The Fear Within Read online

  Jimmy leaned back in his seat and watched John closely.

  Dan looked over at Jimmy’s desk and saw some pictures there. One in particular caught her eye.

  It was of a petite, very pretty blond woman, who had to be Victoria Nash. She was smiling in the picture, standing in front of her dad, who looked down at her.

  “We need to ask about a missing person, Jimmy,” said John quietly.

  “William Knight,” said Dan.

  The room fell silent.

  Jimmy looked at John and began to tap his forefinger on his thigh.

  “This is what you came for, John?” Jimmy asked. “After all this time, no favors, no sponsorship, just bringing all that back up again?”

  John nodded.

  “Sorry, Jimmy. It’s important.”

  Jimmy took a deep breath and held it for a few moments before releasing it slowly and looking up at Marcus, who’d remained standing a few feet away.

  For the first time since she’d been here, Dan felt the stirring of something beneath the surface that might not be wholesome.

  “Well, John, we both know I probably owe you a favor for something, so you can ask your questions, but after you ’ave, I don’t want to see you, or talk about it, ever again. Okay?”

  John nodded.

  “Thanks, Jimmy. I appreciate it.”

  “So, you do know him?” said Dan, growing bored with the theatrics.

  Jimmy turned to look at her.

  “I don’t know him at all,” he said. “I know what he is. I know the things he did. I ’eard he’d disappeared years ago.”

  “He did,” said Dan.

  She could feel John staring at her, willing her to be more deferential, but she just wanted to get on with it. “But things have happened recently that now lead us to look for him again.”

  Jimmy paused and looked at each of them in turn.

  “Well, I’m afraid you’ve ’ad a wasted journey. I ain’t seen him in years, but”—he leaned toward Dan—“if I did, I’d let you good people know, so justice could be done.”

  Jimmy stood up and nodded to Marcus as he walked back to his desk.

  “Jimmy, wait,” said John, his voice strong, fearless again, as Dan always knew him to be. “We’re not trying to find out what happened to Knight. That’s not why we’re here.”

  “Good, ’cuz I wouldn’t ’ave a clue where he was, how could I?”

  “Something’s going on and we’ve had it from a good place that Knight knows something about it,” said John.

  Jimmy seemed to think about this, but he said nothing.

  “I’m only asking for your gut feeling, Jimmy, you always had a good gut. What does it tell you about Knight? Could he still be active? Could he still be hurting more young girls?”

  Jimmy seemed to bridle at that.

  “I’ll tell you what my gut tells me,” said Jimmy. “It tells me he’s not involved. I think he ran, or hopefully came to justice by some other means, who knows, but I really don’t think he’s hurting anyone. I think he’s in hell.”

  John looked at Jimmy and then at Dan. He nodded, as though he’d heard enough.

  “Does your gut tell you if he could be found?” asked Dan.

  Jimmy smiled.

  “Who knows, Dan? Everyone can be found. Thanks for visiting.”

  Jimmy turned away and Marcus stepped forward to usher them to the door.

  “Someone’s harming women again, Mr. Nash,” said Dan. “Someone who’s been doing it for a long time. It might not be Knight, but he knows something. I’m talking a lot of women too, tortured and terrorized, worse even than your Victoria. It’s been going on for a long time, and now, even in death, they’re being mutilated and disgraced.”

  Dan prepared herself, sure that he’d bridle again, become threatening, but instead she saw his eyes soften, as though he were vividly remembering the painful times that’d likely only faded, never passed.

  “And you think Knight would know something about it?” said Jimmy.

  Dan nodded. “I really do.”

  Jimmy reached up and rubbed his chin.

  “Wish I could help,” said Jimmy.

  He watched as Dan and John walked toward the door.

  “Dan,” Jimmy said, as the door was closing behind her.

  Marcus stepped back quickly and held the door open again.

