Locked Away (DI Sara Ramsey Book 13) Read online

  LOCKED AWAY

  DI Sara Ramsey #13

  M A Comley

  Copyright © 2021 by M A Comley

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  Acknowledgments

  Thank you as always to my rock, my mother, Jean, I’d be lost without you in my life.

  Special thanks as always go to @studioenp for their superb cover design expertise.

  My heartfelt thanks go to my wonderful editor Abby, my proofreaders Joseph and Jacqueline for spotting all the lingering nits.

  Thank you also to my amazing ARC group who help to keep me sane during this process.

  To Mary, gone, but never forgotten. I hope you found the peace you were searching for my dear friend.

  Also by M A Comley

  Blind Justice (Novella)

  Cruel Justice (Book #1)

  Mortal Justice (Novella)

  Impeding Justice (Book #2)

  Final Justice (Book #3)

  Foul Justice (Book #4)

  Guaranteed Justice (Book #5)

  Ultimate Justice (Book #6)

  Virtual Justice (Book #7)

  Hostile Justice (Book #8)

  Tortured Justice (Book #9)

  Rough Justice (Book #10)

  Dubious Justice (Book #11)

  Calculated Justice (Book #12)

  Twisted Justice (Book #13)

  Justice at Christmas (Short Story)

  Justice at Christmas 2 (novella)

  Justice at Christmas 3 (novella)

  Prime Justice (Book #14)

  Heroic Justice (Book #15)

  Shameful Justice (Book #16)

  Immoral Justice (Book #17)

  Toxic Justice (Book #18)

  Overdue Justice (Book #19)

  Unfair Justice (a 10,000 word short story)

  Irrational Justice (a 10,000 word short story)

  Seeking Justice (a 15,000 word novella)

  Caring For Justice (a 24,000 word novella)

  Savage Justice (a 17,000 word novella Featuring THE UNICORN)

  Flawed Justice (a 17,000 word novella)

  Gone In Seconds (Justice Again series #1)

  Ultimate Dilemma (Justice Again series #2)

  Shot of Silence (Justice Again #3)

  Taste of Fury (Justice Again #4)

  Clever Deception (co-written by Linda S Prather)

  Tragic Deception (co-written by Linda S Prather)

  Sinful Deception (co-written by Linda S Prather)

  Forever Watching You (DI Miranda Carr thriller)

  Wrong Place (DI Sally Parker thriller #1)

  No Hiding Place (DI Sally Parker thriller #2)

  Cold Case (DI Sally Parker thriller#3)

  Deadly Encounter (DI Sally Parker thriller #4)

  Lost Innocence (DI Sally Parker thriller #5)

  Goodbye, My Precious Child (DI Sally Parker #6)

  Web of Deceit (DI Sally Parker Novella with Tara Lyons)

  The Missing Children (DI Kayli Bright #1)

  Killer On The Run (DI Kayli Bright #2)

  Hidden Agenda (DI Kayli Bright #3)

  Murderous Betrayal (Kayli Bright #4)

  Dying Breath (Kayli Bright #5)

  Taken (Kayli Bright #6 coming March 2020)

  The Hostage Takers (DI Kayli Bright Novella)

  No Right to Kill (DI Sara Ramsey #1)

  Killer Blow (DI Sara Ramsey #2)

  The Dead Can’t Speak (DI Sara Ramsey #3)

  Deluded (DI Sara Ramsey #4)

  The Murder Pact (DI Sara Ramsey #5)

  Twisted Revenge (DI Sara Ramsey #6)

  The Lies She Told (DI Sara Ramsey #7)

  For The Love Of… (DI Sara Ramsey #8)

  Run For Your Life (DI Sara Ramsey #9)

  Cold Mercy (DI Sara Ramsey #10)

  Sign of Evil (DI Sara Ramsey #11)

  Indefensible (DI Sara Ramsey #12)

  Locked Away (DI Sara Ramsey #13 coming August 2021)

  I Know The Truth (A psychological thriller)

  She’s Gone (A psychological thriller - coming September 2021)

  The Caller (co-written with Tara Lyons)

  Evil In Disguise – a novel based on True events

  Deadly Act (Hero series novella)

  Torn Apart (Hero series #1)

  End Result (Hero series #2)

  In Plain Sight (Hero Series #3)

  Double Jeopardy (Hero Series #4)

  Criminal Actions (Hero Series #5)

  Regrets Mean Nothing (Hero #6)

  Prowlers (Hero #7)

  Sole Intention (Intention series #1)

  Grave Intention (Intention series #2)

  Devious Intention (Intention #3)

  Merry Widow (A Lorne Simpkins short story)

  It’s A Dog’s Life (A Lorne Simpkins short story)

  Carmel Cove Cozy Mystery Series

  Murder at the Wedding

  Murder at the Hotel

  Murder by the Sea

  Wellington Cozy Mystery Series

  Death on the Coast

  Death by Association

  A Time To Heal (A Sweet Romance)

  A Time For Change (A Sweet Romance)

