Nightshade: The Fourth Jack Nightingale Supernatural Thriller (13 page)

Mrs Steadman gasped slightly. ‘You know that’s not my field of expertise,’ she said quietly.

‘I remember you telling me once there was no black or white magic, it was all magic.’

‘That’s true,’ she said. ‘Magic is power and can be drawn down for good or for evil. In the same way that electricity can be used to save a life, or take one.’

‘But you understand the mechanics of both?’

‘I know messing around with the dark side is a very dangerous thing to do,’ she said. ‘As I’ve told you several times.’

Nightingale nodded. A man walked by with two Jack Russell dogs and he waited until they were out of earshot before continuing. ‘I need to know if this is a real black magic altar or not,’ he said. He passed her the photographs.

Mrs Steadman looked through them in silence, spending several minutes staring at each one. When she had finished she looked up at Nightingale. ‘Where did you get these?’

‘I took them,’ he said. ‘It was in a barn up in Berwick.’

She nodded thoughtfully. ‘You’ve heard the story about the Devil and Berwick?’

‘The Devil’s thumb? Yes.’

‘It’s a very strange place, Berwick. A lot of very unnatural things happen there.’ Realisation dawned and she sighed sadly. ‘The children?’

‘I’m afraid so. That was what the police found in the man’s barn.’

‘And you think something isn’t right?’

Nightingale’s eyes narrowed. ‘What makes you think that?’

Mrs Steadman patted him on the knee. ‘Why else would you be showing me these pictures?’ She smiled at him over the top of her half-moon spectacles. ‘What do you think is wrong?’

He took the photographs from her and flicked through them, then pointed at the lead crucible that he’d had analysed by the lab. ‘I had this examined and the blood in it was pig’s blood. That didn’t seem right to me.’

‘Blood is used in black magic rites, but yes, pig’s blood would be of no use. Chicken’s blood if it was a voodoo ceremony of course, but otherwise it would have to be human blood. And usually a particular type of human blood.’

‘From a virgin?’

‘Not necessarily,’ said Mrs Steadman. ‘It would depend on the rite. But it would be human. Pig’s blood, you say?’

‘That’s right. Do you mind if I smoke?’

Mrs Steadman looked pained. ‘I’d rather you didn’t,’ she said. ‘I’m really not feeling well. You know, I could give you something that would help you give up smoking.’

‘Nicotine patches?’

She chuckled. ‘I was thinking of a spell,’ she said. ‘All it takes is a gemstone candle containing amethyst. I have some in the shop. It’s so successful I offer a money-back guarantee.’

Nightingale grinned. ‘I like smoking,’ he said. ‘I don’t want to give up.’

‘Your one vice?’ she said.

‘Seriously, smoking makes me feel good.’

‘Even though you know the risks?’

‘I think the risks are exaggerated,’ he said. ‘And let’s face it, at the end of the day everyone dies whether they smoke or not.’ He shrugged. ‘I don’t have too many vices. I figure I’m entitled to one.’

‘Just be careful, Mr Nightingale,’ she said. ‘Things that give you the greatest pleasure can sometimes cause you the greatest pain.’

‘I hear you, Mrs Steadman.’ He gestured at the photographs. ‘The fact that the blood is pig’s blood means that it’s not a real altar, right?’

‘If it was a true black magic altar, it wouldn’t be pig’s blood, that’s true.’

‘And what about the pictures?’

‘You’re right,’ she said. ‘Whoever made that altar didn’t really know what they were doing. There are two inverted pentagrams, which are as they should be, but one of the pentagrams is the correct way up. That’s how it is used in Wicca, and no Satanist would use it that way. The goat head is correct, it’s the horned goat, the one they call Baphomet. Satanists use the goat to mock Jesus, who is the lamb of God. But the symbol is missing a burning candle on the head of the goat. Whoever put the altar together knows about the symbol but doesn’t understand the significance of the candle.’ She sorted through the photographs, then pulled one out and showed it to him. ‘And here, do you see the star and crescent symbols here on the wall? The crescent represents Diana, the moon goddess. The star is Lucifer, the son of the morning. The way the symbol is drawn, with the star to the left of the crescent, is the way that it’s used in Wicca. In a Satanic ritual, it would be reversed, the star would be to the right.’

‘So whoever constructed the altar made a mistake?’

