Suffer the Torment, page 17
Oliver joined them shortly. “Jason and Dean are also fine. They’ll be under surveillance.”
“That leaves the other students at the school,” Roy said darkly. “I hope none of them meet the same fate as Emma.” He turned to Oliver. “I know it’s late, but let’s do one last job and then we’re out of here. Find out where in Leicester this school board meeting is. Once we know, I can ask Leicestershire Police to check at the place. They will probably turn me down, but it’s worth a try.”
CHAPTER 40
Roy was famished. He stopped by the fish and chip shop and picked up the usual. Better than the slop he had at home in the fridge – pasta and sauce from a jar that was two days old.
Leicestershire Police had promised to visit the hotel where the school meeting was happening. If Ridpath was there, they would keep an eye on him. In any event, they would get back to either Roy or Sarah with updates.
Roy munched on a couple of chips, relishing the taste, and wondering when his new healthy eating lifestyle would kick in. Bacon butties in the morning, and now this. That middle-age spread was starting to look like one of the Peak District hills. He was compensating by running three times every week, even though the doctor had told him to take it easy. But staying in shape, he knew, was reliant on eating well, and that meant less carbs. The problem was he bloody loved carbs – potatoes, bread, rice, and pasta. And after a long day, he couldn’t give a toss about a healthy diet.
He got in his old VW rust bucket, and it wheezed and complained, whine and spluttered, then finally gurgled to life. The engine sounded like it was fed on water, not petrol. He kept the packet of chips open and munched as he drove. His phone rang, and unlike the work car, which had Bluetooth and hands free, he now had to answer manually. He stuffed the two chips in his mouth, drove with the other hand, and after wiping his hand on his trouser, answered the phone without checking the number.
“DCI Roy.”
“Daddy it’s me,” Anna’s voice said.
“Hi darling. Hold on for a second.” Roy was close to choking on the chips, and he realised he’d forgotten to get a drink. Luckily there was a bottle of water in the side pocket but it was a few days old. It tasted stale, but it was better than nothing. He gulped some water, then wiped his mouth on his sleeve.
“Sorry,” he said. “How are you?”
“Fine, you okay?” They chatted for a while, Roy catching up on what Anna had been up to over the week. Mostly school stuff, and she had a tennis competition. Roy took her to the tennis matches on Saturday mornings and he had missed that like mad. It was good to speak to Anna again.
“I’ve been thinking about what you said. Coming up to Sheffield, I mean.”
“Oh, yes?”
“Meadowhall Mall is near Sheffield, isn’t it?”
“Yes, just round the corner. It’s massive. Biggest mall I’ve ever seen.”
“Really? Bigger than Westfield?”
Westfield was the shining new shopping centre in West London, where Roy had made a pilgrimage once, and hoped he never had to again. To be fair to Anna, she watched what she bought, and never made unreasonable demands.
“Yes, bigger. Meadowhall’s like a small town. Wait till you see it.”
“Hmm, sounds good. Can we go there one day?”
“Can’t see why not. I’ll take time off work one day and we can go around.” He didn’t mention that the next few days would be busy for him. It had been eight weeks since he’d seen Anna. Normally, it was once every week, and every alternate weekend. She could stay in the house in Hathersage, and he’d give her a key. Anna was more than capable of looking after herself.
“Have you asked your mother?”
“Yes,” Anna said. “She’s, uh, busy this weekend she said.”
“I see.” That probably meant his ex-wife had a new boyfriend, which was fine by Roy. “Alright, when will you come up?”
“Tomorrow’s Thursday. I could take the morning train and be there in the afternoon? Let me check the times and get back to you.”
“Let me know how much the tickets are, and I’ll send you the money.”
“Thanks, Daddy.”
Roy hung up and sighed in content. His body felt bruised and battered, and until now, his mind had also been in turmoil. But it was nice to hear Anna’s voice. Seeing her would be even better. He had a feeling Anna would like it here. She liked her long walks, and he couldn’t think of a better place than the Don Valley.
