Chapter 78

CHAPTER SEVENTY-EIGHT

‘ I t's not exactly a meeting,' said Jassy, avoiding eye contact with Needles.

‘Well, it's not a love tryst, is it? At least, I hope not, seeing as Laine hasn't even been buried yet,' Needles said scornfully.

‘Don't be stupid,' said Sajid. ‘Laine meant the world to me.'

Needles narrowed his eyes suspiciously. ‘You're shutting me out from something. Please don't take me for a fool because I'm not one.' He shot a suspicious glare from one to the other. ‘I saw you puncture your bike so you could get into Tim's garage.'

Sajid lowered his gaze from Needles', confirming his guilt.

‘It's not Tim,' said Jassy. ‘He wouldn't lay a finger on Laine.'

Needles rolled his eyes in an exaggerated gesture. ‘You two, honestly. You've found someone that looks like he could be The Vigilante, and we know The Vigilante killed Laine.'

‘We can't be sure it was The Vigilante,' argued Jassy.

A muscle twitched in Needles' cheek. ‘So now you're defending him?'

Sajid didn't know how to appease Needles. Once he had an idea in his head, there was no removing it.

‘We should call the police first, tell them of our suspicions and then if they do nothing, we can–'

‘Fuck that,' spat Needles. ‘That bastard killed my sister, and he will pay for it.'

Sajid grabbed him by the arm and got punched in the face for his efforts.

Jassy gasped. ‘Stop it,' she shouted. ‘Both of you.'

‘Either you're with me or not,' said Needles, making for the door.

Realising he had no choice, Sajid followed him, with Jassy behind.

The Code Zero turned the quiet police station into chaos. Beth checked the destination.

‘Code zero,' she yelled. ‘6553, it's Ana. Matt, we need everyone. Ambulance, MIT, the lot,' she said, pulling on her jacket. ‘One person down.'

Matt felt like someone had punched him in the stomach. ‘Not Ana?' he said quietly.

Beth inhaled. ‘It wasn't her that radioed it in. I don't know, Matt, but we'd better be prepared.'

‘Gun requests?' she asked Tom.

‘Yes, get on it.'

‘Everyone head to the destination, NOW,' yelled Tom.

Jonny's eyes were smarting from the debris. In front of him, he could see Sandy on the floor, staring into space, her dress covered in blood. Anger tore at his every being, and he wanted to taser Sandy until she begged for release. The smell from the gunfire made him feel sick. His eyes were sore from the smoke, so he could barely see. He crawled along the floor, blood sticking to his hands.

‘Ana, oh God, Ana.'

Then he saw it and immediately vomited. Ray Grace's head had been blown to pieces. The gunshot that had thundered in their ears was the one that ripped Ray Grace from this existence, silenced his laugh forever and took the light from his eyes.

Sandy Grace had shot her husband through the head close to point blank range. Jonny didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Bits of Ray's brain were sprawled across the floor. Jonny fought back his nausea and moved further along the blood-stained floor. Please don't let me find her dead , he prayed.

‘Ana,' he howled repeatedly until a small voice said, ‘Here.'

Squirrelled in a corner was Ana, her face splattered with Ray's blood. ‘I'm okay,' she said shakily and then burst into tears at the sight of Jonny.

‘I was convinced she was going to kill me, and then suddenly, she turned the shotgun and deliberately aimed it at him. It wasn't an accident. She said he wasn't fit to be a father and then pulled the trigger.'

She struggled to sit up. ‘I can't move my leg. I think I did something when I fell. You must Code 0 on my radio and get the shotgun off her.'

Jonny nodded and stepped gingerly towards Sandy, who didn't even seem aware of his presence. Carefully, he took the shotgun from her hands. Sandy gave no resistance. He then hurried to Ana's radio, hitting the code 0 button.

‘Hello, can you hear me. My name is Jonny Manners. We need an ambulance … to the derelict building in the woods, not far from the playing fields. One person is injured and one is dead.'

He hurried back to Ana and cradled her in his arms.

That was how the police found them when they arrived, huddled together amidst a bloody carnage.

Tom turned to Steve and Matt. ‘Secure the scene. I don't want any evidence contaminated. Bag up that rifle.'

Beth was leaning down to Sandy. ‘Christ, she's got blood on her. Sandy, are you hurt? Speak to me.'

