No Going Back (17 page)

The thought of what was to come filled Daniel with a buzz of anticipation. Tamzin had assured him that the chestnut, known around the stables as Rex, might pull a bit but would do nothing untoward, so Daniel could only hope he didn't make a fool of himself by falling off in front of the other relaxed and capable-looking riders in the string.

Tamzin reined her bay in to drop back beside Rex. ‘How's it going?'

‘Great, but completely different from anything I've ever ridden before. I mean, compared with Hilary's trekking ponies, Rex could be a different species.'

‘Well, you know what they say, “horses for courses”. These guys would be pretty hopeless finding their way across Dartmoor. In fact, there was a thoroughbred had to be rescued from a bog last summer. Its rider was a visitor, staying with friends, and the horse had just blundered in. You'd never see a native pony making that mistake.'

‘I suppose not. How deep are the bogs?'

‘Oh, they vary. Some you could wade through; some are rumoured to be upwards of twenty feet deep. The bright-green ones are easy enough to spot, once you've been warned, though some of the others are more tricky, but the Dartmoor ponies know the signs, and Hilary knows the moors like the back of her hand. Now, here we are,' she said, as they swung off the road into a large field which sloped up to meet the deep blue sky. ‘We'll go in twos. You and I first, along the bottom and then up the far side to the top. Don't worry, we'll take it steady. Take a handful of mane and get your weight well forward when we set off, then just follow me and do what I do.'

She fell back to pass on her instructions to the other six riders as they entered the field, and then caught up with Daniel, who was discovering that Rex had woken up quite a bit as he felt the turf beneath his hooves. They moved into a trot, keeping the horses on a tight rein as they loosened their muscles. Daniel's heart rate began to rise.

‘Ready?' Tamzin asked and, at his nod, sent her mount into a canter, heading along the lower edge of the field toward the far boundary.

Daniel had just enough time to wind his fingers into Rex's short mane before the chestnut shot away with a powerful thrust from behind the saddle that almost caught him napping. He threw his weight forward, standing in his stirrups, and tried to restrain Rex's urge to gallop flat out.

‘Shall we move up a gear?' Tamzin called after a hundred yards or so.

In response to Daniel's nod, she eased her hands forward a few inches, giving her mount permission to accelerate. Mentally crossing himself, Daniel followed suit, gasping as the icy air began to whistle past his ears and sting his eyes to tears.

By the time they had reached the turn at the end of the field, Rex had caught Tamzin's bay and they were galloping stride for stride, nostrils flaring as they exhaled sharp snorts of steam in time to the drumming of their hooves. Daniel felt like yelling aloud with the exhilaration of it. Thirty miles an hour might seem a snail's pace in a car, but on the back of a horse, with the wind whipping past and the grass just a blur underfoot, it was real, raw speed.

For a moment or two, Rex headed the bay, but as they breasted the rise and began to gallop back along the ridge, Tamzin sent her horse forward again, and by the time they pulled up she had 20 or 30 yards on Daniel and Rex had slowed to a canter.

As Daniel brought the horse back to a trot and the euphoria began to ebb, a wave of tiredness washed over him and he became aware for the first time of an intense burning in the muscles of his legs and arms.

‘That was incredible!' he exclaimed. ‘What a buzz! But I'm absolutely knackered.'

Tamzin laughed. ‘Well, we've got to wait for the others now, so you've got a chance to recover before we go on. I'm glad you enjoyed it.'

Standing up in her stirrups, she waved to the riders waiting below, and watching as the next two gathered their reins and set off along the lower hedge line, Daniel felt he could get to like the life of a racehorse trainer.

The phone call, just after lunch, jerked Daniel out of a haze of rare contentment. He had been making the fire up in Tamzin's tiny lounge while she made them both coffee. He pulled his jacket towards him and retrieved his mobile from the inside pocket.

It was Hilary.

‘I'm sorry to bother you, Daniel, but it's Katya. She's in a bit of a state.'

‘Why? What's happened?'

‘Well, I had to pop out at lunchtime, so I took her with me because she seemed a bit down – I hope that was all right? I didn't think we were likely to run into anyone she knew.'

