The Chemistry of Death dh-1

by Simon Beckett

  One of the other men spoke up. It was Dan Marsden, the farmhand I'd treated after he'd been injured by one of the killer's traps. 'Come on, Dr Hunter, don't take it personal.'

  'Why not? It seems bloody personal to me.'

  Brenner had recovered his habitual aggression. 'What's wrong, doctor? Got something to hide?'

  He made the word sound like an insult. But before I could say anything Marsden took hold of his arm.

  'Leave him, Carl. He was a friend of hers.'

  Was. I gripped the steering wheel as they stared at me with raw curiosity.

  'Get out of the way,' I told them.

  Brenner put his hand on the door. 'Not until you-'

  I stamped on the accelerator, flinging him off. The men standing in front of me leapt aside as the Land Rover surged forward. Startled faces flashed by, and then I was past them. Their angry shouts came after me, but I didn't slow down. It wasn't until they were out of sight that my anger faded to the point where I could think clearly again. What the hell had I been thinking? Some doctor I was. I could have injured someone. Or worse.

  I drove aimlessly until I realized I was heading for the pub I'd visited with Jenny only a few days earlier. I braked hard, unable to bear even the thought of seeing it again now. When a car horn blared behind me I pulled into the verge, waiting until it was past before turning around and heading back.

  I'd been trying to outrun what had happened, but I knew now I couldn't. I felt exhausted as I drove back into Manham. There was no sign of Brenner or his friends. I resisted the temptation to either go to Jenny's or phone Mackenzie. There was no point. I would hear soon enough if anything happened.

  I let myself into my house, poured myself a whisky I didn't want, and sat outside as the sun sank from the sky. My heart descended with it. Half a day had already passed since Jenny had been taken. I could tell myself that there was still hope, that whoever had her hadn't killed his other two victims straight away. But there was no comfort there. No comfort at all.

  Even if she wasn't already dead – a possibility that gaped terrifyingly in front of me – we had no more than two days to find her. If her insulin deficiency hadn't pushed her into a coma by then, the faceless animal would kill her as he had Sally Palmer and Lyn Metcalf.

  And there was nothing I could do to stop it.

  21

  After a while, the darkness stopped being absolute. There were pinpricks of light, so small that at first she thought it was her imagination. When she tried to focus on them they disappeared. It was only when she looked off to one side that they became visible – tiny specks like a horizontal plane of stars on the edge of her vision.

  As her eyes adjusted, she found she was able to make them out more easily. Not just specks. Slits. Cracks of brightness. Before long she was able to discern that they weren't all around her. The light was coming from a single direction. She started to think of that as Front.

  With that to guide her, Jenny gradually began to impose form and shape on the darkness surrounding her.

  Waking had come slowly. Her head hurt with a dull, senseless throbbing that made any movement agony. Her thoughts were scrambled, but a terrible sense of dread goaded her from sinking back into unconsciousness. She thought she was back in the car park, only this time the taxi driver had put her in the boot of the car. She felt hemmed in, unable to breathe. She wanted to shout for help, but her throat, like the rest of her body, wouldn't seem to acknowledge her commands.

  Slowly, her thoughts had grown more coherent. She became aware that wherever she was, it wasn't the car park. That attack was in her past now. But the realization brought no relief. Where was she? The darkness confused and terrified her. As she struggled to sit up, something seemed to grab her leg. She tried to pull away, felt something snap taut, and then her fingers encountered the rough hemp of a rope around her ankle. With mounting disbelief, she followed it along its length until she came to a heavy iron ring set into the floor.

  She'd been tied. And suddenly the rope, the darkness, the hard ground underneath her, all fell into awful alignment.

  And she remembered.

