by Jack Probyn
‘Yes, guv!’ the three of them said in unison.
Liam adjourned the meeting and ordered them to carry out their tasks. As they filtered back to their desks, Jake made a left turn and headed towards the exit.
‘Where are you off to?’ Garrison called from his desk, which was situated right by the double doors.
Jake smirked. ‘I’ve got to go see a man about a dog.’
CHAPTER 59
GOOD EGG
‘Where’s he going?’ Drew asked, leaning against Garrison’s desk.
Garrison shrugged and thumbed another biscuit into his mouth. ‘I don’t know. He said he’s going to see a man about a dog.’
‘Shall we follow him?’
Garrison shrugged again.
At that moment, Liam exited the debrief room and marched across the office. Drew whistled for Liam to come over and explained the situation to him.
He whispered as he spoke. ‘What you saying, guv? Good egg gone bad?’
Liam gave a quick glance at the door and shook his head. ‘No. He’s not going anywhere we need to be worried about. This time I think he’s being a good egg.’
CHAPTER 60
BARGAINING TOOL
Jake slowed his car to a halt in a lay-by outside a Co-op convenience store. The high-street chain bustled with life and patrons carrying bags of shopping and newly purchased bottles of alcohol by their hips. Jake killed the engine and hopped out. A few metres behind him was a phone box on the corner of the High Street and Carpenters Road.
Jake observed his surroundings, turning his head left and right, studying the characters around him, making sure he wasn’t being followed or interrupting anything – or anyone. Then carefully, with his hands in his pockets, Jake approached the phone box. As he neared the object, the smell of urine and alcohol rose up his nostrils. It made him grimace, and for a moment he wondered how many people had used the phone box as shelter for the night.
Jake closed the door behind him and looked at the corkboard of business cards above the phone. There were dozens. Builders looking for work. Casinos that had just launched down the road. And the ones that most caught his eye: local gentleman’s clubs with pictures of provocatively dressed women on them with their mobile numbers plastered in solid white lettering beneath. Jake searched for the one Archie had recommended – Diamond Geezers. He found it on the bottom of the board, picked it up and dialled the number.
The tone sounded in his ear.
‘Yes?’ a voice asked. It was Eastern European, although Jake was unable to discern exactly where. Possibly Russian. Possibly Latvian. Possibly Romanian.
‘Er… Yes…’ Jake said, stammering. He’d never done anything like this before. ‘I was… I was wondering if I could make an appointment for tonight?’
‘Sorry, we don’t have any of those left. Goodbye.’
‘Wait! Please!’ Jake said. He rested against the side of the phone box and pressed the phone tight to his ear. The person on the other end of the line was still there. He could still hear their breathing. ‘This is important. Sorry. I’ve never done this before.’
He hesitated again, trying to think of the best way to proceed. ‘I need to know if you received a call the other day – on the twentieth. A man asking for a prostitute called Jessica?’
There was silence on the other end, and for a moment, Jake panicked. He thought the call’s timer had run out.
‘What is this?’ the voice asked. ‘Who are you?’
‘Please. You’re not in any trouble or anything. I’m investigating Jessica-Anne’s murder. We’re really close. We just need your help to catch the guy.’
‘Police? You must fucking joke! We don’t talk police!’
Shit. This wasn’t going the way he’d hoped.
‘Don’t you want to catch him? Don’t you want to find out what happened to her, help us arrest the man responsible?’
‘No. We don’t trust police. Don’t call number again.’
‘OK,’ Jake said calmly. ‘I won’t call this number again. I’ll call the other one instead. And then the one after that. And the one after that. We’re the police. You think we won’t be able to contact you again? We’ll keep calling, and the next time it won’t be as friendly as this.’
The voice chuckled deeply. ‘You think you find us? You can’t find fucking killer.’
‘With time we will. With time we’ll find you and the killer.’
‘If that’s right, why you need us?’
