The Rubicon

by Andrew Heasman

  Adam never saw her again. He knew that she would be a survivor, but he could never fully overcome his feelings of doubt and responsibility. If he had handled things differently, she might not have been forced into attempting suicide. But that was just one of those ‘what ifs.’ There was no way of knowing for sure what might have happened. He buried his thoughts at the back of his mind - however, they never fully left him.

  ...

  Adam was jolted back to reality.

  Kelly and her son were on the move, walking slowly along Carlton Road, towards town. What should he do? He needed to find out her connection to Aaron. If they were an item, then any planned action that he took against him would probably impact on her too. If she was still as vulnerable as she had been all those years ago, then that would not be a good thing. The only way of knowing was to talk to her, but he could not just stop her in the street, not on the Glebe. The curtain-twitchers would report it straight back to Aaron and he might take out his anger and frustrations on her. He was not willing to be responsible for any more pain in her life. If he was going to speak to her, then it needed to be somewhere neutral, somewhere public, but secluded. The best thing that he could do would be to follow her, see where she went, and have a chat if the opportunity arose.

  But what if he did speak to her? How would she take it, him popping up in her life, out of the blue? Would it reignite her feelings towards him? Would she now be loyal to Aaron and tell him that they had spoken? Would that put her in an awkward position, Aaron knowing that they had a shared history together? Questions buzzed around Adam’s mind.

  There was nothing for it; he needed to know their relationship, one way or the other, before he could progress with his retribution. He had no choice - he had to follow her - he needed to speak to her.

  Chapter 33

  15:30 – Saturday 22nd December.

  Adam leaned against the barrier overlooking both the promenade and the beach.

  From this exposed position, the wind whistled around his ears, and below him, the waves crashed upon the shoreline with a thunderous roar. Dusk was falling and he could just make out the two figures playing happily on the sand below. The taller of the two, wrapped up against the sea breeze in her green Parka coat, stood near to the promenade, pointing at the whitecaps as they rolled towards her in a never-ending cycle of frothy white foam. The smaller one, his coat partially undone, ran back and forth along the water’s edge hurling pebbles into the turbulent sea as the waves chased him up the sandy slope. It was a happy family scene, and for one moment Adam forgot why he was there, his thoughts drifting back to a similar scenario playing out between him and Jenny a few months earlier.

  As the light faded and the cold wind got the better of them, Kelly and her son, Kyle, turned and walked towards the steps leading back up onto the promenade. She fussed around him, trying (but failing), to encourage him to keep his hood up and his coat zipped. She loved him and was only concerned for his wellbeing, but he had other ideas and was obviously warm-blooded, not to mention stubborn.

  They wandered past the shuttered ice cream stall and headed towards the pedestrianised centre of town, but as they did so, a dark figure approached, cutting across the windswept expanse of concrete, striding directly towards them. As it neared, Kelly stopped and stared, a mixture of shock and recognition showing on her face, tinged with a hint of nervous anxiety. She looked around quickly, ensuring that nobody was watching.

  “You? What are you doing here?” She sounded worried, but smiled nonetheless.

  “Kelly, I need to talk to you.”

  “If Aaron sees us together, he’ll kill you.” As an afterthought, she added, “and probably me too!” Adam started to speak, but she interrupted. “I dunno what you’ve done to upset him, but he’s after your blood.”

  “He’s not told you then?” Kelly shook her head. “Does he know that you know me?” She shook her head again. “Best it stays that way, for your own safety as well as mine.” She nodded. “So, I take it you knew that it was me that he’s been victimising?”

  “No, not really, I sort of put two and two together. I’d overheard your first name, but didn’t really connect it to you - you were always PC Greenwood, not Adam. Aaron doesn’t involve me in any of his dealings.”

