FORGOTTEN VICTIM an absolutely gripping crime mystery with a massive twist (Detective Rachel King Thrillers Book 4)

by HELEN H. DURRANT

  “Stella is trying the hospitals,” Jordan called to her. “Siddall’s not here, so hopefully someone got him help — if he’s still alive.”

  “We need forensics here. There’s a lot of blood, Jordan. If Siddall ended up in hospital someone must have called for help or taken him there.”

  “Who, though?”

  “He’s pretty pally with Rita Pearce, by all accounts. Perhaps we should try her.”

  Amy’s mobile rang. It was Rachel. “We’ve found him,” she said straight away. “He’s in intensive care at the Royal Infirmary.”

  “How did he get there?”

  “An anonymous call from a woman. I’m sending Jonny and forensics to his place, they’ll take over. When they get there, you come back to the station. When Jonny’s done, he’ll go and have a word with Rita Pearce, see what she’s been up to this afternoon.” Rachel ended the call.

  “Bloody Jonny again!” Amy growled. “He gets to see this through while I do the background slog! I’m telling you, Jordan, if you do make it to CID, make sure you watch your back.”

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Billy Sherwin’s bulk filled the doorway of the interview room, making the two PCs escorting him look positively diminutive. Rachel could see why he’d earned the nickname Beef. He was huge, as wide as he was tall. With his shaven hair and the tattoos up his arms and neck, he looked every bit as intimidating as his reputation suggested.

  Once he and his solicitor were seated, Rachel began. “Do you know why you’re here, Billy?”

  Slouched over the table, he shrugged. “No idea, love, but you’d better get on with it. Things to do, you know how it is.”

  “I have a witness who’s told us that you’ve been using Shawcross Mill as a base for dealing drugs. What d’you have to say about that, Billy?”

  “Nonsense!” he said dismissively. “Never been near the place. Who’s been spreading this tripe?”

  His indignation cut no ice with Rachel. He might not appear concerned about the allegation but with Healey willing to give evidence, she was holding all the cards. “We’ve got dates, and the names of the kids you use to deliver for you. Proper little empire you’ve built.”

  He laughed. “It’s a bloody conspiracy, that’s what it is. They’ve got me confused with someone else.”

  She smiled. “I doubt that, Billy. You’re not someone a person forgets.”

  “Who? Come on, who’s told you this fairy tale?”

  Rachel watched his eyes narrow as he tried to work out who’d dared to cross him.

  Suddenly he bellowed with laughter. “Spider! It’s that stupid scrote, isn’t it? You should see your faces. Well, he’s having you on. You don’t actually believe that lying toerag?”

  Rachel smiled back. “He tells such a convincing story, what else can we do but take him seriously?”

  “Dates, you said. Okay, give you some dates and I’ll tell you where I was. Check it all out. You’ll see I’m telling the truth.”

  “Instead of wasting everyone’s time, including yours, Billy, why not simply tell us the truth? And while you’re at it, tell us who your supplier is. That sort of information can help someone in your predicament.”

  “Sod off! You’ll get nowt off me other than alibis for them dates you spoke of.”

  “Okay, Billy, if that’s how you want to play this. But you should speak to your solicitor and reconsider. Help us and we’ll be in a position to help you.”

  Rachel got up and left. Back in the incident room, she arranged for the information about the dates to be got from Sherwin.

  “These are delaying tactics,” Elwyn said. “Healey’s given us a list of some of Sherwin’s dealings and the youngsters he uses. Sherwin gives us his version, and we chase our tails.”

  “Even so, everything Sherwin tells us will have to be checked out.”

  “And in the meantime, does he get bail?”

  “Certainly not! We apply for an extension if necessary. I want everyone checking his alibis, all weekend if that’s what it takes.”

  * * *

  DC Jonny Farrell was waiting in the corridor outside one of the intensive care rooms at the Manchester Royal Infirmary. There was no way he could speak to Andy Siddall — the doctors had put him into an induced coma.

  “He’s lost a lot of blood,” a nurse told him. “And then there was the head injury. A doctor will be along shortly, he’ll be able to tell you more.”

