Silas Nash Book 1: Hush Hush Honeysuckle: Chapter 21 (a)

‘Go on. Tell me again what you want me to do.’

‘This man is targeting you. Therefore it stands to reason that you either know him or you’ve had dealings with him that haven’t worked in his favour. We need to get close to him, although he leaves enough clues—they all lead back to you. And he hasn’t left a shred of evidence pointing at him. Obvious question. Who do you think it is?’

Max was tired. He’d been up half the night throwing up and couldn’t decide if it was the meds killing him, the tumour, or the bogeyman. He’d spent the other half of the night thinking about everything he knew.

‘Steve Hill.’

‘Who the hell is Steve Hill?’

‘My tenant’s boyfriend. And, inspector, I swear I have no reason for this other than that he complained about the decorating not being done in the dining room. I’ve wracked my brains, and that’s the best I’ve got.’

Nash scribbled on his pad. ‘Okay, we’ll look into it.’

‘So I’ve gone from being the killer to being the top cop on the case. Do I get a badge and a gun?’

Max saw Lewis cover a smile, and for some reason, she enjoyed Max winding Nash up so easily.

‘You do not,’ Nash said. ‘And it’s no laughing matter. You’ll be alongside me. Don’t think you’re off the hook, Jones. I’m going to be like the smell from your backside. I’m going to follow you everywhere you go.’

‘And with such a beautiful and enticing metaphor. Do I have any choice in this?’

‘Yes, you can wait for him to get bored of his games and kill you.’

‘Eeny, meeny—that would be you Inspector—miny, moe. Okay, I’ll do it, and I’ll make my own badge out of a Ready Brek box and some sticky back plastic.’

Lewis interrupted their pissing competition. ‘I warn you, it’s dangerous. But as DCI Nash has said, you aren’t in a great position, Mr Jones, but you will have all the protection of the law.’

‘In real terms, what does that mean? As in, if some crazy lunatic comes flying at me in the shower, Norman Bates style, where are your officers going to be?’

‘We’ll be right in the shower with you, Jones,’ Nash said.

‘There will be twenty-four-seven surveillance on your house, front and back. And if you wish, you can have an officer inside with you.’

‘Can I have DI Brown for the shower scenes?’

‘You will have whichever officer is assigned the duty,’ Nash snarled.

‘And I’m going to be working with Nash here, who always seems five seconds away from wanting to rip my head off. He won’t be armed, will he? Or sitting next to my bed at night.’

‘For God’s sake. Must you be so childish all the time?’

‘It is a bit of a default mechanism, Nasher. It’s the way I’m wired.’

‘The correct title is, Sir,’ Nash said.

‘No, Nasher. You don’t have to call me sir all the time. Boss will do, and when it’s just me and you, all cosy like, you can call me Maxwell.’

‘You will address me as Sir at all times. Do you understand?’

‘How about Doc, like in Bugs Bunny? Nah, what’s up, Doc? It has a ring to it and suits you. It can be my special name for you.’

‘You will do as you’re told when you’re told to do it, and it will be exactly as I say. Your smart mouth will get you and my officers killed, and I’m not prepared to risk good people to save your skinny neck.’

‘See? I get the impression he doesn’t like me, Missus Lewis. We aren’t a good fit. He can’t accept our working relationship. Can I have somebody younger and maybe with better legs? He doesn’t want this.’

‘On the contrary,’ Chief Superintendent Lewis said, ‘it was DCI Nash’s idea to bring you in. And, for the record, I’m against it. But, you’re our best hope of catching this man. So you’re going to have to find a way to work together.’

‘Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You’re my only hope. Okay, but as long as I can be the little spoon.’

‘I’ve had enough of this,’ Nash said.

‘Serious question. Where will I be staying? Do I get a safehouse?’

