by Anita Waller
DI Brent had been there, and Christian was grateful. He could so easily have cancelled; the case was over. He had shaken Christian’s hand, and wished him well. ‘Don’t let this stop you aiming high. Good luck with everything you do.’
Christian thanked him, and watched as he walked away.
He had decided to go back to the south coast, and his bags were already stored in his Nan’s car, ready for the journey. The next time he would visit Sheffield would be to make the house tidy for selling.
Christian knew of the rescue of baby Jake, and had left a message on Liz’s answerphone, saying how pleased he was. She hadn’t responded, so he guessed she would be at the hospital. That was his last tie severed. He climbed into the car, and they left.
54
Tom went in to work the following morning, and finally told all the staff the full story. He recognised that they would probably have press hounding them for details of Oliver’s background, so he thought it best they knew the truth.
Except Tom didn’t really know why it had happened, why Oliver had suddenly changed. He had hoped the autopsy on his friend would reveal something medical like a brain tumour, but it hadn’t. It seemed he had suddenly become paranoid about different things, and the end result had been two murders, and two kidnappings – possibly three murders if Phil Latimer didn’t make it.
He knew they would never open a second branch now, acknowledging that it had all been Oliver’s baby anyway; he hoped the house had been bought for the right reasons, to increase their business, and not for the sole intention of kidnap.
He would wait a year and then put it back on the market. In the meantime, he would work with the existing staff to hold tight to the business, and trust that their previously excellent reputation would see them through. He would clear out Oliver’s office and leave it empty; maybe one day a new partner would be brought in, but that was a long time in the future.
At the moment, though, the future looked pretty damn bleak.
Epilogue
It had been hot for most of July. The garden looked well, now that Liz had the time to spend on it. Her decision to leave Banton and Hardwick hadn’t been easy, but it had been right. Karen, who had taken on Liz’s job officially, spoke to her on a regular basis, but she knew that would fade, as Karen became more confident.
Tom still contacted her, but she almost thought that was out of guilt. His partner had caused her so many problems, and Tom was still hurting. She knew that, too, would disappear, and then she would really feel that she could get on with her life.
Julia had rung once, to say she was glad she had Jake back. Most of Oliver’s money had gone to various charities, and he had left instructions that the properties he owned were to be sold, and the proceeds given to the Salvation Army. Julia was left with the house she lived in, and she had decided to simply cut her losses and not contest the will. She was going to sell up and move to London.
Liz put the bed linen into the washing machine, and switched it on. It was the first load, and on such a lovely day it wouldn’t take long to dry. Through the open door she could hear the sounds of Jake’s laughter, as Dan pushed him on the swing. Jake’s giggles always made her heart rate accelerate, and he was a proper little toddler. She remembered how shocked she had been in the hospital when she had sat him on the ward floor to play with some toys, and he had stood up and walked. He hadn’t been walking when Oliver had taken him from her.
Sitting quietly on a lounger, and smiling at the antics of his new family, Phil was a picture of contentment. He would have liked to stand and get out the lawnmower, to try and help Liz with the more strenuous of the garden chores, but he knew he couldn’t. He looked up and smiled, as she came down to sit with him, carrying a tray of drinks. He took the small pot of pills from her, followed by a glass of water.
‘Here, time for tablets,’ and she gave him a kiss.
‘The nurses never used to kiss me at tablet time,’ he remarked, thoughtfully.
She smiled at him. ‘They’d better not – you’re mine now.’
Despite the diagnosis from Phil’s consultant. She couldn’t help but feel he was getting better. Thanks to the sunshine and the warmth, his skin had lost the pallor, and he was finally starting to put on a little weight, although his frame was still skeletal.
The consultant had explained that they’d barely got Phil through that first night. His organs were closing down, and he was in advanced heart failure. They had discussed the possibility of a heart bypass, but Mr Enwright had been quite adamant that Phil would die during the operation. They could give him tablets to help prolong his life, maybe give him six months of a reasonably comfortable time with his family, but the failing organs wouldn’t stand up to a six-hour operation.
Liz knew that Phil was in acceptance. He took the medication, saw Melissa and Rosie at least twice a week when they came to Liz’s for a meal, and spent every night holding Liz tightly, never wanting the morning to come, forcing himself to let her go to start the new day.
She handed him eight or nine pills, and he waited until she sat in the lounger placed at the side of him, before reaching for her hand.
‘All of that, those bloody awful months, it’s all been worth it, to be here with you, Jake and Dan. And I know I’m leaving you in safe hands with Dan.’
‘You’re going nowhere, Phil Latimer. You’re starting to improve, looking a whole lot better. Let’s not talk about the future, it’s what’s happening right now that’s important.’
He simply nodded, and they sat in silence for a while.
‘Can I ask you a question?’ Liz said. ‘It’s the one thing that’s bugged me about everything that happened. I mean, I understand what drove Oliver, and really that was down to a mental problem that he managed to hide from everybody, even his wife. And I understand Rosie not reporting you as missing, because she genuinely was trying to come to terms with you having left her, or so she thought. But what I don’t understand is why you didn’t pay a cheque in for nearly £100,000.’
