7

 

Adeline cradled the mug of steaming tea in both hands. Nate, Dane, and their commanding officer, DI Welsh, along with an MI5 officer whose name she didn’t remember, sat opposite her. She gazed down at her cup. Ben sat by her feet, his tail thudding against her leg. Long slender fingers moved under her field of vision and she slowly raised her head. “I’m sorry, I don’t remember anything else. It all happened so fast.”

Nate slid a picture over to her. “We took this from your phone. What can you tell us about this man?”

“He came into the doll hospital this morning. He had a broken doll with him, wanted me to mend it immediately.”

“What was wrong with the doll?”

“The arm had come off. It’s easy enough to reattach with the right tools. It took me five minutes. He was on edge the whole time.”

“Did he give you a name?”

Adeline let go of the cup, signing as she spoke. “No, we don’t need one as we don’t keep records for walk-ins. And he paid cash. I did him a receipt but he didn’t take it.” She jabbed a finger at the picture. “Actually, he over-paid, so the receipt is for what he gave me. He paced and watched out the window. I thought he must just be in a hurry. There was something about him and the way he kept looking at me. As if he could see straight through me, knew who I was.”

“Did you recognize him?”

“Not at first. Yes, he had a ponytail, but it was blond, not black, and a lot of guys do their hair like that these days. It was only after he left that I realized who the eyes reminded me of.”

“So you followed him?” Nate’s eyes bored into hers, signing the words he knew. “You didn’t think to call me or Dane, or just dial the station?”

She pushed the cup away, spilling hot tea over her hands. “No, you’re wrong. I tried calling you, but you didn’t answer. So, I sent a text, but you never replied. We assumed you were caught up on a case and would get back to me when you could. Then Jas suggested I take Ben for a walk and head to the memorial garden to see the Prime Minister and clear my head. She said that I might see you out there. I told her that you wouldn’t be doing street duty, but you were there.”

Her painful hands shook as she wiped them on her sleeves. “I’m not stupid. I wasn’t going to follow him on my own. If it is him…” She broke off. “Something I just remembered. There was a red light, like a laser.”

The MI5 guy raised his hand. “When?”

“Before the Prime Minister got shot. The light blinded me then slid to my chest as we posed for the photographers. Then the Prime Minister moved in front of me just as she got shot. The flash came from the building this man went in to.”

The four officers exchanged a long look. Then the MI5 officer turned back to her. “You’re sure the light hit you and not Mrs. Williams?”

“She was standing next to me, but the light was on me. I turned so it wouldn’t blind me.”

She buried her head in her hands, struggling with the grief and fear forcing its way through her. Tears filled her eyes, and she closed them, shutting herself off from everyone in the room. Her shoulders shook. Could she have been the target and not the Prime Minister? The thought was too stupid and hideous to contemplate. She had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Sudden images flooded her mind. The red sheen dropped and engulfed her.

A ponytail whipped around slapping her face, and a hand clamped over her mouth. The stench of garlic flooded her senses. She struggled to breathe, her hands rising to her throat, trying to push away the knife. Hot breath rasped against her ear, fingers traced the pulse point in her neck, before steel met skin in a final blow.

“Noooooooo……”

Almost immediately, Nate vaulted the table, his arms going around her. She clung to him like an anchor in a storm. Dimly aware of the vibrations in his throat, she knew he was speaking, but wasn’t sure who to. It didn’t matter. The Herbalist had struck again, and they were no nearer to catching him.

After a moment she looked up, her vision blurred with the tears, which fell unrestrained. She caught Nate’s gaze and held it. “The Herbalist. Again,” she managed.

“Where?”

“I don’t know. There was a hallway, green carpet, but I couldn’t breathe. He put a knife to my throat. The stench of the garlic…”

The MI5 agent tapped her arm. “Let me get this straight, Miss Monroe. You just zoned out. Are you telling me you ‘see’ these murders?”

Adeline nodded mutely. His disdain and disbelief was evident in his eyes and facial expression, without her needing to hear it.

She caught the look Dane gave him. “She knows things we haven’t released to the press. And we’ve seen her visions before. Each time she’s been right. The only thing we’re unsure of is the timing. Do they happen at the same time as she sees them, or before? Either way we take her seriously and suggest you do the same.”

