Darkness

by Heather Atkinson

  “Oh come on,” said Mikey. “That’s not fair, we’re all close to her.”

  “I appreciate how anxious you must be but the rules are to protect the patients. Only two at a time.”

  Mikey thought he might burst with frustration, he was desperate to see her but he couldn’t push it. “You two go,” he told Jackson and Jez.

  “Like I need your permission,” said Jackson, walking inside.

  Mikey had to content himself with peering through the slats in the blinds, catching a glimpse of Jules unconscious on the bed, linked up to tubes and drips and machines.

  “Brew?” Benson asked him.

  “Yes please. Tea two,” was all he replied, gaze riveted on Jules, relieved when Benson left him alone with his desperate thoughts.

  CHAPTER 15

  “Jesus Mum, can’t you stop her crying?” sighed Jared.

  Cara had been crying almost non-stop since they’d got home. In the car journey back to Essex she’d barely made a noise, gazing at them all with eyes just like his own.

  “She’s just a bit confused,” replied Tanya, carrying her about the room in an attempt to comfort her. “She’ll soon settle in, kids are resilient.” She beamed at Cara. “Aren’t you Princess? She’s starting to tire, she’ll soon be asleep.”

  “Thank Christ for that. Maybe then we can all get some peace.”

  “How can you talk about your own daughter like that?” she frowned. “Your little girl needs you.”

  Jared gulped a shot of whisky straight from the bottle and scowled at his mum. “How could you do that to Jules?”

  “She wasn’t going to let this one go. I had no choice.”

  “She was talking to me, I was getting her to see sense.”

  “Oh don’t be stupid. She was just stalling for time until back-up arrived. You always were blind where she’s concerned. Heaven knows why, she’s an awful woman.”

  “Don’t talk about her like that, I love her.”

  “Then more fool you. Anyway she’s probably dead now, I made sure to stab her nice and deep.”

  “How can you say that when you’re holding her daughter?”

  “She’s not her daughter anymore, she’s your daughter and my granddaughter. Cara’s young, she’ll soon forget all about her. At least Jules had taste in one thing, Cara’s a beautiful name.” She smiled at the little girl, who was finally starting to calm down, her cries turning into whimpers. “A beautiful name for a beautiful princess.” She ran her fingers through the girl’s blond hair. “She looks just like you at this age, we didn’t need the DNA test.”

  “Yeah, great,” he muttered, knocking back another shot, worry for Jules tearing him apart. If his mum had killed her he wasn’t sure how he’d feel.

  “I think I’ll put her in my bed tonight,” continued Tanya, oblivious to her son’s bad mood. “The poor little thing will be terrified if she’s left alone.”

  “Yeah,” was all he said.

  “Jared, you don’t seem at all interested in your daughter. I thought this was what you wanted, Cara here, with us.”

  “It is but Jules is missing. It’s not the same without her.”

  Tanya rolled her eyes. “Why can’t you face up to the truth? She didn’t want you, she married someone else. She made it quite clear she can’t stand the sight of you.”

  “She didn’t say that,” he barked, causing Cara’s eyes to widen. “And you didn’t see what happened, she tried to fight me but she couldn’t bring herself to hurt me. She could have got me with her knives more than once but she chose not to.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous.”

  “I’m not being ridiculous,” he snarled, causing Cara to start wailing again. Jared sighed and rolled his eyes. “Oh for God’s sake.”

  “It’s okay little girl,” soothed Tanya, stroking her hair. “It’s all okay.”

  “No it’s not and you know why? Because she doesn’t want you, she wants her mum. Jules. The woman you stabbed and who is probably dead now.”

  “She doesn’t want that tart,” said Tanya. “All she needs is us. You’ll see.”

  “She wants Jules and so do I.”

  With one last glare at his mum he stormed out of the room, encountering Hayden just coming through the front door.

  “I got a call to come round straightaway,” said Hayden, frowning at the sound of a crying child.

  “Yes and thank Christ you did,” sighed Jared. “My mum’s only gone and done it now. We found out Jules Driscoll’s daughter Cara is my daughter so we went and got her.”