‘No, you’ll be in your own house. You’ll go about your business exactly as you would under normal circumstances. It’s apparent that the killer doesn’t realise you’ve been with us for the last four days. He probably assumes you’ve been away in your van, which is a good smoke screen for us and could work to our advantage. We have already fitted all of your vehicles with a tracker. Your house is installed with hidden cameras and audio equipment. Please bear that in mind.’

‘Got it. No shagging on the dining room table.’

‘We’d also like you to wear a bracelet monitor with audio and tracker. It will look like an unobtrusive watch.’

Max said, ‘You don’t know me, do you? Do I look as if I do unobtrusive?’

‘As it happens, yes. We’ve studied your wardrobe, and the watch is modelled on your normal dress watch.’

‘Ah, but can it tell the time?’

‘Should you be in a situation where you wouldn’t ordinarily wear it, we’ve put the same tech into your phone. Do not rely on this alone, as it’s the first thing you’ll be separated from if you’re apprehended. This person likes to play, and when it comes to you, he will have his ultimate toy. The initial jump might be fast, but after taking you, he’ll want to toy with you.’ Nash seemed to take pleasure from this.

‘I realised straight off that you’re dangling me as bait, but Jesus, I didn’t expect it to be so blatant.’

‘We have studied your movements prior to your arrest from CCTV, and on most occasions, you wear a watch. Details are everything, and this won’t seem odd to the killer. He’s been watching you. He knows your movements and your habits. Don’t do anything out of the norm. And this is important. I mean anything. This guy isn’t stupid, and he’s going to notice anything unusual.’

‘Presumably, he knows about my diagnosis and that I’m going to get very sick very soon, and then I’m going to die. I think he’ll expect things out of the norm, as you put it.’

‘We think your illness and the fact that you aren’t going to live long is what trigged all this.’

‘It’s great to talk to people that can mention my illness without bawling or squeezing out every trite epitaph written before I’m even dead. You’re told you’re dying, and suddenly everybody wants to spout the verses from sympathy cards and inspirational verses at you. Live each moment as if it’s your last, and dance like nobody’s watching. As you can see, guys, that’s working out very well for me. I’m suspected of being a sodding serial killer. But there’s a flaw in your thinking because the first three people were killed before I even received my prognosis.’

‘True,’ Nash said, ‘but you already had the diagnosis. Are we right in thinking you were told the outcome of your tests three weeks before your appointment on the second of September?’

‘Yes. Pretty much. The doctors didn’t want to put a date on it, but they more or less said I was dog meat.’

‘So the last appointment was just for confirmation, and you were given a more realistic timeline?’

‘Exactly. But I didn’t tell many people. Mel knew I was ill, and Jon and Henry. That’s about it.’

‘And did you ask them to keep it confidential?’

‘Not exactly, but they aren’t the type of people to take an ad out in the paper. Oh, hang on. Yes, actually, Mel is. In fact, she probably stopped the postman to tell him that her beloved brother was going to croak. Good point.'

‘With the exception of Henry Watson, everybody that knows is a current suspect. And that’s exactly what happened. Melissa broadcast it in the bakery, according to Mrs Thomas, the owner. Several people we interviewed in your sister’s social sphere knew prior to the confirmation.’

‘That’s my sister. All mouth and no knickers. I have one last question.’

‘Go on.’ If Nash was expecting a smart remark, he’d have been surprised. Max just wanted to get out of here now.

‘If I’m being watched and have to be a Normal Norman, how are you going to fit into this? Won’t we be seen getting together for our cosy, candlelit dinners?’

‘Up to now, he doesn’t know where you’ve been for the last half a week. We’re blowing it out there. We’ll be issuing a press report that a man has been arrested and released on tag pending further investigation. That man will have to report to the station, and it won’t be unreasonable for us to be seen together out of the office for evidence-gathering and further questioning. ’

‘What? I’ve got to be cast in the role of a murdering social pariah and have one of those ankle things, as well?’

‘Just in the short term. A few months, that’s all.’ Nash grinned.

‘Touché, DCI Nash. That is a very admirable point to you, I believe. You’re getting the hang of this.'