The Braille Club Undone (The Braille Club #3) (27 page)

The Braille Club Undone

The Braille Club, London. Two Years On. Swingers Zone. Guy realised the couple were putting on a show. The sex was hot, rough and dirty. Although she could have no idea where he stood, her gaze was directed at him. Guy was alive with desire. He froze when she motioned for him to join her.

Siena

As they drew up to the house, the police and ambulance were already there. Siena immediately noticed her car was missing. Had thieves broken into the house and taken it? She’d heard of that but never thought with their security they’d be at risk. She was out of the car as soon as it stopped. Benedict’s cry of ‘wait’ ignored.

She rushed inside. David’s ashen face was strained.

“Mrs Harrison?” said the policeman.

“I need to get to my children,” said Siena, dodging the policeman’s outstretched arm. She stopped dead when she heard Lizzie’s hysterical crying coming from the kitchen.

“It’s my fault,” she heard between sobs. “Don’t just stand there, find them,” she pleaded. “Please, you’re wasting time. Find them.”

Confused, she turned towards the kitchen before her mothering instinct made her turn back to the stairs. But Benedict’s arms were around her, pulling her towards him. Something was wrong. Benedict and Guy had been so tense in the car but her husband confirmed the twins were safe. Dread filled her and her heart pounded. “Where are the twins?” she shouted. “Let me go,” she fought him.

“Siena,” his voice seemed far away but his grip on her increased. “The twins are missing.”

“Nooooooo.” Her scream was inhuman. Terror made her slump against him. “No, no, no,” she tore at her hair. “Please, oh my God.”

Benedict pulled her close and hugged her tightly. She could see David approaching, his face full of concern and worry.

“Siena,” he said kindly. “Please come and sit down.”

She shook her head, still straining to go upstairs. Somehow she needed to see their bedroom; the empty beds proof that they were telling the truth.

“Siena, you cannot go upstairs, the police need to preserve the crime scene.”

“Crime scene?” she whispered, her mind refused to process the information. She had been through this before with their last rented property.

“Crime scene?” she asked again numbly.

“Yes,” said Benedict gently. His voice was close to breaking. Siena looked into the anguished eyes of her husband and pain pierced her heart but she wanted answers. Her heart hammered and her fight or flight instinct was on red alert. Her mind was spinning. Where were her children? Fear engulfed her. Who had taken them? She could feel her body shaking but, using all her strength, reined in her escalating panic. She looked at the policemen in her home and realised the twins needed her. A strange feeling of calm took over. If Siena wanted to get her children back, she had to be calm and think.

“How could someone break into Knox and take our children?” she asked her voice quiet. “What is the point of all this security if it’s not effective?

“It should have been,” said Benedict dejectedly.

“The door was wide open when I arrived,” said David. “I don’t think whoever did this broke in....”

“They didn’t,” said Lizzie, her voice wobbly. She was pale, her eyes red and swollen from crying. Siena gave her a hug and urged her to sit on the chair in the hallway. There was a WPC behind her.

“When I came back to the house they were already here, waiting for me. I never saw their faces. I felt a sting in my neck and the next thing I remember is waking up on the floor.”

“You think there were two people?” asked Guy.

“It was a woman I spoke to,” said Lizzie uncertainly. “Well, it sounded like a woman...I was so upset about Tilly I didn’t think. I rushed out of the house leaving the door wide open.” She covered her face with hands and began to cry. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t think...”

“Shhhh,” Siena murmured. “Lizzie, you’re not to blame. I would have done exactly the same in your position. I noticed Tilly wasn’t around. I should have called you.”

“Mr & Mrs Harrison?”

They turned to see a grim faced officer.

“I’m handling the investigation. I’m DI Clark,” he said.

“Do you know anything?” asked Siena desperately.

“Not at this moment in time Mrs Harrison, but we are doing everything we can.”

“So someone just walked into my home and took my children?” asked Siena, appalled.

“It looks that way,” said DI Clark unhappily.

“Why?” she whispered. Her body slumped and Benedict’s arms tightened around her. The silence that followed was deafening as her question hung in the air.

“That’s what we need to find out.” said DI Clark.

A buzzing sound made Benedict jump; the vibration clearly audible in the silence. Siena turned to him. He looked shocked and for a moment did not react, but Siena saw Guy pull out his phone and frown.

