Gone (30 page)

‘True,’ Gardner said. ‘But helping someone get off drugs is one thing. Helping them murder a teenage girl is something else.’

Freeman turned and kicked the wall. ‘Fuck,’ she said. She couldn’t get her head around it. All this time thinking Emma was dead, looking at Lucas. And she’d never once considered that the body wasn’t her.

She took out her phone, pausing before dialling, trying to work out how to ask the question. When Angie Taylor picked up she just asked straight out.

‘Mrs Taylor, it’s DS Freeman. Did Jenny ever break her arm?’

‘Yes, why?’ Angie said.

‘Left or right?’

‘Left. Why?’

Freeman closed her eyes and mouthed one word. Shit.

Gardner followed Freeman upstairs while she spoke to the pathologist, asking him to locate Jenny’s medical records and look at Jenny’s X-rays to compare it with the bones on his table. As she hung up she grabbed DC Lloyd and told him to give Gardner a lift back to Middlesbrough. If Gardner had a problem with that, he didn’t show it. Although he was on the phone to Lawton again.

‘Head over to Adam Quinn’s now. I’m on my way back. Don’t tell him anything yet, just show some interest in his girlfriend and the door. Keep him there until I arrive,’ he said and hung up.

‘This is DC Colin Lloyd,’ Freeman said when Gardner joined them again. ‘He’ll take you.’

‘Where’re you going?’ Gardner asked.

‘Ben’s. If he was in on it with Emma, maybe that’s where she’s going. And I’m going to find her.’

Chapter 68

17 December 2010

Lucas threw the glass he’d been holding onto the floor and ran after Ben, catching him just as he made it to the street. He grabbed Ben’s shirt, pulling him back. Ben struggled, trying to pull away, but Lucas got his hand around his neck and dragged him towards the house.

‘What the fuck are you doing?’ Lucas asked and threw Ben inside, slamming the door behind him. He pushed Ben towards the kitchen and knocked him to the floor. Ben tried to stand, scrabbling about on the floor.

‘I’m sorry,’ Ben muttered and tried to crawl out of the kitchen. Lucas walked up behind him and slammed his foot onto Ben’s back, pushing him to the floor.

‘You’re going to be more sorry,’ Lucas said and turned Ben over to face him. He could see the fear in Ben’s eyes and felt a ripple of pleasure. This was just a warm-up but he’d enjoy it anyway.

Lucas yanked Ben up by the hair into a sitting position and then slammed his fist into his face. Ben put his arms up to block the blows but he still managed to get a few nice ones in. Not enough though. He pulled back and took a breath before dragging Ben towards the table. He looked around the kitchen and then remembered something he’d seen in the hallway. He went out and got the scarf that’d been draped over the banister.

Bending down, he pulled Ben’s arms behind his back and tied his hands, looping the scarf around the table leg. Ben was muttering. Lucas didn’t know if he was talking to him or not. He didn’t care. He twisted the knot tight and then looked Ben in the eye.

‘Ready?’ he said and smashed his fist into Ben’s face again and again. Blood covered Ben’s face, from his mouth, his nose. Lucas stopped after a few blows and admired his work. He looked at his fist, also covered in blood. He sat back and tried to control his breathing. He watched as Ben’s chest moved with shallow breaths. He was crying. Lucas laughed.

‘Don’t cry, we’re not done yet. I’m saving the best bit for last, don’t worry,’ he said and stood up. He wiped his face, smearing blood across it.

There was a noise upstairs, a creak of a floorboard that made them both freeze. Lucas looked at Ben. ‘Are you hiding something from me, Benji?’ he said. ‘Is Emma up there?’

Lucas walked out of the kitchen and could hear Ben writhing around behind him, trying to get up. ‘Please, don’t,’ Ben called after him. He walked up the stairs, his heart racing.

This was it.

He stuck his head around the door and stopped. An elderly woman lay in the bed, talking to herself. When she noticed him standing there she turned further towards him.

‘Ben? I need the toilet,’ she said.

Lucas walked into the room and stood over the woman. She took a moment to focus on him and then looked confused.

‘Where’s Ben?’ she asked, her voice wavering.

‘He’s not here,’ Lucas said and searched among the boxes of tissues and pill bottles for a phone. ‘Who are you, then?’ he said.

‘I’m his mother. Where is he?’

‘He’s gone out,’ he said.

‘He can’t go out. I need the toilet,’ the woman said. She reached out for Lucas. ‘Can you take me?’

Lucas waved at the woman and walked out, closing the door on her cries. He was about to go back down to Ben when he stopped. The other doors were closed. He walked to the first and pushed it open. Looked like Ben’s room. Empty. He went to the next and checked inside. A lot of medical supplies, what looked like nappies and stuff, but no one hiding in there. He stopped at the last door. Must be the bathroom. He reached for the handle and the door opened.

No one in there.

Lucas left the door open and headed back downstairs, ignoring the old woman’s whingeing. He went back into the kitchen and found Ben where he’d left him, slumped over, tied to the table. When he stopped in front of him, Ben looked up.

‘What did you do to her?’ Ben asked.

Lucas thought about telling him he’d shoved a pillow into her face or stuffed a whole load of pills down her throat but thought it’d be better to let old Ben’s imagination run wild. What you imagined was usually worse than reality. Usually.

The old woman wouldn’t be any bother. She was hardly likely to get up and come after him with her walking stick. There was no phone up there so the police wouldn’t be coming any time soon.