Jake swallowed. This was it. The bargaining tool.
‘We need your help. I need to ask a favour. You don’t need to tell us anything. We don’t need to meet. I just need you to do something…’
Jake let that hang in the air. He hoped there had been enough intrigue in his voice to arrest the man’s attention on the other end.
‘What you need me do?’
Jake sighed an exasperated breath. ‘We think he’s going to try and make contact again,’ Jake lied. ‘We think he’s going to order another girl to use soon. If he does, I want you to let me know. That’s it. You just need to tell me where he’s meeting the girl and when. Simple.’
‘That’s it?’
‘Yes,’ Jake said. ‘You can call on a different number if you’d like. It won’t be traced.’
The man coughed. ‘OK. For Jessica.’
‘And one other thing,’ Jake added.
‘What?’
‘If he calls someone else – a competitor of yours perhaps – get them to call me too. The killer is going to use all the channels available to him. We need to make sure we find the right one. We can’t afford to let him kill another person.’
‘And what I get out of this? What in it for me?’
Jake sighed silently to himself. ‘I can assure you the police will leave you alone. We won’t interfere with your business. You go your way and we go ours. Simple.’
‘Simple.’
‘Agreed?’
‘Agreed.’
Jake gave the man his work mobile number and hung up. He sighed heavily as he placed the phone on the receiver. It was done and he was grateful it was over.
Jake closed the phone box door and waited, holding his breath.
His senses heightened and he suddenly felt very vulnerable. As though he was being watched. He flicked his gaze from the man carrying the bags of shopping walking away from him to the couple crossing the street arm in arm, then to the kid on the scooter a hundred yards away. None of them were watching him; none of them were even looking his way. He was just being paranoid – afraid that it was either Lester in the distance observing him, or the people Bridger had warned him about, calculating his every move.
In the end, he decided he was being stupid and headed back towards his car. But as he went to start it up, he was interrupted by the sound of his phone ringing. It was his personal mobile.
Jake answered without checking the Caller ID. He didn’t need to; he knew exactly what it was about.
‘E-Elizabeth?’ he asked, stammering, struggling to get his words out.
‘Jake! Jake! Jake! I’m on the way to the hospital. Come quick. I’m with your mum. I’m having the baby!’
CHAPTER 61
GREEN ZONE
Jake’s momentum was so strong that he stumbled and almost fell to the ground as he burst through the revolving doors of Croydon University Hospital. The A&E section to his left overflowed with people waiting patiently in the seating area while their relatives paced from side to side, launching torrents of verbal abuse at the nurses and support staff trying to help them. Jake paid them little heed and hurried to the reception desk, slamming his hands on the surface. He was out of breath, and his nose was running. ‘My wife,’ he began, gasping between breaths. ‘Elizabeth Tanner. She’s just gone into labour. I need to find her.’
The woman behind the desk gave him a blank look. He supposed it was because she was used to seeing his type – mad and frantic. And, in a weird way, he found that it calmed him down.
<
br /> ‘Let me just check that for you,’ she said.
She started typing on the keyboard. Slowly. Jake had seen Maisie type faster than that and she was only two years old. He silently willed her on in his head.
‘Here we are,’ the woman said after what felt like a lifetime. ‘Elizabeth Tanner you said?’
‘Yes.’
‘OK, she was admitted to the Lucina birthing centre. Green zone. Ground floor. Over an hour ago.’
‘Thank you.’ Jake gave her a thumbs up as a sign of his gratitude before heading off down the corridor. He sprinted from one end of the hospital to the other, weaving his way in and out of nurses and patients and doctors and cleaners and medical staff and family members. By the time he arrived at the Green Zone’s entrance, his legs burned and he was out of breath, his body consumed by a potent combination of fear, adrenaline and pure excitement. In that moment, nothing else occupied his mind except for the rising pressure of exasperation and emotion in his chest. He slowed to a halt, bent double and rested his hand against the wall for stability.