  There was a moment of silence as both appraised one another. Adam had not changed much over the years, apart from now having long hair and no police uniform. Kelly had filled out and grown into a woman’s body. She had long straggly shoulder-length hair that was in need of a good wash, and her forehead was etched with worry lines. But the thing that Adam noticed most was the fading, but distinctive, purple bruising to the side of her left cheekbone. His protective instinct immediately kicked in.

  “Is he responsible for that?” He pointed towards her face. She appeared embarrassed, looking down at her feet as she slowly nodded. “How did you get involved with the likes of him, anyway? I thought you had your life under control after...you know...the last time that I saw you.” Adam was aware that her son was listening and did not want to humiliate her any further.

  “I did. I haven’t harmed myself in years, not since back then.”

  “But?” He could feel an excuse coming.

  Kelly pulled a boiled sweet from her pocket and gave it to her son. “Go and put the wrapper in the bin over there when you’re done, Kyle.” The boy started to wander out of earshot. She turned back to face Adam.

  “I got into drugs, nothing too heavy, but Aaron was my supplier. We sort of hooked up. He was OK after he left the army, but he gradually got worse – drinking, drugs, and...violence!” She paused. “Then I fell pregnant. He loves his son. He’d do anything for him. So he tolerates me to keep Kyle close. I do what he says, or else!” She lowered her eyes in shame.

  “How long’s this been going on?” Adam’s anger towards Aaron was building.

  “Dunno, quite a while I guess.” Sounding almost apologetic, she added, “He’s not all bad. He’s a good Dad. It’s just the drink; he can’t handle it. Being kicked out of the army didn’t help. He can’t deal with the stress and the embarrassment. And now, whatever you’ve done to him is adding even more pressure. He’s gonna do something stupid if it carries on.”

  “If it’s so bad, why don’t you just leave him?”

  Kelly smiled to herself.

  “You don’t think I haven’t thought about it? But what would I do? I’ve got no money, no home, nowhere to run to. He’d follow me, find me - he’d kill me!” Adam could see her predicament.

  “So, you’ve got no access to any money or savings?”

  She shook her head.

  “No, Aaron doesn’t allow it. He’s got loads from all of his dodgy dealings, but what’s his, is his. He lets me have enough to cover the shopping and stuff, but that’s about it.”

  “So there’s no way that you can get at it?”

  “No, it’s all kept in a safe under the floorboards in the front bedroom and he doesn’t let me know the code to open it.”

  “Really?” Adam was deep in thought. He could sense an opportunity to inflict more hurt on Aaron. “But, what if you could access it? Where would you go?”

  “As far away from here as possible. He’d never find me or Kyle.” For the first time, Kelly’s face lit up with genuine pleasure and hope for the future. “But it’s never gonna happen...”

  Adam smiled as the spark of an idea ignited in his mind.

  “The front bedroom, you say?”

  “Yeah, but it’s no good, it’s a professional safe; I couldn’t open it.”

  “What sort of safe?”

  “Dunno the make. It’s about a foot square with a digital display.”

  “An electronic lock?”

  “Yeah.”

  “And you don’t know the code for it?”

  “No!” Kelly suddenly realised why he was asking. “You’re not thinking of trying to open it yourself, are you? You’d never be able to. Besides, he’s got a camera in the room - he’d
know it was you who broke in.”

  “You just leave it with me. Let me have a think about things, see what I can come up with.” He could see a bit of the old Kelly showing through her facade. He could see hope in her eyes. Once again, she was reliant on Adam to help her get out of the mess that her life had deteriorated into.

  To Adam, the chat with Kelly had turned out to be far more informative than he had ever imagined. It had confirmed that she was Aaron’s partner (which was something of an added complication), but the relationship was flawed and she wanted out of it; she was just trapped by circumstance. However, if he could find a way of accessing the safe, he could give her the money, and give her her freedom. The fact that Aaron’s family, including his son, could then escape his clutches would hurt him a lot. Taking all of his ill-gotten-gains would apply even more pain, which would be a good start to the personal revenge that he was planning for him. He just needed to devise a means of opening the safe - but he was a locksmith, that sort of thing was his vocation.

