Читать книгу: «The Hangman’s Hold»

Chapter One

Day One

Thursday, 9 March 2017

The pale grey, or the sky-blue tie? The grey one would go with the jacket, but the blue would match the shirt. Maybe no tie at all.

With a sigh, he threw both ties at his reflection in the wardrobe mirror and fell backwards onto the bed behind him. He turned to the alarm clock on the bedside table. The harsh digits in a terrible Day-Glo green, which wouldn’t match anything in his wardrobe, told him it was almost six o’clock. He still had time.

He pulled himself up and looked at his tired reflection once more, something he’d been doing quite a lot of in the last couple of weeks.

‘Look at the state of you,’ he said to himself. ‘Forty-five years old and you’re panicking over what to wear. It’s a few drinks, that’s all. Just two people having a drink together. Where’s the harm in that?’ He gazed deep into himself as if expecting an answer. His face was red. There was a sheen of sweat on his forehead and a gleam in his eyes.

Of course, it was more than just a few drinks. It was a date. An actual date. A trial run to see how two people, who, according to a computer seemed ideal for each other, would get on in reality. It was also his first in more than twenty-five years.

Following his divorce, and a long period of adjustment, Brian Appleby had thought he’d been left with a life of singledom, a life dedicated to himself and the things he enjoyed doing. He’d go on holidays with friends, trips to the theatre, and when he fancied being alone, he could watch a film on the sofa with his feet up and his socks off.

Unfortunately, life hadn’t worked out that way. All his friends had abandoned him, as had his family. He could understand that. He would probably have done the same in their position. At first, he’d tried to tell himself he didn’t care. Screw them. Yes, he’d made a number of mistakes, but he’d paid his price. Shouldn’t he be able to move on and continue with the rest of his life? Why couldn’t other people see that? Their loss. If they didn’t want him around, he’d find new friends.

That had been easier said than done. New friends were hard to come by; especially when you were a stranger with a past you refused to talk about. Again, he hadn’t cared, in the beginning. He enjoyed his own company. But evenings in front of the TV eating pizza and not talking to anyone had soon begun to take its toll. The tipping point had come when he’d walked into Domino’s and the young girl with greasy hair serving had looked at him and said: ‘Good evening, Brian. What are you in the mood for tonight?’ She knew his name. He knew her name. He knew the name of every member of staff. How far had he fallen that he personally knew the people who worked in his local takeaway? He had quickly ordered and made his escape, returning home to examine the pathetic existence his life had become.

His light at the end of the tunnel had come in the form of an advert on late-night television. A new website had been set up for the recently single looking to meet new people ‘for socializing, et cetera’. He hadn’t been too bothered about the ‘et cetera’, but he’d missed having someone to share his interests with.

He’d logged on, created a profile and spent a full evening trying to find a decent enough photograph of himself. That had been a task in itself as he hadn’t been able to remember the last time he’d had his picture taken. Actually, that wasn’t true. He could remember, but a police mugshot wasn’t something you used to attract a lady. Eventually, he’d resorted to taking a selfie, his first (and hopefully last) one. He’d surprised himself by how smart he looked in his suit and his neatly combed hair. Fingers crossed he looked completely different from the picture of him that had been slapped all over the tabloids.

After a week, he had chatted to eleven different women. None of them were his type; he didn’t have a type as such, but he knew that the ideal woman would jump out of the screen at him. Eventually, she did – a professional single woman named Adele Kean, a few years younger than him, attractive, ‘enjoyed the theatre, eating out, and a good film’. She ticked all the right boxes. She was the one.

Brian had spent an hour with a pad and pen drafting the perfect opening message to send to her. He’d wanted to make sure his spelling and punctuation were correct and tried to be funny without seeming desperate. He mentioned his recent trip to the Crucible (though he didn’t say it was only to watch the snooker) and how one of his favourite films was Rebecca starring Laurence Olivier, even though it was really Die Hard. He sent the email and waited impatiently for a reply.

His wait was a long one. It was five days before it arrived with an apology for her tardiness but she had been busy with work. She thanked Brian for his lovely message, said she had seen Rebecca, but it was years ago, and promised to look it up online next time she had a free evening. She also complimented him on his photograph and hoped she would hear from him soon. It was a good sign Adele hadn’t recognized who he was from his photograph. He had changed over the years, but he was worried he was still identifiable.

She heard from him very soon. Within thirty minutes of her reply landing in his inbox he was hitting the send button on his second message, the content of which seemed to come easier this time.

For a week, messages went back and forth – Brian was itching to suggest a meet but didn’t want to scare her off. On the Wednesday, Adele took the first step and offered her telephone number. His heart almost skipped a beat when he read that one.

