Nothing but Meat: A dark, heart-stopping British crime thriller Read online

  ‘And not only that,’ Martin added, ‘I want you to be gone by the end of the week.’

  ‘How am I supposed to do that?’

  ‘You were planning on going to university correct?’ he said, and without allowing Nathan to answer he said, ‘You’re a bright chap, book at place in Newcastle or Scotland somewhere, or better still, Australia and don’t come back.’

  ‘I can’t go by the end of the week.’

  ‘Yes you can.’

  ‘What if I choose not to?’

  ‘That’s up to you,’ he said with a sarcastic shrug. ‘We all have choices Nathan, we all make right ones and wrong ones and you made the wrong one on Sunday, just don’t make another one now. This is all very simple; if you go, I keep quiet and your fate is in the hands of the investigators, but if you choose to stay you will be arrested within days, and life will become, let’s say, unpleasant, not only for you but for your father. I’m sure it’d be very upsetting for him to find out who you really are and what you’re capable of.’

  ‘It wasn’t just me though,’ said Nathan with a hint of desperation in his voice he just couldn’t hide, ‘you were there too; you, your sister and Simone.’

  ‘I don’t want you to say her name again.’

  Nathan ignored him. ‘You’re all accessories to the crime. All three of you will be implicated if you tell the police…’

  ‘You keep telling yourself that.’

  ‘…and they’ll want to know why it took you so long to own up.’

  ‘I’ll say you threatened to kill our parents, threatened to burn our houses down while we slept. We’re all scared of you Nathan, every one of us; you’re insane, you’re a pyromaniac, we didn’t know what to do but in the end it was the guilt, the guilt made us come forward and admit to what we saw you do.’

  ‘The others won’t back you up.’

  ‘What makes you think that? We’re all pretty disgusted by your behaviour; I for one don’t give a shit what happens to you and my sister? Well, she barely knows she’s awake most of the time. Simone might be keeping quiet through some kind of misguided loyalty but I’m telling you now, five minutes in a police interview room and they’ll have the poor cow singing like a choir boy on a Sunday.’

  ‘This is all bollocks Martin. Where’s the proof, the evidence?’

  ‘You do realise that they will have found your lighter by now?’

  ‘Maybe, but they can’t prove it’s mine.’

  ‘I’ve got photos of you using that lighter. It’s a limited edition. It’s unusual.’

  ‘The fact that I had the same lighter as the one found at the crime scene doesn’t mean anything. It definitely doesn’t mean I did it.’

  ‘But you did do it didn’t you?’

  Nathan was quiet.

  ‘Didn’t you?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Exactly. And if you were innocent and it went to court and your lighter was the only piece of evidence they had against you, you just might get away with it, but the thing is, you’re not innocent and when all eyes are on you, proving otherwise will get harder and harder. Especially with me telling them how I fucking watched you do it.’

  ‘I can’t just leave. How am I supposed to afford it?’

  ‘Get a job in a bar or something, it’s not that hard Nathan, people do it all the time.’ Martin stood up and leant into him, pointing a stubby finger into his face. ‘You stay or you go,’ he said. ‘The decision’s all yours. Frankly, I don’t give a shit what you do because either way you’re gone.’

  Martin had him where he wanted him and there wasn’t anything Nathan could do about it. He had gone through his options as he lay in bed the evening after he started the fire and realised there were only three: confess, hide or flee. Confession was out, the guilt was chewing him up but he couldn’t face the punishment of a ruined life for something he knew he could control if he was given a second chance. He had chosen to hide but now Martin had threatened to expose him hiding was no longer an option. Martin had forced his hand and now fleeing the scene of the crime was probably the only realistic solution left. If he ran he could start a new life and leave the past behind. He could start a new life with new beginnings. It might just work.

  Martin began to walk away but then turned around. ‘One other thing Nathan,’ he said.

  ‘What.’

  ‘You’re not to speak to Simone again. You don’t tell her you’re going; you don’t tell her where you’re going. You just go. Got it?’

  What was left to say? He was ruined and it was entirely self-inflicted. ‘You’re the boss,’ he said.

  Nathan West knew he had gone too far and needed to put his addiction into perspective. He had done nothing but worry that the police would be knocking on his door at any moment.

  He had always wanted to join the police and any chance of that happening would be over if he was convicted for arson or for murder.

  No, he had to rein it back in and take a good hard look at himself. The fire at the farm had been inevitable – his addiction had been spiralling out of control and it was only a matter of time before he caused a fire of that size and now he was a wanted criminal. It wouldn’t have been so bad if he had been alone but there were witnesses and any of the other three could turn him in if they wanted. Martin’s analysis of the situation was spot on - West doubted whether Simone would say anything but he couldn’t be sure; he had gone too far this time, she was a witness and an accessory to the crime. Fear of imprisonment would loosen her tongue. Laura was unpredictable, she liked to get her rocks off and when she did her mouth was as loose as her legs. He didn’t trust her but he had a feeling she wouldn’t say anything, not deliberately at least but neither of them would protect him if the police came knocking. And he didn’t blame them either, why should they ruin their own lives trying to cover up for his stupidity. If it came to that he would willingly take the blame.

