Haunting Shadows, page 8
“Aye, and I will be with her while ye dae so I can make sure she’s alright!”
I bit back a sigh of impatience.
Malcolm stood next to Grace and went to put his hand on her shoulder, but Grace quickly moved away. I quickly picked up on the look of hurt in his eyes at her quick dismissal.
“Just dae what the detectives said, Malcolm,” she said unhappily. “Please... they want tae help me and they cannae if ye dinnae let them.”
Malcolm’s rigid form instantly softened. “Of course, G. If that’s what ye want. I will be waiting outside, alright?”
She nodded without looking at him. Malcolm had barely exited the room before Grace was shaking her head in dismay.
“I’m sorry aboot him, Detective.”
I smiled encouragingly. “It’s fine, Grace. It’s nice you have a boyfriend who cares so much about your welfare.”
“Aye,” she answered quickly.
Very quickly.
I looked at her for a second, feeling surprised by her cold tone and body language. I couldn’t tell if this was due to her being unhappy with her boyfriend or if she had something to hide.
Grace, clearly realising how she’d come across, suddenly smiled at me sweetly. “Should we take a seat, detectives?”
I nodded toward the broken window. “Would you rather we spoke elsewhere, Grace?”
Her eyes followed my own. She stared at the broken window for a few seconds before shaking her head. “Nae, I’ll be alright in here thank ye, Detective.”
I was surprised by the fact she was happy to stay in the living room, but I also admired the fact she wasn’t letting the assailant scare her away from a room that should be a safe space for her.
I’d seen too many people—particularly young women—who let crime or break-ins make them unable to feel safe in their own home. The place that had once been their sanctuary became their place of fear. It was good to see that wasn’t the case for Grace.
Rather than gesturing to the large sofa, Grace pointed to two armchairs with a slightly flushed expression.
“Ye might want tae sit there.”
As Paterson and I walked to the seats, I quickly realised why she’d suggested the armchairs rather than the sofa. On the main sofa, there was a considerably large stain of pasta sauce. Grace must have spilled it down herself when she was sitting on the sofa. Surely the brick had startled her. My eyes scanned the area, and I could see remnants of pasta and what looked like broken china on the floor. Someone must have cleared it up for her, but done a pretty poor job of it.
Grace awkwardly sat on the sofa away from the stain then looked at me and Paterson nervously.
“Tell us everything that’s happened over the last two days, Grace,” I said calmly.
She looked confused. “Dae ye not already ken?”
I smiled lightly. “Yes, but I’d rather hear everything from you directly, please. Just in case any of my colleagues potentially missed some information.”
Grace pushed her blonde hair over her shoulders. She took a second to mentally prepare herself before she began. She told us about the first note, then about her false sense of security after nothing else happened for a day.
“When the brick came through ma window, I just didnae expect it,” Grace said timidly. “Everything had been fine after I received the first note, and as yer PCs had told me it seemed safe… I didnae think anything of it.”
“Can ye tell us what the first note said, please?” Paterson asked.
Grace nodded nervously. “Aye... it said ‘I’m back and this time I’m not going anywhere.’”
“And you received a second note which was attached to the brick, correct?” I inquired.
Grace simply nodded again.
“What did that note say?” I asked.
“‘Ye are mine and always will be,’” she answered shakily.
I nodded. “And where are these notes now?”
Grace looked nervously behind her. “One of the PCs bagged them both... said they’d be evidence.”
Paterson stood up from her seat. “I will go find them.”
I thanked her, then turned my focus back to Grace. “Both messages suggest this person is known to you. Do you have any ex-partners who would want to frighten you?”
Grace chewed her lip thoughtfully. “Nae... none that can, anyway.”
I furrowed my brow. “What do you mean?”
Grace started to wring her hands. “I havnae had many serious relationships, but before Malcolm I was with a guy fur a while who wisnae the nicest... tae put it lightly.”
“Oh?”
