Beyond Evidence (16 page)

Thirty One

A close friend

As Patrick opened the door he heard Jodie talking to someone. She was speaking quietly and in short sentences, almost like she was speaking with someone she was not supposed to. "I don't know what to do," she said, almost whispering.

Patrick made his way into the kitchen, where he could hear her voice. As he opened the door, he was surprised to see Mark standing there.

"What are you doing here?" Patrick said, failing to hide the surprise in his tone.

"Hi Patrick, I bumped into Jodie in town earlier when I was out and she asked me back."

Patrick was happy that she hadn't been alone all day, having someone to talk to would have helped take her mind off things.

"You don't know what to do about what?" Patrick asked Jodie.

"About the sleeping pills, I don't want to end up relying on them."

"You won't
Jodie, the doctor will be able to lower the dosage in a controlled way so that you don't become addicted. You need them to help you sleep after everything that's happened."

"I told Jodie what we talked about at work the other day. Honestly, your secret is safe with me, I won't tell a soul." Mark smiled.

"Uh, I hope you don't mind Jodie, I was just so worried about you I had to get it off my chest."

Jodie walked over to the kitchen door and wrapped her arms around him,
kissing him gently on the mouth. "Honestly babe, it’s ok. It's good to talk about things when you're worried instead of bottling it all up."

Mark turned away from the couple's moment of affection, inwardly smiling at his own presence.

All three made their way to the living room and Patrick sat down next to the balcony doors.

"So, what have you two been doing with yourselves then?" Mark asked.

"Well, actually I have something to tell Jodie," Patrick said.

"What?" Jodie asked curiously.

Patrick smiled, "What would you say to a country break?"

"What do you mean?"

"You remember Auntie Beth, my mums Auntie?"

Jodie smiled nervously, not knowing what was coming next, "Yes, what about her?"

"Well, you know she left the cottage to my mum in her will? What would you say to a trip down to Loch Lomond for a week?"

Jodie's smile
widened and she looked at Mark. "Did you know about this?"

"Me? Not at all, it sounds good though," Mark smiled at Jodie.

"Are you being serious? What about the case?"

Patrick moved to be beside Jodie, he held her hand and looked in to her tired eyes, seeing how exhausted she was, all the while being oblivious to the fact that the reason for this was sitting in the room with them.

"I've sorted it with Preston and Lang. I've told them that I'm taking you away for the week. You need to rest, I need to rest and recharge myself. We need some time together, just the two of us. Just think how nice it is there at this time of year, we can sit out on the decking watching the sun rise above the hills. We can relax in the fresh Scottish air and not have to worry about anyone else but ourselves, for a week anyway."

Jodie was quiet for a few moments as she regarded this. It did sound amazin
g, peaceful and almost tranquil.
Will I be able to shut out everything though, just because I'm not in Glasgow?
She asked herself.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Mark
’s voice. "If that doesn't sell it to you then I don't know what will."

Patrick laughed at this, all the while never taking his eyes off of Jodie. All he could think about was how much he wanted to take her away, make her happy again and take away her worry and stress.

Their relationship had lost out to the case in the last few weeks. They hadn't had a normal conversation, hadn't sat down to a meal together and they hadn't been intimate with each other in weeks. Patrick just wanted to get them back on track as they were so in love with each other and always had been. An outsider's perspective looking in at the relationship wouldn't have known this in recent weeks due to the circumstances.

"Well?" Patrick anticipated.

"Ok, let’s go," she smiled.

As Patrick hugged Jodie, Mark stood up and went into the kitchen again. He thought about them going away for the week and how it would affect his plan. Just t
hen, Patrick came in behind him. "Sorry mate, you must be feeling like a spare part just now."

Mark laughed.
"No, I'm in the way here. I'll get going," he picked up his coat from the bar stool in the kitchen.

"Thanks," Patrick said.

"No worries, I know when I'm getting in the way of you know what." Mark gave a cheeky smile.

"No, I mean for listening to me the other night and not judging me, or Jodie for that matter."

"Hey, what are friends for?" Mark patted him on the shoulder.