  He had to leave. A future mapped out inside his head. He would move away, maybe he could live with his grandparents for a year, while he went to college and finished his A-levels, and then if he got a place at university he could be independent.

  It meant leaving Simone but if that were his only punishment then, painful as it would be; he knew he would have gotten away lightly.

  All those months of wanting her, of wanting to tell her how he felt came down to that moment in the haystack. They were sitting so closely together and the tension between them was electrifying. He wanted so badly to kiss her and had just made his move when Martin interrupted them. Their lips had touched only for a second but it was enough. Simone now knew how he felt and Nathan was sure she felt the same way. But now it was over before it even began.

  He tried to convince himself that she was just a girl and that there would be many others just like her, but somehow he knew this wasn’t really true, there would be others, of course there would, but none like her.

  There it was: another and possibly the most important reason of all as to why he couldn’t allow himself anymore mistakes with fire. Leaving Simone would be like losing a piece of his life but he had to go, he had no choice; he was on the brink of losing everything.

  The first step to recovery was admitting to the problem and Nathan had admitted it – to himself at least, and now that he had, he could begin to control it. It was time for a fresh start and the road to recovery was laid out before him - he just needed a second chance and he could change his life and he would never do anything so stupid again.

  Don’t get caught, he thought, I just need to get away from here and the chance to sort myself out. I’ll learn to control it and then knows what the future will hold.

  16

  Simone went into the station that morning feeling tired, hung-over and sore, but she was more determined than ever to see the case through to its bitter end and that’s what made it so hard when she found she was moments away from being taken off the investigation.

  ‘Why is it you look more beaten up as each day passes?’ said
Jackson from behind his desk. Simone sat across from him feeling sore and self-conscious and then suddenly foolish when she realised her mouth had dropped open in response to his question and no words were forthcoming. Simone was at a loss; she didn’t know what to say so she didn’t say anything. She knew what Jackson was saying was true but then, within that awkward moment, between his comment and her blank response, she wondered if he had been joking and maybe just trying to make light of her appearance in an attempt to make their meeting less uncomfortable. But Jackson was no more a comedian than he was a fool, he knew there was more to her damaged appearance than just the injuries sustained in the line of duty and all Simone’s concerns were instantly justified. She had been beside herself with worry as she drove to work and entered the building that morning, she had tried to convince herself that people wouldn’t notice the fresh additions to her damaged face but it was a ridiculous notion and Jackson’s question had proved it to be so. Everyone had noticed.

  He had made her uncomfortable and he knew it, she could see it in his eyes, so he continued, not wanting the silence to become deafening and her discomfort to become contagious. ‘It hasn’t gone unnoticed by me how much you’ve put into this case,’ he said. ‘I’ve been overwhelmed by your commitment and effort but I’m concerned that we, that I, am putting you into situations that are potentially too dangerous for your level of experience.’

  She was about to protest but he interrupted her.

  ‘I know what happened to Caroline Sheppard and I spoke to Jung yesterday afternoon and he told me what you did for her.’

  ‘She died in my arms,’ she said. The words came from her mouth in a whisper before she had chance to stop them and Jackson looked at her as if she had just proved his point.

  ‘I trust you as an officer and as a person, and I genuinely believe you can handle almost anything that’s thrown at you, if I didn’t think that I wouldn’t have put you with West in the first place. I have to admit that when I put you two together I never imagined it would have become as dangerous as this and I want to give you the chance to decide whether you think it’s too much for you or not.

  ‘What I’m saying Simone, is that this is your chance to walk away,’ he continued. ‘You can have your recuperation time and give yourself a chance to heal properly. You’ve already gone above and beyond your normal duties and no one will think less of you, least of all me.’

  Questions she couldn’t ask raced through her mind. Had Jung been partnered with her so he could report on her performance? Did West want her off the case? ‘You said you spoke to Jung?’ she said.

  He nodded. ‘He couldn’t praise you enough, you both have roughly the same amount of experience and you both showed exceptional control in exceptional circumstances, you only went round there to interview her for God’s sake.

  ‘This isn’t personal Simone, and it’s not just about what happened yesterday. I would be having the same conversation with any of my officers after going through what you have been through during the last couple of weeks.’

  ‘What about West?’

  ‘I’ll level with you, if West recommended that you or anyone else be taken off the case I wouldn’t hesitate in doing as he asked. He has been in situations like this before and he knows what he wants from the people around him. Conversely, if he expressly requested someone be assigned to the case, as he did with you, I would take that request on board and decide if that person is suited to the position required of them. With you Simone, I had little hesitation.

  ‘Does he want me off the case?’

  ‘He doesn’t doubt your ability but he shares the same concerns as me…’

  Thoughts rushed through her mind; he wouldn’t stab me in the back would he? The bastard wants me off the case.

  ‘...and in answer to your question, no, he doesn’t want you off the case unless you want to walk away or if I choose to take you off the case for your own wellbeing.’ Jackson sat back in his chair. ‘You don’t have to answer straight away.’ He said, but Simone didn’t hesitate in her reply.

