Double Exposure Page 5

  The men were a rival gang who paid Sophie not only to befriend Simone but also to extract information about her father and his gang. Sophie was ruthless and vindictive she would do anything for a story and didn’t care who she hurt in the meantime. Simone was abducted and raped by the gang, she was then questioned tortured and led to a temporary hiding place. Sophie remained in the hotel waiting for a conclusion to the story she spent her money on buying clothes and good food.

  Meanwhile Samantha had almost finished writing Jobson’s story calling it Jobson’s sunset. She thought it would depict the end of his life a calm peaceful sunset in Jamaica. However he discovered that his daughter had been kidnapped and ordered his gang to prepare for warfare, he knew they would rape and torture his daughter Simone and he was very angry seeking to avenge them.

  Two trucks were loaded up with gang members and weapons it was like a full military operation everyone was armed even the women. Samantha and Elliot went along not wanting to miss what was about to happen.

  As the trucks arrived in town everybody scattered all but both gangs who began shooting at each other the whole area became a battlefield with guns firing and people attacking each other with knives bodies were falling down in the street covered with blood Samantha and Elliot hid to avoid being injured by a stray bullet or taken away by the rival gang. It seemed to take hours before the police arrived and began to disburse the gangs and arrest them. Jobson got away and was eventually reunited with his daughter Simone. It was never explained how she was found but she was safe back in the arms of her father, we had joined them back in the hideout but Jobson was injured and dying. He allowed Elliot to keep his camera as long as he promised to take Simone to England Elliot agreed after gentle persuasion from Samantha.

  After Jobson’s death the gang now led by Douglas arranged his funeral and took Samantha, Elliot and Simone to the airport. Simone had a passport as she had visited relatives in England before and knew her way around Manchester and parts of London. Samantha had one last job to do in town before going to the airport. She went to the hotel where Sophie was packing to leave for the airport, Sophie had her case on the bed but Samantha burst into the room and threw all her clothes out of the case then pushed the case off the bed. Elliot looked on speechless as she picked the case up again, shut it and threw it out of the window.

  “What the fuck are you doing?” Sophie said angrily

  “You are one fucking bitch” Samantha shouted

  “What have I done?” Sophie said innocently

  “You have caused chaos” Samantha continued Elliot had seen her angry before but never like this.

  “Who me?” Sophie replied

  “Yes don’t play innocent with me, you’re a evil manipulating bitch” Samantha continued “Using Simone to get your story”.

  “You would have done the same” Sophie said dismissively

  “No Sophie I would have considered other peoples fucking feelings” Samantha said pointing at her

  “Yes well your soft and who get results you or me?” Sophie said dismissing her with her hand.

  “I will show you who is soft” Samantha said grabbing her hair and slapping her across the face.

  Elliot ran forward to stop Samantha but was hit across the face; he lost his balance and fell on the bed. Meanwhile Samantha punched Sophie under the jaw and sent her to the ground Sophie tried to get up with blood dripping from her nose. Seeing Samantha ready to attack her again she remained on the floor with smashed with a smashed plate and cup beside her. Elliot grabbed Samantha by the hand and led her away Samantha was reluctant to go, looking back on Sophie.

  “Fuck you Sophie” Samantha said before she left the room.

  CLAIRE IS MISSING

  Fiona Ellington and Daniel Harrison were sent to New York while Samantha was in Jamaica, after receiving news of a missing girl who was last seen in central park. Fiona had worked before in Manhattan so knew the area and New some of the local people through her intense research. The New York office of criminal world was a good place to work and very supportive with staff from abroad, Fiona was made to feel at home there. Harrison had also reported from America but spent time on the west coast in places like Los Angeles and San Francisco. He had many adventures there and wrote stories around his experiences investigating crime along with some of the top detectives.

  On the flight over Harrison was discussing what he knew about Claire, the fact that she went missing in central park. He was a typical army man clothes pressed and walking with his body straight and chest out. His description was so précised and detailed as if he had seen her that day. In a way he was like Samantha organising his in flight meal on the tray with nothing out of place. Fiona missed Samantha but not her swearing she was trying to imagine flying with her.

  Claire had been missing a week when Fiona and Harrison arrived in New York Newark international airport. They were greeted by April Jefferson an American reporter working for criminal world in New York. April greeted Fiona like a long lost friend making her feel special. Harrison acted very formal and a typical British gentleman, with the stiff upper lip, although he was an ex army man who stood very straight and observed all the people passing.

  “Fiona my god look at you” April said with astonishment “You look so good”.

  “Oh thanks April you look good yourself” Fiona said

  “And who’s this handsome Guy?” April asked

  “Oh he’s a reporter from our London office Daniel Harrison” Fiona introduced Harrison and explained a little about his past.

  “Oh so no romance here then” April said jokingly

  “No not at all” Fiona explained, “No one will replace Paul”.