Hathersage was brightly lit on the high street, which had little traffic, but the streetlamps were on, as were the yellow squares from the stone houses. The pub on the corner had punters inside. It was the tourist season, and a village like Hathersage made most of its money in the summer months. The pub had nice food too, and Roy reminded himself to stop by for dinner next time. The thought of a pint distracted him, but he felt too tired to drag himself inside a pub.
When he pulled up outside his house, he noticed a car he hadn’t seen before. It was a dark blue Ford Fiesta, and it was parked opposite his house. A man sat in the driver’s seat, looking out of the window. The man wore dark glasses, which was unusual for this time of the evening. He also had a jacket on, and as their eyes met, he put the jacket hoodie over his face. The car started up and the man drove off quickly, without bothering to indicate.
Roy sat there for a while, wondering. The man was watching his house, he felt. But he could be wrong. He was tired, and his overwrought mind was playing tricks on him. He picked up the fish and chips and went inside.
CHAPTER 41
Roy was up early, before the birds started tweeting. The dawn was like a shy little girl, her smile slowly lighting up the sky behind the darkened hills. He was up because sleep didn’t come easy to him, and he hated the dreams. Most of the time, he woke up in a sweat, heart racing. He had learnt with time he needed to go for a run, to sweat it out so he could sleep better at night and keep his monsters down in the dungeon.
When he checked his phone, Leicestershire police had got back to him overnight. James Ridpath had not been at the board meeting. No one knew where he was. Roy forwarded the message to the rest of the team and got ready. It was going to be a busy day.
He brushed his teeth and checked the missing persons services he subscribed to. That was his morning reflex and as usual, they had no leads on Robin. He replied to his mother, then checked his work phone. No messages, and no missed calls. He got ready, then went downstairs to put his trainers on.
As he opened the door, his eyes fell on a white envelope on the doormat. It hadn’t been there last night when he went to bed. It was probably junk mail, but on closer inspection he changed his mind. The initials ‘R.R.’ were written on it, in black letters.
He frowned and picked it up. He turned it around. No sender name or address. It was hand posted, through the letterbox. Inside, he could feel something, like a chain. He took it to the kitchen, then used a paper knife to open the envelope gently. He should’ve worn gloves before he picked it up, maybe. That thought bothered him. He shouldn’t have to wear gloves for this …
Inside the envelope, there was a golden chain. It was light, not real gold. It had square blocks, no pendant … and … and …
Roy suddenly felt dizzy. His vision rocked, the chain slipping from his fingers, landing on the kitchen counter. He blinked but everything was hazy, the lights in the kitchen blurred. He swayed on his feet, then stepped back a face. He shook his head, then squeezed his eyes.
He looked at the necklace again. It was more than familiar. That design was etched in his brain forever. It was the necklace Robin was wearing the day he vanished off the face of this earth.
His jaws clenched tight, and fire emanated from his breath. He stormed to the door and yanked it open. He went outside, it was cold, and the streetlamps were still on. The street was deserted, apart from a few parked cars. He had seen these cars before, and they were all unoccupied.
He spun around, fists clenched, rage simmering in his veins. He walked up and down the silent street, looking between houses, and all around him. Hills circled Hathersage, and the road rolled down into the valleys. Distant lights glimmered on the hills like the pinprick of stars. But he didn’t see anyone.
Roy flailed with his arms, hitting out at an unseen enemy. His frustration found voice, and a roar erupted from his throat, shattering the silence. He stomped back inside, and slammed the door shut.
He had contaminated the evidence by touching it with his bare hands. The chain lay on the kitchen counter, winking in the light. Roy closed his eyes and moved out of the kitchen. He leaned with a hand against the wall. He needed some mind space to filter what the hell this meant.
Who knew? Burns and Burgess, both behind bars. His team, but they wouldn’t pull a prank like this.