‘The symbols have to be correct in order to maintain their power,’ said Mrs Steadman. ‘It’s all about channelling the energy. With the symbols mixed up as they are, any energy would be unfocused.’

‘It wouldn’t work, is that what you’re saying?’

‘I don’t see that it would function at all,’ she said. ‘Either as a Wicca altar or as a Satanic altar. Whoever constructed it really didn’t know what they were doing. Do you think that the man who killed the children did it?’

‘I’m not sure,’ said Nightingale.

‘If it was him, he’s not a serious Satanist, I can tell you that for sure,’ she said.

‘I’m starting to think that perhaps it wasn’t his work,’ said Nightingale.

‘Somebody wanted to make it look as if he was a Satanist?’

‘I think so, yes. Somebody who didn’t realise the significance of the symbols and the blood.’

‘But why would anyone want to do that, Mr Nightingale? He killed those children, didn’t he?’

‘I don’t think there’s any doubt about that,’ he said.

‘So why was it so important to make him appear to be a devil-worshipper?’

‘That, Mrs Steadman, is a very good question,’ said Nightingale.

‘S
o the time fits and there was a van?’ said Superintendent Wilkinson. He’d been watching Sky News with the sound down as he’d listened to the inspector report on what he’d learned, which frankly wasn’t much. Mr and Mrs Harper were due to make a live appeal within the hour, not that there was anything new for them to say. Just tears and scared faces and the same words over and over again. Please let us have our daughter back, please don’t hurt her. Paedophiles didn’t pay attention to appeals, Wilkinson knew that, but it was important to keep the missing girl in the public’s thoughts.

‘There’s no sign of a van now, but there is a garage. Sir, we could try knocking at the door. We’re overalled up as gasmen, we could say we’re testing for leaks.’

‘You can’t go in without a warrant or probable cause, you know that.’

‘We could do a walk around the outside. Try to get a look-see through the windows.’

‘Okay, but no knocking on the door and under no circumstances are you to go inside. But if they come out, you can speak to them. And watch young Fisher, he’s still wet behind the ears.’

‘Understood, sir.’

The superintendent ended the call. Mr and Mrs Harper were taking their places at a table, flanked by the deputy chief constable and a lady from the Press Office. He grabbed for the remote and turned the volume up.

‘P
lease don’t let him do it to me again,’ sobbed Bella. ‘I want to go home. I want my mummy and daddy.’

‘Stop crying!’ hissed Candy.

‘You said you were my friend.’ Bella sniffed and wiped her nose with the back of her hand.

‘I’m not your friend, you silly little cow! Now stop crying or I’ll give you a slap.’ She raised her hand menacingly and Bella collapsed onto the bed.

‘What’s her problem?’ asked Eric, coming into the bedroom.

‘She’s being a cry-baby,’ said Candy.

‘It doesn’t matter, we’re almost done with her,’ said Eric.

‘I want to go home,’ whispered Bella.

‘You’re never going home,’ said Candy. ‘Ever. You’re never going to see your mum or your dad or your stupid rabbit. We’re the last thing you’re ever going to see, the last thing you’re ever going to feel. You belong to us and when we’re finished with you we’re going to throw you away like the rubbish you are.’

‘No!’ moaned Bella.

Eric pulled down his jeans and kicked them off. ‘Hold her down,’ he said. ‘And shut her up. I’m sick of her bloody voice.’

‘P
lease keep away from the windows,’ said Inspector Hopkins. ‘We’ll come back before we leave to let you know what’s happening.’

‘Not a problem,’ said Mr Pullman. He opened the front door for them and closed it as they walked back to their van.

The two detectives walked back to the van. The inspector opened the door and tossed his clipboard onto the driver’s seat. ‘Okay, we do a walk around the outside of the house. Do you have anything that looks like it’ll detect a leak?’

‘I’ve got a meter thing,’ said Fisher. He opened the toolbox and took out an electrical meter with an impressive-looking dial. The inspector nodded his approval. ‘Wave that around. If anyone comes out, leave the talking to me.’

Fisher nodded. The inspector slammed the door shut. They walked towards the Lucas house. They walked either side of the Mondeo and then turned to the left to walk by the garage. Fisher waved his meter around and then tried the handle of the garage. To his surprise it opened. ‘Sir!’ he said.

Hopkins hissed at him and threw him a dirty look. Then he motioned for him to pull up the door. Fisher stepped back and pulled the door up a couple of feet. Both men peered inside.

