Echoes of the Past (28 page)

“Are
you all right?” Matt asked.

Jess
could not understand. The contrast between the man she knew, and had known her whole life, and the monster that had done such terrible things. Her brain would not allow her to merge fully the two images. Everything surreal, she flinched as Matt touched her arm.

He
smiled at her and holding his palms up toward her, he backed away. “Ok, I can see you are upset, I just wanted to make sure you were all right.”

“Why
have you never been caught?”

“Because
I’m very careful, Jess. Only one other person has, stumbled, if you like on to my secret. Yet again, I was forced to hurt someone that I was very fond of. Something I’m not proud of.”

Matt
cast his mind back to the day he had met Sara. The urgency she had to meet with Tom. Her discovery of what his father had done to Susanna Wheeling had jeopardised his whole existence. It would only have been a matter of time before Tom would have put all the pieces together if she had told him what she knew. He quickly slid the memory out of his mind, he wasn’t fond of the feelings it evoked in him, in fact the only feelings Matt had any time for were of self gratification and adulation. The very emotions that empowered him and drove him to do the horrific things he did.

“I
also have friends in high places.” Matt smiled at Jess. “Do you believe for one moment that I am the only rich man in the country with, shall we say unusual hobbies.”

Jess
looked in horror not fully understanding or hearing what he was saying.

“I
could sit and talk to you all day, Jess, you know how much I love our chats, but we have to deal with the real issue at hand. What do we do with you?” Matt stood up and slapped his palms against his thigh. He knew deep down what he would eventually have to do, he was just weighing up the consequences. Wondering just how big a risk he would be taking.

“Uncle
Matt, my legs are numb, can I stand up please?”

Seeing
her as no real threat Matt nodded. Jess slowly pulled herself to her feet. Although standing she still could not feel the legs beneath her, uncertain as to whether they would continue to support her she leaned against the wall. A strong scent of perfume drifted under her nose. Jess drew a deep breath as her senses where ignited with the familiar smell of her mother that seemed to be all around her. Slowly a sense of power and strength ebbed its way into her stomach, smothering the panic and terror that had been gripping her until this point. She jumped at the sound of a bang as the light bulb shattered, plunging the room into complete blackness.

RUN, RUN.

Jess could hear the barely audible whispers in her head. The only thing that she could see was a faint stream of light coming in from the upstairs, filtering its way down the dark stairs only just visible by the open door. With renewed vigour, she made a lunge for what she thought was the door, banging her shoulder on the frame she made it out of the dank room to the bottom of the stairs. She ran up the flight with her hands touching the step in front as she almost fell over her self trying to increase her speed, to afraid to look back she could sense something behind.

“JESS!”
A loud bang came from behind as Matt negotiated the darkness to follow her.

Jess
emerged from the secret place in to the stall; Matt was right behind.

*****

Danny stood outside the Deer Lodge with John Caulder.

“So
you’re sure you haven’t had any strangers pop in for a drink, anyone from the other villages or any thing?”

“I’m
positive. Business is quiet at this time of year, maybe Patrick should spend the money on some CCTV or something if he thinks someone is stealing his fuel or whatever from his farm.”

John
Caulder was sitting in his usual seat outside the hotel watching with only slightly veiled contempt as the village began to come to life.

Danny
put his note pad away and thanked him. He was walking away when he noticed the message on his mobile. Goyl farm had a black spot, with no reception.

I
must
have
missed
a
call
when
I
was
up
there
, he thought.

He
stopped a few feet away from John to retrieve his message. Hurriedly Danny dialled Lee but got no reply. Quickly he dialled Tom.

“Tom,
I got your message, I can’t get hold of Lee …”

“Just
get up there, Danny, get Jess home.”

“Are
you sure it is Matt?”

“Danny
get up there, I’ve called for back up, there is no question. It’s Matt.”

Danny
hung up the phone and stood for a second taking in the information. He turned to get into his car and found John Caulder standing close behind him.

“Did
you …”

“I
have to go, John.” Danny pushed him aside and climbed in to his car. His siren wailed as he pulled up the high street to make the short journey to Ingaldean Estate.

John
Caulder stood silently watching as the young officer drove away. He knew Tom Hunter had been looking into Angela Harrison. It had put him on edge for some time. John had always suspected that his daughter had played a part in the disappearance of her friend; he even thought on some level that she might have involved her brother. He went over to the table and flopped down on his chair, as he began to realise that not only was his daughter innocent of any crime, but that he had been punishing her for it for so many years, pushing her away.

*****

Tom accelerated hard, his siren screeching as he passed the other traffic on the motorway. The needle was pushing ninety, he sent up a silent prayer to Sara.
Please
,
keep
her
safe
. They were the only words he would repeat, as he careered up the motorway toward Coppersfield.

*****

As Jess emerged into the brighter stable, she could feel her feet slipping in the fresh sawdust. Her head banged and her shoulder ached from the force she had hit the doorframe. Just in front of her, she saw the wheelbarrow they had been using, still filled with the sawdust and a large spade sitting on top of the pile. With strength she didn’t know she had, nor did she question, she lifted the spade and turned swinging it at her uncle as he emerged from the hallway. The spade caught him on the lower jaw sending him back, staggering against the barn wall.

