Beyond Evidence (8 page)

Twelve

What if?

Jodie sat out in the small balcony. It was 2:15am and she couldn't sleep. Her head was filled with Patrick. She was worried about him, he seemed to be losing sleep over the situation he now found himself in and she was slightly anxious about his involvement now with the police. All sorts of scenarios were going through her head, causing her to lose sleep herself.

What if the killer knows that we are working alongside the police and is watching us? What if he knows where we live? What if Patrick gets hurt during all of this? What if there is another murder before the Police catch whoever it is? I'm scared about going out by myself now.

She hadn't mentioned any of this to Patrick, she didn't want him to be worrying about her when he had all of this going on in his head. She wished she could take it from him and she be the one that had to deal with it.

Even though it was summer, there was still a cold breeze flowing past. She sat on the wicker chair in the balcony and watched the night go by. She watched the odd car pass by and wondered if Patrick were on his way home yet. Just as she was about to go back inside the sound of a black taxi pulled up outside the main entrance to their building. Jodie leaned over the side to look down and saw Patrick get out of the taxi. She smiled and went inside to put the kettle on. The night was silent and she could hear Patrick climbing the set of stairs outside their front door. Then his key being turned in the lock.

"Hi," he called out quietly, aware of the neighbours. "What are you doing up at this time?" he asked putting his jacket on the coat hook next to the door.

"Couldn't sleep," Jodie replied. "How was your shift babe?" Jodie handed him a cup of tea and they both went into the living room.

"It was really good actually. A new guy started as a member of bar staff tonight. He was really nice." Patrick blew into the mug to cool the tea before taking a sip.

"What is his name?" Jodie fell backward on to the couch with fatigue.

"Mark something, can't remember his second name. He was behind the bar for a total of half an hour and some woman gave him a list of drinks and her phone number on the back, it was priceless," Patrick laughed as he recalled the moment.

Jodie seemed to be falling asleep on the couch but sat up to try to stay awake. "Sounds like a bit of a ladies man. Was he being cocky about it?"

"Not at all, just said he didn't know how he managed to do it. He asked if I wanted to go for a drink with him," Patrick said it like he was asking her permission.

"Well, what did you say? Did you say yes?" Jodie asked. She was a little unsure about Patrick going on a night out with someone he had only just met but she didn't want to sound like the type of person that told her man who they could and couldn't be friends with and why should she? Of course she trusted him, she trusted him with her life. They had been together long enough for her to know that they only had eyes for each other.

"Well I said to him to leave it with me and I'd let him know at a later date. I kind of wanted to know what you thought first," he admitted, "does that make me sound like a push over?"

Jodie thought about it
for a moment. "Erm, yes a little," she smiled. "Although I would like to meet him first, make sure he is not a bad influence," she joked.

Patrick stood up and put his tea down on the floor next to the couch. He walked over to where Jodie was sitting and sat down enveloping her in his arms. She was cold to touch.

"Are you ok? You're freezing." Patrick hugged her tightly almost squeezing the breath out of her.

"Yeah
, I'm fine I'm just worried about you. I mean, you're taking on this case with the police which I know for sure is stressing you out. I know you are not sleeping because you are worrying about letting them down and obviously your head is not your own," she almost forgot to breathe she said it so fast.

Patrick held her away from his b
ody so he could see her face. "And obviously it's causing you some stress too. Jodie it's not as if I haven't experienced spirits before, just never ones this intense. Honestly, if it gets too much for me or for us I'll take it easy."

A few moments passed where they both said nothing. Then Jodie said, "I think you should go out with this Mark guy, it will be a good way for you to de-stress and have a bit if fun."

"I think so too," Patrick replied. "I will make arrangements the next time we are on shift together."

"Good," Jodie smiled gently.

Patrick kissed her softly on the nose, then on the lips. Patrick was able to put the worry to the back of Jodie's mind that night. As she fell asleep in his arms on the couch, he felt the presence of one of the girls enter the room. She put a fretful feeling into him and he couldn't shift it. He felt the weight of the world suddenly on his shoulders. He enjoyed his ability to communicate with spirits but at times he wished he could be as normal as anyone else and just get a good night sleep. The room turned icy cold and the hairs on Jodie's arms stood on end as she slept in Patrick's arms.

"I know you're anxious and I am going to help you but I am asking for some space tonight. I need to sleep," Patrick whispered into the empty space in the room.

The fretful feeling dispersed but the room stayed chilly for the remainder of the night into the early hours. Patrick decided to stay with Jodie and sleep in the living room, there was no point in waking her when she now seemed so peaceful.

As he drifted off, he thought of the investigation with the police.

Where are you, you son of a bitch?
He thought to himself.
We'll find you and when we do you'll be sorry you were ever born.

Patrick fell asleep with the feeling of anger and disgust in the pit of his stomach. He was going to find the man who murdered these girls
, even if it killed him.

Thirteen

Be careful what you wish for

The darkness around him seemed to get darker the faster he ran and the faster he ran the further into nothing he seemed to get. Patrick felt like his lungs would burst and his legs would collapse with the speed.