Grace flushed embarrassedly. “Aye... we broke up a couple of years ago, but I ken he cannae be behind this.”
“How can you be so certain?”
“He’s in prison fur assault,” she said, shaking her head as though the memory of the relationship filled her with shame. “He was sentenced tae six years.”
This news instantly set alarm bells in my mind.
“What was his name?” I asked.
“Brodie Drummond,” Grace responded.
Paterson returned and took a seat next to me.
“Apart from him, is there anyone else? Anyone you cut out who took it badly?”
Grace shook her head. “Nae... ever since I had that note all I’ve done is try tae figure out who I could have upset, but I cannae think of anyone.”
“Had ye noticed anyone following ye around recently?” Paterson inquired. “Anyone who ye suddenly noticed seemed tae be around a lot?”
“Nae,” Grace answered.
The door opened and Malcolm stepped in. “What aboot the figure at the bistro last night?”
I looked at Malcolm and narrowed my eyes. “I told you to leave us to speak to Grace alone.”
Malcolm didn’t look embarrassed. Instead, he kept his eyes on Grace. “Tell them, G. Tell them aboot that man! It’s important.”
I continued to glare at Malcolm for a few seconds. Although the lad clearly felt he was helping, by charging in he had proven that he’d clearly been eavesdropping the entire time. Why was he so keen to know what we were saying? What did he not want Grace telling us? Or was he simply an overbearing boyfriend who wanted to make sure we knew everything possible in order to protect the woman he loved?
“Aye, ye are right,” Grace said sheepishly. “I-I was so overwhelmed over what happened today I didnae realise I haedna mentioned it.”
Malcolm stepped over to Grace and squeezed her shoulders. “It’s understandable, G. Ye've been through so much." Malcolm faced me. “This all started last night when G and I went out fur dinner. G noticed a figure watching her outside, so we ended up leaving. Shortly after, she received the first note.”
I felt Paterson tensing next to me in surprise. I flitted my gaze between Malcolm and Grace as Malcolm spoke and tried to figure out Grace’s reaction. The man watching her at the bistro was likely the most important detail, so it was odd to me that Grace seemed to forget about it. I knew fear could affect a person’s memory though, so I knew I had to be gentle with her.
“What can you tell us about this man, Grace?” I asked.
Grace looked at me worriedly. “I didnae mean tae not mention him tae ye... I had mentioned him tae ye colleagues.”
I smiled reassuringly. “It’s okay, Grace. You’ve been through a lot, so it’s understandable. Now, why don’t you tell us about him?”
Grace looked to the floor. “I didnae get a good look at him as it was dark, and he was all dressed in black... but he was tall.” She gasped and looked between me and Paterson. “I haedna gave it much thought before... but dae ye think he’s been following me around fur a while?”
“It’s a possibility we will consider,” I answered.
Grace looked at Malcolm nervously. “What if that creep has been following me, Malc! What if they ken ma routine and where I go?”
Malcolm pulled her into his chest. “Ye dinnae need tae worry aboot anything like that. The detectives will find him.”
I watched the two embrace as I considered her words. Unfortunately, there was a high probability that Grace was right. This man might know her routine, which meant I had to work quickly to find them before their obsession escalated to something catastrophic. I’d seen stalking victims killed on numerous occasions, and I knew I couldn’t let that same fate befall Grace.
13
Paterson and I spent another half hour questioning Grace to get as much information out of her as possible, then had a quick chat with Malcolm, before we made our way back to Paterson’s car. We didn’t have much to ask Malcolm, but the lad had made it clear he desired to speak to us before we went. He was worried about Grace and didn’t want us to go without assuring him we had this all under control.
As soon as we got in Paterson’s car, she turned to face me.
“How dae ye feel aboot a quick road trip?”
I quirked an intrigued brow. “What are you thinking?”
Paterson looked at the clock in her car. “Grace said she saw her stalker outside of the Fig & Thistle, right? How aboot we go straight there tae see if they can tell us anything?”
