The Elemental (Blair Dubh Trilogy #1) (29 page)

“
He doesn’t deserve you. Why can’t you love me like I love you?”

“
I do James, I always will, but we’d be terrible together. We drag each other down, you know that.”

He nodded and raked his hands through his hair.
“I heard how the killer selected his victims.”

“
Abortions. Apparently his lover aborting his child pushed him over the edge.”

“
I often think about what our baby would have been like.”

It was the first time he
’d mentioned it to her directly since that day he found her in the squat and said he wanted them to run off to Gretna Green together. She was pleased. It had remained the big unspoken thing between them for years and it was time the air was cleared. “And what do you see?”

“
A boy. Obviously he’d be eleven by now, blond haired and green eyed, like you. I’d come home from work and you’d both tell me about your days. He’d be into sports and science like me. Sorry I couldn’t resist that vanity,” he smiled.

She released a small tinkle of laughter as tears formed in her eyes.
“Go on.”

“
We’d go to the park at weekends, have friends round for sophisticated dinner parties and take our boy to see my parents.”

“
I like that picture.”

“
Me too,” he replied, touching her face. “But I get the feeling reality wouldn’t have turned out like that.”

“
It wouldn’t. I can’t cook so your sophisticated dinner parties would have consisted of beans on toast and your parents hate me. And there’s a good chance you would have ended up a hopeless alcoholic like me and our little boy would have been taken into care. Things turned out the right way James, I’m sure of it. Veronica can give you all those things I can’t; the dinner parties, the sophisticated life and I’m sure your mum and dad love her.”

“
They do,” he sighed.

“
And so do you.”

He nodded.
“I love you too.”

She took his face in her hands.
“You’ve got to let me go.”

His fingers tangled in her hair.
“I’ve tried so hard but I can’t.”

“
Please James, remember your promise.”

“
I haven’t forgotten.” He stroked her cheeks with his thumbs. “I’ve loved you since I was seventeen. Please, just one more kiss, just to say goodbye.”

Freya found herself unable to resist.
“Okay.”

She fell into his kiss, which had become so warm and familiar it was as though he was a part of her. Freya sank back into the pillows, keeping her arms locked around his neck, pulling him down with her.

Neither of them noticed Craig watching through the window, a bunch of red roses in his arms. He winced at the sight of them together, turned and slowly walked away.

“
Here, you may as well have these,” he said dejectedly, dropping the flowers into the arms of a passing nurse.

CHAPTER 20

ONE MONTH LATER

Craig entered the church in the affluent Thorntonhall district of Glasgow and his breath was taken by the sight of Freya dressed entirely in ivory. Her black hair was loose and she wore only the barest hint of make-up. He didn’t suppose a wedding was the place to dress goth. Of course James Pierce was there in his morning suit, looking unspeakably handsome. He frowned when Craig entered, warning in his eyes. Craig gave him a polite nod and hastened to take his place on the groom’s side of the congregation beside Freya, who hadn’t noticed him enter. When he sat next to her she did a double take.

“
What the hell are you doing here?” she whispered.

“
I was invited and I don’t think you should use words like that in here.”

“
James invited you?”

“
Yep.”

“
Why?”

“
He phoned to give me a telling off about how I treated you, but after I explained he realised you’d misunderstood the situation and he thought we should talk.”

Freya pursed her lips and folded her arms across her chest.
“Why do you want to talk to me? I thought you would have been back in your cosy love nest with that mad redhead.”

“
I told you, Mandy’s my ex.”

“
She didn’t look very ex in the village. You were all over each other.”

“
Correction, she was all over me for the benefit of the cameras. I told her to get lost.”

“
Why should I believe you?”

“
Because it’s the truth. I know what you thought, you saw her kiss me and you assumed I’d lied to you because you just can’t believe that someone could actually fall for you, your lack of self confidence won’t allow it. Easier for you to believe I’m a lying pig.”

“
Aren’t you?”

“
No.”

She lapsed into silence, giving herself time to mull over this surprising turn of events. Craig picked up a copy of the order of ceremony and started flicking through it.
“Oh God, do we have to sing?”

“
Yes.”

He glanced up at the front of the church where James was sat, pretending he was looking around the room, but it was obvious he was keeping an eye on them.

