Past Deception: Featuring Detective Annie Macpherson Read online

  He stared at her, concentrating on her appearance. Who is this woman? She was casually dressed and appeared chillingly at ease. ‘What’s going on? Why have you locked me up? How did you get me here? My name’s not Jamie,’ Andy protested, reaching for the bars of the cage. The chains weren’t long enough.

  The woman smiled. ‘Questions, questions, too many questions. You need to mind your manners, and don’t you start correcting me. Your name is Jamie, the name I gave you. Now, is that any way to greet your mother, especially when I have gone to all the trouble of making you some dinner and buying you a cake?’ As she was placing the tray on the small table to the front of the cage, the woman muttered, ‘Think you would know your own mother.’ She turned and walked slowly to the other side of the room and clicked a light switch. The bulb barely illuminated the room.

  It was enough, though, for Andy to get a better look at the woman. She was middle aged, maybe in her late forties or early fifties. Her blonde hair seemed unnatural somehow and she wore tinted glasses, making it hard to tell the colour of her eyes.

  ‘I thought I would join you for our first meal together. It’s been a long time coming. Now, don’t think you can rush at me while I slide this under the door. You’ll find your chains don’t stretch that far. We don’t want you hurting yourself, do we, Jamie?’

  Andy hissed, ‘I don’t know who you think you are. I’m not Jamie and you’re not my mother.’ His mind was racing. Was this woman insane? Delusional? A stalker? How had she managed to get him here?

  The woman picked up one of the heated trays in silence and passed it under the door. There was barely enough room to slide it under, together with a plastic fork. She reached for a stick and pushed it another few inches until it was within Andy’s reach.

  ‘Now be a good boy and eat your dinner. I may not be able to get back here tomorrow which means you may have to wait for the next one. When you’re finished, we can have your cake.’

  Andy looked down at the food. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been in this cage. It had to be approaching eight to ten hours and he hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast this morning. He was starving, yet his stomach was also in knots. Gingerly, he picked up the tray and smelled the food: a microwave chicken dinner with potatoes and some mixed vegetables. It didn’t smell as if anything were added. Could you really tell?

  The woman was sitting about six feet away and had set her own meal out on the small table. ‘Not as good as homemade, of course,’ she commented as she picked up her fork. ‘Besides, I’m more interested in the cake,’ she said, glancing in his direction. ‘I bet you are too. Little boys love chocolate cake.’

  Picking up his own fork, Andy started eating. It was already going cold. ‘You haven’t told me who you are and why I’m here,’ he demanded.

  She slammed her hand on the table making Andy jump. ‘That’s enough with the questions. Eat. I’m not going to be criticised for not feeding my own flesh and blood!’

  The next few minutes were probably the longest in Andy’s life. He stared at the woman trying to work out what was going on. She was easily antagonised. If she believed him to be her son, he would have to play along with it, at least until the shackles were removed and the iron door was opened. That couldn’t come soon enough, so he decided to play it her way. He lowered his eyes.

  ‘That’s better. You know you were being naughty, Jamie, don’t you?’

  Andy looked down again.

  ‘Put your tray on the floor and try to push it with your foot.’

  He did exactly as he was told.

  Using the stick again, she dragged it the last few inches. ‘Don’t want to attract rats, do we? Can’t leave food out for them to smell. There used to be rats down here when I was a little girl. They scared me. I don’t want them to scare my little boy.’

  Andy raised his eyes when he heard the woman stand up. She was lighting the birthday candle.

  ‘Poor little Jamie, you’re too far away to blow out your candle. I’ll have to help you.’

  He watched as the flame went out.

  Tears were running down her face. ‘I’ve waited a long time for this day, Jamie. It would be perfect if your sister were here as well.’

  She knew about Laura. How? Had she been watching him, watching his apartment? Watching them? The thought made him shudder.

  After she sang Happy Birthday again, the woman cut into the cake, sliding it under the door. The stick guided it the last few inches. ‘Now eat your cake. Little boys love chocolate cake. We must save your sister a piece, though. You can’t be greedy. Justine likes chocolate too.’