DI Welsh stood and headed from the room. Adeline watched her go and then turned to Nate, her whole body still shaking. “You need to get someone out there.”

“The Guv’s getting uniform officers out into the herb roads and surrounding streets. Hopefully flooding the area will catch him.”

 

****

 

As Nate drove though the now deserted streets, Adeline sat in the front seat of his car, with Ben curled up in the back. She angled herself so she could see his lips. “Thank you for driving me home.”

“It’s not a problem.”

“I still don’t believe it.”

“Nor me.”

“It’s like something out of a nightmare.” The car pulled to the curb outside her house. She reached down for her bag. “Thank you for the lift.”

“You’re welcome, Adeline. Do you want me to come in for a while?”

“No. I’ll be fine. Thanks for the offer, but you should get home to Vianne. Jas said she’d come back later on.” She exited the car and opened the door for Ben. “Thanks again.”

“Welcome.”

She walked up the path, Ben running at her heels. The front door blew open. “That’s strange. Jas would have shut and locked the door behind her. Go on ahead, Ben. Go see what’s wrong.” She let go of the lead.

As she reached the doorstep, a hand touched her arm and she jumped. She turned to see Nate. “I thought you’d gone.”

“No, I was waiting to make sure you got in safely. Stay here.”

“Nate…”

“Just stay here.” Nate followed Ben up the step and pushed open the front door fully.

Ben backed away, his ears down and his tail between his legs.

Nate staggered backwards, his hand over his mouth.

Adeline’s stomach twisted. She stood on her tiptoes trying to see over Nate’s shoulder.

Jasmine lay in the hallway, blood draining from the knife wound in her throat. A gaping chasm appeared under Adeline’s feet, and she dropped to her knees, retching, losing the tea she’d drunk at the police station.

The vision she’d had. It was her hallway. It had been Jasmine’s death she’d seen.

Noooo…not Jas. Why?

She closed her eyes, shutting herself off in the tsunami of anguish and devastation rushing through her. Strong arms enfolded her, but she didn’t move or open her eyes as she knew it was Nate from the spearmint and musk. A huge lump in her throat made breathing difficult.

After a minute or two, Nate gently lifted her face to his. “Adeline, I need you to stay here a minute. I’ll be right back. And I mean stay right here.”

There was no way she could move any way at that precise moment.

He left her momentarily as he checked pointlessly for Jasmine’s pulse and then shook his head. “I’m sorry.” He returned and pulled her upright. “Let’s get you away from here.”

He wrapped his arm around her waist and moved her away from the house. She walked remotely, turning her head back to look at the house. She could see Jasmine lying in the hallway. Tears stung her eyes as she finally pulled her gaze away.

Leading her to the car Nate unlocked the door and sat her on the front seat.

Adeline sat sideways in the seat, her feet on the pavement, as Nate pulled out his phone and dialed rapidly. “Guv, it’s Nate. I need a full forensic team and an ambulance...” He turned away, his face ashen.

Tears streaming down her face, Adeline buried her face in her hands. God, why Jasmine? Haven’t enough people died today without any more?

Blue lights filled the dark night. Leather clad feet rushed past her. Crime scene lights flashed on as a white tent was set up over the front of the house.

A hand closed over her arm, the touch firm and she looked up, her vision blurred with her tears. “Nate… what about Dane?”

“The Guv is going to tell him. I need to take you someplace else. Where can you go tonight that’s safe?”

“Forget me. Dane needs to know before the news breaks. Jas is his wife.”

“DI Welsh is on her way to tell him. In cases like this, the highest ranking officer—”

She shook her head, putting her finger over his lips. “He’s your partner. She was your friend, my best friend. It should come from you.”

Several emotions flashed across Nate’s face before he finally nodded. His eyes, filled with pain and anguish, glistened in the street light. “All right. I’ll get a uniformed officer to drive you. Just tell me where.”

“My brother Mark’s house,” she whispered.

“Where does he live?”

“Fifteen Highgrove Crescent. It’s on the other side of town. My parents are staying there for a couple of days before they go on holiday tomorrow. I can’t go too far away. I need to be here for work.”

It was strange how her mind functioned. Even with all that had happened today, first the Prime Minister being assassinated and now Jasmine dying, part of her worried about the doll’s hospital. She couldn’t let the children down.

“All right.” He helped her to her feet.

“I’ll need some things first...”

