Someone Who Isn't Me, page 25
Chapter 41
Sunk Island
Becca was freezing. She’d forgotten how cold it could be on a bike and she didn’t even have her coat – it was still on the floor where she’d dropped it. Her jumper was warm enough, but not for riding along dark roads in the night. As soon as she put some distance between herself and the flat, she stopped and checked the storage box on the back.
There was no helmet but there was a padded jacket and a pair of gloves. Kay had given them to her with the bike.
She dug in her bag for her phone. She needed to check the map again, though it looked pretty straightforward – get on the Hornsea road and just keep heading south.
Her phone wasn’t there.
She checked her pockets, remembering her frantic dig through her bag for her keys, just letting stuff fall onto the ground. Had she dropped her phone as well? She must have done. It wasn’t here. She’d lost it, and she couldn’t go back.
Shit. Shit!
She didn’t know the way. She couldn’t get to Kay, couldn’t warn her, couldn’t…
Stop.
So she didn’t have her phone. But she’d looked at the route to Sunk Island, and she had Kay’s address. All she needed was to be sure of her direction.
Jared had taught her about finding your way. He’d taught her to find north using the stars, but she didn’t even need to do that. She just needed to keep the sea on her left – and the signposts would tell her where the sea was when she came to a junction. If she was on the right road out of Brid, soon she’d join the A1033. A left turn from there would take her into Sunk Island. After that, she had to head south until she got to a crossroads. According to the map she’d seen it was just empty – hardly any roads, just… nowhere.
There didn’t seem to be too many houses. It shouldn’t be too hard to find the one that was Kay’s.
OK. She could do this.
The road ahead was empty. She opened up the throttle and headed south.
Forty-five minutes later, despite the gloves, her hands were numb and she was freezing again. She was travelling blind and she had no idea if she was heading the right way or not. She’d followed signs where she remembered names and kept the coast on her left.
She was on a main road now. If she’d got this right, it would be the one she wanted, the one where she could turn off into Sunk Island. If it was wrong… then she was lost. There was a junction ahead, a left turn. This one? There was no signpost.
Her lights picked out the road name.
Sunk Island Road.
This was it. She was almost past the turn. She swerved and hauled the bike round, the tyres giving a horrible squeal. The bike, briefly out of control, skidded from one side to another, and then she was upright again and heading on into the night. A horn blared as a car raced past on the main road, and then she was in the countryside on a narrow road that ran into emptiness and silence.
This place was just nothing, just the middle of nowhere. It couldn’t be far now. Who’d choose to live here?
Kay would.
And she knew she was telling herself all these things to try and get rid of the fear that was growing inside her. She wasn’t scared any more that Johnny Dip was after her – he’d have caught up with her fast if he’d seen her go. But she was scared about what was happening, scared that she might be bringing trouble down on Kay, scared about what might have already happened to Kay, about being lost in the night in this place where the land seemed to go on forever.
The place where Andy had died.
The road was getting narrower and after the village, there weren’t any houses. When she shone her headlights to either side, it was just field after field after field. Maybe it went on forever. Maybe she’d just keep on driving, on and on, and she’d never find a house, never find Kay, never find her way back.
She was so tired it was hard to think. Her headlights wandered across the road and she realised she must have fallen asleep for a second. And suddenly a crossroads came straight out of the darkness at her. She jammed on her brakes, feeling the wheels skid before she got control again.
Jared’s voice spoke in her head. Fuck’s sake, Becca.
All right, all right. She almost said it out loud. She stopped the bike and climbed off, stretching and easing her tight muscles. She could do this. She could keep going. She used to go dancing all night in Leeds when she was a student. She’d driven with Andy right down to Hull and they’d danced until the small hours. And she’d got up for work in the morning feeling great.
She could do this.
She’d made it here, kept herself on the right route all along. This was Stone Creek Road, and there was a house, right here at the crossroads. Her spirits lifted. How many houses were there in Sunk Island? There was a good chance this would be Kay’s. And there was a light on. Someone was in.