  “Well done on the Tenacity case a little while back and on your collar of that wife-beating piece of shit a week or so ago. You did well there. Appalling, people using the nation’s assets for ill-gotten gain. You know, you do us all a service, and I might think of something. If I do, I’ll call you. Just so you know.”

  “Just call me, Jimmy,” said John, speaking from behind Dan.

  “It’s okay, John. You’re a busy man, and I might quite like to speak to Dan again one day, who knows.” He turned to Dan, his eyes piercing into her. “Always good to see someone else willing to take filth off the streets.”

  Dan said nothing.

  “Do send my regards to Taz,” said Jimmy. “Tell him I send my warmest regards. And call your sister, will you, she’s pregnant and she’s dying to tell you.”

  Dan froze, her lips moving but no words coming out as Marcus ushered her out and the door closed behind her.

  Marcus chatted as they walked back, but Dan said nothing, only nodded and smiled as they handed their badges back to Tiny Tina, and again as she shook Marcus’s hand.

  John was already walking to the door when Marcus spoke to Dan.

  “Would you like to grab a drink with me sometime?” he said, her hand still held in his. “Or maybe a coffee, or lunch?”

  Dan was still numb.

  “Sure,” she said, and turned away to follow John without another word.

  She pulled her phone out as soon as she was outside and called Charlie, who answered on the second ring.

  “Hey, sister,” said Charlie. “Took your time to call back, as usual.”

  “I did. I’m sorry,” Dan said, as she climbed into the car. “How’s things?”

  “Well,” began Charlie, “do you have time to talk? Because I have something I want to tell you.”

  Charlie giggled into the phone and Dan felt as though an icicle was being pushed into her gut.

  “Tell me,” said Dan.

  “I’m pregnant!’ said Charlie, barely able to contain her excitement.

  “How long have you known?” asked Dan.

  Charlie went quiet at the end of the line. “Aren’t you excited? You’re going to be an aunt.”

  “I’m over the moon,” said Dan. “I just wondered how long you’d managed to keep it secret.”

  “I only really confirmed it a few days ago, but I think I’ve known for a few weeks. It’s early yet. Dad and Mim know, and now you, but that’s it.”

  Dan felt sick.

  “That’s so great,” she said. “Oh, Charlie, I can’t believe it. Dad must be driving you crazy, trying to do things for you.”

  “He is,” said Charlie.

  Dan looked at John, who she could see was listening to the call.

  “Charlie, I’m being called into an interview, I’m so sorry. They said I’d have time. Can I call you back?”

  She heard her sister’s disappointment down the line.

  “I’m sorry. I’ll deffo call you back in a little while, and I promise I’ll have time to chat, and I’m so excited for you. I love you.”

  The call ended and Dan looked at John, her mind turning over.

  “He’s right. Charlie’s pregnant. How would he know that? Why?”

  John shook his head.

  “I don’t know, but I know we shouldn’t have gone in there at all. It was a mistake.”

  “It was a threat,” said Dan.

  “Well, stay away now. He knows your dad, doesn’t he? And he’s Royal Marines through and through, so knowing you come from Royal Marine stock might make sure he leaves you be.”

  Dan turned away and looked out of the windo
w.

  “Yeah, he knows my dad.”

  She picked up her phone again and dialed a number.

  “You weren’t kidding when you said you’d call me next,” said her dad as he answered. “I’m just on my way out though, so only got a second.”

  “This won’t take long,” said Dan, trying not to sound angry, or worried, or however it was she felt right now. “Do you know a guy named Jimmy Nash?”

  The line was silent for a while, the static stretching out between them.

  “Dad?”

  “Yeah, I’m here,” he said, his voice quiet.

  Dan heard him cover the mouthpiece and talk to her stepmum.

  “I know Jimmy,” he said when he came back on. “Just surprised you’ve come across him. Why do you ask?”

  “I just had a visit with him.”

  “Why?” said her dad.

  “It’s to do with an investigation.”

  “Tenacity?”