That left the two monsters, and they were both in prison. Yes, they could send mail, but to a highly selected group – only next of kin or close family and friends. And there was no way either Burns or Burgess had his address – Roy stopped, and his head snapped up.
Burns would have his details as he had been the forensic psychologist for the missing boy’s case last year. But only his phone number, obtained from switchboard. He had moved into this house after Burns was put into HMP Strangeways. Burgess might also have his number if Burns gave it to him. But no, neither of them could possibly know where he was living now.
None of this made any sense. Roy put his back to the wall and looked around the living room. Packed boxes still lined one wall, he had to unpack them now. He felt like he was being watched. It wasn’t a nice feeling. The windows were shut, curtains drawn. He went upstairs and looked in the spare bedroom, and the bathroom. Nothing there, obviously, and there was no loft.
Feeling wired, weird, and with that seething anger boiling inside him, he went outside and shut the front door. He needed fresh air. He locked the door and started walking. Then he remembered the car last night. The man in the hoodie jacket and dark glasses, watching him. He stopped walking. Last night, he’d been knackered, and he’d missed the car’s registration number. Hathersage didn’t have CCTV cameras. Roy kicked himself now for not taking down the reg details.
Who was that man?
Roy wracked his brains, trying to think. Nope, he’d not seen that car following him. Then again, he’d not been watching either. Most of the time, it was Sarah or Oliver who drove him around.
The person who left that envelope had followed him around to find out where he lived. That wasn’t good news. Roy wasn’t worried about himself, but Anna was coming. He couldn’t stop her, now.
He pulled out his phone and called Sarah, wondering if she would be up. It was six in the morning. She answered, and her voice was dredged with slumber.
“Hello?” She said slowly.
“Sorry to wake you, but I’ve got a problem.”
Sarah cleared her throat. “With the case? What happened?”
“No, it’s … it’s me, actually.” Roy sighed and perched himself against the stone fence that ran down the side of the pavement. He told her about the envelope.
“That gold chain, it belonged to my brother. I know because I’ve got a matching one. I’m wearing it now, in fact. Never take it off.”
He heard Sarah sit up straighter in bed. “That’s a personal detail. Who would know something like that?”
“Burns abducted Robin, so it stands to reason he would have the chain. This is old, and it could be the same one.”
“Hang on. Firstly, we searched the two properties Burns had, and also where Burgess lived, including the houseboat. In the farmhouse, which is where Burns kept your brother, we didn’t find any personal effects. What about down south? You lot searched the house where Burns killed those two boys?”
“Yes. Nothing there. And like you said, nothing in the farmhouse up here, where we found Robin’s DNA.”
They’d searched every corner of Burns big house on the hill, and the farm he had. None of Robin’s belongings were recovered.
“You know what this means,” Sarah said. “Burns has someone on the outside. Someone still carrying out his orders.”
Roy gnashed his teeth together. “I think so too. I don’t understand how they’re communicating, but maybe they’re not, and this agent is now working solo.”
“That sounds reasonable. No other way you got that necklace.” She paused. “I’m sorry, Rohan.”
“I need to go and see them.”
Sarah protested. “It’s not a good idea. You went yesterday, right? You might get into trouble.”
“No more than what I’m in now. I’ll see you at the nick.”
Sarah spoke but he thanked her and hung up. He ran back up the hill and went inside. He got changed, then took the necklace in a specimen bag, and rushed out to his car.
CHAPTER 42
James Ridpath stretched after he got out of bed. Melissa wasn’t in the room; she must be downstairs with the children. He had got home late, and had a quick shower downstairs, then crept into bed. He brushed his teeth and got changed. He paused on the landing, making sure Melissa was downstairs. Then he went up to his study in the converted loft. He shut the door carefully, then took down some books from the shelf. Behind the books, there was a small safe recessed into the wall. He opened it and took out the burner phone.