Jess
dropped the spade and took off running for the stable door. She pulled the heavy wooden door open, her lungs filled with the damp air that rushed her. The rain was just easing off as she fled from the barn with no direction in mind, just to escape.

Lee’s
small blue mini pulled up in a skid in front of her. Jess could feel her legs give way at the relief of seeing Lee. She ran the last few feet to the car before falling against the hot bonnet. Lee jumped out and grabbed her.

“Get
in,” she yelled as she pushed Jess in the front seat. Running round she climbed into the driver’s side.

“Aunt
Lee, Gemma is still in there.” Lee could feel a sensation of dread wash over her knotting her stomach. The urge to run was tempered by the knowledge that a child was in danger. She knew she was the adult; she had no choice.

“It’s
uncl–”

“I
know, Jess. Where is Gemma?”

“You
won’t find her on your own, I have –”

“Jess.
You stay in the car, now where is she.”

“In
the barn, the first stall has a door taking you down to a bunker, she is in a wooden box down there, I think she’s hurt bad.”

Lee
stared at her in disbelief.

In
a
wooden
box
,
a
secret
bunker
. She gathered her thoughts.

“Do
not leave this car, sit in the driver’s seat, if Matt comes out and I don’t, drive.”

“I
can’t drive.”

“Sure
you can. Just press hard on that peddle, and push this into drive. Keep the doors locked till I get back.”

Jess
looked at her pleadingly. She wanted to get Gemma, but she did not want Lee going in alone.

“I
mean it, Jess, wait here.”

Lee
got out of the car and walked toward the stable. She felt as though the building itself was watching her approach. Slipping in the open door she looked around. She could hear the horses in their stalls, but the rest of the barn had an eerie silence. Slowly and tenuously, she walked up the centre of the large stable house. Looking around her as she went. There was no sign of Matt Ingles. Half way in she came to the horse stalls. Just as Jess had said, the first stall had a doorway. Ominously silent it revealed a yellowish light and a flight of stairs going down. Lee swallowed hard. Her feet planted firmly in the spot she could feel the dread sickeningly rising inside her; she became aware of a presence behind her.

*****

Jess sat for what seemed like a long time. The rain had stopped but the streams of water running down the windscreen gave the barn an undulating effect. She jumped when Danny wrapped on the side window.

“Are
you all right, Jess?”

Jess
shook her head. “No, Aunt Lee has gone in there to get Gemma and she hasn’t come out yet, Uncle M–”

“I
know who it is, stay here.” Danny pulled his nightstick and ran for the stable. He slipped in the door and looked around. He could see a pair of feet thrashing around outside the first stall. He ran toward them. Matt Ingles was on top of Lee, his hands squeezing tight around her throat. Without a second thought, Danny brought his nightstick down on top of his shoulder, then across the side of his head. Matt fell to the floor as Lee rolled on to her knees and leaned forward coughing.

Danny
had another hit at him before pulling his handcuffs out of his belt. “Matt Ingles, I’m arresting you for assault.” Danny pulled his arms hard behind his back and pushed the cuffs hard on his wrist. The wail of sirens from outside, told Danny the back-up had arrived.

Just
like
in
the
movies
, he thought,
they’re
too
late
.

*****

Tom arrived to see the estate bathed in blue lights. He got out of his car and ran toward the first ambulance where he could see Danny standing. Jess and Lee where inside. The relief washed over him leaving him weak as he held on to Jess, he reached out a hand to Lee.

“They’re
fine, Tom. Just in shock.”

“It
was Aunt Lee, Dad, if she and Danny hadn’t ...”

“Shh,
it’s all right,” he said stroking her hair. He looked to see the dark bruising developing on Lee’s neck. Without saying a word, he squeezed her hand realizing just what she had done for Jess.

“Where’s
Gemma?” he asked with newfound concern.

“She’s
gone already, the ambulance took her. They think she may have a concussion. Don’t look now, but here come the big boys,” Danny said.

Detective
Inspector Scott Kerr walked toward them. The forensic teams where already unpacking their equipment and filtering into the stable.

“Where’s
Matt?” Tom asked.

Danny
nodded to the next ambulance where a group of officers where standing outside the open doors. “Your Jess almost broke his jaw.”

Tom
gave Jess a look of astonishment.

Scott
Kerr approached them; he shook Danny’s hand commending him for his quick actions.

“Do
you want to go down and see what we have, Tom?”

Tom
hesitated for a second, but he had to know. He had to see what he had been blind to for all these years.

Tom
descended the stairs to the room, which was now illuminated with forensic floodlights, ensuring nothing would be missed.

Tom
felt a chill penetrate to his soul as he realized the room he was standing in was the same one his daughter had been dreaming about.

He
walked over to the wall to look at the photographs. All five of his missing women including, Chloe Davis stared back at him. In the bottom of one of the rows, a photograph of Olivia.

“From
Angela Harrison to Chloe Davis, he has taken Polaroid’s, but Susanna Wheeling and these other women, it looks as though it’s just newspaper clippings he has.”

In
a sombre tone, Tom replied. “The newspaper clippings are the victims of his father; he mustn’t have had pictures of those women.”