Bad Moon Rising (#1 - D.I. Paolo Storey Crime Series) (32 page)

***

Dave pulled the car into a lay-by. Paolo’s hands shook so badly he could hardly press the keys to get Katy on speed dial. When he did, her phone rang and rang.

“Whose bloody phone was she using, Dave? And why the hell isn’t she answering her own?”

He ended the call and keyed in Lydia’s number, gasping with relief when she answered.

“Lydia, where’s Katy?”

“What do you mean, where is she? She’s with you.”

“What? No, she isn’t. I’ve just had a call from her on someone else’s phone and she sounds like she’s in trouble. She’s not answering her own phone.”

“Paolo, this isn’t funny.”

“Jesus, you think I’d joke about something like this? Why did you think Katy was with me? Where did she say she was going?”

“She didn’t come home from school. She called to say she’d be meeting you at the station and the two of you were going to do something together. Didn’t she turn up? Is that it?”

Paolo thought back to Katy’s call earlier, when he’d brushed her off. A freight train hit him in the pit of his stomach. Katy was in trouble and it was his fault for not listening to her.

“Lydia, I’ve got to get off the phone so that I can put a trace on the number Katy called me from and one on her phone as well. Don’t worry, I’ll find her. I promise.”

“You mean you don’t even know where she called from? Paolo, I swear to God, if anything happens to Katy I’ll never forgive you. Never.”

“You think I’ll ever forgive myself?”

Before she could answer, he ended the call and scrolled through the menu to find the number Katy had called from. He read it out to Dave who was already on the line to the tracing service.

Paolo was vaguely aware of Dave saying they needed to know the whereabouts of the two signals urgently, but couldn’t concentrate on the actual words. He couldn’t breathe. His head swam as nausea washed over him in waves. Someone had Katy. His beautiful daughter was in trouble. She needed him and he’d let her down.

They sat in silence until Dave’s mobile rang. Paolo wanted to snatch the phone out of Dave’s hand, but forced himself not to move. Katy’s safety depended on him following procedure. If he did his job, he’d find her. Please God, let that be true.

“Right, yep, got that. Thank you,” Dave said, shut his phone and started the engine. “Katy’s phone signal is showing as still in town, but...”

“But what?”

Dave pulled out onto the road. “But the coordinates from the phone Katy used are the same as those for Roberts’ cottage. It looks like he might have Katy.”

The freight train picked up speed and demolished Paolo’s insides. This couldn’t be happening.

“Drive, Dave. Put your bloody foot down. If that bastard hurts her I’ll kill him. Put out a call for all units nearby. Let’s hope there’s a car closer to the place than we are.”

After a nightmare journey, with Paolo’s mind painting pictures he couldn’t bear, they finally arrived at the GPS coordinates.

“Christ, Dave, this is the back of beyond. No other houses for sodding miles, apart from that tiny building up ahead. Are you sure we’re in the right place?”

“It’s where the satnav is taking us, so it must be.”

Dave pulled up outside the cottage and Paolo jumped out before the car had even stopped moving. As he ran towards the front door, he could hear music playing. Then, overlaying the words of
Bad Moon Rising
, the sound of someone in agony rent the air. Katy, that was Katy screaming. His brain felt like fire as he pounded on the door.

“Open this fucking door,” he yelled. “Dave, help me here.”

They tried to force the door open, but it wouldn’t give an inch. Another scream filled the air and Paolo nearly threw up.

“The windows,” Paolo yelled. “You go that side and I’ll go this way.”

But when he ran to the nearest window, he found burglar bars blocking the way. Dave called out to say the windows on his side were also protected. Then a klaxon sounded, getting closer with each note. A uniform car screeched to a halt and Paolo ran down the path towards it.

“I’m DI Storey,” he panted. “The girl screaming is my daughter. Get the fucking door open.”

One of the uniformed officers opened his car boot and pulled out a portable battering ram. He and his colleague rammed it against the door, again and again until it flew open and the sound of Katy’s screaming intensified. Paolo pushed past the officers and ran inside.

He was halfway down the passage when the music stopped. Katy screamed.

Then the screaming stopped.

C
HAPTER 
T
WENTY-
S
EVEN

Paolo ran, almost falling over in his haste to reach the first door, but the room was empty. Rushing to the next door, he flung it open and stopped dead on the threshold of a room that looked for all the world like the inside of a chapel – with the exception of the bed in the middle of the room.

Naked and spread-eagled on the bed, tied hand and foot, was Katy, her face a mass of bloodied bruises. Straddled over her was a figure in a monk’s robe, his hands round Katy’s throat. Paolo flew towards the bed and launched himself at the man, his momentum carrying both of them to the floor.

Pinning the monk to the floor, Paolo lashed out, fists flying.

“You’ve killed her, you bastard. You’ve killed my Katy.”

Rage such as he’d never known took over. He’d kill the bastard with his bare hands. Taking hold of the hood, he smacked the man’s head against the floor. When Dave tried to grab hold of his arm, he turned on him with a snarl.

“Fuck off.”

Dave was yelling something, but Paolo couldn’t take it in. He tried to get his arms free, but was eventually pulled away by Dave and one of the uniformed officers.

“Let me go. Fuck you, let me go. I’ll kill him. Let me go!”

“Sir, she’s alive. Katy’s alive.”

“What? Are you sure?”

Dave nodded. The fight went out of Paolo. The two men freed his arms and he turned towards the bed. Dave had untied Katy and covered her naked body with his jacket, but she lay unmoving.

Paolo was vaguely aware of a voice in the background, but couldn’t seem to grasp the words. Sounds were coming at him in slow motion, as if his brain was working through treacle.

“Uniform have called for an ambulance, sir. She looks bad, but she’s still breathing.”

