Nemesis

by Roger A Price

  On their way, Delany took a further call, listened, and thanked the caller before turning to face Vinnie.

  “Incident room again; Uniform have searched around the nick and surrounding streets, no sign of Moxley, so they’ve gone back on patrol. The duty uniform inspector has added it to each officer’s patrol itinerary for hourly checks. If he has the balls to plot up outside the nick, they’ll get him.”

  “I hope you’re right, Harry, this is getting out of hand.”

  “Anyway, what was it you were going to tell me later? Why is Moxley after Rob? And why did he terrorise your wife?”

  “Last first; he says he likes me. Says he has done me a favour.”

  “Why the hell should he like you? He doesn’t know you.”

  “Something about me being straight, but forget that, it could be anything in his warped logic.”

  They rounded the corner and their cars were in sight. Vinnie quickened his pace, not wishing to answer Harry’s first two questions, but knowing he had no choice.

  “Go on, Vinnie,” Delany said, as they came to a halt by their cars, his tone flattening. A pause, then again, “What is it, Vinnie?” concern in his voice now.

  “According to Moxley, Rob and Lesley have been having an affair,” Vinnie said. He saw Delany inhale deeply as if preparing to rant, but he carried on, “I asked Lesley before we left, and she admitted it.”

  Betrayal and humiliation washed over Vinnie once more. It had been hard spitting out those words. It was no longer a secret; not that Delany would gossip, he knew. It was just that it was no longer between the three people affected, it made it feel more real somehow. After all, he had barely had time to absorb it himself. Only God knew what he would say to Lesley when he next got the chance.

  Delany put his hand on Vinnie’s shoulder as he spoke, “That bastard will pay for this. He’ll be back wearing a tall hat before he knows what’s hit him.”

  “He’ll pay all right. I’d taken him under my wing on this job, and this is how he …”

  Delany squeezed his shoulder and interrupted him. “He’ll pay all right, Vinnie, but you’ve got to let me deal with this; not you.”

  He nodded his reply, but Vinnie wasn’t sure if he could keep to his agreement. He felt a rage deep inside. Everything was starting to add up. The nights Lesley spent away, her coolness towards him, and Rob’s phone constantly receiving texts. That thought stopped him; all those bloody texts, presumably from Lesley; it was beginning to sound like a love job. He tried to shake the thought from his mind as he fired up the Volvo and set off for Rochdale nick. He noticed Delany was already two or three cars ahead. He’d never seen him move so fast. Almost comical again, but he respected Harry Delany and knew he only had Vinnie’s best interests at heart. At least someone was looking out for him.

  Chapter Twenty-six

  Thirty-five minutes later Vinnie parked his car outside Rochdale nick and saw Delany waiting for him at the front entrance.

  “Remember what I said?”

  Vinnie nodded again as he followed his boss into the police station. Everyone he saw seemed to be looking through him, as if they all knew; Rob Hill’s been shagging the DI’s wife. He shook his head to clear it, he was being paranoid. He wanted to take the stairs to the second floor but Delany insisted on waiting for the lift. It seemed to take forever. Eventually it arrived, and as they alighted on their floor Vinnie’s heart started to quicken. Not sure what he’d say to Rob, he knew it would be on instinct.

  He followed Delany into the main office and they headed straight for the annexed chief inspector’s office. The door was half-closed. Delany pushed it open and they walked into an empty office. Vinnie sighed as the pressure lifted from him, granting him a moment’s respite before it would start building again. He waited as Delany went into the main incident room, looking for the duty DS. He returned a few seconds later.

  “He was here a few minutes ago, apparently. Said he had to nip out. The DS told him to hang on but he said he wouldn’t be long,” Delany said. He pulled his phone from his pocket, dialled numbers and waited before mouthing, ‘no reply’ at Vinnie. He left Rob a message to contact him ASAP. Turning to face Vinnie he said, “I don’t get it. He’s got the name of the bent cop, and is urgently after you. He’s told to wait in my office, knowing we are on our way here, but has to nip out somewhere.”

