Cold Justice (Willis/Carter #4)(111)

Willis and Carter drove through the seawater that had completely covered the road and had reached the door of the police station. As they turned at the end of the shops, ready to take the cliff road, they met Jeanie and Toby coming the other way.

‘Follow us,’ Willis mouthed to Jeanie. They led the way towards Garra.





Chapter 50


Raymonds sat bolt upright in the chair as he waited. He looked around the room – it had been many years since he’d sat in the police station that he’d known as a second home for the most part of his life. This was the only real interview room they had. This was the room without the window, cold in winter, hot in summer. He strained to hear the comings and goings in the rest of the building. He couldn’t. There was a terrible stillness in the room and he began to feel that panic build in him that he’d felt the night he’d waited in the services car park. It was the panic he felt now when he had to admit that some things were beyond his control. He no longer had the might of the law behind him, the unquestionable authority.

He was dreading going home to Eileen. He would have to tell her that her only son was dead. She would look at him with that expression that he loathed so much and all the pain in the world would be reflected in her eyes and she would ask him how.

Kensa seemed to cling to the old mine wall as if she were hanging on to the earth as it turned.

‘Where’s my son, Kensa? You said you’d take me to him.’ Lauren spoke as calmly as she could.

‘I come up here to think, be close to people,’ Kensa said, as she stared out to sea.

She picked up the gun and aimed it at Lauren. ‘Come with me.’

‘No, Kensa, what are you doing?’ Cam called. Mawgan stepped towards her.

‘Kensa, don’t do it.’

‘There they are,’ Willis said, as they came in sight of the mine. They pulled up and Jeanie parked beside them. Carter got out and went around to talk with Toby.

‘Make sure you stay in the car until it’s safe. Stay with him, Jeanie, and make sure he has a vest on if he comes out.’

Carter and Willis walked towards the mine.

Kensa called out: ‘I want to speak with Toby,’ as she saw them coming.

‘You’ll have to put the gun down,’ replied Carter. ‘We can’t let Toby or anyone else be at risk. You need to tell us where Samuel is.’ Above them, the seagulls screamed as they circled on the wind. ‘He needs to be found now. He’s an innocent little boy, it isn’t right, you know that. Mawgan, do you know where he is?’

‘What’s right or wrong?’ Kensa walked backwards towards the cliff edge. ‘Old man Simmons pushed Ella off this edge after he’d brought her back from Plymouth. I saw him but I was too frightened to tell anyone. I can still hear her scream as she fell. Was that right?’

Cam started to cry. Mawgan held him as he staggered back and slumped against the mine wall.

‘I was abused all my life, we all were,’ said Kensa. ‘We were hunted down like animals when we were children. Was that right?’

‘No,’ replied Carter. ‘It wasn’t, and we will find the people responsible.’

‘They’re dead now. Martin Stokes, Old Man Simmons. They’re dead and never made to speak the truth about it.’

‘But we can take Raymonds to court. He knew what was going on.’

‘Oh yes, he knew. But the Sheriff is untouchable.’

‘Kensa?’ Willis stood forward. ‘Listen to me; no one can make it up to you. It’s a dreadful thing that happened to you and no one can make the bad memories disappear. But there are so many people that can help you cope, help you build a great life for yourself. You’ve been brave all your life. You’ve been a fighter. Don’t give up now. Samuel is a small child like you were. Don’t let these horrible things happen to him too. You have the power to make him happy again. Just tell us where he is.’

‘Toby?’ Kensa shouted up to the car. ‘I need to talk to you. Then I’ll tell.’

Toby looked petrified as he sat watching the cliff top through the windscreen. He reached for the handle of the door. Then he turned to Jeanie.

‘I have to go to her, I have to get out of the car,’ he said to Jeanie.

‘Okay, I’m coming with you,’ said Jeanie. The door was almost whipped out of her hands as she opened it. She went around to the boot and fitted him with a bullet-proof vest.

Kensa allowed the gun to grow heavy and low in her hand as she watched Toby walk towards her and she seemed to teeter towards the edge of the cliff as the wind returned in gusts, but she kept Lauren near her.

Carter watched the officers take up their positions on the perimeter of his vision. He trusted Pascoe to know what he had to do. No one would want to be the officer to pull the trigger on Kensa, but they would, if they had to.

‘Kensa, Toby cannot come any closer while you’re holding the gun,’ Carter said, but it was more to try and halt Toby than influence Kensa.

‘Hello, Kensa,’ said Toby as he kept his eyes on her trying to see the girl he had loved, all those years ago.

‘Toby, stay back,’ ordered Willis, but Toby only slowed down his pace.

Kensa was breathless, she was smiling, and at the same time her eyes were swimming with tears as she looked at him.