  Dan stopped trying to take stock of the conversation so far.

  “No, something different,” said Dan, not sure why she was so annoyed with his questions and short, clipped answers.

  “Why did he come to you?” Taz asked.

  “He didn’t. I needed to speak to him. Listen, Dad, I just wanted to know if you knew him, that’s all.”

  “I do.”

  Her dad’s voice was odd, had lost all its usual humor.

  “Do you know him well? Would he know Charlie, and me?”

  There was a long pause again.

  “He’d know I had daughters, but we weren’t close. Why are you asking, Danny? What’s happened with Jimmy Nash?”

  “Nothing, honestly,” said Dan. “He just sends his regards and said he knew you. I have to shoot now. Love you.”

  She looked back in through the glass-fronted building.

  Marcus was still watching them, standing with Tiny and laughing at something as they chatted.

  “Hold on,” said her dad.

  “It’s fine, no biggie,” said Dan, still watching Marcus and Tiny. “I have to go, Dad. I’ll call you later.”

  “Wait,” he said, but Dan was already ending the call.

  “He does know him, then?” said John.

  Dan nodded and put her phone onto silent, sliding it into her pocket.

  “Why didn’t you tell your old man what happened? If he knows him, it might all be some simple misunderstanding.”

  “I don’t know if it is or not,” said Dan, “But I do know that if it’s not, and Nash was threatening me or Charlie, then telling Dad would be a serious mistake. I don’t want to sound like a kid in a playground, but Jimmy Nash would only chew food for as long as it took my father to get here and find him, then he’d be using a straw and a nurse for food for a few months. Dad gets a little protective over his girls.”

  John laughed at that, but he stopped when Dan didn’t join him.

  “You think Nash does know what happened to Knight?” she asked, trying to move on, though her head was churning and starting to pound as she tried to understand what had just happened.

  “Oh, I’d bet my life on it,” said John.

  33

  Wednesday, February 4 (early hours)

  Dan’s phone was buzzing on her bedside table. It was set to silent, but where it was, lying on top of the bare wood, the vibrations were making enough noise to wake her. The light from the screen made her wince, but she didn’t recognize the number, and so she let it ring out.

  There was another missed call, too, from her dad.

  He’d already called her again that evening, fishing for more information about Jimmy Nash, but she’d put him off, refusing to make a big deal about it, telling him that it was standard service police business.

  She decided she’d call him again in the morning and try to set his mind at ease, even though hers wasn’t.

  A glance at the clock showed it was late, but not yet midnight; she hadn’t been in bed that long.

  She waited for the signal that a message had been left, but instead the phone started to buzz again, vibrating in her hand, and downstairs, she heard a light knocking on her front door. On instinct, she answered the call.

  “Hello?” she said, not wanting to give her name.

  “Ms. Lewis, it’s Marcus Lowe. I’m really sorry to bother you so late, but could you come and open the front door, please? I’ve been knocking, but I don’t want to wake your neighbors.”

  Dan’s eyes were wide open now. Her bedroom light was on, as it always was, and the light stung her eyes as she sat up in shock.

  “Are you at my door now?” she said.

  “I am,” said Marcus.

  Dan froze, unsure what to do.

  “Why are you at my door, Marcus?”

  “It’s in reference to a conversation you had earlier, some help you requested from a mutual friend. I’d much prefer we talk in person, if you’re willing to.”

  Marcus had seemed like a decent guy on the two occasions Dan had met him, friendly and educated, ex-forces, and he knew her dad, but Dan knew she hadn’t given him this phone number, nor her address, though he’d obviously known that from when they’d last met outside her house, and it made her heart beat fast to think that he was down there right now.

  “What exactly do you want, Marcus?” she asked, sounding stronger than she felt.

  “I want to show you something that I’m certain you’ll want to see, Ms. Lewis. You asked for help, we’d like to offer you some.”

  Dan knew she’d need to speak to him now or later.

  “Okay, I’m coming down.”