  Vinnie looked at Delany and they spoke in unison, “Lesley.”

  “For Christ’s sake,” Vinnie added, before reaching for his phone and ringing Lesley’s mobile. After a couple of rings, her voice answered, full of uncertainty. “You’ve rung Rob, haven’t you?” Vinnie started.

  “I had to try to warn him, that’s all,” Lesley said.

  “You knew we were on it, you also knew his phone was off, but I suppose he answered you, didn’t he?”

  “Not exactly, I left a message and he rang me back.”

  “And?” Vinnie said.

  No reply.

  “And?” Vinnie said, louder.

  “Oh God, this is so embarrassing. He said he was waiting to see you, but now you knew he couldn’t face you yet.”

  “Brilliant. So where’s he gone?”

  “Said he was going home, to, to …”

  “To what Lesley?”

  “I don’t know, a kneejerk reaction, somewhere to go, I don’t know …” Lesley said, before she started to cry.

  Normally hearing his wife cry would have softened the harshest of moods. Not today.

  “If anything happens to DC Hill, it’ll probably be your fault,” he said, before ending the call without further explanation. A cheap shot, he knew, but probably not too far off the mark.

  Vinnie quickly briefed Delany, adding that Rob’s address was obviously known to Moxley. Presumably that’s where he’s seen the two of them. And as the monster is not outside the nick, it’s the obvious place to wait, if he does indeed intent making good on his threat.

  “Could all be bollocks,” Delany said.

  Vinnie knew this, but they couldn’t take the chance. As Delany left a second message on Rob’s phone telling him not to go home and why, Vinnie rang the control room sending all available uniform to Rob’s house responding as a Code-One – blues and twos – and an ARV – armed response vehicle – was being diverted to provide armed back-up.

  Calls over, Vinnie and Delany hurried towards the stairs. “We’ll go in mine Harry, it’ll be quicker.”

  *

  Moxley wasn’t sure how the Traffic Warden would react. He should be thanking him. They’d both been taught a lesson – Mrs Traffic Warden, and her lover, Rob she said he was called. He hadn’t thought of a new name for him yet, couldn’t be bothered. He didn’t deserve to have any title. Betrayal was one of the worse crimes, and Moxley knew how that felt. That cruel charlatan who’d shared his cell before Jimmy was a prime example. It was why he had to die; claiming he was raping him, the very thought. They were supposed to be lovers, and then reporting him to the wing governor. Had it not been for his betrayal all that had followed since wouldn’t have happened. Then it had happened again. Yes, he knew all about betrayal, and the Traffic Warden knew too now. Looking on the bright side, he was on the outside now, and he had had a lovely evening with Jimmy, though he’d noticed that he was quiet again this morning, probably shy. He had always struck him as the shy type. He found that attractive.

  He’d gone to a different service station for this morning’s provisions, just to be careful. He would rather have been watching the Traffic Warden but knew he had other tasks to complete and he wanted to make sure Jimmy had plenty of food and water to last him the day.

  The sun was out again and the birds were singing. Of all the things he’d missed inside, the sound of birdsong was one of them. He took a moment to enjoy the enchanting chorus, before he continued. He still had many tasks to do and there would be plenty of time to enjoy the pleasures of life on the outside once all his errands were done.

  He didn’t know how long he’d ha
ve to wait, it might take all day. If it did, that would only empower him further, though he hoped not. Time was the important thing. He realised the police station would be too risky now. It was a risk before, but needs must, and it had led him here. He’d have to settle down and be patient.

  Then he heard a car pull up. He couldn’t believe his luck, and it was only midday. He’d recced the flat earlier; it was a small one-bedroomed affair, small lounge and bathroom. Typical bachelor pad. There was a small cloakroom next to the front door, full of junk. It was ideal; he’d cleared it earlier and now slid inside the ample space on hearing footsteps approach the front door.

  The door opened, and then shut. He waited until the footsteps had passed. He counted one, two, and three, before sliding out into the hall. He’d spaced it out earlier, it took five steps to reach the lounge door and six to reach the kitchen.

