The Fourth Friend (DI Jackman & DS Evans #3)(24)
‘Well, I think if you’re worried, it’s someone and not something that’s behind it,’ murmured Carter suspiciously.
‘Well, you hold on to that thought. I’ll just hedge my bets, if it’s all the same to you.’
Carter knew better than to argue. Silas’s world was still filled with folklore, legends, mysteries and superstitions. Carter watched Silas and his dog go into his cottage. He waited until he saw an oil lamp lit, and then walked slowly back towards Stone Quay.
Maybe he should keep watch himself? The Eva May was very special to him. After all the work his friends had done on the old lifeboat, he would willingly do time for the man who deliberately vandalised her.
He unlocked his vehicle and sat inside, unsure of what to do next. He had never known Silas to be jumpy and it unnerved him. Silas was a loner. He loved the solitude of the marsh, and had always relished the coming of eventide. This was so out of character.
He switched the engine on and wound down the window. No one in their right mind would stop here if they saw a damn great 4 x 4 parked on the quay, so there was no chance of catching them red-handed. Carter guessed he might as well go home and leave the guard duties to Klink.
He sniffed the evening air, on which the whiff of burnt grain still floated. Then he coughed and held his hand to his mouth. The stink of smoke filled his nostrils and his lungs. It was them.
He turned off the engine and jumped out of the Land Rover, clutching Ray’s bag to his chest. He spun round and stared into the shadows, but all he saw was the wind-stunted trees and the straggly bushes surrounding the quay. He took a few steps towards the Eva May, but apart from the whisper of the night breeze and the water lapping the shore, there was nothing.
‘Guys? Ray? Tom? Jack? Where are you?’
The breeze suddenly cooled. Tendrils of cold air stroked his face. Carter shivered and pulled up his shirt collar. ‘Guys?’ He swung round in a full circle. ‘Ray? Where are you? I’ve found it! I’ve got your money. It’s safe. Look.’ He held the old leather bag up over his head.
An unnatural silence descended over the quay. Carter moved carefully back to his motor. Suddenly he was horribly aware of what Silas had called the “bad feeling.” He opened the door, threw the bag inside and climbed hurriedly in after it.
What did it mean — the burning smell, and no friends? He shook his head, turned on the ignition and roared off the quay. Home was not his favourite place these days, but right now it was looking pretty good.
*
Carter woke at three in the morning and pushed aside the covers. His sleep had been fitful at best, and now he was too alert. He had the usual three choices open to him. Go for a run, watch all-night TV or go into work. With a deep sigh, he stood up and padded towards the shower. He couldn’t face the run and he had no interest in reality TV. That left work.
Carter took a shower and smiled as the hot water coursed down his body. It had been worth the blisters from that old shovel. He would ring Joanne from work, and maybe go see her in her lunch break. She worked at a newly opened DIY store just outside the town, and he could be there in ten minutes, traffic permitting. The money wasn’t a fortune, but he was sure it would make a welcome difference to her. Maybe he should add a bit more? Maybe another grand, to top it up a bit?
‘Sod that for a game of soldiers, mate.’ Ray’s voice penetrated through the hissing water and Carter gasped. He stepped out onto the cool marble floor of the shower room.
‘It was just a thought,’ he muttered apologetically, trying to ignore the pungent smell.
Ray and the other two were across the room, perched on the edge of his bath. ‘It would spoil it, mate. No offence, but just give her the bag as it is, with my message, okay?’
Carter nodded. ‘Sorry. Sometimes I think throwing money at things makes them better, but I guess that’s not always the case.’
‘Sometimes, but not always. Nice thought though. Just not appropriate this time,’ said Ray kindly.
Carter stared at them. They were different now. When he’d first seen them in the hospital, it had been indescribably horrible. They’d appeared to him like something out of a horror film — deformed, disfigured and terribly maimed. Now they were . . . he peered through the steam. Well, they were kind of normal, not so much disfigured as out of focus. He could still make out the burns, but it was like looking at a reflection in a shop window. They had a vagueness, a shifting quality as if they were made of liquid light.
He suddenly noticed that Ray seemed more indistinct than the others. He was still speaking, talking about Joanne. Carter frowned. Ray should not be here at all. After all, he’d had his wish granted. The money had been discovered, it was right here in the apartment with them.
‘Finish the job, Carter,’ said Ray. ‘The money is important, but the fact that she hears from you that I truly loved her is even more so. Understand?’
He understood. ‘I’ll talk to her later today, I promise.’
‘Thanks, mate. I appreciate it.’ Ray had practically disappeared. His smile, like that of the Cheshire cat, was the last to fade. The vile smell went with them.
So, Ray’s task was almost complete. He shuddered with apprehension. What would Jack ask him?
CHAPTER SEVEN
‘What the hell time did you get in this morning?’ Marie was staring open mouthed at Carter’s almost empty desk.