He looked around and saw what seemed like a thousand miles of nothing. He ran towards the army of darkness and as he did he heard his footsteps repeating behind him. He tried to turn round to see who was behind him but when he did the footsteps fell behind him again! All he had was the urge to run faster until the footsteps, now louder, fell from his hearing. He heard a ringing sound, quiet at first, then it became louder and it rang persistently. He heard Jodie's voice, she was softly calling
his name and he began to panic.
Run, run, run,
he tried to call out to her but she continued to say his name, over and over, a little more firmly now.

"Patrick? Patrick
, its D.S Preston on the phone for you, get up!" she sounded annoyed now.

"What? Was I asleep?" he was confused and his heart pounded hard in his chest. He sat up on the couch and took the phone from Jodie, rubbing his eyes as he tried to adjust to his sudden conscious state.

"Hello?"

"Ah, Mr McLaughlin, it's D.S Preston here. I wanted to personally inform you that your D.N.A test proved negative. There were absolutely no traces of your D.N.A to evidence that you had any physical part in the murders of the three young women."

"I already knew that," Patrick said bluntly. He was feeling a little cranky from being awoken by the phone. "So, now what?"

"D.C Lang and I are making a few inquiries this afternoon regarding the Collins, Levine and Noble case, but before we do we'd like you to come down to the station. There are a few things we'd like to discuss with you beforehand."

"Ok, when?" Patrick's voice croaked.

"Can you be here for ten o'clock please?" It didn't sound like a question.

"Yeah that's not a problem. See you then."

Patrick hung up the phone and threw himself backwards onto the couch again. Jodie appeared over him holding a mug of hot coffee.

"You were restless during the night," she said. "Here," she handed him the mug as he sat up, "this will wake you up."

"I've to go into the P
olice station at ten to speak to Preston and Lang. My results came back negative." He stared into the mug as though he didn't know what it contained.

"What is wrong with you? You look like a zombie, and you were tossing and turning all night."

"Was I? I feel really tired and I had a really strange dream that I was being chased, but I couldn't see who I was running from," he shook his head. "I must be going mad," he smiled sarcastically.

"Well, whatever you are, you're going to be late if you don't get a move on," she tapp
ed her watch and smiled guiltily. "Sorry, just don't want them thinking that you're not capable."

"I'm not so sure I am capable today. I feel like I've been banged over the head with a boulder," he squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed his head.

"Were you drinking last night after the shift finished? Could it be that?" Jodie suggested.

"No, there wasn't much time for a beer during clear up, plus I had the keys. I don't like bein
g on lock up with a drink in me."

Patrick stood up, walked to the bathroom and switched on the shower. He climbed in and turned the power up to jet and the
temperature up to high. He stood there for ten minutes to wake himself up.

Jodie sat down on the spot where Patrick had been just moments before. The worry she had the night before came flooding back. The dreams, the sleepless nights and the constant visions and voices were seriously wearing him down and Jodie was beginning to feel the strain and stress Patrick was feeling. He was putting on such a brave front for all that was going on.

The last thing he needs is me stressing him out with how I feel about it all. I just wish that I could at least take some of what he was experiencing for just a while,
she thought to herself fretfully.

Jodie picked up the mug and started towards the kitchen when suddenly she felt like she was burning. Her skin began to tingle painfully and she broke out in a sweat. There came a pain in her chest that was like nothing she had ever experienced before in her life. She felt like her lungs were filling up and she couldn't get a proper breath. She tried to stay calm and move to the kitchen to get some water but she felt like she was being held back. Her right ankle began to throb as though her bones had been fractured by an unknown force.

Overwhelmed by the pain and burning sensation, Jodie collapsed. Patrick heard a thud from the living room as he passed after stepping out of the shower, to find Jodie lying on the floor.

"Oh my god Jodie what's wrong?" he ran to her side.

There was no response. Patrick dropped to his knees and held her in his arms, "Jodie, Jodie..."

She opened her eyes and looked up to see absolute terror in his face.

"Why are we on the floor?" she asked calmly, feeling her face against his chest, still wet from the shower.

"You fainted. What happened?" the panic in his voice faded a little once Jodie responded.

"Uh, I don't know," she sat up straight. “I went to go to the kitchen and I began to feel like my body was on fire. I literally felt like my skin was burning. I couldn't breathe Patrick. And my ankle felt like it was being crushed. It was horrible, it happened so suddenly."

"It sounds like you had an anxiety or panic attack and a bad one at that. You should see a doctor Jodie."

"No, honestly I feel better. I'll just rest now. You go and do what you have too to help the police with the case. Seriously I will be fine," she smiled reassuringly at him.

"Not a chance Jodie I'm taking you to the doctor now, there is no way I am leaving you after what just happened."

Patrick picked up the phone and called the station to inform them that he would be in later in the afternoon once he had taken Jodie to the doctor to be checked over.

"Mr McLaughlin we appreciate that your fiancée seems to be ill but we have a very serious case on our hands here and you are supposed to be assisting us in our enquiries," D.S Preston stressed.

"Yes I am assisting you D.S Preston but this is also very important to me sir and I will be with you no later than one o'clock. I promise you that."

"Ok, well I expect you will keep your word on this Mr McLaughlin," Preston eased off.

