Killer Plan (6 page)

13

On her first visit
Geraldine had to park halfway along a street packed with police vehicles. This time she parked right outside Caroline’s house, ignoring the parking restrictions. It was dry but breezy when she left the car, unexpectedly chilly after a bright start to the day. She had left her jacket in the car and almost went back for it, but it hardly seemed worth the bother, the house was so close.

A grey-haired woman came to the door. ‘My daughter’s not here.’ There was a hint of aggression in her voice.

She took a step back from the door, as though to close it, but her expression softened when she learned who was asking for Caroline.

‘She told me not to answer the door to anyone,’ she apologised. ‘I think she’s worried about all this getting into the papers, you know.’

Geraldine guessed they were worried about the effect any publicity might have on her sons.

‘It’s not right,’ Caroline’s mother went on. ‘She’s lost her poor husband – not that he was much use to her – isn’t that enough for anyone to cope with? She shouldn’t be hounded like this. It’s not fair. Can’t you do something to protect her? I’m doing what I can, but I can’t stay long. I have to get off first thing in the morning.’

Geraldine put on a sympathetic expression. ‘Has your daughter had many callers since you arrived?’

‘I got here today,’ came the reply, a trifle too quickly. ‘I couldn’t get away earlier.’

Geraldine was interested to hear that Caroline’s mother was dismissive of her son-in-law, even at such a time.

‘He wasn’t what you’d call a bad man, not really.’

‘Just not good enough for your daughter?’

‘It’s not that. You make it sound like I thought no one could be good enough for her. I’d be the first to admit she’s no saint, but…’

‘But?’

‘He wasn’t good enough for any woman, that one.’

Geraldine listened patiently as Caroline’s mother talked around the subject, finally admitting that Dave had ‘gone’ with other women. ‘I’m not talking about just one affair either. This was all the time. He had no shame. She tried to cover it up, but we all knew. The worst of it was the way he flung money at them. Caroline had to go back to work…’ She broke off, worried she might have been indiscreet. ‘They were happy together,’ she added lamely, conscious of the damage she had done.

Unintentionally she had confirmed that her daughter had a strong motive for wanting her husband dead.

‘Caroline loved him. She would never have done anything... ‘

They both knew it was too late.

She had no idea how long her daughter would be out. ‘She went shopping.’

‘Shopping?’

The other woman bristled. ‘She might have lost her husband, but she still has to feed her children.’

‘Please tell her I’ll come back tomorrow.’

Geraldine made her way back to the car. There was nothing to be gained from hanging around, waiting. There was no way of knowing how long Caroline would be out. Her next task was to visit the dead man’s workplace to find out what she could about him. As she drove towards Hayes, she wondered if she was going in the wrong direction. She couldn’t help feeling that Caroline knew more about her husband’s death than she had yet confessed.

The building company Dave had worked for was a small outfit employing only a handful of men. Geraldine hadn’t expected to find anyone at the builders’ yard but three of them were there, a middle-aged foreman and two younger men. The foreman returned her greeted sombrely.

‘We heard he was dead.’ He put down the mug of tea he was drinking and stood up. ‘What can we help you with? He was a good electrician,’ he added, and the other two grunted in agreement. ‘Bloody nice bloke too.’

The others nodded glumly.

Dave had been working with them for about five years. They didn’t seem to know much about his life outside his work.

‘He had a wife,’ the foreman told her.

‘And twin boys,’ another man added helpfully.

Geraldine didn’t stay long. She couldn’t afford to waste time.

14

Caroline wanted to turn
and run, but she had to stay and protect her children. They had just lost their father. They couldn’t lose her as well, not so soon. There was no point in blaming Brian. He knew what had happened as well as she did. If it weren’t for the situation they were in, she might have felt sorry for the wretched creature standing in front of her. But all she could think about right now was her two boys.

‘Brian, look, you mustn’t think what happened…’ she broke off, unable to find the right words. She tried again. ‘Brian, I won’t tell anyone what happened.’ Her voice quavered. Gulping for breath, she went on. ‘I’ll keep quiet about it if you leave me alone. What happened can stay between us, as our secret. But you must see that you need help. You have to go to a doctor…’

She was crazy, hiding in a copse of trees, attempting to reason with a psychopath. She edged away, struggling not to cry.

Brian took a step forward. ‘I did it for you.’

She stared at him, outraged.

‘What are you talking about? I loved my husband.’ That had been true once. ‘Like I’m sure you loved your wife.’

‘That’s why they had to die. Both of them. You know that. I couldn’t let her walk away from me. Not after everything we’d been through together. You understand that. You know better than anyone why he had to die. It’s what he deserved, after all he put you through. You’re free now.’

‘You’re insane.’

A cloud drifted across the setting sun. It cast dappled light through the trees. She wondered if she would ever be rid of the lunatic laughing softly at her, teeth and eyes gleaming in the shadows. She fought to keep her terror under control and speak calmly. ‘If you don’t leave me alone, I’ll go to the police and tell them what happened. I’ll tell them it was you who did it.’

Brian stepped away and she heard him laughing. ‘You can’t tell anyone, can you? Because I didn’t do it alone. We did it together.’

