The Elemental (Blair Dubh Trilogy #1) (24 page)

“
Buried alive,” whispered Nora.

Martin stepped forwards.
“May I examine you?”

Freya looked at Craig.
“Please don’t leave me.”

“
I won’t, promise.”

She managed to raise a small smile for him, gripping onto his hand as Martin checked her over. He confirmed her left wrist was broken and put it in a sling.

“Apart from the wrist you seem okay. You’re going to be very stiff and sore for a few days. You’ve also got a lovely big lump on the side of your head. Some Paracetamol, sleep and a really good bath and I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

“
That’s good to know. Thanks Martin,” smiled Craig, relieved.

“
Would you like me to run you a bath, Hen?” said Nora.

“
Please,” replied Freya in a timid voice so unlike herself.

They all listened as there was the thunder of footsteps on the stairs and at first they thought it was the storm reaching new levels, until the door burst open and Bill and Jimmy charged in. Freya gasped and clutched onto Craig.

“It’s alright. They helped get you out of there,” he explained.

“
Freya, are you alright?” said Bill, approaching the bed.

She was so afraid she couldn
’t reply and started to shake all over again.

“
Perhaps you should leave Bill? You’re scaring the life out of the poor girl,” said Nora.

“
I’m so sorry, I really thought it was you but now I know…you could have been killed because of me…I’m sorry,” he repeated, not knowing what else to say.

“
Please leave, you’re upsetting my patient,” said Martin firmly.

“
But...”

“
Just go Bill,” said Craig in a cold hard voice. Despite how he’d helped save her, his actions had nearly killed Freya.

“
I’m sorry,” said Bill quietly before hanging his head and leaving, Jimmy filing out behind him.

“
Right, I’ll get that bath run,” said Nora before leaving the room, the sound of running water following a moment later.

“
That’s my cue to leave,” said Martin. “I’ll be back to check on you in a few hours, I’m concerned about that knock to the head.”

“
Thanks Martin,” called Craig as he left the room.

“
Shall we go back up to the castle and have a look around, see what we can find?” said Steve, causing Gary to glare at him.

“
I admire your spirit but there’ll be nothing to find. The perpetrator will be long gone and if he did leave any evidence behind it’ll be washed away by now. Go across to the pub and interview everyone you can find. I want to know where each and every one of them has been this past couple of hours.”

“
Can we...” began Gary.

“
No you can’t have a bloody drink, you’re on duty and you’ve an important job to do.”

Wearily they both nodded and left the room, leaving Craig and Freya alone.

“I haven’t said thank you for saving my life,” she said quietly, throat sore.

“
You’re welcome. I have to ask you something and I don’t want you to get upset.”

She nodded, indicating that she wouldn
’t.

“
When you were locked in the cellar did you have a drink? Only I found an open whisky bottle.”

“
No I didn’t. I held the bottle, I opened it but I didn’t drink it, even though it was very tempting.”

“
You should be proud of yourself.”

“
I don’t know if it was my inner strength or the fact that I couldn’t hold the bottle straight because I was shaking so badly.”

“
Why did you open it in the first place? Freya?” he said when she refused to meet his eyes.

“
To be honest, after I’d been left underground with a dead body I lost it a bit. I thought anything would be better than the situation I was in. But I didn’t do it.”

He took her hand.
“And that’s what matters. If you didn’t crack under that pressure then you’ll never crack.”

This thought actually cheered her up.
“Thanks for coming to my rescue.”

“
Anytime,” he smiled, kissing her.

“
Bath’s ready,” said Nora, barging into the room. “Maybe you should wait downstairs Craig?”

He rolled his eyes.
“It’s nothing I’ve not seen before Mum.”

Her eyes narrowed.
“This is women’s business.”

“
Since when have baths been women’s business?”

“
I’d like him to stay, if you don’t mind Nora?” said Freya. “Besides, I’ve got to give my statement.”

Nora
’s lips pursed into a disapproving line. “Alright, if that’s what you want Sweetheart but don’t you dare go mauling the poor girl Craig, she needs her rest.”

“
I’ll try to control myself Mum.”

“
Fine, I’ll be downstairs having a big drink. Oh bloody hell, me and my enormous gob, I’m sorry Freya.”

“
It’s alright. I can’t drink but I don’t begrudge anyone else.”

Nora hesitated before throwing her arms around Freya and kissing her cheek, getting mud all over herself but not caring.
“I’m glad you’re back safe.”

“
Your son’s the one to thank for that.”

“
Aye and he’ll be spoilt rotten for it.”

