Lee Weeks - Cold as Ice

He pushed open the cellar door and stepped down one stair at a time. When he reached the bottom he stood listening and heard nothing. He pushed open the door on the right; the light was on and he saw the corpse covered in webs hanging from the centre of the room. It was against all his instincts that he stepped into the room to make sure she was the only one in there. He had a hard job talking himself through it. He knew if he hadn’t been looking for Ebony he would not have gone in there – nothing else mattered to him now. He had to find her. He came out of the room and walked on down the corridor. He checked three other rooms, which were empty, and then he stopped at the last room on his left and turned the handle. He smelt the musty smell of people and animals and fear. He put his gun away. In the darkness he couldn’t be sure of shooting the right person. He stood in the doorway.

‘Ebb?’

He heard a moaning coming from the middle of the room on the left-hand side. He opened up the torch on his phone and shone its bright narrow beam towards the sound and saw nothing. He walked further inside towards where the noise had come from. He was almost in the hole before he saw it. He shone his torch downwards and saw Ebony staring up at him, her body covered by Miranda’s coils.

He stared, speechless.

‘Guv?’ Her voice came out breathless – squashed. ‘Guv… get this off me.’ Carter reached inside the pit and took her hand as he hauled her out. He took out his radio. ‘Tell everyone we found her. She looks okay – yes I can confirm.’ He looked at what she was wearing. ‘She’s okay. Get me a snake handler and another ambulance. The suspect is not looking so good.’ Carter shone his torch back into the hole and saw the snake coiled around Yan.

Carter looked back at Ebony. He took off his coat to put round her. She was shivering.

‘Like the outfit. Thought you were in trouble – didn’t realize you were having a holiday.’

‘Yeah, funny. Is Danielle okay?’

He nodded. ‘What about you, Ebb?’

She felt too overwhelmed to speak. It wasn’t like her to cry but she was in danger of doing so. Carter hugged her as officers passed them and spread out through the house.

‘Away in a manger, no crib for a bed.’

The whole of the cast stood as the audience applauded at the end of the show.

Tracy was sitting in the front row next to Danielle. Jackson beamed at them. He was dressed in his bunny suit and stood fidgeting at the entrance to the stable.

Tracy looked across at Danielle and smiled. She reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze.

They walked outside into the bright cold night and Tracy picked Jackson up in her arms.

‘What are you going to do?’ Danielle asked.

‘I’ve applied to be a beauty therapist on a cruise liner and been accepted. I’ll send tickets back for you and Jackson to join me whenever you can along the way.’

‘What about Steve?’

‘We have come to the decision that we won’t divorce for now but we’ll go our separate ways and see how we find it. I’d like to think we could start again but we need time and space for now.’

‘I’m sorry, Tracy.’

‘No, don’t be. It’s a relief for us both. Steve will be able to find out what he wants in life. Instead of always trying to be what I wanted him to be. And maybe we’ll fall in love again – who knows?’

‘What about Christmas?’

‘Steve’s going back to his family for Christmas and I’m hoping for an invite from the two people I really love more than anyone else in the world.’ She gave Jackson a kiss. Danielle smiled. Tracy reached over and kissed Danielle’s cheek. Danielle’s face still bore the scars from the suffering she’d endured. ‘I feel like being a mummy and a nanny to two people I think the world of, if that’s okay?’

‘No problem.’

Jackson shrieked as he struggled to get out of Tracy’s arms.

‘Anyone want a dog?’ Jeanie pretended she hadn’t seen them.

Scruffy was still bandaged around his trunk but able to move his legs. He was ready to go home.

Carter held Archie up and blew a raspberry into his neck. Archie screamed with delight. Carter looked across at Cabrina, who was unwrapping a present that Carter had bought her. She jumped up and kissed him.

‘Thank you, it’s lovely.’ She held up the necklace and looked at it. She did her best to look pleased.

‘I know, I know.’ Carter smiled, shook his head. ‘I’ve kept the receipt.’

Ebony lifted her shot glass and smashed it into Dermot’s.

‘Cheers, Ebb, I hope your face gets better by New Year otherwise you’re going to be disappointed when it comes to twelve o’clock.’ Dermot winked. Ebony laughed. ‘Though – I might rethink that after a few more of these.’ He held up his glass again.

‘Christ, Ebb.’ Tina hid a scowl inside a smile. ‘You’ll break the other leg. If you don’t sit down, you’ll fall down.’

‘It’s not broken, Teen, just bruised. Cheers,’ Ebony said as she took Tina’s help to manoeuvre her bandaged leg onto a stool and sit down. She felt like getting drunk. It took the pain away from her throbbing face and her bruises. But the pain the drink took away was not all physical. She had a lot she didn’t want to think about.

‘Happy Christmas.’ She smashed her glass into Dermot’s again.

Ebony’s phone rang. She had a sense of dread as she looked at who was calling and then she answered it quickly.

‘Happy Christmas, Jeanie.’

‘Just ringing to make sure you’re okay. How’s the head and the leg?’

‘All much better for a few drinks thanks, Jeanie.’

‘That’s the way to go, Ebb – let your hair down. The hospital said Yan will be able to answer questions in a couple of days. He has crush injuries from being strangled. The van proved positive for both attacks – the one on me and Jackson and the one that killed Niall Manson. He must have been worried that Manson would identify him after he saw him with Danielle. You have a good day, Ebb. Love you loads.’

‘And you, Jeanie. Tell Christa to save some of the chocolate for me.’

Ebony’s phone rang again. She looked at the number and shuffled to her feet to take the call in the hallway, away from listening ears.

‘Hello?’

‘Miss Willis?’

‘Yes.’

‘I am ringing to tell you that you have been granted special permission to visit your mother due to her injuries. She has several deep wounds and required over seventy stiches. We think it would mean a lot to her to see you.’

‘Why?’

‘Why? Well, naturally, this is a special case and she is a patient of ours.’

‘She is also a manipulative killer who is able to run rings around you.’

‘I beg your pardon?!’

‘I am sick of her making me feel guilty all the time. I need to rebuild my life. I will come and see my mother when I choose and not when she cuts herself so badly that you feel sorry for her. Tell her I wish her a speedy recovery. Tell her Happy Christmas.’

Ebony came off the phone and walked back into the lounge. She held up her glass for Dermot to pour a refill. She felt like she was in danger of crying but at the same time she felt enormous relief. Things had changed forever for her now. In her heart she knew that she had opened a door into her memory bank that she wished had remained closed. It held pain and guilt and darkness, but she would keep the door ajar and deal with whatever crept out. She knew the main thing was that she was alive and that was more than could be said for the women who’d worn the red metallic bikini before her.

‘Teen?’ She looked up at Tina, who was busy being hostess and handing out sausage rolls and mince pies.