Dead Guilty

by Michelle Davies

  Philip’s mind raced.

  ‘Are you saying this man might be connected to Jade’s disappearance?’

  ‘They’re certain he was coming out from behind the cafe where they found Jade’s sarong, opposite the shop where she was last seen, lugging a massive suitcase that weighed a tonne. What do you think?’

  Philip’s eyes widened in shock as the nub of Clive’s theory hit home.

  ‘You think Jade was in the suitcase,’ he said breathlessly.

  Clive pushed his untouched plate out of the way and leaned over the table, resting on his forearms.

  ‘I think she could’ve been.’

  ‘What have the police said?’

  ‘That’s the thing, Philip. I haven’t told them yet. Not until I give you the courtesy of showing you the picture first.’

  Philip faltered. ‘I don’t understand.’

  ‘I know you’ve had a rough time of things, with what happened to your girl. I get that,’ Clive looked pained for a moment, ‘because I’m going through it too. I don’t want to cause you and your missus more upset, but I will be, when I hand this picture to the police. Call me soft, but I thought you should have a heads-up first, before the shit hits the fan.’ He slowly pulled his phone from his pocket and laid it on the tablecloth. ‘Paula kindly forwarded me a copy.’ Clive slid the phone across the table with his finger. ‘It’s him, isn’t it?’

  Philip peered closely at the picture.

  ‘It can’t be. That’s not possible.’

  ‘I think it is.’

  Philip stared at the photo, which was taken at a distance. The man was standing at an angle so only part of his face was visible and the red baseball cap pulled down low.

  ‘No, it’s not him,’ he stated, but there was uncertainty in his tone.

  Clive jabbed the phone screen with his finger, the white-hot anger he’d obviously been fighting to contain finally erupting.

  ‘That’s because you don’t want it to be,’ he snarled. ‘But unless I’m very much mistaken, that’s a picture of your fucking godson.’

  66

  Maggie burst into tears. It was bad enough that Umpire now knew that she’d slept with someone else, but forcing him to listen to it, inadvertently or not, was the most terrible thing she could ever have done to him.

  ‘I’ll call him now,’ she cried.

  ‘He doesn’t want to talk to you, sis. He’s distraught.’

  Lou didn’t say it with rancour though and Maggie knew why. Nothing her sister could say to insult or berate Maggie would be any worse than what she was thinking herself.

  ‘Who is he?’ Lou asked.

  ‘Someone I met in a bar,’ Maggie lied. ‘It was a stupid, drunken mistake.’

  She couldn’t tell her sister that George was the son of the family she was liaison to in Saros. Umpire might get even angrier if he knew and could report her, and she couldn’t lose her career as well as him.

  ‘God, I need to talk to Will. I need to explain.’

  ‘He doesn’t want to talk to you,’ Lou repeated. ‘He asked me to call to say he knows what you’ve done and that’s all.’

  ‘He must’ve said more than that,’ said Maggie desperately. ‘Will he forgive me?’

  ‘It’s far too early to be asking him that,’ said Lou. ‘Look, give it a few hours for him to calm down a bit, then I’ll see if he’s changed his mind about talking to you. If you push him before he’s ready to, you might make things worse.’

  Maggie wasn’t sure it could get any worse.

  ‘Does this mean the weekend is cancelled?’ she asked, suddenly remembering that Lou and the children were due at Umpire’s in the morning. ‘Oh God, Flora and Jack will hate me when they find out what I’ve done.’

  ‘I don’t think Will is going to say anything yet,’ said Lou. ‘I haven’t said anything to Jude either, but yes, the weekend is cancelled.’

  ‘Jude’s going to be so upset with me too,’ said Maggie tearfully.

  ‘He’s a kid. He’ll get over it.’

  But would Umpire? thought Maggie. How could she have done this to him? She would hate herself forever.

  ‘If you speak to Will again,’ she sobbed, ‘tell him I love him.’