‘Bloody hell,’ said Fisher. It was a white van with the name of a plumbing firm on the side.

Hopkins slipped inside. The signs were magnetic so that they could easily be removed. They had probably removed the signs during the abduction and replaced them when the car was in the garage. There was an internal door connecting the garage to the house. Hopkins tiptoed over to it. Fisher started to duck under the garage door but the inspector waved him back. He reached the connecting door, placed his hands against it and then gently pressed his ear to the wood.

E
ric rolled off the little girl and grinned at Candy. ‘That was good,’ he said. He wiped the sweat from his face with his hands. ‘That was really good.’

Bella curled up into a ball and cried softly. There was blood on the sheets. Not that it mattered, because they always destroyed the bed linen and towels after it was over.

Candy put her hand around his neck and kissed him hard on the lips. Her tongue probed between his teeth and she moaned with pleasure. She groped between his legs and her heart leapt when she discovered that he was growing hard again. He wanted her. He always did after he’d had sex with the girls. ‘Do you want me, Eric?’ she whispered.

‘You know I do,’ he said.

‘Do you love me?’

He reached for her and pulled off her shirt. He fumbled with her bra but he couldn’t unhook it so she did it for him and threw the bra on the floor as her breasts fell free. He kissed her again, harder this time. Candy rolled onto her back, lifted her hips and slipped off her underwear. She could feel how wet she was. Eric tried to get on top of her but she pushed him off and rolled him onto his back. He grinned up at her as she straddled him. She grabbed his chin with her right hand, her fingers digging into his flesh. It was the one time that she had power over him. The only time.

‘Say you love me,’ she said.

‘I love you.’

She lowered herself on to him, gasping as he entered her, then she began to ride him, faster and faster.

Candy stared down at the tearful little girl, her eyes burning with hatred. ‘Look at me, Bella. This is how a real woman fucks a man.’

Bella put her hands over her face and continued to sob.

Candy pounded herself against Eric. ‘Come for me, baby,’ she shouted. ‘Come for me and then we’ll kill the little bitch.’

H
opkins moved away from the door and over to Fisher. ‘I can hear voices, but it’s muffled,’ he said.

‘What do we do?’

‘It’s the Super’s call,’ said the inspector. He took out his phone and called Superintendent Wilkinson.

‘What do you think?’ asked the superintendent after Hopkins had brought him up to speed.

‘It’s the same make as the van in the CCTV footage. This one has signs on the side but they’re magnetic. And I can hear voices inside. I think this is it, sir.’

‘Where are you?’

‘In the garage. The door was open.’

‘Well, get the hell out of the garage and wait for armed support. I don’t want this turning into a hostage situation. Hang back and wait for the ARV. Hang on a minute.’ Hopkins heard the superintendent shout over to someone and then someone shouted back. ‘Fifteen minutes. Maybe twenty.’

‘We’ll be in the van,’ said Hopkins.

‘They’ll radio you direct with an ETA,’ said the superintendent. ‘This had better be right or we’re going to look bloody stupid.’ He ended the call.

The inspector nodded at Fisher. ‘Back to the van,’ he said. ‘Quietly does it.’

That was when they heard the scream from inside the house.

E
ric clamped his hand over Bella’s mouth. ‘Shut up or I’ll snap your neck,’ he said. He’d dressed but hadn’t put his shoes on. Candy had put on her clothes, too, and she stood at the foot of the bed, collecting up Bella’s clothes. ‘All I’m doing is taking you upstairs to clean you. You need a bath. You have to be clean for when we take you back to your mummy and daddy. Do you understand me?’

Bella nodded fearfully.

‘Good girl. Now I’m going to take my hand away from your mouth but if you scream I’ll hurt you, I’ll hurt you real bad. Okay?’

Bella nodded again and Eric slowly removed his hand. His palm was soaked with her tears and he wiped his hand on his jeans. ‘Candy said she was going to kill me,’ she whispered.

‘She was joking,’ said Eric. He flashed Candy an angry glare. ‘We’re going to get you clean and dressed and then we’ll take you to see your mummy and daddy. Tonight you’ll be tucked up safe and sound in your own bed.’

‘You swear?’

Eric nodded. ‘I swear.’

‘Cross your heart and swear to die?’

‘Cross my heart and swear to die,’ said Eric. It was an easy lie to tell because he didn’t believe in God. He didn’t believe in anything much.