This is the final part, thanks to all who have read, glanced, followed etc! I don't have any real plans to write anything else – but you never know! Thanks all – hope you like the final part!
CHAPTER FORTY SEVEN
Yvonne looked wildly from one person to another,
"No, how?"
"Miss, please, we need to clear some space for the paramedics." Nikki and Helen dragged Yvonne out of the toilets and forcibly pushed her down onto a chair. Helen went off in search of something strong for Yvonne to drink while Nikki sat with her. Monica tried to find out from the hotel staff what had happened, and whether the police were on their way too.
"Jesus Nik, if only we'd all listened to her, she knew he'd do something like this in the end." Yvonne's voice wobbled as her defences crumbled, she collapsed against Nikki. Her shoulders shook, partly from anger and partly from distress. Helen returned with a tumbler of something which she encouraged Yvonne to take sips from.
"He can't be far away, he couldn't have taken her away from here without someone noticing. Karen's no weakling, she's stood up to him before, she wouldn't have walked out willingly with him." Nikki face was lined with grim determination, her voice steeled with resolve. She stood up with her fists balled.
"Nikki?" Helen warily looked at her, "there's nothing that we can do, we have to wait for the police."
"Bollocks! We can look here for her, I'm sure he's still in the building. It's us he wants Helen. It's always been us."
"Nik's right Helen. He won't have gone anywhere, he's waiting for us to find him." Yvonne drained her glass and stood, "me and Nik will go and look around, you stay here and talk to the police." Yvonne stalked off towards the lifts, Helen looked wildly at Nikki.
"No, please don't, I don't want you to do anything."
"Helen I have to go with Yvonne, I can't let her go off on her own." Nikki turned to go, stopped momentarily as Helen captured her fingers with her own.
"Be careful, he hates you too you know."
"I know, and I will. I love you." Nikki kissed Helen fleetingly and dashed off towards the lifts, and Yvonne.
Karen struggled in vain against the bonds that held her wrists together behind her back. Her mouth was dry because of the gag, and she was becoming increasingly annoyed by a trickle of blood running from her hairline, over the top of her right eyebrow. She felt the gag loosen all of a sudden and it dropped down to lie around her neck like an unflattering necklace.
"Water?" Fenner appeared in front of her, waving a bottle. As much as she wanted water Karen shook her head determinedly.
"Piss off."
"Karen I hate to hear you use language like that, come on you're obviously thirsty."
"Happens when a lunatic kidnaps you and gags you, let me go."
"We need some time together."
"Right, quality time. LET ME GO!" Karen screamed as loudly as she could. Jim's large, calloused hand immediately clamped over her mouth.
"Don't scream again." Jim hissed into her ear, "I don't want to hurt you now but I will, you know I will. So if I take my hand away will you scream again?" Karen shook her head slowly from side to side and Jim slid his hand away. "Good, see not so hard, it's just me. Just Jim. We worked together for years."
"No one else has tied me up though Jim. Is this another twisted way to show me how much you care?"
"Flippant as usual! You've never taken me seriously. What do I have to do!"
"Do?"
"To show you, how I feel. To show you that we should be together."
"For god sake Jim. How many times do I have to tell you, I was never interested. You can't click your fingers and make someone like you, it doesn't work like that."
"Waddle and Atkins managed though. A sappy git, and a bloody woman. Come on what did they have that I don't?"
"I'm not going to talk about either one of them." Karen suddenly realised just how hot she was, and for the first time began to look around to see where she was. There were lots of pipes, it appeared to be some kind of boiler room. Jim settled down on the dusty concrete floor in front of her.
"I guess it's just a phase though, this thing with Atkins, not like she can give you what you want is it." He lit a cigarette, and blew the smoke in Karen's direction. Karen sighed and shifted trying to ease the tension in the binds around her wrists,
"How would you have any idea what I want, and who is best placed to provide it."
"You can't seriously tell me that you love her, you need a man."
"Oh please, look Jim what do you want, what are you achieving by doing this? They'll lock you up for this."
"What makes you think either of us will be around for that?"
"Miss Stewart, please don't be alarmed, we'll follow up all the leads." Helen was becoming increasingly frustrated with the police officers who had arrived, they had listened patiently to everything she had said but they seemed to lack any urgency.
"Jim Fenner has got my friend, he has previously attacked her, so yes I am alarmed."
"The best thing is not to panic, we've got officers on the way to search the building and we've radioed a description of both of them through." The officer's radio began to crackle and he moved away to talk on it, leaving Helen seething.