I thought guiltily about Katie waiting back at mine, but I knew the case had to come first.
“That’s a good idea, Ella.”
“Great!” Paterson exclaimed. “Hopefully, they have some CCTV, or a worker might have gotten a better look at the man.”
“I guess we’ll soon find out.”
Paterson went to turn on her ignition, but she hesitated when her phone started to ring. She grabbed it out of her coat pocket, but as she looked at it, the colour drained from her face.
“What is it?” I asked instantly.
“It’s ma sister,” she muttered. “She is looking after Archie. She niver calls unless there’s something wrong.”
“Answer it then!” I exclaimed.
She thanked me, then pulled her phone toward her ear. “What is it?” she asked worriedly.
Since I couldn’t hear what her sister was saying, I watched her facial features and noticed that whatever her sister had to say, it causing Paterson a great deal of unhappiness.
“Is there nothing ye can dae?” She paused as her sister replied. “Eurgh... that’s alright, I’ll be there soon.”
She pocketed her phone and rubbed her face frustratedly.
“What is it? Is Archie okay?” I asked.
Paterson looked at me tiredly. “Aye, he’s alright, but ma sister has been called into work and there’s nae one else who can look after Archie.”
“What about her girlfriend? She lives with you too, right?”
Paterson gave me a look that suggested she was surprised I remembered that. “Nae, she is working nights tonight.” She groaned. “Sorry, James. I’ll drop ye off at the station then I’ll have tae go back home. I’m sure someone else can go with ye tae the bistro.”
I could tell from her tone she was disappointed, so I looked at her gently for a moment before I touched her arm.
“How’s this for an idea,” I said cautiously. “We can go to yours and get Archie… and he can come with us?” Paterson instantly looked sceptical and like she wanted to talk over me, so I started to talk quicker. “We both know it would be best to visit the bistro tonight and get this over with, and it will be a lot quicker if we get Archie and all go together rather than you dropping me off at the station.”
Paterson turned on her ignition, her features screwed up in deep thought. “I mean... we dinnae want tae waste time, dae we?”
I nodded supportively. “Exactly, and it’s just a quick visit to a restaurant. It isn’t exactly dangerous for the lad.”
Paterson started to drive. “Ye are right. I widnae normally take him on a job, but I dinnae have much of a choice... not if we want tae find this stalker quickly.”
As she drove, I could tell from her relaxed body language that she was glad about how things had turned out. At first I was pleased to see her happy, but the closer we drew to her house, the more I started to think about Archie. I had met Paterson’s son a couple of times—each time only for a few minutes when I’d come to pick Paterson up—and although he seemed like a good kid, I hadn’t exactly had a lot of experience around children. I’d just put myself into a position where I’d be stuck in a car with one.
I glanced at Paterson and saw she’d been watching me. I moved in my seat awkwardly, hoping my expression hadn’t been obvious.
“Are ye sure this is alright?” she asked.
I smiled encouragingly. “Of course! It was your idea to visit the bistro tonight, so I wouldn’t want to go without you.”
Paterson nodded as she bit her lip. “Tae be honest a selfish part of me is glad he is coming... I hate how often I’m away from him.”
I grimaced sympathetically. “I can imagine it’s difficult.”
Paterson’s eyes started to well up, but she quickly recovered. “I love ma job and I’m so grateful and lucky tae have it... but it does mean I’m away from Archie a lot.” She hesitated. “I just dinnae want him thinking I dinnae care or that I’m a bad mam, ye ken?”
I shot her a sharp look. “Don’t ever say that, Ella. You’re a great mum and I know Archie is very lucky to have a mum as kind and loving as you are. There are many kids out there who would kill for even a quarter of what you have to offer.”
Ella blushed and touched my hand gently. “Thank ye, James. That means a lot.”