Sandy began to weep.

‘I need a paramedic here,' Beth yelled.

Sandy was staring at Ray's lifeless body. She tried to speak, but the shock was too much.

‘Who shot Ray?' demanded Beth.

Sandy leant to the side and vomited. Beth held her hand, waited, and then wiped her mouth clean with a tissue before gently taking her into her arms. ‘Who shot Ray, Sandy?' she repeated gently.

‘I did,' said Sandy hoarsely.

Beth frowned. ‘What? What are you talking about?'

Tom forcibly pulled her off Sandy.

‘Let go of me, Tom,' she snapped, struggling to escape his grip.

‘Step down, Beth,' Tom ordered.

‘What? This is my sister.'

‘That's why you need to step down.'

She shook her head emphatically. ‘No, no,' she shouted. ‘She wouldn't have killed him.'

‘Stand down, DI Harper, and wait in the car. May I remind you that you'll be disobeying a higher-ranking officer's orders if you don't.'

She glared at him before storming out to the police car.

Tom leaned down to Ana and took her hand. ‘The ambulance is here. You're going to be fine. I need you to answer one question, Ana. Can you do that?'

Ana nodded.

‘Who shot Ray Grace, and why?'

Ana began to sob uncontrollably for the first time since she'd arrived at the old building.

‘Sandy Grace with the shotgun. Everything you need to know is on his phone.' She handed it over with her bloodied hand. ‘Including me.'

Beth was in a state of shock. She was having trouble breathing. She saw a paramedic sitting with Sandy in the rear-view mirror. Oh, please, God, don't let her be badly hurt. The car door opened and she jumped.

‘Sandy's not injured. It's most likely Ray's blood on her top. Beth, I need you to stay calm,' Tom said, climbing beside her. ‘Ana has confirmed that Sandy shot Ray using a shotgun–'

Beth went to protest, but he put his hand up to stop her.

‘Ray killed Laine Lees…'

‘No, no.' She shook her head in denial. ‘What the fuck are you talking about? Sandy wouldn't know how to get a shotgun, and Ray had no reason to kill Elaine Lees. Who's telling you all this bollocks?'

‘She was blackmailing him. He sexually abused her while she was sedated with Rohypnol. He's abused others, Beth, using Rohypnol while he was supposed to be treating them. He had videos on his phone.'

He hesitated. ‘One of them was Ana. He raped her seven years ago.'

‘No, no, no,' Beth screamed, covering her ears.

He pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. ‘Oh, Beth, I'm so sorry. Know that I love you and will support you through all this.'

Beth clung to him like a life raft.

‘I'm arresting Sandy; you must trust me with this.'

Beth dropped her head into her hands and began sobbing. ‘No, no, it's not possible. Sandy wouldn't hurt a fly. How could Ray do such terrible things? What about Zoe?' she said tearfully.

‘She's with a sitter. Do you want to be with her? Or we can send someone there if you want to stay with Sandy.'

He took both her hands in his. ‘You have to trust me with this, Beth. I promise I'll keep you updated.'

Beth swallowed. Her throat felt like parched earth. ‘I want to be with Sandy.'

He nodded. ‘I'll get someone to drive you to the hospital.'

Beth barely heard him. All she kept thinking was Ray had abused Ana seven years ago. So, that had been Ana's agenda all along. Beth had known there was something.

Jassy was praying hard that Tim wouldn't be home. Her heart sank when she saw the lights on in the living room. ‘We really should call the police,' she said.

‘I wish you'd shut the fuck up,' Needles snarled. ‘It's taken them all this time, and they still haven't found that vigilante bastard. Well, we've got him. Now he'll know what it's like when others take the law into their own hands.'

At that moment, Jassy saw Tim waiting by the wall. Of course, it was fish and chip van night. Beside him was Will. Neither Tim nor Will seemed to have noticed them standing outside Tim's house. Will was too busy moaning about the police.

‘You would think they'd be out looking for real criminals rather than someone just wanting to earn a few bob on the side. I ask you. Who can afford to get their cars done after failed MOTs these days?'

Tim hoped the van would come soon. He didn't agree with Will at all. ‘Hopefully, they'll catch this vigilante soon,' he said. ‘You know what. This van is later than usual. I think I'll give it a miss.'

Tim turned and saw Needles, Sajid and Jassy enter the gate to his house. ‘Hey, what do you think you're doing?' he shouted.

