Our breath misted through the thin torch beams where we stood at the base of an uneven hill, Juliet’s voice ringing in the still morning air as she talked through the details of the operation.
‘You’ll be by the cars?’ Ruby Douglas confirmed. The leader of the firearms team was a tall woman, her slim figure bulked out with heavy bulletproof clothing.
Juliet nodded, her hair falling neatly across her shoulders. I hadn’t had time for more than a quick brush of my teeth and a splash of water over my sleep crusted eyes before I’d rushed to the station this morning. At least my hair was stashed under a beanie.
‘Don’t come over to the active site for any reason,’ Ruby warned, pulling on her helmet. ‘If you’re concerned, call us on the walkies.’
‘Keep talk to a minimum,’ I interjected through chattering teeth. ‘All of the suspects are skittish. One hint they’re going to meet anyone other than Leo Dunlow, and they’ll scarper.’
‘No worries.’ Dev Afzal grinned from under his helmet. ‘We’ll activate stealth mode.’
Even in the torchlight, Ruby’s eye roll at her second in command was evident.
‘Good luck,’ I said, as the team departed.
Their black-clad figures were swallowed in the shadows cast by swaying trees. This place was as creepy as the Dunlow forest over the road. Only Stagbury Hill itself was devoid of tall greenery, the pocked grass hazardous in such low light.
The team was headed over to the opposite side of the hill, taking up positions in pockets of pre-dawn darkness. A distinctive rock jutted from the hillside over there, which had featured in Leo’s Instagram post.
I’d alternated, during a largely sleepless night, between imagining three different men appearing and the hillside remaining empty. I couldn’t decide which option would leave me less crushed.
If Karl came, my past would have intruded on the present in an undeniable way. We hadn’t heard from Jordan since he stormed out of his parents’ house. If he arrived, then another young man in a world far too full of them would be too prone to violence. If Terence appeared, then at least Dunlow wouldn’t have kept his nose spotlessly clean but Melanie would have been sacrificed for a secret that had been revealed.
Juliet and I shuffled from side to side by my car, the armed response team’s van parked behind on the short lane off the main road. We were completely hidden, a safe distance from where the action would take place.
My eyes hadn’t adjusted to the inky blackness enough that I could tell what expression Juliet wore while we waited. She’d been quiet this morning. I couldn’t tell if that was due to the early hour or if she was pissed because Paul had called me into his office.
The walkie clipped to my coat pocket bleeped. Static crackled, then it bleeped again.
Baring my hands to the cold air, I pulled it free. ‘What was that? Over.’
A few seconds of nothing, then another bleep followed by more static.
Juliet heaved a sigh. ‘Maybe the hill is interfering with them?’
‘It shouldn’t be.’ These walkies were designed for use in packed city centres. A measly hill should have been nothing to them.
‘Let’s leave it for now.’ Juliet shuddered, the cold seeping through her coat as well. ‘Once the sun’s up, we’ll find out everything anyway.’
I reattached the walkie to my coat, less comfortable than Juliet with having no way to communicate with the armed team. In truth, we shouldn’t need to talk to them during the operation. Their directions were clear. They were only to fire if someone posed a clear and present threat. Most likely, one of our suspects would appear unarmed and be arrested. It was galling to be excluded from the action, but we’d learn the outcome soon enough.
As minutes passed with nothing but awakening birds for company, the lack of information from the team gnawed at me. They hadn’t been trying to tell us someone had already arrived, since frigid minutes passed and no one appeared with a suspect handcuffed in tow. They probably wanted to let us know they were in position and waiting.
Despite the freezer-like temperature, sweat gathered on the back of my neck. My hands were clammy inside my pockets, my heart skipping each time another bird joined the morning chorus.
The waiting went on forever. Gradually, the sky above the tops of the trees lightened from star studded black to a deep navy. The bird song increased, shrill cries surrounding us. Nearer the ground, no sounds gave any indication there was anyone but me and Juliet left in the world.
I pressed my teeth into the insides of my cheeks. Every minute that passed was another closer to someone appearing. Or not.
And what if someone else appeared? I’d pinned Melanie’s murder down to either Karl, Terence or Jordan. If I’d been wrong about them, then who knew if I’d correctly judged everyone else.