Behind Shadows: A Psychological Mystery Thriller (The Adam Stanley Series Book 1) (21 page)

Chapter 37

Amanda

The children were tucked up in bed and I finally had a few minutes to myself. I rang DS Stanley and he confirmed he was about to release Michael. Toni had turned up safe and well. She'd been to stay with her sister for a few days—after she smashed the coffee table in a temper and had cut herself, which explained the blood.

I was relieved. She wasn't one of my favourite people in the world, but I didn't want her harmed—well, not too harmed anyway.

I told DS Stanley where I was staying, but asked him not to say anything to Michael. I still needed some space to get my head straight. Although I worried that by staying here, we were putting Sandra in danger too, but I had nowhere else to go.

Back in the lounge, I glanced over at Sandra. "I need to tell you something."

Sandra tipped her head to one side as if to say,
now what?

"I saw my brother at the cemetery yesterday."

"Oh, my God, Amanda, you need to tell the police. Are you sure?"

"No. That's why I didn't say anything. I thought I might have imagined it."

"So much of this doesn't add up. You should write everything down. Do a timeline." Sandra was always the queen of lists.

"I don't know how a list would help."

"Not a list, a timeline. It can't hurt."

"I guess not."

I ended up sitting on the lounge rug with the coffee table shoved to one side. Sandra gave me an old roll of wallpaper that was ideal and I rolled it out.

"Right, lovey, I'll leave you alone and walk this poor pooch before he bursts."

Monty jumped up from his basket as soon Sandra picked up his lead, and he began pirouetting mid-air. The scruffy, little brown dog had been in hiding all day. Jacob adored him and had terrorized him at every opportunity. Once the children were in bed Monty ventured back to his basket.

"Wrap up well. It's bloody freezing out there," I said.

Using a magic marker, I wrote down as many details as I could. I had to check some dates out on my email, using Sandra's computer.

Early September

• Feeling of being watched
  
• Saturday 13th October — The Zoo
  
• Call from Judy.
  
• Emma vanished.
  
• Zoo assistant saw her leave with a woman dressed like me?
  
• Emma said she followed me?
  
• Seahorse found in Emma's backpack.
  

Sunday 14th October

• Request from Judy for quote
  
• Key code and address emailed
  
• Arranged initial inspection for following day.
  

Monday 15th October

• Inspected property and sent quote through.
  
• Between 12th & 17th October
  
• Dennis killed.
  

Friday 26th October

• Visit from DS Stanley — missing person’s enquiry.
  
• Email from Judy confirming the job was mine.
  

Monday 29th October

• Started work on Kingsley house.
  
• Bad smell noticed and plumber called.
  

Wednesday 31st October

• Annie killed.
  
• No alibi — stayed late working.
  

Friday 2nd November

• Annie's body found.
  
• Visit to police after I heard about it.
  

Saturday 3rd November

• Met with homicide — Kate King.
  
• Questioned and kept in overnight.
  
• Witness statements describe me as the person who walked Annie home. Another witness identifies me as buying the vodka left at Annie's place.
  
• Michael moved to Toni's with the kids.
  

Sunday 4th November

• Released without charge.
  
• Car wouldn't start; DS Stanley drove me home.
  
• He spotted a prowler in my garden.
  

Monday 5th November

• Plumber rang to confirm appointment.
  
• Took taxi to Kingsley.
  
• Discovered Dennis' body.
  
• I was found by Michael and DS Stanley, and taken to hospital.
  
• Michael returned home with the kids.
  

Tuesday 6th November

• Brian Crosby found dead.
  
• I woke up in hospital.
  
• Somebody broke into our house.
  

Wednesday 7th November

• Left hospital.
  
• Found message on computer screen threatening Michael.
  

Monday 12th November

• Dennis' funeral.
  
• Saw Andrew in cemetery?
  
• Toni goes missing.
  
• Tuesday 13th November (today)
  
• Visited Judy
  
• Michael arrested
  

Once I reached the end of the timeline I was none the wiser.

The back door opened and Sandra appeared, looking seriously windswept.

"Shall I make us a nice cuppa?" I said, jumping to my feet.

"I think we can find something a little more exciting," she said. "Have a look in the fridge—there should be a couple of bottles of white."

I poured us both a glass of chardonnay and carried them through to the lounge. Sandra was sitting staring at the list in a world of her own.

"Penny for them?" I said as I passed her a glass.

"Oh—sorry, love, I'm trying to get my head around everything."

"Yeah, I'm surprised you're not dizzy. There's a lot to take in."

"It's just … something is puzzling me."

"What is?" I set my glass down on the coffee table in front of us.

"According to this, your father went missing before you'd even started work on the house."

"Aha."

"So whoever it was gained access, killed him, and left his body there for you to find—and all this before you even got the job."

"I hadn't thought about that." Sandra was very astute—even Adam had never mentioned this contradiction. "Which takes us back to Judy," I whispered.

"Do you think another visit is in order?"

***

Sandra offered to look after the children for me while I went to see Judy. I decided not to take them to the day-care. I'd been shocked to find out Michael had been leaving them alone there.

As I gathered up my bag, my phone rang for what seemed like the thousandth time this morning. The following beep indicated yet another message. I'd already cleared several from Michael, but more kept coming through. He had been released and was now in search of the children, but I wasn't in the mood to speak to him.

