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

stalked for so long and not realised, especially with everything she’d got up to lately. “Did you tell anyone?” she said as casually as she could.

“Just Marlow. I didn’t mention Caleb’s presence there because this is about you, not him. Not that my information did Marlow any good.”

Faith took a deep breath to remain calm. “I’ll do you a deal Adam.”

“I’m listening.”

“If you stay out of my life and leave me alone, I won’t take the evidence I have against you for stalking me to the police.” She almost felt sorry for him when his shoulders slumped and he hung his head. “You need to move on,” she told him gently. “We’re over.”

“And he’s the one you want?” he muttered, nodding at Vance.

“Yes. I’m so sorry, I never wanted to hurt you. I’d no idea our relationship had affected you so much.”

Her stomach dropped when his eyes filled with malice. She’d never seen him like that before.

“Your brother isn’t the only one you’ve been having clandestine meetings with, is he?”

“What?” growled Vance.

It was Adam’s turn to smile. “Someone’s jealous.” He delved into his inner coat pocket and produced another photograph.

Vance held his breath as he tossed it onto the table, afraid of what he was going to see. He exhaled with relief when he saw it was a photo of Faith sat on a bench talking to Young.

“You’re a police informant,” pronounced Adam. “I wonder what everyone will say when they find that out?”

For the first time, Faith felt nervous but she determined to bluff her way out of it. “That’s the police officer who helped us out with Marlow. We bumped into each other and he asked how I was getting on, that’s all.”

“You bumped into each other in a cemetery?”

“Yes. Marlow’s buried there. I was trying to lay his ghost to rest.”

Vance forced himself not to react. She’d never mentioned Marlow’s grave but he got the feeling she was being truthful about that.

“What was DI Young doing there?” pressed Adam. “Talking a walk among the gravestones?”

“No. He was paying his respects to a dead relative.”

“Which relative?”

“He didn’t say.”

“I find it odd that someone who comes from Manchester has a relative in a Blackpool cemetery.”

“Well he does.”

“In fact you bump into each other a lot, don’t you?” he said, tossing a heap of photos onto the table. Faith saw that in each one she was talking with Matthew outdoors – in parks, cemeteries, even at the waste recycling centre they’d thought so private.

“You’ve been following me for so long,” she breathed, picking them up and flicking through them. “How could I not know?”

“You look worried Faith,” he smiled. “Everyone would be shocked about you shagging your own brother but being a grass well, that’s something else. No one would work for you ever again. You’d be a pariah. Your whole family would be tainted, no one would ever trust any of you again. The little empire you’re trying to build would be finished before it got started.”

“Adam,” said Faith, attempting to sound calm and in control. “There’s more going on here than you know. Things aren’t as they seem.” She glanced at Vance, who was being conspicuously quiet. She’d expected him to rant and rage at Adam but he was contenting himself with listening.

“Yeah, course,” said Adam sarcastically. “Now this is what’s going to happen - if you don’t go out with me again I’ll show these photos to the whole town. Your family will be ruined.”

“Do you really think blackmail is a good basis for a relationship? Think about it – how could it ever possibly work?”

“You’ll fall in love with me again once we’re back together. You just need to give us a chance.”

“I love Vance.”

“No you don’t,” he spat. “We’re meant to be together Faith, it’s always been you and me. He’s done something to you, messed with your head, made you think you need him…”

Vance leapt up, grabbed a handful of Adam’s hair and slammed his head against the wooden bench.

“What did you do that for?” exclaimed Faith, rushing to Adam’s side, who had slid to the floor out cold, a huge bruise in the centre of his forehead.

“The little twat needs handling,” he said, handing her his car keys. “Bring the car around to the back,” he added, indicating the gate in the wall that led onto the back street.

“What are you going to do to him?”

“Make sure he never bothers us again.”

“Vance…”

“We don’t have time for an argument. Get the car before someone sees us.”

She nodded and exited through the gate. Vance pocketed the photos Adam had dumped on the table and looked down at him in stony silence, imagining all the things he was going to do to him, things he’d wanted to do for years when he’d been dating Faith. Vance recalled all the times he’d had to watch her leave the house with Adam on one of their dates, see them kissing and holding hands, knowing it should be him in his place. His hands curled into fists as he restrained himself from beating him to a pulp. Instead he pulled on his gloves, crouched by his side and patted down his pockets, checking his wallet, which contained nothing out of the ordinary, so he put it back. He did take his phone though.

Faith returned and held the gate open as Vance hauled Adam to his feet.

“All clear,” she said.

Vance dragged him into the back street. “Open the boot,” he told her.

She obeyed and he dumped Adam inside, slamming the lid shut and taking the keys from her.

“Get in,” he told her.

“Where are we going?”

“To the lock-up.”

“I’m not sure this is wise.”

“We’ve no choice,” he said as they got in the car.