‘You’re so funny.’ I’m dizzy as she pulls me up again, just in time as someone racing along the narrow road speeds past, lifting my hair in a sudden gust. I hear the engine revving as the car pulls away even faster. ‘Dick,’ I shout as I realise how close I just came to death.
‘Idiot.’ Jen sticks her finger up at the car, but it’s too late. The driver has already gone. ‘Those kids will kill someone one day.’
‘Thanks for saving me, Jen.’ I plant a kiss on her cheek and she continues to guide me to my house where she left her car.
‘That was close. Feel my heart.’ Jen grabs my hand and holds it over her chest and I feel it beating rapidly.
Soon we are passing a tired-looking community hall. ‘That’s where I used to take Cally for stay and play.’
‘Do you miss those days?’ Jen smiles as she looks across the mound of grass.
‘I do. I miss them terribly. She was such a cute baby and then she was an even cuter toddler.’
‘Cally is exceptionally cute. I’ll give you that. It’s those big brown eyes, just like her mama’s.’
I cross my eyes and suck my cheeks in, and Jen laughs. That’s when we leave the street lamps behind and keep trekking and staggering along the narrowing path. ‘Can’t fall over, can’t fall over.’ I repeat this over and over again as Jen dutifully keeps hold of me. ‘I’m walking on that.’
‘That?’ Jen looks confused. I step down, now on the cycle path. She runs around to the other side of me. As she lets me go, I miss the stability of her petite but strong frame. Very soon, she’s back by my side, standing between me and danger.
Headlights fill the road. The main beam blinds me and before I have time to react, I see the yellow of Jen’s jacket flying over the bonnet, her dyed plum coloured hair splayed out mid-air before I hear a sickening thud. ‘Jen.’ I try to run around the car but my legs aren’t responding. Leaning on the bonnet for support, I drag my way around the car and glance through the window as I pass the passenger side. The driver isn’t in the car. There’s a fold-up bike on the back seat. The driver must be tending to Jen.
Reality hits me. ‘Jen,’ I yell as tears flood my face. I fall but continue crawling along the cycle lane. My knees bleed as all my weight presses my skin onto the road. Jen’s bag lies on the path, its contents strewn everywhere. The fancy cocktail sticks I asked her to save for me as a reminder of our night out. Her purse. Her car keys – everything. Then I see Jen and the blood makes me heave. With open lifeless eyes, she stares up at the moon. I shout but she still stares, not a flicker of movement.
Where’s the driver? I glance around as I reach Jen. Hugging her close to me, I try to fish my phone out of my pocket. ‘Please don’t die.’ I try to unlock it but my shaking fingers are like butter and my mind is fuzzy. Everything is so surreal, I think I might be dreaming. I feel a presence behind me; a waft of air as someone reaches over and snatches my phone. ‘She needs an ambulance.’ My phone is dropped to the floor and the driver stamps on it, cracking the screen. ‘What are you doing? My friend needs help.’ I’m distracted by the number plate. I recognise it but is the person in the balaclava him?
I see the shiny crowbar in the hands of a gloved person and I flinch as the searing white pain of the strike cracks my head. Blood trickles through my fingers and I can’t see from one of my eyes for a few seconds. ‘Please. What are you doing? Please just leave us.’ The crunch of a fist hits my face and all I can think of is Cally. My little Cally. I want to be with her but I fear I will never see her again. I might not even see tomorrow. As he manhandles me, I grab anything, catching some material sticking out of his pocket. I let it go, whatever it was is of no use to me. The world is a blur and I feel rough material around me as he scrunches up my limbs to fit in the boot of the car. I cry out for Jen one more time but she can’t hear. No one can hear. My nose fills up and my face is soaked with tears. I can’t breathe. My heart – it’s beating too fast. I gasp and fight my peppering vision as another blow meets my head. It’s all over. This is how I’m going to die. ‘Please,’ I gasp between breaths, ‘don’t hurt me.’
That’s when I hear the muffled voice through the balaclava. ‘Why would I do that? This is just the beginning.’ The figure strokes my matted hair. ‘I have a surprise for you.’
