“That was weird, how can you not realise your hand is bleeding... What do you think of our Mr Kingston.?” Morley asked
“Bloody creep, he made my skin crawl.”
“I don't think he was telling us the whole truth about Jane. I thought he was very evasive about their brief fling or whatever it was.”
“So do I. But unfortunately we can't arrest him for holding out on us. Or even lying to us. I'll have someone check out his alibi. I'd like to know more about that particular gentleman.” Carter said grimly.
Chapter twenty four
Kingston sighed as he shut the door behind the two detectives. His body sagged against it. He opened his hand and was amazed to see a pin-wheel head minus the handle. He thanked his lucky stars it was made of plastic. If it had one of the metal ones his hand would by now resemble a strainer. He didn't even remember putting it in his desk drawer, let alone taking it out and clutching it so tightly that it drew blood. It was one of his collection of S& M toys, which he kept at home, under lock and key away from prying eyes. He sat down again and threw the toy into the waste-paper basket in disgust. He wrapped a bandage from the small first aid kit in his desk around his injured hand. I'm fucking losing it. He thought as he opened another drawer and took out a small bag with white powder in it and after arranging half of it into a line, he used a crisp five pound note to snort it. He sat back in his chair and waited for the powder to take effect. His secretary knocked and poked her head around the door.
“Your two thirty is waiting in the boardroom.” She said timidly.
“Tell him I'm not available.” He roared at her and flung the pen holder. It slammed into the door scattering its contents. His secretary quickly retreated and shut the door before it could do any harm to her. She was used to his foul, violent moods but even she thought they were getting much worse lately. She was thinking of handing in her notice, the only thing stopping her was the money. Mr Kingston paid generously.
He began to relax and his head cleared. He knew it was time to do something. He had to put the police off their investigation and get them to stop looking for Jane. He needed a fall guy for Sylvia’s' murder and he knew just who to use as a stool pigeon. He left the office in a decidedly better mood and headed back to his apartment in the city. He needed to think and he knew he wouldn't get any peace at the office. At his apartment he poured himself two fingers of whiskey and lay on his bed and thought. He lay there on the bed with the curtains drawn. For hours he lay in the dark and planned every minute detail of his next course of action.
It was dark outside when he finally roused himself, he couldn't believe it when he looked at his watch and it read six thirty. Had he really been lying there for that long? He gathered his things together and drove back to his house in South-End.
The first thing he did when he got in was check on Jane. She was still where he had left her. He checked her bandages and changed them. She was beginning to look a lot better, she was out of danger now and he had her so drugged up she barely responded to her own name. At least there is no chance of her self-harming now, he thought as he changed her IV drip, replacing the spent one with a fresh one. He had managed to get her to eat a little this morning and he tried again now. It was difficult forcing the liquidised food into her but he managed to do it. He felt bad as he changed her soiled nappy and cleaned her up. She was so drugged up, she wasn’t even aware that she had soiled herself. She would have been horrified if she had known.
“I'll have more time to look after you properly once I sort out the police. I promise.” He said as he lay her back down onto the pillows. He gently brushed the hair away from her face and kissed her lightly on the forehead. He injected more sedative into the IV and smiled fondly at the sleeping shape. He left the room locking the door behind him. He was confident that she would sleep peacefully until morning. He left again, he was on his way back to London and he was going to have some fun.
Chapter twenty five
Dr Nazir Naizi woke with a start. He didn't know what had awoken him. He felt a bit strange, woozy. He blamed it on the sleeping pills he had taken. He could still feel the warm naked body of Simi his housekeeper and hear her soft breathing as she lay asleep beside him.