I perched on the edge of the bed and dialled my voicemail again. Six messages in half an hour for heaven's sake. The first three were more from Michael—ranting and raving, demanding all sorts. The next two were silent apart from some heavy breathing.

The last one was the same, more breathing, and I was about to hang up when I heard a faint voice. "Amanda, I need to see you. Please call me as soon as you can."

Judy was the last person I would have expected to hear from. I'd been stressing about how she was going to react to me turning up unannounced. I called her back, and Mary answered.

"Hi, Mary, it's Amanda Flynn. I missed a call from your mum. Can I talk to her, please?"

"She can't come to the phone right now—the nurse is in with her. She said to tell you to come over. She has something she needs to discuss with you, but it has to be between ten and twelve today."

I glanced at my watch—8.50am. I would need to get my skates on. "Tell her I'll be there."

I found Sandra and the children having breakfast at the dining table. Jacob was sitting in a booster seat attached to a chair.

"Oh, that's a good contraption. Where did you find it?"

"I've had it for years from my fostering days. I'd forgotten all about it."

"Sandra," I said, lowering my voice. "I need to go sooner than expected. Judy called and needs to see me."

"Judy called
you
?"

"Yeah—coincidence or what?"

"Are you sure you'll be okay?"

"I'll be fine. Maybe she's remembered something."

"Call me as soon as you're out of there."

I wasn't used to having somebody care about me, and it brought tears to my eyes.

"I will. I promise. Thank you, Sandra. You're a true friend."

"Oh, get on with ya." She pretended to shove me away. "Just keep yourself safe, you hear?

Chapter 38

Adam

Adam felt as if he’d been bamboozled into an awkward position.

Since Sarah died, he didn't want anything to do with homicide or death in any way, shape or form.

During his years in homicide, he'd investigated and solved several high-profile murders. He’d seen everything, or so he thought. That was until that fateful Wednesday morning.

Sarah had been an early childhood teacher and ten years younger than him. Neither of them had ever been in a serious relationship before they met, but once they did, it was as though his life suddenly made sense.

He'd already been with the police for nine years by then, and had been promoted to the homicide division. Sarah was the younger sister of a colleague—his ex-partner, Matt, to be exact. They met at Matt's birthday party.

She was so beautiful that he never imagined she'd look twice in his direction. However, Matt couldn't wait to tell him of the half-hour quizzing she'd put her brother through.

With Matt playing matchmaker, Adam and Sarah arranged to meet the following weekend, and from that day on they'd been inseparable.

They'd planned to have at least three children, and even though they weren't ready to start a family, it hadn't stopped them practising at every opportunity. They had more than sex in common, though. It was as if their minds were fused together and they functioned as one, often finishing each other's sentences.

That morning started out no different than many others, apart from the alarm clock failing to go off, which made him late for work. He'd rushed around getting ready, before racing back to the bedroom for a goodbye kiss.

Sarah lay on her stomach, one gorgeous, shapely leg and her bottom uncovered. Adam grabbed her foot and began nibbling from her ankle up, growling like an animal, before reaching her buttocks. Sarah squealed and wriggled to escape, but he held on tight. With a swift movement, he flipped her over, pinning her on her back. He kissed her sexy full lips passionately, then he jumped from the bed leaving her panting for more.

"Aw, no! Adam. Come back here this minute!"

"Can't—sorry, baby, I'm late. Take it as a taster of what to expect later." He winked at her.

"Just a few minutes, plee-ease?" she begged.

"Nah, gotta go. I love you."

The amount of times he'd gone over that day in his head, wondering if anything would have altered if he spent an extra half-hour with her instead of rushing off to work.

He first knew something was wrong was when Matt came to his office looking as though he'd had the fright of his life.

Adam's stomach hit the floor.

Sarah had been in an accident.

They had been taking a group of children to the local jungle gym as they did every Wednesday morning. One of the children, a little girl called Molly, ran into the road. Sarah had managed to push the child to safety before a car struck Sarah head on.

Witnesses said she died instantly. She never uttered any last words of true love like they do in the movies. The driver had slowed, before slamming down the accelerator and fleeing the scene.

The driver hadn't been found to this day.

That had been the hardest thing to deal with. Knowing the person that killed his wife was still out there getting on with their life as if nothing had happened. Adam's life, on the other hand, was devastated beyond recognition. The fact that he couldn't find the person responsible ate away at him the way a parasite.

The reality that it hadn't been the driver's fault made no difference at all. The witnesses said there was no way the car could have avoided her—it had happened too fast—but Adam had been like a man obsessed. So much so that when he couldn't find them, he'd doubted himself as a policeman.

After a long absence, he handed in his notice, but his sergeant wouldn't accept it. Instead, he'd convinced Adam to transfer to another area on light duties, hence Missing Persons in the London borough of Pinevale.

Yet now here he was, up to his eyeballs in dead bodies and with no idea who was responsible.

He glanced at the thick file on the kitchen bench. He intended going through it until something made sense. It was meant to be his day off, but he knew he wouldn't be able to rest with all this going around and round in his head.

After making a large pot of coffee, he sat down for what he expected could be a very long day.