He walked to the drawers and rummaged about. He found what he wanted in the second one. With both hands full he walked back around and stood in front of Ben. ‘Which one should we play with first?’ he asked and held the knives out to Ben. Ben sobbed and struggled against his bindings. Lucas laughed again. ‘This is going to be fun,’ he said.

He listened to Ben’s screams, savouring each one. ‘This is what happens when you try to set me up,’ he said and Ben writhed beneath him. ‘You and that little cunt are gonna pay for what you did.’

Ben cried out again, no longer using words, just noise. Lucas grinned at him and then put his hand over Ben’s mouth. He could hear a noise, a wailing. He turned to the door and saw blue lights flashing outside.

Lucas got to his feet, knife still in hand. He ran to the back door, threw it open and made a run for it. Through the back garden, over the fence. He kept on running.

Chapter 69

17 December 2010

Adam sat in the living room, watching the clock, wondering how much longer he had to wait until the police showed some interest. No, he didn’t know exactly how long Louise had been gone, but that didn’t mean anything. She could’ve been gone
more
than twenty-four hours for all he knew. For all the police knew. And there was the broken window. The copper had seemed interested when he mentioned that, but when he said nothing was gone, that there was no sign that a burglary had taken place, her interest had quickly waned. He should’ve lied.

He was staring at his phone, willing it to ring. So she didn’t have her mobile, she could use a public phone. But would she know his number without her phone? Hell, he didn’t know his own number. He didn’t know her number. He didn’t know any numbers any more. He used to write them in his diary but gave that up ages ago.

The diary.

Adam raced up the stairs and went into the bedroom. Louise’s diary was next to the bed like always. He picked it up and flicked through, shaking it to see if anything came out.

Nothing.

There’d been an address in Alnwick. She was clearly trying to hide it from him, but why? Was that something to do with this? Was that where she’d gone? Who did she know that lived in Alnwick? She’d never mentioned it before. But if she was hiding something, she wouldn’t have. Was there someone else? Was she cheating on him?

He put the diary down, refusing to think that way, and went back down to the living room and over to the window, pulling the curtain back. Where was she?

He dropped the curtain and went out into the kitchen. The windowpane in the back door was covered in the bubble-wrap he’d put up hastily before going out looking for her. Now he wondered if it was a mistake, if he’d messed up evidence. Not that the police gave a shit.

He opened the door and looked out into the yard, hoping there was something he’d missed earlier. Something he could take to the police and say, ‘Look, someone took her.’ Sure, he knew that a grown woman missing for a few hours wasn’t going to set off a major investigation, but they could’ve shown some interest. The officer was nice enough but he bet she’d forgotten all about Louise by now.

He stood in the doorway and watched his breath steam out into the air. He didn’t believe in God but he couldn’t keep count of the number of times he’d caught himself thinking Please God, let her come through that door. He didn’t care that he’d look foolish having to tell the police that she was back. He didn’t care that she’d been selfish enough to just disappear like that. All he cared about was her coming back to where she belonged.

He thought he was imagining it at first. But on the second knock he realised that it was actually his door. He raced into the hallway, praying it’d be Louise on the other side, locked out.

He opened the door and found PC Lawton standing there. His heart sank. ‘What’s happened?’

‘Mr Quinn,’ Lawton said. ‘Can I come in?’

Adam felt like the blood had stopped running through his veins. ‘Yes,’ he replied, his hand shaking, waving for her to enter. He led her into the living room and stood still, waiting for whatever it was she had to say.

‘Have you heard from Louise yet?’ Lawton asked, looking around the room as if she expected to find her there.

‘No,’ Adam said. ‘I thought . . . You haven’t found her?’

‘No,’ Lawton told him. ‘Sorry, I should’ve explained. I think I was a little dismissive when you came to the station. We’re a bit short of staff at the moment. But—’

‘You think something’s happened to her?’

‘No,’ Lawton said, head shaking like a bobblehead. ‘I have no idea. That’s why I’d like you to take me through it again.’

Adam slumped onto the chair. Why were they suddenly interested now? Something had to have happened.

‘Mr Quinn?’ Lawton said, notebook in hand.

Adam closed his eyes. ‘Okay,’ he said. As he started telling her his story again, he noticed Lawton glancing at the clock.

Chapter 70

17 December 2010

Freeman was on her way to Ben’s, still reeling, when Ray called her. She saw his name come up on her phone and she panicked. She needed to tell him it wasn’t Emma’s body, that Emma was alive and well and living as someone else. Or at least she was a few hours ago. But it wasn’t something she wanted to do over the phone. And right now she needed to get to Ben’s. She declined the call and felt the guilt welling up. He had a right to know, but not like this; she needed to tell him face to face. Plus she didn’t want to get his hopes up. Lucas Yates was out there looking for Emma too. This wasn’t necessarily going to have a happy ending.

She’d asked Gardner to organise getting prints from the house in Middlesbrough. She didn’t even know whose house to call it – Emma’s, Jenny’s or Louise’s. She wondered if Lucas Yates had been there. If he’d done something to Emma. Lawton had mentioned a broken door.

But how did he even know? She couldn’t get her head around it all. She’d been sure Lucas was her guy and she was doing everything possible to prove it. It made sense after everything that’d happened between Lucas and Emma, everything he’d done to her. But now she knew it wasn’t Emma who was dead.

Gardner had suggested that maybe Emma and Ben were more likely candidates to have killed Jenny. Emma taking on her ID proved that she at least knew the other girl was dead. But if Lucas didn’t kill Jenny, why had he been sniffing around? Why was he desperate to find Ben?