As Patrick saw Mark to the door, Patrick picked up a leaflet for private hire cottages and lodges in the country.

"I meant to show you this. It's a leaflet for the cottage, just thought you would like to see it." Patrick handed Mark the leaflet.

"I thought you said your Auntie Beth used to own it and now it belongs to your mum?"

"Yeah she did own it before she and my dad died, then it was left to me. But it is in Lomond Park with other cottages and lodges and I rent it out through the year, but it is free for the next two weeks."

"Well, looks like you'll both have a great time. So, I'll see you in a week then?" Mark said.

"Looks like it. Enjoy work, hope it's not too mad while I'm away," Patrick smiled.

"Oh I'm sure I'll manage without you. The ladies will keep me busy I'm sure," Mark smiled a cheeky smile, the meaning behind it only known to him.

As Mark walked down the stairs of the landing, he looked at the leaflet Patrick had given him. He hadn't meant to leave the flat with it still in his hand, he had genuinely forgotten to hand it back. Patrick probably hadn't even given it a second thought. Mark made his way across South Street and walked through the underpass of the expressway.

As he walked silently, a thought entered his mind, a thought that would conclude Ross' plan and hopefully, end the grief that was wearing away his very soul.

As he walked along the busy street towards his own flat, Mark pulled out a letter from his back pocket. It was the letter from ‘Adoption Contact Scotland,’ the one that had been delivered the day that Billy Turner had been killed falling down those stairs. He sat down on a chair outside of a cafe and read the letter for the hundredth time.

Dear Mr Turner,

I write to you with regard to your application of contact with Jeffrey Turner. I am happy to tell you that Mr Turner has responded to our letter and has agreed to meet you in one of our centres.

It has to be said that your biological brother no longer goes by the legal name of Jeffrey Turner as his adoptive parents changed it when they
took him into their care. Jeffrey now goes by the name of Patrick McLaughlin.

We cannot disclose any other personal information of Mr McLaughlin however there are no limits to which you can find out once you have met in our centre. Any information which you wish to disclose on the meeting is entirely at your own discretion. We have reserved an appointment for you both for October 25th 2010 in our centre in West Regent Street at 1pm. If we could have confirmation from you that this date is appropriate then you will be happy to hear that you will be meeting Patrick on this date.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to call or pop in to the office.

Yours sincerely

M. Cairns (adoption contact director)

Mark smiled as he finished reading and calmly folded the letter and placed it back in the envelope. He got up and continued walking back toward Ross' flat.

Thirty Two

A relaxing journey

Jodie waited in the living room the next morning. She had packed her case and repacked Patrick's, just for something to do while she waited for him to come back from the car hire office just at the other end of South Street. As she sat on the couch she looked out of the glass doors.

The sky was a soft light blue and the sun shone so strongly that around it the sky almost looked white.

A perfect start to the break
, she thought to herself.

She slid the door open and stepped out onto the balcony, feeling the heat from the early morning sun hit her face. It felt good on her skin. She closed her eyes and held onto the banister, allowing herself to relax a little more with each second she was blind to the view in front. The heat seemed to get stronger as she remembered the dream, the smoke and the overwhelming sensation of burning skin. She felt her throat tighten at the memory and opened her eyes instantly.

"I'm not allowing this to happen this week," she said aloud, almost as if she were convincing herself.

Jodie took a deep breath and was about to sit down on the chair behind her when she heard a car horn. She looked down to the entrance of the building
and saw Patrick in the driver’s seat of a red Nissan Micra.

"You ready yet?" he called up to her.

"Yep, I'll be right down."

Jodie went back inside and slid the door closed behind her. She turned the key in the door and closed the curtain half way and as she turned to leave the room she glanced in the mirror and saw Angela, Michelle and Rebecca all staring back at her, desperation in their faces. Jodie stopped to look back at them. She tried to stay calm and read any messages they were trying to get across, but
they just stood there, staring at her. Pale faces, straggly hair and ragged clothes.

"What is it you want from me?" she said, desperation now in her own voice.

"Him," Michelle spoke now, her voice rough.

"Who?
I don't know who you mean!" Jodie was shouting now.