‘Little bastards,' said Will, hurrying along with him. Everyone froze when they saw the knife in Needles' hand.

‘We've come to give you what you deserve, you stinking rat, an eye for eye, isn't that what they say?'

Jassy quickly reached for her phone.

The X-ray showed that Ana had broken her foot. Tom was waiting with Jonny outside the X-ray room. Ana hobbled out, took the painkillers offered by the nurse and turned to Tom after swallowing them.

‘Are you feeling up to telling us what happened?' Tom asked.

Ana took her phone from Jonny and idly glanced at the screen. There was a message from Jassy.

‘Help us. I daren't phone. Needles might turn on me. He's got a knife. He's going to kill Tim. Hurry.'

There was a missed call from her, too. Shit, when were they sent?

‘No time,' she said, hobbling towards the door.

‘What are you doing?' asked Jonny, alarmed. ‘You're not going anywhere.'

‘Colin Lees has found The Vigilante, and he has a knife. Jassy messaged me about fifteen minutes ago. They're going to hurt Tim. We have to hurry.'

Tom looked shocked. ‘What are you talking about?'

‘Tim is The Vigilante, but as you know, he didn't kill Laine, but Colin Lees doesn't know that. Please get to Tim. They might hurt Vanessa too.'

Tom reached for his radio. Ana struggled to get up.

‘Don't you dare move,' Jonny instructed.

Tom hurried from the hospital, and Ana flopped into the chair. The truth was, she couldn't walk without help.

‘What are you talking about,' said Will, although he was beginning to regret ever getting involved. ‘An eye for an eye for what?'

‘Him,' said Needles, venom spilling from his angry lips. ‘He's The Vigilante. He murdered my sister.'

Tim turned pale. He knew it would be a matter of time, but he'd expected the police, not this.

‘What? Are you stoned?' Will laughed. ‘If there is one person I know isn't The Vigilante, it's Tim.'

Needles edged closer.

‘Okay, I'm calling the police,' said Will. ‘This is ridiculous.'

The fish and chip van had pulled up, and people came out to collect their dinner. Sajid could smell the chips and wished he wasn't standing here with Needles and Jassy but with Laine, getting their chip butties as they used to and then sneaking into the woods to eat them. He looked at Tim, whose face was now white and frightened. Sajid couldn't believe it. It couldn't be possible – not gentle Tim.

‘Open your garage,' Needles ordered Tim.

Tim reluctantly pulled the key from his pocket and unlocked the garage. Needles raced in.

‘Where did you see it?' he asked Sajid.

Sajid could see Needles was really hyped up and watched as he began throwing things everywhere. He was totally unaware that Will had called the police.

At the sight of the combat trousers and balaclava, Needles lost his mind. That was the only way Sajid could describe it when the police questioned him.

‘It was like something exploded in his head, and he slashed at Tim with the knife like a madman. All I could see was blood spraying everywhere.'

Sajid couldn't recall how long the attack went on. He remembered he and Will had somehow got the knife off Needles and he'd heard it clatter onto the concrete floor. Will's arm had been slashed in his efforts to help Tim, who was now lying on the floor. Sajid thought he didn't look too bad, just a cut above his eyebrow, the scarlet blood flowing into his eyes.

But Sajid knew the injuries were much worse. It was his body that was damaged. Blood was up the walls, all over the floor, and Sajid saw, to his horror, also over his own shirt and jeans.

Vanessa was screaming from the other side of the garage door, and Sajid was relieved when a paramedic entered. The ambulance arrived before the police.

When the paramedics cut away his clothes, the blooming purple patches told of internal ruptures, likely organ damage. The paramedics had looked at Sajid with encouraging faces. ‘He's going to be okay now,' one said.

And all the while, Jassy was crying in the background like her heart had snapped in two.

Ana got a call from Matt, telling her that Tim had suffered horrific injuries, but the doctor said they were not life-threatening.

‘Oh, God, if only I'd seen the messages earlier.'

‘You can't blame yourself, Ana.'

‘Has Sandy said anything?' she asked.

‘No, she's waiting for her solicitor. He'll no doubt tell her to say "no comment" to everything. Why didn't you tell me you knew who The Vigilante was?'

‘It's a long story.'

‘Sounds like a bloody novel, Ana.'