Dark of Mind

by Robin Roughley

  'So?'

  'Well, perhaps he was talking to someone.'

  'Here we go, Mr Conspiracy Theory is in town,' Bannister jibed.

  'Lasser could be onto something,' Odette piped up, drawing a scowl from the DCI.

  'That could be why he keeps his hood up even when the sun's blasting down,' Lasser continued.

  Bannister's scowl grew deeper as Carole pursed her lips.

  'I don't follow?' she said.

  'He could have a phone trapped beneath the hood, to any passer-by it would look as if he was talking to himself and…'

  'Whoa, Lasser, stop right there. You have no bloody idea about any of this, we have a killer out there, fact, we know he was talking to himself, fact, and now you're trying to say,' the DCI paused, 'what are you trying to say exactly?'

  Lasser scratched at his chin and shrugged. 'I'm not sure but you have to admit, ''I think this is my only coat'' sounds as if he was answering a question.'

  'Jesus, this mad bastard squirted acid into Marshall's face and he slashed and stabbed Banks to death so I think it's safe to assume that he's mentally unstable, so yes he might very well have been answering a question, a question conjured up by his sick bloody mind.'

  Lasser thought of arguing the point and then he gave up and nodded. 'I suppose you could be right.'

  'He keeps the hood up to hide his face, he talks to himself because he's insane. Now we need to find out if this guy is receiving any treatment for his problems and we need to do it quick.'

  'And how do we do that, without a name or even a clear image we can use?' Lasser retorted.

  Bannister opened his mouth and then glanced towards the window as his shoulders sagged. 'The NHS gets treated in the same way we do, funding cuts left, right and centre, units being closed down and people wandering the streets who should be receiving the help they need instead of being sent on their way with enough pills to dope an elephant. I mean, the whole thing stinks,' he complained.

  'Well, if he's been wearing the same clothes for some time then perhaps that could be enough for him to be recognised by someone,' Odette suggested.

  Carole's eyes widened slightly. 'Good thinking, Odette, make the rounds of the local health authorities as well as the mental health units and see if anyone can help us out.'

  'Come on, Sergeant, let's make a start,' Odette said.

  Seconds later, only Bannister and Carole remained in the room, neither of them looking happy as the clock on the wall continued to tick the vital seconds into oblivion.

  26

  Foster sat on the canal-side bench, sunlight reflecting on the water as a couple of ducks went floating by. When his phone rang, he snatched it from his pocket and hit the answer key desperate to hear the voice, desperate to be given his next set of instructions.

  'You left me, you left me needing the toilet and a drink, you just walked out without checking on me, Benny, how could you do such a horrible thing to your own mother!'

  Foster felt the shame flare inside as he pictured his obese mother wallowing in her own waste whilst he had been out following orders.

  'I'm sorry, Mother, but I had to dash out this morning and…'

  'Why did you have to dash out? You know the routine, you know I always need to use the toilet no later than eight o'clock, you heard me shouting and you just abandoned me, and I feel dreadful!'

  Her voice rose, shrill and full of quivering emotion and Foster suddenly felt the panic flare as he thought about the master trying to ring him and not being able to get through.

  'I've got to go, Mother, I'll be home later and…'

  'But I'm wet through, my heart's racing and I can't reach my medication, I've had nothing to eat or drink and…'

  Foster ended the call with a shudder before taking a deep breath, seconds later his mother called again only this time he didn't bother to answer it, the fear of missing the call from his protector was more terrifying than the wrath of his grotesque mother.

  On the water, the ducks continued to paddle by, oblivious to his distress.

  27

  Faith tried to concentrate but the feeling of nausea was making it impossible, her mouth kept flooding with saliva and beads of perspiration speckled her pale brow as the lecturer droned on about the importance of revision.

  In the end she could stand it no longer, rising to her feet she scuttled to the aisle before dashing towards the double doors, fully aware that she was being watched by the other students.