“How’s the wrist?” he said, indicating her bandaged arm. At least the sling had gone.

She rubbed it absently.
“It’ll be fine. Aches a bit though. So it’s definitely over with Mandy?”

“
Yes. It was over ages ago. She only wanted in on the publicity.” He leaned in to whisper in her ear. “I don’t think it’s me still tangled up with their ex.”

She turned to face him, her lips just inches from his own. He was even more gorgeous than she remembered.
“I’m not.”

“
I saw you both at the hospital.”

Freya blushed to the roots of her hair and her head snapped forwards.
“That was just to say goodbye.”

“
So there’s nothing going on?”

She gestured around her.
“What do you think?”

“
I need to hear it from you.”

“
There’s nothing going on. We finally managed to put all that behind us. Now we’re just friends.”

“
I’m glad to hear it because I’ve fallen in love with you.”

Her mouth fell open and her eyes filled with delight but before she had the chance to reply, the wedding march started up and they all got to their feet as the bride entered, looking radiant. Veronica was a beautiful woman, tall and statuesque, her light brown hair pulled back into a high bun and fixed with a veil. She was also incredibly clever and very sweet. Freya thought she was the only woman in the world deserving of James Pierce.

Craig saw James melt at the sight of his bride. Glancing down at Freya beside him he saw she was smiling up at him. Maybe it was true and James and Freya had finally got over each other. His hand found hers and he just had time to plant a kiss on her lips before they took their seats for the ceremony.

Craig and Freya strolled out of the church hand in hand after the ceremony and were forced to pose for photos, much to their mutual discomfort. In the aftermath of The Elemental they’d got extremely fed up of having their pictures taken, but at least this was with their consent.

Craig spied a po-faced middle-aged couple watching them, eyes narrowed with suspicion.

“Who are those nippy sweeties?” he whispered in Freya’s ear.

She cast a cold glare in their direction.
“James’s parents. They don’t want me here. Apparently they told James if I came they wouldn’t.”

“
And he told them to get lost, good on him.”

“
Actually it was Veronica who told them that.”

“
Wow, she’s understanding.”

“
Yes she is. She’s amazing. James is lucky to have her,” she said, smiling at the happy couple posing for the photographer, arms wrapped around each other.

Craig looked back at James
’s parents and was angry. This was the pair who’d forced Freya into having an abortion and kicked her out on the streets, their actions leading a serial killer straight to her.

“
Want me to arrest them?” he said.

“
What for?”

“
Being selfish arseholes.”

She laughed.
“Thanks for the offer, I’ll bear it in mind.”

After the photographs had been taken, James and Veronica approached them arm-in-arm.

“Congratulations,” beamed Freya, kissing them both on the cheek in turn.

“
Thank you,” smiled the bride. “And you must be Craig. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

“
You too.”

“
Freya’s told me so much about you, you’re all she’s talked about since she returned to Glasgow.”

“
Has she now?” he replied, smiling down at Freya.

“
Don’t look so smug, she’s exaggerating,” she retorted.

“
Not much,” said James, shaking Craig’s hand. “Glad you could make it.”

“
Thanks for inviting me. I really mean that.”

James nodded and Craig knew he
’d finally won his approval after all the pleading he’d done over the phone. It had taken a lot to convince him that he wasn’t a lying cheating toe-rag.

When the bride and groom wandered off to talk to more of their guests, Craig wrapped both arms around Freya
’s waist. “God you look beautiful.”

“
Do you prefer it to the goth look?”

“
No way, that’s far sexier,” he smiled. “And it’s all you. That’s what I want.”

“
You really do?”

“
Oh yes.”

He took her face in his hands, but before he could kiss her they were interrupted.

“Freya, who’s your friend?”

She sighed and turned to face James
’s parents. “Craig this is Dawn and Andrew Pierce.”

“
Sergeant Donaldson, from Blair Dubh?” said Dawn excitedly as though he were a celebrity. “We saw you tackling that horrible serial killer on the news, you’re a hero.”

“
Yeah, thanks,” he replied flatly, wishing people would stop going on about it. Plus the mere sight of these two idiots caused his blood to boil.