He shook his head. “I can’t let you back in there. It’s a crime scene.” He led her to a different patrol car and settled her inside it. “I’ll swing by and see you on my way home if it’s not too late.” He shut the door.

Adeline looked towards her house. Blue lights reflected off the windows. Police officers moved in and out and two white suited figures lingered by the white tent covering her porch. It was like a TV program. CSI Headley Cross on her doorstep.

 

****

 

PC Burnett escorted her to the doorway of Mark’s three-story town house. He pushed the doorbell. Adeline just hoped and prayed Mark or someone was in. She had nowhere else to go if there wasn’t. Lights blazed from upstairs, but that didn’t mean anything. Being in the army and working shifts, Mark was very security conscious and kept all the lights and even the TV on a timer switch.

A shadow appeared at the glass panel and the door opened. “Addie. Talk about timing. We’ve been trying to call you for hours. Dad was just about to drive over to your place and check on you.” Mark’s face creased in concern as he took in the police officer standing next to her. “Addie—is everything all right?”

She shook her head, her hands jerking as she signed. “Jasmine’s dead. She was killed in my house. I have nowhere to go. Can I…?”

“Oh, no, hon. I’m so sorry. Of course you can stay.” Grief crossed Mark’s face as he pulled her into his arms. She buried her face in his sweater, assuming the police officer was explaining about Jasmine. Was he mentioning the Prime Minister as well, or did Mark and her parents already know about her involvement? Why else would her dad be about to drive over to her place?

Lord, be with Dane and the girls right now. As bad as I feel, they’re going to feel so much worse.

Mark’s chest vibrated as he spoke, and Adeline glanced up at his face. “… can stay here as long as she needs. I’ve been really worried about her since the news about the Prime Minister. Her picture was right alongside Adeline’s.”

PC Burnett angled his face so Adeline could read his lips. “Just keep her safe tonight. DS Holmes and Agent Debone from MI5 will need to talk to her again in the morning.”

Adeline drew in a deep shuddering breath. “Thank you for bringing me here, Officer.”

He nodded. “You’re welcome. Goodnight.”

Mark held her tightly as he shut the front door. “Adeline, I’m so sorry about Jasmine. And with the Prime Minister being killed like that today. When I saw you on the news standing right next to her, I just…I was scared something had happened to you. Perhaps you’d got shot, too. No one would tell us anything and you weren’t answering your phone…”

Safe in her brother’s arms, Adeline started to shake as the full impact of the day’s events hit her.

Mark led her into the lounge and her parents stood. His chest rumbled as he spoke, presumably explaining quickly.

“Mum…Dad…” Tears fell as they surrounded her, the four of them standing together. After a moment she pulled away so she could follow the conversation.

“Are you hurt?” Her mother asked.

“My arm’s a little sore, but I’m OK, Mum.”

“We were really worried,” her father added. “Especially when you didn’t answer your phone.”

“The police have it as evidence, Dad.”

“Are you sure you’re OK?”

“No, no, I’m not. My best friend is dead, I need…” her voice broke, but she continued. “The Prime Minister…we needed her...”

“That’s an understatement. You’re all over the news, sis.” Mark signed as he spoke. “Would you feel up to talking about it?”

“Jasmine or the Prime Minister?”

“Either, both…”

“OK.” She wasn’t sure she wanted to talk, but knowing Mark he’d want details, as would her dad. However her mother would only worry if she knew everything. And if she started talking about visions, they’d think she was insane.

Lord, help me here. Let me get the balance right between what they need to know and what they don’t. Like Nate keeps saying, it’s an active case. Albeit one that’s now hit way too close to home.

Dad looked at her. “But first we pray,” he said. “Then we talk.”

“Pray for Dane,” she signed. “Nate’s gone to tell him and the girls about Jas.”

 

****

 

Nate’s body, cold and numb, moved on autopilot as he drove to Dane’s house. Too much had happened today, and he still had the worst part to come. Some days he loved his job, and other times he hated it. Today fell into the latter category. Bad news was never easy, but this—

He parked the car and buried his face in his hands. Lord, give me the words. I’m about to shatter Dane’s life—to shred his future into thousands of tiny pieces and toss them into the air for the wind to blow away like chaff.

A car door shut behind him as he got out of his car. His boss headed down to meet him. She looked like she’d been crying, but being a gentleman, Nate didn’t say anything. “I’m not looking forward to this, Guv.”

