by K Leitch
‘YOU’RE A FUCKING WHORE…YOU DON’T DESERVE TO BE CALLED A MOTHER, WHAT SORT OF LOW LIFE MOTHER DRAGS HER KID HALFWAY ACROSS THE COUNTRY, JUST TO SHACK UP WITH SOME FUCKER…EH? YOU’RE A SLAG LUCINDA, A DIRTY LITTLE SLAG.’
Lucy’s face was all red and contorted and she was making little choking sounds. Her legs and arms were flailing around ineffectively as she tried to prize the lunatics hands from around her neck but Dom could see that she was losing the battle. He had no time to think, Lucy needed him…with a great roar he went charging out from behind the tree, taking the man completely by surprise.
‘WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING? GET YOU’RE FUCKING HANDS OFF HER!’ he shouted as he ran towards the man waving the baseball bat in front of him.
The man, stunned by this interruption turned furiously towards him, a slow evil smile spread across his face as he let go of Lucy, who fell to the ground in a slump.
The man started walking slowly towards Dom. ‘Oh big man!’ he scoffed as Dom skirted round him with the bat raised. ‘You been fucking my wife have you? He growled his eyes holding Dom’s in a menacing stare. ‘YOU BEEN FUCKING MY SLAG OF A WIFE…WELL HAVE YOU CUNT?’ he bellowed.
Lucy pulled herself up from where she’d been lying and reached a hand out to Dom. ‘DOM…RUN!’ She screamed hysterically, ‘RUN, DOM…GO…GO…UUMPHH.’ She was cut short by a vicious kick to the stomach which sent her reeling to the ground again.
Dom charged at the man, ‘I SAID FUCKING LEAVE HER ALONE.’ he screamed, he raised the bat to bring it down on Trevor’s head…too late Dom saw the gun in his hand. He heard Lucy’s high pitched scream and a loud CRACK, felt the heavy thud and the searing pain as the bullet entered his body… before the ground came rushing up towards him and everything went black.
CHAPTER 65 - MAGGIE
The girls had all piled into Maggie’s car for the short journey to her house just outside the village. The radio was blasting out Eye of the Tiger somewhat aptly and Carla and Helen, sitting in the back, were singing along enthusiastically.
‘What are you going to say if you get in there and they’re both naked on the rug?’ Tracy asked giggling at the other girls.
‘I’ll say, show some respect for my £2000 rug and by the way, who the hell are you? And what are you doing to my son?’ Maggie said ferociously.
‘£2000 for a rug…really?’ Tracy exclaimed shaking her head.
‘It’s an antique,’ Maggie countered with a shrug.
‘I wouldn’t pay that for a new one,’ Tracy mumbled.
‘Well, they’re at home,’ Maggie said, as she pulled into the drive a moment later. ‘Both the cars are here and the lights are on so…’
‘Ah,’ said Carla feeling a bit silly now, ‘Well you go on in love,’ she said to Maggie. ‘And if everything is alright, we’ll just leave you to it. We can wander back down to Tracy’s, can’t we Trace? Simon won’t mind dropping us back to the pub for our cars will he?’
‘No that’s fine…we’ll just make sure you’re okay first Maggs.’ The girls stayed put, so Maggie climbed out of the car and unlocked her front door. She pushed it wide. ‘Oh no…oh God…CARLA!’ she screamed turning back to the girls, who were now scrambling out of the car and rushing over towards her.
Carla took charge, telling them all to stay outside while she went in to see what was what.
‘Fuck that!’ said Maggie as she rushed passed Carla, calling out for Dom and Lucy. She stopped short at the kitchen door trying to make sense of the mess, the carnage, the blood.
‘What has happened here Carla?’ she whispered shakily, ‘Where’s Dom…oh my God the kids.’ Maggie fled the kitchen and thundered upstairs. Jukie woke as she rushed into his room and was sleepily aware of being pulled into a fierce hug. Faint with relief, Maggie hushed him and kissed him again, before checking in on Katy who was sleeping like a little angel, her thumb in her mouth and her bum in the air.
Back downstairs Carla was speaking to Frank on the phone. ‘No there’s no sign of either of them, but from the amount of blood here I am seriously worried about their safety Frank…I’ve called 999, so someone should be here soon…oh would you love, that would be great…I’m really worried Frank.’ She ended the call as she spotted Maggie looking at her, her face a picture of dread.