He gave a small laugh. ‘I didn’t want to pay it in. At the time I was hurting so bad from losing you, knowing you were going through a pregnancy without me by your side, and holding on to that cheque was kind of keeping you with me. I did intend paying it in, but wanted to hang on to it for a bit longer. And besides, I thought you might one day contact me, to find out why it hadn’t been paid in. It seemed that if that money was in the bank, it would be the final thing between us, put to bed. That cheque was in my wallet when I was taken.’
‘Was it? Oliver must have destroyed it, because it wasn’t there when they found your wallet. That’s cleared that little mystery for me. When you really stop and think about it, it’s a good job you didn’t pay it in. If you had, Rosie would have continued believing you’d left her, and I wouldn’t have had a reason to contact her and discover you were missing.’ She squeezed his hand. ‘Thank God we found you both.’
Dan lifted Jake out of the baby swing, and set him down on the grass. He hauled himself up and headed for his parents.
‘Da.’ he said.
‘Da,’ his father responded.
Liz watched her son as he giggled. ‘They had no idea what da meant, but Phil had explained it had been their form of communication while they were locked away. An assumption that it meant dad had proved to be wrong; Jake said da to everything. He had six teeth, combined with an awesomely cheeky grin, and Liz was slowly finding the courage to let him out of her sight occasionally.
Dan followed him up the garden. ‘We’ve got steak for tea – are Rosie and Melissa coming?’
Liz nodded. ‘Yes, they are. They’ll be here about three. Shall we barbecue?’
‘You mean, will you barbecue, please, Dan?’
‘Whatever.’
‘And, Phil, the rest of us will be having salad, you’ll be having chips with yours.’
‘Am I complaining?’ Phil smiled. He knew Dan had every intention of turning him into Billy Bunter; he had seen the
horror on the young man’s face the first time they had met. It seemed it was the chef’s mission in life to build him up. But Phil knew it was pointless. It would only make the coffin so much heavier to carry.
‘I’m going across to the shop, Mum, get some fresh salad. We don’t have enough in to feed all of us. I’ll pop Jake in his pram and take him with me, it’s easier for carrying the shopping. Is that okay?’
There was a brief moment of hesitation and Liz squashed it. ‘Yes, of course. Take care crossing the road.’ A mum’s automatic response.
‘Mum, I’m sixteen.’
She threw a peg at him. ‘Go,’ she said.
Phil leaned back in his chair and smiled. He felt a couple of pains in his chest, and took out his GTN spray. The pains had been there since before the rescue, and were a direct result of the rapid starvation diet he had endured while imprisoned.
‘Okay?’ Liz asked.
‘Just the usual twinges,’ he said. ‘Don’t worry.’
They sat quietly, happy in each other’s company. Liz’s phone pinged, and she picked it up.
‘Text from Rosie,’ she said.
She opened it. Melissa wants to come over early to play with Jake. Think she’s also got a crush on Dan. Will that be okay?
She immediately messaged her back. That’s fine. We’re in garden, so text when you get here, and I’ll come to the front door. Dan will be impressed that anybody could have a crush on him.
Dan and Jake returned, and she could hear them in the kitchen, Dan explaining to Jake that he had to put all the salad stuff in the fridge, and then they could have their lollipops.
Phil was holding her hand, and she felt him squeeze it. ‘Did we know they were going for lollipops? We could have had one.’
Her eyes remained closed. ‘Not sure I’ve got the energy to eat one.’
‘Maybe, you’re right.’ He glanced at her and before his courage failed him, he continued. ‘God, I love you, Liz Chambers. Shall we get married?’
Her eyes were wide open. ‘What?’
‘I’ve probably got two, maybe three months at the most. Let me make you Liz Latimer while I still can.’
‘You’ve only been divorced three days.’
‘So? Your point is?’
‘I don’t know.’ She gave a slight laugh, a nervous laugh. ‘Yes, yes, I will marry you. But what about Rosie…?’
‘I’ve already told her. Texted her last night, told her what I wanted, and she’s happy with it. She’s over me, Liz. In fact, I half think there’s someone in her life.’
‘You don’t hang about, do you?’
‘We’ll tell them when everybody’s here, then?’
‘My only worry is Dan…’
‘I’ve already asked his permission.’ Phil smiled at her. ‘I’ve covered all the bases. Oh, and I had to choose this online and send Dan to get it, but I hope you like it.’ He took a ring box from the pocket of his joggers, and handed it to her. ‘Marry me, Liz.’
The solitaire diamond sparkled in the sunlight. It sparkled even more through her tears. ‘Yes, yes, of course I will.’
He took the ring out of the box and slipped it on her finger. ‘One week, you have one week to arrange everything. We’ll organise a special licence, then you go to Meadowhall and get everything we need. Dan and I will take care of Jake.’
‘You’ve thought everything through! I love you, special man.’
