Rollover (6 page)

T
here was blood on my shoes. I hadn’t noticed it before, but I suddenly became aware of the dark stains on the brown leather toes. There were also tiny pools in the crevices of both rubber soles. I’d been trampling Vince’s blood all over the place, for God’s sake. The thought of it made me cringe.

I took off the shoes and put them in a plastic bag which I stuffed into the cupboard under the sink. Out of sight. Then I started pacing the room again, trying to stop my mind from imploding. Sky News remained on in the background, reminding me every so often that there was only one winner of the eighteen million pounds lottery jackpot.

And unbeknown to the rest of the world that winner had been Vince.

He really did have all six numbers, and to one of the biggest UK lottery prizes in years. But he must have known it for only a matter of minutes – time enough to get excited and then phone me with the news.

Before he was butchered.

Talk about a dramatic reversal of fortune. I couldn’t imagine a more cruel twist of fate. One moment you’re the luckiest person on earth with a fabulous life to look forward to. Then the next moment you’re dead. How was that possible? How could it be justified in the grand scheme of things?

And who the hell was responsible? The bastard on the phone had killed my friend and kidnapped my family. Yet I had no idea who he was or how he had come to appear on the scene so suddenly. But what I did know was that eighteen million pounds is a strong motive for murder. The kind of mind-boggling figure that can turn a law-abiding 
person into a cold-blooded killer. And for that reason I had no choice but to take the threat to my family seriously. There was no question but that they were in mortal danger. And for that matter so was I.

I started pouring myself another drink just as my mobile rang. Maggie’s name appeared on the illuminated screen, causing my scalp to tighten against my skull.

Hands shaking, I snapped open the cover.

‘Maggie – is that you?’

‘I thought you cared about your family, Cain.’

It was him. The voice was louder and more threatening than the last time I’d heard it. I felt a dramatic change in the rhythm of my heartbeat.

‘I told you not to involve the police,’ he said. ‘I told you what would happen to your wife and kid if you did.’

‘I didn’t call them,’ I said. ‘I swear.’

‘Then why are they at your partner’s place?’

‘They can’t be. The cottage was empty when I left it.’

‘Well it’s not empty now. There’s a whole army of filth there.’

‘How do you know?’

‘I told you I have contacts.’

‘But I did exactly what you told me to do. I left the cottage and came home. I’ve been waiting for you to call. Someone must have gone there after me.’

A pause. His heavy breathing scraped across my eardrum.

‘I’m telling the truth,’ I said.’ Please don’t do anything to my family. I didn’t contact the police.’

‘I’ll soon know if you did,’ he said. ‘I’m going to make a call. If I find you’re lying I’m going to slit their throats. You got that?’

I mumbled something that sounded like a yes. There was another long pause.

Then: ‘Danny?’

Oh sweet Jesus, it was Maggie. I could barely contain myself.

‘Babe, are you OK?’

She cleared her throat and spoke in a hurried, tearful voice. ‘For now I am. But look, you mustn’t tell anyone about the lottery ticket. Promise me you won’t.’

‘I promise,’ I said. ‘Is Laura all right?’

‘She’s coping, but only just.’

‘Is she hurt? Are you hurt?’

‘No, but we’re scared, Danny. And cold.’ She started to sob.

‘You have to keep it together, honey. Be strong.’

‘I’ll try, but he’s threatening to kill us and I know that he killed Vince. He says he won’t let us go until he has the money. Please don’t stop it from happening. Please don’t involve the police.’

‘I won’t,’ I said. ‘You have to believe that.’

‘I do, but I’m not sure if …’

He must have snatched the phone away from her because he was suddenly back on the line.

‘That’s enough,’ he said. ‘Get this, Cain. I’ll soon know the truth about what happened tonight. If you’ve lied so help me they die.’

‘I haven’t lied. I really don’t know why the police are at the cottage.’

‘Well they are, and they’ll soon drop in on you.’

‘But they don’t know that I was there tonight.’

‘It won’t take them long to find out and I don’t want you talking to them.’

‘So what should I do?’

‘Leave your house now, like this minute,’ he said. ‘Go somewhere out of harm’s way. And don’t answer the phone unless it’s me calling on your wife’s mobile. I’ll be in touch soon.’

‘How soon?’

‘I don’t know. A few hours. Or maybe never if it turns out you’re fucking with me.’

There was a click as he severed the connection. I listened to the silence for a moment before hanging up.

Hearing Maggie’s voice gave me hope. She was still alive and appeared to be unharmed. But her situation was even more perilous now because the police were apparently involved. How had that happened? Who had tipped them off? Had someone turned up at the cottage after I left?