  Pushing into the corridor, she leaned back against the wall trying to calm her churning emotions, but this time the panic seemed to increase, the terrible feeling that everything was coming apart, her life as she knew it coming to an end.

  She started to cry, and hot tears of regret slipped from her eyes, her shoulders shaking as she thought of her father and how he would explode when he discovered her secret. Various scenarios sped through her quaking mind, none of them good and all ending with her father screaming at her, whilst his girlfriend Livy folded her arms, the fake look of disappointment carved onto her cold features as if she had always known that Faith was nothing more than a common whore.

  'Are you OK?'

  Opening her eyes, she gasped, the girl stood in front of her, a look of concern in her dark eyes, her long black hair tied back in a ponytail, a multi-coloured hessian bag threaded over her right shoulder.

  Faith opened her mouth, the shame burning her face then she started to sob uncontrollably, without uttering a word the girl took hold of her arm and steered her down the corridor and out into the sunshine.

  Faith had no idea what was happening as the parade of horrors continued to dash through her mind.

  Half a minute later, the young woman opened the passenger door and Faith automatically stepped into the car, the door closed with a clunk and the woman got behind the wheel, her face creased with concern.

  'My name's Kelly Bannister, we've shared a couple of lectures in the past,' she explained before fumbling some tissues from her bag and handing them over.

  Faith grasped them and wiped at her eyes, her breathing rapid and fear filled.

  Kelly turned away from her distress, giving Faith the time to gather herself, though the sobs only seemed to increase, heartfelt and desperate.

  Another minute went by and Kelly glanced at the girl by her side. 'You don't have to tell me what's wrong, but I promise I'm a good listener and anything you say won't be spread around uni.'

  Faith wiped at her eyes again before staring blindly out of the windscreen, the tissue scrunched between her twisting fingers. 'I'm pregnant,' she whispered as more tears trickled down her ashen cheeks.

  Kelly held the sigh in check as she tossed the bag onto the back seat. 'And you haven't told anyone about it?' she asked.

  'I can't!' Faith wailed.

  Kelly chewed her bottom lip as Faith's distress filled the inside of the car.

  'But why not?' she asked.

  Faith just shook her head unable to speak.

  'Well, what about the father, does he know you're pregnant?'

  'I only slept with him once – just once – and now I'm pregnant, but I know my father won't believe me, he'll think I'm an idiot and a slut and I just can't stand there and tell him what happened.'

  'Look, even if he's upset then surely, he'll get used to the idea?' Kelly offered lamely.

  Faith sniffed heavily and shook her head. 'Believe me he won't, he expects me to succeed at everything and until now I always have. But he won't forgive this, he'll want nothing to do with me, I know what he's like.'

  Kelly tried to think of something positive to say but the truth was she had only ever smiled at Faith a couple of times and she couldn't comment on how her father would react. She thought of her own parents and realised how lucky she was, they wanted her to do well in life but neither of them ever pushed her or Belle to achieve things at all costs, instead they encouraged them to find something they loved to do and then go after it with an open mind.

  Faith con
tinued to sob as Kelly looked out across the university car park trying to think of a way she could help the girl.

  'Perhaps the father of the child might be willing to help?' Kelly asked.

  'He won't be bothered; he'll probably deny sleeping with me and then what will I do?'

  'But he might not, he might be fine about it.'

  'Danny East isn't like that,' Faith gasped.

  Kelly felt her eyes widen in shock at the name and then she though back to East's crass remarks about Lasser on the way home from The Owls.

  Now Faith was telling her that East had been the one to get her pregnant and Kelly knew that she was right in her assumption that Danny East would deny any knowledge of having sex with Faith.

  The truth was it had been Belle who arranged to bring Charlie Reeves to the party and East had just tagged along and then tried to kiss her and touch her breast in the back of the car and right there and then she had known he was nothing but a creep, thinking he was God's gift to women, with his false tan and gym-toned muscles.

