by Michael Wood
Sian stepped back from the edge and saw people from other cars had gathered.
‘Call an ambulance,’ Sian shouted.
With wide eyes and fear etched on her face, Sian looked on. Her heart was pounding loudly in her chest as the seconds ticked by. If it wasn’t for the broken concrete barrier, she wouldn’t have known anything was happening below the surface. There were no air bubbles, no car, no people.
The water suddenly broke with all the noise of glass shattering. It was Keith, and he was dragging someone with him.
Sian lowered herself and guided him to the edge. She tried to see who he had saved but couldn’t make out who it was. With help from a couple of the passers-by, they all heaved the unconscious man onto the road. Sian looked down and saw it was DS Ross Jonson.
Keith stood up, swept back his hair and went to jump back into the water. Sian stopped him.
‘What do you think you’re doing?’
He was breathless. ‘The young guy. He’s trying to get the boot open. He needs help.’ He didn’t wait for Sian to stop him before he plunged back into the reservoir.
Sian turned back to the stricken detective. A woman was leaning over him performing mouth to mouth.
‘I’ve called the ambulance again. They’re on their way,’ someone said.
Sian looked down at Ross. He had caused all this. It didn’t look like everyone was going to make it out of the reservoir alive, yet here was Ross getting emergency medical attention when others needed saving.
Sian’s reverie was broken by yelling from the water’s edge. She turned and saw Keith and Scott trying to haul an unconscious Matilda out of the water. She ran over and helped them, grabbing Matilda by the shoulders and pulling her onto the road. Her face was bruised and bloodied. She was pale and unresponsive.
Scott turned Matilda onto her back and checked her airways to make sure they were clear before he began performing CPR on her. Keith stood up. He looked at Sian and gave her a weak smile before going back into the water. There were still two other people below the surface.
‘We need to keep her warm,’ Sian said.
‘I’ve got some blankets in my car,’ a woman said. She turned and ran.
In the distance, sirens could be heard, growing louder as they approached. A helicopter appeared overhead, search light shining down on the road, lighting them all up like the scene of an alien invasion.
‘Come on, Mat,’ Sian said under her breath. ‘Come on. You can do this.’
Scott breathed three times into Matilda’s mouth. He sat back on his haunches while Sian performed chest compressions. It seemed like an age before Matilda began coughing and spluttering. Scott turned her onto her side so she could spit out the water she had swallowed. Sian closed her eyes in relief and started breathing again.
Chapter Sixty-Four
Matilda opened her eyes to see Sian and Adele sitting by her bed. She tried to speak but her throat was sore.
‘I should kill you,’ Sian said quietly. ‘Having Keith in your house, then going off to Barnsley to confront a killer on your own. Why didn’t you tell me what you were up to? I’m so angry with you right now.’ She sat back and folded her arms.
‘And don’t look at me for any sympathy,’ Adele said.
Matilda tried to speak again. She cleared her throat and sat up in bed. ‘I’m really sorry,’ she struggled to say. Her voice was hoarse. ‘The fewer people who knew about Keith the better. I knew the killer had extensive knowledge of forensic science, so had to be a police officer or SOCO.’ She took a drink of water from a chipped plastic beaker. The water was warm but it helped to lubricate her throat. ‘I had to make it look like Keith was still on the run. You have to understand that, surely.’
‘I do, but I’m not a detective,’ Adele said. ‘You haven’t pissed me off as much as you have your team. I’m just angry with you for putting yourself in that position in the first place.’
‘I didn’t know others were involved. I just thought it was Ross Jonson. What happened to everyone anyway? Sian?’
Sian and Adele exchanged glances.
‘Ross was pulled out of the reservoir before you,’ Sian began. ‘He’s fine. He’s recovering in another ward. He’s under police guard. He’s been arrested for the Mercer killings. Bella Slack has also been arrested for aiding and abetting.’
‘What about Nigel?’
‘He didn’t make it out of the reservoir.’
‘Oh. I’m sorry it ended that way,’ she said, genuinely meaning it. ‘At least we’ve got an arrest. Keith can clear his name. That’s the most important thing.’
‘Mat, Keith didn’t come back up either.’
‘What?’
‘He pulled Ross out. Then he went back under for you. He went back a third time to help Christian get Nigel out, but he didn’t come back up.’
‘Christian?’
‘He’s fine. He pulled Keith’s body out of the water.’
‘Keith saved my life.’
‘He certainly did.’
‘He wasn’t all bad.’
‘No.’
‘His poor sister.’
‘I’ve been to see her,’ Sian said. ‘I’ve told her what he did, how many lives he saved. He may not have lived the purest of lives, but he died a hero.’
‘How did she take it?’
‘She was in floods of tears. Did you know she had an identical twin sister? She killed herself years ago. They couldn’t live apart, but this sister, Ruby, she’d got married. That didn’t last longer than a few months. She couldn’t live without Elizabeth yet was in love with her husband.’
‘A tragic family,’ Adele said.
‘I’ve put Elizabeth in touch with a grief counsellor. She’s going to try and get over what happened with Ruby and Keith. She’s still a young woman, not even forty yet. She’s strong enough as she wants to live, but her siblings are holding her back. It’ll take time, but she’ll make it.’