  On five he was right behind him. No attempt to turn, he was heading for the kitchen. Even better. At six he saw his shoulders start to twist; perhaps sensing the presence behind him. Moxley struck and jabbed the eight inch carving knife into the man with no name’s right buttock. He pulled it out as the man screamed and pushed him into the small kitchen. Moxley kicked the man’s legs from under him and pushed him to the floor.

  He stood over him as the man grabbed his backside and sat up against a cupboard leaning on his left-hand side. A look of fear and surprise on his face tensed in obvious pain. Moxley stood over him, surprised at how little blood was on the floor, or his knife. He was pleased, it had worked. Didn’t want No-name dying on him.

  “You’ve been looking for me and I’ve been looking for you. In fact, I’ve been following you, which proves I’d make a better detective than you,” Moxley said.

  No-name appeared to have got over his initial surprise as he spoke, “You’ll not get away with this you mad bastard, half of GMP are looking for you.”

  “Thank you for that inappropriate use of the term ‘mad’, it’s because of people like you that mental health is so misunderstood in the prison environment. In actual fact I’m not mad, as you put it, merely misdiagnosed,” Moxley said before he stuck the knife a couple of inches into No-name’s right thigh. He yelped again as Moxley stood back, noting more blood this time as it spurted out through the man’s trousers.

  “Now, let’s start again,” Moxley said, watching the man grab a tea-towel from the back of a chair next to him and start to wrap it around his leg. “That’s for the insult. Now, as I was saying, you’d be a better detective if you concentrated on your job rather than soiling other people’s wives.”

  “What the hell has my private life got to do with a … a person like you,” No-name said.

  “Betrayal, I hate betrayal. And now I hate you. No more small talk, it’s time for you to answer a few questions, and you’d better answer quickly.”

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Vinnie had only been to Rob’s flat once, but remembered the way. It was only a few minutes’ drive from the nick. As he entered the quiet cul-de-sac, he expected there to be a number of police cars outside with their blue lights flashing, but there were none. They were obviously coming from wherever they were when the call went out and Vinnie and Harry had obviously been the nearest, though it wouldn’t be long before the cavalry caught up.

  Harry had tried Rob’s mobile again as Vinnie drove and said it still rang to answer machine. Vinnie pulled up outside the terrace property in the left-hand corner of the street’s turn-around, noting that the only car directly outside the address was a dark blue Astra. Vinnie turned to face Harry but he must have read his mind as he was already speaking into his police radio, quoting the vehicle’s registration number.

  “Wait one,” came the operator’s reply.

  Vinnie’s first thought was to await the result of the vehicle check; if it was one of theirs, then at least they would know Rob was here. Then he saw that the front door was ajar, he turned to face Harry, who spoke first.

  “I see it too, come on let’s go.”

  Vinnie was quicker than Harry and as he arrived at the front door he realised he had no personal protection equipment with him. He didn’t even have a pair of handcuffs and he knew Delany would be the same; senior detectives didn’t routinely carry their appointments. He could hear a siren in the distance which was becoming gradually louder, but they couldn’t risk waiting. “Loud and proud?” he said to Delany.

  “Loud and proud,” Delany said.

  With that, Vinnie kicked the front door open and rushed into the hall shouting Rob’s name, Harry shuffled in behind him. At the bottom of the hall there were two doors, one facing, and one to the right, both shut. Vinnie guessed where they led; he’d never actually been inside the address, but most terrace house layouts were similar. “I’ll take the kitchen,” he volunteered.

  “I’ll take the lounge,” Delany replied.

  Vinnie pushed open the kitchen door at the end of the hall and saw straight away that the room was empty. It wasn’t a large room with a small Formica table in its centre, with chairs pushed under it. The back door was upvc and closed. He was about to go over and check it when he noticed the dark stain on the floor tiles. The tiles were a dark coloured slate, which was why he’d only now seen what appeared to be a blood stain. “In here,” he shouted.

  Delany joined him, saying, “I’ve something to show you, too, but you first.”