  “And Jules?” said Hayden.

  “I don’t know. Mum stabbed her, she might be dead,” he said, hanging his head.

  “Oh holy hell,” said Hayden. “We’re going to have the Maguires and Laws tearing down here.”

  “Exactly, which is where you come in. I need you to shore up our security and when they do inevitably turn up I want you here to help fight them off. They’re going to want to take Cara back to Manchester.”

  “Undoubtedly.” This talk made Hayden very nervous. He’d betrayed the Maguires and Laws when he’d helped Katia take back her twin boys Alex and Daniel - the sons of Alex Maguire - after Mikey had abducted them, almost killing Katia in the process. If they got the chance they would kill him for his treachery. Jared knew this and he was banking on it to ensure Hayden stood with him.

  “Get to it,” Jared barked at him before heading into the back garden, still clutching the bottle of whisky. It was night and he gazed up at the moon, which was full and bright, tormented by thoughts of Jules - the surprise in her eyes when his own mother had plunged a knife into her back in a cowardly attack, her anguish as she’d dragged herself to the door, leaving a trail of blood behind her, screaming her daughter’s name with the last of her strength as she was taken from her…

  Jared sighed and swigged from the bottle, enjoying the burn of the single malt as it made its way down his throat, warming him from the inside out. Today would never leave him, in fact he was quite sure it would haunt him for what remained of his life because without a shadow of a doubt Jules’s brothers would be down here along with the rest of the family to get Cara back.

  But even they weren’t his primary concern. As yet he didn’t know if Jules was alive or dead. He prayed she’d survived but if she had his mum would give the order for her to be killed, so determined was she to keep Cara. If his mum did give that order he wasn’t sure how he’d react, he didn’t want her to die but neither could he go against his own mother, she was and always had been the person closest to him in the world.

  “Fuck,” he muttered, downing more whisky, just wanting to block out the day’s horrible events.

  “Leah, we really don’t have time for an argument,” said Ryan, trying to contain his impatience. “Our plane leaves in two hours and we’ve got to get to Exeter yet.” They’d been unable to get a direct flight to Manchester at such short notice, so they had to fly to Blackpool and drive down instead and all these delays were seriously stretching his nerves.

  “And I’m coming with you,” she retorted. They were all gathered at the Law’s family home. Gill and Rick had come to stay for a few days to look after the children while Rachel and Ryan went to Manchester but Leah was refusing to be left behind.

  “You are not and that’s final,” said Ryan.

  “I love her too,” exclaimed Leah, tears shining in her eyes. “She’s my aunt and I want to see her.”

  If it had been an accident or an illness that had hospitalised Jules they would have taken Leah along but the Slatterys were responsible and they were afraid of putting her in their path. They were just grateful the boys weren’t demanding the same thing, they loved their Aunt Jules too but they were just standing there quietly, faces pale.

  “No,” Ryan practically snarled.

  This would have been enough to silence most grown men but Leah stood defiant before her father’s wrath. “I’m going and you can’t stop me. If you don’t take me with you I’ll j
ust buy my own plane ticket.”

  “I’m not saying no to be cruel,” said Ryan, voice harsh as he wrestled with his panic at Leah being anywhere near Manchester. “There is a very good reason.”

  “You’ve always left me behind, ever since I was a little girl and I’m sick of it. I’m not being left out this time.”

  “Everything we’ve done is for your own good,” said Ryan.

  They were starting to shout at each other and Gill looked to her daughter, wondering when she was going to step in and calm things down but she was watching impassively. That wasn’t like her at all, in fact she’d been acting very strangely lately and she was beginning to worry. “I don’t understand why you can’t take Leah,” said Gill when Rachel still didn’t speak. “Jules was involved in a car accident, it’s not like it was the result of any other unpleasantness.”

  Ryan resisted the urge to glance at Rachel, knowing Rick would pick up on it straightaway, even if Gill didn’t. “I don’t like Leah being anywhere near Manchester.”

  “But it’s safe now.”