But it wasn’t Kay. The car outside wasn’t Kay’s and no dog barked when she opened the garden gate and approached the front door.
OK, back on the bike. You can do this.
In her headlights, the road was just a stretch of tarmac that vanished into darkness. There were no houses, nothing. She was back in the nightmare.
Another crossroads.
Still nothing.
What kind of place had Kay moved to?
She was near the end of Stone Creek Road and hadn’t found Kay’s house. Defeat closed over her. Maybe it went on after the crossroads. Wearily, she climbed back on the bike and drove on, following the long curve of the empty road, and then there was another house ahead on her right.
She felt herself relax. This had to be Kay’s.
Had to be.
She pulled up. The car outside was a battered Land Rover, but that didn’t mean anything. Kay might have a visitor. Her car might be hidden round the side of the house. Becca walked up the short path, but there was no sign of another car. No dog barked.
She stood there, not wanting to accept it, but she had to. This wasn’t the right house.
She straddled the bike again and sat there for a few minutes, letting the disappointment fade, then drove slowly along and before too long, she saw a hedge, a wall, and then dimly shadowed against the sky, a roof with tall chimneys.
This one probably wasn’t Kay’s either. Kay probably didn’t live anywhere near here – Becca must have misread the address and she’d just have to deal with it, because that’s what you did when things went wrong. You dealt with it.
She pulled up outside the gate. It was standing wide open, but there was no sign of a car. Becca climbed slowly off the bike. If this wasn’t Kay’s then she’d gone so wrong she’d have to… She didn’t know what.
Slowly, she went in through the gate. She kept telling herself this couldn’t be Kay’s because she couldn’t face the disappointment, not again. No car. Her heart sank.
As she approached the window, there was a sudden explosion of barking, and she saw Milo jumping up, his furious barking changing into excited whines as he recognised her.
Relief flooded through her. This was Kay’s house and, OK, no car meant Kay wasn’t here, but if she’d left Milo, she wouldn’t be away for long. She checked her watch. It was after two, but Kay would have to be back soon.
‘It’s OK, Milo,’ she said as Milo’s whining reached a higher pitch. Could she manage to get in? She set off round the house, looking for a back door.
And there was a car. It was pulled up in the shadows by the side of the house, near a door like a cupboard in the wall, which was open.
‘Kay?’ It came out as a whisper.
‘Who’s started that fucking dog off again. We’ll have half of the—’
The voice came from behind her. She turned, sharply.
A tall, broad figure stood there, his hair in wild curls – she couldn’t make out his face, but she knew who it was.
Johnny Dip.
But he was in Bridlington. She’d seen him at the flat.
And now, like her, he was here. He had a fast bike – of course he’d got here before her.
He was looking at her. ‘What the…?’
‘Right, that’s the lot,’ came another voice. ‘We need to get moving. That dog’s going to wake the neighbourhood.’
‘Go in there and shut it up. Cut its throat or something.’ A third voice; a woman. Two people were hanging back in the shadows, watching Johnny Dip.
For a moment, Becca froze, then she spun round and ran the only way she could, round the house, towards the back.
She was stumbling across rough ground in pitch darkness, and she could hear Milo barking, but nothing else. Oh, God, where was she? She couldn’t run, it was too dark, she was going to fall – where was she, where could she go, where was Kay?
A torch shone directly in her face, blinding her. Someone’s arms went round her from behind, a hand clamping over her mouth and lifting her clear of the ground. ‘Are you going to keep quiet?’ She knew that voice. It was Johnny Dip.
She sank her teeth into his palm, and he cursed and dropped her. ‘You just couldn’t keep out of it, could you?’ he said, rubbing his hand. There was an odd expression on his face that looked almost like regret, and it frightened her more than threats. He didn’t want to do what he was planning to do, but he was going to do it anyway.
Someone was coming towards her through the darkness, silhouetted against the paler light of the sky. A feeling of cold washed over her. She recognised that figure – it was the one she’d seen standing by the gate as she lifted her head from the ground, the night she’d been attacked.