Brian liked her accent – a mixture of Sheffield and Manchester. She was surprised she couldn’t hear any American in his since he’d told her he spent eight years teaching English in the States. He’d forgotten about the accent issue when he came up with that lie. He’d never even been to America. The conversation ran on without any awkwardness or silence and by the end of the chat they had arranged to meet for drinks the following evening outside the City Hall.

So, which was it to be, the pale grey tie or the sky-blue one? Or maybe no tie at all.

‘Damn it, Brian!’

Typically, it was raining. Typically, Brian was caught in traffic. Typically, Brian was five minutes late arriving at the City Hall.

He expected to get there and find the steps completely deserted. But was pleasantly surprised when he spotted her standing under the shelter of a large umbrella looking stunning and elegant in a long black coat.

He called out to her and she turned to him and smiled. She was so attractive, with a wonderful smile. She was perfect – exactly what he had been looking for.

‘Brian Appleby?’ she asked.

‘I am so sorry for being late. What is it with traffic when it rains? I was over twenty minutes on Chesterfield Road. I couldn’t believe it,’ he mumbled.

‘You don’t need to apologize it’s fine, honestly. I was a minute or two late myself.’

He smiled. ‘Shall we go into Lloyd’s for a drink?’

‘I’d like that,’ she replied.

The short walk to the pub was made in silence, but it wasn’t awkward. Out of the corner of his eye, Brian stole glances at the woman beside him. The slight breeze carried a hint of her scent – a subtle sweet perfume mixed with her natural aroma. He wanted to touch her, to feel her smooth skin on his fingers. No. Not yet.

‘What will you have?’

‘Gin and tonic, please.’

‘OK. Do you want to try and find a table while I get the drinks?’

For early Thursday evening, the pub was busy. Sheffield, undergoing a seemingly never-ending period of regeneration, was trying to get people to stay in the city centre after work rather than head straight home. A council campaign had been launched and a new cinema and several bars had opened. So far it seemed to be working.

Adele found a spot by the window and waited for Brian to return from the bar.

‘Don’t you drink?’ she asked, looking at the orange juice he’d brought for himself.

‘I’m driving.’

‘Oh.’

‘So, you’re a pathologist, you were saying on the phone last night? That must be interesting.’

‘It is,’ Adele beamed. ‘It’s a great job. Very time-consuming, but I do enjoy it.’

‘And you have a grown-up son?’

‘Chris. Yes, he’s twenty-one. He’s not long since left university and started his first job this week.’

‘What’s he doing?’

‘Same line you were in: teacher. It’s only temporary, to cover maternity leave, but who knows? It’s good experience too.’

‘Definitely. How’s the training going? I noticed you were limping slightly,’ Brian said.

‘Oh, that’s nothing, it’s these shoes,’ she smiled. ‘A friend of mine and I are training for a half-marathon. We’re raising money for a brain tumour charity. I lost someone close to me a couple of years ago. His wife and I are doing the race to raise money in his memory.’

There was a brief pause in the conversation as the topic slowly died and neither knew where to go next. They both took lingering sips of their drinks.

‘Do you run?’ Adele asked.

‘No. Dodgy knee. I walk a lot though. I like to get out into the country when I can.’

‘Oh yes, I remember you saying that’s why you chose to move to Sheffield.’

‘Yes, a large city but right on the doorstep of the countryside. It’s ideal.’

‘So why did you decide to return to England after eight years in the States?’

‘Well I was made redundant and rather than try to find work I thought I’d come home. I never intended to stay out there as long as I did.’

‘Why did you go in the first place?’ Adele asked, leaning forward. She seemed genuinely interested.

‘Well,’ he said, blowing out his cheeks. ‘I’d just split from the wife and wanted a clean break of things. I thought an ocean between us might help the healing process.’

‘Did it?’

‘Yes,’ he smiled. ‘It did.’

‘I can still detect a London accent.’

‘Oh I’ll never lose that,’ he grinned. ‘Would you like another drink or shall we go for something to eat?’

Adele looked at her watch. It wasn’t even eight o’clock yet. There was plenty of time for a meal. They decided on another drink. Adele told him more about her work and her friends. Brian mentioned about his ex-wife and how he found her in bed with another woman. In the toilets he refused to look at his reflection; he genuinely liked this woman; how could he tell her so many lies?

***

By nine o’clock they were sitting at a table by the window in a restaurant in Leopold Square waiting for their starters.

Adele had been in here many times with Matilda and felt relaxed.

Brian looked around him like an excited child on his first trip to a theme park. The delight in his eyes soon disappeared when he noticed a woman staring at him. Her lingering glances were unsettling. Had she recognized him? If he’d taken Adele’s seat, his back would have been to the restaurant and he could have concentrated on his date. Shit.

‘Go on,’ Adele prompted.

‘Sorry?’

‘You were saying about your surprise visitor.’