‘At least Leah and Rachel can move on too,’ Matilda said. ‘They’ll know who killed their family. What’s that word the Americans love?’
‘Closure,’ Adele said.
‘Aaron said she’s having the marriage to Oliver annulled,’ Sian said.
‘I don’t blame her. What’s happening to Oliver?’ Matilda asked.
‘Well, there are no charges for him to face. I’ve spoken to Scott several times and he doesn’t want to press charges for his assault. According to his parents, Oliver is looking for a new job, somewhere out of Sheffield. He wants a fresh start.’
Matilda couldn’t blame him for that. She’d been thinking about having a fresh start too, a few days ago. Sheffield held far too many dark memories. However, it was her home, and, bizarrely, she liked it in the steel city. A glutton for punishment.
Matilda leaned back in her bed, resting her head on the pillow. A tear fell from her eye. She thought of Keith. She had liked him, despite his lifestyle. She had seen that he was a good man at heart. He had proved that too.
‘We’ll leave you to get some rest,’ Adele said, standing up. ‘I’ll come back later.’
Sian leaned forward and kissed Matilda on the cheek. She smiled. ‘Still mad at you.’
‘I’ll make it up to you.’
When she opened her eyes again, the room was slightly darker, and Valerie was sitting next to her bed reading a glossy magazine.
‘How long have you been sat there?’ Matilda asked, making her boss jump.
‘Not long. How are you feeling?’
‘Fine. You?’
Valerie nodded. She didn’t look fine. The worry lines on her forehead were cavernous. ‘The Barnsley station is going to close.’
‘Oh,’ was all Matilda could say.
‘The building is in a mess anyway. It’s cheaper to knock it down than repair it.’
‘What about all the officers who work there?’
‘They’ll be reassigned to other sites.’
‘I can’t believe what happened,’ Matil
da said. ‘I knew about DI Eckhart’s daughter killing herself. I didn’t think about the why. I’m sure I knew she was married to a detective but it didn’t register. If I’d paid more attention, all this could have been avoided.’
Valerie shook her head. ‘That’s not your responsibility, Matilda, it’s mine. I’m ACC for the whole of South Yorkshire. It’s me who should have seen the signs. DI Eckhart and his team are under my control. I knew about DS Jonson’s daughter. I shouldn’t have allowed him back to work so soon. He should have received counselling, been put on lighter duties. I failed him.’
‘DI Eckhart failed him. Not you.’ Matilda held a hand out and Valerie took it. ‘Will I be facing a disciplinary hearing?’
‘You should do for acting on your own like a one-woman police force, but I think I should be able to bury it under the clusterfuck that is the Barnsley inquiry.’
‘Thank you.’ She smiled.
‘That doesn’t let you off the hook, however. I’m going to be keeping a closer eye on you in the future, and so is your team. Despite what you think, you’re not Captain Marvel.’
‘I’ve got my Avengers.’
‘So use them. I’m going to go; let you get some rest.’ At the door, she turned back. ‘I’m sorry I didn’t believe in you.’ She didn’t wait for a response.
Matilda was in hospital for three days before she was discharged. She had been unconscious for a long time but the endless scans had shown there was no permanent damage. A few days rest at home and she would be fit to go back to work.
Now her house was complete, she was looking forward to relaxing for a few days with a good book and junk food. Living in the middle of nowhere, she expected nothing but peace and quiet. Unfortunately, she wasn’t able to get through a chapter before another visitor knocked on the door.
Her mother and father visited, and it took all her effort to stop her mother from moving in for a while. Thankfully, her father was on Matilda’s side and persuaded his wife to join him back in Bakewell once their visit was over. She promised to buy her dad a large bottle of Highland Park, as a thank you, once she was recovered enough.
Matilda was surprised to find Sally Meagan on her doorstep with a bunch of flowers. She had brought Woody with her, who bounded into the living room with his tail wagging and plonked himself down in front of the roaring fire.
‘We’re going away for a few days,’ Sally said with a warming smile. ‘Just to the Lake District. Philip’s idea. He thought it would be good for me.’
‘It’ll be good for both of you.’
‘We haven’t had anymore phone calls. It was obviously some sick, twisted individual getting his kicks out of other people’s misery.’
Matilda didn’t reply. She nodded and smiled. ‘How are things with you and Philip?’
‘Fine. Matilda,’ she said, edging forward on the sofa. ‘Do you think there’s a possibility Carl is still alive?’
Matilda didn’t need to give her reply any thought. ‘Yes. I really do.’
Sally visibly relaxed. ‘I hope so. It’s all I’m clinging on to.’
‘When I’m better, we’ll have a sit down – me, you and Pat, and we’ll come up with some kind of strategy.’
‘I’d like that.’
On the third day of Matilda’s recovery, she was just about to ascend the stairs to bed when a knock came on the door. It was Rory.
‘Hello, boss.’
‘What are you doing here at this time?’
‘I’ve come to tell you I’m not resigning.’
‘I’m back at work tomorrow, Rory. You could have told me then.’