  ‘I have to see this through to the end,’ she said. ‘Whoever is doing this has to be caught and I intend to be there when we arrest him. I’ve come too far to stop. I won’t stop until we get him.’

  Jackson sat upright again and as he did so there was a split second when the corners of his mouth curled into a slight smile. She had given the correct answer. ‘Well Connelly,’ he glanced behind her, ‘you know where the door is. What are you waiting for?’

  Simone left his office with a sigh of relief and a feeling of pride that her commander believed in her capabilities so thoroughly. She felt stronger and more resolute and her aches and pains seemed to have eased.

  An officer called out to Simone as she crossed the room on her way to her office. He approached her and handed her a piece of paper. ‘These are the results from the lab regarding the contents of the rogue box,’ he said.

  ‘Do I want to know?’

  ‘Ninety-six rashers of plain old bacon; smoked, if it makes any difference.’

  ‘Finger prints?’

  ‘Nope, everything was clean.’

  West was at his desk and Jung was in the chair opposite, they both gave her a second look when she walked into the office. Was it because she was fresh from the meeting with Jackson and they were surprised she was still at work, or because her face had changed since the last time they saw her?

  Jung stood to leave when she walked in. ‘How are you doing?’ he asked, filling the room with his enormous frame.

  ‘Okay.’

  ‘That’s good to hear.’

  ‘Thanks for what you said to Jackson.’

  ‘Wouldn’t have said it if it wasn’t true.’ He said and began to leave.

  ‘Oh, before you go Jung,’ she waved the sheet of paper in front of them. ‘I’ve got the lab results from the box of meat; it was just bacon, no finger prints and no other trace evidence.’

  Jung said, ‘It doesn’t help much but at least it was just bacon. We were all thinking the worst.’ He paused for a second and looked at each of them before leaving the room. ‘See you later,’ he said.

  Simone took the vacant seat opposite West and sat quietly for a time and then said, ‘You two best friends now?’

  West picked his lighter up.

  Click, ting, snap.

  ‘He was telling me about yesterday,’ he said. ‘I had to pretend it was the first time I’d heard it.’

  ‘Oh.’ Two minutes ago she felt indestructible and now she was suddenly awkward. She’d had sex with him less than eighteen hours ago. Was she supposed to mention it?

  ‘We need to talk about Caroline,’ he said.

  Obviously not.

  ‘What about her?’ she said.

  ‘She was pregnant.’ He paused, allowing her time to absorb the information. ‘She wasn’t far along, only about ten weeks. Was she showing when you saw her at the hospital?’

  ‘Not at all, she had the figure to make a teenager jealous.’

  ‘There is a distinct possibility that the knife that had been left sticking from her stomach was an indication that the killer knew this about her.’

  ‘She knew him; it was one of the last things she said to me.’ Something occurred to her out of the blue. ‘Trust,’ she said.

  He furrowed his brow at her.

  ‘I met someone yesterday,’ she said, ‘she used the word trust. Ten weeks isn’t long, you would only tell those closest to you.’

  ‘Okay, so Caroline trusted him. Gary Stevens trusted him.’

  ‘A friend, a close friend, maybe a relation?’

  West had already considered these possibilities and was allowing Simone to follow the thought process and come to her own conclusions.

  She said, ‘And now we have a link between…’

  He waited for her to finish her sentence.

  She followed the chain back in her mind. ‘...Caroline Sheppard, Gary Stevens and Victoria Redman.’

  He
nodded. ‘They all knew him.’

  She felt sudden excitement at the thought of getting closer to the killer.

  Click, ting, snap.

  West tossed his lighter onto the desk. He had a shine in his eyes that told Simone he was experiencing the same sensation.

  ‘But what about Hannah Zaragoza, the runner?’ she said.

  ‘Random?’

  ‘I don’t buy it. We’ve just uncovered a link between the others. There must be something.’

  ‘Maybe it wasn’t him.’

  ‘You believe that?’

  He shook his head. ‘It was him; I’m sure of it.’

  ‘So, odds are he knew her. But how?’

  ‘I hope you don’t make a habit of this,’ he said.

  ‘What?’

  ‘Picking holes in perfectly good theories.’

  She ignored him. ‘Jackson was considering taking me off the case.’

  ‘He had concerns.’

  ‘So he said.’

  She was about to thank him for supporting her when he said, ‘What happened?’

  ‘With what?’ she asked genuinely unsure of his meaning.

  He sighed assuming she was being pedantic and when he spoke he struggled to keep the anger out of his voice. ‘Am I just supposed to ignore the blatantly obvious? Keep my trap shut and say nothing?’

  ‘Oh,’ she said quietly and looked to her lap. His meaning was suddenly clear. She had been distracted by the case and forgotten that he would have noticed.

  ‘Well?’ His eyes had become steely with rage. He was referring to her appearance and to the clear indications of abuse.

  ‘I can deal with my problems.’

  ‘I’m sure you can,’ he said. ‘And by the way, that’s the first time I’ve heard you say you had problems.’

  ‘Oh really? Well, that’s not really surprising considering you’ve been out of my life for longer than you’ve been in it.’

  ‘Christ you’re impossible.’