"Tea Helen?" Monica appeared with a mug of strong tea,
"Thank you, why aren't they more concerned?"
"I suppose they have to stay calm and objective, this is one call out for them, but our lives." The hotel staff had left them to it, they had suggested they move on but Helen's Scottish temper had put pay to that idea. They were now something of a Supersavers base camp in the foyer. Helen and Monica were pacing up and down and had been joined by Mark and Kris. The whole area fairly crackled with tension, but they all drew strength from being with their friends.
"Yvonne there are hundreds of rooms, how the hell will we find them? We'll get kicked out pretty swiftly if we go around banging on people's doors."
"I know, I know. I don't think he'll be in a room. I doubt he will have been able to get one, the state he'll be in."
"So?"
"So let's try all the service areas first. Kitchens, boiler rooms, the roof."
"We'll still get kicked out."
"I'm an Atkins Nik, I can talk myself into or out of anything." Thanks to the approaching early hours of the morning there was a mainly skeleton staff in the hotel. Nikki and Yvonne roamed around, relatively unopposed. Using the back stairs, used usually by staff or in an emergency they climbed up towards the roof.
"What do you mean?"
"Karen one way or another we'll be together at the end of the night. I'd like there to be more of us here, but if it's just the two of us that's fine." Karen didn't want to think about what Jim was saying, she didn't want to process what his words actually meant. She continued to twist and wriggle her hands, the rope was loosening but not enough for her to free herself. Her eyes had adjusted to the relative gloom, she was definitely in some kind of boiler room, probably on the roof. There were giant pipes leading out from the room, Karen couldn't see a way in or out though from where she was sat.
"Tell me about Atkins."
"Her name's Yvonne."
"Fine, go on."
"Why should I? Last time her name came up in conversation you pushed me at a desk and knocked me unconscious."
"I was surprised, I didn't mean to hurt you."
"Yet you did nonetheless, and are doing so again, untie my hands Jim."
"Tell me about Yvonne and I will. I promise."
"Forgive me if I don't necessarily believe that." Karen swallowed roughly, "Fine, give me some water first." Jim tipped a bottle of water up and Karen managed to capture enough to moisten her dry lips. She couldn't believe the next words came out of her mouth but she felt that antagonising Jim was not a good idea. "What do you want to know?"
"Why her?"
"She's everything I want."
"I knew Waddle liked you, I didn't pick anything up from Atkins, she was married."
"So was I, what's that got to do with anything?"
"Means you like men."
"Means we liked those men."
"Do you love her?"
"You know the answer to that Jim, there's no need for you to ask the question, it's why you reacted violently at Supersavers. You could tell how I felt by just looking at me couldn't you?"
"It's wrong!"
"To you maybe, to us it's right."
"But I love you."
"No you don't, you want me, you don't love me." Karen suddenly felt the ties around her hands give, keeping her expression guarded she freed her hands , wriggling the fingers to return circulation. "If you did love me you wouldn't hurt me, Yvonne would never hurt me." As soon as the words had left her lips Karen knew she'd said the wrong thing. Jim's eyes blackened with rage and he moved towards her.
"Jim! Don't!"
CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT
Karen felt herself lifted up from the chair, Jim, his eyes black with rage, tossed her across the room like the proverbial rag doll.
"Jim! Stop!"
"Why Karen, why do you keep saying things to upset me? I don't wan to hurt you – do you think that's what I want?" Karen shook her head slowly from side to side, realising that agreeing with Jim might be her only way out.
Nikki and Yvonne made their way up yet another flight of stairs, this time to be met by a solid looking metal door.
"Shit!" Nikki looked at Yvonne, "now what?" Yvonne opened her mouth to answer Nikki, but stopped before uttering any words. She turned towards the door in front of them, placed her ear against it, and beckoned Nikki over to stand next to her.
Karen gingerly rolled her head from side to side, and fingered her ribs. Some no doubt broken and cracked.
"What do you want Jim?"
"I've got you now haven't I, so I don't need anything else. These weren't the circumstances I wanted, but as you turned down my offer of dinner you left me with very little choice."
"God he's lost it, come on Von." Yvonne laid her hand over Nikki's arm.
"Hang on Nik, that's Karen in there. If we go charging in there's no saying what he might do. Go and get help."
"Eh? And leave you here – no chance."
"Nikki, I'm not asking. Go!" Nikki realised that there was no point arguing.
"Von, be careful, please." Nikki made her way back down the stairs, Yvonne slowly pushed the handle down on the door and opened it as quietly as she could.
"We need to get a move on really." Jim was rambling now, a manic expression on his face.