  It came back in fragments; a patchwork of memory that gradually merged together. She'd been talking to David on the phone. The doorbell had chimed. She'd gone to answer it, seen the figure of a man standing outside, obscured by the bead curtain in the doorway, and… and…

  Oh, God, this couldn't be happening. Except it was. She called out, shouting for David, for Tina. Anybody. No-one came. With an effort, she forced herself to stop. Deep breaths. Full yourself together. Shakily, she began to take stock of her situation. Wherever she was, it was cool but not too cold. The air was foul, with a rank odour she couldn't identify. But at least she was still dressed, her shorts and sun vest undisturbed. She told herself that was a good sign. The pain in her head had subsided to a muted throb, and now the strongest sensation was thirst. Her throat was swollen and dry, making it painful to swallow. She was hungry, too, and with that thought came a far more chilling one.

  She didn't have any insulin.

  She couldn't even guess how long it was since her last shot. She had no idea how long she'd been here. She'd given herself her usual injection in the morning, but how long ago was that? If her next wasn't already overdue, it soon would be. Without insulin there was nothing to regulate her blood sugar, and she knew only too well what would happen when it started to rise.

  Don't think about that, she told herself, sharply. Think about getting out of here. Wherever here is.

  Stretching out her hands, she'd begun mapping the physical limits of her prison as far as the rope would allow. Behind her was a rough wall, but on the other three sides her hands met only air. Then, as she groped in the darkness, her foot kicked something. She gave a cry and stumbled away. When nothing else happened she crouched down and cautiously felt for the object again. It was a shoe, she thought, testing it with her fingers. A trainer, too small to be a man's…

  She dropped it as realization swept over her. Not a trainer, but a running shoe. A woman's.

  Lyn Metcalf's.

  For a while fear threatened to overwhelm her. Ever since she'd felt the rope around her leg Jenny had been trying to hold back the knowledge that the killer must have selected her for his third victim. Now it had been brutally confirmed. But she couldn't afford to fall apart. Not if she wanted to get out of this.

  Moving nearer the wall until the rope was slack, she explored the knots with her fingers. They might as well have been cast from the same iron as the ring itself for all the play in them. The noose wasn't tight enough to cause her pain, but it was too small for her to free her foot. Trying only rubbed the skin of her ankle raw.

  After that she braced her untethered foot against the wall and heaved as hard as she could. Neither the rope nor the iron ring had budged, but she'd still pulled until her head pounded and flashbulbs popped and burst behind her eyes.

  It was as they faded and she lay gasping for breath that she'd noticed the chinks of light. Light meant a way out, or at least something else beyond this black prison. But wherever it was coming from remained out of reach. Lowering herself to the floor, she moved to the furthest extent of the rope and stretched out. Tentatively, she put out her hand. It met something hard and unyielding less than a foot away. Jenny slowly ran her fingers over it, feeling the splintery texture of unplaned wooden planks.

  The slivers of brightness were coming through cracks and gaps between them. One of them was right in front of her, slightly bigger than the rest. She edged closer. She flinched as her eyelashes brushed against the wood's rough surface, then carefully put her eye to the crack.

  Through it she could see part of a long, deeply shadowed room. A basement or cellar, by the look of it, which would explain the subterranean dampness of the air. The walls were unpainted stone with the look of age about them. There were shelves filled with jars and tins, all of them dusty and old. Opposite her was a wooden workbench, with a vice and a variety of to
ols spread out on it. But that wasn't what made her breath catch in her throat.

  Hanging from the ceiling, like obscene pendulums, were the mutilated bodies of animals.

  There were dozens of them. Foxes, birds, rabbits, stoats, moles; even what looked like a badger. They undulated queasily, stirred by some faint draught like the surface of an inverted sea. Some were suspended by their necks, others by their hind legs, displaying blind stumps where their heads should have been. Many of the small corpses had rotted to skin and bone; empty eye-sockets staring blankly back at her.

  Choking off a cry, Jenny pushed herself away from the planks. Now she knew what the foul smell was. And then the hairs on the back of her neck began to rise as something else occurred to her. She stood up and slowly felt above her head. Her fingertips brushed something soft. Fur. She snatched her hand back, then forced herself to reach up again. This time she felt the soft stir of feathers, swaying slightly from her touch.

  There were animals hanging above her as well.