  ‘I don’t think he wants to hear that right now—’

  ‘Please, Lou.’

  ‘Okay, I’ll tell him.’

  ‘Thank you. I don’t deserve you being nice to me.’

  Now it was Lou’s turn to sound upset.

  ‘I’m not going to lie – I’m still bloody angry with you for what you and Jerome did and I can’t believe you’ve done the same to Will, but I don’t like the thought of you being in Majorca on your own right now when you’re this upset.’

  ‘Don’t worry about me, just look after Will,’ said Maggie. ‘He’s the one who deserves your sympathy, not me.’

  ‘You’re not a bad person, sis – but I really don’t get why you do stupid, hurtful things to the people who love you the most. It’s almost as if you don’t believe we care about you, so you test our affection to the limit, then wonder why we’re struggling to forgive you afterwards. I’ve just about managed it, but I honestly don’t know if Will can.’

  The fifty-minute taxi ride from Palma to Saros passed in a blur. Maggie managed to pull herself together long enough to stop crying, but she felt increasingly desolate as she imagined the horror Umpire must’ve felt as he listened to the voicemail of her and George. She checked the timing of the call on her phone and was appalled that it had lasted for more than a minute before cutting off. She knew she should stick to what Lou said and not call him yet, but she couldn’t not do anything so she instead sent him a brief text:

  I’m so sorry. I never meant to hurt you like that.

  When her phone began to ring a few moments later she felt elated, thinking it was him calling her back, but it was Philip, wanting to know where she was.

  ‘I can’t talk now,’ she said wretchedly, and put the phone down on him. She felt awful for doing so, but the last thing she wanted right now was to talk to George’s father. Whatever he wanted to discuss with her would have to wait until she was back in Saros.

  After the taxi dropped her off she went in search of Walker but he wasn’t in their hotel and neither were Paulson or Shah, who she presumed were back from Ibiza.

  She tried the DCI’s number but he didn’t answer, so next she tried Shah, who picked up after a few rings.

  ‘Are you in Saros?’ she asked.

  ‘Yes, we got back first thing this morning. We’ve left the police there checking their records for any similar abduction attempts that might tally with Johnnie being there.’

  ‘Is the boss with you?’

  ‘He is. We’re at Annika’s restaurant.’

  ‘Oh. How come?’

  ‘The place was trashed last night. Jasso called Walker about half an hour ago. We’ve just got here.’

  ‘Shit. Is she okay?’

  ‘She’s shaken up but she’s fine. She wasn’t here when it happened.’

  Maggie tried to think straight, which wasn’t easy now her hangover was operating a jackhammer on the inside of her skull and with her mind preoccupied with Umpire.

  ‘The restaurant was trashed? You mean burgled?’

  ‘No, I mean trashed. Whoever did it wasn’t there to steal anything, they were making a point.’

  67

  Jade had done everything she could in the past twenty-four hours not to rile her captor. She’d force herself to smile when he entered the room and asked him how he was, thanked him for the meagre rations he gave her and even offered to clear out the chamber pot so he didn’t have to. That one had amused him the most: ‘Oh, but I don’t mind doing it, my love,’ he’d said. ‘When you love someone you take the rough with the smooth.’ It took every ounce of concentration she had to make sure her smile hadn’t slipped at that.

  Now, however, her good behaviour was being rewarded. He’d agreed to let her dress herself for the dinner he’
d planned for that evening and had even granted her request to have a shower, taking her to the bathroom in the handcuffs but staying outside in the hallway while she washed. To her disappointment, there was no window in the bathroom, and therefore no means of escape, which is probably why he’d been happy for her to use it.

  There was a lock on the inside of the door, though, and she was tempted to bolt it shut and refuse to come out, but she knew that he’d go mad if she did and it terrified her that he seemed to become a completely different person when he was angry, the monster that took him over making him ugly inside and out. The rest of the time, it pained her to admit, he was actually nice.

