He would be there. It was going to work. Ignore the fear, don’t give in to it. She would be fine.

  She would be fine…

  She reached the door. Put her hand out to knock but didn’t get the chance. It swung open slowly. Marina felt the telescopic sights of rifles on her back. She knew there was an armed response team waiting nearby, hoped they wouldn’t be foolish enough to take a shot at him while she was in the way.

  Claire Lingard was pushed roughly outside. She was holding herself, wincing with pain. Marina didn’t have time to talk to her, ask her what had happened or even steady her. A hand holding a gun appeared.

  ‘Get in. Quick.’

  She did so.

  The door closed behind her.

  In the shadow she could make out the features of Keith Bailey.

  ‘Hello, Keith,’ she said. More for those listening in than because she was pleased to see him.

  ‘Get through there,’ he said, waving the gun at her.

  She began walking. ‘Down here?’ she said. ‘Down this hallway?’

  ‘Move.’

  She kept walking until she reached a set of stairs.

  ‘Upstairs.’

  She did so. Moving slowly, deliberately, trying to make her trainered feet reverberate as much as possible, hoping that whoever was listening would be able to count the steps.

  ‘Left,’ he said at the top of the stairs.

  She turned left. This bit’s easy, she thought. He’s doing my job for me. Hope the rest is the same…

  But she doubted it.

  ‘Stop.’

  She did so.

  ‘I want to show you in here.’ He opened the door wide, ushered her into a room with a laptop, kept walking, opened another door. The room was filled with shelves, boxes on shelves. ‘This is where I keep them,’ he said. ‘The hearts. This is where the ritual takes place.’

  Marina was suddenly terrified. More scared than she had been in a long time. The enormity of what she had agreed to suddenly sank in and she hit a new level of terror. The plan had been one thing. Now it was just her in a room of body parts with a dangerous maniac holding a gun. She knew he was waiting for a response from her. She had to find the right one.

  Don’t look appalled, she thought. Don’t show him you’re scared.

  ‘And does it work?’ she asked. ‘The ritual?’

  ‘Yeah, yeah, it works.’

  ‘It gets rid of the ghosts?’

  He nodded. ‘It was doing, yeah. But that last one… that wasn’t so good. I had to act quickly. In a hurry. That didn’t feel right.’

  ‘I see,’ she said, quelling the screams she was hearing inwardly. ‘But you’re nearly finished now.’

  He gave a smile that was the most frightening thing she had seen in a long time. ‘Oh yes. I’m nearly finished.’

  He waved the gun at her once more, gesturing for her to leave the room.

  ‘Which way?’ she said out in the hall, relieved not to have seen what was inside the boxes.

  ‘Down there.’

  ‘Left?’

  ‘Just keep walking.’

  She did so until they reached another room with a closed door.

  ‘And this,’ he said, reaching for the handle, ‘is where the magic happens.’ He gave out something that could have been a laugh and entered.

  Marina followed him. There was Imani, chained to a rusty old bedstead. Again Marina felt screams within her. She tried to keep them down. Like increasing nausea, they were getting harder to swallow each time.

  She turned back to Bailey. ‘Come on, Keith,’ she said, hoping her voice didn’t sound as shaky and breathless as she thought it did. ‘You’ve got me now. You don’t need Imani as well. Let her go.’

  Bailey, still smiling, was advancing towards her. ‘I don’t need her?’

  ‘No,’ said Marina, backing away. This was all getting out of hand too fast. She had to calm down, try to talk. Engage him. Give Phil and the team time to get in place. To make an entry.

  ‘Come on, Keith,’ she said, trying not to move any more, though his approach was hindering that. ‘Let’s… let’s just talk. That’s what you wanted, right? So let’s talk.’

  ‘We’ve talked, Marina. Haven’t we? We’ve talked a few times now. Have you anything else to say? Anything I want to hear?’

  ‘I must have. That’s why you asked me here.’

  He laughed. ‘Is it?’

  Marina was aware that Imani was trying to tell her something. She was looking at Marina, nodding in the direction of something with her eyes. Marina was confused at first, didn’t know what she was looking it. Then she saw it. And understood.

  She gave a small nod of acknowledgement. Kept moving.

  ‘It’s the end, Keith,’ she said. ‘Surely you realise that?’

  Nothing. Just grinning.

  ‘Why not let it go? Now?’

  He giggled.

  ‘There’s other ways of getting rid of those gho
sts, you know,’ she said. ‘Other therapies you can use. Ones that don’t involve hurting people.’