Whatever it is, I’m never going to see it. I can’t see and I’m sinking, losing myself and… I… can’t… breathe…
TWO
Detective Inspector Gina Harte leaned over one of the desks in the incident room and stared at the boards. Another case closed. It had been a long day, as usual, and all she wanted to do was go home and snuggle with her cat. She removed the bobble from her hair and allowed her freshly dyed brown waves to fall over her shoulders. Tiredness had crept into every part of her body to the point that if she breathed any deeper, she’d be asleep with her eyes open.
‘You heading home?’ Detective Chief Inspector Chris Briggs walked through and grabbed his suit jacket, his thick fingers doing up the buttons after he’d pulled it over his shoulders. His hair flopped forward slightly as he reached for his bag under the table.
Gina wondered how, after they’d been so close these past few months, he could lie so easily to her face. ‘Yes, just finishing up. I need a shower and my bed.’ She yawned. Her gaze fixed on his for a moment longer than a glance, but he gave her no clues as to what he was thinking. He was the man she’d trusted with everything. He’d helped her to shut up the journalist who was trying to expose her secrets to the world. He also knew that she’d gone out of her way to make sure her ex-husband, Terry, died all those years ago after she helped him to fall down the stairs. All those skeletons were kept in the closet because he chose to keep the door locked and that was Gina’s problem. She was losing him.
She’d seen him with some woman, coming out of a pub a couple of days ago on her way back from the supermarket. She swallowed, knowing that she could never give him the relationship he craved but now, tonight, wasn’t the time to discuss it. Maybe this is how their secret relationship ended.
She sighed as she thought of the smart-looking, olive-skinned woman she’d seen him with. He’d looked happier and more carefree than he’d ever looked in Gina’s company. If Briggs moved on, he would definitely leave a void in her life, especially as he was the only person on the planet who truly knew her.
Footsteps sounded down the corridor and Detective Sergeant Jacob Driscoll burst through the swinging door. Gina cleared her throat before looking away from Briggs. Jacob paced across the room before pulling out a chair, his ear fixed to his phone. He ended the call.
‘You still here?’ Gina pushed thoughts of Briggs from her mind. If you love a person, sometimes it’s best to let them go. At least one of them could be happy. That’s what she tried to tell herself. The churning in her stomach at the thought of him enjoying spending time with someone else, told another story.
Jacob nodded. ‘Yes, I was just trying to get hold of Jennifer but she’s not answering. I’ll try again in a minute. I have a couple of things to do to wrap up the case but I need a drink. Anyone else want a cuppa?’
Gina watched as Jacob’s foot bounced on the floor. It wasn’t like him to be nervous, in fact, he was always the face of cool. Always neatly groomed, he was currently sporting the tidiest short back and sides she’d seen in a while. His late thirties were treating him much better than hers did. She unzipped her jacket. ‘Yes, I’ll have a coffee with you.’
Briggs smiled and stepped towards the door. ‘I’ll skip the drink. I’ll catch you both tomorrow.’ Jacob continued staring at his phone as Briggs waved as he headed towards the door. She glanced at him and forced a smile, knowing that he was probably going to be with her.
As Jacob tapped away on his phone, she glanced out of the window into the car park where she watched Briggs messaging someone before getting into his car. A couple of police cars pulled out and another arrived. Several drunken people sat on a wall smoking. There was always a crowd at the station on a Saturday night. She inhaled, taking in the smell of Detective Constable Harry O’Connor’s cheeseburger from earlier and her stomach clenched in hunger. ‘Are we getting this drink anytime today, Jacob? You could check to see if O’Connor left any of that chocolate volcano cake in the kitchen. Mrs O exceeded herself with that bake.’ Yes, she needed a shower but with a coffee and a bit of cake being offered, she’d stay.
He bit his lip and rubbed the fine layer of the day’s stubble. ‘Yes, I’ll just hit send on this message.’ He stood in the middle of the room, staring at his phone. ‘And it’s gone.’
‘You’re not yourself.’