‘But you did.'

‘Well, in a way. Actually, we were on our way back when we got caught in a police roadblock. Apparently some poor girl has been found dead on the moor; we heard it on the news. A courting couple found her in one of the car parks late last night.'

That would explain the cluster of emergency vehicles he and Tamzin had seen, Daniel thought.

‘So what upset Kat? Did they ask questions?'

‘Only where we'd come from and where we were going, and had we used the road yesterday – which we hadn't. No, what upset her is that she's sure she recognized one of the policemen.'

‘She did, did she? Where from?' Daniel's mind switched up a gear.

‘She said he came to Moorside House to see Patrescu, though she didn't know he was a policeman then.'

‘He didn't recognize her?'

‘I don't think so. I don't think she's ever actually
met
him.'

‘I don't suppose you got his name?' Daniel could hardly bear to hope.

‘No, I'm sorry. I feel a bit useless, but I can't remember if he even told us his name and of course I didn't realize it could be important until we'd driven on and Kat told me.'

‘That's OK. No problem. Can you remember what he looked like?'

‘Well, quite stocky. Maybe late forties or early fifties. Going bald. Not much help, am I?'

‘Don't worry.' It could have been Naylor, but equally Hilary's description probably covered half the officers in the Devon force.

‘Hang on. I think he was a sergeant,' she said suddenly. ‘Yes, he was. Another officer came over and he called him “Sarge”.'

‘And what did the other one look like?'

‘Younger. He was pale and had gingery hair – you know, that gingery-blond colour – and really pale blue eyes.'

Bingo! Daniel thought. That sounded like Naylor's sidekick, PC Innes, so it was a fair bet Naylor was their man.

‘Is Kat still upset? Do you want me to come over?'

‘
Would
you? She keeps asking when you're coming again. When we first heard about the body, they were saying it was a girl and I think she immediately thought of Elena, but they're now saying it's a young woman, so she's calmed down a bit.'

‘OK, I'll come over. See you soon.'

He put the phone down on Tamzin's coffee table just as she entered, carrying two mugs.

‘You're honoured. This is real coffee, made with hot milk,' she informed him. ‘Who was that? Did I hear you say you were going? Not before you drink this, I hope?'

‘Absolutely not. It was Hilary. Kat's in a bit of a state about something. She wants me to go over, but there's no frantic rush. By the way, I've found out what that business was about on the moor last night. A young couple looking for a spot for a clandestine bonk found a body instead. Something of a passion-killer, I imagine.'

Sitting next to him, Tamzin frowned. ‘Oh my God! How awful! Who was it?'

‘A young woman, apparently.'

‘But what happened? Do they know?'

‘Hilary didn't know, but it's bound to be on the news later.'

‘I guess so.' She snuggled close, cupping her hands round her coffee mug.

There was a long silence.

‘You all right?' Daniel asked.

‘Yeah, I was just thinking. I suppose you had to deal with stuff like that all the time. Dead people and such.'

‘Mm. Part of the job.'

‘So how do you cope? Doesn't it ever get to you?'

‘Sometimes. Especially when it's kids. But you can't afford to go to pieces. The best thing you can do is focus on catching whoever's responsible – if anyone is.'

‘You miss it, don't you?' Tamzin said, surprised. ‘Being a policeman, I mean.'

Daniel shrugged. ‘Sometimes.'

‘But you said the stress did get to you in the end . . .'

‘Yeah, it wasn't the actual work so much as the people.' He sat up, putting his half-empty mug down on the table. ‘Look, I think I'd better be on my way. Hilary did sound rather worried.'

Tamzin touched his arm. ‘I'm sorry. Have I gone somewhere I shouldn't?'

‘No, you're fine,' he said. ‘But I do have to go. Thanks for this morning – with the horses – it was incredible.'

‘I'm glad you enjoyed it. Any time you want to do it again . . .'

‘I'd like that, but I've got a feeling it's going to take me a day or two to get over this time,' Daniel said, standing and stretching stiff muscles. He bent to kiss her. ‘I'll call you.'

‘You do that.'

Hilary came out to meet Daniel as he parked the car.