  Nothing. Just the slow advance.

  ‘Come on, Keith. I know you don’t enjoy hurting people. I know that’s not what this is all about. You’re not like that, are you?’

  Bailey stopped, and for a single, blessed second, Marina thought she had got through to him. But all he did was tuck the gun in the waistband of his trousers and replace it with a knife. He studied the blade, watched it glitter in the overhead light.

  ‘It’s too late for that,’ he said, looking back at her. ‘Much too late…’

  95

  ‘Here, boss. Look at this.’

  Behind the flats that Bailey was holed up in, there was a row of garages, all with metal pull-over doors. Sperring had managed to open one of the doors and was standing inside. Phil turned to see what he had found.

  ‘Toyota Avensis,’ he said. ‘Looks like it needs a bit of attention, too.’

  ‘Good work,’ said Phil. ‘Best not touch it, though. Leave it for Forensics.’

  He moved away. They were heading towards the back of the flats. They made their way past the garages and over the wooden fence, then edged up the garden, checking all sides.

  Phil’s team was augmented by a response unit. They were used to this kind of thing, knew how to effect a decent entry. They were carrying a battering ram, a heavy metal tube filled with concrete, handles on either end.

  Phil glanced at Sperring. His DS was looking straight ahead. Determined. ‘You okay? You ready?’

  ‘Course I am,’ Sperring said, not breaking stride. ‘Why wouldn’t I be?’

  ‘Just thinking of your knife wound.’

  He stopped walking, looked at Phil. Gave a grim smile. ‘Take more than that to stop me,’ he said.

  Not the only one wearing a mask, thought Phil.

  They reached the back door. Phil stood aside, let the guys with the battering ram get set up.

  ‘In three,’ called the lead officer. He held up three fingers. ‘One, two…’

  The third was silent, just the folding down of his index finger.

  The battering ram hit. One blow was all it took. And they were in.

  ‘Upstairs,’ shouted Phil. ‘That’s where they are.’

  He found a staircase, took it two at a time, Sperring hurrying behind him.

  He reached a landing. Looked left to right. Tried to orient himself from Marina’s words. Turned left. Ran. Opened one door. A laptop. Some other equipment. Tried another. Boxes on shelves. Getting nearer, he thought. Tried another one.

  That was it.

  The door swung open. There stood Bailey, one arm round Marina’s neck, the other holding a large and vicious-looking knife at her throat.

  ‘Too late,’ Bailey said, and began to push the knife in.

  96

  Marina felt what he was doing. She screamed and tried to push him away. Bailey stumbled backwards. His knife hand moved to steady himself but his other arm remained firmly round her throat. Marina also stumbled, but only as far as the table. Then Bailey had her once more, shoving her forward, the knife back in place.

  ‘Let her go,’ said Phil, trying to remain calm but failing.

  ‘A stand-off,’ said Bailey. ‘Who has the power now, Mr Alpha Male Detective?’

  ‘Let her go,’ repeated Phil, calmer and more controlled this time.

  Bailey gave out something that might have been a laugh. ‘No,’ he said. ‘I won’t. Because I have one more ritual, one more sacrifice to make. And you’re not going to stop me.’

  ‘And then what?’ asked Phil. ‘After you’ve done that, then what will you do?’

  ‘I’ll be complete, of course.’

  ‘Complete. Right. But you can’t escape, can you?’

  ‘Can’t I?’

  ‘Look around you. Look outside. You’re going nowhere.’

  Bailey smiled. It had no connection with anything humorous. Or even remotely sane. ‘Oh, I always had an escape planned. Of a sort.’

  ‘Tell me.’

  ‘You wouldn’t understand.’

  ‘Try me.’

  ‘Well, it’s very simple, really. Once I’ve achieved perfection, where could I go?’

  Phil stared at him.

  ‘Go on,’ said Bailey. ‘Answer the question.’

  ‘I thought it was rhetorical,’ said Phil, noticing that Marina almost smiled at that. ‘Okay, where could you go?’

  ‘Nowhere. I could go nowhere. Because once I’ve achieved perfection, there’s no point in me being here. I’ll use the knife on myself. Stop my own heart. Make my escape.’

  ‘That’s not an escape,’ said Phil. ‘That’s getting away with what you’ve done. Not answering for all the murders you’ve committed. That’s the coward’s way out.’

  Bailey just shook his head. ‘We’ll see, shall we?’

  Phil took his attention away from Bailey, brought it to Marina. ‘You okay?’ he said.