She patted her son
’s cheek before heading downstairs. Craig helped Freya limp into the bathroom and slowly peeled off her clothes, the removal of each item revealing more cuts and bruises, the skin of both elbows practically worn away after being repeatedly banged against the rough stone. Even the tattoo on her back was interspersed with patches of blue and purple. Craig studied the tattoo thoughtfully as he washed her hair, watching the suds trickle down it, washing away the muck.

“
So, what can you tell me about your attacker?” he said softly.

“
All I saw of him was black. He was wearing robes like Logan’s.”

“
Priest’s robes?”

“
Yes.”

“
His face?”

“
He wore a black ski mask.”

“
When did he attack?”

“
Just a few minutes after I’d been dumped in the cellar. I was sat on the floor with the bottle of whisky, wrestling with myself. The back door opened and I thought someone had come to save me. Then that big bat-like thing walked in.”

Craig could only imagine what she had gone through, thinking she was going to be let out of a nightmare, only to be thrown into an even worse one.

“How tall was he?”

“
Hard to say. He seemed enormous, but that was probably just my imagination. But he was strong. We fought. I tried to stab him with a broken whisky bottle but he got it off me and hit me round the back of the head with a cosh. If I hadn’t been so upset about being locked up in the cellar I would have given him a better run for his money, I might have been able to get away but I felt so weak, so tired of it all.”

“
I don’t like that phrase. I hope you’re not thinking of doing anything stupid?”

“
I had my chance and I didn’t take it.”

“
Good because James Pierce isn’t the only one who wants you around.”

Their eyes locked and the left side of her mouth lifted into a smile. It was the best she could manage right then but it meant a lot to him.

“So, what’s the next thing you remember?”

“
Waking up in the oubliette. I kept thinking about that rat we saw trapped in there when we were kids. I thought that was going to happen to me, smashed to bits. Then I remembered this time of year it floods with earth. He wanted to bury me alive, like Mum,” she said, a tear escaping from the corner of her eye and rolling down her face. “Why go to so much trouble? Why not just bury me?”

“
Fred said this time of year it would have taken hours to dig. He probably saw his chance after Bill put you in the cellar and had to act fast. Unfortunately you were locked up at high tide.”

“
He was going to watch me die. I saw him standing over the grille looking down at me. You must have scared him off because he ran away then suddenly you were there.”

Absently he ran the sponge across her shoulders as he lapsed into thought.
“He likes to watch them die.” It wasn’t a surprise, most killers did, it was how they got their kicks but how did that tie in with recent events? He felt what Freya had just said was important, that he’d somehow missed something about the murders but he couldn’t quite grasp what that was. He’d think about it later. He’d learnt that his brain wouldn’t work if forced. Frustratingly he had to wait for it to do things in its own time.

“
I think we’re going to have to run more water. This is filthy,” he said.

Craig helped her out of the bath and wrapped her in a big soft pink towel. She perched on the lid of the toilet seat shivering while he ran a second bath, having to scrub out the tub first to remove the stubborn tide mark. Once she was back in the warm water he asked her more gentle encouraging questions about what had happened but she couldn
’t tell him anything else.

“
That won’t happen again, I promise,” he said.

She lifted one hand out of the water to touch his face.
“This guy killed Catriona when five people were due at her house, he got to Brenda in the middle of the street in daylight and he took me from a pub full of people. If he wants someone he’ll get them.”

He didn
’t like the resignation in her tone. “Don’t give him supernatural powers. He’s just a man and he’s not going to touch you again.” He said this passionately. After holding her limp in his arms he now appreciated her so much more and realised recent experience had increased his depth of feeling for her. “Anyway, I’m not going to let him take you because I’m kind of hoping that when this is over we can carry on seeing each other.” There, he’d said it. Maybe he’d regret it when the shock of what had just happened wore off but his gut was telling him it was right and in his line of work it was vital he trusted that instinct.

“
So it’s really over between you and Mandy?” she said.

“
God yes, she was a nightmare.”

“
So am I.”

“
You have your moments,” he smiled before kissing her, tasting soap suds on her lips. “So what do you say?”

“
I say yes,” she replied, treating him to another smile.

CHAPTER 17

Craig helped Freya back into bed and tucked her in. She took some of the painkillers Martin had left then drifted off to sleep. Craig crept downstairs to find Gary and Steve. “How did you get on with the interviews?”

“
They all say they were in the pub when Freya was taken, but it’s crammed full of people. Any one of them could have snuck out without the others realising,” replied Gary.

“
Except for the doctor, he was sat with a sick patient, Joanie McNab. I went to the house to confirm this but I was told to go back in about half an hour, Joanie was being sick.”

“
She’s been unwell for a long time,” said Nora. “But she keeps hanging on in there.”