  “Well I can understand that” April said in an understanding manner.

  April led them to a car and took them to a hotel close to central park south. They settled into their rooms, Fiona phoned her father back home in London. Meanwhile Harrison unpacked in his room sorting out all his equipment for his assignment. They agreed to meet for lunch and then go to the area where Claire went missing in central park; it was near a statue of Alice in Wonderland.

  According to April Claire’s family were walking through the park when Claire disappeared all that was discovered in the area was the body of a dead man who had been stabbed to death. The body could not be identified but judging by forensics there were a number of people in the area at the time. It’s thought that Claire had witnessed the murder and was either in captivity, or escaped and hiding out somewhere in Manhattan.

  Meanwhile in Harlem a young girl called Loran is hiding in a room with Claire. Claire looked a bit shabby with her brown hair in pigtails and flowered summer dress torn and dirty. Loran was a black girl who was raised in Harlem and knew the area well; she used to go into central park north regularly. But on this particular day witnessed a brutal murder, as did Claire; Lorna took Claire for her own safety as the murderers had seen Claire watching them kill this man.

  Loran sat on the bed with Claire and was trying to explain what had happened.

  “What’s your name?” Lorna asked her

  Claire sat shaking with tears in her large brown eyes

  “Please I want to help you” Lorna pleaded

  “Claire” She finally said, “I want my mommy” she continued

  “Yes I will get you back soon ok” Lorna explained “But we have to be safe”.

  “From the bad men?” Claire asked

  “Yes honey from them in case they kill us” Lorna warned her and comforted her until she fell asleep.

  Lorna had told Claire to rest on the bed and explained that she would sit on the settee in the room next door; she was looking at her phone trying to find a number to call. She looked frightened but had managed to keep it from Claire to protect her. Suddenly her phone rang and she immediately answered it.

  “Hi is that April?” Loran pau
sed

  “Listen I need help, can you get hold of Fiona for me?” Loran looked out of the window

  “Phone me back please” Loran said putting the phone down.

  Moments later the phone rang again this time it was Fiona calling from the park, she was with Harrison close to the crime scene.

  “This is Fiona speaking who is this I am talking to?” Fiona asked

  “Its Loran I need your help, Fiona please” Loran said nervously

  “Loran I remember you its been so long” Fiona said surprised

  “Listen tell Claire’s parents that she is safe” Loran said reassuringly

  “Where are you Loran?” Fiona asked

  “Look we witnessed a murder we are having to hide”.

  “I will call you back on your number and arrange to meet you ok?” Loran asked

  “Ok I will wait for your call” Fiona agreed.

  Fiona left a message with Claire’s family, as it was impossible to get near her due to police protection. Fiona hated doing things this way but she was concerned about both Loran and Claire’s safety, she had to wait for Loran to call her and arrange a meeting. Fiona was even reluctant to discuss it with Harrison she needed to keep it quiet for a while until she could trust people to be discrete. She did explain it all to April who agreed to keep situation a secret for a while.

  Meanwhile Claire’s parents were at the police department, her mother Donna was sat down while her father Phillip was pacing up and down.

  “Can’t you do anything” Donna said to Phillip

  “Like what go out and look?” Phillip replied

  “Anything” Donna said crying, “Bring my baby back”

  “We have searched every inch of Central park and so have the police” Phillip tried to comfort her “We will find her”

  At that moment a police officer approached her

  “We have a lead a message for you both Claire is safe” He said reassuringly

  “Safe where?” Donna asked

  “That’s all I can say, we have a mutual friend who is with her now” The officer said

  “Who?” Donna asked

  “Fiona that’s all I can say right now”. The officer began walking away

  “Have you got children?” Donna asked

  “Yes madam I have” The officer said

  “Then you know how it feels to worry about them” The officer nodded “I sure do”

  Daniel looked puzzled when the police mentioned Fiona, he didn’t realise that she knew where Claire was and was concerned about Fiona’s safety. He knew that Fiona could take care of herself but he was also street wise and was aware of the dangers involved walking around Harlem and central park north. If only she had told him where she was going he could have kept a watch on her from a distance.

  Fiona sat talking to Loran they were discussing their past together they were close and Fiona had formed a strong bond with Loran enabling her to trust her and get her off hard drugs. Loran was an addict and a prostitute is used her body to buy drugs and feed her habit. Fiona knew that Loran was an intelligent woman who had got involved with drug addicts and became addicted to heroin.

  She stayed with Fiona when she was recovering and then found her own place to live. Fiona used to visit her until the tragedy with Paul.