“Dr. Naizi” a ghostly voice whispered, barely audible against the noise of the street traffic outside. There it was again, whispering his name. He stretched his hand over his head to turn on the light with the switch on the wall. Nothing happened. He tried the lamp next to the bed again nothing happened. The thought that he must be dreaming, that he was having a nightmare entered his head. “You are not dreaming.” The voice whispered again, as though its owner could read his mind. He began to whimper. He shook Simi, trying to wake her up. He was a coward and didn't want to face this demon alone. He thought it might be an evil Jinn demon come to chasten him for all his misdeeds. His mother had instilled a great fear of the underworld into him from an early age.
“Who are you?” He whispered to the darkness. “Who are you? What do you want?” He barked more forcefully all the time shaking Simi and wondering why she wouldn't awaken.
“I'm dreaming.” He whispered softly to himself and pinched his arm to wake himself up.
“You are not dreaming. It is your time. Time to meet Allah, your creator.” A red eerie light lit up the room. It took Naizi a moment for his eyes to adjust to the new brightness. He saw a figure standing at the end of his bed. It was covered from head to toe black. The red light gave it an unearthly glow. The figure looked as though it might be covered in dull burning embers as it moved towards the bed to Naizi. In his petrified drugged state he was still able to take in the hangman hood that covered the head of this demon. Its eyes seemed to glow deep in the hood. As it got closer he noticed that it wasn't burning as he has first thought but rather made of a slick black material which the red light bounced off.
“Please don't hurt me” he whimpered, shrinking back from the creature. “I'll do anything, anything you want.” shapes were coming in and out of focus. He was hallucinating, He tried to shake himself, to focus his eyes and mind, tried to get out of the bed but his body wouldn't comply. He was terrified.
“I want you to write a note confessing all your wrong doings. I want you to include your sins against Sylvia Cavendish.”
“I don't understand, what wrong have I done to her?” he still couldn't get his body to obey, he wanted to run to scream but he felt weak, tired and confused.
“Surely you haven't forgotten cutting her unborn child from its mothers' womb. She didn't want you to. She begged and pleaded you not to. Yet you still took it from her.”
“Her mother made me do it, honest. I'd never done anything like that before.” He whimpered softly.
“You did it for money. You batched it. She was never able to conceive again.”
“Why now, why do you care after all this time?” tears were falling freely down his swarthy face
“Sylvia cares. Her spirit cannot rest without retribution.” Naizi felt a pain like an electric shock enter his body where the demon touched his neck. His body began to spasm. The demons touch was hot and painful.
He was handed a pen and paper and he wrote what the demon ordered. His hand shaking violently.
“Please don't hurt me, I’ll repent. I beg forgiveness.” He was a blubbering mush by the time he had finished writing. He was barely able to hold the pen. The writing on the page was barely legible. He in his innocence thought it was all a horrible nightmare.
“It’s not up to me. Your fate is in Allah's' hands now.” The demon touched him again, this time he blacked out as the pain in his neck exploded all over his body. His last memory was of his mother telling him to go to sleep or the bad jinn would come to get him. He was sure he was hallucinating. He didn't feel anything as he was dragged unconscious out onto the landing and a noose was placed around his neck, and his body was dropped over the stairwell, he wasn’t aware of it jerking as the rope tightened suddenly and his neck was broken. His lif
eless body dangled from the thick wooden beams that had been exposed during recent renovations. They were supposed to give the apartment character the builders had told him. His eyes bulged further in their lifeless sockets as he hung there swaying silently.