  “Look, it would be best if you didn’t mention that you saw me today.”

  “You be careful, Adam. I heard him saying that he thinks you’re targeting his gang. He’s expecting to be next. He’ll be waiting for you to retaliate in some way. If he catches you, he WILL kill you.”

  Subconsciously, Adam thought, that’s what I’m banking on.

  “Whatever happens, you’ll not be involved, OK?” He placed his hand on her arm. “You take care, Kelly.”

  “You too. Be careful.”

  They both went their separate ways, Adam glancing over his shoulder as he wandered along the promenade, his mind a whirr of conflicting thoughts and ideas.

  Chapter 34

  Christmas Week...

  Adam could not get Kelly, or her son, out of his mind.

  Something that she had said resonated with him: He tolerates me to keep Kyle close. I do what he says, or else... He had already seen what the ‘or else’ meant, and he was convinced that her facial bruising was merely the tip of the iceberg. Aaron’s controlling behaviour, restricting Kelly’s access to money, and the beatings, were all signs of domestic abuse, and Adam detested domestic abuse and anyone who inflicted it on others. He had learned a lot about Aaron’s personality, and what he had discovered made his stomach churn - no wonder Kelly was so desperate to escape. Although this new information helped to fuel his anger and reinforce his commitment to seek revenge for what Aaron had done to his own family, it also brought accompanying thoughts of retaliation on behalf of Kelly too. It had reawakened his sense of responsibility towards her, those same feelings that he had all those years ago when he had been a police officer. Surely there was a way of dealing with Aaron such that it would satisfy both situations?

  Adam’s thoughts kept returning to the money that had been deposited in the safe at 17 Carlton Road. That was the key to everything. If he managed to obtain it, then Kelly’s problems would be over; she could escape with her son and lead a normal happy life away from Aaron’s clutches. The added bonus would be that it would hit Aaron where it hurts, financially as well as domestically. He would lose his family and his illicit funds. It would dent his pride, his ego, his standing amongst his peers, and he could not even go running to the police to report the loss as he had obtained the money illegally. It was a win-win situation. Adam even considered siphoning off a proportion of it to help alleviate his own cash flow issues. Think of it as compensation for all of the damage and stress inflicted on my family, he told himself.

  But...

  Kelly had been clear about how vindictive Aaron had become. She had stated that he would NEVER give up hunting for her and Kyle, that he would kill her once he had found them, and that he was expecting Adam to retaliate in some way and that he would be waiting for him. He would never leave Adam’s family in peace either. He needed to devise a means of preventing Aaron from victimising anybody after he had stolen the money. But how?

  As he considered the possibilities, Adam remembered a conversation that he had had with Lloyd many years ago when they were both in the police force. They had been partnered on a night shift in order to conduct vehicle stop/checks, but it had been exceptionally quiet so they had parked in a lay-by and had chatted about all sorts of rubbish. Amongst the jokes and banter, they had discussed the concept of ‘the perfect crime,’ and how to commit it. There were many theories and opinions, some sensible, others ridiculous, but the critical factors for consideration had been the setting of the crime scene, and the manipulation of forensic and circumstantial evidence to either divert attention away from the suspect or to cover up their participation in the crime. Knowledge was power. You required knowledge of the law, knowledge of police procedures, knowledge of the investigators’ thought processes, their mindset, who they might suspect, and how they would go about proving it. And when you were eventually arrested, you needed to know what to say in interview, have believable answers for everything that might be put to you, and the knowledge of when to divulge that information. It sounded easy enough, but if it had been that simple, then every lowlife would have been doing it.

  Adam considered his own circumstances, and those of Kelly. It was almost the perfect scenario. A little bit of tweaking here and there and it would be ideal. The seed of an idea began to develop. But first, he needed to entice Aaron into his trap. It would not be easy. There was no window for error, no mistakes. And he could not tell anybody of his plans for fear of loose lips giving away crucial information. But it was feasible. He would have the ultimate revenge on Aaron Turner.