  She ended the call and pulled on an old pair of tracksuit pants and an overlarge hooded top. She picked up a pepper spray from a shelf next to the door and held it ready in her left hand, then peeped through the spy hole.

  Marcus was there, illuminated by her security light. He was wearing a plain black jacket and was looking directly at the spy hole with both hands held up, palms revealed.

  Dan opened the door and stepped back in case he rushed her.

  He didn’t. In fact, he, too, stepped back.

  “What?” she asked.

  “I’d like to invite you to come with me, please.”

  “Where?”

  “I can’t tell you that.”

  Dan watched him closely.

  “I’m not going to do that, Marcus,” said Dan.

  “Then I’m sorry I disturbed you, Dan. Good night.”

  He nodded to her with a polite smile and turned away.

  Dan waited for a moment.

  “Marcus,” she said, trying to whisper, but also loud enough for him to hear.

  He turned back.

  “What’s going on?”

  “I want to take you somewhere to show you something, but you don’t have to come,” he said.

  “Marcus, it’s midnight and you want me to come on my own, quietly, with you, to some location you won’t tell me, to see something that you also won’t tell me?”

  “Dan, if we wanted to harm you, it wouldn’t be like this.”

  Dan paused, thinking.

  “Do I have to come alone?”

  “Yes. No phones, nothing metallic at all, please. If you want to leave a text message with someone about coming with me, if that makes you feel more secure, then that’s fine, though I’m not sure how it’ll be received at this time.”

  “Let me get some shoes,” she said. “Can you wait out here?”

  He nodded. “My car’s round the corner, so as not to wake anyone. You grab shoes and a jacket and I’ll move it to the top of the road and wait for you,” he said.

  Dan nodded and pushed the door shut until she heard it click.

  She put the pepper spray down. She was tempted to message Roger or John, but she knew that would be a mistake—either would come running, or try to call and overreact when she didn’t answer. She typed out a quick text to Felicity. She needed to know whatever it was that Marcus might tell her, and there was only one conversati
on that he could be referring to.

  Felicity always turned her phone off at night, so she wouldn’t get the message till morning anyway, and by then, Dan would be back and could explain, or would need help that Felicity could provide.

  She redressed upstairs, pulling on some leggings and boots and a warmer top, and then jogged quickly downstairs again.

  If Marcus meant to do her harm, then he could’ve done that already, and why risk letting her leave messages identifying him?

  She checked through the spy hole again, but he wasn’t there. She opened the door and walked up the small sloping driveway to the dark-colored car waiting at the top.

  She jogged around to the front passenger door and opened it, sliding into the warm leather seat.

  “I put the seat heater on for you,” Marcus said as soon as she’d closed the door. He pointed to a button on the dash. “Just push that if it gets too hot.”

  The car pulled away steadily. It was a high-end Mercedes with leather interior, and it was immaculately clean, not just kept in good order but shiny, as though it’d been valeted that day.

  “Company car?” asked Dan, looking behind herself.

  He laughed and looked at her. “Something like that. You okay?”

  Dan nodded, scanning the streets.

  “Just paranoid, I think. People turning up at all hours will do that.”

  They pulled out onto the main road and headed for the motorway.

  “So where are we going?” Dan asked, watching the familiar road signs as they headed toward Portsmouth.

  “Actually, about that,” he said and reached down behind him into the rear passenger foot well. He pulled out a black hood and passed it to her. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to insist on this.”

  Dan looked at the hood and then at him.

  “Marcus, I really don’t think I can put that over my head,” she said.

  He looked at her, sensing that she wasn’t just being difficult. He tapped the wheel.

  “I don’t think we can go ahead without it, Dan.”

  Dan scrunched up the rim of the hood and readied it to go over her head. Her hands were starting to shake.

  “Is it having it over your whole face that bothers you?” he asked. “Would you be able to put it down just over your eyes? It doesn’t have to cover your nose and mouth.”