Maybe it was the neighbour. What was his name? Bill something
or other. A retired jeweller who was always dropping in on Vince unannounced. The last time I’d seen him was at the summer barbecue.

Not that it mattered now who alerted the cops. The damage was done and I could only pray that the kidnapper would find out for himself that I was not to blame.

My watch said 1 a.m. I had to get moving. If the police did come to the house then I couldn’t afford to be here. If they started to
question
me then I was bound to give the game away and that might well prove to be catastrophic.

The kidnapper’s objective was clear to me now. He wanted to submit Vince’s lottery ticket and claim the money. But in order to do that he had to be sure that no one else knew about it. I was the loose end: the one person who could derail his plan by telling the police. They’d then make sure he didn’t collect the money. Or even if he managed to do so they’d make sure he didn’t get to spend it. So he had to rein me in quickly.

But then what? Would he let us all go once he had the money? I wanted to believe that he would, but I knew it was unlikely. He’d want us out of the way.

I couldn’t allow myself to dwell on this hellish scenario, though. I had to get to Maggie and Laura. A step at a time. It was the only way.

I rushed upstairs and put on my trainers, then discarded the sweatsoaked T-shirt for a jumper. The sight of Maggie’s pale-blue dressing-gown on the bed sent a shiver of fear racing through me right into my stomach. I just stood there for several seconds, unable to move as the pounding blood in my head slowly came to the boil. I’d told Maggie to be strong. Now I had to tell it to myself. It meant I’d have to control the fear and not allow it to overwhelm me. Easier said than done when your wife and daughter are facing such a grave threat.

I took several deep breaths to help me regain my composure. Then I turned off the light and was about to leave the room when I heard something outside. A chill shot through me as I swivelled round to peer through the window.

Twin headlights were coming up the driveway. A car I didn’t recognize. I stood, transfixed, as it came to a stop. The front doors
opened and a man and a woman stepped out. There was just enough light to see their faces. The woman I didn’t recognize, but her colleague was familiar to me.

DCI Jeff Temple. The man who once described me as a hack without a conscience. He believed I’d helped drive his best friend to suicide. Great. That was all I needed.

I rushed downstairs. Grabbed my windbreaker off its hook in the hall. Entered the kitchen just as the doorbell rang. I paused to consider my options, but it took only seconds for me to conclude that I had to avoid being confronted by the police. I couldn’t afford to ignore what the man had said, not as long as he was holding Maggie and Laura hostage.

As the doorbell rang a second time, I unlocked the kitchen door and stepped out on to the rear patio. Then I eased the door shut behind me and launched myself into the night.

‘A
re you sure you saw someone?’ Temple said.

Angel nodded. ‘A figure moved across an upstairs window. I’m certain of it.’

Temple rang Cain’s doorbell for the third time. This is odd, he thought. There are lights on inside the house, a car on the driveway, and Angel saw movement inside. So why is there no response? He looked again at the car. A blue BMW. Was it the car that Mr Nadelson saw speeding along the lane away from Vince Mayo’s house? Temple couldn’t help but wonder.

He rapped his knuckles on the front door. Called out Cain’s name. Angel stepped over to a window, peered inside.

‘The light’s on in the living room,’ she said. ‘It’s empty, but there are two wine glasses on the coffee table.’

Temple pressed his thumb against the bell again. No answer.

‘I’ll check around the back,’ he said. ‘You stay here.’

The rear lawn rolled away from the house towards a low hedge. There was a small wooden gate set to one side. Blackness beyond it.

Temple stepped on to the patio, looked through the French doors into a smartly furnished living room: three-piece suite, flat screen TV on a stand, a glass dining-table. A comfortable, well-maintained home. He tried to open the doors but they were locked. He moved on to the door that gave access to the kitchen. No light here. He stuck his face to the window and saw that the room was empty. Then he grasped the knob, turned it slowly and pushed to see if it was locked. It wasn’t.

Strictly speaking he should not have ventured in without a warrant, but he decided to throw caution to the wind. He stepped inside and called out Cain’s name again, then waited for a response that didn’t come. He switched on the kitchen light, looked around at the bright, modern interior and then went into the hall. The house was dead quiet, eerily so.

He walked up to the front door and opened it. Angel was still right outside. She furrowed her brow at him.

‘The kitchen door was open,’ he said. ‘C’mon, let’s have a quick look. I’ve got a seriously bad feeling about this.’

They went upstairs together, announcing their presence just in case Cain and his family were in their beds. But the upstairs rooms were empty, although in the child’s room the bed looked as though it had been recently slept in. There was a little girl’s nightdress on the floor.