  She nodded.

  ‘It’s all right,’ he said. ‘Don’t be afraid.’

  And then Marina did something that took Phil completely by surprise. She smiled. ‘I’m not,’ she said. ‘I’m not afraid of anything any more.’

  ‘Well, you should be,’ said Bailey, voice raised, not wanting to be ignored. ‘Because I decide what happens next.’

  ‘No you don’t,’ said Phil. Hoping his voice had conviction even though he didn’t know what he was going to do.

  Bailey laughed. ‘You’re not even armed,’ he said.

  ‘No,’ said Marina. ‘And I don’t need to be.’

  She stamped down hard on his instep. Bailey let out a cry, his knife hand loosening. She brought her head forward, then jerked it back sharply, making contact with the bridge of his nose. He screamed, stepped backwards, letting her go in the process.

  Marina turned. Blood was pumping from Bailey’s nose. He still had the knife.

  ‘Bitch…’

  He telegraphed a thrust with the blade and she neatly sidestepped it, bringing her leg up hard, her foot making contact with his thumb, bending it backwards. He screamed and dropped the knife. Staggered backwards.

  Phil had made his way round the pair of them, picked up the stun gun from the table. He lifted it, ready to use it, but Marina brought her arm back and punched Bailey hard in the face. He went down. Just to make sure he wouldn’t get up, Phil knelt and emptied the charge into him.

  The voltage coursed through Bailey’s body. He screamed, passed out.

  Phil stood up, looked at his wife.

  She turned to look at him.

  And all hell broke loose in the room.

  Police officers poured in. Picked Bailey up, dragged him out. Paramedics ran over to Imani on the bed.

  But Phil and Marina were oblivious to it all. The calm at the eye of the storm, they stood there holding each other, letting everything happen around them.

  Holding each other tight. Not letting go.

  ‘I’m not afraid,’ whispered Marina. ‘Not of anything. Not any more.’

  Phil smiled. Whispered back.

  ‘Neither am I.’

  They held on to each other like their lives depended on it.

  PART SEVEN

  BROKEN HEARTS

  97

  The rain was nearing torrential levels. Leaching what little colour was left out of the day, turning everything to a dull grey monochrome. The Sandwell Valley stretched down the hill and away, and Phil had to admit it probably looked beautiful in the summer. But this wasn’t the summer. Now the trees just looked threadbare and apologetic, denuded and exposed.

  The crematorium was behind them. He and Marina sheltered in the porch, keeping away from the rest of the mourners. They were both dressed in black, Phil with his Crombie overcoat pulled tight about him.

  They didn’t need to be there. Marina had said as much. It wasn’t like they’d worked with Avi, or known him well. But Phil felt they should make an appearance. Avi Pat
el was, to all intents and purposes, one of their own.

  The family had filed in before them, the parents still unable to believe that they were saying goodbye to their son. Phil found that shocked tableau depressingly familiar. He had seen it enough times. And it never got any easier.

  Marina pulled in close to him. He still wasn’t used to feeling her warmth near him again, didn’t take it for granted. Almost a week since the events in the block of flats in Kings Heath. Since they’d caught Keith Bailey. Since they had come back together.

  There had been the paperwork to take care of, but Cotter, seeing how close Phil and Marina were with each other, not to mention how exhausted they both looked, had sent them home.

  Imani had been taken to hospital, Claire Lingard was receiving treatment, and Keith Bailey had been driven away to spend the first of many nights in a cell on his own.

  ‘Where’s Josephina?’ Phil had asked.

  ‘Joy’s picked her up from school.’

  Phil took his phone out.

  ‘I already called,’ said Marina, placing a hand on his wrist. ‘She’s fine.’

  Phil returned the phone to his pocket.

  ‘What about us?’ he said, looking straight at her. ‘Are we fine?’

  Marina smiled. Phil saw tiredness etched in her features. ‘We need to talk. About the future, about us. About that psychopathic threat hanging over us.’

  ‘We do,’ said Phil. ‘Let’s go home and do it.’

  Leaving Josephina with Joy, they went home. It felt strange having Marina back after so long alone. For her part, Marina was appalled at the state Phil had allowed the house to get into.

  ‘I was in a bad place,’ he said. ‘I didn’t think anything mattered. If you weren’t here.’

  She smiled. ‘I’ve always loved your honesty.’

  He returned the smile. They put their arms round each other.

  Kissed.

  The next morning the sun came up, streamed through the bedroom window.

  ‘Feels like a new start,’ said Phil.