  “The paramedics who brought him in, are they here, by any chance?”

  “I shouldn’t think so, but I’ll ask.”

  Jonny wanted information about who had found Siddall and rung for help. ‘A woman,’ was all he knew. What was the betting that woman was Rita Pearce?

  Jonny decided he’d hang around, see who, if anyone, visited. “Is it alright if I stay a while?”

  “Be our guest.” The nurse smiled. “But he won’t be waking up anytime soon.”

  Jonny settled down on a chair in the corridor. Two uniforms were also on duty, watching. Someone had tried to kill Siddall and failed. They had to acknowledge the possibility that they might try again.

  A woman’s voice broke into his thoughts. “You were asking about the paramedics who brought that bloke in. I’m Sandra Hale. It was me and my partner.”

  Jonny stood up and showed the paramedic his badge. “Did you see anyone else near his place?” he asked her.

  “We know it was a woman who rang it in. She told the operator at control that she’d found him lying on the kitchen floor and that he’d been shot. She didn’t hang around, I’m afraid, said the bare minimum. When we arrived at the bungalow, he was on his own. However, the woman had tried to help him. The bullet went in through his side and lodged in his back. He was bleeding profusely. She’d turned him on his other side and put a cushion under the bleed. It helped stem the flow.”

  “I don’t suppose she gave her name?”

  “Afraid not.”

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Rachel kept a spare dress and a pair of heels in the cupboard in her office for those occasions when she was going out straight after work. It was nothing special, a fitted number in her favourite shade of green that she’d worn many times before. Well, it’d have to do. There was no way she could go home, change, and be back in time for the meal with Jed.

  She dressed in the ladies’ toilet, taking a few minutes to weigh up her reflection in the full-length mirror. The dress was a little tight and showed her swelling belly. She’d have to hope that Jed didn’t notice and ask any awkward questions. Then again, if she was right and he already knew, what did it matter? The time was fast approaching when she wouldn’t be able to hide the pregnancy from anyone. It was a problem she immediately shelved for another time. At least her hair looked good. She pulled it loose from the scraped-back ponytail and fluffed it around her face. The colour seemed more vibrant than usual and it looked thicker. Pregnancy did have one or two advantages.

  Rachel returned to the office in time to catch Elwyn preparing for the off.

  “I’m leaving,” he said. “Ffion is at mine sorting the food and folk have started arriving already. You know what they’re like around here when there’s free food and drink on offer. Shame you can’t come.”

  “Depending on how it goes with Jed, I might pop in later.”

  “Bet you don’t. After dinner, Jed will whisk you off to some posh hotel.”

  Rachel ran a hand over her belly. “No, he bloody well won’t! He’s done enough as it is!”

  “Whatever happens, don’t be confrontational. You can do without the aggro. Remember, it’s his baby too.”

  As if she needed reminding. She wished Elwyn luck with the party, pulled her coat over her shoulders and left the office. Out on the main street it was dark, and the roads were busy with traffic. She didn’t have long to wait before she heard a car horn blast and Jed pulled up beside her.

  As soon as Rachel was in the passenger seat, he leaned across and kissed her cheek. “Hi
,” he said softly. “I’d almost forgotten what you looked like.”

  It was meant as a joke, but it annoyed her. Unreasonable, she knew, but she couldn’t help it. She loved Jed, but he always somehow managed to wind her up.

  “Don’t start, Jed. I’ve been busy. I told you, work stuff.”

  “In that case it’ll do you good to relax a little. I’ve booked the table, and we’ll go from there.”

  “Don’t get your hopes up. After we’ve eaten, I’ll be going straight home,” she told him firmly. “I’m working on a heavy case and I need all the rest I can get.”

  She saw his expression change — he was trying to control his anger. “What’s made you so irritable, Rachel? Surely not the prospect of an evening with me? I had hoped that after Spain, we’d got past that.”

  Now she felt ashamed. She’d been unreasonable, but she couldn’t help being off with him. Her feelings for Jed always brought out the worst in her. Why that was, she’d no idea. Perhaps Elwyn was right in saying it was because she was afraid of showing her true feelings and so resorted to picking at him.