“Nor me. How are you doing?”

Nate shrugged. “Not great, but coping so far. I’ll go home and have a bath and early night. There’s a lot of work to do tomorrow.”

“Where did you send Miss Monroe?”

“She’s with her brother and parents.” Nate rubbed a hand over his face. “She’s devastated. Not only did the Prime Minister die in her arms, she goes home to find Jas....” He turned the crack in his voice into a cough. The last person he wanted to lose it in front of was his boss. “I’ll talk to her again in the morning.”

“No, you won’t. I want you to take tomorrow off.”

“With all due respect, stuff that, ma’am. I don’t need to sit at home, moping. I want, need, to be out on the streets trying to find Jas’s killer. Plus, the Herbalist is still out there. Even if he did kill the Prime Minister, which we still don’t know for sure one way or the other, it’s my case.”

“MI5 have jurisdiction on the assassination.” DI Welsh fixed her piercing blue eyes on him. “And you are taking tomorrow off. That’s an order.”

“Guv, please. Yes, there’s a chance it’s the same guy, but it’s possible it isn’t. I owe it to Jas and Dane to look into this. She’s one of our own.”

“Nate. You know the rules. You are personally involved now. And I don’t just mean Jasmine. There’s a certain witness you’re getting friendly with. Overly friendly.”

Nate’s heart stopped. “Guv, there is nothing going on with Ade—”

“Thank you.” She looked at him. “I wish you’d told me sooner, rather than leaving it to me to work it out.”

Had he protested too much and too fast? He pushed his fingers through his hair. “Adeline and I are friends. Nothing more than that. At least not right now.”

“I don’t want anything to jeopardize this case, Nate. If it goes to court and it comes out that you’ve been fraternizing with one of the witnesses, it’s not going to look good.”

“When it comes to court, not if, because I will catch him.”

DI Welsh frowned. “Very well, when it goes to court, I don’t want the defense playing on any relationship going on between the star witness and the investigating copper. Because that will dead stick any case we have faster than superglue.”

“There won’t be. We know each other from church. She’s fixed Vianne’s dolls a couple of times. She’s a witness. And a friend. That’s all.”

“Are you sure?”

He paused for a moment, remembering the blistering kiss he and Adeline had shared. He’d bolted afterwards, acutely aware of the line he’d crossed. It couldn’t happen again. Somehow he had to keep her at arm’s length, at least for now. But with each passing minute, it was getting harder and harder to do. “I’m sure. But this isn’t about me. My partner’s wife has just been murdered. He needs my support and I need to help find the guy who did this.” He paused, rubbing his hands over his arms in the chill night air. “And you know as well as I do that Adeline saw this one. It’s too much of a coincidence for it not to have been the Herbalist. Therefore Dane also witnessed it, the same as I did. Don’t tell me I can’t get out there tomorrow and hunt down this creep. Because one way or the other I will do it anyway. I’d rather do it with your blessing.”

DI Welsh sighed. She brushed a hand over her face. “Fine…but you keep me in the loop and you don’t step on MI5’s toes. They won’t like it.”

Nate nodded as he rang the doorbell. Sweat covered his palms, bile rose in his throat, and his stomach cramped. As he prayed for peace and the strength to do this, he hopped from one foot to the other.

A small shadow ran down the hallway and flung open the door. Jodie looked at him, her face falling slightly. “Oh, Uncle Nate. I thought it was mummy without her door key. She’s always forgetting it. Daddy says he’s going to put it on a chain around her neck before he’s much older.”

Nate somehow managed to find a smile for her. “Hey, Jodie. Is Daddy here?”

Jodie nodded. “He’s burning dinner in the kitchen. And getting all stressy with it.” She opened the door wide to let them in.

Nate headed down the hall to the kitchen, his boss at his side.

Dane stood by the sink, straining a pan of potatoes into the colander. His voice floated across to them. “Did you forget your keys again, Jas? How’s Adeline doing? She was pretty shaken—” His voice died as he turned and saw Nate and his boss standing there.

The pan fell from his hand, hitting the floor, boiling water and potatoes spilling everywhere. Color drained from his cheeks and his face cracked. “No….”