“Benedict, I have a GPS location for Siena’s medical bracelet.”

“Wha-a-at?” Benedict stammered, confused, but Siena understood. Her memory flashed to Reeva playing with it earlier. Was it possible she still had it on her? Her mind was frantically trying to tell her something as she stood in the hall. Her panic levels were off the scale and it had nothing to do with her missing children but there was no time.

“Let’s go,” said Guy urgently.

“What are you talking about?” asked DI Clark.

“I have a GPS location on Mrs Harrison’s medical alert bracelet. It should be in the house but it’s not. It’s possible the abductors took it.”

“Okay, let me get some of my men to check this out,” said DI Clark.

Benedict thrust his mobile into his hand. “Use this and follow us.”

Siena looked back and saw Lizzie look up as they moved toward the front door; a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

“Find them. Please find them,” she said brokenly.

“Sir,” said the policeman. “
Sir
.”

He tried to stop them but was no match for Benedict and Guy.

“Follow us,” Guy shouted as he practically threw Siena into the car.

“What do think the signal means?” she asked as the car shot out their drive.

“I don’t know,” said Guy truthfully, “but it’s the only lead we have.”

The tension in the car was unbearable. No one spoke as Guy’s car hurtled towards the GPS location. Siena closed her eyes. Fear had made her mind numb. The overwhelming panic that had her body on red alert had faded, to be replaced by a dull echo. Siena fought to understand what her mind and body were trying to tell her. Her memory replayed entering the house. Her pulse had quickened. Why? She hadn’t known about the twins at that stage, it was something else. Something made her feel afraid. Her eyes snapped open.

“Nick.” The word hissed from her lips.

“What?” said Benedict and Guy in unison. The car was so quiet they had both heard her.

“I could smell Nick when I came into the house,” she said. Her voice was steady. “It was him.”

“No,” said Benedict. “He’s in prison. Guy said we would be notified if he was released.”

“It was him.” Siena repeated. “I know it was him.”

The further they travelled the more anxious Siena became.
Where had he taken them?
she thought. The car swung into the woods and a feeling of dread filled the car as they got closer to the location. Siena glanced back and could see the police car behind them.

“He’s got them,” Siena whispered. “Oh my God, that monster has my children. This is all my fault.” Tears streamed down her face as pictures of Reeva’s and Leo’s frightened faces flashed through her head. She was to blame. She had brought this man into their lives.

“Siena.” Guy’s authoritative bark cut through her thoughts. “You going to pieces will not help the twins. I need you calm. Okay?”

“Okay,” she mumbled.

Benedict had remained silent; his body rigid with tension. Guy was right thought Siena pulling herself together. All this time she’d assumed she was Nick’s target. Her fears were very real. She often imagined what she would do if he came for her. But never in her wildest nightmares had she pictured this. Slowly, however, she was beginning to understand why. Memories of Nick flooded into her mind and she flinched. Nick was good at finding a person’s weakness. In his job, he would identify them in order to make the person stronger. Nick had treated Siena all those years ago. She remembered her brother Leo’s death had been her weakness, and so would Nick. He was the ultimate manipulator. Rage coursed through her; he’d gone too far. If he had harmed them...her brain could not finish the thought. Siena was going to kill him. Her anger kept her focused, she needed to keep going. Nick was obsessive, she thought bitterly. Did she really think he would ever let her go? No. He’d keep going until something or someone stopped him. This could be a trap they were all heading into but they had to take that chance. Siena knew what she needed to do. She would not stop until Nick was dead and gone from their lives forever because…she understood his weakness too.

The Braille Club Undone

The Braille Club, London. Two Years On. The Swingers Zone Trial. Guy’s heart thumped, blood roared in his ears as he hesitated. However, underneath he knew he wanted to join them. Would he give in to his desires or deny them?