  They were stuck at traffic lights. Jed was tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, waiting for them to change.

  “Sorry. I know I’m a moody cow. It’s been a long day, and I shouldn’t take it out on you,” Rachel said.

  “It’s more than that, though. You forget how well I know you.” He turned and took a long hard look at her. “You do look a bit peaky tonight. Everything okay? You’re not sickening for something?”

  Rachel could almost feel his eyes boring into her. “Stop staring at me like that. I’m fine.”

  “Are you sure? I can drive you home if you’d rather.”

  So, he didn’t know about her condition, because if he did, the attitude and the conversation would have been very different. This wasn’t going to be the difficult meeting she’d anticipated, but if it wasn’t about the baby, why did he want to see her so urgently?

  “What’s tonight all about, Jed?” she asked.

  “Do I need a reason to take you out? You’re the woman I love, or have you forgotten that? We’ve been close in the past and we should be together now. You know that as much as I do. I don’t understand why you persist in fighting me all the way.”

  If Rachel was honest with herself, she didn’t understand either. He had a dubious past, she couldn’t forget that, but that was behind him now. But let Jed into her life full time and things would change, not necessarily for the better. She might love him, but could she live with him? “You haven’t answered the question.”

  “I’ll tell you shortly, when we’re sitting down with people around us.” He smiled. “Otherwise, you might hit me.”

  Not having seen him since Spain, Rachel had no idea what had been going on in his life. “That bad?” She grinned. “Want to give me a clue?

  “No, you’ll have to wait.”

  * * *

  Jonny paced the corridor outside Siddall’s room. Given he was in a coma, there was no chance of speaking to him. But there was always the chance that someone would visit — Rita Pearce, if his suspicions were right. Jonny had left word with the ward sister that if anyone asked, she was to direct them to him.

  It was late and apart from the regular beep of the machinery keeping Siddall alive, the ward was eerily silent, the lights dim. Jonny had let the uniforms go to the canteen while they could. It would be a long night for them. He checked his phone. Another ten minutes and then he’d call it a night and get round to Elwyn’s.

  Someone called to him. “Mr Farrell, someone left this for you at the main desk.” The nurse gave him an envelope.

  “Male or female?”

  “A girl, skinny and tall. She asked about Mr Siddall and then handed this in.”

  Jonny tore the envelope open. The name on the bottom was Rita Pearce. He’d been waiting for something like this. It seemed to confirm there was something going on between the pair of them. Rita would be running the pub and must have asked Jasmine to deliver the note.

  Rita wrote that if he wanted to know who had assaulted Andy Siddall, he’d have to meet her at the pub within the hour.

  One of the two PCs returned, so Jonny had a quick word and left them to it. This was too good an opportunity to miss. Rita knew more about Gavin Wellburn than she was saying. Her daughter, Jasmine, was friendly with Sherwin and mixed up in the drug dealing. He hoped that after the assault, one or both would speak to him.

  On the way to the car park he rang Amy. “You at Elwyn’s yet?”

  “Just leaving, why?”

  “Rita Pearce wants to talk to me. I’m off to the Spinners Arms for a chat.”

  “You want me to join you?”

  “No, get off to Elwyn’s. Tell him I’ll be late, would you? I just wanted someone to know where I’d gone, that’s all.”

  “You sure? I can ride shotgun, get your back.”

  “I’ll be fine. See you later.”

  Chapter Twenty-five

  “You haven’t eaten much, just sat there and picked at the food. Is there a problem?” Jed asked.

  “It’s fine. I’ve been snacking all day,” Rachel lied, “now I’ve no appetite.” A lame excuse, the food was exquisite, but the fact was, she was off meat. She couldn’t tell him the fillet steak he’d ordered for them, rare, and leaking blood on to the serving plate, was turning her stomach. It was her favourite, he knew that, which was why he’d ordered it. Normally she would have wolfed it down, but now all it did was make her feel sick. Rachel had been the same with the other two — off meat for the duration.

  “You haven’t had any of the wine either. What’s wrong?”

