Devious Intention, page 16
Keeping her voice low, she replied, “Kind of. I got here several hours ago. We’ve been on a bit of a sightseeing tour. Unfortunately, when we got back to the flat, someone tried to mow us down.”
“What? Are you hurt? Did the bastard stop? Did you manage to get his number?”
“No, to all your questions. I feel such a fool. I should have been more cautious, had the common sense to be alert at all times, especially after Louise’s attack.”
“Stop that, you hear me? You’ve had a long drive, and why on earth would you be expecting to get run down?”
“Thank you, Jim. I suppose I only rung up to get some kind of reassurance. Please keep this to yourself. Don’t, for goodness’ sake, tell Brian.”
“Crap, that’s going to put me in an awkward situation, sis. He should know about this, and the news should come from you.”
“Don’t start the big-brother act. He’d order me back home if I told him about this; you know that. It’s even more important for me to stay here with Louise now. You understand that, don’t you, Jim?”
“I do. Maybe you should report the incident to the police down there. They might keep an eye on the place after the first incident.”
“I’m not sure. There’s very little I can give them in the way of description.”
“Hmm… I can see your point of view. All right, I’ve gotta go. How long are you intending to stay down there?”
“Only until Georgina returns.”
“All right. Stay vigilant, and ring me every day. If you miss a day, I’ll be down there like a shot, okay?”
“I was hoping you’d say that.” Before she hung up, she gave her brother the address of where she was staying. Then she poured the coffees.
The doorbell rang as she walked back into the lounge. Louise opened the front door to the gentleman who’d offered to help them.
He handed her a half bottle of cheap whisky. “There you go, miss. I hope it helps settle your nerves.”
“Won’t you come in for a drink? Of coffee, I mean.”
“No, I have a dentist’s appointment in a few minutes. Keep safe, the pair of you.”
“Thank you again, for all you’ve done for us.” Louise shut the door and handed the bottle to Ellie, who twisted off the cap and poured a glug of the amber-coloured liquid into each of their mugs. “I’m in desperate need of this.”
“Me too. Well, there’s no need for either of us to step outside the flat for a few days now, so we should be safe from any madman trying to do their worst.” I hope!
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Ellie stretched out the knots in her spine. She’d thought her days of sleeping on the floor were a distant memory. Apparently not.
Louise looked down at her from the comfort of the sofa. “Did you sleep well?”
“Sort of. Did you?” Ellie replied, not letting on that she’d heard her friend gasp and cry out a few times during the night. The noise hadn’t woken her, as she’d barely managed two hours of sleep herself due to sleeping on the floor without any cushions. She stood up gingerly.
“I slept on and off. I was concerned about you initially then fell asleep quite quickly.”
“Do you want a tea or coffee?” Ellie asked.
“I should be looking after you. Not the other way around.”
“Nonsense. I need to stretch my legs and other parts of my anatomy anyway, after I’ve checked my phone. I think I heard a message arrive not long ago.” She dipped her hand into her handbag and extracted her mobile. Opening her iPhone, she read the reminder. “Damn!”
“What’s wrong? Is it something to do with Matt?”
Ellie shook her head and thumped her fist against her bare thigh. “No, I had no idea of the date, and it’s my mum’s birthday today.”
“Oh no, can Brian do something at his end?”
Ellie raised an eyebrow. “He’s a man. Do men care about birthdays other than their own?”
Louise laughed. “You might have a point there. Matt always left that particular chore for me to deal with. What are you going to do? Maybe you can send her some flowers. There’s a florist at the end of the road. You could see if they’ll send a bouquet today.”
“Good thinking. I’ll get dressed and run down there before it gets busy.”
“You do that, and I’ll make the coffee.” Louise threw back the quilt and rushed into the kitchen before Ellie had the chance to stop her.