As we spoke about Archie, I quickly realised it was the first time in a long time there was no tension between the two of us. The conversation felt just like old times, and I hoped it was the beginning of how things would continue to be between us.
We arrived quickly at Paterson’s address. She parked up outside and looked at me frantically. “Ye might as well stay in the car. I promise I’ll be quick.”
I agreed, then waited awkwardly for Paterson to arrive. I tapped my knees impatiently, but luckily she was quick, and I soon saw her walking hand in hand with her son. The moment I saw them coming I climbed out of the car and held the door open for Archie.
Once they were in front of me, I looked at Archie and—not for the first time—was taken aback by how much he looked like Paterson. His short hair was as black as Paterson's, and the green of his eyes was an identical shade to hers. The main difference between them was that Paterson was curvaceous whereas Archie was a short, skinny lad who looked as though he could do with a few good meals.
Paterson lifted Archie up and put him in the car. “Come on now, Archie. We need tae get going.”
Once we were all inside, I noticed Archie was staring at me.
“What’s yer name again?” Archie asked.
“James.”
Archie’s eyes widened, and he looked at Paterson. “Mummy! He’s the one ye talk aboot.” He turned back to me. “Mummy says that ye—”
Paterson loudly cleared her throat, her cheeks burning red. “That’s enough now, sweetheart. Ye are here tae help me and James on a serious job... are ye able tae focus?”
Archie nodded so eagerly his hair jumped up and down. “I can be a detective, Mummy!”
“Good boy, now let’s keep focused, alright?”
“Aye, Mummy! I can solve this case, I’ll show ye!”
Paterson laughed. It took her a few seconds to take her eyes off of her son so she could start the car, and in those moments I realised that was the happiest I’d ever seen her look. Her eyes had been so filled with love as she looked at her son. It was hard to see Paterson as the incredible, doting mother that she was without it pulling at my heartstrings. There was so much to like about Paterson and she only proved that more as you got to know her.
I expected the journey to be uncomfortable with Archie there, but if anything I found myself enjoying his company. Archie was a sweet, intuitive lad who asked a lot of questions and seemed keen to get to know me. Although I’d seen him a couple of times before that night, that was the first time we’d ever really spoken and I knew with his curiosity that he really would make a great detective one day.
The journey to Inverness went quickly with Archie’s questions, and it wasn’t long until Paterson was parking up outside of our designation. As Paterson parked up, I took in the Fig & Thistle and was impressed by the aesthetic of it. It looked like a relatively small bistro, but even from the outside I could sense it had a cozy feel to it.
Paterson turned to Archie. “We need tae ask some important questions here, Archie, so can ye be on yer best behaviour fur Mummy, please?”
Archie nodded keenly. “Aye, Mummy! I’ll be good.”
She kissed him lightly on the head. “I ken ye will. Ye are a good bairn, amn’t ye?”
I looked away, feeling like I was intruding on such a cute moment between mother and son. I only eased up once Paterson addressed me.
“Ready, James?”
I agreed, then I climbed out of Paterson’s car. Since I got out of the car first, I opened the door to help Archie get out. Once he was settled, I looked at Paterson and saw the warm look she was giving me as I lifted him out of the car. I glanced down and saw that Archie was holding my hand, so I gently pulled it away and ushered Archie toward Paterson.
“Let’s do this, shall we?”
Archie jumped up and down on the balls of his feet excitedly.
As we walked toward the bistro’s entrance, I could hear Paterson whispering to Archie about being quiet when we were inside. I smiled to myself, knowing with how full of energy the lad was that it was unlikely he’d be able to contain himself.
Before we opened the door, I subtly glanced around to see if I could see any cameras. I was glad when I noticed one close to the door.
I pushed the door open and held it for Paterson and Archie to get in first. Once we were all inside, I glanced around the bistro and noticed it was oddly quiet. There was a woman standing behind the bar and a waitress walking around, but there was only one table still eating. The waitress instantly approached us, her expression suggesting relief that the night was picking up.