  ...

  14:30 – Tuesday 25th December.

  The County Hospital was busier than usual.

  The reception area and general wards were packed full of families visiting their loved ones on Christmas Day. Decorations adorned the walls, and many of the staff wore Christmas hats, and tinsel on their stethoscopes. But in the Intensive Care Unit, things were as sombre and businesslike as normal. It may have been Christmas outside of the department, but inside, it was just another day. Lives were in the balance. There was no place for fun and frivolity.

  Adam sat on a chair to the left of Jenny’s bed, Sarah by his side in her wheelchair, and her parents stood on the opposite side of the room, gazing in amazement at the array of electronic displays that surrounded their granddaughter. Jenny remained comatose. She was unaware of their presence, unaware that it was Christmas, unaware of anything. The doctors had removed the ventilator pipe from her throat after they had concluded that she no longer required artificial assistance to breathe, her lung infection having cleared, but her other wires, sensors and pads remained in situ, recording her vital signs and beeping constantly.

  Everybody watched, everybody waited, but nothing changed. The clock ticked on relentlessly. Conversations were whispered and infrequent, nerves were taut and emotions strained. What was there to say to one another? Jenny was exactly as she had been for the past few months, and broaching the subject of what Adam had been up to would inevitably result in arguments, something best left to another time and place. And so, for now, the best option was to sit in silence, each person lost in their own little world, submerged in their own thoughts. Maybe their presence in the room, being physically close to Jenny, might benefit her in some way. They hoped and prayed that a Christmas miracle might happen, but deep down they knew that it was just wishful thinking.

  Sarah looked at her husband as he cradled his head in his hands.

  “You look awful, Adam. Are you getting enough sleep?”

  He had barely slept at all, what with his night-time activities, the occasional locksmith job, and planning what to do about Turner.

  “I’m fine, love. It’s just the stress of not knowing if our house is going to be attacked again, not to mention worrying over what’s happened to you and Jen.”

  “Don’t worry about us. Jen’s got a copper stood by her door and nobody knows where I’m staying. You’re the only one who’s at risk.”

  Adam mum
bled, “Bring it on,” under his breath.

  “What was that? I missed it.”

  “Oh, nothing important.” He realised that he had inadvertently vocalised his thoughts.

  “So, what are the police doing to sort it all out?”

  “Apart from bugger all, you mean?” He shrugged his shoulders as if he could not care less.

  “Aren’t they supposed to give us protection? They do on the telly. What does Witness Protection do if not protect witnesses?”

  Adam gave a dismissive snort.

  “They’ve not even been informed. The local police haven’t made the connection between the attacks on us and the intimidation to withdraw my evidence against Josh Turner. All they keep wittering on about is evidence, proof, and more blood evidence. They’re a complete waste of time.”

  “When will it ever end?” Sarah sounded depressed.

  “It’ll be over soon, trust me.” Adam spoke with a steely determination.

  “What do you mean?”

  Her question was interrupted by a faint sound coming from the centre of the room.

  “Mu...Mummy, Da...Daddy.”

  They both looked for the source of the noise, only to see Jenny’s head tilted towards them, her eyes open, and the trace of a smile on her lips. The ICU erupted into chaos. Electronic alarms were activated and medical staff appeared as if from nowhere, surrounding her bed, prodding and poking her, shining lights into her eyes, and asking a flurry of questions which she was unable to comprehend.

  Adam watched through tearful eyes, not fully understanding what was going on, but knowing that whatever it was, it was a good thing. He moved closer to her side, trying to grab her hand, but was shoved out of the way as the nurses hastily conducted further tests. Sarah rolled her wheelchair to the foot of the bed in order to get a clearer view. She had tears streaming down both cheeks, but this time, they were tears of joy. Jenny was alert, awake, out of her induced coma. That had to be a good omen, surely?