Carla rushed over to her and put her arms around her, ‘Come on love, try to stay calm. I know it’s hard but we don’t know anything yet do we?’ As she was speaking, a loud BANG and a blood curdling scream resounded round the woods at the end of the garden. Maggie didn’t stop to think, she charged straight passed Carla and out into the night.
‘You two stay here with the children,’ Carla called over her shoulder, as she followed Maggie into the garden.
Tracy and Helen looked at one another for a moment, before Tracy said, ‘Sorry Helen,’ and she too rushed out of the back door. Helen sat down, put her head in her hands and wept.
CHAPTER 66
‘YOU’VE KILLED HIM!’ Lucy was screaming at Trevor, who was standing looking down at Dom’s inert body as if in a daze.
Lucy flew at him knocking him over, ‘YOU’VE KILLED HIM…YOU FUCKING MAD BASTARD…I’M GOING TO KILL YOU…’ With a strength she never knew she had, Lucy started punching and clawing at him like a woman possessed and for a while Trevor had trouble defending himself. But then his rage took over once again and he threw her off and onto the floor, he jumped on top of her holding her arms above her head.
‘You killed him Lucy…he was a dead man when you shacked up with him,’ he snarled at her, ‘and now I’m going to finished this.’ His fist landed on the side of her face, Lucy felt her cheek bone crack. He hauled her up in front of him again and once again raised his fist….
‘DOMMMM…DOMMMM!’ a screaming woman suddenly appeared from nowhere out of the darkness, took one look over to where Dom lay, lifeless in the dirt and then launched herself at Trevor who fell backwards onto the ground.
‘YOU BASTARD…YOU FUCKING BASTARD!’ Maggie screamed like a mad woman, she threw herself on top of Trevor and grabbing his hair began bashing his head against the ground.
‘Maggie…Maggie, stop…MAGGIE STOP!’ Carla shouted pulling Maggie off Trevor who had blacked out.
‘He’s killed him…Carla…he’s killed my Dom,’ Maggie was sobbing uncontrollably, ‘I can’t take it…no NO…NOT DOM…’ she sank to her knees her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking. Meanwhile Tracy had been checking Dom for signs of life.
‘No Maggie…Maggie he’s not dead,’ she called over urgently, ‘he’s not sweetheart, come and see for yourself.’
Struggling to her feet, Maggie ran over to where Dom lay, sure enough there was pulse, and he was breathing.
‘We need an ambulance here Carla, now!’ she called over to Carla, who had been helping Lucy to her feet.
‘They’re on their way love,’ Carla shouted back, ‘I asked Frank to call for one when I spoke to him earlier.’
As she spoke the wail of sirens could be heard in the distant, and a moment later they heard Frank calling to them through the trees.
‘We’re through here Frank…’ Carla called out Just before another loud shot rang out into the night, and another body fell.
Slowly regaining consciousness, Trevor had watched them all from where he lay. The mad bitch was still wailing over that cunt, who was being checked over by some other woman. Yet another woman was helping Lucinda up, checking her limbs and soothing her tears. This wasn’t right…it just wasn’t fucking right. She was the one that had caused all this…her…his fucking cheating bitch of a wife. She’d been the reason that he’d come here, she’d been the reason that he’d ended up with his head smashed in and she was the reason that he’d had to shoot that other fucker. Trevor’s rage took hold of him again, looking around himself for anything that he could use against these women, he caught sight of the gun…it was lying on the ground just a few feet away from him. No one’s attention was on him at the moment, he took his chance. Supres
sing a groan he shifted painfully towards it stretching out his hand until he could just drag it towards him with the tips of his fingers. Breathing heavily from the exertion of retrieving it, Trevor shifted once again and shakily aimed the gun, pointing it towards his bitch of a wife… with a smirk of satisfaction he pulled the trigger.
The girls all stood in shocked silence, Frank rushed in and took in the situation at one glance. Having exhausted himself, Trevor had dropped the gun after he’d fired it, Frank kicked it away from him then roughly, ignoring his groans of pain, he turned him over and cuffed him.
