My phone rang as the policeman started talking to Jack. ‘Hello.’ The screen said it was an unknown caller. But I never got sales calls; I never gave my number out to anyone I didn’t know.
‘Hello, is that Ivy Cooper?’
‘Yes.’ I couldn’t hear because the policeman in the room was still talking. I went out into the corridor.
‘It’s Officer Martins, Molly, from the police force.’ The woman who’d come out when my flat had been broken into. ‘I have some news for you.’
My heart missed a beat. ‘What?’
‘We have a match for the fingerprints found on your post, and the man’s DNA sample has been sent off to see if that’s a match to the forensic evidence discovered when your apartment was broken into.’
I couldn’t breathe. I felt like all the drugs Jack had had in his body four days ago were in me. I didn’t even know if I wanted to know who it was. I’d overcome my fear. What did it matter? Jack getting better was all that mattered.
‘The name of the person we have in custody is Rick Baker. Do you know this man? Quite often—’
‘Yes.’ The word left my throat in a growl of pain. I turned around, not knowing which way to look or what to do. ‘Rick.’ I said the name as I heard Jack say it. But how could Jack know?
‘You know this man? He hasn’t been questioned about the incidents involving you yet—’
‘Yes I know him.’ There was a door leading out on to a patio area on the roof at the end of the corridor; I walked that way and pushed the door open. ‘He’s my ex-boyfriend. My friend… We’re still friends… He was the one who came to help me when my place was broken into.’ I’d talked to him about my stalker, the weirdo sending me letters and following me. Him. Oh my God.
He’d been the one who’d smashed the door in! And… Rick!
‘Where is he?’
‘He’s in a cell here. I didn’t undertake the arrest so I haven’t seen him. I didn’t realise he was with you that day.’
‘Can I see him? Can I come down and speak to him? I can’t believe he’d do that. He was with someone else.’ What about Jessica?
‘Miss Cooper, he’s been arrested on another charge.’
‘What charge?’ Did I not know him? Had I gone out with him for years and not known the guy I was sharing my life and bed with.
‘He was involved in a traffic incident. He hit a motorcyclist.’
Oh my God. ‘He doesn’t own a car.’ That couldn’t have been him. ‘He doesn’t drive in London.’
‘He hired a car, Miss Cooper, and we have the car on CCTV near the incident. My colleague is interviewing the witness who was knocked over.’
I looked back at the door into the hospital. Jack. ‘Jack Rendell…’
‘Yes, he was the gentleman riding the motorcycle. Do you know him too?’
‘I know him. I’m here with him. Jack is my current boyfriend.’
‘I’m sorry…’
Rick did it deliberately. ‘Did Rick… Did he…’
‘Miss Cooper, when he was questioned, he admitted the hit-and-run.’
Oh my God. A scream cried out silently in my throat. How could I believe that? He’d been my place of safety. The guy I’d walked away from for being too nice.
I dropped down, kneeling on the patio, pain grasping hard in my chest… I couldn’t breathe.
‘I think you should come down and make a statement, Miss Cooper. Where are you?’
‘I’m at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in Fulham Road, with Jack. There’s an officer in his room.’
‘I’ll give him a call and ask him to bring you down to the station.’
My heart bashed against my ribs as I sucked in the polluted city air, struggling to catch my breath. I wanted to be away with Jack, like we’d planned, miles away. In his quiet cottage. I wanted to turn back time.
All the times I’d been scared to death by someone following me, scared to go home…
Rick had offered for me to stay with him the day of the break-in…
What was wrong with him?
He was sick.
I looked up his number on my phone and sent a text. ‘You are sick! I hate you!’ Then I deleted his details and went into Facebook and blocked him. But he’d been seeing someone else… But I hadn’t ever seen a picture of Jessica.
We hadn’t spoken since I’d told him I was going to move in with Jack.
He’d tried to kill Jack because I’d told him.
Oh my God! My place had been broken into the first night I’d stayed at Jack’s – if Rick had followed me there…
This nightmare was getting worse.
Tears were dripping off my cheeks as I walked back. I swiped them away with a shaky hand as the policeman walked out of the room to take a call.
Jack slipped off the bed slowly and stood unsteadily when he saw the tears on my face. His parents stood up.
Jack’s eyes said he knew it was Rick.
‘I’m sorry,’ I leant into his neck as his arms wrapped around me.
‘It’s not your fault. I thought I was the one with the crazy ex,’ he tried joking.
‘How could he do that?’
‘He loved you – the police said he’d been drinking in the car. He was off his head.’
‘But he doesn’t drive in the city. He’d hired the car to do it, Jack.’
‘Miss Cooper. Are you ready to come to the station to make a statement?’ The policeman came back into the room.
Jack looked at me. ‘Why do you need…?’ He looked at the policeman. ‘Why does she need to make a statement?’
He only knew about Rick being the driver. My hands clasped either side of Jack’s t-shirt. ‘Rick was my stalker too, Jack. He’s the one who broke into my flat.’ Every belief I’d constructed my life on had gone. Nothing made sense. Good people did good things – not bad things. I’d split with Rick because he was too good for me.
I hadn’t known him.
What if I’d stayed with him?
‘I’m going to fucking kill him.’ Jack tried to take a step forward but he’d have fallen if I hadn’t caught him.
‘Your language, Jack,’ his mother warned. The policeman stepped forward and gripped Jack’s other arm. He held on until Jack was back on the bed.
Jack looked at his mother. ‘My language… You don’t know what that guy did to her. She’s been too scared to live a normal life for weeks. When I’m able, I’m going to hit that bastard so fucking har—’
‘Mr Rendell. You’ll stay out of it and leave it for the police to deal with. Now, Miss Cooper, would you come with me to make a statement?’
I could see Jack grit his teeth, the muscle in his jaw flexed. I turned and held his hand. ‘I’ll see you later. I’ll come back after.’
‘I’ll come with you,’ his dad said. ‘You shouldn’t go alone, and I know your mother and father went home this morning.’
‘I didn’t know they’d gone…’ Jack said.
‘My nan called – she had a fall.’
His dad picked up his jacket. ‘Come along.’
Jack’s dad looked at him with the most affectionate expression I’d seen him give him so far.
Gratitude caught in my stomach as I looked at Jack too. His gaze flooded with concern – love.
I pressed a kiss on his lips. ‘Sorry.’
‘God, do not say sorry for that sick bastard, Ivy. I wish I could come with you.’
‘I’ll be back soon.’
‘Yeah.’ He held my neck and pulled me closer. ‘Then you can sleep on the bed with me. I’ll tell the nurses to piss off if they ask you to leave.’
I smiled. But I was shaking when I left the room with his dad.