Temple picked up a framed photo from on top of a chest of drawers in the main bedroom. He showed it to Angel, saying, ‘Here’s another picture of Cain and his wife.’

This photo had been taken in front of a castle. They were a
good-looking
couple, especially Mrs Cain, who had a nice smile and glowing teeth. Her dusty blond hair cascaded over her shoulders. Her husband was tall and lean with high cheekbones and a wide mouth. Late thirties or early forties.

There were other photographs in the room of their daughter.
Curly hair, round face, full lips. Five or six years old. A sweet-looking child who would surely grow up to be the image of her mother.

They quickly searched all the other rooms in the house. The place was empty.

‘What do you think?’ Angel said.

Temple shrugged. ‘I think we shouldn’t jump to a conclusion. Could be the family popped out for a perfectly good reason.’

‘Except it’s the middle of the night, guv. And at least one of them was here when we arrived.’

Temple chewed the inside of his cheek. ‘Let’s get Cain’s mobile phone number and call him. We might be able to solve this mystery quickly.’

As Angel reached for her phone Temple went back into the garden and walked over to the fence. The gate was unlocked. He stepped through it into a small wood. He could see streetlights through the trees and set off towards them.

He trudged over a rough bed of soggy leaves and fallen branches. On the other side of the wood was a quiet residential street. Cars were parked outside a row of detached houses. No sign of life. He walked about twenty yards along the street to the left. Then he backtracked and went the same distance to the right. He saw no one.

Back at the house Temple told Angel about the road.

‘Someone could easily have done a runner through the wood,’ he said.

‘I know I’m not mistaken, guv. This house was occupied when we arrived.’

Temple’s phone rang. He snatched it from his pocket.

‘DCI Temple.’

‘Jeff, it’s Priest. I got your message. What’s up?’

Temple hesitated before speaking. He wasn’t sure what reaction to expect.

‘Have you heard about the murder in the New Forest, sir?’

‘Not the details,’ Priest said. ‘I heard only that a body was found and they were going to call you out. Why? Is there a problem?’

Temple swallowed. ‘The dead man is Vincent Mayo, sir.’

There was a screaming silence on the line. Then Priest said, ‘Are you absolutely sure?’

‘No question, sir. That’s why I’m calling. I thought you should know.’

Another pause, longer this time. Temple heard Priest breathing into the phone.

‘How was he killed?’ he asked at length.

‘Two blows to the head,’ Temple said. ‘Pretty messy. We’ve not yet found a murder weapon, but it could have been a granite pestle that’s missing from its mortar bowl in the kitchen. That’s where the body was found and almost certainly where the murder took place.’

‘Any leads?’

‘Not really. The last phone call he made this evening was to his partner, Danny Cain. We’re at his house now but he’s not in.’

‘When did it happen?’

‘We think between eight and ten. The body was discovered by a neighbour.’

‘This is unbelievable.’

‘The same neighbour told us that your daughter stayed in the cottage last night,’ Temple said.

‘That’s right,’ Priest said. ‘She left this afternoon to come here. Arrived about four. We had dinner and watched some television.’

‘Is she still with you, sir?’

‘No, she went home about eleven. I wanted her to stay but she said she had things to do at home. She was planning to call Vince before she went to bed. I don’t know if she did.’

‘I need to talk to her, sir.’

‘Of course, but I’d like to be the one to break the news.’

‘I think that’s a good idea.’ Temple looked at his watch. ‘I have her address. I can be there is twenty minutes.’

‘Make it forty-five minutes,’ Priest said. ‘It’ll take me that long to get dressed and over to Jen’s flat.’

Temple said that was OK and hung up. He’d filled Angel in back at the cottage. He’d explained that Jennifer Priest had been going out with Vince Mayo for about a year and a half, a situation that her father was not happy about, but had become resigned to. She’d met
Mayo before the scandal involving George Banks, and her father had found himself in a difficult position. But to his credit Priest had made an effort to get to know Mayo. More than once he’d told Temple that the journalist was a decent bloke, despite what had happened to Banks.

‘I reckon we’re going to have our work cut out for us,’ Angel said. ‘Priest will pile on the pressure. He’ll want a quick result on this one.’

‘And so would I in his position,’ Temple said.

His own daughter, Tanya, was twenty and at university. Her boyfriend was a laconic nerd named Ben Creelman. Temple knew that if Ben turned up dead like Vince Mayo then Tanya would simply fall apart.

‘You stay here and check the place out,’ he said. ‘Try to find out where the Cains are. I’ll go see Jennifer Priest. We’ll meet back at the nick later and get the team sorted.’