‘What the hell are you talking about? I wasn’t there.’

‘You told me where and when to do it.’

‘You know it wasn’t like that. I had no idea – it wasn’t meant to be serious. You were only supposed to make him jealous, make him think someone else was interested in me…’

As if a scrawny weasel like Brian could ever be a threat to Dave.

‘You told me when to do it, and where to find him,’ Brian insisted softly. ‘You set the whole thing up. It was all your idea.’

‘No, no, stop it. That’s not true. You know it wasn’t like that. I’m going home now. I never want to see you again. I never want to speak to you again. If you ever try to contact me again I’ll go to the police.’

Brian’s quiet tones cut through Caroline’s hysterical whispering.

‘If you go to the police, I’ll tell them you talked me into killing your husband. They’ll take your children away from you.’

‘This has nothing to do with my children. What makes you think the police will believe your lies, anyway? I’ll deny knowing anything about it. You can’t prove we even met.’

As she was speaking she remembered the photo on his phone, and how she had written down her address for him, signed with a kiss. He had set it all up to implicate her.

‘Don’t be silly,’ he said. ‘If you refuse to do what I want I’ll tell the police we’re having an affair, and we planned your husband’s murder together. If you go to the police, you’ll be signing away your future as well as mine, and you’ll lose your children. You’ll go to prison and they’ll be taken into care. That’s not always a very nice experience for young boys.’

He reached out and grabbed her by the arm again. The hand now clutching her sleeve had battered Dave to death. Shocked, she jerked free of his grasping fingers.

‘Get off me!’

She drew back, trembling.

Brian stepped closer. ‘It’s your turn. Whatever you say, you can’t wriggle out of it. I did what you wanted. You can’t back out now. Don’t worry. We’ve been too clever for them. But if you don’t carry out your side of the bargain, you’ll be sorry. Remember, I know where you live. And don’t even think of going to the police. I’ll tell them what you made me do. They’ll think you’re not fit to be a mother. They’ll take your children away from you... if I don’t kill them first. You know I can do it. I might just decide to kill one of them – or it could be both – if you don’t do exactly what I want.’

His eyes were shining. She hoped he couldn’t see her legs were shaking so much she could barely stand.

‘If you really think you can push me around, you’re even crazier than I thought. You’re completely nuts. There’s no way I’d agree…’

‘You already have agreed. We had a deal.’

In the shadows of the trees, she thought he was smiling. ‘Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten that you wrote your address down for me,’ he went on quietly. ‘You can’t deny it, not when it’s got your finger prints all over it. And there’s the photo. That’s more than enough proof for any judge and jury. But no else ever needs to find out, not unless one of us tells them. And why would either of us want to do that? We’re in this together. We get through this together, or we go down together. We had an agreement. I’ve done my bit. Now it’s your turn. But we shouldn’t stand around talking like this. Someone might come, and we can’t be seen together. I’ll make it quick. It’s quite simple. No one will ever find out it was you, as long as you’re careful. Don’t underestimate him and don’t take any chances. Whatever happens, don’t let him see you. If he sees you then we’re both screwed.’

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about. What the hell do you want me to do?’

‘You’re going to kill the man who was fucking my wife.’

Caroline had never been so frightened, not even when she had seen Dave’s body in the shed. Meanwhile Brian continued talking in a quiet monotone, like someone reading out a shopping list.

‘It’ll be best if you kill him in the street, in case you leave any traces, DNA and such. Listen carefully. Here’s what you have to do.’

‘You’ll never get away with it,’ she whispered when he had finished.

‘Oh, do stop fussing. No one’s going to know it was us. Not if you do it right. Now stop worrying. Listen, it’ll be fine. We got away with the last one without any bother, didn’t we?’

Caroline gasped. Brian was completely demented. It seemed Dave’s death was just the beginning of his madness.

15

Nick couldn’t help being
aware of Geraldine when she was in their office. Her predecessor had been a rugged older male officer, a decent bloke, and far less distracting. Being attracted to a good-looking woman was nothing new, but he had never before pursued a woman who sat beside him every day, tantalisingly off limits. Despite the temptation to flirt, he couldn’t afford to make a fool of himself. They had been out together a couple of times, but it was impossible to work out what she thought of him. Once or twice she glanced in his direction and he dropped his gaze like an awkward teenager. He didn’t want her to see him watching her. He found it difficult to keep his eyes from lingering on her. Unconscious of his gaze, she sat like a beautiful statue, gazing at her screen. Several times he caught her staring fixedly at the window where a small patch of sky was visible, boxed into a corner. Usually he would have challenged her, ‘Penny for your thoughts.’ But he remained silent. Finally, against his better judgement, he turned to her and suggested they go for a drink later. She hesitated before agreeing. Her unexpected grin raised his spirits, and he returned to his mundane tasks with renewed enthusiasm.

After work they walked round the corner to the nearest pub. It was a large saloon bar with a flickering mock log fire, red patterned carpet and rows of gleaming copper ornaments. A pleasant change from the fashionable bars closer to Central London, it prioritised comfort over style. Most of their colleagues dropped by from time to time, and a group of young constables were already there, chattering and joking. With a sigh, Nick thought back to his early years on the force, before he had risen up through the ranks to become an inspector. Back then life had seemed so full of promise. But that was before he had married Eve.