Nate turned to Jodie. “Take Vicky in the lounge for a minute while we help Daddy clean up. Don’t want you getting hurt.” He watched Jodie take her sister’s hand and leave the room. Then he moved over to his partner. “Dane, I’m sorry.”

“No, no, no. I don’t want to hear it. She’s fine. She’s at Adeline’s.” Dane’s gaze flicked desperately from Nate’s face to DI Welsh’s and back.

“There was an incident at Adeline’s,” Nate said quietly, his own heart breaking as he destroyed his partner’s world.

“Incident?” Dane spat the word back at him. “What do you mean an incident?”

“After we left the station, I took Adeline home. The front door was open, and we found Jas in the hallway. She’s dead, Dane. I’m so sorry.”

Dane’s eyes widened, and he arched forwards as if he’d been punched hard in the stomach. His hands clenched and unclenched, before he swept everything off the worktop onto the floor in one sweep. “No,” he yelled, his voice cracking.

Nate moved over to him, grabbing his arms. “Stop it.”

“Let go of me,” Dane roared, struggling free and sweeping the plates from the table to the floor.

Nate grabbed him, pulling him to his chest and not letting go. “Dane, stop it. She’s gone. Destroying the kitchen isn’t going to bring her back.”

Tears ran down Dane’s face. “Jasmine…why did God take her when I need her?”

“I don’t know,” Nate whispered, tears burning his own eyes.

“How did she die? You saw her, tell me how she died.”

“I can’t tell you any more than I already have.”

“Don’t give me that,” Dane yelled. “You just told me you found her. How. Did. She. Die?”

Nate sucked in a long breath. “Her throat was cut.”

Dane let out an almost animal scream of pain. “Nooooooo.”

DI Welsh’s phone rang. She pulled it from her pocket. “Welsh…I see. All right, thank you.” She snapped it shut and looked at the two men. “You interrupted the killer.”

“What?” Nate shook his head. “We can’t have. There was no one else in the house. I’d have seen them leave.”

“Jasmine had a packet of ivy in her pocket. It was the Herbalist. He hadn’t had time to move the body.”

Dane struggled, trying to get away. “No. It wasn’t her murder I sat and listened to in that interview room.” He hit out at Nate. “It wasn’t her.”

Nate warded off the blows. He glanced at the door as Jodie appeared.

“Daddy, Vicky won’t…what’s wrong with Daddy?”

DI Welsh moved over to her. “Jodie, isn’t it? I need your help. Do you know your grandma’s phone number?” She took the child’s hand and led her from the room.

Nate didn’t let go of Dane, sinking to the floor with him as Dane’s knees gave way, finally giving in to his own sorrow.

When the DI came back in, the first storm of grief had passed. Both men sat on the floor, knees against their chests and wrists resting on their knees. DI Welsh sat on the floor opposite them. “I’ve called your parents, Dane. They’re coming over.”

“Thanks.” Dane’s voice shuddered out, his rage spent. “Are you sure it was him? I mean…”

DI Welsh nodded. “The ivy, the MO, it all fits. And her injuries are consistent with what Miss Monroe described in the interview room.” She fixed her gaze on Nate. “I think he was after Miss Monroe. What’s her brother’s address?”

“Fifteen Highgrove Crescent. We can’t ring her as we still have her phone as evidence.”

“I’ll make sure she gets it back in the morning or we get her a replacement. I’m putting an officer outside her brother’s house tonight. I’m not waiting on MI5 to make a decision about protective custody.”

“I need to call Jas’s parents,” Dane’s voice was no more than a broken whisper. His shoulders slumped as he glanced up. He looked fifteen years older than he had twenty minutes ago.

“I’ll drive over there and tell them myself,” DI Welsh said. “Your parents will be here any minute.” She stood up and dropped a hand on Dane’s shoulder. “If there is anything I can do, let me know.”

“You can catch the man who killed my wife, lock him up, and throw away the key. That’s what you can do.”

“That’s a given,” she promised. “Where do Jas’s parents live?”

“Twenty Stonebridge Close.”

“OK. I’ll head over there now. I’m really sorry.”

“Thanks.”

Her footsteps clicked across the floor, and the front door opened and closed.

Dane groaned. “What do I tell the girls? How do I tell them mummy isn’t coming home?”

“I don’t know. But I know Someone who does.” Nate turned to his friend and partner and wrapping his arms around him, began to pray.