  High Spirits

  The Temptation series (Romantic Suspense/New Adult Novellas)

  Past Temptation

  Lost Temptation

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Epilogue

  Keep in touch with M A Comley

  Prologue

  Months of preparation, and all would begin to come to fruition today. She turned sideways to study her svelte figure, the one she’d worked hard to achieve over the past year or so. It had definitely been a struggle. At the beginning, the weight she’d been comfortably carrying for years, nearly all her life, had refused to shift until she’d joined the local slimming club. There, the instructor had re-educated her about what food to eat to obtain the best nutrition. The weight had dropped off, once she was taught the secret to good food choices and selecting the healthy options rather than the bad ones. She’d managed to lose six stone in seven months and had claimed the Slimmer of the Week award on numerous occasions, which had given her the extra boost to continue, to thrive to obtain the results she was seeking.

  And now, here she was, her first mission complete, which had allowed her to pluck up enough courage to carry out her second task. A dangerous endeavour which would affect a lot of peoples’ lives. Hopefully the result would be worth it.

  She glanced at the time on her gold-plated watch: ten minutes to spare. Libby tucked her T-shirt into her skinny jeans and threw a cardigan around her shoulders. The weather so far in August had been changeable at best, so it wasn’t worth her taking the risk. Better to be prepared, echoed her mother’s wise words in a corner of her brain. Tears misted her eyes, and she swiped them away, determined not to be distracted. She was a woman on a mission.

  After collecting her car keys from the bowl on the console table in the hallway, Libby jumped into her white Golf and headed for the rendezvous.

  Libby had persuaded the woman she was getting together with to meet up after her normal working hours. Jennifer had tried to dissuade her,
but Libby had developed skills in the art of persuasion over the years. She drew up outside the house, five minutes before the time she was expected. Libby scanned the area, searching for a suitable place to hide until her acquaintance arrived. She’d been following her for weeks and was aware how impeccable her time-keeping was.

  She left the car parked outside the building and hid down the alley at the side, tucked away. There was only one route into the road, therefore she knew Jennifer wouldn’t spot her as she drove in. Impatience gnawed at her, and she tapped her foot, until the faint sound of a vehicle approaching sparked her interest. Her heart rate almost doubled in the space of a few seconds.

  Jennifer drew up and parked behind Libby’s Golf. Libby shifted nervously in her position. Sweat greasing her palms, she wiped her hands down her jeans. Jennifer left her car and went to the boot. She removed her work holdall, filled with the tools of her trade, and approached the front door.

  Libby waited. Watched the woman’s anxiety build as she stood on the doorstep of the old, decrepit building. Then she made her move. Casually walking out of the alley, she strode towards Jennifer who turned to face her, a wide smile stretching her plum-coloured Botoxed lips apart. “Oh, hi, I thought I’d come to the wrong place for a minute there. Jilly, right?”

  “That’s right. Thanks for coming. It’s great to see you again.”

  Jennifer frowned, and her smile slipped a little. “Sorry, have we met before? I’m usually quite good with names and faces. Can’t say I can recall either of yours, though.”

  “Oh yes, many moons ago.”

  Jennifer shuffled her feet, looking awkward under Libby’s piercing gaze. That was, until Libby broke into a smile and advanced towards the front door.

  “Never mind, I’ll fill you in later, when I see fit to reveal all,” she added mysteriously.

  “Okay. If you don’t mind me saying, this house seems a little run-down, are you sure the electricity is on?”

  “Oh yes, everything is in perfect working order. Never judge a book by its cover, as my dear old mum used to spout, more times than I care to remember.”

  “Ah, okay. Yes, my gran used to say the same thing, God rest her soul.”

  “Died recently, did she?”

  “A few years back. I miss her terribly. I was close to her, closer than her other grandchildren anyway.”

  “That’s a shame. What did she die of?”

  “Old age, damn dementia got her in the end.” Jennifer’s head dropped, seemingly upset by the tragic circumstances in which her grandmother had passed.

  Libby paused for a moment, reassessing what was about to happen, until her inner voice prodded her into action once more. “Such a shame when that happens. More and more dementia around these days. Scary thought. I blame all the processed food people tend to consume. All those E numbers can’t be good for you. Why tamper with the natural goodness in food? I stopped eating junk food last year and feel a hundred times better now.”

  Jennifer’s gaze ran the length of Libby’s frame. “I must say, you look good on it. You can share some secrets with me while I cut your hair. Mind if we get on with it? I’d like to get home before nine, if possible. I’ve been at it since eight-thirty this morning. It’s been a pig of a day, and I rarely make appointments past six in the evening.”

  “In that case, I appreciate you fitting me in. Yes, let’s crack on, shall we?”

  Jennifer picked up her holdall. Before she could straighten up, Libby withdrew the length of metal from the back of her jeans and whacked her over the head. Jennifer tumbled to the ground.

  Great! How the heck am I supposed to get her in the car now?