“
What’s wrong with her?” said Craig.

“
Cancer, terminal. Fred’s been nursing her for months.”

Craig rubbed at his grainy eyes. He was exhausted but there was no time for sleep.

“I want to speak to everyone on our suspect list. Gary, I want you to sit with Freya. Don’t let her out of your sight.” Craig told him firmly.

Gary nodded and ran a hand down his face, skin rasping against the stubble. He looked as exhausted as Craig felt.
“Got it.”

Craig clapped him on the shoulder in a half-hearted attempt at solidarity but they were both too tired for it to work properly.

While Gary went upstairs to begin guard duty Craig went across the road to the pub with Steve and his mum, who needed a stiff drink. The mood was a lot different to the last time he was in there. Rather than shouting and aggression he was greeted with silence and shame.

“
How’s Freya?” asked Gordon, white as a sheet with dark rings around his eyes. Silence reigned as everyone waited for Craig’s reply, only this time their eyes were full of sympathy.

“
She’ll live, no thanks to anyone in this room.”

“
Craig I…” began Bill.

“
I don’t want to hear it.” It occurred to Craig that in all the chaos he’d forgotten to ask Bill an important question. “What did you do with the robes you wore to scare Freya?”

“
I hid them in the bottom of my wardrobe.”

“
So you’ve not used them since or taken them out of the house?”

“
No.”

Craig
’s eyes settled on Martin. “A word.”

The doctor looked a little startled at being summoned so solemnly but obediently followed Craig through to the back room.

There was no amiability left in Craig. He didn’t care that he’d known this man his whole life. Freya had almost died and he was a suspect. “Where were you between one and three this afternoon?”

“
Err, I…I…” he stammered, unnerved by the anger radiating off Craig. “I went to see Joanie, Fred’s wife. All this business has made her ill.”

“
Who saw you there?”

“
Just Joanie. Fred was there when I arrived but he left to come here. I said I’d sit with her to give him a break, he’s cooped up in that house a lot, he’s her only carer.”

“
And they can both testify to you being there?”

“
Yes.”

Craig was downhearted.
“I will be speaking to them both to confirm that.”

“
Okay. Can I go now?” Craig’s aggressive demeanour was making him nervous.

“
Fine. Send Howard through. I’ve not finished with him.”

“
Will do,” said Martin, glad to get out of the room. A reluctant Howard appeared a minute later.

“
Hello?” he said warily.

“
Sit down Howard. I want to continue our little chat.”

The little man took his seat and Craig scrutinised him closely to purposefully put him on edge. He couldn
’t possibly have taken Freya because he was with him when she was abducted but that didn’t mean he was innocent of killing Catriona, Claire and Brenda.

“
Did you kill Catriona?”

“
No.”

Craig raised a doubtful eyebrow.

“I didn’t,” he cried, hands starting to shake.

“
What’s your opinion of Freya?”

He was disorientated by the sudden change of subject, as was Craig
’s intention.

“
She’s a very nice woman.”

“
That’s not what you said earlier.”

“
That was before I knew she wasn’t the killer.”

“
You’re the killer, aren’t you Howard? That’s why you tried to cast suspicion on her.”

“
No you’ve got it all wrong, I didn’t…I wouldn’t…” His lower lip started to wobble and he buried his face in his hands. “Please, I didn’t,” he said, actual tears forming in his eyes.

“
Did you lend the key to the church to anyone?”

Once again he was thrown.
“Excuse me?”

“
The key for the church?” he repeated.

“
What church?”

The muscle at the base of Craig
’s jaw throbbed with anger. “The big fuck-off church at the top of the hill. Has anyone borrowed it off you recently?”

“
No. Why?”

“
Where do you keep it?”

“
In a drawer at home.”

“
Does anyone know where you keep it?”

“
Half the village. We all went up there a few months ago to do some cleaning, it took days because it hadn’t been touched for a couple of years. We thought it shocking it going to rack and ruin like that. Some days I couldn’t be there because of work so I leant the key out to other people.”

“
Who did you lend it to?”

“
Err, Catriona.” His eyes misted at the memory of her and he gazed into space.

“
Who else?” demanded Craig, snapping him out of it.

“
Lizzy, Brenda…”

“
Any men?”

“
None that I can think of.”

“
How long did each woman have the key in her possession for?”

“
I don’t know, a couple of days.”

Ample time for someone to have a copy made, thought Craig. Someone could have taken it from them without them knowing, which didn
’t help him get any closer to the killer.

“
You can go now,” he said with a dismissive wave of the hand. “Send Toby in.”

