‘What are you going to do, Henry?’

‘All in good time. I’ll tell you when I’m definitely sure that will be our plan. There’s no point in confusing you, is there?’

She watched him stroll off, his black jacket zipped up. He had a big scarf wrapped around the lower part of his face and a black woollen hat pulled down low on his head. He looked like every other middle-aged tourist and blended in seamlessly. His scars were barely visible. He stopped for a moment to pull on a pair of thick, woollen gloves and then he walked off towards the station.

She looked at the cheap, black phone on the car seat. Now was her chance. She could phone 101 and tell the police that England’s most wanted man was outside one of their stations waiting to kidnap a police officer, but she didn’t know if they would take her seriously. Probably not, knowing her luck, and by the time officers had come out Henry would have realised what she’d done and killed her anyway. She tugged her own hat out of her pocket and pulled it over her head, trying to disguise herself a little. If Annie came out and saw her sitting in the van, it might make her realise something was wrong.

After twenty minutes he came back grinning. ‘We’re on. Our lovely Annie just came out of the station and got into a police car all on her own. They must be short-staffed today because she’s normally with that giant beast of a man. Which means this is wonderful news for us, Megan, just wonderful.’

‘Are we going to follow her, then?’

‘No, it’s too obvious. I think we should go to the caravan park and you can phone up to say you’ve been in a car accident on the opposite side of town. Just before she came out, two policemen came out and got into a van. Hopefully, they will send them to the accident that isn’t, and then I’ll phone again and ask for help at that big old house. If she’s on her own, they might send her, if it’s nothing that one person can’t handle. We’ll lure her in and take it from there.’

Megan thought it all sounded pretty good. Where on earth he got his ideas from she didn’t know, but if it meant that this would all be over with soon, then good.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Annie drove around aimlessly for the next forty minutes, backwards and forwards through the streets of Bowness and Windermere, hoping that Henry was watching. When there wasn’t much happening she pulled over near the café and waited to see if she could see either Megan or Henry lurking around.

Will had looked so different in his full uniform. She’d never seen him in black combats and fluorescent yellow body armour, and she hadn’t been able to stop staring. Will and Jake had gone out in the van, scouring the streets as well. A call came in for an accident, and control shouted Jake’s collar number to go to it. They couldn’t say no because, technically, Jake and Annie were the only uniformed officers on duty until the next shift started in an hour. She stayed where she was, making sure the locks were on so no one could jump in the car with her.

Her phone began to ring and she answered it. ‘Yes, Kav, I know. I’ve just parked and I’ve locked myself in. I won’t get out of the car, I promise. You don’t need to come down. I’m fine. I don’t need a babysitter just yet.’

The control room shouted her number, but she didn’t catch it until they shouted again. ‘Annie, we have a Martha Beckett on the phone from Beckett House. She’s asking if there’s any chance you could pop over and see her. She said it won’t take long.’

‘Yes, I will. Can you tell her I’ll be there in five minutes and she’s to let me in?’

‘Will do.’

Annie’s radio began to ring in her ear and this time it was Cathy’s voice on the other end. ‘Wait until Jake’s finished with this minor accident before you go there.’

‘It’s fine. I don’t think a ninety-year-old reclusive woman will be much of a threat. She doesn’t go anywhere or talk to anyone. She won’t exactly have Henry Smith hiding in her house, will she?’

‘I suppose not. Look, if you get there and anything isn’t right, get the fuck out. She can wait.’

‘Yes, boss, I will.’

‘Good, Kav’s having a shit fit. He said he’ll go with you.’

‘Tell him to calm down. It’s fine. She’s a lovely old dear. I’ll let you know when I’m clear from there, and we can regroup and try something else.’

‘Roger.’

Annie started the car, pleased to be doing something to break the boredom that was settling over her. She hated being cooped up in a car on her own. It was crap not having anyone to talk to. As long as Martha Beckett didn’t expect her to go down into that cellar and fight that monster on her own, what could possibly go wrong?

Annie drove into the now familiar drive of Beckett House and parked in front of the door. She looked around the gardens just to be sure there was no one around, but they were empty. It was so sad that such a beautiful house and gardens had been left so unloved. She got out of the car and walked up to the front door and rang the bell. Then she waited. It was a big house for one old woman to live in. Surely she’d be much better in a retirement flat.

There was no sign of Martha, and Annie began to worry. What if she’d fallen over or had a heart attack? She tried the door but it was locked, so she walked to the big picture windows that looked onto the lake and tried to peer through the gap in the curtains. It was dark inside and she couldn’t really see anything except the outline of the dark furniture that filled the room. Making her way round to the back of the house where the kitchen was, she thought she would see if that door was open. Martha might be in there with the kettle boiling and unable to hear her knocking.

She walked up to the glass door and took hold of the handle to push it down. As she did, she felt the familiar small, freezing hand that belonged to Sophie pull her own. ‘Annie, you have to run. He’s coming.’ Annie felt every hair on the back of her head stand on end as a dark shadow fell over her. Not even looking behind her, she stepped sideways and did what Sophie told her. She began to run. As she lifted her hand to press the bright orange emergency button on her radio she saw Megan step in front of her, swinging a large piece of wood. It hit her on the temple and she felt her knees give way as she started to fall towards the hard gravel. She lost consciousness before she hit the ground with a loud thud.

***

Jake drove up and down the street where the accident had been reported, but didn’t see anything. He slowed down and Will put his window down to ask a couple sitting outside one of the cafés if they’d seen anything. Both of them shook their heads and Will felt his stomach flip. ‘Where’s Annie? Where did they send her when they gave her a job ten minutes ago?’

‘Beckett House, but Martha’s a sweet old woman who lives there on her…’ Jake didn’t finish the sentence because Will was shouting ‘Annie’ over the radio and getting no reply. Jake took out his phone and rang her, but it just rang out.

His radio began to ring and a breathless Kav gasped, ‘I don’t know where the fuck this house is, Jake. Come and get us now.’

Will looked across at Jake. ‘Don’t you dare. Get your lights on and get us there now. They can find their own way to it. I’m not wasting any time.’

Will felt his hands shaking, and his head began to feel as if it was full of cotton wool. Jake put his foot down. Turning on the lights and sirens, he began to drive way too fast to the house by the lake. The whole time he kept shouting for Annie on the radio with no response. He heard the control room asking Cathy if they wanted reinforcements to help search for Annie and she screamed, ‘Hell, fucking yes,’ back at them, making Jake wince.

‘There was no accident. It was a decoy. The crafty bastard knew you’d have to go to it.’ Will slammed his hand against the dashboard.