  Fiona looked back to the night Paul died things were quiet Fiona and Paul had been searching for a story for criminal world magazine. They followed the story of a shooting in Harlem speaking with police and eyewitnesses of the event. Suddenly shots rang out and rioters filled the streets with banners and petrol bombs setting fire to sheets and other flammable items. Fiona turned to see Paul clutching his chest and falling in slow motion to the ground she rushed towards him but he kept falling until he dropped to the ground. He died moments later and Fiona was left with a memory of him looking up at her with sad eyes. Fiona wept and wept for days not being able to remove the image from her head. Eventually she had to leave New York and go to London where she was born. She never returned until this day and now the memories come flooding back.

  Fiona sat with Claire offering her chocolate and showing her a photograph of her New York office.

  “This is the company I work for” Fiona said smiling “Its called criminal world and we write crime stories”.

  “You see murders” Claire asked

  “Yes I have done and robberies, you saw someone killed didn’t you” Fiona asked

  “Yes I saw a man stab another man with a knife” Claire replied

  “Did you see who did it?” Fiona asked

  “Yes two men they were both bad and mean, they knew Loran” Claire said pointing at Loran.

  “Ok well I am going to get you out of here” Fiona reassured Claire

  “Back with your mother and father”

  “I want Loran to come too” Claire insisted, “She’s my friend

  “Alright but we have to be safe to go out there” Fiona pointed to the door

  Meanwhile two men were searching around in the area for Lorna and Claire they looked around the neighbourhood. Asking questions and gazing into windows convinced that someone must have the answers. At the same time Fiona left the building and noticed the men looking suspicious and walked back inside.

  But as she went up the stairs Loran went down in the elevator and walked outside seeing the men she noticed one of them looking and ran down the street they chased after her being slowed down by the heavy traffic. Fiona looked out of the window with Claire and watched them disappear down a subway.

  “Was that them?” Fiona asked Claire

  “Yes that’s them” Claire replied

  Fiona contacted the police headquarters for help little knowing that the men were returning to the apartment she grabbed Claire and headed for the door. One of the men climbed up the fire escape hoping to find a way inside while the other man waited near the front door. Fiona walked down the corridor with Claire longing backwards and forwards, she arrived at the stairs and heard a sound behind her. She began to run until she arrived at the front door the other man had moved so she carried on running out of the building. In desperation she fell in the street Claire tried to pick her up but one of the men saw her. He shouted to the other man and then fired a shot at Fiona; Claire ran into Loran’s arms after she had re appeared on the street corner. By now both men were shooting Loran covered Claire with her own body to protect her. The police arrived and began shooting at the men a hail of bullets came from each direction until both men lay lifeless on the ground. Once everything went quiet Fiona ran across to Loran her body was still curled around Claire as she got closer it was obvious that Loran had been shot a number of times in the back. As the ambulance crew arrived the managed to pull Loran away from Claire, Fiona knelt down and Lorna managed to talk to her.

  “I am sorry Fiona I tried to help” Lorna said struggling to get her words out

  “Loran you saved Claire’s life, she is safe” Fiona said with Claire beside her

  “I was clean you helped me” loran said just before she passed away

  Fiona felt the tears coming down her face as she closed Loran’s eyes; she then took Claire to her parents.

  Harrison remained in the background most of the time in a supporting role, feeling that Fiona should have trusted him with the fact that she knew where Claire was and could have helped more. He arrived with the police and Claire’s parents, but felt he could have prevented Lorna’s death.

  After a brief reunion with her police friends she returned to the office, she returned to her old office and could see Paul sitting in his seat. April stood at the door watching her.

  “You can come back here you know” April said

  “I don’t think I could” April said smiling “Too many memories”

  April hugged her “Well come here when ever you want to” she said sincerely
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br />   “Thank you I will do that” Fiona said seeing Paul smiling at her in the chair.

  Fiona flew back to England a day after Samantha had left Jamaica but they were at the office by the Monday morning refreshed as if they had never been abroad.

  Fiona arrived in the office and noticed that Samantha was sitting looking at her screen.

  “Good flight?” Samantha asked

  “Yes what about you?” Fiona inquired

  “Well I was with Stuart” Samantha replied

  “True” Fiona agreed

  “How was Daniel?” Samantha asked

  “Ok He was a good support. Fiona smiled

  “You’re not an item?” Samantha asked

  “No I told you no one can replace Paul” Fiona said looking at his photograph

  “I notice your not swearing has Stuart sorted you out” Fiona asked with a wicked smile

  “Has he fuck” Samantha said smiling back.

  THE CASE OF RED LIP STICK

  Daniel Harrison was asked to go to Manchester to look into a murder that an old lady had committed, he was supposed to be gone for a few days but was missing for weeks. Eventually Samantha was sent up there to join him and was surprised by the outcome.

  Harrison was in Manchester searching through the mystery that baffled the local police force, they had been provided with information about a murder that was apparently committed by an old lady. A woman was arrested who was suffering from dementia so when she was questioned she was unable to help the officers with their enquiries. On examination the police found red lipstick on the mans chest in the shape of lips as if it had been kissed on.