  The cake in his mouth was turning to mush.

  Chapter 7

  Ellison was prompt as usual. Annie was waiting out front of the apartment building.

  ‘All set for tomorrow?’ he asked, as Annie fastened her seatbelt.

  ‘Think so. I’ve packed an overnight case.’ She paused, ‘I wish I didn’t have to stay though.’

  ‘Can’t bear to be away from me, Detective?’

  ‘Flattering yourself again, Dave?’ Annie retorted.

  ‘You’re getting used to our sense of humour.’

  ‘I’ve always heard that Americans don’t have a great sense of humour.’

  ‘I think you’ll find that the observation is that Americans don’t understand irony, or is it sarcasm? I can never remember.’

  Ten minutes later, Dave poured her a glass of white wine. ‘Now, I’ve got some steaks and salad or I can order in a Chinese. What do you want?’

  ‘Steaks are fine.’ Annie took a seat at the breakfast bar and watched as Dave started getting things ready. He always looked completely comfortable with whatever he was doing. There was never any awkwardness or hesitation in his movements. Sometimes Annie felt clumsy next to him.

  ‘So did Bronski and I miss anything this afternoon while we were at the autopsy?’

  ‘Sorry, nearly forgot. Grace Marks called to speak to you. Nothing urgent. Wondered if you could call her sometime this week.’

  ‘How is she?’

  ‘We didn’t really get into it. She sounded good. She was calling from her office in New York, so she’s obviously coping with work.’

  ‘I wonder how her mother is? Hard for a sister, even harder for a mother, I imagine, to realise what your own daughter has been through.’ Annie mused for a moment about the lawyer Grace Marks who was involved in the previous investigation and was instrumental in breaking the case. In another life, Annie felt the two of them would have become friends. The woman was self contained, smart, and ambitious; all qualities Annie admired. She made a mental note to ring the woman back.

  Dave turned the steaks over and put the salad into two bowls. ‘I know what you mean. What dressing do you like?’

  ‘Blue cheese, if you have it.’

  ‘Of course, anything the lady wants.’

  ‘Such a charmer.’

  He winked at Annie as he served up the meals. ‘How about no shop talk while we eat. I certainly don’t want to hear about the autopsy.’

  ‘I think I can manage that.’ Annie raised her glass. ‘Besides, I wouldn’t want to put you off your food, Detective. You might need your strength tonight.’

  ‘What’s with the might?’ Dave replied, raising an eyebrow.

  They managed to talk about other things while they enjoyed the steak and salad. Annie started to load the dishwasher as he poured them both another glass of wine. ‘That was delicious, Dave. You’ll make someone a great husband one day.’

  Putting the wine bottle down, he took Annie in his arms. ‘Play your cards right Detective and you might even have a chance.’

  Annie kissed him. ‘Well, we’ll have to see about that, won’t we?’

  He leaned in for another kiss, but the moment was interrupted by the sound of his phone ringing.

  Annie pulled away. ‘Answer it Dave, it might be important.’ She turned back to wipe the counter where he had prepared their meals.

  Dave hes
itated for a moment, staring at the caller ID. He was about to switch it off when he glanced at Annie.

  ‘I’m fine. Answer it.’

  ‘Laura,’ he said, frowning.

  ‘Dave I’m sorry to disturb you. I know I’m the last person you expected to hear from.’ Her voice started to break.

  ‘You could say that. What do you want?’

  ‘I’m with my mother. We’re in Andy’s apartment. He seems to have disappeared.’

  ‘What do you mean, disappeared, and why are you calling me?’ All he could hear was crying at the other end of the phone. ‘Laura?’

  Another voice came on the line. ‘Dave, this is Kate Tremont. Laura and I are at Andy’s apartment. It looks like he might have left here this morning and hasn’t been back since.’

  ‘Mrs Tremont, he’s a grown man. There’s probably a good explanation. I don’t see how I can help.’