“
We were following the story with the rest of the country, we were on absolute tenterhooks,” she continued inanely. “Bookmakers were running bets on who the killer was, it was like a gigantic game of Cluedo. My money was on the pub landlord, it didn’t even occur to me that it could be that handsome young GP. You really didn’t know you were all over the news all that time?”

“
No.”

“
So you’re a couple now, you must be so happy?”

Craig could see Freya
’s temper growing, her green eyes shining with rage and she had every right to be angry.

“
You know Craig, my husband writes for a very prestigious newspaper, he’d be delighted to give you an interview,” added Dawn.

“
Sure I would,” said an eager Andrew. “You’d be paid very well for it, especially if you give us all the details of your relationship with Freya.”

“
Listen you fu…”

“
Craig, remember where you are,” Freya told him quietly.

“
Oh yeah, sorry. Listen you,” he continued in a quieter tone. “After what you did to Freya do you think I’d piss on the pair of you if you were on fire?” He pushed the image of Claire’s charred remains aside his words conjured up. “No. You’re a couple of selfish pricks and it amazes me how you raised a son who is so kind and caring of others.”

“
Do not speak to us like that Sergeant,” said Andrew. “I’m very influential around here, I could have you sacked in a heartbeat.”

“
Go ahead, see where you are when every newspaper and TV station in the country finds out you forced Freya to have an abortion when she was just sixteen because it was what
you
wanted. Now this is your son’s wedding day and I don’t want to spoil it so I recommend you go away and don’t come near me again. Can your tiny brains comprehend that?”

“
Come along Dawn, clearly the man’s deranged,” said Andrew, pulling his wife away. “He deserves that little tart.”

“
What did you say?”

Freya took Craig
’s hand and pulled him back when he advanced on them. “Just go away the pair of you,” she told them coolly.

“
Wankers,” whispered Craig, running a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that but…”

He was silenced by her lips pressing against his. He felt like a fool when he closed his eyes and pretended it was their own wedding day.

“
I’ve been given a promotion into CID,” Craig told Freya as they swayed together on the dance floor at the reception, which was being held at a massive five star hotel where the waiters wore bow ties and white gloves. Craig hated the place. Feeling eyes on him he glanced across the room to where Dawn and Andrew were standing together at the back. They hastily looked away.

“
Congratulations Detective,” smiled Freya.

“
Thank you.”

“
How’s Gary?”

“
Fine. He’ll be back at work in a couple of weeks. He’s in for a commendation.”

“
He deserves it. All three of you do.”

“
Me and Steve are up too.” His smile fell. “They found Martin.”

“
Thank God for that, I had nightmares that he was still alive.”

“
He’s most definitely dead. It wasn’t a pretty sight. Adam finally talked, it took us a long time to question him because he lost the plot when he was in hospital. Apparently he’s a paranoid schizophrenic. When he started behaving strangely his gran took him to see Martin. He saw in Adam someone who could be manipulated and told Betty he didn’t need to be referred to a psychiatrist, he could treat him himself. Instead of helping him he played on Adam’s interest in serial killers. He managed to convince him he was Father Logan. It seemed Martin was using him as a fall guy, but Adam wasn’t as easy to fool as he thought. When Adam realised he was going to set him up for the murders he fought back and Martin stabbed him and left him to die in the church. He won’t be punished, he’s not well. He’s been sent to a psychiatric hospital so he can get the help he should have got months ago.” His expression darkened. “We dug where Adam said Logan buried his first victim and we found a body. Although we’re still waiting for dental records and a DNA comparison to confirm it, judging by the jewellery found on the body it’s Isla James. She’d been stripped naked too.”

“
Gordon’s wife?”

“Yes. She didn’t run away after all and she was four months pregnant.”

“
Oh my God,” said Freya, her footsteps faltering. “Was the baby Gordon’s?”

“
No, he told us he’s infertile. According to Adam, Logan told Martin he was the father, an affair he had a few years before he took up with your mum. Logan tried to convince her to have it aborted but she refused. She said she only used him to get pregnant to make Gordon happy, he was so desperate to be a father. Of course that sent Logan over the edge. He knew she was claustrophobic and thought burying her alive would be a good punishment and get this, a yellow rosebush grew where we found her body, Logan planted it himself.”

“
That’s twisted. Poor Gordon, all these years he thought she’d left him.”