Without warning, his vision turned to white, and his body went numb, cold. Visions of snow and the mountains from when he was trapped in the avalanche appeared in his mind. He couldn’t breathe, and the room spun. The walls began to close around him, inching closer with every exasperated breath. Then his head hit the floor. And when it did, the white wall relented, changing to black.
CHAPTER 62
C-ZONE
Jake awoke to the sensation of touch. His body felt like it was being moved, poked, prodded. In the distance, faint, almost as if they were only figments of his imagination, he heard voices. They were muffled at first, but then, as his consciousness slowly clawed its way back to him, they became clearer, more distinct.
‘Sir!’ It was a soft voice. Calm. Soothing. Like Elizabeth’s when she tried to get him back to sleep after he’d had one of his episodes.
Elizabeth!
Jake’s eyes shot open, revealing the world to him. He was surrounded by three nurses, trying to nurture him back to reality. One of them had a finger on his wrist, checking for a pulse; another was by his waist, the other by his head.
‘Elizabeth,’ he said, lumbering himself up onto his elbows. ‘Elizabeth.’
‘Sir, you need to stay still,’ ordered the woman attempting to cradle his head.
‘I’m fine. I’m fine. I need to find my wife.’ He felt like shit. The fall had made him feel sick, and now a nauseating sensation permeated through the rest of his body.
‘I’m sure she’s fine. I’m sure you’ll get to see her. I’m sure she’s still in here somewhere.’
The nurse situated beside his waist stood and got him a cup of water. She returned and handed it to him. ‘Drink.’
Jake didn’t need telling twice. He downed the water.
‘She’s giving birth. I need to… I need to find her.’ The sudden rush of cold water numbed his brain, inciting a headache, and he winced in pain.
‘We need to make sure you’re all right first,’ one nurse said. He moved to Jake’s back and supported him.
‘You’re not listening,’ Jake said. ‘I’m fine. It’s happened before. It’s just an anxiety attack. You don’t need to help me. I need to see my wife.’
Jake staggered to his feet, despite the nurse’s protestations, and stumbled towards the birthing centre.
The ward was twenty yards from where he fell, yet, before he’d passed out, it had seemed much further.
‘Sir!’ the nurses called, but he ignored them. He’d experienced anxiety attacks all too frequently to become worried by them anymore. They were a part of his life, and he’d grown to live with them. At first, after the accident, they had been frequent. And if it wasn’t an anxiety attack, then it was severe dizziness, nausea, claustrophobia. But in the last year or so, he’d learnt to control them, thanks to his own self-guided recuperation and the help of a therapist. After several successful attempts at abating them, Jake had soon realised his episodes only came when he was placed under immense pressure and stress. And he was prepared to fight against them. He didn’t want his life to be shackled and dictated by his everyday actions and processes.
Jake opened the ward door and was greeted by another long, seemingly never-ending corridor. Along the right side was a row of benches, which knots of people – families, friends, partners – occupied, and along the left was a series of birthing rooms.
Twenty yards away Jake saw his mother, Denise, bouncing Maisie on her knee.
He beamed as he approached them.
‘Where is she?’ he asked, taking them both by surprise.
Denise dropped Maisie from her knee, hugged Jake and then lifted Maisie into her arms.
‘She’s in there.’ Denise pointed to the room opposite.
‘Is everything OK? Any issues?’
‘She’s gone in for a C-section.’
‘Oh my God,’ Jake said, throwing his hand to his mouth.
‘Don’t worry. Everything’s going to be fine. They’ve put her under now. They said it shouldn’t be too long. All we can do is wait and wish her well.’
CHAPTER 63
ELLIE
‘You can see her now,’ the doctor told him. ‘She’s awake… but tired.’