  Vinnie pointed to the floor and noticed as he did, that the pool of blood – which was about two feet square – was smeared. Something or someone had been dragged through it.

  “My turn,” Delany said. As Vinnie followed him into the hall two uniformed officers came rushing through the door.

  Warrant card at the ready, Delany identified himself and Vinnie, and asked them to check upstairs. Delany continued into the front room, where initially Vinnie couldn’t see anything of note.

  Delany pointed to a large mirror hanging on the chimney breast above a real-life gas fire. Vinnie saw the words, ‘Favour number two’ written in what looked like blood. “Jesus Christ,” he said.

  “I don’t like the look of that,” Delany said.

  “Me neither.”

  The two uniform officers entered the lounge. Delany was on the radio cancelling any further patrols that were making code-one to the address, but requested CSI ASAP.

  “Nothing upstairs, boss, no sign of anyone or anything out of place,” the first officer said.

  “Have you checked everywhere? Under beds, cupboards etc?”

  “Yes, nothing. There’s only the loft to do and we’ve asked a search team to bring a ladder, though looking at the dust around the hatch, it doesn’t look as if it’s been disturbed in some time.”

  “Okay, thanks. We need to close this place off now as a crime scene and start a scene log, can you two do that?”

  “We’ll check with our sarge, but if not, we’ll get someone down here,” the officer answered.

  “Okay lads, but tell him I’d prefer you two as you’ve already been in here. In case we need assistance elsewhere – cross contamination and all that.” The officer nodded, and headed for the front door followed by his mate. Vinnie checked that the back door was locked, which it was, and rejoined Delany in the hall.

  “What the hell do you reckon has happened here?” Delany said.

  Vinnie was about to answer him, when he looked past him towards the front door as something caught his eye. Delany turned to see what he was looking at, but Vinnie had passed him to get a closer view.

  When they had first arrived and rushed in, Vinnie hadn’t noticed the cloakroom next to the front door. Its door was shut, but a dark stain was oozing underneath it into the beige hall carpet. His heart sank. He could see Delany had locked onto it too.

  Vinnie quickened his pace and carefully pulled the door open by its leading edge, which was proud of the door frame; avoiding using the handle. It smeared the growing blood stain across the carpet as the tight fitting door opened fully.

 
Vinnie looked inside and leaped backwards into an approaching Delany. Struggling to absorb what he saw and the intense nausea rising from his stomach, he looked on in horror.

  Curled up on the floor was a headless body. Sat on its rump, up against a wall. A sweeping brush had been used to prop the whole cadaver up, to stop it lolling forward. The head had been placed on the thighs facing forward. Vinnie recognised Rob Hill’s face, minus his dark hair. He’d seen most things in his fifteen years’ police service, but never a decapitated body, and never a scalped head. He wasn’t sure which visage was the worst.

  The decapitation gave the whole thing a ghoulish other-worldly appearance, but the scalped head looked so sickening; not only the sight; but what it stood for.

  “That bastard doesn’t deserve to live for doing this,” he muttered.

  Delany put his hand on Vinnie’s shoulder and steered him towards the door. He felt a small relief as his eyes looked away, though he knew it would only be a short respite. That image would be with him for a long time.

  Outside was a short garden lawn with a low wall bordering the pavement. The same two uniformed officers were there, one with a clipboard who logged Delany and his exit. Delany walked to one side as he started issuing instructions via his radio. Vinnie felt numb and went to sit on the wall while he caught his composure. A contradiction of emotions was flooding through him. All the angst he felt towards Rob, now replaced with revulsion and sorrow. The poor sod hadn’t deserved this. Then a kind of guilt hit him; the evil monster that Moxley clearly was had somehow considered his acts some sort of ‘favour’. It was if Vinnie was in some way responsible for Moxley’s actions, driven by his mangled mind.

  Then he threw up on to the pavement. That last thought on top of the images had put him over the edge.

  Delany approached and stood over him asking if he was okay. Vinnie wiped his mouth with a handkerchief. “Yes thanks. It’s just the thought that this bastard thinks he’s doing these things for my benefit.”