Maggie and Tracy were holding each other, eyes wide with shock, hands over their mouths. Lucinda was covered in blood, cradling Carla’s head in her lap, she didn’t say a word…there was nothing she could say.
CHAPTER 67 - Two weeks later
Neither Frank nor Obie felt any satisfaction as they walked away from the magistrate’s court in Redbank. Herbert Twee had been formally charged with theft and conspiracy to pervert the cause of justice. He had wailed and complained ever since he’d been picked up a few days ago, but the cameras don’t lie and he’d been caught red-handed taking the stolen goods from his boys and making off with them. Once he’d been brought in, the rest of his “gang” had crumbled and were only too keen to place all the blame at his door.
But Frank and Obie’s satisfaction at Herbert’s arrest had been tempered by a deep sense of guilt that they’d failed to find his son, Lewis. Lola was still in hospital, she had yet to wake from her coma and was still gravely ill. The general consensus of most of Obie’s team, was that in all probability Lewis Twee was dead, and the hunt for him had been scaled right back. Of course Billy Hobbs had been charged with Lola’s kidnap, the attempted murder of Ruben Davies and several counts of GBH, but he had remained tight lipped about the whereabouts of Lewis, denying all knowledge of him.
Obie had talked again to Flora Metcalf. She had been horrified to think that she’d harboured such a monster in her home.
‘He’d always seemed such a gentle boy,’ she’d said, ‘oh I know he had a temper…but I thought he’d learnt to keep it under control. Of course he always hated the Twee children, they used to tease him you see. I expect that’s why he did it…maybe they teased him once too often,’ she’d finished nodding wisely.
Obie had noticed a photograph of a beautiful white cat on Flora’s mantel piece. ‘Lovely cat,’ he’d said picking it up, ‘not often you see a pure white one is it?’
Flora nodded. ‘That’s Mimski, lovely cat,’ she’d agreed shortly.
‘Do you still have him?’ Obie put the photo carefully back on the mantel.
‘Oh no dear,’ Flora had said shaking her head, ‘he died years ago.’
Obie had raised his eyebrows at that, ‘Really…that’s odd, Billy was talking about Mimski just recently. Can’t be the same cat though can it, if it died years ago?’
The look Flora had given him at that point had sent chills down Obie’s spine, her eyes were as hard as chiselled flint. ‘I’ve told you many times detective,’ she said through gritted teeth, ‘Billy wasn’t quite right. I expect he saw my picture of Mimski and made up stories about him…he did that quite a lot you know.’
‘Oh yes I’m sure you’re right,’ Obie had said his eyes narrowing. ‘Funny that he would have a picture of Mimski in his room though…if he’d never met him don’t you think?’
Flora had stood up then, indicating that the interview was now over. ‘One white cat looks very like another Detective Inspector,’ she said ushering him out towards the door, ‘now if you don’t mind I’ve got things to do.’
Obie had left the house in a state of frustration, something was niggling at him but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.
Billy Hobbs had pleaded guilty and been charged with crimes that would see him jailed for the rest of his life. They’d caught him, that was good wasn’t it? A violent kidnapper and potential murderer off the streets…so why did Obie still feel like he was missing something.
It was quiet at the station when Obie and Frank got back from the magistrates court. Mandy had been up to the hospital to check on Lola and it seemed that Trevor Hibbard was at last fit enough to be questioned. He’d been transported over to the station this morning whilst Frank and Obie had been in court.
‘He’s only pleading self-defence,’ Midge said with disgust when Obie had asked about him. ‘Says Dom came at him with a baseball bat and he feared his life was in danger…fucking wanker,’ he finished shaking his head as he wandered off to his desk again.
Frank groaned and put his head in his hands.
‘I don’t mind questioning him, Sam can sit in with me if you’re not up to it Frank,’ Obie said looking at him with concern.
Frank looked up wearily and shook his head, ‘No…I’ll be okay…and I feel I should do it, thank you though,’ he added as an afterthought.
Obie smiled and nodded. ‘Well there’s no time like the present is there? Let’s go and nail the bastard.’