  Aside from the drugging-you-and-locking-you-up bit, she reminded herself.

  She slipped back into her T-shirt and jogging bottoms, unlocked the door and opened it. He greeted her with a smile.

  ‘You’re done? Good.’

  She touched her wet hair. ‘Do you have a dryer I can use?’

  ‘Everything you need is in here,’ he said, leading her down the hallway to another door, which he pushed wide open. From behind him she could see it was a bedroom with a double bed pushed up against the far wall. Her step faltered: she did not want to go any further.

  ‘Hey, it’s fine,’ he said, sensing her reluctance. ‘This is the spare room. I don’t want you to see the master bedroom until the time is right, otherwise it will spoil the surprise.’ His expression flickered, hardening for a moment. ‘That time is coming, make no mistake. I won’t be denied again.’

  Jade’s stomach churned as she forced herself to nod at him. She was starting to feel unwell: she was stiflingly hot because there appeared to be no windows open anywhere in the villa and she felt faint from the lack of food. Part of the reason she needed to go through with the dinner was because it would at least mean she’d get something to eat.

  He led her across the room to where there was a dressing table. Laid out across the glass top was an array of make-up and brushes and a hairdryer and a comb.

  ‘The light in here is good for doing make-up,’ he said.

  He helped Jade to sit down on the stool – she tried not to cringe at his touch.

  ‘Are you okay?’ he asked, peering closely at her. ‘You don’t look quite right.’ He raised a hand to her forehead. ‘You’re very hot. Is it the heat?’

  Jade nodded.

  ‘I’m sorry this place doesn’t have air conditioning, darling. Let me get you a glass of iced water.’

  He left the room without locking it. Jade swivelled round on the stool, eyes wide with surprise that he’d been so lax in leaving her unattended. Should she make a run for it? But what if the front door was locked and she couldn’t get out? What would he do to her if he caught her? She shuddered in fright, turned back to the mirror, and began combing her hair, tears rolling silently down her face. He’d trapped her there without even having to lock her in.

  He returned and set the glass down next to her. On seeing her crying, he crouched down so his face was level with hers.

  ‘Oh sweetheart, what’s the matter?’

  ‘I don’t feel well,’ she admitted.

  He stared at her anxiously. ‘Maybe you’re coming down with something. Perhaps we should rethink our dinner—’

  She reacted too quickly, her nod too vigorous. In an instant his face changed and he rose to standing.

  ‘Oh, I get it. You’re just pretending so I’ll postpone it,’ he said coldly.

  ‘I’m not, I promise. I feel terrible.’

  ‘I don’t believe you. Do you know what happens to liars, Jade? They are punished. Katy lied to me and she paid with her life.’

  ‘Please don’t hurt me,’ Jade begged, tears coming faster.

  Anger and spite had twisted his face beyond recognition.

  ‘That’s what she said too,’ he mocked. ‘“Please don’t hurt me, I’ll do anything you want”,’ he mimicked in a young girl’s voice. ‘You should’ve seen how she reacted when I told her it was too late,’ he added in a chilling voice that rocked Jade to her core. ‘So young, and yet so willing to please.’

  Desperately she tried to clamber off the stool but he towered over her. He raised his hand as though he was going to grab her throat, but was stopped in his tracks by his mobile going off in his trouser pocket.

  Jade was stunned when he answered the call in rapid, smooth, uninterrupted Spanish. The way he spoke it was as though he’d been speaking the language his entire life.

  He ended the call and looked down at her.

  ‘I have to go out for a short while.’ Then his expression softened. ‘Why don’t you have a nice lie-down, darling, then you might feel better by the time we eat.’

  His sudden niceness terrified her as much as his anger.

  ‘What about my hair?’ Jade stammered, the comb still in her hand.

  ‘We can fix it later,’ he said, helping her to her feet. ‘But if you’re still not feeling better later, we can postpone for a few days.’

  Jade’s heart sank at the thought of being held there a few more days. ‘I thought you wanted to get to the third date,’ she said.