  'How pregnant are you?' she asked to fill the tense silence.

  'I've missed two periods; I did the test a couple of days ago and it showed positive and now I don't know what to do about it.'

  Kelly continued to chew her lip as she tried to think, when an image of her mother floated into her mind, she felt some of the tension leave her. 'Listen, I want you to come home with me and tell my mum all about it.'

  'But why?' Faith asked as she looked at Kelly with a bemused expression on her tear-stained face.

  'Because you need to speak to someone and she's the smartest, kindest person I know, she'll just listen to what you have to say and then I'm sure she'll help you in any way she can.'

  The tissues swiped at her eyes again, her bottom lip trembling. 'Are you sure that would be OK?'

  'I'm positive,' Kelly smiled.

  Faith Hinton found herself smiling back though inside the fear remained.

  'Well, I live in Wigan, what about you?'

  'Standish,' Faith replied as she dabbed at her eyes a final time before thrusting the tissue into her pocket. 'But I have my own car so I can follow you and…'

  'Perhaps it would be best if you don't get behind the wheel, not while you're so upset. I can always bring you back for your car later.'

  Faith nodded in gratitude as she blinked back yet more tears.

  'Right, that's sorted. Now are you ready?' Kelly asked as she turned the key and started the engine.

  'I don't think I'll ever be ready, but I know I can't carry on like this.'

  'One step at a time,' Kelly suggested as she pulled off the car park.

  28

  'You've done enough work for today,' the voice said.

  Benny Foster leaned forward on the bench, the phone clasped to his ear, for once the hood was pulled back, the sun hot on the crown of his bowed head. 'Enough work?'

  'Yes, go home to see to your mother, I would imagine by now she's in a bit of a state… in more ways than one.'

  Foster grimaced at the thought. 'But when will I hear from you again?'

  'You know the answer to that pointless question, don't you, Benny?'

  'I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked; I'll hear from you when you choose to ring me.'

  'Correct.'

  Foster felt the familiar feeling of dread start to squirm through his mind as he realised that within a few hours he would be desperate to hear from the man again with more orders to follow.

  When he heard the sound of footsteps approaching, he scrunched in his shoulders and kept his head down, his eyes tracking the shadow as the figure strode by.

  'I'll be here waiting for your call, anytime, day or night,' Foster whispered into the phone, his brow now beaded with sweat as the moment approached when the voice would simply vanish again.

  'Well, after a somewhat shaky start you have performed well, you have followed my demands without question, just as I knew you would.'

  'Thank you, that means so much to me.'

  'I know it does. Now, before I go there's one more thing I want you to do.'

  'Anything, I'll do anything,' Foster's voice came out as a hiss of fervour.

  'Get some new clothes.'

  At first, Foster thought he had heard wrong, his tongue darted out and licked his cracked lips, the sun continued to heat up his brain as he looked down at his filthy jeans and scuffed shoes.

  'But I don't have any money,' he cringed as he waited for the angry response,

  'There's a litter bin to your left, go to it.'

  Fellow whipped his head around and rose to his feet before hurrying toward the bin. 'I see it,' he said as he scuttled along the towpath.

  'Look inside and take the brown envelope.'

  This time, Foster nodded and quickened his pace, reaching the bin he dipped his hand inside and lifted out the envelope.

  'Do you have it?'

  'Yes.'

  'Open it.'

  Foster did as he was told, his eyes widening in astonishment at the four twenty-pound notes folded inside.

  'Is it for me?' he asked in amazement.

  'On your way home call at a charity shop and get a new set of clothes, not another parka but something with a hood.'

  'I will,' Foster said, his eyes still wide with astonishment as he looked at the money.

  'Now, go, and I suggest you use some of the money to buy some wet wipes.'

  'Wet wipes?'

  'To clean your mother with.'