  Brute force turned out to be the answer. Luckily, Libby had combined her weight loss with getting fit at the gym, lifting weights heavier than she’d ever dreamed she’d be able to manage to lift. Her instructor, Dwayne, had pushed her to her limits with the mantra of ‘No pain, no gain’ ringing in her ears.

  Jennifer was lighter than she first appeared. Once her stance was correct, Libby had no problem lifting her dead weight and placing Jennifer in the boot of her car. She wasn’t bothered about leaving her victim’s car at the scene, there was no way it could come back and bite her in the arse in the future. She’d been far too careful in her plans to slip up at the first hurdle. She drove to the designated place where she had prepared to hold Jennifer and the others. All she needed to do now was keep them fed and watered for a few days. Easy, right?

  Her willingness to abduct the women quickly and hold them together would be an extreme challenge for her, she realised that. But this scheme had taken months of planning. She kept her fingers crossed that all would go swimmingly over the days to come. Her mission would be complete by the end of the week at the latest, and then the real fun would begin.

  She placed the limp Jennifer in her temporary cell, out cold on her makeshift bed, and retreated from the room, locking the door behind her. Libby peered through the peephole she’d drilled into each door and observed her captive. Still no movement from her. It remained that way for another half an hour, until suddenly, Jennifer stirred. Raising her head slightly off the low bed, she anxiously took a look around her. Libby fought hard to suppress the giggle tickling the back of her throat.

  Jennifer’s fear was unmistakeable. Tears trickled onto her pale cheeks. Finally, she had the courage to sit up and take a better look at her surroundings. Libby observed her confused expression and smiled. It was how she’d planned it would be. Each of the women would sit in the cell in a confused state until she had them all gathered together. The day of reckoning was just around the corner, for each of them.

  1

  Sara snuggled up to Mark for another five minutes. She hated Monday mornings at the best of times, but this morning would be different, she knew that, and was trying to avoid getting ready for work for as long as possible. DCI Price had insisted she give her an answer to the continuing predicament that had blighted her for the past month or so, by this morning at the very latest.

  The outcome would mean she would have no alternative but to sack someone on her team. Why me? What gives headquarters the right to expect such skulduggery and underhandedness from me? If that’s what we could call this. I’m messing with a person’s life. I could be putting them under unnecessary stress both emotionally and financially. Is that what my job has come to? Effectively playing God with my team’s lives?

  She clung tighter to Mark. He reciprocated, kissed the top of her head and whispered, “It’ll be all right in the end, you know that, don’t you?”

  Sara angled her head and looked up at the man who had saved her from her dark thoughts over two years earlier. “I doubt it. None of this makes sense, Mark. The statistics are there for everyone to see. Crime rates are escalating rapidly now that people are getting back to normal after the pandemic, not that it prevented some twisted buggers giving us the runaround during lockdown. They’re paper-pushing idiots. Why would they insist on cutting our man hours?”

  “Budgets, we all have them. It must be a bugger to deal with for a large organisation like yours. You know, the police force. At the end of the day, maybe they’re just the same as every other business on the go, trying to recoup the inflated costs that our society suffered during twenty-twenty.”

  “Did your business suffer?” Sara asked the question but already knew what his answer was going to be.

  “Slightly, but not to that extent. We kept going, you know we did. But what with people not having the funds in place to care for their pets, I think a lot of animals suffered unnecessarily during the pandemic. Hopefully, most of them haven’t suffered irreparable harm, although, I suspect in some cases, the opposite is true. I know we tend to brush all talk about the pandemic under the carpet nowadays, but in reality, there were always going to be consequences to it, not just for a few people but for everyone.”

  Sara sighed and hugged him. “You’re right, as always. In the grand scheme of things, where so many people lost th
eir lives, someone losing their job must seem insignificant to most people, those who still have a regular income to rely on, that is.”

  “That’s true. Have you made up your mind who the person is going to be yet?”

  “Honest answer? No. It’s been tearing me inside out. It’s now crunch time. That wonderful job lies ahead of me today, this morning, first thing to be precise. Before the chief has a chance to jump up and down on my head, demanding answers to a problem she tasked me with solving nearly a month ago. Surely, she should realise how difficult I’ve found it, leaving the problem unresolved until the last minute.”

  “Deep down, I bet she’s feeling the same as you, love. If not worse. She’s the one caught in the middle, after all.”

  Sara nodded. “Wise words again. I haven’t blamed her for putting me in this position. It’s a part of the job I’ve never had to deal with before, and I hope it doesn’t land in my lap again in the future, either.”

  “You’re stronger than you think. I have every faith in you doing the right thing, sweetheart. Maybe, once you air the problem with your team, just maybe, one of them will volunteer to take the fall.”

  “You reckon? Why would anyone give up a career they love?”

  “Personal circumstances possibly. Again, going back to the consequences of the pandemic, maybe someone is carrying an extra burden they haven’t told you about.”

  She sat up, covering her naked breasts with the quilt, and stared at him. “Like what?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe one of them now has to care for a relative with long Covid, I think the term is. Someone suffering from the damage the disease has caused. Has anyone mentioned anything?”