"Why? Where are we going?"
"Oh somewhere, nowhere. You can't go like that though. You've got blood on your face, how did that happen?" Jim rummaged in a black bag looking for something to clean Karen's face with. Karen didn't like to remind Jim that the ugly bruises and cuts on her face were caused by his heavy hands. She let him use a rough cloth dampened with water to clean her face, trying not to flinch too obviously away from his touch.
"That's better." Jim hauled her to her feet, "come on." Karen was led, her feet dragging on the floor towards the door to the roof.
"Shit, shit, shit!" Nikki looked wildly around. She'd managed to get herself lost in the rabbit warren which masqueraded as staff corridors. She didn't have her phone, she'd given it to Helen. Yvonne had a phone, but finding her way back to Yvonne was not an option. She didn't have many choices, she was just going to have to find her way back to everyone. Karen and Yvonne needed her.
Yvonne crept through the shadows following Jim as he dragged Karen through the boiler room towards the roof. She was going to have to keep her feelings and her temper in check if she was going to help Karen.
The cold air hit Karen like a sledgehammer, on the roof the wind blew unchecked, and it was bitter.
"Look at the view!" Jim threw his hand out, "great isn't it."
"I don't like heights Jim."
"We won't be up here for very much longer Karen."
"Oi! Fenner!" Yvonne stepped out from the shadows, "bit cold up here for a midnight stroll isn't it?"
"Atkins! Why are you here, piss off and leave us alone."
"That's rude. Look I thought I'd take a wander myself, hi Karen." Karen's eyes locked onto Yvonne's, she had no idea what Yvonne was planning, but she knew she had to trust her.
"Don't talk to her." Jim pulled Karen close to him, one arm around her shoulders and neck, the other around her waist. Yvonne perched on a cold stone wall, trying to affect a posture and an air of nonchalance.
"No need to be possessive Jim – we've finished."
"What?"
"She not told you? We had an argument tonight, I'm bored of it all frankly, I gave her the flick."
"You're lying."
"Am I? Ask her?" Jim pushed Karen roughly away from him, maintaining a strong grip on her wrists.
"Well, is it true?" Karen glanced at Yvonne and then nodded.
"Yes."
"You were talking about her before, saying how you loved her."
"I didn't want to believe it." Karen swallowed roughly, glancing again at Yvonne. "She doesn't want me anymore, she used me." Karen's words sliced through both her own and Yvonne's hearts as she said them.
"She used you." Karen nodded, "It was all her, she made you think you wanted her, then dumped you!" Karen continued to nod finally beginning to understand Yvonne's plan. His grip was loosening on her wrists and his eyes were now menacingly turned towards Yvonne. Yvonne remained seemingly nonplussed, even daring to check her nails.
"It was fun, don't get me wrong, you should try it Jim. Some of the things she can do with her tongue, well…."
"I'm going to kill you Atkins!" Jim let go of Karen and flung himself towards Yvonne.
"Run Karen!"
Nikki eventually found her way back to the foyer, through luck more than her sense of direction.
"Nikki, thank god!" Helen pulled her into a hug, "where's Yvonne?"
"On the roof, Jim's up there. He's got Karen. Where are the police?"
"There's been a report of someone matching Jim's description at the train station, they've sent officers over there – obviously a wild goose chase."
"Jesus! Are there any police still here!"
"Yes, they've been securing the exits and taking statements from people left over from the party and hotel staff." Dominic and Kris on seeing Nikki made their way over.
"You two come with me." Nikki prised herself out of Helen's deceptively strong grip and led Kris and Dominic towards the stairs.
"Nikki, no."
"Look Helen, there's no time to hang around. You go and tell the police that we've found Jim and Karen. They're on the roof, go, please." Helen shook her head despairingly but raced out of the hotel in search of a police officer. Nikki led Kris and Dominic towards the roof.
The force of Jim flung Yvonne backwards, her back thumped against the wall. Jim grabbed Yvonne's throat and squeezed hard.
"I'm going to kill you!" He snarled . Yvonne used her nails to scratch Jim's arms, but to no avail. Karen had instinctively bolted towards the door but she couldn't watch Yvonne being attacked and do nothing. Despite Yvonne's request that she run, she hurled herself at Jim's back, throwing her arms around his neck,
"Let her go!"
Jim made a noise somewhere between a growl and a snarl, he snapped his elbow backwards, connecting with Karen's face. Yvonne wriggled free from his grasp, gasping for breath she made her way to Karen's side. Their backs now to the open roof, Karen and Yvonne were now trapped.
"Both of you! Together again!"
