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Boldwood Books - John Nicholl

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127 pages

English

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Description

Kathy thought she’d met her soulmate. But Police Inspector Michael Conner’s behavior changes on the day of their wedding. Showing his true colors for the first time, Conner becomes increasingly manipulative, controlling, and cruel as the months pass.

When Kathy tries to escape, Conner does his best to convince everyone that she is mentally ill. But Anna, Kathy’s identical twin sister, doesn’t believe it. After a tragic event, Kathy decides enough is enough and elicits Anna’s help to rid herself of Conner for good.

But will Conner simply let Kathy walk away, or have the sisters bitten off more than they can chew?

*Previously published as The Girl in Red*

Sujets

Policier & Thriller

Policier

Thriller

Mashups

Psychological

Siblings

Thrillers

Women

Suspenso

Psychological thriller

Sibling

Woman

Psychology

The Women

City Life

Crime

Family Life

Suspense

Fiction

Informations

Publié par	Boldwood Books
Date de parution	13 décembre 2022
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781804263761
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,2050€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

THE COP

JOHN NICHOLL
CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

More from John Nicholl

About the Author

About Boldwood Books
1

Kathy Conner stood at the range cooker and stirred the home-made vegetable soup she’d been preparing for over an hour. Had she added salt? Oh God, he always wanted salt. Think, Kathy, think. It had to be perfect. Nothing less was acceptable.
Kathy took a spoon and tasted it, ignoring the burning heat as it blistered her lip. Not bad, not bad at all, just the right amount of salt and a little black pepper too. Perhaps he’d be satisfied this time. Maybe it was tasty enough… even for him.
She checked the clock above the dishwasher for the umpteenth time that afternoon and winced. Time was getting on; sprinting away from her faster and faster as if to taunt her. He’d be back soon after five. That only gave her two hours at best. The main course. Come on, Kathy. There are potatoes to peel, vegetables to chop to the correct dimensions. The meal had to be ready and waiting the second he arrived. There was no room for dawdling – not a single second to spare.
Kathy stopped mid-step on approaching the fridge and stood listening for even the slightest sound. Was that a car pulling up on the driveway? What on earth? It couldn’t be, could it? It was only ten past three. Oh shit, surely not? Please don’t be him. Please don’t let it be him.
She noticed that her hands were trembling, her head swimming as she allowed the countertop to support her weight. The driver had switched off the engine. Oh God, was that a key in the lock? Yes, yes, the front door was opening. It was definitely opening. There were footsteps in the hall, heavy footsteps, his footsteps, getting nearer. And then there he was in front of her, standing at the kitchen door, flexing his powerful biceps and forming his hands into tight fists as he stared at her with a blank expression on his boyish, brutal face.
‘Hello, Michael, you’re early today. It’s just after three. Have you forgotten something? I’m in the process of preparing your evening meal.’
He glared at her without response, turning his head slowly to scan the room with keen eyes that she believed saw everything.
Kathy looked away, averting her eyes to the wall, wondering why her mouth felt so very dry. ‘Did you have a good day at work?’
He took a single step towards her. ‘The usual crap. Why do you ask?’
She bit the inside of her cheek hard, tasting blood. ‘I’m just taking an interest. That’s okay, isn’t it? You don’t mind, do you? You often say I should.’
He placed his peaked cap on the pine table. ‘Can you see this uniform? The dark blue cloth. The shiny silver buttons. Or are you blind as well as stupid?’
Kathy clenched her jaw, continuing to stir the soup slowly with a wooden spoon, avoiding his accusing gaze. ‘Of c-course, I can see it. You look very smart. Just like you always do. Your uniform fits perfectly. You’re a credit to the force.’
‘So you can see it? You’re not oblivious to the fact that I’m standing here in full uniform? You’re twenty-eight not eight. That reality shouldn’t be beyond your feeble capacity for reasoned thought.’
Kathy’s entire body was shaking now, her voice breaking as she searched for the words. Any words that may satisfy him even for a single second. Something to calm him down. ‘Yes, I can see you. You’re right there in front of me.’
‘In that case, you should understand that I spend every second of every working day dealing with the criminal lowlifes of this world. The scum that most people choose to avoid. Where’s the pleasure in that, Kathy? Can you answer that for me? Or are you just being your usual thoughtless self? Perhaps you’re trying to piss me off, is that it? It won’t go well for you if you are. Even you should understand that by now.’
Kathy momentarily thought that she couldn’t respond; that her mouth wouldn’t function; that the words wouldn’t come. She forced her lips apart, loosening her jaw, thinking she had no choice but to say something. But what to say? What on earth to say?