  She smiled. “I need to keep a clear head. Besides, I have to drive home.”

  He sighed. This wasn’t going well. Rachel knew she shouldn’t have agreed to meet him.

  “Come on then,” she said, “what’s your news? Why all the secrecy?”

  “It’s pretty big and I’m not sure you’ll like it, but you need to know.”

  Rachel was intrigued. “Don’t be such a wimp, just tell me.”

  “I’m moving out of town. I’ve put my apartment on the market and bought a house in the Cheshire countryside.”

  Rachel gave a little whistle. “That’s a huge change from what you’re used to, Jed. There are no clubs or fancy restaurants out in the sticks, you know. Where I live, it’s a hike and a half to the nearest pub.” He said nothing. “Give me a clue, then. Where exactly are you moving to?”

  “You really don’t know? I’m surprised no one has told you.”

  Who’d be in a position to do that? she wondered. Kenton? “You told Mark before me, is that what you’re getting at? My, the pair of you are pally.”

  “No, not Mark,” he said. “Someone a lot closer to you.”

  He was watching her, waiting for the penny to drop. Rachel usually had a sharp mind, but recently it was as if her head was full of cotton wool.

  Finally, he said, “I couldn’t resist. It’s a delightful cottage, smaller than I’d like but if we put our heads together there is plenty of scope to extend.”

  Rachel shook her head. “Put our heads together? What am I missing?” she asked. “And why are you grinning?”

  Jed took hold of her hand. “You really are off your game, Rachel. I’ve dropped enough clues by now. Can’t you guess?”

  She looked up from her seemingly bottomless plate of food, caught his eye and suddenly understood.

  “You!” she exclaimed. “You are Alan’s cash buyer, my new neighbour!”

  “Well done, you got there at last.”

  Alan wouldn’t dare do this to her! Would he? Was this his twisted revenge for never properly explaining how Jed fitted into her life?

  Rachel knew Alan was aware that there was something between Jed and her, but he’d never had the courage to ask what. In the early days when she and Alan had got together, Jed had been a shadow in her life, and one she refused to acknowledge. And it had worked, up to a p
oint. But the memory of what she had had with Jed persisted, eventually sounding the death knell for her relationship with Alan.

  Alan King was not a stupid man. On the rare occasions he’d met Jed, seen him and Rachel together, the spark had been obvious. But with Belinda on his arm, it seemed Alan no longer cared, so long as he got the sale he needed.

  This would change everything. “You can’t do this! What about the girls?”

  “What about them?” Jed said. “Mia is happy about the move. We’ve already talked it over.”

  She could barely believe it. They’d discussed this behind her back! “How dare you! You should have told me first, not Mia. She’s a child, only fourteen. She doesn’t know what’s good for her.”

  “I’m her father, Rachel,” he said, “and I want in before she gets much older. You have no right to stand in the way of our relationship.”

  “I have every right. You don’t have a relationship, other than when it suits you,” she spat back. “Alan is Mia’s father, not you and I don’t intend to tell him or her anything different. You need to think again, Jed. The prospect of having you as a neighbour is nothing short of a nightmare!”

  Jed would not be reliable like Alan had been. Alan understood her work and her crazy shift patterns and was willing to stand in and take care of the girls at a moment’s notice. Granted, Megan was thinking of moving out, but it hadn’t happened yet, and even if she did, she’d be back before long. Rachel couldn’t imagine Jed throwing together a lasagne or kneading pizza dough, or putting up with Megan’s moods, for that matter.

  “Sorry, Jed, I need to think. This is too much to take in. We’ll speak later in the week.”

  Rachel got to her feet, grabbed her coat and marched out of the restaurant. Her eyes full of tears, she walked aimlessly down Deansgate. She should call a taxi, return to the station, get her car and go home, but she couldn’t face the drive.

  “Mrs King? Rachel?” Someone called from ahead.

  Rachel looked up to see who’d spoken. It was a young man, mid-twenties, tall with dark hair mostly hidden under a baseball cap. He was wearing jeans, trainers and a zipped hooded jacket. He blocked her path, shuffling from foot to foot, while Rachel tried to get past him.