‘What? Oh … yes.’ He tried to ignore the woman across the room, but it wasn’t easy. Why did she keep looking at him? ‘We were told there was going to be someone important visiting the school. We all thought it would probably be some reality TV so-called celebrity the kids would go crazy over but none of the teachers would recognize. I was halfway through my lesson when there was a knock on the door and in walked Michelle Obama.’

‘You’re joking!’ Adele gasped.

‘No word of a lie. It was incredible. She had all these security people with her with their dark glasses.’

‘Did you actually talk to her?’

‘I did. She sat in on the lesson for a while and watched the kids read then she came over and spoke to me. She asked where I was from and joked about my accent.’

‘What was she like?’

‘She was lovely. Very warm, welcoming, easy to talk to. She genuinely seemed interested.’

‘That’s brilliant. I love Michelle Obama,’ Adele said. ‘I’ve never met anyone famous. Well, no one alive anyway,’ she said, thinking back to a former soap star she once had on her pathology table.

‘No one alive? What are you, pathologist to the stars?’

‘Something like that.’ She smiled.

‘I bet you have a few stories to tell.’

‘Plenty. And not a single one of them appropriate over dinner,’ she said as the waitress arrived with their first course.

He looked over again at the woman. This time, she gave a hint of a smile and nodded her head at him. It was a knowing smile and he didn’t like it. Then, the penny dropped. Of course, she’d trimmed his hair this morning. Crisis averted.

‘Is this the first time you’ve used a dating website?’ Brian asked once the coffee had arrived at the end of their meal.

‘Yes. I was extremely nervous about it, if I’m honest. I’m not used to putting my life on a website like that. It was strange. We put so much of ourselves on the Internet, don’t we? I dread to think what will come up if I ever google myself.’ She smiled.

Brian googled himself on an almost daily basis. His life was laid bare for everyone to pore over. Fortunately, there wasn’t a recent photograph of him. Besides, who would be looking for him in Sheffield?

‘I know what you mean. Finding seventy-five words to describe yourself is harder than you expect. And I was suddenly very self-conscious about my height,’ he laughed.

‘I had a half-hour debate with my son over my eyes. I think they’re blue; he thinks they’re green.’

Brian leaned forward. ‘They’re definitely blue. A lovely warm blue.’

Adele blushed.

‘So.’ Brian sat back, obviously uncomfortable. ‘Why decide to do it now?’

‘Well, Chris doesn’t need looking after anymore. I’ve got my life back. Unfortunately, the world has changed since I last went on a date. This seems to be the way of doing things now. What about you? Wasn’t there anyone in America?’

‘No. Well, there were a few dates, but never anything long-lasting.’

‘Would you have stayed out there if there had been?’

‘I’m not sure. The longer I was there the more I missed England.’ He paused, ‘I’ve really enjoyed this evening, Adele. You’ve made me laugh for the first time in ages.’

Adele blushed as she smiled. ‘That’s kind of you to say, thank you.’

‘Would you like to meet up again?’

‘Yes. I’d like that.’

The bill arrived, and they agreed to pay half each without any argument. When they left, the temperature had dropped, and Adele shivered. Brian helped her with her coat and they made eye contact. He leaned in and kissed her on the lips. It lingered for a few seconds before Adele pulled away.

‘Sorry,’ he said.

‘No … I just …’

‘That’s OK. I understand. Take things slowly.’

‘Exactly. You don’t mind?’

‘No. Of course not. May I walk you to your car?’

‘I’m getting a taxi home.’

‘I’ll walk you to the taxi rank then.’

They shared another brief kiss at the taxi, and Brian closed the door once Adele was safely inside. As it pulled away from the kerb she turned back and waved. Brian waited until the taxi had turned the corner before he headed for the car park. He took out his mobile and opened up the photos app. He scrolled through the pictures he had taken of Adele standing outside the City Hall before they’d met. She smiled at a passer-by. She looked at her watch. She looked left and right, then left again. She paced. She checked the time once more. There was a reason he was a few minutes late. He couldn’t take his eyes off her.

Adele sat back in the taxi and found she had a silly smile on her face. She had just had the best date of her life. Brian was charming, funny, intelligent, and he didn’t seem to mind that she’d turned away from the kiss when his tongue started to intrude. She took her phone out of her bag and began sending a message.

On my way home. Great night. Brian was lovely.

The reply from her best friend, Matilda Darke, was almost instant.

Is he going home with you?

No he isn’t. I’m not that kind of woman.

You used to be, lol.

I’ve grown up a lot since then.

Will you be seeing him again?

Yes. I liked him a lot.

Any tongue action?

My lips are sealed.

Spoil sport.

We kissed. Twice. No tongue.

Hot! I hope he wore protection, lol.

‘I can’t park on your road, I’m afraid,’ the taxi driver said, interrupting Adele’s text conversation.

‘Sorry?’

