For what seemed like ages, but was in reality only a few seconds, Gus drank in her appearance. Her hair was shorter, shoulder length, her face was perhaps a little fuller. Nervousness played around her lips as she tried out first a half smile, then a shrug.
Not removing his eyes from the other woman, Gus spoke to Alice. ‘Let’s go and pay our respects to Imti and Shahid. I’m sure Sadia here will want to catch-up with them, but we’ve got an investigation to crack on with.’
Face tight, Gus moved towards the door, Alice following. Hesitating, with his hand on the doorknob, he turned and looking directly at his former lover, said in a cold and emotionless tone that brooked no argument. ‘Bye, Sadia. I doubt we’ll bump into each other again. Bradford’s a big place and I’m sure you won’t be here long.’
Chapter 42
Bradford
The Man in Black looks at his next target and a wave of loathing rolls over him. It’s not often he hates someone and it’s almost never that he hates someone he doesn’t actually know. Well except for the obvious exception, that is – but that’s different. It’s got to be different when you’ve made a study of a person. Investigated them over time, laid out the evidence, taken statements, balanced everything you’ve learnt, before finally making a decision.
However, with the current target the only knowledge he has of him was recently gleaned and only really in the course of his investigation into Gus McGuire, his family, and team. Having heard Gus going on about the man, he now realises the extent of the animosity between the two of them. Jez Hopkins has just become his next target and he is looking forward to catching up with him.
His secret relationship with Gus McGuire’s best friend and trusted detective sergeant Alice Cooper only made this killing so much more appealing. He wonders what she’ll do when this particular target is dispatched. Will she tell Gus of their relationship? Will that signal the end of their friendship? Will they begin to put two and two together and link the two separate investigations or will Gus’s anger and Cooper’s grief affect their judgement?
All in all, at worst it will cast a temporary confusion over their investigation and at best, it will completely annihilate their focus – drive a wedge between the team and make his job easier.
Choosing Manningham Library as his office this time, he’s spent the day researching Jez Hopkins. Last thing he wants is to be noticed as a regular at any particular library, so he likes to mix it up a bit. Hopkins for all his supposed seediness, seems to be loyal to Cooper. Oh, of course he has the odd fling – only to be expected of a rodent like him. Yet, he always comes back to Alice – treats her with respect. Well, if you discount the unfaithfulness, that is – he is courteous, gives her gifts, treats her well when they’re together. The Man in Black grimaces. The Man in Black hates the thought that Hopkins cheats on Cooper. He’s become quite attached to the quirky little DS. So, as well as being an idiot in terms of reporting, Hopkins’s distasteful personal life is a consideration too. A slight yet unexpected, personal element has entered the Man in Black’s planning strategy – he wants to avenge Hopkin’s betrayal of Alice Cooper.
Hopkins has a sporadic personal social media presence, as has Alice, but after hacking his emails and the security cameras from his residence in Lister Mills, he’s been able to glean a lot of information.
Afterwards, he spends a pleasant day digging into his emails at his workplace, his colleagues, and his family – the latter are all based in London. It is all systems go. He’ll do a trial run tonight and start his preparations. He wants to draw the link between Hopkins and Smedley purely because he wants to see if the members of McGuire’s team are as clever as he’s been led to believe. If they link those two deaths – will they be able to link them to the ‘ritual killings’?
He’d love to be privy to the thought processes of Carlton on that one. Wonder what profile he’s come up with already? Is he following the formula or is he able to think outside the box?
Well, they’ll soon find out.
Chapter 43
Bradford
‘Didn’t see that one coming, did you?’
When Gus lapsed into one of his brooding silences, Alice guided him down to the Costa at the back of Bradford Royal Infirmary. She let him brood at the table while she purchased a couple of coffees and two cakes. Now, settled opposite him, she looked determined to get a verbal response from Gus.
He glared at her, lifted his coffee cup, and blew the scalding liquid before replacing it on the table. ‘What the hell is she doing back here, Alice? I thought she was gone for good.’
‘So did I.’
Her words reassured Gus that at least she hadn’t known about Sadia’s return to Bradford. Of course she hadn’t. Alice wouldn’t have allowed him to walk into that scenario unprepared. He sipped his drink. ‘Suppose logically I should have expected it – she was Jessica’s best friend, after all. Stands to reason Imti and Shahid would have reached out to her too. In fact, I’ve no idea why they reached out to us, if she was coming. That bit doesn’t make sense.’
Alice swallowed a mouthful of cake, before speaking. ‘Unless she came back to Bradford for another reason. Maybe she reached out to them after they’d already asked us. Shahid always said he didn’t know where she’d gone.’
‘I always thought Pakistan. Just assumed she was still there.’
Gus felt Alice’s eyes on his face, so he met her eyes. ‘I’m fine, Al. All of that was a long time ago. I’m over her. Just
