AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter 29
Wednesday 3rd March
The last couple of days have been a bit of a blur. I’ve carried on as normal, on the face of it; I’ve sat at my desk at The Hub, researching stories, making phone calls, chatting to Ellie and Guy and Stu, and trying, without making it too obvious, to stay away from Edward and Satish. I’ve eaten dinner with Pete and chatted to him like I always do, even though I’m still a little upset by the fact that he left me alone in the house on Sunday night and went off to Megan’s. Then I get cross with myself for feeling like that, because sheishis girlfriend, and he has every right to go and spend the night with her. It’s not as ifmylife was in any danger on Sunday night, after all. It wasn’t my turn. But he knew how apprehensive I was, how worried I’ve been feeling, and a tiny part of me is devastated that he went away for the night anyway, while at the same time the rational part of my brain is telling me not to be so needy, so demanding.
He’ll be there for me when it really matters, I tell myself.In a few weeks’ time, when it really is my turn. He’ll be there then. Give him a break, for God’s sake.
It’s Wednesday, two days since David Howells was murdered. And even though as always I’ve been scouring the news sites for information, Jess as usual just giving me the bare bones of the case without the detail I crave, after the initial reports on Monday there’s been very little in terms of updates. I’ve stared at his photographs online until I know his face by heart: a good-looking man of forty-six with prematurely grey hair and a matching neatly trimmed beard, a long, straight nose and even, white teeth. The main point of interest in his story is his father’s lottery win, which funded the start-up of David’s business, but otherwise his life seems unremarkable, and the press, it seems, have been treating this as just another murder, a businessman attacked outside his premises for no apparent reason, another senseless attack in violent Britain. And then, last night, something happened. I’d gone to bed early, exhausted by it all, by the stress and sense of foreboding I know is only going to worsen over the next few weeks. Snuggled under the duvet, with just my bedside lamp casting a warm glow across the room, I’d opened the BBC News website on my tablet for a final scroll through the latest stories, and then I’d frozen.
POLICE ‘PRE-WARNED’ ABOUT THREAT TO MURDERED CARDIFF BUSINESSMAN
I read the headline again, my heart beginning to thud, and then frantically scanned the article below it. It had been written by crime correspondent Alwyn Evans, a veteran reporter whose work I was familiar with.
South Wales Police were warned in advance about a possible threat to life in the Cardiff area on Sunday night, the BBC has learned. Llanishen business owner David Howells, 46, was found dead in the car park outside his offices in Parc Llawndy in the early hours of Monday morning. It’s believed he sustained fatal head injuries in an attack by an as yet unknown assailant.
But it’s now emerged that the police were warned of a possible attack well in advance, although it’s thought they weren’t given precise details about the identity of the intended victim.
A source told the BBC that they believe a number of men with the first name David were contacted by police and advised to ‘lie low or, ideally, leave the city’ for the twenty-four hours of the 1st of March.
‘They didn’t say why, specifically, just that they’d received intelligence that an attack may take place and that a number of likely victims were being warned,’ the source said.
When contacted, South Wales Police said only that they could not comment, stressing that to do so might compromise an on-going investigation. The search for David Howell’s killer continues.
I read the article twice, then slowly put my tablet down.
Shit,I thought.So somebody did talk, then.
When Jess told me that a list of potential victims called David were being warned ahead of Monday, she’d said that the men had all been told in no uncertain terms that the police did not want them to speak to anyone about what was going on, and especially not to the press, officers emphasising that to do so could seriously hamper a major police enquiry. Clearly, someone had blabbed, although whether this would have any impact on the case I wasn’t sure. An impact on the perceived ability of South Wales Police to keep its citizens safe, maybe.
But could this make any difference to the case as a whole? Maybe not,I thought.
It was clear that Alwyn Evans still had no idea that the Cardiff murder was actually the third in a serial killer spree. I read the article a third time, still a little unnerved despite my attempts to reassure myself, before switching off the light and falling into a restless sleep.
This morning, the first thing I do after Pete leaves for work is call Jess.
‘Yes, DCI Lewis and his team are pretty livid about it. We know which of the Davids talked – sorry, I can’t divulge that, Mary. But he’s been warned again, as have all the others and the reporter who wrote the story. South Wales have also messaged all the major news outlets requesting that they don’t follow up on the BBC piece. They’ve told the editors that a major investigation is at a critical stage and that further speculation could be extremely damaging. So far, it looks like everyone’s playing ball, so fingers crossed it stays that way. We potentially only have one more chance to catch this guy, Mary. We can’t have the country in uproar about an on-the-loose serial killer. He could go to ground – we mightneverfind him. It sounds scary, I know, but weneedhim to come after you. And on that, can we meet, this week? We need to make plans. Proper plans, as soon as possible.’
I swallow hard, and reach for the mug of coffee in front of me, then realise that my hand is shaking slightly and decide to leave it.
We potentially only have one more chance to catch this killer, Mary. We need him to come after you …
Her words reverberate in my head.
Can I do this? Really?
‘Sure,’ I say. ‘I’m pretty free, Jess. You have a look at your diary and find a time that works for you and let me know, OK?’
‘Thanks, Mary. I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.’
We end the call, and I sit motionless for a long time. My thoughts are elsewhere at first, racing around my consciousness, tumbling over each other as they’ve had a habit of doing recently, but then, to my surprise, they gradually begin to assemble themselves, lining up neatly in my brain. I’ve made and unmade this decision a hundred times in the past few days, but now, quite suddenly, I just …know. I pick up my mug again, my hand surprisingly steady now, and take a slow sip of tepid coffee, then take a deep breath.
I’m going to do it.
The words are still inside my head, but they’re as loud and clear as if I’ve shouted them at the top of my voice, echoing around the room.
I’m going to do it.
I’m not going to run away. I’m not going to hide in a police safehouse. On the 1st of April, when this killer, whoever he is, finally comes for me, I’m going to be right here waiting. And I think hewillcome. I just have afeeling. So I’ll be here, ready to confront him. Because it’s time he knew the truth, the truth he couldn’t possibly know when he added me, Mary Ellis, to his list of victims.
You see, when I tell the story of what happened in my past, the story of the fire, and the people who died in it, and everything that happened after that, I don’t actually tell thefullstory. Not to anyone, ever. I never, ever have. Not even to Pete. The story I tell is … well, it’s almost the truth.Almost.The truth, but just …twisteda little.
This killer is after Mary Ellis. Mary Ellis, daughter of the famous Gregor Ellis. He’s been very specific about that.
But he can’t kill Mary Ellis. It’s not possible.
Because Mary Ellis is already dead.