Ellie showered, pulled on a clean pair of jeans and a T-shirt, gulped down her coffee, and flew out of the flat, issuing Louise with strict instructions not to open the door to anyone. She walked into the florist’s, where the delightful scent of the newly delivered cut flowers filled her nasal passages the second she stepped into the shop.
A brunette woman in her early forties smiled and asked, “Can I help you?”
“Thank you. I’ve been really busy, didn’t realise the date, and it’s my mum’s birthday today. Is it possible for you to send a bouquet to her this afternoon, or am I too late for a delivery today?”
“Not at all. Providing you place the order before midday, we promise a same-day delivery. Any idea of what sort of arrangement you’d like?”
“Can you give me some examples? I’m not in the habit of sending flowers through the post.”
“What about a small bouquet which comes with a box of chocolates? That’s always popular with our customers.” The woman moved over to a small bookcase and withdrew a few catalogues from the shelves. “This kind of thing. This arrangement is on promotion at the moment, for thirty pounds.”
“That seems reasonable. She loves red and white.”
“That’s no problem. The roses are beautiful at this time of year. I’ll just take down your details, and we’re done.”
Ellie was eager to get back to the flat. Luckily, the assistant was efficient and completed the order within a few minutes. She thanked the woman and left the shop. Disappointment at not being around to share her mother’s special day with her weighed heavily on her shoulders. Distracted, she didn’t hear the young boys approaching her from behind until one of them grabbed the strap of her handbag. Ellie screamed, as her instructor had advised her to do back in her police training days, but the youths just laughed at her and began pushing her between them. “If you want to get arrested, you’re going the right way about it, boys.”
“You telling me you’re a pig?” a youth with spikey red hair mocked.
“That’s right, and that bag is official police property, which means that it’s alarmed and everything inside it is protected. Touch anything, and you’ll be coated in blue dye, and believe me when I say that it’s permanent. I have a good eye for detail too and will have no trouble identifying you all in a line-up. Now, do you want to reconsider your actions?”
The leader of the four youths glared at Ellie for a while before relinquishing his grip on her handbag. She wobbled unsteadily on her feet, reached inside the bag for her pepper spray and aimed it at the boys. “I’d get off to school if I were you, and don’t think about doing this to anyone else on your way, either. You hear me?”
“We were only having a bit of fun. Where’s your sense of humour?”
Ellie’s mouth dropped open. “You call ganging up and trying to rob someone of their possessions a bit of fun?”
The leader shrugged. “Whatever. We were only doing what we was told, lady.”
“By whom?” Ellie looked up and down the road, and that was when she spotted the car from the day before. The driver, who was wearing some kind of mask, revved the engine. Her heart rate escalated as his car crept out of the adjoining road. The youths started running, and Ellie knew she should be doing the same, but her feet were glued to the spot. What do you want? Who the fuck are you?
The roar of the engine grew louder, the closer the car got to her. Think, Ellie, think! The sound blocked her thoughts. She turned to run towards the flat, but the car continued to follow her. Sparks lit up underneath the car as the driver mounted the pavement. Ellie ran as fast as her legs would carry her. She thought about running into the road, but the traffic had started to build up. Then she spotted her saviour ahead. She slowed down deliberately, allowing the driver to gain on her. He was inches behind her when she tucked behind the red post box sitting on the pavement. The sound of crunching metal filled the air as the car crashed into the stationary object.
Ellie left her hiding place and rushed to open the driver’s door. Although he shook his head as if he were dazed, he still managed to lock the door before she had the chance to yank it open. Ellie thumped on the window, shouting “Who are you? Why are you doing this to us?”
A crowd began to form around them. The driver revved his engine, warning the onlookers to keep their distance. He selected reverse gear and pulled away from Ellie.
“Please, help me stop him. He can’t get away! He’s trying to kill us.”
Two burly builders came storming out of a nearby house. One stood behind the vehicle to try and prevent it from moving, and the other smashed the windscreen with the hammer he was holding. The glass shattered and spilled into the interior. “Stop this car, mate!” one of the builders shouted. The driver put his foot down harder, and the builder behind the vehicle promptly moved aside to let the driver pass. He reversed off the pavement then drove by Ellie on the road, saluting her as he drew level with her.
