Within the Shadows by J.D MCG (book recommendations .TXT) 📗

'I'm absolutely fine, DI Miller.'

'Are you happy to carry on?'

'As happy as I'll ever be.'

Jacob was noting down the change in Jack's behaviour, beginning to think maybe there was more to Jack Roberts than meets the eye. One moment he couldn't stop crying, mourning the death of his wife, to then having what seemed like a panic attack, and then ending with a strangely calm and blank expression.

'Earlier when we asked you some questions outside your house, you told us you had been followed by someone. Are you able to describe them to us?' Ally continued with the questions.

'A male. About six foot. Disfigured face,' he explained, keeping his eyes looking at the desk while trying to picture him.

'And where had this man been following you?'

'The first time I was out running on my normal route. He stood right in front of me, blocking me from getting past.'

'Then what?'

'I can't remember.'

His facial expression changed again, this time he looked confused. Jack tried his hardest to remember, but he couldn't. The rest of that night was blank like someone had deleted that specific memory from his brain.

'Don't worry, that's fine. You've had a very stressful night. We'll let you get some rest and we'll pick this up another day,' Ally comforted him, knowing she wouldn't get much more out of him at the moment. Ally ended the tape. 'Have you got anyone you can stay with tonight?'

'Don't worry about me. I'll book myself into a hotel for the night,' he replied.

'I'll call you when we're ready to ask you more questions, Mr Roberts,' she informed him while holding her hand out to be shaken.

He nodded and replied the handshake, before leaving the interview room with Simon Ballard. Jacob remained seated until the door closed behind them. He gave a strange gaze at Ally and she knew something was up.

'What is it?' she asked.

'What was that all about?' he answered with another question. 'The strange behaviour in that interview.'

'I know. It was like he was having a panic attack,' she discussed her view.

'I mean the calm and then the sweating after crying and sobbing. He was all over the place,' he explained.

'So you think he's lying? That he's making up the stalker story?'

'I don't know what to believe, but something's not right. If he's innocent, he might know more about who killed his wife than he's saying.'

Barnes was left hanging by his wrists. Unconscious and alone in the dark warehouse, where the only light he had was that from the moon that peeped through the hole in the roof. Dried blood left a trail downwards towards his feet from his wounds.

The electrocution hadn't killed him, but it had definitely weakened him. His body ached from his head to his feet. The cold January air chilled him to the bone.

A dim light from the other end of the warehouse made him open his eyes slightly, seeing the mysterious man and Lily sitting down together eating something in the distance. I'm starving, he thought to himself. His stomach rumbled at the thought of food.

He needed to get out of there. His eyes scouted around once more, looking for anything that would help him cut the rope from his wrists. As he tried his best to get closer to the tray of tools, he heard footsteps coming towards him.

'Oh, you're awake,' Lily spoke as she gained closer.

'Just in time to see your gleaming smile,' he continued to joke with her.

'I know you're not going to tell me willingly about where those diamonds are. I've tried to break you, but you're more resilient than I first thought.'

Barnes coughed a laugh before it became uncontrollable. He'd hoped that would have been the last part of the torture, but it was far from it. He caught a glimpse of a tattoo on the man’s arm, featuring a horse with a man on top, holding a flag. The man stared back at him with that frown of anger. The same angry frown Barnes had seen earlier that day.

'Tomorrow is a whole new day, and you are going to talk,' Lily continued in a forceful tone.

Barnes decided not to say a word. He knew his luck was about to run out. Lily wanted him dead and he knew it and no matter how long he kept it up, she'd kill him eventually.

Jacob arrived home around 11.30 pm. Tired and drained, he decided to go straight to bed. But as he opened his apartment door, he could see Belle staring right back at him.

'Evening,' she greeted him with a huge grin on her face.

'Why are you so happy?' he asked, forgetting it had been her first day in her new job.

'Are you not even going to ask me how it went?'

'How what went?'

'My new job,' she answered, holding her hands up at her side.

'Oh Belle, I'm so sorry. I totally forgot,' he replied, lowering his head in shame.

'It's okay. You've had a lot going on lately.'

'So how did it go?'

'Brilliant,' she shouted with a massive grin on her face. 'Made new friends, and I love the job. The boss is good too.'

'That's great to hear. I'm glad you enjoyed it.' He smiled at her excitement.

'And soon I'll be out of your hair.'

'What do you mean?' he asked her.

'Well, now I've got a job, I'll be able to find my own place,' she replied.

'You can stay here. You don't have to move out.'

'Come on, Jacob. You've been really nice to let me stay here as long as I have, but it was never going to be forever. Anyway, I think Kate needs a bit more space.'

He moved in closer towards the kitchen where Belle was leaning