Cold as Ice

Chapter 46

It was nearly five p.m. when Ebony started getting herself ready to go out.

She stood in front of the bathroom cabinet mirror above the basin and made a face at herself. She was tempted to say ‘tart’ to her reflection but didn’t. Why did she have such a problem with putting on make-up, creating another look for herself? Maybe because her mother had so many faces and only Ebony knew which one was real. It was the bi-polar condition in her mother that sent her high as a kite or down into the depths of despair. She was unable to take care of herself, let alone another. ‘You can go home and live with your mother’ had never been an easy thing for Ebony to hear. ‘She’s stable now. She’s taking her meds.’ Ebony had packed her bag in silence and her foster mother Mrs Bennet had come into the room and said, ‘It’ll be all right, Ebony. Things will be different this time.’ She had kept her eyes on the ground as she shut her heart once more and prepared to meet the mother no one else knew except her. Ebony looked in the mirror and she saw herself as an eight-year-old, make-up on her face. Her mother dancing round the room drunk on cheap red wine that turned her lips crimson red. Ebony watching from the corner of the mirror.

‘That’ll do,’ she said to herself as she turned away from the mirror and shuddered. Now they said her mother was ill and undergoing tests and they would be able to tell her more shortly. Ebony felt worried but she didn’t know what for. She knew she didn’t love her mother when the thought of her death made her feel nothing but relief.

Mike Holland, the new district manager at the storage company, was waiting for Jeanie and Carter with keys outside the office reception.

They took the keys from him and asked him to stay where he was.

‘Just to clarify,’ asked Carter. ‘The van that Stephen Collins has keys for… is it here in the car park now?’

He looked around. ‘Yes. It’s that one over there.’

‘Have you seen him here today?’

‘No. He comes here most days, stays for a while. I’m not usually here when he leaves. I think sometimes he stays most of the day in there. Don’t know what he does. I mean he’s entitled to come and sort out his stuff when ever he likes.’

‘Is it his lock-up? His stuff?’

‘Yes, he took it on when he first started working here. Him and his wife sold up and downsized in a hurry. He put the contents of their old house in here.’

‘Has it got a water supply? Electricity?’

‘Oh yes. It’s comfortable enough – I mean, you couldn’t live in there.’ He laughed. ‘I wouldn’t anyway.’

‘Thanks. We’ll drop the keys back to you once we’ve had a look. I’d be grateful if you didn’t allow anyone else to come into that area for now.’

Carter and Jeanie walked towards the compound behind the main office block. There were twelve large storage facilities units. The place was well lit to discourage thieves.

‘You and me out on surveillance duty together. Feels like old times, Jeanie.’ Carter looked Jeanie’s way. ‘That’s when we first hooked up, do you remember?’

Jeanie looked across at him. ‘How could I forget? I notice you didn’t include the word good when you said old times.’

‘They were good.’ Carter looked across at her as he held the keys in his hand.

‘Really?’ asked Jeanie. ‘Good for whom?’

Carter didn’t answer. He waited until Jeanie was in place ready behind him and then he unlocked the door.

In the darkness the massive empty space opened out around them. Jeanie shone her torch into the warehouse and looked at the locked containers. The sensor lights started coming on as they stepped further inside.

‘Which one has he got the keys for?’ Jeanie shone a torch down at the list she’d been given.

‘Third row to our left. Row J. Container 2037.’

They walked along until they cut down left and walked along the dirt floor until they found the relevant row.

Carter slipped the key in the padlock and turned it. The lock dropped to the floor. Jeanie moved it out of the way as Carter pulled back the right-hand door. They felt the heat coming from inside.

The corners of the container were not lit. Fluorescent strip lighting flickered on and off. Carter shone his torch into the container. All around him were cases stacked high. There was furniture stacked to the ceiling, three-piece suites upside down on top of one another. At one side was a laid-out living area, a foldaway bed and sleeping bag. There was a mini fridge and a microwave.

‘Someone’s been fully living here.’

Carter shone his torch down towards the far end and it was there he saw eyes glinting back at him. A stuffed fox looked poised to strike. The place was a jumble of belongings.

‘We need to search the place thoroughly. We’ll split up. You start on the left of the door. I’ll start on the right.’