  Suddenly, the voice vanished, and Benny Foster felt the sense of loss pluck at his senses as he pushed the money into his pocket and dropped the envelope back into the bin. Then he felt the frown crease his forehead, his right hand scuttled around the pocket, his heart hammering as he searched for the knife.

  'Oh no,' he gasped as he dug ever deeper, his fingers grasping, searching, the fear rising.

  His left hand searched his other pocket, but he knew it was hopeless, he had lost the knife.

  'IDIOT!' he screamed, slamming both hands to the side of his head in despair as the sun continued to beat down on him.

  29

  Slipping the key into the ignition, Odette sighed. 'Another dead end,' she said as she started the car.

  Lasser sat by her side, they had tried three mental health units in quick succession, but no one had been able to help them identify the man in the parka and dirty jeans. 'Where to next?' he asked.

  'We head over to Leigh and try our luck there.'

  'No problem,' he replied as he clicked the seat belt into place.

  Weaving their way off the car park, they joined the afternoon traffic heading into the town centre before turning left at the lights.

  Hearing Lasser yawn, Odette glanced across and saw him rubbing at his eyes, 'Late night?' she asked.

  Lasser shook his head. 'Not really, I was asleep by half ten and slept like a log.'

  'You always do,' she smiled faintly as she flicked the sun visor down.

  Pulling out his cigarettes, he lit one and slid the window down, the smoke trailing out into the mid-afternoon sunshine. 'Do you think the killer could have been talking to someone on the phone?'

  'Well, Bannister didn't seem impressed with your suggestion,' she paused, 'but the truth is we can't rule anything out.'

  Lasser sighed as he tried to think of something more practical that they could be doing, but the truth was they were chasing their tails, dashing around town in the hope that someone could put a name to the fuzzy image of the man in the parka.

  'Like Carole said, the knife might throw up some clues,' Odette offered as if sensing his frustration.

  'Imagine the hate you must have inside you to throw acid into someone's face and then cut the throat of some guy who was out birdwatching.'

  'I suppose one small mercy is that Banks didn't have his grandson with him.'

  Lasser grunted in reply as he took another drag on the cigarette. 'This prick isn't going to stop,' he said.

  Odette didn't reply
as she thought about Marshall screaming abuse at his girlfriend yet ten minutes later he was fighting for his life, then Banks left to die a lonely, painful death, his life's blood leaking away into the thirsty ground as the birds he had been watching sang in the sunshine.

  The traffic eased, and she increased her speed suddenly feeling the sense of urgency build as she pictured the killer carefully choosing his next weapon of destruction before heading out to find a new victim, another innocent to murder.

  Lasser glanced at the speedometer but said nothing as they barrelled towards Leigh.

  30

  Suzanne listened while Kelly explained about Faith Hinton's predicament. They were sitting in the conservatory, sunshine flooding the airy space, Faith had her head bowed, a fresh wad of tear-stained tissues clasped in her right hand.

  Kelly looked at her mother with pleading in her eyes as if she thought she would have all the answers to Faith's problems.

  Inwardly, Suzanne sighed but she leaned forward slightly and touched Faith's knee, the girl looked up at her with guarded eyes.

  'I know this is difficult, sweetheart, but the truth is at some point you're going to have to tell your parents.'

  'But I can't, you don't know what my father's like, and his girlfriend hates me, they won't believe a word I say.'

  'I can't begin to imagine how you feel, but this isn't going to go away.'

  'But I could have a termination and he would never know anything about it.'

  Kelly tried to keep the gasp of shock inside but didn't quite manage it.

  Faith glanced at her and then quickly looked away, her face burning with shame and fear.

  Reaching out, Suzanne took hold of her hand and gave it a squeeze. 'That's one option but believe me you can't make any sort of decision until you've spoken to your father and the father of the child.'

  Faith rubbed at her distressed eyes with the tissue. 'They'd only tell me to get rid of the baby, they won't let me keep it so why do I have to tell anyone, why go through all that when I could have a termination and then try and put this all behind me?'