"Yes Jim, together." Yvonne stood putting her body between Jim and Karen, "I lied, we're still together, we live together, we sleep together, who have you got then? Take it your wife's left you."
"If it wasn't for you, and her, I'd have Karen."
"No Jim." Karen's voice was muffled by blood in her mouth but her words were defiant, "you wouldn't have me, because I'm not a possession to be had. Yvonne doesn't have me, I give myself to her willingly. I love her, I always will. You mean nothing to me." Jim took two menacing steps towards them,
"If I can't have you, she can't."
"Jim you'll have to get through me first. I'm warning you, I'll die before I'll let anything happen to Karen."
The roof door opened, enough for those behind to see and hear what was happening.
"I'm going out there."
"Nik." Kris hissed, "it's too dangerous, the man's un-hinged."
"I know him. You two stay here, watch and wait for the police.
"Ok, be careful." Nikki stepped out silently into the cold night air, onto the roof.
"Jim."
"God, Wade! Can't I do anything without you appearing at my bloody shoulder. Go away we're having a private discussion."
"Someone missing though isn't there?"
"Eh?"
"For the full set, you need me too."
"Shut it."
"Come on, you know it's true. It's the 3 of us that made your life a misery. We were too nice, too popular, we wouldn't cow down to your every whim."
"Bet you're pleased there are two more members to your dyke club." Jim spat venomously. Nikki laughed hollowly.
"Of course, that's what it actually comes down to. Attractive women who don't find you attractive, in fact find you repellent."
"What do you want Wade?"
"Let me come over there with Yvonne and Karen."
"Fine."
The three women stood facing their nemesis, their backs to the city below. Unbeknown to them a column of police was making their way up the stairs to the roof.
"Come on Jim." Yvonne stared at him, tightening her hold around Karen's shoulders, "what are you going to do? Got us where you want us, so do something!"
"Shut up!"
"You don't know what to do. Do you!" Pounding feet could be heard and the roof door opened.
"Jim Fenner." A uniformed police officer stepped out onto the roof. "Come on sir, away from the roof please. We need to speak to you."
"Go away, this is personal."
"Personal or not you need to come away from the roof edge. I think these ladies would like to come inside too."
"No don't come any closer."
"Ok, ok, I'm staying right here, I won't come any closer. You tell me Jim, what needs to happen for all of you to come down from this roof safely?" Jim laughed,
"Safely, we're not going to be coming down from here safely. It's her fault." Jim pointed at Yvonne, "If you'd have just gotten out of the way. Me and Karen could have been together."
"Come on Jim, let's go downstairs and talk things over inside." The police officer's pleas were falling on deaf ears however. Jim wasn't listening to anyone.
"Well I for one have had enough." Karen stood wincing as her cracked ribs protested. "We're going to walk past you, this is over." Jim twitched but made no other movement as Karen began to hobble away from the edge towards the officer and the roof door. Nikki followed her, never once taking her eyes of Jim, still he remained motionless. It was only when Yvonne began to move that Jim's demeanour changed, his eyes narrowed, and his jaw clenched.
"This is your fault you know Atkins." Yvonne paused as she walked away from the edge of the roof.
"Yes Jim, all me. You had nothing to do with kidnapping Karen and attacking her. You're a sad man Jim, a sad and lonely man. I pity you." Yvonne's words clearly flicked a switch in Jim, he grabbed Yvonne by the shoulders and both of them stumbled backwards towards the roof edge.
CHAPTER FORTY NINE
Yvonne and Jim fell towards the roof edge, a tangle of arms and legs.
"Yvonne!" Karen tried desperately to go to her aid but was held firmly by a police officer. Police were now swarming over the roof, two headed towards Jim and Yvonne. Their momentum had taken the grappling pair all the way to the edge. There was very little anyone could do. The police hovered, uncertain. Anyone intervening could just as easily send them over the edge as separate them. When it happened, it was seemingly in slow motion. Yvonne appeared to trip over something, she lurched forwards inadvertently pushing Jim towards the roof edge. As his heels hit the small wall which separated the roof from the world below, his eyes looked around wildly. He flung his arms out desperately swinging them as though trying to fly. There was no-one close enough to him that could help him or prevent what was to happen. Jim fell, he made no sound as he hurtled towards the concrete pavement below. A thud was all that anyone could discern, Karen broke away from the police officer's grasp and gathered Yvonne up in her arms. They sat on the cold floor of the roof, sharing tears of shock, and relief that their ordeal was finally over.
SIX MONTHS LATER
"Taste." Nikki obligingly opened her mouth.
