Takedown by Heather Atkinson (latest books to read txt) 📕

“And it looks like she’s been tucking into the sauce, she can barely stay upright.”

Ben shoved her into the passenger seat while he jumped into the driver’s seat. The way Ben slammed the car into reverse, making the tyres squeal indicated he was furious and he sped off, hitting the promenade faster than he should have done.

“I don’t think we need to follow,” said Faith. “He’s not going to get up to anything dodgy with his drunk wife in the passenger seat.”

“I agree. Let’s go home and curl up together in bed.”

“Sounds lovely but things are starting to make sense now. If his wife has a gambling problem and is also an alcoholic they could have got desperate. That house and car won’t come cheap.”

“Why not just rob some cash off someone?” replied Vance. “Why nick drugs off us? There’s a lot of the picture we’re not seeing. Even though we don’t know these people, something about all this still feels personal.”

“You could be right. Well, we know more now than we did an hour ago. That’s enough for today. All I want to do is go home and snuggle up naked with you.” Their night-time foray had left her feeling cold and a little down. Yes, they had more information but they still didn’t understand what was going on and they were no nearer to getting the drugs back. Nestling under the duvet with Vance however was the perfect antidote.

“Bastard,” yelled a voice. “The total and utter bastard.”

Faith sat up in bed with a confused frown, rubbing her bleary eyes and brushing her hair back off her face. She was alone, Vance’s side of the bed rumpled but vacant. She realised it was his voice coming from the lounge.

Getting out of bed, she pulled on her big cosy dressing gown, stuffed her feet into her slippers and shuffled into the lounge, yawning. She found Vance freshly showered and fully dressed, sitting at the table by the window, scowling at the laptop.

“What’s going on?” she asked him before breaking into a huge yawn.

“I’ve been checking the footage recorded by the cameras we set up around the car park.”

“And I take it they’ve picked up something?”

“Too fucking right they have,” he said, turning the laptop to face her.

She peered at the screen and her eyes widened. “Is that Adam standing in the car park here, outside the flats?”

“Yes. Your ex-boyfriend’s a fucking stalker,” he spat, slamming his fist down on the table.

“Take it easy,” she said, warning in her voice.

He shot to his feet. “I’m going to find him and break his fucking legs.”

She put herself between him and the door. “Just calm down before you do something stupid.”

“The only thing I’ve done that’s stupid is not smash his kneecaps with a sledgehammer.”

“You’re not to go near him. Do you hear me?”

“You’re actually protecting him?”

“Look at what proof we’ve got - he’s been hanging around the car park. For all we know he was meeting someone who lives in these flats. We don’t know that it’s anything to do with me.”

“Oh really?” he said, tapping at the keyboard. The image on the screen shifted to the exterior of their mother’s house. “There he is again, lurking across the street while your car was outside, so he knew you were there.” He tapped at the keyboard again and another image popped up. “This was recorded by the camera on your car when it was parked outside Pulse and you were in the club. And here again.” He stabbed at the keys so hard Faith was surprised they didn’t break. “When you went into the supermarket. He’s the one who’s been following you Faith, it’s not Ben or his friends. Why would they need to follow you when they had Patrick Prentiss to track the drugs? All the time it’s been your creepy ex.”

“Oh God,” she breathed. “If he has been following me it’s possible he’s seen us together.”

“If he had I’m quite sure the git would have told everyone in Blackpool by now.”

“What if he’s biding his time? I really hurt him when we had that one night stand.”

“Well he’s got a fucking nerve because he was engaged to another woman and he didn’t even tell you. He needs sorting out and I’m going to do it.”

“No you’re not Vance,” she said, pressing her hands to his chest when he made for the door again. “I will not see you get sent back to prison. This time we do it properly. I’ll make a complaint to the police and get him stopped legally.”

“What the fuck can they do? On all this footage he’s standing in a public area and he hasn’t approached you or harassed you. They’ll do fuck all,” he bellowed, chest heaving.

“Will you calm down?” she told him. “You’ll have the neighbours complaining about the noise.”

“Fuck them,” he snarled.

“If you don’t get a grip I’ll smack you right in the face.”

“What have I done? I’m only trying to protect you.”

“You’ve got a temper Vance and sometimes it makes you go too far. If you do something stupid and get sent back to prison I swear to God we’re done. I will never visit you or even speak to you again. I mean it,” she added when he opened his mouth to retort. “I couldn’t go through that again.”

“Fine. Go to the police then and watch them do nothing.”

“I’ll go to Matthew. A quiet word in Adam’s ear from a detective inspector might be enough to scare him off.”

“I’ve worked stalker cases Faith and I can tell you it won’t be enough. If anything, it will probably cause him to escalate.”

“And