He smiled, and held her hand again. ‘Now can I go back to sleep?’
Five minutes later Liz’s phone pinged again. Just parked. I’ve brought a friend as well. X
‘Looks like you might be right about Rosie. She’s brought a friend, as well as Melissa.’
Phil smiled, his eyes still closed. ‘Told you so.’
‘Just going to let them in.’
He nodded. ‘Don’t be long, wife-to-be.’
She kissed him, and walked up the garden. She threw a glance at the mess created by a sixteen-year-old and a baby eating lollipops at the kitchen table, and continued past them to the front door. Rosie and Melissa, accompanied by a tall brown-haired man, were walking down the drive.
She welcomed them, and Rosie introduced Carl. ‘We met at the book club, she explained. ‘We’re kind of seeing each other.’
‘Melissa,’ Liz said, ‘go to Dan and Jake, they’re in the kitchen eating ice lollies. I’m sure they’ll be able to find you one, as well.’
She led Rosie and Carl through to the back garden. They walked down the path, and everything felt strangely silent and serene. No sounds from the kitchen, no words from her guests. Liz crossed the lawn and bent down to kiss Phil.
He didn’t move, didn’t respond in any way. Oliver had claimed his third victim.
‘No,’ she whispered. ‘No.’
* * *
The End
A Note From Bloodhound Books
Thanks for reading Captor . We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. Please consider leaving a review on Amazon or Goodreads to help others find and enjoy this book too.
We make every effort to ensure that books are carefully edited and proofread, however occasionally mistakes do slip through. If you spot something, please do send details to [email protected] and we can amend it.
Bloodhound Books specialise in crime and thriller fiction. We regularly have special offers including free and discounted eBooks. To be the first to hear about these special offers, why not join our mailing list here? We’ll never share or sell your details to anyone else.
Readers who enjoyed Captor will also enjoy:-
Divine Poison by AB Morgan
Guilty Innocence by Maggie James
Beautiful
A Stunning Debut Thriller Full of Suspense
What happens when your innocence is taken away?
Amelia is a happy six years old. Then a chance encounter with a bad man, in the park changes everything
Can she ever recover from the trauma in her childhood?
This is Amelia’s story. Follow her as she discovers that life, love and loss can be a killer. And sometimes revenge can be beautiful…
This is Anita Waller’s stunning debut.
Order Your Copy Here
Angel
Angel is the stunning sequel to international best-seller Beautiful and also a brilliant read as a stand-alone novel.
What if your mother was murdered?
And what if the man who murdered her took your daughter from you the day she was born?
This is Lauren’s life. A life plagued by the existence of one man.
For as long as she can remember, the shadow of Ronald Treverick has cast over everything Lauren holds dear.
Will she get her daughter back?
Or will Treverick triumph and destroy her family, one person at a time…
Order Your Copy Here
Winterscroft
Winterscroft: a stunning suspense thriller.
When the beautiful Lavender is killed in a tragic car accident her family and fiancé Matt are left devastated.
As the year’s pass and wounds begin to heal, Matt, who has remained close to Lavender’s family, meets Beth and falls in love again.
When the happy couple announce their engagement, it sparks a series of bizarre and disturbing events.
Then when Matt and Beth make plans to wed at Lavender’s family home, Winterscroft, the frightening truth becomes apparent.
Lavender is back. And she is not happy.
Order Your Copy Here
34 Days
How much can your life change in just 34 days?
Anna and Ray have been married for thirty-five years. They are parents and grandparents and appear to be a normal couple. But behind closed doors something isn’t right.
On the day of their wedding anniversary Anna makes a decision that changes everything and throws her family into turmoil. Anna will discover that she is not the only one who has suffered and by leaving Ray she sparks a series of events so awful that it migh
t just end in murder…
Order Your Copy Here
Strategy
How much can one family take?
Jenny Carbrook murdered three people to make it look as though there was a serial killer at work in Lincoln, when the only person she wanted to kill was Ray Carbrook, her father-in-law, who had raped her the week before her marriage to Mark, Ray’s son.
Jenny wrote letters detailing her crimes in order to protect everyone she loved, but was forced to go into hiding before retrieving the evidence against her. Not only did she leave the letters behind but also her young daughter, Grace.
Now Jenny has a plan, a strategy, to get the letters back. But it’s not only the letters that Jenny has in her sights…
* * *
Strategy is the follow up to the international best-seller 34 Days, it can be read as a sequel or an unmissable stand-alone.
* * *
Order Your Copy Here
Acknowledgments
I am eternally grateful for several individuals who have seen me battle my way through this book; for the initial idea, my daughter, Kirsty Waller – thank you. I know you didn’t foresee all this murder and mayhem, but you started it all!
Secondly, I have to thank Barry Manilow, whose songs have carried me through the darkest parts of the story, and have lit up the good parts. Ah, Barry, you know I can’t smile without you… and another lady I have to thank is Alexa, my trusty Echo Dot, for the brilliant way she plays whatever I want her to play.