‘Cheer up.’ Geraldine’s voice reached him across the table.

He smiled. She always seemed to understand how he was feeling. He wished he had taken her somewhere less public, but it was too late now to suggest they go to a quieter bar. They couldn’t leave without having at least finished their pints, and by then she would probably want to go home. There was a time when he would have been happy to have a drink or two with an attractive colleague, flirting and chancing his luck. Right now he just felt depressed.

‘Sorry,’ he muttered into his pint. ‘I’m a bit tired.’

She saw through his words straight away.

‘Would you like to talk about it?’

Her sympathy thrilled him. Their physical closeness no longer seemed important. He wanted to confide in her, tell her all about his miserable marriage, as though he was a child again and she could make him feel better. But he couldn’t share his wretched story in a place where they might be overheard or interrupted by colleagues. What he wanted to share was private.

‘Maybe we go somewhere…’ he stammered.

She shifted in her seat and he cursed his crassness as his invitation dissipated in a clumsy misunderstanding.

‘No…’ he blundered on, ‘that’s not what I meant. I just want to talk.’

It was too late. Avoiding his gaze, she pulled on her jacket and picked up her bag. Her words were brisk, but there was a sadness in her eyes as though she too regretted the way the evening was ending.

‘I really need to get going. Early start in the morning.’

He wanted to reach out to her and beg her to stay. They could go out for dinner, or go for a walk, anything as long as she would listen to him, really listen. He hadn’t been able to talk to anyone – really talk – for such a long time.

‘See you tomorrow then. Thanks for the drink.’

He leaned back, defeated, as they retreated into polite formality.

‘We must do this again.’

‘That would be nice.’

Nick was furious with himself. It had taken him so long to find a woman who would actually listen to him talking about things that mattered, and he had driven her away. No doubt Sam Haley would have taken great glee in warning Geraldine about his reputation with women. It had been slow going, but finally he had begun to gain her trust. A couple of times she had even gone out for a meal with him. And now he had blown it. With a sigh he walked slowly out to his car. His wife would be waiting for him at home. He had never felt so alone.

Only a sixth sense, drummed into him during training, compounded by years of vigilance, alerted him to a white van pulling out from the kerb as he drove away. Recently he had noticed a van just like it several times when he had been leaving work. He sped up. Glancing in the mirror he saw what could have been the same van, still right behind him. Dismissing a vague unease he slowed down. He was in no hurry to get home. Studying his rear mirror when he stopped at a red light, he was relieved to see the van had gone. The traffic was heavy along the main road. In the mirror, he saw what could have been the same van again, one vehicle away. He considered calling for backup, but all he could report was that he thought a van might be following the same route as him. Only his instincts warned him to be on his guard, but he could hardly report a feeling.

Over the years he had put away so many vicious characters, there could be any number of ex-cons wandering around, bearing a grudge against him. Next day he would check if any villains had recently been released from the nick. If one of them owned a white van, Nick would arrange a visit. The threat of going back inside would be enough to put a stop to any nonsense. It wouldn’t be the first time this had happened to a police officer. For now, he would shake off the van – if it really was pursuing him. He didn’t want anyone following him home. As he put his foot down, there was a sudden downpour.

There were a couple of cars between him and the van he suspected might be following him. He pulled into the kerb and took a few deep breaths as he watched several cars pass in the pouring rain. There was no sign of the van. Puzzled, he pulled out and headed towards home. And saw the van immediately behind him again. With a curse, he veered suddenly off to the left into a side street. Tyres squealing, he almost crashed into a car parked near the corner. He swerved across the road, clipping the kerb as he slammed on the brakes, and was lucky not to burst a tyre. The van had no chance of following. Shaking, he drew into a space between two parked cars and waited until he felt calm. Then he pulled out and drove home by a circuitous route.

Eve didn’t respond although she must have heard him call her from the hall. Hungry, he went into the kitchen. She wasn’t there, although the oven was on. It was empty.

‘Hello,’ he called.

When she didn’t answer, he turned off the oven, and checked the rest of the house. She wasn’t in. Relieved, he returned to the kitchen, put a couple of slices of bread in the toaster and took some cheese from the fridge. He wasn’t aware his wife had come in until she spoke.

‘You eat like an animal. Can’t you use a knife and fork?’

He laughed bitterly. ‘You want me to eat toast with a fork?
Is
there a clean fork in the place?’ He looked at her in unbearable irritation. ‘Jesus, just look at the state of you. You must be freezing. Go and get yourself dry, for Christ’s sake. Why didn’t you wear a coat? You’re worse than a child.’

Smoothing down her drenched hair she stalked out of the room, muttering to herself under her breath.

‘What’s that?’ he demanded sourly. ‘Can’t you at least try to behave normally? I’ve just come in from a long day at work, for Christ’s sake. Most wives would be at home to put the kettle on, never mind have a conversation with me for a change, instead of talking to yourself all the time.’ But she was already out of earshot. ‘I ought to have divorced you a long time ago,’ he called out.