"I will, and D.S Preston?"

"Yes?"

"Please call me Patrick. You make me feel old when you refer to me as Mr McLaughlin."

Fourteen

Warnings

"See? I told you I was fine," said Jodie as they left the doctors surgery.

Patrick shook his head. "You are not fine Jodie. The Doctor said that you had an anxiety attack due to stress and lack of sleep. That does not say fine to me that says that there is something you are not telling me and I want to know what it is."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she stopped walking.

"What exactly are you so stressed about that you aren't sleeping?"

Jodie sighed and continued walking at a slower pace. She spoke quietly as they walked to the taxi rank near the surgery.

"I am stressed about you, all this police stuff and enquiries and
your
lack of sleep is worrying me Patrick. I am worried about
your
mental wellbeing. Don't you agree that this is a little stressful for both of us?"

Patrick felt bad for the way he insinuated that she
was keeping something from him. "Of course I agree. But it's something that I have to do Jodie. For one, I can't just ignore messages, you know yourself that if you do that they don't leave you alone, even if they are just minor. And two, I'm getting a lot of information at one time and when I'm trying to rest my mind at night that's when I am more open and receptive to these spirits. I can't help it Jodie. You of all people should know that!"

Both seemed quiet for a while afterwards. They got into a taxi and it drove them back to their flat in Glasgow Harbour. Patrick helped Jodie upstairs to their door.

"I understand that you're helping the Police and that you would never ignore the messages that you get. But I am allowed to worry about you aren't I?" said Jodie.

"Of course you are babe. Come here," he wrapped his arms arou
nd her and gave her a tight hug. "I love you, you know that don't you?"

"I love you too, just look after yourself. I know it's awful what happened to those girls and I am proud to say that you are going to help track down their killer. But please remember that you have a life here to come back to. I don't want our abilities to come between us Patrick."

"They won't Jodie, I promise you that. I have to go, I'm meeting D.S Preston and D.C Lang in thirty minutes at the station and they'll kick off if I am not on time."

He kissed Jodie on the head then ran down the stairs to get back into the taxi that had dropped them both off from the doctor surgery just a few minutes previously.

Jodie let herself into their flat. It was a hot day outside and the apartment was stuffy so she opened the sliding glass door and went out onto the balcony for air. There wasn't much of a breeze out there but Jodie felt like she was able to breathe and relax.

Scottish summers weren't much to write home about but if you were lucky the sun shone a few days between the months of May and September. Today was one of those days.

"Well Mr Sun, I may as well make the most of you whilst you have made the effort to visit us today," she said as she smiled up at the sky and went to the bedroom to get the book that she was reading.

She went back out to the living room and to her surprise the door to the balcony was closed. "I could have sworn I left that open," she said as she walked over to the door and opened it again. It made a loud scraping sound as it slid open.

"I would have definitely heard that closing!" she said aloud.

Jodie tried to ignore it and walked out onto the balcony again. She sat down on the sun lounger that Patrick had bought in case the sun happened to shine like this day and opened her book.

In front of their building was the expressway leading in and out of Glasgow city centre and Jodie could hear all of the traffic making its way up and down the road. The volume of traffic wasn't that high but enough that there was a loud hum as each vehicle passed. She could also hear the birds singing in the trees around her. They sounded happy, as if they were enjoying the sunshine, as was she. The clouds in the sky came few and far between. But when they were there, they were small and fluffy. The light from the sun bounced off them and they seemed to be whiter than white.

As Jodie observed all of these things around her she relaxed more and began to forget the anxiety attack and the worry she felt for Patrick. She began to drift off in her relaxed state. The birds still sang as she began to dream.

In her dream she walked along an empty street. All of the buildings were closed up for the night with the display windows sent little light into the street. She found it strange that birds should chirp happily when it was the middle of the night, but she was happy to listen all the same. It was mild in temperature and she was wearing a low cut black dress (which lay just above her knee) and black heels. She knew Patrick would love this outfit. But where was he?

She suddenly realised that she was alone. She began to feel nervous and knew that something wasn't right. She looked around her for any signs of life but there were only shadows in the alleyways and this made her feel very uncomfortable. She began to walk quicker but her legs would not carry her. She suddenly began to feel very tired and her head began to pound.

What's wrong with me?
she thought to herself.

This is what he does
Jodie, it's his way of slowing you down. Making you feel helpless and weak,
a voice came from behind her.

Jodie spun round to see where the voice was coming from and what she saw sent shivers down her spine.

Oh my God, are you....?

Jodie knew that stood in front of her were the spirits of Rebecca Collins, Michelle Levine and Angela Noble. This was the first time in her life as a spiritualist medium she had ever come face to face with the spirit of someone before. She didn't know what to make of it.

This is what happened to us Jodie. He is one sick man, you have to trust us when we say you are not safe.

They all seemed to be speaking in sync with each other. Jodie tried to walk towards them but her legs felt like they were anchored to the ground.

What do you mean I'm not safe? Why am I not safe?
Jodie seemed to be shouting, all the while her lips not moving.

You're not safe, nobody's safe
.
Their voices seemed distant, like their energies were fading.