Trevor Hibbard slouched insolently in his chair in the interview room, he smirked at Obie and Frank as they entered the room and kept up his arrogant stance throughout the interview. Answering their questions with either wise cracks or sarcasm. Supremely confident it seemed that his expensive brief would be able to get him off any charge they might throw at him. He was the victim here he claimed, his wife had kidnaped their daughter and when he, quite legitimately, had attempted to see her she attacked him, as did her lover and her friends, he was simply defending himself. It was not his fault that other people had got hurt, they shouldn’t have interfered in his business. As the questions probed deeper however, asking him to explain how he’d come into possession of an illegal firearm for instance. Or the fact that the Devon Constabulary were interested in talking to him, about his possible involvement in the murder of a nursery school teacher, his cool façade started to slip. His language became more and more violent, he managed to control his temper however, right up until the point when he was charged with a list of offences as long as your arm.
At which point he jumped across the table and tried to throttle Frank, once he was dragged off snarling and swearing, a charge of assaulting a police officer was added to his tally.
Frank and Obie went back upstairs to let the rest of the team know what had happened.
‘So that fucking little scrote won’t be seeing the outside world for some time to come,’ Frank was saying with satisfaction. Just then WPC Shelia White popped her head round the door.
‘There’s a Mr Colin Pickles down at the front desk sir,’ she said to Obie, ‘he says he’s got something that you should see. He’s in a right state, demanding to see someone right away.’
Obie rolled his eyes, ‘Can’t someone else deal with it Shelia?’ he said with a weary sigh.
Shelia shook her head, ‘He asking for the Detective that’s leading the investigation into the disappearance of the Twee kids…he’s adamant that he speaks to you sir.’ She shrugged.
Heaving another sigh, Obie followed Shelia back down to the front desk.
Colin Pickles was sitting with his wife in the front lobby. He looked extremely agitated and his wife was stroking his hand soothingly. He jumped up as soon as he spotted Shelia with Obie and came straight over to them.
‘Are you DI Jones?’ he asked Obie before he could say a word.
Obie nodded and held out his hand, ‘How can I help you Mr Pickles?’
‘You need to see this,’ Colin said thrusting a small video camera at Obie. ‘It’s awful…horrible, I haven’t been able to eat or sleep,’ he said his face crumpling.
‘Let’s go and sit down somewhere Mr Pickles and you can tell me all about it, would you like a glass of water…or a cup of tea maybe?’
Colin said he would be grateful for some water and he and his wife Natalie followed Obie into the small office that was situated behind the front desk.
Obie waited while Colin Pickles composed himself, ‘Now
Mr Pickles…can I call you Colin,’ at Colin’s nod he continued with a smile. ‘Why don’t you tell me about this camera? Is it yours?’
Colin shook his head, ‘It belonged to my dad, he died a couple of months ago.’ Obie murmured his sympathies.
‘We were away when he died,’ Colin continued, ‘and so it wasn’t until a couple of weeks later that we cleared out his house, to get it ready to sell you know. Anyway, before we’d left for Australia, that’s where we’d been, to visit Natalie’s parents who live in Melbourne.’
‘Oh nice,’ Obie said, ‘Melbourne’s a lovely City.’
‘It is yes,’ Colin agreed, ‘anyway before we left, Dad had asked me to help him set up his camera so that he could record the goings on in his next door neighbours back garden.’
‘He wanted to spy on his next door neighbour?’ Obie interjected.
‘No…well yes but not the way it sounds,’ Colin said flustered, ‘apparently the old dear next door had been having some trouble with a couple of kids. They’d been bullying her I suppose, messing up her garden, putting mess through her letter box you know the sort of stuff.’
Obie’s eyes narrowed, ‘Was your dad’s neighbour a Ms Flora Metcalf by any chance?’
‘Yes that’s her,’ Colin said, ‘nasty old woman I always thought, but she was old and they get like that don’t they? Although I know my dad couldn’t stand her, he was always telling me how spiteful she was. Well anyway apparently she’d complained over and over to your lot, about the kids you know but the officers she’d spoken to had said that unless she had some sort of proof as to who it was there wasn’t much they could do…hence the camera. Anyway Dad got it into his head that he was going to catch the little toe rags at it, so he asked me to set up the camera in his back bedroom, which I did.’ He stopped then, seemingly struggling to keep his emotions in check, his wife took his hand again, squeezing it reassuringly.