Snitch bitch.
The torchlight caught a gleam of fair hair and she realised who it was.
The woman from the pub. Alicia. The one Andy had called Sal Capone, treating her like some kind of joke.
Only she wasn’t a joke.
This was the person who’d tried to burn a kitten alive, who’d kicked Becca in the ribs and laughed. Her legs started to shake. She was frightened – really frightened.
She swung away, trying to run, but Johnny Dip grabbed her arms again as she struggled wildly. There were more of them, and they were bigger and stronger. She didn’t stand a chance.
They’d got her, like they’d got Andy.
Chapter 42
Becca was going to be sick. She tried to move, clear her mouth and nose to breathe fresh air, but she couldn’t.
Her hands were fastened behind her and she was lying face down on some kind of carpet that felt gritty against her skin. There was a sour smell and she felt herself start to retch. She couldn’t be sick. She couldn’t open her mouth because they’d taped it shut. She could barely breathe. If she threw up, she’d suffocate, choked by her own puke.
They’d argued for a bit about what to do with her. They’d taken her into the house, letting themselves in with a key. The woman had taped her arms behind her and wrapped tape round her ankles, pulling it viciously tight. From behind some door or barrier, Milo barked hysterically.
‘Get rid of the fucking dog,’ Alicia said. ‘I’ll do it if you won’t.’
‘Leave it.’ Johnny Dip wasn’t saying much, but the others seemed to be listening to him. ‘And we leave her. By the time anyone finds her, we’re gone. Get that tape off her mouth. She’ll suffocate.’
‘Doc, you moron, she’s seen us.’ Alicia threw herself into an armchair, rolling her eyes in exasperation. ‘I’ve sorted the other one – let’s get this one out of the way.’
‘Who’s the moron here? How many times do I have to fucking tell you? If you’d left that “other one” alone, we’d be in the clear. Just keep her out of the way for a few hours, and we’ll be gone. You harm her, and they’ll keep on coming.’
‘You really believe that? You really think they’ll leave us alone?’ Alicia stood up and came across to where they’d dumped Becca.
‘No. They won’t. But they don’t have the money to keep after us – unless you make it another murder enquiry. I know how this works. Isn’t that what you pay me for? Just lock her in the shed and go.’
‘We need more time. If it hadn’t all blown up tonight – thanks to her…’ Becca braced herself, but the kick against her bruised ribs forced a scream out past the gag.
‘Lay off. We’ve got the time we need if we stop arsing around here. Now, shut her in and let’s get moving.’
‘OK, OK. You’re no fun.’ Alicia’s long fair hair shimmered in the light from the dim bulb. ‘You’d better make it up to me later. Right. I’ll see to it.’
She came across now and pushed Becca roughly onto her back. ‘You’re lucky you aren’t getting another scar to match the first.’ She ripped the tape off Becca’s mouth and Becca felt the skin tear.
Johnny Dip stood up. ‘I’ll put the stuff in the van and get up there ahead of you. I’ll make sure it’s secure.’
Alicia looked across at him. ‘I’d better deal with the car first.’
‘Cool. Where are you going to take it?’
‘I’ll leave it at Stone Creek. They won’t find it until tomorrow.’
‘Doesn’t matter if they do.’
‘So you say.’
Johnny Dip left the room, and Becca felt as though some protection was gone. She’d been struggling against the tape, working her wrists up and down, but now she lay quietly, trying not to draw Alicia’s attention to her. She heard the sound of feet moving towards the door. Milo exploded with wild barks again. Be quiet, Milo. Be quiet. Then the door opened and shut. Soon, Becca heard the sound of an engine and saw the shadow of something moving across the window.
Johnny Dip was gone.
‘Right,’ Alicia said. She came over to Becca with the tape in her hands. Becca tried to roll out of the way, and drew her legs up. She could still kick, try and keep the woman away from her.