“Damn, he’s got away again.” Only this time, Ellie had noted down the car’s registration number.
“Are you all right, love? Sorry we couldn’t help much.”
Ellie smiled at the two builders. “Not to worry. Thank you for at least trying to help me. I really appreciate it.”
“No bother. Want us to see you home, love?”
She pointed at the flat. “I’m only staying there. Thank you again for your help.” Ellie sprinted back to the flat and thumped on the door with her fists until Louise opened the door. Sweat poured off Ellie as the realisation of what had just occurred struck her.
“Ellie, what on earth is wrong with you?”
“He tried to run me down again. Not only that—he told four youths to rough me up and rob me. This guy really means business, Louise, and we have to bloody stop him before one of us ends up in the mortuary.”
Louise gasped and covered her mouth. “But, Ellie, what can we do?”
She searched for her mobile. “I’m going to ring Jim. At least this time, I managed to get down the plate number.”
“Oh my, what a relief that you weren’t hurt. I hope Jim can help us now.”
“Jim, it’s Ellie.”
“You sound stressed. What’s wrong?”
Ellie paced the room as she spoke. “He’s just tried to run me down again. I’m all right, but I need you to run a plate number for me.”
“Shit! Give it to me.”
Ellie reeled the number off and waited as her brother input the details into the PNC. “Okay, well, this isn’t helpful.” Her brother groaned. “Thinking about it, maybe it is.”
“Stop having a conversation with yourself, and tell me,” Ellie shouted impatiently.
“The car is registered to a hire car firm from Falmouth.”
“What? Falmouth?” she asked in disbelief. “Can you find out who rented it and ring me back, Jim?”
“Sure. Get back to you soon, love. Stay safe.”
Ellie disconnected the call and ran over to look out the lounge window. “Things are getting stranger by the second around here. Jim said the car was rented in Falmouth. I have my suspicions who rented it, but I’m at a loss to know his reasoning behind doing it, if it is indeed who I think it is.”
Louise frowned. “You don’t think Sergeant Bould is behind this, do you?”
“I’m glad we seem to be on the same wavelength, Louise. The question is why is he doing it?”
Louise dropped into the sofa, looking shell-shocked. “Am I really such a horrendous person someone would try to repeatedly kill? Is that actually what is going on here, Ellie? Can the two of us, two women, truly prevent that from happening if someone is determined enough to see it through?”
Ellie sat on the sofa next to Louise and held the woman’s hands in her own. “I won’t let anyone harm you, Louise. From now on, we stick to each other like Siamese twins, okay?”
Louise nodded, but her eyes sparkled with unshed tears. “I’m so glad you’re here with me, Ellie. Although, I just don’t think it’s enough to combat what this vile person intends throwing at us. If you hadn’t been alert, then the police or a forensic team would be scraping you off the pavement right now.”
“Then my actions should give you the confidence to trust me, Louise. I repeat, I have no intention of letting this bastard get close to you. You hear me?”
Both of them jumped when Ellie’s phone rang. She snatched it off the coffee table and answered it. “What did you find out, Jim?”
“It’s not good news, Ellie. The name used to hire the vehicle is down as a Miles Langdon. The company gave me the driver’s address, but it’s not showing up on our system as a true address.”
“What? How could he have hired the car without the address being verified? Don’t tell me—a backhander.”
Jim sighed. “You’ve got it. At least that’s what it’s looking like from this end. I’m not happy about you being in the eye of that storm down there alone, Ellie. I think either Brian or I should come down to lend a hand.”
“Don’t for goodness’ sake tell Brian what I’ve told you, Jim. No, you stay there. You’re more use to me at that end, trying to get Matt’s extradition escalated. He’s still pulling the strings, even from Spain. Lord knows what his next move is likely to be, but I can handle anything he throws at us at this end.”