Nick

Nick hadn’t bothered to catch the nanny as she collapsed, but let her fall to the ground with a satisfying thump. DNA tied you to a crime scene so he had no intention of touching her. He stared at her for a few seconds, still angry she wasn’t Siena. He wanted to hurt something or someone by taking his frustrations out on them. However, Nick was too smart to make mistakes. Completely suited and gloved, the only DNA he intended to leave behind was Katie’s. He placed the used syringe in the sharps container he’d brought with him. Cautiously he moved around the downstairs, checking each room but they were all empty. The house was vast and expensive he noted sourly. He could see Siena’s touches everywhere and at that moment he missed her so much it physically hurt. All he had ever wanted was her. They’d been so happy together until Harrison had ruined everything. Siena had fallen under his spell and Nick was the last to know. She’d cut him out of her life overnight. He still remembered the pain and shock of her phone call, telling him they were over, and she wanted a divorce. He’d been devastated but lived in hope of a reconciliation that was never on the cards. How they must have laughed at him. He smiled. Who had the last laugh now?

He moved upstairs and repeated his search moving silently from room to room. He paused when he came to the master bedroom; barely able to look inside. Hatred filled him. He looked around and wanted to destroy everything but settled for destroying their lives and happiness forever. The rest of the rooms were all empty expect for one where the twins lay asleep. Siena was not at home. Somehow his contact had got it wrong. The car she drove was parked in the driveway but Siena herself was nowhere to be seen. Nick was still furious. Everything he’d planned led to this point. Rage gripped him and he lost sight of his mission for several seconds.

He recovered his senses and felt for the syringe in his pocket. He needed to finish what he had started. So his plans had changed but he could still lure Siena. Getting her children back would be her only priority after he took them. He crept inside the children’s room and stared at their angelic faces. It was convenient they slept in the same bedroom. He hesitated. Once he did this there was no going back. He stepped towards the sleeping boy and slipped the needle into his arm. He let out a little cry and Nick froze but the other child slept on. He approached the girl next, her face was turned away from him. Without any further hesitation he slipped the needle into her arm. She turned, her face puckered in shock. Nick gasped. Even at this tender age she was the image of her mother. Nick glanced at his watch, startled by the passage of time. He had spent too long in the house already. He didn’t want the nanny coming around and causing him trouble. He still had work to do.

Nick had left the keys in the hire car’s ignition for the police to find. Earlier, as Katie lay unconscious, he had pressed her fingers onto them until satisfied he had a decent print. Two weeks ago, he arranged for the hire car to be driven and left at the woods. The keys had been put in the bag with everything else he needed and stored in the locker ready for collection. Katie told Nick about the woods. It was one of her favourite places she’d told him and completely isolated. She liked the isolation, it was easier to think there, she said. When he researched it out of curiosity, he discovered it was perfect for what he had planned, and another link to Katie. Of course, the hire car was in Katie’s name also. When his contact confirmed Siena was at home he’d swung into action. It was a risk sedating Katie before he had the keys to the Volvo but he couldn’t wait. Luck, it seemed, was on his side until he discovered Siena was not at home.

Then he remembered what his contact had told him. Siena’s car was parked in the driveway. No one would think twice about it leaving the house. Even better, there was an integral garage. Nick hurried downstairs hoping Siena was still a creature of habit and smiled when he found car keys inside the hall table. The drawer wasn’t obvious but Nick’s sharp eyes saw it. She always left them there when they’d been together. His gut twisted. She should be with him now. Nick’s fists clenched and the pain from his hand reminded him of Guy Walker. That bastard would pay for what he’d done to Nick. Harrison and Siena would pay. Today was just the start, and if Siena had been here...he’d be home and dry. Anger at this stage was pointless. Shaking himself from his revere, he moved through the house until he located the garage.

He put Katie’s coat back on and pulled up the hood. Nick stepped inside the garage and switched on the light. Next, he opened the garage door by pushing a button located on the wall. While concealed inside he unlocked the car sitting on the driveway. Moving outside, he opened the driver’s door and slipped inside. Starting the car, he quickly reversed into the garage. Like the house, the car was expensive and he enjoyed driving it. Once inside he pressed the button and the garage door closed. Carefully he took one of Katie’s hairs from the bag he’d brought with him and placed it on the rear seats in-between the two children’s car seats. He had other fibres from her clothes which he placed in the boot and passenger seat. Next he fetched the package he’d brought with him. Taking Siena’s car was risky. If for any reason the car was reported stolen he would be a sitting duck, so he’d taken the precaution of gluing on false plates. Satisfied they were firmly in place, he opened the rear passenger doors in preparation.