‘If you kick,’ Alicia said, ‘I’ll hog-tie you.’ Without warning, she dropped onto her knees on Becca’s chest, knocking all the air out of her lungs. As Becca struggled to get her breath, Alicia pulled her head round, and wound more tape round her face, covering her mouth. ‘Yeah, right, Doc, we leave her to shout the place down. Clever, that.’
Becca, looking into Alicia’s eyes, thought they were older and colder than anything she’d ever seen.
It was hard to breathe. She heard the ripping sound of the tape again, and a strip was pressed across her eyes. She forced herself to lie still – panicking was the worst thing she could do. She’d learned that the hard way when they restrained her in the detention centre.
There were more footsteps, and someone else came into the room. A man’s voice said, ‘They’ve gone. What are we going to do?’
‘What Doc said. Get rid of the evidence.’
The man sighed. ‘OK. Shall we get her into the cupboard?’ There was something familiar… Becca couldn’t place it.
‘I said, evidence. I said, get rid. We can’t leave either of them here. They’ve both seen us. Doc’s lost it – he’s too soft. It’s dangerous. He’s got to go too.’
‘Yeah? And who’s going to see to that?’
‘You need to watch your mouth.’
‘OK, OK.’ The other voice sounded apologetic; a bit scared. Becca understood she wasn’t the only one who was frightened of Alicia.
‘The others know what to do. We don’t need to worry about Doc, we just need to get rid of this lot.’
‘Might have been better if you’d left the kid behind.’
‘To talk to the cops? Are you crazy? They’d have been waiting for us when we got here.’
‘Yeah, but… OK, OK. You’re the boss.’
‘Right. Just keep remembering that.’
‘Fine. But what if Doc’s right? We get rid of the stuff, they can’t prove anything. We’re clear.’
‘Don’t you get it? This isn’t the end. Don’t listen to Doc. We get out of the way, we lie low, then we come back.’
The kid? Who were they talking about? Becca tried to struggle to her knees, forgetting that she was blindfolded by the tape, she couldn’t see. A lump of cold fear began to grow inside her. Johnny Dip hadn’t said anything about a kid. He’d just told Alicia they should leave Becca in the house and dump the car.
‘So we don’t leave anything. Come on, help me put her in the car. We’ve messed around for long enough. Do you want to go to jail, pretty boy like you? You won’t be out again for thirty years.’
‘Shut up.’
‘Here. We’d better…’ Becca felt something soft land on top of her, then Alicia rolled her over quickly and something wrapped round her, covering her head. A blanket. They were hiding her in a blanket. In case anyone was watching? Who would be watching here?
She could hear footsteps as the man came across the room towards her. Becca tried to roll away, tried to draw her feet up to kick, but the pain and her struggle for breath had taken away all her strength.
‘Where is he?’
‘In my car – it’s just down the road. We can pick him up.’
‘OK.’
They grabbed her arms and legs and lifted her. She felt the chill of the night air as they carried her outside. The pressure on her arms made it hard to breathe, and her bladder was contracting with fear. She had to fight it or she would wet herself.
She wasn’t letting them see that; see how scared she was.
And she was scared. It was hard not to panic, not to scream, not to start crying – and if she cried, her nose would fill up and she wouldn’t be able to breathe. She’d suffocate, die, just because she didn’t have the guts to… The anger saved her. It didn’t take the fear away, but the rage surging through her was like new energy.
She was going to survive this. She wasn’t going to let them do this to her. She twisted her body and kicked her legs forward, hard, feeling the man stagger. He swore and dumped her on the ground.
Now! Free herself from the blanket, get to her feet, try and—
Her legs were taped and she fell. Her arms were held behind her so she couldn’t protect herself and she landed hard, knocking the breath out of her body.
‘I warned you,’ Alicia’s voice said. A hand gripped her hair. The blow across her face made her ears ring. They forced her to her feet. Becca, bruised, blind and dizzy, could barely keep her balance and the two of them half lifted, half dragged her across the rough ground. ‘Put her in,’ Alicia was panting a bit with the effort.