‘There’s traffic on both sides and if this sodding Audi behind me gets any closer he’ll be performing a colonoscopy.’

Adele looked out of the back window but could see nothing but the bright headlights. ‘That’s fine. Park around the corner. I can walk.’

The taxi turned left and pulled up in front of a shop. The Audi shot round and drove down the road at speed.

‘Sorry about that, love. Some people shouldn’t be allowed on the road.’

‘Tell me about it,’ she agreed. Most of the people who came into her lab were the result of car-related deaths.

Adele paid the fare and tipped the driver. She turned her back to the taxi, buttoned her coat up to the neck against the stiff March breeze and headed for home.

Traffic wasn’t usually so bad on her street. There were cars parked bumper-to-bumper on both sides. Somebody must be having a party.

As she walked down the poorly lit road she checked her phone, the brightness lighting up her face. It was just after eleven o’clock, not too late then.

It was a quiet night, and a cold one. The stars were shining in their billions as Adele looked to the pitch-black sky. There wasn’t a cloud visible. She shivered and pulled the collar up on her designer coat. A dog barked somewhere. Its resounding call set off a chain – a cat meowed, another dog barked, an owl hooted.

Adele stopped dead in her tracks and looked about her. She couldn’t make up her mind if she had heard something or if it was her imagination. The loud clacking from her shoes echoed as she took long strides to the safety of her house. For some reason, she wanted to get home, quickly, and lock the door behind her.

As Adele reached her front door the security light came on. She realized her house keys were buried somewhere in her handbag. She grabbed for the keys and struggled to find the Yale to unlock the door. Her fingers were cold and shaking. She pushed it open and almost fell into the house, slamming it closed behind her. She put the safety chain on, locked the top and bottom bolts and came to rest with her back against the solid wood.

‘Chris?’ she called out to the dark, silent house. ‘Chris, are you home?’

She kicked off her expensive but painful shoes and sighed with relief. She headed for the kitchen when a dull thud from the living room caused her to stop in her tracks. There was someone in her house. If Chris was home, he would have made himself known by now.

She turned and studied the door. Her eyes were locked on the handle, as if waiting for it to be pushed down from the other side. She grabbed it, slowly depressed it, and opened the door carefully.

Adele opened it wide enough to put her arm through and flick on the living room light. The yellow glow made her squint. She listened intently but couldn’t hear anything from the other side of the door. She pushed it fully open and froze in horror.

‘Who the bloody hell are you?’ she asked.

Brian Appleby hadn’t wanted the evening to end. He had had a wonderful time with Adele. The kiss at the end was beautiful. He thought he’d made a mistake when he tried to go further, but he understood. They had to get to know each other, what they liked, disliked, how quickly they wanted to take this. He was prepared to wait.

He took no notice of his journey home. He drove along Heeley and Woodseats while his mind went over the date and pictured Adele’s blushes and smiles. She really was a beautiful woman. Her hair was soft and shiny, she didn’t cake herself in too much make-up, her jewellery was understated yet elegant. Everything about her was as close to perfect as it was possible to get.

Brian parked in his usual place right outside his detached home on Linden Avenue. He smiled at a neighbour as she let her cat out for the night, then went inside.

It was ten past eleven. He decided to treat himself to a glass of Jameson’s or two in his armchair and go over the date one more time.

He turned on the living room light to find a man sitting in the middle of the sofa.

‘Who the bloody hell are you?’ Brian asked, his voice filled with anger at the boldness of his intruder.

‘Good evening, Brian. How was your date?’

‘What the …? Hang on, I know you, don’t I?’

‘Were you able to control yourself? Or did the old urges come flooding back? On the other hand, this one’s a little older than what you usually go for. Are you trying to be a model citizen? It’s a bit late for that, isn’t it?’

‘Have you been following me?’

‘Why don’t you take a seat, Brian. We’ve got a lot to talk about.’

‘How did you get in?’ he asked, not moving from the doorway.

‘If you’ll sit down, I’ll explain everything.’

Tentatively, Brian made his way over to the armchair, not once taking his eyes off his intruder. He sat, perched on the edge. ‘Go on then, explain. And if I don’t like what I hear I’m calling the police.’

‘I don’t think you’re going to want to do that.’

There was a calmness about his strange visitor that frightened Brian. How did he know so much about him? How long had he been following him?

‘Why not?’ Brian frowned.

‘See that bag on the coffee table? Open it.’

Brian looked down at the small tote bag. ‘What is it?’

‘It’s for you. A present.’

‘I don’t want it,’ he said defiantly.

‘Open it,’ the intruder said, more forcefully.

Still not taking his eyes from his visitor, Brian edged towards the coffee table and opened the light cotton bag. He frowned, not making sense of what was inside. He reached in and pulled it out.

‘Jesus Christ! Who are you?’