  “See,” said Leah, triumphantly.

  Ryan sighed and shook his head. “No.”

  “Maybe we should let her come?”

  They all turned to look at Rachel.

  “What?” said Ryan, unable to believe she was going against him like this. They’d talked it over and agreed that no matter what Leah said, they would not let her go to Manchester.

  “She’ll be safe enough,” continued Rachel. “And if we don’t hurry up we’ll miss the plane.”

  “So, can I come?” said Leah.

  “Yes,” replied Rachel.

  Leah hugged her. “Thanks Mum.”

  “You’re welcome. Now go and pack, quickly.”

  “It’s already done. There was no way I was being left behind.”

  Ryan was so stunned he didn’t even object. Rachel had always had his back and vice versa. They’d always supported each other and now here she was, moving the goal posts again, just another confirmation that their relationship wasn’t what it used to be. He regarded her with outrage but her eyes just swept up to his then away again.

  “Let’s go,” he hissed through a tense jaw, pausing to hug the boys before walking out.

  “Rachel, are you sure this is wise?” said Rick, watching his son-in-law storm out, fully sympathising with his fury. He didn’t want Leah anywhere near Manchester either but then again, he knew what had actually gone on up there, unlike Gill.

  “It’ll be fine,” she said, waving a dismissive hand. “Let’s just go before the plane leaves without us.”

  Rachel hugged her parents then the boys, as did Leah. Rick watched his daughter leave, worry nagging him. Something was very wrong with her and he was afraid it was going to destroy her relationship with her husband.

  Ryan barely spoke on the taxi ride to the airport, so stunned that Rachel had relented and allowed Leah to come with them to the place that had caused them nothing but heartache and almost killed them both. On top of that, to his astonishment at the airport Rachel had gone on to tell Leah what had really happened to her aunt. He was still in a state of shock from that one. In fact he was finding it very hard to look at Rachel, something he thought would never happen.

  Halfway through the flight Leah - who was sat between them - nestled into him, resting her head on his shoulder.

  “Sorry for shouting at you Dad,” she said, looking up at him with her big blue eyes surrounded by heavy black eyeliner.

  Ryan melted and wrapped an arm around her. “That’s okay Cupcake.” He was even more pleased when Leah didn’t object to the nickname and actually smiled.

  Rachel smiled at them both but Ryan just looked back at her stonily. Did she not realise Leah was only being like this with him because she was afraid? And that was her fault. Rachel’s eyes flickered before she looked back down at the magazine she was reading.

  Ryan held on tighter to Leah, wondering if he was witnessing the death of his marriage. On top of what had just happened to Jules, he wasn’t sure he could take it.

  CHAPTER 16

  Ryan didn’t want to stop, all he wanted to do was get to Manchester and they still had at least another hour’s drive ahead of them. However Leah was desperate to use the bathroom and they were all hungry, so he pulled into a motorway service station.

  While Leah went to use the bathroom, he and Rachel got in line for some food, Ryan grimacing at the stodgy menu.

  “I know what you’re thinking but there’s no choice,” said Rachel.

  As he’d had time to recover from his earlier shock he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, so glad when she rested her head on his shoulder. He could never stay mad at her for long. “When we get back we’re going to finish that dinner we started,” he said.

  “Don’t you think it will have gone off by then?”

  Ryan was pleased, it had been a while since she’d cracked a joke. “Yes, very good. But we will.” He looked down at her uncertainly. “Won’t we?”

  She smiled up at him. “Okay.”

  He was distracted by a loud voice behind him. “How can anyone miss the fucking Lake District? I mean for Christ’s sake, it’s massive. It’s got loads of sodding lakes.” The voice was male, deep, Scottish and very loud.

  “Keep your voice down, will you?” replied a softer female voice with an accent Ryan recognised as northern English, most likely Lancashire.

  “Well, stupid fucking sat nav. It’s his fault we got lost.”

  “I told you not to listen to it.”

  “It’s Pete’s fault, he loaned me it, he said it was the dog’s. But it’s not, it’s a pile of steaming hot turd.”