‘Thanks for coming. I'm sorry, perhaps I shouldn't have taken her out,' she said. ‘But I had to go out myself, and she's been so restless since the other night I didn't like to leave her on her own.'

She looked so apologetic that Daniel was hit by a rush of guilt.

‘Oh God, I'm sorry. I've been taking you completely for granted and none of this is even your problem.'

‘It's as much my problem as it is yours, as far as I can see,' Hilary pointed out. ‘No one forced
you
to assume responsibility for Kat either – you chose to do that and I'm making that choice too. The poor kid needs someone on her side.'

‘You're a very special woman, Hilary McEwen-Smith, do you know that?'

‘Yes, we're both the cream of humanity,' she returned dryly. ‘And now we've finished patting one another on the back, shall we get down to business? Any luck with your contacts? I'm just assuming that's what you've been up to.'

‘None at all, I'm afraid. As far as my ex-colleagues at the Bristol Met are concerned, I'm a career-advancement leper.'

They were walking towards the house by now and Hilary stopped and turned towards him.

‘But why, Daniel? What happened?'

Daniel hesitated. ‘It's a bit complicated.'

‘Well, I like to think I'm reasonably intelligent. Try me.'

He shook his head. ‘Please, Hilary. Just leave it, OK?'

She was clearly reluctant to do so, but, providentially, they were interrupted by the appearance of Katya in the doorway to the farmhouse.

‘Daniel!'

As he turned towards her, she broke into a run and threw herself at him, wrapping her arms round his back and resting her cheek against his chest.

Over her dark head, Daniel raised his eyebrows at Hilary, who shrugged. When he'd last spoken to Kat, he could hardly claim to have been flavour of the month with her. Perhaps his absence, be it only for a couple of days, had brought it home to her that with him lay her only real chance of getting her sister back, however unsuccessful his attempts thus far.

‘Where have you been?' she demanded after a moment, stepping back to look at him. ‘Have you been back to the house?'

‘No. I've been trying to contact a friend who might be able to help.' He noticed that Kat's hair had been restyled from an untidy mop into a short and sassy bob. It suited her – made her look older and more sophisticated. She was also wearing some new clothes.

‘And can he?' Hope sparkled for a moment in Katya's eyes.

‘No. That is, I couldn't speak to him. He's in hospital.' Daniel cravenly avoided the issue.

‘But that's no good! Elena is in danger now – you said so yourself.'

‘I know. And that's why I think it's time we go to the authorities,' Daniel said gently, starting to walk towards the house.

‘You mean the police.'

‘They'd have to be involved, yes.'

‘But you promised!' Kat stayed where she was, catching his arm and forcing him to turn and look at her.

‘I promised I wouldn't do it behind your back – and I won't. I just have to make you see that it's our only option.'

‘Look, I'll leave you to it. I have hungry horses to see to,' Hilary said. ‘But listen to him, Kat, please. He knows what he's talking about. Trust him, OK?'

Katya followed Daniel into the house, where they drank tea – which he didn't really want – and Kat obediently listened as he did his best to make her realize that they could do nothing on their own.

Her expression remained obdurate.

‘How can you tell me to trust your police when they are friends of that bastard Patrescu?'

How indeed? Daniel thought with sympathy. And who was he to urge trust in the authorities, with his bitter experience of betrayal at their hands?

‘Tell me about the man you saw earlier,' Daniel said. ‘You say he came to the house?'

‘Yes.'

‘In his uniform?'

‘No. Just normal clothes.'

‘Are you sure it was him?'

‘Yes, I'm sure.' Her confirmation was totally convincing in its simplicity.

‘Did you ever see him and Patrescu together? Did they seem to be friends?'

She shook her head. ‘No, I never saw them together. We only saw him come and go. Our room looked over the driveway and we used to watch from the window, Elena and me. Twice we saw him, but I didn't know he was a policeman until this morning. He was on the television at lunchtime. On the news,' she added.

‘Was he, indeed?' Daniel looked at his watch. ‘There should be more news at six. I wouldn't mind seeing that, but just at the moment I think we should go and see if Hilary needs a hand. By the way,' he added, as they got to their feet, ‘who did your hair? Hilary?'