Kingston smiled as he surveyed his handiwork. He had planned everything so carefully. He had watched the apartment for ages waiting for Naizi to leave. His patience was finally rewarded. Shortly after nine thirty he saw Naizi leave, he was accompanied by a young woman wearing a bright coloured sari. He followed them keeping a little distance between himself and them. The streets were busy even at that time of the evening. It was easy for him to follow without being spotted. He followed them for just a short distance. They entered a nearby restaurant, he peered through the window and saw a waiter lead them to a table and hand them menus. Now he knew the coast was clear, he would have plenty of time to set the scene. He had returned to Naizi’s apartment and let himself in. He went into the bedroom, there were some small pill containers on the bedside locker. He read the labels, opened one of the lids, emptied the contents into his pocket and replaced the capsules with some of his own. His contained a strong hallucinogenic drug. They also guaranteed that whoever took them would be totally compliant, zombie like. He would be able to get Naizi to do his bidding, all he had to do was wait. He intended to hide himself in the spare room. It was supposed to be the housekeepers' room but though it contained her things he knew she didn't sleep in it. The expression taking candy from a baby came to mind as he set about planting bits of incriminating evidence around the apartment. He carefully took the stun knuckleduster out of its box and put it into his pocket. A new toy he had acquired, it wasn’t the first time he had used it and it had lived up to his expectations. He returned to the bedroom and waited for them to return. An hour later he heard them enter, He had waited until all had gone quiet, then he knew it was time. He crept into the bedroom and he knocked Simi out with chloroform then injected her with a tranquilliser. He didn't want her waking up and spoiling his plans. He had then carried out his plan. If it had been a play and all of them actors, it couldn’t have gone off more smoothly. When he was finished with Naizi he stood back to survey his handiwork, satisfied he returned to the bedroom, Simi was still unconscious. He waited for her wake, he wanted to have fun with her before he sent her into the twilight zone. He dozed lightly in the chair for a while. It wasn’t long before he was awakened by the screams of Simi. She was staring horrified out through the bedroom door at the sight before her. Her lovers' lifeless body was hanging, his head to one side. The dead eyes staring vacantly at her from their sockets. She didn't notice the black clad intruder until he spoke. She recoiled, desperately trying to work out what had happened.
He stared at her. Transfixed by her beauty. The sheet had fallen away and exposed her small golden breasts with their dark pointy nipples. Her black hair cascading around her shoulders. She looked like a goddess in the morning sunshine. He quickly subdued her shoving a ball gag into her mouth. She stared at him with terrified eyes, trying to fight him off. He secured her hands behind her back and pulling the sheet down to expose further her naked body. He unzipped his trousers and he entered her. She struggled but she was no match for his strength and weight. He held one hand to her throat and squeezed. Her desperate gasps for breath went unheeded, He was still thrusting as the life within her expired. He collapsed on top of her exhausted.
She looked down at her lifeless body, at the evil man that had taken her life. She did not feel regret only sadness that it had happened this way. In an instant she became aware of everything. She saw all of his evil plans as clear as though she had lived them. She knew what she had to do. She had to try and stop him and there was only one person she knew who could succeed. She would have her justice.
Chapter twenty six
This is new Anna thought to herself as she stared at the ghostly apparition before her. She was the most beautiful creature Anna had ever seen. She was exactly how Anna would have imagined a fairy would look....minus the wings of course. She didn't look at all like how spirits were described in books, this entity shimmered and sparkled. She mesmerised. Anna couldn't take her eyes off her. She had called to Anna's subconscious mind as she had slept. Anna had responded at once unable to resist the urgency that emanated from this spirit. In an instant she was out of her body and face to face with her. The spirit spoke softly.
“I need your help, I haven't much time; they are waiting for me.”
“Who are you?” Anna asked,
“I am Simi. You must listen.” Her tone was urgent, insistent. “They will try to say he killed me. That he killed her and many others. He was not a good man but he was not evil, just greedy. He could never have done such a thing.”
“Who killed you?” Anna was becoming baffled by the spirit. She didn't understand what she wanted from her.
Simi glanced over her shoulder. “They are calling me. Listen. The one you seek is still alive. Do not believe them when they say she is not. You must find her quickly, she doesn't have much time.”
“Who Simi? Who am I looking for?” Then it dawned on her. Jane, she must be talking about Jane. “Do you mean Jane?”
“Yes. Help her. He fears you. He senses something different about you. He means to kill you if he can. Be careful. You are close.”
“Who is he? Where is Jane?” Anna quizzed her.