“I think you’re wrong, Ellie, but I know better than to argue the toss with you. Let me keep digging and chasing up Interpol. Ring me every few hours if you have to, okay?”
“Is there anything I can do here to make things at your end run smoothly?”
“Hmm… before you rang me this morning, I was going to contact you to see if you could get something with Matt’s fingerprints on it. It’s a long shot, I know. But it’s better to be prepared in case Interpol dig their heels in and say they haven’t got enough evidence for the extradition to go through.”
“Crap, where am I supposed to get that from, Jim? I can’t exactly stroll into the house he’s just sold with a piece of sticky tape, can I?”
“All right, there’s no need to snap my head off. It was a simple suggestion—granted, one that I hadn’t put a lot of thought into before I voiced it openly.”
Ellie regretted biting her brother’s head off and mulled his proposal over for a moment or two before she responded, “What about the local coppers? I suppose we could ask them, although if they accompany me to Matt’s office that might cause the associate to contact Matt and give him the heads up we’re closing in on him, which could make him bolt.”
“Yeah, I thought about that and discounted it for the same reason.”
“Okay, plan B, in that case. I guess I could drop by his office.”
“Sounds like a plan. Maybe take Louise with you. She could keep the associate distracted while you hunt his office for an object.”
Ellie laughed. “I think you’ve been watching too may detective shows on TV if you think it’s going to be that easy, bruv.”
“Give it a try. If you mess up, then we’ll think of something else.”
“Huh! Me, mess up? Never! Okay, we’ll set off in an hour or so, once we believe this idiot has given up on his plan of mowing us down. Although the state his car was in, he’d be wise to get it off the road, to avoid getting pulled over by the police.”
“My advice would be to stick to using the car now, Ellie; it’ll be far safer for you both.”
“Yes, boss. Oh, by the way, when you see Mum later, will you tell her I’m sorry I missed her birthday and that I’ll make it up to her when I return to Worcester? That’s why I popped out this morning, to arrange an Interflora delivery. Hopefully, she’ll understand.”
“Of course she will. I’ll leave out the part about these flowers almost costing you your life, I promise. I’m going now. I’ll ring you later if I find out anything, and you do the same if you manage to venture out; only do that if you feel comfortable with the idea, and for God’s sake take the car.”
“I hear you loud and clear, Jim. Speak later.”
Ellie hung up and explained to Louise why Jim wanted them to visit Matt’s office.
Louise’s face clouded over with worry. “I’m not sure I can keep a stranger distracted while you search Matt’s office, especially one that might be in cahoots with my husband.”
“I know it’s asking a great deal, but it’s all I can come up with to get Matt’s fingerprints, love.”
“All right, can we get it over and done with quickly?”
“Let’s finish our coffee and set off then. I better make a fresh one; the last thing I need right now is to get breathalysed.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Half an hour later, Ellie and Louise cautiously left the flat and drove to Matt’s business address. The girl on reception rang through to Jackie Morris to announce their arrival. The young woman came out of her office to greet them. Although there was a smile pinning her lips open, Ellie could tell the woman looked anxious.
“How lovely to finally meet you, Mrs. Gillespie. Matt has told me so much about you that I feel I know you as a friend already.”
Ellie felt her stomach churn. The woman was obviously a born liar, just like Louise’s husband. “I hope you don’t mind us turning up like this. Louise has a few questions to ask regarding the business that we need to sort out before we take further action.”
The smile dispersed quickly, and panic occupied Jackie’s brown eyes. “Of course. Would you like to come through to the office? Coffee?”
“No thanks. We’ve just had one.” Ellie and Louise followed the bewildered woman into her office and closed the door.
Jackie sat upright behind her desk and clasped her hands tightly together in front of her. “Not exactly sure how I can help, but I can certainly try my best. What is it you need to know, Mrs. Gillespie?”