  She let out an involuntary cry and ducked down to the floor, scrabbling along it till her back was against the wall. She broke down then, hugging herself as she sobbed. Gradually, though, the tears stopped. She wiped her eyes and nose. Wuss. Crying wasn't going to do any good. And the creatures above her were dead. There was no harm in them.

  Gathering her resolve, she moved to the plank wall and put her eye to the crack once more. The room beyond was unchanged. No-one was there. And now she noticed something the shock of seeing the dead animals had made her overlook. Behind the workbench was a recess. What little light there was in the cellar was spilling from this; a dim, artificial glow. Just visible in it, rising out of sight, was a flight of steps.

  The way out.

  Jenny looked at them hungrily, then moved back from the crack and gave the planks an explorative push. Resting on her knees, she slammed both hands against them. The impact jarred her arms and drove splinters into her palms. The wooden wall didn't budge.

  But the effort made her feel better. She drove her hands against it again and again, each blow exorcising a little more of the fear that threatened to paralyse her. Breathless, she moved back until the rope was slack enough to allow her to sit down. Her tethered leg had cramped, and the exertion had made her headache and thirst worse, but she felt a grim satisfaction. She held on to it, refusing to consider how little she had actually achieved. The planks weren't impassable. Given time she felt she could get through them. Except you don't know how much time you've got, do you?

  Pushing that thought from her mind, she felt for the rope and began working at the knot.

  22

  Next morning when I turned on the news I heard that a suspect had been arrested.

  I'd spent a largely sleepless night sitting in a chair for the most part, both hoping and dreading that Mackenzie would ring. But my phone had stayed silent. At five o'clock I'd got up and showered. I sat outside, watching numbly as the world came to life around me. After nearly an hour I went back indoors. I avoided putting on the radio, knowing what the main news story would be. Soon, however, the quietness of the house had become oppressive, and not listening was even worse. When the time came for the eight o'clock news bulletin I gave in and switched it on.

  Even so, I wasn't expecting to hear anything I didn't know already. I'd been about to make myself a coffee, and as I filled the percolator the noise from the tap drowned out the first few seconds of the broadcast. But I heard the words 'arrest' and 'suspect', and frantically turned off the water.

  '… identity hasn't been revealed, but police confirm that a local man was arrested late last night in connection with the abduction of schoolteacher Jenny Hammond…'

  The newsreader then went on to the next item. What about Jenny? I wanted to yell. If they'd arrested somebody, why hadn't they found her? I realized I was still gripping the percolator. I banged it down and grabbed the phone. Come on, answer, I prayed, as I dialled Mackenzie's number. It rang several times, but just when I expected his voicemail to cut in he picked up.

  'Have you found her?' I demanded before he could say anything.

  'Dr Hunter?'

  ' Have you found her?'

  'No. Look, I can't talk now. I'll call you back-'

  'Don't hang up! Who've you arrested?'

  'I can't tell you that.'

  'Oh, for God's sake!'

  'He's not been charged, and we're not releasing his name yet. You know how it works.' He sounded apologetic.

  'Has he told you anything?'

  'We're still questioning him.'

  In other words, no. 'Why didn't you tell me? You said you'd call if anything happened!'

  'It was late. I was going to let you know this morning.'

  'What, you thought you'd be disturbing me?'

  'Look, I know you're worried, but this is a police investigation-'

  'I know. I've been involved in it, remember?'

  'When I can tell you anything I will. But right now we're questioning a suspect, and that's all I can say.'

  I fought back the urge to shout at him. He wasn't the type to respond to threats. 'The radio said it was a local man,' I said, fighting for calm. 'That means before long everyone in the village will know who it is, whether you like it or not. I'm going to find out eventually. It just means I'll spend the next couple of hours trying to guess what's true and what isn't.' All at once I felt I hadn't the energy to argue. 'Please. I need to know.'

  He hesitated. I said nothing, giving him chance to convince himself. I heard him sigh. 'Hang on.'