  ‘Let me explain and then you’ll understand why we want to report him missing.’

  Annie took her wine glass over to the couch and settled down. Dave was pacing in the kitchen. She wasn’t sure if she should be listening in to what sounded like a private conversation, especially as she was only getting snatches of it. Better to wait until he’s finished, she thought. Looking around, she remembered the first time she had come to this apartment and another phone call. That time it was from one of the patrol officers about a domestic incident, involving a woman known to them both. That evening they had ended up going down to the hospital. Annie also recalled why she had been at Dave’s in the first place. He had offered a listening ear following her breakup with Charlie Hegarty. Dave had been there for her that night when she was so upset.

  A moment later, Dave came back in the room. He was running his fingers through his hair.

  ‘What is it, what’s going on?’ Annie had a sick feeling in her stomach, like when she knew something was up with Charlie.

  He sat down on the couch beside her, talking a long drink of his wine. He stared down at his phone. ‘I can’t believe it.’

  ‘Tell me.’

  Dave took her hand in his. ‘That was a woman named Laura Tremont on the phone. She’s works at the University of Westford. She has a twin brother, Andy. I met them both when I was at college. Andy and I were good friends. Today is their thirtieth birthdays and she hasn’t been able to get hold of him all day. They have this thing about exchanging the same birthday cards with each other. They’re handmade ones from when they were little kids. No card arrived today from him, which is very significant for her. Then tonight he doesn’t turn up at the restaurant for their celebration meal. Friends were gathered and no one has heard from him all day.’ Dave paused for a minute.

  ‘Did they go to his house?’

  ‘Apartment. That’s where they were when they called. His bed was made and his briefcase was on top. Lights were on in some of the rooms and the radio. It looks like he was getting ready to go to work and then disappeared. They couldn’t find his keys. He must have taken them. The apartment door was locked.’

  Annie shrugged her shoulders. ‘No sign of a struggle or anything? Presumably they checked the whole place.’

  ‘So they said.’

  ‘What about his car?’

  ‘I told them to check and see if it’s in the underground parking lot. They hadn’t thought of that. They’re going to do it and call me back.’

  ‘They need to ring his place of work, see if he’s been there today.’

  ‘He works in insurance, nine to five. Won’t be anyone there now.’

  ‘What about checking the local hospitals? See if he’s been admitted.’

  ‘That was going to be my next suggestion.’

  Annie took another drink of her wine. ‘I don’t understand why they rang you, Dave, and not the station.’

  He leaned back in the couch and stroked Annie’s hand. ‘Laura and I have a past together. You’re not the only one who was engaged. Only my wedding went to the wire. I was in the church. Laura never turned up. I haven’t spoken to her since that day.’

  Putting her glass down, Annie moved closer to hug her boyfriend. ‘I’m sorry, Dave. I had no idea. I can’t believe you didn’t run a mile when I told you about Paul.’

  ‘You didn’t let it get to the altar, literally.’

  She kissed him gently. ‘I’ll fill our glasses. I think we’re going to need this.’ As Annie stood up, his phone rang again. Annie waited.

  ‘The car’s there…Yeah. Call the ER departments locally. See if anyone matching his description has been admitted…I don’t know, Laura, I haven’t seen him for three years, so don’t ask me to speculate.’

  Annie went back to the couch and took his hand. It was obvious that this was difficult for him.

  ‘Laura, the police won’t act until at least twenty-four hours have passed. If you don’t hear from him, come into the station in the morning and I’ll file a missing person’s report. Bring a recent photograph.’ Dave closed his phone and looked at Annie. His face was ashen.

  Chapter 8

  ‘Hi Maggie, your mother is feeling better today,’ the nurse said, as the dark haired woman walked past the nurses’ station for her usual Tuesday morning visit.

  ‘Great,’ Maggie replied sarcastically, when out of earshot. She opened the door to the sound of the TV. Mrs Riley was propped up on her pillows. Wish I had such a life of luxury, Maggie thought.