‘I know but I wanted to get out of the flat.’
Matilda stepped to one side to let him enter. ‘Why?’
‘I think Scott’s making up for lost time. He and Chris are at it like rabbits. And they’re not quiet.’
‘Jealous?’
‘A little.’
Matilda smiled, and blushed. ‘You can’t complain, Rory. The stories Scott has told us over the months about the noises you make with the women you bring back. I’ve got a spare bed if you want it.’
‘Do you mind?’
Matilda shook her head. It would be nice to have someone else in the house at night, even if it was just for one night. There were times, when she had been lying in her hospital bed, when she wondered if she had made the right decision moving out into the countryside, into a four-bedroom house on her own. She hated the fact she couldn’t feel her husband anywhere in the house, but it helped in the process of moving on. Also, she had three spare bedrooms to fill and there was potential for a flat over the double garage. She only needed to be on her own if she chose to be.
As Matilda finished reading the latest Will Carver thriller, she closed the book and placed it on the bedside table next to a framed photograph of James. She looked into his icy blue eyes and smiled. Yes, she still loved him. Yes, she missed him. Yes, it was unfair he had died at a young age, but if she had allowed her grief and anger to consume her, she could have ended up like Ross Jonson.
‘I’m not going to forget you, James, but I need to stop thinking about you so much. I need to start living.’
She turned the light out and snuggled down under the duvet and listened to the distant sound of Rory snoring in the next room. It was an annoying sound, but it was comforting. For the first time in as long as she could remember, she fell asleep with a smile on her face.
Epilogue
Gothenburg, Sweden.
Monday, 11 February 2018
The bell sounded. The doors opened, and a swarm of young children came running out of the school towards their waiting parents.
One young boy, blond with blue eyes, stood at the bottom of the steps. His cheeks were red from the cold and he had the wide-eyed look of fear etched on his face.
As other children ran out of the building with smiles on their faces, rabbiting about their day to their mums and dads, the little boy remained where he was, frozen in time.
A woman approached him. She wore a long duffel coat, a black woollen bobble hat and mittens. She squatted down in front of him so they were eye to eye.
‘Have you had a good day?’ she asked in broken English.
He didn’t say anything.
‘Did you eat all your lunch?’
Again, he didn’t say anything.
‘You need to start talking and playing with the other children or people will start asking questions. You don’t want us to get into trouble, do you?’
The boy’s bottom lip began to wobble, and tears formed in his eyes. The woman wiped them away before they had chance to fall.
‘We’ve been thinking, me and your dad, and we thought it would be nice for you to have a pet. Can you see him?’
The woman moved to one side. Through the crowd of kids, the young boy looked for the man he was to call dad from now on. There, by the silver Volvo, was a tall thin man with blond hair. Beside him, on a lead, was a golden Labrador puppy.
The boy’s eyes lit up.
‘He’s yours. Would you like to say hello to him?’
The boy ran towards him. The dog noticed and his tail began to wag. The boy dropped to his knees and began stroking him. The puppy jumped up at him and licked his face.
‘Say thank you to your dad.’
The boy said a muted thank you but didn’t take his eyes from the puppy.
‘What are you going to call him?’ his dad asked.
‘I’m going to call him Woody,’ Carl said.
Read the Matilda Darke series from the beginning …
Book 1
Two murders. Twenty years. Now the killer is back for more …
DCI Matilda Darke has returned to work after a nine month absence. A shadow of her former self, she is tasked with re-opening a cold case: the terrifyingly brutal murders of Miranda and Stefan Harkness. The only witness was their eleven-year-old son, Jonathan, who was too deeply traumatized to speak a word.
Then a dead body is discovere
d, and the investigation leads back to Matilda's case. Suddenly the past and present converge, and it seems a killer may have come back for more …
You can click here to buy your copy
Book 2
How many lies does it take to kill a marriage? Only the killer knows.
When elderly George Rainsford goes to investigate a suspicious noise one night, the last thing he expects to find is a bloodbath. A man has been killed and a woman brutally beaten, left for dead.
The victims are Lois Craven and Kevin Hardaker – both married, but not to each other. Their spouses swear they knew nothing of the affair and, besides, they both have alibis for the attack. With nothing else to link the victims, the investigation hits a dead end.
The pressure is on for investigating officer, DCI Matilda Darke: there’s a violent killer on the loose, and it looks like her team members are the new targets. With no leads and no suspects, it’s going to take all Matilda’s wits to catch him, before he strikes again.
You can click here to buy your copy
Book 3
Eight killers. One house. And the almost perfect murder …
Starling House is home to some of the nation’s deadliest teenagers, still too young for prison.
When the latest arrival is found brutally murdered, DCI Matilda Darke and her team investigate, and discover a prison manager falling apart and a sabotaged security system. Neither the staff nor the inmates can be trusted.
The only person Matilda believes is innocent is facing prison for the rest of his life. With time running out, she must solve the unsolvable to save a young man from his fate, and find a murderer in a house full of killers …
You can click here to buy your copy
Book 4
There’s a killer in your house.
The Hangman waits in the darkness.