‘I was only asking. You like me to take an interest, don’t you? You’ve told me as much. Your life is so much more interesting and worthwhile than mine.’
Michael Conner took a second step towards his wife, loving every anxious twitch of her face as he studied her closely.
‘You were only asking? Are you sure, Kathy? Are you really sure? Or are you just saying what you think I want to hear? Perhaps you’re talking crap as usual. It wouldn’t be surprising, now that I think about it. I wonder why I put up with you sometimes. I was quite a catch. I could have married anyone I chose. Why the hell did I settle for a burdensome shrew like you?’
Kathy opened her mouth intending to speak but then closed it again as she choked on her words. Sometimes silence was best. And sometimes nothing helped. She feared this was one of those times.
‘Nothing to say for yourself?’
‘Nothing you’d want to hear.’
He laughed, head back, and then mimicked her, his mouth hanging open, a half-witted expression transforming his features. ‘What’s with the goldfish impression? You look even more ridiculous than you usually do, and that’s going some. What a fucking idiot! And just when I thought I couldn’t like you any less.’
Kathy felt a single tear roll down her cheek. ‘I’m sorry, Mike. I didn’t mean any offence. That’s the last thing I’d want. I’m trying my best, really I am.’
He shoved her aside, staring into the saucepan for a second or two, a look of utter disdain on his face.
‘What’s this shit?’
Kathy shifted her weight from one foot to the other. ‘Um, it’s, err… it’s vegetable soup. All fresh, all organic. And seasoned just how you like it. Shall I fill you a bowl?’
‘Surely you don’t expect me to survive on that slop?’
‘It’s just a starter, that’s all. There’s Welsh lamb to follow. The very best, and with all the trimmings. All your favourite vegetables and mint sauce too.’
He opened the cooker door, peering in before grabbing her by the hair, dragging her towards him and forcing her head inside the oven, face first.
‘Can you see any lamb cooking, Kathy? Take your time. Have a good look around because I couldn’t see a fucking thing when I looked. Perhaps I should give work a ring and call in a search team. Maybe a couple of sniffer dogs, huh? Perhaps they could find it. Maybe they’ll have more luck than I did. What do you think?’
She was weeping now, her chest tightening as she gasped for breath. ‘But y-you arrived home early. I wasn’t expecting you for hours. How w-was I supposed to know?’
Michael yanked her back, throwing her to the floor in one powerful movement.
‘Or perhaps you’d like to phone them yourself? You like ringing the police, don’t you, Kathy?’
‘I’m s-sorry.’
He mimicked her for a second time, screwing up his face. ‘Oh, please help me, Mr Policeman. My big, bad husband is hitting me again. Blah de, blah de, fucking blah! It was something like that, wasn’t it, bitch? When you rang last night. When you dialled 999 and screamed for help.’
Kathy curled up into a tight ball, laying on the kitchen tiles in quivering silence as he loomed over her.
‘Have you got any idea how horrendously embarrassing your little drama was for me? I’ve got to work with those people on a daily basis. That young constable couldn’t get out of here quickly enough. He was absolutely crapping himself. Or did you miss that small fact?’
‘I’m sorry, I’m truly sorry.’
‘You’re mentally ill, Kathy. That’s what I’ve told them all. You are round-the-fucking-bend, my cross to bear. And they believe me. They sympathise. They swallow every word I say.’
‘I kn-know they do.’
He glared down at her, spitting, snarling; his face strangely distorting.
‘Oh you do, do you? Madam knows! Be very careful, bitch. You’re playing with fire. Call the police again and you may kill yourself next time. You may take a blade and slash your throat from ear to ear, blood splashed everywhere, with your worthless life draining away to oblivion. Do you understand what I’m saying to you? Do you get my meaning? I could make your death look self-inflicted in the blink of an eye. You were depressed, suicidal with unresolved grief. That’s all I’d have to say in explanation at any inquest. Your death would be of no consequence to me or anybody else, none at all. If you want to know something, know that. You may live a little longer if you do.’
‘I’m s-sorry. I shouldn’t have rung. I realise that now. I r-really shouldn’t have rung.’
Michael rested his boot on the side of her head, pressing down. ‘No, you shouldn’t have. And you won’t do it again, will you, bitch? Not even you’d be that stupid. Because no one is ever going to listen to you. They’re never going to listen to anything you say. And then you’d pay the ultimate price.’
‘No.’
He increased the pressure, agitating his foot to and fro as if grinding a discarded fag butt into the gutter. ‘No what, Kathy? No fucking what? Spell it out, bitch. Plead your case.’
‘No, I w-won’t ring again.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Yes, I’m sure.’
‘Repeat yourself. I couldn’t hear you through all that pathetic snivelling.’
Kathy repeated herself – louder this time – and hated herself for it.
‘Now that was much better. A lesson learnt. No one’s ever going to help you. Not the police, not your mother and not that moronic twin sister of yours. Because they all think you’re totally bonkers, as crazy as a bag of monkeys, loop the fucking loop. No one’s ever going to tak