By
Jan
Chapter 8
Nikki
rose slowly to her feet. By coming here she had involved her friends in this
whole sorry mess.
“Sit
down, Nikki!” Barbara said sharply. “Zandra, keep them occupied until I come
through.” She waited until Zandra had ducked back out before continuing, “They
have no reason to think you’ll be here, my dear, so you’re quite safe.”
“I
hate dragging you into this,” Nikki said regretfully.
“You’re
not dragging us. We’re here of our own accord,” Monica assured her.
“You’ve
always been there for us,” Barbara replied in agreement. “Now, I’d better not
keep the gentlemen waiting any longer. You come too, Monica, just in case they
want to speak to you.”
As
soon as the two women had gone, Nikki started pacing around the room. Helen
must have told them where to come, how else would they have known she was
associated with the hotel? How could she have been so stupid, to jeopardize her
relationship with Trish for a deceitful bitch like Helen Stewart! She picked up
the receiver…it was a private line and didn’t go through the hotel
switchboard…and dialled her home number.
“Trish,”
she said softly when the call was eventually answered.
“Nikki,
is that you?” Trish asked breathlessly.
“Are
you alright? You sound out of breath?”
“I…er…ran
downstairs to answer it.”
“Why
didn’t you answer the one upstairs?”
“Does
it matter?” she snapped. “Where are you?”
“I’m
at…” she stopped. Suppose the phone was bugged! “It doesn’t matter. I just
wanted to let you know I’m alright.”
“Why
did you run away, Nik? Did you see what happened?”
As
she started to answer she heard a muffled voice at the other end of the line.
“Is someone with you?”
There
was a slight hesitation before Trish answered briskly, “No, of course not!”
“Look,
Trish, it isn’t safe to talk.”
“Nikki,
tell me where you are!”
“If
I don’t tell you then no one can get it out of you. I’ll call you tomorrow. Bye,
darling.”
“Tell
me where you are, Nik!”
She
replaced the receiver with a frown. She was becoming paranoid but she didn’t
know whom she could trust. Not even someone you’ve loved for nine years? A
little voice said inside her head.
“All
you had to do was keep her here until I came back!” Helen stormed. “Was that
really too much to ask?”
“I’m
sorry, ‘elen. I was only gone for an ‘our,” Shell said pitifully, glancing at
Jim for support.
“It’s
not your fault, love?” Jim replied trying to calm her down. “Why don’t you go
and put the kettle on.” He waited until she had left the room before speaking
again. “Helen, it’s probably all for the best. You could finish up doing a
stretch inside for what you’ve done or at the very least lose your job.”
“And
you think that’s important to me now?” she demanded.
“I
don’t know what’s important to you anymore but I think you’re letting your
feelings for the Wade woman cloud your judgement!” he said accusingly.
“What
do you mean?”
“I
think you’ve got more than a professional interest in her. Either that or she’s
screwing around with your head.”
“Don’t
be absurd!” she snapped. “I just think she’s innocent.”
“Then
let the courts decide, love. Don’t appoint yourself judge and jury.”
“Sean
was a policeman. You know yourself what she will have to go through before she
even gets to court. I wanted to keep her safe.”
Jim
looked at her for several moments, concern for her showing on his face. “Well,
if I can be of any help, just say the word.”
She
gave a relieved sigh. “Thanks, Jim. If only I knew where she’d gone.”
“Family,
friends?” he suggested. “What about the girlfriend?”
“She
says she hasn’t seen her.”
“You
could say you didn’t smuggle her away in your car but it wouldn’t be true,” he
countered slyly.
Helen
stuck her tongue out at him. “Do you know the Lark Hall Hotel?”
“Posh
gaff the other side of town?”
“That’s
the one. Nikki may have gone there; the owners are friends of hers.”
“Give
them a call and ask them if they’ve seen her,” he suggested helpfully.
“And
they’re going to tell me of course!” she retorted. “Nikki has probably told
them about me so they’re hardly going to tell me if she is there.”
“Why
don’t I go? They don’t know me.”
“I
don’t know,” she replied doubtfully.
“What
can go wrong? I have a snoop around and if she’s there report back to you.”
“Alright,”
she finally agreed. “But be careful. There are enough complications in this
case already without you getting done for trespassing!”
Jim
climbed out of his car at the rear of the Lark Hall Hotel. He had seen the
squad car in the car park and decided Wade was hardly going to be standing in
reception if she was here.
The
kitchen door was open. Inside the staff were making preparations for the
evening meal. He flashed his phoney electricity board ID at the one wearing the
tallest chef’s hat. “I’ve come to read the meter.”
“Again!
Your lot were only here last week!” the chef exclaimed.
“He
was a new guy. Took the wrong reading,” he laughed scornfully.
“Through
that door, there’s a cupboard on the right.”
Jim
nodded his thanks and followed the directions he had been given. He opened the
cupboard door revealing the meter then slipped quickly down the corridor.
Nikki
bit her lip worriedly. Monica and Barbara had been gone ages and she hoped the
police weren’t giving them a hard time. She held her breath as the living room
door slowly opened. “Barbara? Monica?”
“Sorry,
love, you’ll have to make do with me.”
She
groaned when she saw Jim Fenner standing in the doorway. “What the hell are you
doing here?”
“Helen’s
put her neck on the line for you!” he exclaimed. “So I’m taking you back even
if I have to carry you.”
“Then
you’ll have to carry me because there’s no way I’m going back willingly,” she
replied defiantly.
“That’s
fine by me.”
He
started to advance on her and when he was close enough she brought her knee
into his groin as hard as she could and watched with satisfaction as his face
turned white, his mouth dropped open and he fell to his knees clutching
himself.
Without
waiting to see if he was alright, she ran down the corridor, through the
kitchen and out of the hotel. Outside she stopped and looked around her. The
hotel’s Transit was still where she had parked it and Fenner’s car was
alongside it. There was a crack, something whizzed past her ear and embedded
itself in the doorframe and she realised with mounting horror that someone was
shooting at her! Suddenly the engine of the Transit roared into life and Zandra
stuck her head out of the window.
“Nik,
this way!”
She
crouched low and ran towards the van and had just enough time to climb into the
passenger seat and slam the door before Zandra drove off. “Slow down, Zan!” she
ordered as she was thrown around the cab then as Zandra braked sharply
continued scathingly. “Bloody hell! Who taught you to drive?”
“You
did!” Zandra smirked.
“You
didn’t have to pick up all my bad habits too!” she retorted. “How did you know?
Back there I mean?”
“I
came to tell you the coppers had gone and saw that bloke sneaking around. I
heard him say he was taking you back and I knew you wouldn’t give in without a
fight so I decided to be ready. When you came out of the door and I heard the
gunshot I thought you were a goner!”
“You’re
not the only one!” Nikki admitted shakily.
“Who
do you think it was, Nik?”
Nikki
frowned. “I wish I knew. Would you just drive for a bit? I need to do some
thinking.” She sat for several moments deep in thought before she finally
spoke. “Whichever way I look at it only one person knew where I might be
hiding…Helen! She must have waited outside the hotel and sent Fenner in to
flush me out.”
“I
didn’t see anyone.”
“She’s
hardly going to stand out in the open with a gun in her hand is she?”
“But
if he was taking you back…”
“She
couldn’t risk him taking me back or letting me be captured. She knew I’d heard
something that night and it was only a matter of time before I put two and two
together. I think Sean somehow broke into the club and she got there just
after. They argued…he’d already slapped her around once that night…and she had
to defend herself.”
“So
you think…”
“Yes,
Helen killed Sean and she just tried to kill me!”