“He is pure evil and he will never stop...unless you stop him. I must go, my parents are here.”
Anna saw her fade before her eyes as an even brighter light drew her to it, finally engulfing her before it vanished entirely.
“What's his name” Anna called after her.
“Kinnnnnnnnnn..........” was all Anna heard before the spectacle in front of her eyes disappeared completely. She was at once back in her body and wide awake. She sat up in the bed and gazed around her. The room seemed so depressing and cold without the beautiful Simi.
What just happened she wondered? She had never even seen a spirit before let alone encountered one. She was awed by its beauty and the feeling of serenity she felt in its presence.
Who was Simi and how was she connected to Jane? How had she known to come to Anna? She puzzled and questioned, tried to come up with answers. She thought maybe she had met Simi before but dismissed that thought. If she had met that beautiful young Pakistani woman, she would have remembered. How do you know she was Pakistani? She asked herself. She didn't know how she knew, she just did.
She looked at her watch, it was almost 8am. She had briefly thought about telling Eva that she had been told that Jane was alive, but dismissed that thought. She didn't want to get Eva's hopes up. She wanted to be sure first.
She was back in the Westhall's house. Eva and Molly had come to the hospital and insisted that she come back to recuperate. They were both very concerned about her. Morley had rung them and informed them about Sylvia's death and the attack on Anna. It had made them more determined than ever to find out what had happened to Jane. She showered and changed and went downstairs, no one was up yet and Olana had not yet arrived. She helped herself to coffee and made a light breakfast. She took a couple of pain killers and quickly scribbled a note for Eva, telling her that she was heading back to London to interview some of volunteers who worked at the homeless shelter where Jane had spent a lot of her free time helping out. Outside the morning was dull and misty, the clouds hung darkly over countryside, threatening at any moment to expel their contents. Andrew had arranged for a new hire car to be delivered, she was grateful, she liked to come and go as she pleased without having to ask for someone to ferry her around. As she drove, Anna pondered the Simi's words. She thought of ringing DCI Carter and asking her for information, maybe she would know who Simi was. She dismissed that thought, she didn't know how to go about bringing the topic up without confessing how she had received the information. Then it dawned on her, she should ring Morley, at least he could make inquiries without anyone wondering why. Since he already k
new about her and seemed to at least accept that she was on the level, she felt it couldn’t do any harm. After what seemed like forever driving through the rush hour traffic, she pulled into an underground car park. She decided to park the car there for the day and to use the Tube. It would be much easier and faster than trying to navigate London traffic. She parked in an empty space and searched in her bag for the card Morley had given her with his home and work no’s on it. She found it and dialled his mobile, it went straight to voice mail so she left a quick message asking him to ring her as soon as he was able. Hanging up, she decided to try his home number. Hoping that he wouldn't think it was too cheeky of her. She considered, he wouldn't have given it to her if he hadn't meant her to use it. She rang, it was answered immediately by a woman. Anna assumed it was his wife or girlfriend. After asking to speak to “Gary” The woman informed her that he was at work and asked if she had the number. Anna said that she had tried his mobile already and would try him at the station.
“Can I give him a message?” The woman enquired politely.
“Would you just tell him that Anna Cotter rang and could he ring me when he gets a chance.” Anna replied.
“Oh god Anna, I'm so sorry. I didn't realise it was you. I should have guessed what with the accent. I'm Cara, Gary's sister and you know of course my sister Andrea” She gushed sounding excited when she realised who was on the other end of the phone.
“Oh yes of course Cara, how are you, I've heard a lot about you from Andrea, I'm surprised we haven't met before.”
“Goodness Anna how are you? Gary told me you had been attacked are you all right?”
“I'm fine, really. I just got a bit of a bang on the head. It all goes with the territory I suppose.”
“You will be careful won't you, I can’t wait to meet you; Gary has told me so much about you. I feel I know you already.”
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