He re-entered the house and briefly checked the nanny was still unconscious. She lay unmoving, exactly where he had left her. Turning, he went upstairs. He picked the boy up first and placed him on the floor. Taking another hair of Katie’s he placed it on the boy’s pillow. He was heavier than Nick expected. He worried the dose of sedative he administered would not be sufficient. He must hurry. Lifting the child he calmly walked downstairs to the car. He awkwardly placed him in the car seat. His head slumped forward and it was several minutes before Nick had adjusted the seatbelt to keep the child in place. He returned to the house and quickly slipped his hands beneath the second child. As he gazed at the girl in his arms, he considered what might have been. She and her brother would pay for the sins of their parents. Sad but unavoidable. With both twins loaded into the car he felt a sense of triumph. He was excited; it had been easier than expected. Like taking candy from a baby, except it was Siena’s babies. Her words echoed in his head from all those years ago.

“Nick, I could never have children...” She gasped between sobs. “It would kill me if anything happened to them like…well, like Leo.” Pulling Siena into his arms, he held her tight. He told her he understood but Nick had never wanted children.

He didn’t want to share Siena then, and now was no different. Glancing at the unconscious twins, he smiled. He wished he could be a fly on the wall when Mr and Mrs Harrison got home. A giggle escaped his lips and then laugher. It was several minutes before he got his hysteria under control. He wasn’t worried about the twins waking up; he’d given them another shot before he set off and disposed of his final syringe in the sharps box. He didn’t want them coming around. That would be stressful and inconvenient. Suddenly, he grimaced as he realised his mistake. He should have given the twins an overdose so they couldn’t
wake up
. He cursed his stupidity and slammed his hand down on the steering wheel. The pain focused his mind. It was too late now; he didn’t have any more sedative. He would have to continue with the plan.

Katie’s car was loaded with the equipment he needed. It was parked and hidden from view at the disposal site. That was a thirty minute drive, at least, within the speed limit. He couldn’t take the chance of being stopped by the police. On the surface everything looked normal. The twins were sleeping in their car seats but a sharp eyed officer might sense something was amiss. The overhead camera recognition system was no longer a threat with the false plates in place. Nick felt more and more confident as he neared his destination without any issues.

Finally, he pulled up and parked. He removed Katie’s coat and threw it on the passenger seat. He no longer needed it and it firmly linked her with the abduction. Katie’s Volvo was over the hill hidden by the trees but assessable by foot. There was always a chance that someone might come along. The location was remote but he’d prepared for every eventuality. He took a moment to look around but all was quiet. He quickly walked up the path toward the Volvo. Opening the trunk, he lifted the shoes he’d taken from Katie’s feet earlier. Walking back down toward Siena’s car, he pressed them firmly into the mud. The prints were clear. Satisfied, he tossed them back into the Volvo and grabbed the shovel. The booties he wore would conceal any treads he made.

Katie had talked about these woods a lot. He checked around again, relieved he was alone and nothing had been disturbed. He retrieved the baskets from the boot and carried them to the spot he’d chosen earlier. He returned to the car for the shovel. Judging the size required, he pushed the edge of the spade into the soft earth and dug. Nick was sweating, the work was hard and his hand throbbed. He decided the area was quiet and remote enough to get away with a shallow grave. Lifting the baskets, he placed them in the hole side by side, relieved to see the hole was deep enough. Nick took a moment to rest and catch his breath. He lifted the little boy first. It was difficult getting him into the basket but he did it. The child hadn’t stirred and Nick had been disappointed to feel a pulse when he checked. He picked up the little girl next. He stared at her, stunned anew by her resemblance to her mother. Doubts assailed him. Should he take the girl instead? However, he wasn’t set up to keep a child. Regretfully, he placed her into the second basket. He pulled the lids on and picked up the shovel. The thud of dirt on the lids was pleasing. After twenty minutes he finished filling the graves with soil. He was scattering some debris and rubbish over the area when he saw headlights in the distance and froze.

He stared at them in horror. Fear immobilised him for a second until adrenaline surged through his body. Someone was coming. He lifted the spade and ran to the Volvo. Throwing it into the car he jumped into the driver’s seat. Starting the engine, he kept the headlights off, and with heart racing—he accelerated away as fast as he dared.