  It sickened her to have to ask about the stage where he expected sex to be on the menu, even more so when he smirked.

  ‘Aren’t you keen! But there’s no rush. Neither of us is going anywhere. You and me have all the time in the world, my love.’

  68

  Maggie hoped her hangover wasn’t as obvious to everyone else as it felt to her as she hurried along the seafront to the restaurant. She ducked into a mini-mart on the way to grab a banana to line her queasy stomach and some chewing gum, mint flavoured, to mask any lingering fumes from last night’s alcohol consumption. The gum also helped rid her of the sense that she could still taste George’s mouth on hers.

  Approaching Annika’s restaurant, she could see the shutters were still down but the seating area outside was a hive of activity, with local police officers steering members of the public out of the way as they tried to rubberneck. She could hear voices echoing around the inside of the cafe, Walker’s among them, and went to join them after informing the officer guarding it that she was a member of the British police team.

  The scene presenting itself was exactly as Shah described it – tables and chairs on their side, food spilled from containers and produce pulled off shelves. More unexpected, however, was the sight of Walker and Jasso sitting together at the one table that remained righted: between them lay a sheet of paper with lines of type on it, which they were both closely examining.

  ‘What’s that?’ she murmured to Paulson, who was closest to her.

  ‘It’s a note left at the scene. It’s from our friend @threedates.com.’

  Maggie’s blood ran cold.

  ‘You’re kidding.’

  Walker must’ve heard her and looked up.

  ‘Come and have a read, Maggie.’

  Pushing aside her relief that he hadn’t made a dig about her tardiness or her appearance, she went over to read the note.

  Dear Annika

  This is all your fault.

  me@threedates.com

  Maggie shared a look of concern with Walker.

  ‘He’s being so blatant now, it’s like he wants us to find him,’ she observed. ‘Does Annika know what he’s referring to?’

  ‘She hasn’t said anything so far, she’s too upset to talk,’ said Jasso.

  The inspector appeared worn out and dispirited, the toll of the past few days catching up with him.

  ‘Where is she now?’

  ‘A friend has taken her back to their apartment in town.’

  Walker cleared his throat.

  ‘Inspector Jasso has had time to reflect since your discovery of the sarong,’ said Walker. ‘He now shares our belief Jade Reynolds has been abducted and that it ties into the Katy Pope case.’

  ‘I shouldn’t have been so quick to rule it out,’ said Jasso quietly.

  Maggie admired him for admitting it in front of a room full
of people. Now they had to hope his change of heart wasn’t too late for Jade.

  ‘We need to get Annika to talk,’ said Maggie. ‘Can I try?’

  Jasso looked sceptical.

  ‘We get on well and if she’s really shaken up she might respond better to a woman.’

  ‘We should let her,’ Walker said to Jasso. ‘She’s good at getting people to open up. And if it wasn’t for her, we’d never have known about the cafe.’

  Maggie’s stomach chose that moment to force the banana she’d quickly eaten back up her throat.

  ‘Excuse me,’ she said, and bolted outside, where she took refuge under the nearest holm oak, gulping in deep breaths to stop herself being sick.

  ‘Are you ill?’

  Maggie looked up to see Julien Ruiz standing in front of her.

  ‘I’m fine,’ she said.

  ‘You don’t look it. Would you like some water?’

  He proffered a small bottle of water in her direction and her stomach lurched in protest. Right now it didn’t want to keep anything down.

  ‘I’m okay, thank you.’

  His expression darkened as he gazed at the restaurant entrance.

  ‘Poor Annika. What a horrible thing to happen.’

  ‘Do you know her well?’

  ‘Kind of, in the way lots of people in Saros know each other. Annika’s one of the good ones.’

  ‘Can you think of anyone who might have a grudge against her?’

  Ruiz was contemplative for a moment.

  ‘Perhaps a disgruntled girlfriend or wife?’