  The phone was muffled. I guessed he was moving out of earshot of whoever else was with him. When he came back on his voice was hushed.

  'This is strictly confidential, all right?' I didn't bother answering. 'It's Ben Anders.'

  I'd been prepared for it to be a name I recognized. But not that one.

  'Dr Hunter? You there?' Mackenzie asked.

  'Ben Anders?' I repeated, stunned.

  'His car was seen near Jenny Hammond's in the early hours of the morning before she went missing.'

  'And that's all?'

  'No, that's not all,' he snapped. 'We found equipment for making traps in the back of it. Wire, wire cutters. Wood for stakes.'

  'He's a nature reserve warden, he probably uses them at work.'

  'So why was his car outside Jenny Hammond's house?'

  I was still struggling to take this in. But my mind was starting to work now. 'Who saw it there?'

  'I can't tell you that.'

  'You had a tip-off, didn't you? An anonymous tip-off.'

  'What makes you say that?' His voice had become suspicious.

  'Because I know who made it,' I said, with sudden conviction. 'Carl Brenner. You remember I told you Ben thought he was poaching? They had a fight a few nights ago. Brenner lost.'

  'That doesn't mean anything,' Mackenzie said, stubbornly.

  'It means you should ask Brenner what he knows about this. I can't believe Ben's got anything to do with it.'

  'Why not? Because he's a friend of yours?' Mackenzie was angry now.

  'No, because I think he's been set up.'

  'Oh, and you don't think that might have occurred to us? And before you ask, Brenner happens to have a solid alibi, which is more than your friend Anders has. Did you know he's an ex-boyfriend of Sally Palmer?'

  The news wiped away anything I might have said.

  'They had a relationship a few years ago,' Mackenzie continued. 'Just before you moved to the village, as a matter of fact.'

  'I didn't know,' I said, dazed.

  'Perhaps he forgot to mention it. And I bet he also forgot to mention he was arrested for sexually assaulting a woman fifteen years ago, didn't he?'

  For the second time I was lost for words.

  'We were already looking at him even before we got the tip-off. Amazingly enough, we're not complete idiots,' Mackenzie went on, remorselessly. 'Now, if you don't mind, I've got a busy morning.'

  There w
as a click as he broke the connection. I hung up myself. I didn't know what to think. Ordinarily I would have sworn Ben was innocent. I was still convinced the anonymous tip-off had come from Brenner. The man was small-minded enough to want to settle the score with Ben any way he could, regardless of the consequences.

  Still, what Mackenzie had said had shaken me. I'd no idea that Ben used to have a relationship with Sally, far less that he'd a history of assault. True, there was no reason why he should have told me, and probably every reason for him not to under the circumstances. Now, though, I couldn't help but question how well I knew him. The world is full of people who've insisted the person they know can't be a killer. For the first time I wondered if I was one of them.

  But far more worrying was the possibility that the police were wasting precious time on the wrong man. All at once my mind was made up. I grabbed my car keys and ran out of the house. If Brenner had lied to incriminate Ben, he had to be made aware of the cost to Jenny of what he was doing. I needed to know one way or the other, and if necessary convince him to tell the truth. If not…

  If not I didn't want to think about what would happen.

  The sun was already hot as I drove through the village. There seemed more police and press than ever before. The journalists, photographers and sound engineers huddled around in disgruntled groups, frustrated in their attempts to interview the closed-mouthed locals. I couldn't bear to think they were here because of Jenny. As I passed the church I saw Scarsdale in the graveyard. On impulse I pulled over and got out. He was talking to Tom Mason, wagging a bony finger as he delivered his instructions to the gardener. When he saw me approaching he broke off, his face folding into planes of displeasure.

  'Dr Hunter,' he said, coldly, by way of greeting.

  'I need a favour,' I told him, bluntly.

  He couldn't quite conceal a glimmer of satisfaction. 'A favour? Quite a novelty, your needing to ask me for anything.'

  I let him have his moment. There was more at stake here than pride, his or mine. He made a show of looking at his watch.