But the girls were gone. All that stared back from the mirror now was her own reflection, her own tired eyes.

She heard the key turn in the front door and Patrick stood in the hall. "I realised you would need help with the cases. You ok?"

Jodie took a deep breath and tried her hardest to push everything to the
back of her mind, just for now. "Yeah, I'm fine. Let's get out of here and have some fun."

***

The car journey was peaceful. They drove with the windows down and the stereo on mute. Jodie drank in the scenery all the way to the cottage. They passed several farms, stand alone houses and passed through a few villages on the way to Lomond Park. There was not a single cloud in the sky and the breeze which filtered through the windows was warm.

"Already I am feeling relaxed," she said.

"Good, I am glad that you are looking forward to this. It is exactly what we both need," Patrick replied.

They were cruising down the boulevard at a comfortable seventy miles per hour when Jodie closed her eyes and sunk into the seat. As she felt the breeze on her face and in her hair, she felt herself drift in and out of sleep. This was the first time in weeks that she had closed her eyes and not saw anything in her head which
she
had not put there. All she saw now was Patrick. She couldn't remember the last time that she and Patrick had been together in any way you can be, with someone you're in love with.

When they first became intimate, it was the first time for her at all and she knew that it would only ever be him. Anytime that
they were apart, it felt like the other had taken a part of them away, like a part of them was missing and when they were together again, the puzzle piece would click back in to its original place. In the last few weeks, Jodie had forgotten how happy she could be, how much he made her feel safe and how much she wanted to be wrapped up in him. She wished she could feel like this forever, but she knew that in a week, this feeling would be gone again and she would lose a part of herself once more.

"All I want is for this to be over, to figure it out and just get back to us," she thought to herself as she drifted off.

She had said this aloud as she fell asleep, not aware of it. Patrick felt his stomach flip, knowing now that she felt the way he did. He wanted it over as soon as it could be. He was sick of this guy being invisible to his mind. Why couldn't they just show him who killed them?

What the hell is it that's stopping you from showing me his face?
Patrick gritted his teeth at the thought of his own blindness.

He went over it in his head a thousand times, the black silhouette, the injuries, the faces he saw every minute of the day and night, the messages that had supposed meaning but to him meant nothing. He decided not to wrack his brain any longer.

This is where my minds rest begins
, he thought to himself.

"You really think that you can't put this out of your mind for one whole week?"

Patrick looked over at Jodie, who was still sitting back, feeling hugged by the seat.

"Hey you, my thoughts are supposed to be private you know," he smiled gently.

"Sorry, I couldn't help it," she smiled back.

It was one
thing that they barely did, to listen to each others thoughts. It was a rarity for psychics but for them, it was almost like they were one person, which can most definitely hinder a relationship. They had agreed not to listen to each others thoughts, but for some reason they were both fine with it at the moment. They both knew that this gift would help them to reconnect. Patrick took his hand from the gear stick and placed it over hers, squeezing it gently.

"I have a few things to tell you, a few things that I think may be the cause of my sleepless state," Jodie said.

"Ok, but not now. Let's just relax and enjoy the rest of the journey. We rarely get out of the city, I want us both to enjoy the calmness and tranquillity of the country."

That was fine by Jodie, for now it
was
just
them, no deaths, no spirits and no worries, just the two of them. The way it had always been up until now. Nobody had ever fully understood their relationship or them as individuals. That was the way they liked it. That was the way that they had always wanted it to be. Their love for each other was one of a kind, unique and it felt like it had been slipping away. Jodie had felt like it was out with her control, but she wanted to get it back and so did Patrick.

He lifted her hand and kissed it gently, all the while keeping his eyes on the road.

"I won't let this break us Jodie, I promise. You will get better because I am going to figure this out. They've asked me to help and I will," he kept her hand firmly in his as he spoke. Jodie smiled, she loved his passion for the case, but she loved him more. She felt guilty that she wanted him to stop, but stopping wasn't an answer. If he stopped it wouldn't go away, it would just follow them everywhere, haunt them.

"I know Patrick," she said
. But she didn't know. She could only hope with all her heart.