Blood & Guts by Ed James (best books to read now TXT) 📕

‘Well, I hope you lock him up and throw the key in radioactive waste.’ Alison shut her eyes, clamping them tight. ‘I wish I could help, I really do, but all I’ve got so far is that Miss Ennis was assaulted.’

‘So she’s been awake all this time?’

‘Sadly not. She’s sustained a cranial injury, as a result of trauma to her head.’

‘You wouldn’t get that from being locked in a boot, though. Has someone hit her on the head?’

‘I believe so. Blunt force trauma. Bottom line is she doesn’t remember much about her ordeal.’

‘What with?’

‘Not sure. A jack, maybe? Something metallic. No lasting damage, but she’s going to have a hell of a bump for a while.’

Vicky winced. A teenage girl sat behind that door, the subject of a vicious assault. Tortured, mentally and physically. Maybe torture was too strong a word. Maybe she was just restrained. The fact Teresa hadn’t been raped, that didn’t lessen the pain any. Or the urgency. ‘Okay, so can I get a couple of minutes with her?’

Alison stared at the door, thinking it all through, then nodded. ‘Okay.’ She squelched off down the corridor.

Vicky stood there, trying to take enough breaths to calm her thumping heart. Not just any teenage girl, that would be hard enough, but a colleague’s daughter. Someone close to her. Even if he was a dickhead.

Christ.

She pushed the door open and stepped in.

A squeal tore at her ears.

Teresa was sitting on the edge of the bed, head poking out of her top, wrapped around her neck. At least she had her bra on. ‘Help.’

Vicky stepped forward. ‘Are you okay?’

‘I can’t… I’m stuck. This.’ Teresa tried to stand but couldn’t. She sat there, swaying, her eyes shooting around her head. ‘I feel so shit.’

Vicky eased the top back over her head. ‘I think you should lie down.’

Teresa complied, as easily as a just-fed newborn, and let Vicky tuck her in to the thick bed sheet. Lying back and staring at the ceiling. ‘Who you?’

Christ, she was really out of it. Whatever McLean had hit her with had really spaced her out. Concussion was a bastard.

‘I’m Vicky. I’m a cop.’

Teresa’s eyes shot over. ‘You work with Dad?’

Vicky nodded.

‘God. He’s going to be so angry.’

‘Your old man’s going to be relieved you’re okay. Well, as okay as can be.’

‘What happened to me?’

‘I was hoping you could help me with that.’

The door opened and Considine stepped in like he was entering the staff canteen at Bell Street. All swagger and smiles. ‘Here you go.’ He was carrying two plastic cups, oblivious to the teenager in the bed. ‘Just how you like it, Sarge.’

‘You daft sod.’ Alison the nurse reappeared and grabbed the cups out of his hands. ‘How stupid are you?’

‘Just a sec.’ Vicky joined Considine in the corridor and leaned in close. ‘Have you gone mad?’

‘Eh?’

‘You can’t walk into a hospital room with cups of tea!’

Considine stared at the floor like he was Bella, getting told off for naughtiness yet again. ‘Trying to do the right thing.’

‘Stephen, have you got hold of her father?’

‘Tried. Not answering.’

Vicky took out her notebook. ‘You’re going to verify her story, okay? Write it all down.’ She went back in and focused on Teresa, trying to assess how far the fairies had taken her.

She was scowling at Considine like he was going to assault her.

‘Teresa, this is a colleague of your father’s too. Stephen. He’s a cop.’

She looked up at him.

Considine got out his own notebook. ‘What do you remember of your ordeal?’

What part of write it all down didn’t he understand?

‘Nothing.’

Superb.

Didn’t deter Considine. ‘What was the last thing you remember?’

Teresa looked up at the ceiling. ‘I can’t remember anything. I remember driving. Skidding. Then, I think we saw Carly’s boyfriend’s car?’

Shit, she didn’t know her friend was dead, did she?

Superb. Just superb.

‘And what kind of car was it?’

Teresa looked over at Vicky. ‘Why?’

She smiled back. ‘It might be important.’

‘You think he attacked me?’

‘It’s possible.’

‘Is Carly okay?’

Vicky looked over at Considine, eyebrows raised so he got the message to keep quiet. ‘You don’t remember anything until we found you?’

‘I can’t think.’

‘When we found you, you’d been tied up.’

‘Oh man. My dad’s going to kill me.’

‘We’re trying to get him down here. And believe me, the last person he will want to kill is you.’

Teresa’s pout suggested she still didn’t believe it.

‘Teresa, my dad’s a cop. I know what it’s like.’

‘Right. Do you?’

Vicky held her gaze. ‘Yes. I really do.’

‘Where did you see Carly’s boyfriend’s car?’

‘Um, at the supermarket?’

‘Did you see anyone there?’

‘I can’t think.’ Teresa screwed her eyes shut. ‘Wait, I remember the boot was open… they pushed me in. I… I must’ve been knocked out.’

Vicky stepped forward, eyes wide, trying to encourage her. ‘Did you see your attacker?’

‘It was dark.’

‘Are you sure?’

‘No. Yes. I don’t know. It was really dark. Someone snapped things on my wrist and ankles. Then they… I think they hit me.’ She touched her bandaged crown and checked the fingers for blood. ‘They hit me and I only remember waking up in the car. Then you came to me.’

‘How did you feel?’

‘How do you think I felt? Sore!’

‘Did you hear anything?’

‘When I was taken?’

‘Aye.’

‘Well, I don’t know. I think… Don’t know.’

‘Did anyone say anything?’

‘Maybe I heard someone chasing Carly.’

‘Did she know them?’

‘Maybe.’

‘When you were tied up, could you tell if there was more than one person?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘Could you tell if they were male or female?’

‘No. I don’t know.’

‘Okay, Teresa, it’s okay to not know. Just keep telling the truth.’

‘You saying I’m lying?’

‘No. I’m not. Did you say something to the person?’

‘I had those knickers in my mouth. Or a rag, or whatever it was.’

‘Did the person or people say anything to you?’

‘Not that I can think. Maybe.’

The door opened and Alison peered in.

Vicky smiled at Teresa. ‘Okay. We’ll be back soon, okay?’ She left the room, but had to help Considine out with his cups of tea. She took hers now. ‘Thanks.’ She focused on Alison, sipping metallic milky gloop. ‘Anything?’

‘Well, the bloods