  Rachel stifled a snigger while Ryan turned to glare at the tall man with unusual amber eyes and dark hair speckled with grey standing behind him.

  “Do you mind keeping your voice down?” said Ryan, arching his eyebrow with disdain. “And moderate your language. There are children about. What?” he added when the man and the woman beside him - a very attractive woman with huge eyes and masses of dark brown hair - gaped at him.

  “Well, well, well, Ryan Law,” grinned the man. “Who’d have thought a man like you would be lecturing other people on morality.”

  Ryan wasn’t thrown, it certainly wasn’t the first time he’d been recognised in public. “Well someone should because you obviously don’t have the first clue about how to conduct yourself in public.”

  “Well listen to Mr Lah-de-Dah here,” retorted the man. “Anyone would think you were bloody royalty instead of a low, dirty gangster.”

  “Brodie, take it easy,” said the woman, putting a hand on the man’s arm.

  Ryan glanced at Rachel and saw the same dawning realisation in her eyes. “Brodie?” he said. “You’re not Brodie MacBride, are you?” Ryan recalled the colourful description his brother had given him of the infamous Glaswegian private investigator who was known for doing things his way, which was usually outside the law. He was also a very dangerous man in his own right and had covertly assisted Toni McVay to win the war for control of the family against her uncle, albeit unwillingly.

  “Well look at that, I’m famous in Sassenach land too,” said Brodie, pleased.

  “Hardly,” replied Ryan. “Mikey and Jez told us all about you.”

  “Oh aye. All complimentary I bet.”

  Ryan’s disdainfully arched brow arched even higher. “I do believe they called you a loudmouthed, gittish pillock. I recall correctly, don’t I Rachel?”

  “Yes, I believe that’s what they said,” she replied, amused.

  Brodie’s grin dropped. “Pricks.”

  “They also said you use that word a lot.”

  “So what are you doing here?” said Rachel, addressing the woman who - going off Mikey and Jez’s descriptions - was Cass Carlisle, Brodie’s second-in-command.

  “We’re on our way to the Lake District,” replied Brodie. “But we got lost so we had a wee look around Blackpool,
Cass’s old stomping ground when she was a wean.”

  “Lost?” laughed Ryan. “How on earth did you manage to get lost?”

  “That’s just what we were wondering,” said Cass, eyes narrowing at Brodie.

  “I thought you were a private investigator?” continued Ryan. “How the hell do you hope to find missing people if you can’t find an entire county?”

  “Listen you,” spat Brodie in his strong Glaswegian brogue. “It’s no’ my fault, it’s the stupid bastard sat nav who seems to wear its arse on its head and doesn’t know up from down.”

  “Or you programmed it incorrectly,” said Cass with a roll of the eyes.

  “I didnae. It’s the thing’s fault, it’s got it in for me.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” she said. “It’s an inanimate object and Pete said it’s a brilliant sat nav.”

  “What does he know? He threw his last one out of a car window.”

  “Are you off on holiday?” said Rachel, interrupting their bickering.

  “No, business,” retorted Brodie with a look that said don’t ask any more questions.

  “Don’t take that tone with her,” frowned Ryan, standing nose to nose with Brodie.

  Usually this was enough to subdue anyone but Brodie seemed delighted by the challenge. “Oh aye big man, you wantin’ to fucking dance?”

  “I have absolutely no wish to tango with you but I would love the pleasure of silencing that eternally flapping jaw of yours.”

  Brodie looked to Cass. “Jeezo, the rumour mill was right. He actually talks like that.”

  “Like what?” frowned Ryan.

  “Like a fucking posh prick. Who jammed the thesaurus up your arse?”

  “You wouldn’t understand. It’s called an education.”

  “I’m educated.”

  “Oh yes, it sounds like it,” sniffed Ryan.

  Rachel rolled her eyes. “I’m starving. Do you want to get something to eat Cass?” she said pleasantly.

  “Yes please. It’s been a long drive.”

  Rachel’s lips twitched. “I can imagine.”