At once, Jake erupted out of his seat and rushed into the birthing room, gripping the door handle tightly. There, resting on the bed with her head against the pillow, was his wife. Her face was covered in a thin layer of sweat that shone in the fluorescent light, and her body was hooked up to four different IV drips and machines. The ECG monitor beeped monotonously beside her.
‘Hello, Nelly,’ he said, smiling uncontrollably.
Nelly was the nickname he’d given her after she’d told him that the narwhal was her favourite animal. She loved them so much – and he loved her so much – that, on her birthday, he’d found a company that allowed him to sponsor a narwhal in her name. He called it: Nelly the Narwhal.
‘How you feeling?’ Jake asked, taking her hand and kissing her forehead.
‘Tired,’ she replied, blinking slowly. ‘Is… Is she OK?’
‘Yes. The doctors have taken care of her. They’re cleaning her down now. I’m sure we’ll be able to see her soon. I’m so proud of you.’
Jake gave her another kiss on the forehead and held her tightly in his arms. Her skin was warm. It felt brittle and delicate, as though if he touched it, it would break and tear. Elizabeth was one of the most precious things in his life, and he would never do anything to hurt her. He’d made that vow three years ago, and it still meant as much now as it did then.
‘I love you,’ Elizabeth said.
As Jake opened his mouth to let her know he loved her too, the door opened. A midwife entered, carrying their newborn girl in her arms.
‘Here she is,’ the midwife said. ‘She’s just catching up on some sleep.’
‘No, she’s wide awake,’ Jake said, pointing at Elizabeth, who slapped him on the arm disapprovingly while the midwife suppressed a smile.
Elizabeth stretched her arms out and took her daughter from the midwife. She moaned softly as she stroked the little girl’s face. Jake leant across and did the same, stroking both the baby’s and Elizabeth’s brows. Pure joy and happiness – an emotion he’d only ever felt when Maisie was born and on his wedding day – flowed through him. It was incredible. Invincible. Nothing could beat it. All the stresses of the past week – Lester, Bridger, the Jessicas, Liam – they all disappeared from his mind, as though they had never existed.
‘Have you thought of a name yet?’ the hospital staff member asked, breaking the silence.
Jack glanced at Elizabeth just as Denise and Elizabeth’s parents entered the room.
‘No,’ he said, feeling distracted. ‘We haven’t, not y—’
‘Ellie,’ Elizabeth said, taking Jake by surprise. Where did she get that name from? And then he realised: Liam. She must have seen it on the card the team had given them.
‘
Ellie?’ Jake squeezed her leg with a grin.
‘Ellie.’
‘Ellie.’ Jake nodded. He liked it. It was simple and beautiful. Just like their gorgeous girl.
Their families swarmed them. Martha and Alan joined one side, while Denise the other. They hovered over the baby, touching her cheeks and holding her tiny hands. Alan moved across and shook Jake’s hand, and as soon as they’d finished, Denise rounded the bed and gave him a hug. She squeezed him tight.
‘I’m so pleased for you both,’ she said, tears forming in her eyes.
‘Don’t start, Mum. You’ll set me off.’
‘Crying’s OK, you know. It’s OK to cry sometimes. Your father used to.’
‘I’m not in a crying mood.’
Denise smirked. ‘I’m sure we can change that. I mean, you only have to look at her for a second before you start tearing up and going all gooey.’
‘I think that’s just you, Mum.’
Denise reached into her purse and removed a camera. ‘Do you mind if I take a few photos? Everyone needs new baby photos.’ Before Jake could answer, she took it upon herself. ‘Martha, Alan – do you mind if I take a couple of pictures for everyone’s photo albums? I can get them made up and put into frames for you both.’
Elizabeth’s parents nodded and said, ‘Yes, that’d be lovely.’
As Denise left Jake alone to snap photos on her camera, Martha shuffled around the bed and decided it was her turn to speak to him.
She placed her hand on his arm, letting him know she was there. ‘Jake, I was wondering if I could have a quick word outside?’