Toby wasn
’t as easily intimidated as Martin and Howard and he sat across from Craig and glared at him.

“
I want to press charges against Freya,” he opened.

Craig
’s expression darkened. “You’d do that to a woman who almost died today?”

“
She could have severely injured me.”

“
But she didn’t.” Craig leaned across the table. “You push this Toby and I swear you’ll suffer for it.”

“
You’re threatening me?”

“
Yes and there’s no one to hear it. As far as I’m concerned that’s an end to the matter.”

“
Then I’m not talking,” he said, getting to his feet.

“
This is a police investigation and you will cooperate.”

“
Up yours.”

Craig jumped up and slammed the man back down in his seat.
“I’m not finished.”

Toby looked up at him warily, still defiant but much less lairy.
“Alright, get it over with.”

“
Thank you Sir,” smiled Craig, retaking his seat. “Where were you between one and three this afternoon?”

“
At home. I read for a bit then had a nap.”

“
How can you nap with all this going on?”

“
I’ve not been sleeping well at nights, I never do when there’s a storm. I was reading and nodded off. It wasn’t intentional.”

“
Did you kidnap Freya and dump her in the oubliette?”

“
Certainly not.”

Craig sized him up. Toby was certainly physically capable of being the killer and he was arrogant enough. His conceit reminded him of the Bellfield Monster and it was well known that a huge ego was all part of a serial killer
’s make-up. But why would he commit these crimes? He was an outsider.

“
Have you heard of Father Alexander Logan?”

“
Of course I’ve heard of him, it’s all anyone’s talking about but I never met the man. I saw him a couple of times just after I moved into the village but I never spoke to him. If you want to know who’s obsessed with him then you should talk to Adam, he knows all about him.”

“
What are you talking about?”

“
Adam’s a ghoul, he knows all the gory details of the original murders, even some I’ve never heard before.”

“
Such as?”

“
Now I don’t know how accurate this is but apparently Logan buried another woman alive in the churchyard before Lorna MacDiarmid, the first victim. He buried her then returned to the Parish House to watch the grave, knowing the poor woman was slowly suffocating. Sick stuff.”

“
What?” exclaimed Craig, thinking about how Freya said her attacker wanted to watch her die.

Toby frowned.
“You didn’t know?”

“
No, no one does. That woman’s body has never been found. Why have you never mentioned this before?”

“
I didn’t see how it was relevant. He’s just a young lad with an interest in serial killers.”

“
Excuse me, he’s interested in serial killers?”

“
You’ve obviously never been in his room. It’s full of weird posters and books.”

“
What were you doing in his room?”

Toby frowned.
“I accidentally spilled coffee over my laptop a few weeks ago. Adam said I could use his to check my e-mail and his computer is in his bedroom, it isn’t portable. It was perfectly innocent, not what your disturbed mind’s thinking.”

“
Where’s Adam now?”

He shrugged.
“How should I know?”

Craig shot to his feet.
“Do not leave this pub,” he said before rushing out of the room.

As he sped through the bar Steve entered by the front door.
“Sarge, I spoke to Fred and Joanie, they confirmed the doctor was at theirs when Freya was taken.”

“
Thought they might,” he said, eyes jumping about the room, seeking Adam, but he wasn’t there.

“
Gordon, have you seen Adam?” he asked quietly.

“
Not for a while.”

“
When did you last see him?”

He thought hard.
“Just after Freya had been locked in the cellar.”

“
Come on,” Craig told Steve.

“
Where are we going?” he said, following him outside.

“
Adam Michie’s. Apparently he’s got a morbid interest in serial killers, especially Father Logan. He knows something about the original case that no one else does.”

“
What’s that?”

“
That there was a victim before Lorna MacDiarmid, who was thought to be Logan’s first victim.”

“
Christ.”

“
I know.”

The rain was easing up and weak sunshine was starting to break through. The storm was finally beginning to blow itself out, thank God. Soon the cavalry would be able to come through.

“Which house is it?” said Steve.

“
Two doors down,” replied Craig, pointing to a white cottage with a yellow door.

Craig burst in without knocking to find a little old woman sat in an armchair knitting by the fire. The boom boom boom of a drum and the deep warble of a bass guitar drifted down from above.

“Who’s there?” she called, fear in her voice.

“
It’s alright Betty it’s just me, Sergeant Donaldson and PC McKay.”

“
Oh thank the Lord for that, you scared me Boy.”

He watched her fingers deftly moving the needles, so practiced they fortunately had no use for her sightless eyes.
“Sorry. Is Adam here?”

“
He’s in his room. That bloody music’s been playing all day, it’s giving me a headache.”

“
Can we go up and see him?”