  Her mother looked at her. ‘Your hair needs cutting and the grey is showing through the brown parting. You’d do better with a lighter shade, doesn’t show the grey as much.’

  ‘Hi to you too, Mom.’

  Her mother frowned at her, not amused by her daughter’s rudeness.

  ‘I haven’t had time the last couple of weeks.’ Maggie had to bite her lip to stop herself saying what she really wanted to say. She was sick of her mother’s constant criticism. Nothing she did was ever good enough for the woman and she resented being at her beck and call. Every time she thought she was going to have some peace at last, the woman rallied. The doctors, though, cautioned Maggie against seeing each rally as a good sign. The cancer was well advanced and the end was only a matter of weeks away.

  ‘Have you spoken to my doctor?’

  ‘Give me a minute, will you? I just got here. He should be doing his rounds soon. I’ll talk to him when he’s here.’

  ‘I want to go home, Maggie. I keep telling him that.’

  Maggie busied herself changing the water in the flowers and having a tidy around the room, before her mother nagged her to do it.

  ‘The nurses are good here, except they think it’s beneath them to do those things,’ Mrs Riley commented, as her daughter went about the tasks.

  Not beneath me though, Maggie thought to herself. When she’d finished the tidying up, she opened the bag and placed some fresh fruit on the side table, next to the bed.

  ‘Peel me one of those oranges,’ her mother instructed when she saw the fresh fruit. ‘They look nice.’

  Maggie picked up the fruit and dug a nail in, peeling and segmenting it. She placed the pieces on a small plate. ‘Here you go.’ As she finished washing the juice off her hands in the adjoining bathroom, Maggie heard the door open.

  Dr Oliver strode into the room with his medical team. When he’d finished his examination, he asked Maggie to step outside.

  ‘My mother wants to go home and she thinks she can. However, I know that’s not possible.’

  ‘Good, I’m glad one of you is realistic. We’re only days off setting her up with an IV for her pain medication. It’s only a matter of weeks, now, I’m sorry.’

  Maggie lowered her eyes. ‘Thank you for all you’ve done for her. The whole team has been wonderful.’

  Dr Oliver touched her arm. ‘Help her through the little time she has left.’

  Chapter 9

  ‘You’ll keep in touch and call me tonight from the motel?’ Ellison put his arm on the back of Annie’s seat.

  ‘Of course, although I hav
e no idea how busy I’ll be. I wish they could cram everything in during the day and let us all go home tonight. I don’t fancy staying overnight, especially now.’

  Dave touched her face, ‘Annie, Laura was a long time ago. I’m over her.’

  ‘I hope so,’ Annie replied without a lot of conviction in her voice. ‘In my experience, though, strong feelings for someone can be rekindled, even after a length of time. See how you are after you’ve seen her again.’

  The comment made him pause. He hoped Annie wasn’t thinking about Charlie. ‘You’re the only one I want to see and that can’t come soon enough.’ He kissed her.

  Annie got out and waved, as Dave reversed and drove out of the parking lot. She was annoyed that she was going to be in New Haven when Dave’s ex was turning up at the station. What she wouldn’t give to check her out. The train arrived on time and Annie found a seat by the door. It wasn’t her first time on an American train. When she’d arrived at the beginning of July, she’d travelled from Boston to Westford by train.

  The conductor scanned her ticket and informed her that New Haven was four stops further along the route. Annie leaned back in her seat and shut her eyes. The journey would take about an hour and she had nothing with her to read. Her thoughts drifted back to that first train journey in July. She had only known for three weeks that she was taking up the exchange position. Her colleague, Kim, had secured the place and then found out she was pregnant. The offer couldn’t have come at a better time. With her engagement to Paul broken off, she had really wanted to put some distance between them and the hurt it had caused. Another continent seemed very appealing and it had proved to be the case. Yet from time to time, Annie thought about Paul and was reminded about him virtually every time her mother rang from Scotland. She and Paul had grown up together in Huntly and were in the same intake for their police training. Margaret Macpherson remained convinced that one day they would get back together.