The messages had gone crazy in the last hour or so. He wondered if that signified anything. From the window he could see the road winding up to the hill where his house was situated. This was a nice neighbourhood, and it was a lovely spot, especially now, with the sun out. But the scenery, normally so calming, meant nothing to him today. Bitterness filled his mind, and there was nothing he could do about it.
He wanted to be at the school, where Emma’s memories remained scattered everywhere. How she looked at him when they passed in the corridor, how they had their first romantic encounter in his office. It was scandalous, but how could something that felt so right be wrong?
No, the outside world would never understand. Emma was far more mature than her years. Her suffering and mental anguish had added years to her youth. She acted and spoke like a woman twice her age. When he thought of the times he had with her, pain filled his mind. So did desire, a throbbing, red-blooded desire he would never feel again. Certainly not with his prim and proper wife. Melissa had become a shadow of the woman she once had been. He shook his head.
Yes, he wished he was at school, waiting for Emma in his office like he usually did on Fridays. The memory made him smile sadly, and then came the regret.
What had he done?
Jealously and anger had made him a brutal, angry man. What happened to Emma was beyond his control, in the end. Still, the regret would always remain. He got up, feeling restless. For some reason, he also felt anxious, like something bad was about to happen.
There was a knock on his door. It was Jack, his twelve-year-old son.
“Mummy wants to speak to you.”
James thought he heard Melissa’s voice. He got up and went down the stairs with his son. Melissa pulled him to one side in the kitchen, out of earshot of the children. Her Botox-smooth forehead creased in concern.
“The police are trying to get hold of you. Someone called DCI Roy rang last night, asking where you were. It’s about the girl who died.”
James controlled his facial expressions with a huge effort. It wasn’t easy, Melissa knew him well. He frowned, then shrugged.
“They came to the school. I told them everything I know. It was that DCI Roy; I remember the name.”
“He said they found something new and want to talk to you about it.”
“I see. Well, did they say if they would come around, or what?”
“They wanted to know when you’ll be back. I said midday, but you’re back earlier. Just give them a call.”
“Okay, I will.”
Melissa gave James a look he didn’t like. She walked over to the children, and James stared out the long windows at the garden, basking in the sunlight. The beautiful view was turning to rust and rot, the corners of his mind bending, twisting as he realised what was happening.
The police knew. Somehow, they’d found out. There was no time to waste. He had to make his move now. If he stayed here, Melissa would inform the police, and that big detective would be putting handcuffs on him before he knew it. James couldn’t let that happen. He turned, watching his son and daughter. Melissa was stirring porridge in a pot and had her back to him.
“I’m going to Andy’s house for the birthday party,” Jack, his son said, then looked from one parent to the other. James seized his chance.
“I’ll take you, no worries,” he said as breezily as possible. “Are you ready?”
Jack nodded, eager to get going. “Wait here,” James said, going to the door. “Let me get my stuff.” He paused as he walked past Melissa. “I’ll call the cops now and see what they want, ok?”
Melissa nodded without turning around. He got the impression she was hiding her expression or didn’t want to look him in the eye.
James ran upstairs and got changed into outdoor clothes. He stuffed clothes into a bag, enough to last him a week. He rushed into his study and took out the phone from the safe. He also kept some cash there, five thousand pounds, in case of an emergency. He stuffed both into his pocket. He went downstairs and used the side door to the garage so no one would see him. He chucked his clothes bag into the boot, then took the car out into the drive.
His heart was pounding, and his breath came in gasps. He checked he had his phone in his trouser pocket. He powered the phone down, then separated the battery from the phone. From now on, he would use the burner. He got out of the car and went back into the house.
“Jack,” he shouted, opening the door. His son came running, dragging his jacket behind him. They were almost out when Melissa came after them. She held a wrapped-up package in her hand.
“You forgot the birthday gift,” Melissa said. James was already in the car, and for a second, his eyes caught Melissa’s. She focused on giving Jack some instructions and ignored him as usual. That was quite fitting, James thought. He would never see Melissa again, and there would be no goodbyes. Melissa shut the front door as Jack got in the car.