Paolo fell to his knees next to the bed and took Katy’s hand in his. Her skin felt waxy and at first he thought Dave was wrong, but then he saw a tiny movement as her body struggled to breathe.

He turned back to Dave. “Did uniform say how long before the ambulance would get here? She looks... she looks...” He couldn’t finish. The words refused to come. Dropping his head to the mattress, he silently begged Katy to hang on.

By the time he’d pulled himself together, Dave and the uniform guys had handcuffed the monk to a chair. Dave reached down and pulled the hood from Matthew Roberts’ head.

The bastard had taken some direct hits and his face showed signs of bruising. Compared to Katy’s bloody and swollen face, he hardly bore a mark. Nowhere near enough in Paolo’s eyes. Never had he hated anyone as much as he hated this bastard.

Matthew smiled. “You should thank me, Paolo. I was trying to save her. She’s a whore, just like all the others.”

Paolo jumped to his feet and rushed towards Matthew, but Dave stepped in the way.

“Don’t give him that satisfaction, sir.”

Paolo leant round Dave. “I’ll kill you for this, Matthew. I’ll fucking kill you for what you’ve done to Katy.”

Matthew laughed. “I hope all you honest police officers are taking note of his threats.”

Paolo tried to shove past, but Dave stood his ground.

“Don’t rise to the bait, sir. He’s doing it deliberately. Listen, I can hear the ambulance siren.”

Paolo nodded. His vengeance could wait. He went back to the bed and looked down at his lovely Katy, battered beyond recognition. If it took Paolo the rest of his life, Matthew would pay for what he’d done.

The paramedics seemed to take forever working on Katy. Not once did she appear to respond and Paolo, watching from the side of the room, too scared to move in case he somehow caused them to lose concentration, had to keep telling himself that she wasn’t dead.

Dave tapped his arm and he jumped as if struck by a bolt of lightning.

“Sir, sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you, but don’t you think you should let Katy’s mum know?”

How could he have forgotten Lydia? She must be beside herself with worry. Hands trembling, he dialled her number and she answered within one ring.

“Have you found her? Where is she?”

“Lydia, Katy’s been attacked...”

“She’s okay, though, isn’t she? Tell me she’s okay.”

He opened his mouth, but couldn’t force out the words to tell Lydia just how bad things were.

“Tell me, damn it!”

“She’s going to be okay, but...”

“But what?”

“She’s in a bad way, Lydia. I’m sorry. It’s my fault. All my fault.”

“I don’t need you to tell me that,” she spat. “Where is she?”

“At the moment she’s being attended to by paramedics, but they’ll be taking her to the hospital soon. Do you want to meet me there?”

“I don’t ever want to meet you anywhere ever again, but I want to see my daughter, so yes, I’ll be at the hospital. But I warn you, Paolo, I’ll never forgive you for this. Never.”

The line went dead and Paolo felt again that sense of a freight train out of control running through him. The senior paramedic looked over, his expression grave.

“Her condition is just about stable enough to move her now, but her injuries are very serious. I’ve already called ahead to let them know she needs immediate surgery. We’re ready to go. Will you follow or come in the ambulance with her?”

Dave stepped forward. “Go with them, sir. I’ll take care of Roberts.”

Paolo felt tears pricking his eyes. “Thanks, Dave.”

He nodded to the paramedics and they carefully lifted the stretcher they’d manoeuvred under Katy’s body. As Paolo followed them out to the ambulance, Dave called after him.

“Good luck, sir.”

An image of his daughter’s shattered face came to his mind. “It isn’t me needing the luck, Dave, but thanks.”

C
HAPTER 
T
WENTY-
E
IGHT

The ambulance ride passed in a blur. Every fibre of Paolo’s being was concentrating on willing Katy to keep breathing. The slightest beep from the equipment wired to her body sent him into fresh agonies of fear. He couldn’t lose her. Not his Katy.

As soon as the ambulance stopped outside the hospital, the doors flew open and a team of doctors and nurses took over, wheeling Katy out of sight.

Paolo grabbed one of the paramedics who was closing the ambulance doors.

“Where are they taking her?”

“Theatre. She needs urgent surgery on her face. I’m sorry; you must be going through hell.”

Hell? It’s where I deserve to be for letting this happen.

Inside the hospital he found the information desk and explained who he was. A kindly receptionist directed him to the third floor and told him to go to the waiting room. In a daze, Paolo followed her instructions and found Lydia being comforted by Jack. Paolo knew he should care, but he didn’t. Jealousy, regret, anger, anything would be better than this emptiness.

He’d barely stepped into the room when Lydia launched herself at him and slapped his face.

“You bastard! Katy said she’d be with you. Why the hell wasn’t she?”

Paolo didn’t have the strength to defend himself.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’m so sorry.”

“Sorry? You’re sorry? If Katy dies...” She broke off and brushed away her tears. “If Katy dies, you and your precious job will have killed both my babies.”

Jack stood and put his arm around Lydia. “Come and sit down. You don’t mean that, Lydia.”

She shrugged him off. “Don’t I?” she spat. “Ask him why Sarah died. Ask him who the driver was aiming for. Go on, ask him.” She turned back to Paolo. “Your job killed Sarah and we both know it. Now it’s going to kill Katy.”

Paolo said nothing. There was nothing he could say because he knew Lydia was right. As Jack led her back to the seats on the far side of the room, the sound of her sobbing brought back all too clearly the day he’d had to tell her about Sarah’s death. The driver had been aiming for him, but Sarah had seen the car and pushed him clear just in time. As he’d fallen, Paolo had heard the sound of metal hitting flesh. By the time he got to his feet the car had reversed. He shuddered, remembering the way Sarah’s body had been dragged along under the car as the driver accelerated away.