"Mmm, very nice is that the sauce?"
"Yes, do you think it needs more salt?"
"Nope, it's perfect, just like you!"
"Nikki, you are sickening sometimes!" Nikki grinned and went back to laying the table for their guests. They had been in their new house for a few weeks but this was the first real entertaining that they had done. Nikki had been in her new job for a month, she was now deputy manager at the Bournville Supersavers store. She missed Harbourne, but as she still saw everyone it wasn't too bad. Helen had left Supersavers, her writing career was really taking off and the phone was constantly ringing with offers and requests for interviews.
The doorbell rang, prompting Helen to glance at the clock,
"Someone's early, we're not ready!" Nikki laughed,
"It'll be Karen and Yvonne, you know that Karen likes to be punctual!" Nikki opened the door to their first two guests.
"I know we're early Nik." Yvonne thrust two bottles of wine at her, "Karen didn't want to be late."
"It's fine, hi Karen."
"Hello, it's rude to be late Yvonne."
"It's not rude to be on time though. I bet Helen's all in a flap now because we've wandered in early."
"I'm fine, hi you two." Pleasantries were exchanged as the four of them settled in the lounge.
"So Nik who else are we expecting?"
"Duncan and Selena obviously, Kris, Mon, Babs, Dominic said he'll pop over after work." Karen sipped her wine and leant over to pick up an olive from the table in front of her,
"No Cassie?"
"We asked her, but she's not too good at the moment, is she sweetheart." Helen squeezed Nikki's shoulder and went to check on the food.
"She's not returning any calls at the moment, still signed off?" Yvonne nodded,
"Yes still signed off, I think Selena's coping just about. Not saying we don't miss you Nik but she's a great front end manager. All seems a bit of a shame for Cass, I thought her and Roisin were hitting it off."
"They were Von, but it was her husband and children. She felt guilty. When Aiden gave her the ultimatum she went back to Ireland. Horrible really, Cass is really gutted." The door bell rang and their group was increased by the arrival of Selena, Duncan and a very chatty Olivia, who was also toddling much to the amusement of everyone.
"Hey sis." Duncan popped his head into the kitchen, "for you." A bunch of white lilies and roses was thrust into Helen's face.
"Thank you Duncan they're lovely."
"Anything I can do to help?"
"Nope, just make sure everyone has what they need. Now Livvy's here Nikki will have forgotten all of her hostess duties!"
"Okay, dokay." Helen smiled as he left. Their relationship had taken something of a battering. Not long after Jim's death Helen had followed Nikki's advice, taking the plunge and telling Duncan about what had happened between herself and Cerys. He'd been understandably upset and angry. Helen had thought at one point that they would never get back to the way they were. The trial of the driver who had killed Cerys had, however, brought them together in a strange way. They both realised that they had to move on, some heart to hearts and Duncan's relationship with Selena had helped. There was still a little awkwardness but Helen knew that eventually that would disappear.
"Earth to Helen." Helen realised that she had been staring into space, "you ok darling?" Nikki wrapped her up in a huge hug, "everyone's here and you're hiding in the kitchen. Guess that's where every good woman's woman should be!"
"Oi!" Helen slapped Nikki good naturedly on the arm, "let's go feed our guests."
Everyone had polished off their starters, Helen was giving everyone a chance to let their food go down before serving up the main course. The doorbell rang and Nikki went to answer it. Cassie stood on the doorstep, her hands in her pockets, shuffling her feet.
"Thought I'd got the wrong house, bit posh Nik."
"Got myself a rich younger woman didn't I! Come here." Nikki hugged Cassie, "you ok?"
"No." Cassie sniffed, "but I will be. I needed to see you guys." A chair was pulled up and Cassie plonked herself down between Selena and Karen.
"I'll be back at work next week boss." Selena laughed,
"It's ok mate, I'm no slave driver like my predecessor!" The good natured banter was curtailed by Yvonne clearing her throat.
"I thought I'd just say something, as it doesn't look like Nik will!" Nikki shrugged and smiled taking Helen's hand in her own. "I'm not going to babble on but first I wanted to say congratulations to Helen and Nikki, your house is gorgeous. It's also a privilege to be a friend of the most famous author in the country at the moment." Helen blushed and Nikki kissed her on her cheek. "We've been through a lot over the last few months." Yvonne paused as everyone considered her words. "But, thing's are on the up now, we're all here together and a better group of friends I don't think anyone could wish for."
"Here, here." Helen raised her glass, "to us then?" Yvonne nodded,
"I reckon so Helen love, to us."
"To us!"
THE END.