Killer Plan Read online

  Cut Short – CWA Dagger shortlist, #1 iTunes, #1 Women Sleuths

  Road Closed – #1 Women Sleuths, Top 20 kindle, Top Read Euro Crime, Top 50 iTunes

  Dead End – #1 Women Sleuths, Top 20 kindle, Top 20 WH Smith’s, Top 10 Miami Examiner

  Death Bed – #1 Women Sleuths, Top 20 WH Smith’s

  Stop Dead – #1 on Amazon Kindle

  DI Geraldine Steel is a Lovereading Great Female Sleuth

  KILLER PLAN

  Caroline’s husband has been killed, but she can’t turn to the police without implicating herself in his murder. When one of her 10-year-old twins is kidnapped, the desperate mother is forced to resort to drastic measures to get him back. As time runs out, and a second body is discovered, Geraldine realises she has a secret that might just help solve the case. But the truth could destroy her career. Faced with the unenviable decision of protecting herself or the widow she barely knows, Geraldine must grapple with her conscience and do the right thing before the death count mounts any further.

  Get FREE crime books and other exclusive offers from No Exit Press

  LEIGH RUSSELL

  Leigh Russell studied at the University of Kent, gaining a Master’s degree in English. A secondary school English teacher, and guest university lecturer in creative writing, she is married, has two daughters, and lives in North West London. Her first novel, shortlisted for the CWA best first novel award, Cut Short, was published in 2009. This was followed by Road Closed in 2010, Dead End in 2011, Death Bed in 2012 and Stop Dead in 2013 and Fatal Act in 2014. Her first title in the new series starring DI Peterson, Cold Sacrifice was also published in 2013 followed by Race to Death in 2014.

  Critical Acclaim

  CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR RACE TO DEATH

  ‘Unmissable’ – Lee Child

  ‘Leigh Russell has become one of the most impressively dependable purveyors of the English police procedural’ – Marcel Berlins, Times

  ‘As tense openings go, they don’t come much better than this’ – Bookbag

  ‘If you enjoy a well-written mystery with a well-constructed and thought-out plot line then this is the book for you... it is my BOOK OF THE MONTH’ – Crime Book Club

  ‘the story unfolds at a great pace and grips until the end’– Fiction Is Stranger Than Fact

  ‘Leigh Russell weaves a fascinating tale that had me completely foxed. Whilst the mystery is tantalising the characters also fascinate, so clearly are they drawn’– Mystery People

  ‘Fast-paced and unrelenting, and with more than enough twists to keep the most demanding reader entertained, Race to Death certainly doesn’t disappoint! 4.5/5*’– Claire Loves to Read

  ‘Full of twists, turns and dark secrets. The plot gallops along creating suspense on every page’– Creuse News

  Fantastic... I can’t wait to read more’– Book Addict

  CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR COLD SACRIFICE

  ‘A complex mystery rich in characters, this new series promises some interesting times ahead for Ian Peterson’ – Promoting Crime Fiction

  ‘Russell’s story telling was strong enough to keep me enticed right to the very end’– Lloyd Paige

  ‘Ian Peterson as a character could potentially be just as good,if not better, than Geraldine Steel’– Best Crime Books

  CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR FATAL ACT

  ‘a most intriguing and well executed mystery and... an engrossing read’– Shotsmag

  ‘the best yet from Leigh Russell – she keeps you guessing all the way through and leaves you wanting more’ – Crime Book Club

  ‘fantastic. I can’t wait to read more’ – Book Addict

  ‘another fast-paced and complex mystery – a fabulous read’– Fiction Is Stranger Than Fact

  ‘a truly great author... enough mystery and drama for the most ardent of mystery fans’– Bookaholic

  ‘another corker of a book from Leigh Russell... Russell’s talent for writing top-quality crime fiction just keeps on growing...’ – Euro Crime

  ‘the plot is strong and the writing just flows with style and panache’– Goodreads

  CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR STOP DEAD

  ‘All the things a mystery should be, intriguing, enthralling, tense and utterly absorbing’ – Best Crime Books

  ‘Stop Dead is taut and compelling, stylishly written with a deeply human voice’– Peter James

  ‘A definite must read for crime thriller fans everywhere – 5 stars’– Newbooks Magazine

  ‘For lovers of crime fiction this is a brilliant, not to be missed, novel’– Fiction is Stranger Than Fact

  ‘Geraldine Steel sticks out as a believable copper and Stop Dead flows easily’– Electric Lullaby

  ‘a well-written, a well-researched, and a well-constructed whodunnit. Highly recommended’– Mystery People

  ‘a whodunnit of the highest order. The tightly written plot kept me guessing all the way’– Crimesquad

  CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR DEATH BED

  ‘Earlier books have marked her out as one of the most able practitioners in the current field’ – Barry Forshaw, Crime Time

  ‘Death Bed is a marvellous entry in this highly acclaimed series’– Promoting Crime Fiction

  ‘An innovative and refreshing take on the psychological thriller’ – Books Plus Food

  ‘Russell’s strength as a writer is her ability to portray believable characters’ – Crimesquad

  ‘A well-written, well-plotted crime novel with fantastic pace and lots of intrigue’– Bookersatz

  ‘Truly a great crime thriller’ – Nayu’s Reading Corner

  ‘DEATH BED is her most exciting and well-written to date. And, as the others are superb, that is really saying something! 5*’ – Euro Crime

  ‘The story itself was as usual a good one, and the descriptive gruesomeness of some scenes was brilliant’ – Best Crime Books

  CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR DEAD END

  ‘All the ingredients combine to make a tense, clever police whodunnit’– Marcel Berlins, Times

  ‘I could not put this book down’ – Newbooks Magazine

  ‘A brilliant talent in the thriller field’ – Jeffery Deaver

  ‘An encounter that will take readers into the darkest recesses of the human psyche’– Crime Time

  ‘Well written and chock full of surprises, this hard-hitting, edge-of-the seat instalment is yet another treat... Geraldine Steel looks set to become a household name. Highly recommended’– Euro Crime

  ‘Good, old-fashioned, heart-hammering police thriller... a no-frills delivery of pure excitement’ – SAGA Magazine

  ‘the critical acclaim heaped on Russell thus far in her literary career is well deserved’– Bookgeeks

  ‘a macabre read, full of enthralling characters and gruesome details which kept me glued from first page to last’ – Crimesquad

  ‘Dead End was selected as a Best Fiction Book of 2012’ – Examiner

  CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR ROAD CLOSED

  ‘A well-written, soundly plotted, psychologically acute story’ – Marcel Berlins

  ‘Well-written and absorbing right from the get-go... with an exhilarating climax that you don’t see coming’ – Euro Crime

  ‘Leigh Russell does a good job of keeping her readers guessing. She also uses a deft hand developing her characters, especially the low-lifes... a good read’– San Francisco Book Review

  ‘perfect character building... cleverly written... can’t wait for the next one’– Best Books to Read

  ‘New star of crime fiction, Leigh Russell’s chilling psychological thriller is terrific and terrifying!’ – Clem Chambers

  ‘Road Closed is a gripping, fast-paced read, pulling you in from the very first tense page and keeping you captivated right to the end with its refreshingly comp
elling and original narrative’ – New York Journal of Books

  CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR CUT SHORT

  ‘Cut Short is a stylish, top-of-the-line crime tale, a seamless blending of psychological sophistication and gritty police procedure. And you’re just plain going to love DI Geraldine Steel’ – Jeffery Deaver

  ‘Russell paints a careful and intriguing portrait of a small British community while developing a compassionate and complex heroine who’s sure to win fans’– Publishers Weekly

  ‘an excellent debut’ – Crime Time

  ‘It’s an easy read with the strength of the story at its core... If you want to be swept along with the story above all else, Cut Short is certainly a novel for you’– Crimeficreader

  ‘Simply awesome! This debut novel by Leigh Russell will take your breath away’– Euro Crime

  ‘an excellent book...Truly a great start for new mystery author Leigh Russell’– New York Journal of Books

  Cut Short is a book I had to read in one sitting... excellent new series’– Murder by Type

  ‘a sure-fire hit – a taut, slick, easy-to-read thriller’ – Watford Observer

  ‘fine police procedural, with a convincing if disconcerting feel of contemporary Britain’ – The Compulsive Reader

  ‘Cut Short featured in one of Euro Crime’s reviewers’ Top Reads for 2009’– Euro Crime

  ‘Cut Short is not a comfortable read, but it is a compelling and important one. Highly recommended’ – Mystery Women

  ‘gritty and totally addictive debut novel’ – New York Journal of Books

  To Michael, Joanna, Phillipa and Phil

  Acknowledgements

  I would like to thank Dr Leonard Russell for his expert medical advice, and all my contacts on the Metropolitan Police for their invaluable assistance.

  I would also like to thank the inimitable Annette Crossland for her loyal support.

  Producing a book is a team effort. I am fortunate to have the guidance of a brilliant editor, Keshini Naidoo, and I am very grateful to Ion Mills and Claire Watts, along with all the dedicated team at No Exit Press, who transform my words into books.

  My final thanks go to Michael, who is always with me.

  Glossary of acronyms

  DCI – Detective Chief Inspector (senior officer on case)

  DI – Detective Inspector

  DS – Detective Sergeant

  SOCO – scene of crime officer (collects forensic evidence at scene)

  PM – Post Mortem or Autopsy (examination of dead body to establish cause of death)

  CCTV – Closed Circuit Television (security cameras)

  VIIDO – Visual Images Identifications and Detections Office

  1

  The bench jolted as someone sat down. From the wheezing, she judged it to be an old man. Annoyed that someone was sharing her seat, she stared stonily ahead.

  ‘Caroline?’

  Beneath her puffa jacket she felt her body tense.

  ‘It is Caroline, isn’t it? Caroline Henderson?’

  She hadn’t been called that for years. It was Caroline Robinson now, worse luck. She turned to the stranger and glared at him. She had noticed him in the park before. Once or twice she had suspected he might be watching her, but they had never spoken. Until now. At close quarters he wasn’t as old as she had imagined, probably not much older than her, with a scraggy face and thinning ginger hair. She nearly stood up but she sat on this bench every day. It had the best view of the grassy area where the boys liked to kick a football around. They called it their pitch. Besides, she was curious.

  ‘How do you know my name?’

  ‘You remember me, Brian from Cartpool Juniors.’

  She trawled through her memories. There had been a Brian in her class in junior school, but she could barely remember him. She certainly didn’t recognise the innocuous-looking man sitting beside her on the park bench.

  Pale eyes peered at her from a pock-marked face. Despite his stooping shoulders, he gave an impression of latent physical power. He wasn’t bad-looking, in a way, although there was something off-putting about the coarse yellowy hair sprouting from the backs of his large hands. It even grew on his stubby fingers. He was wearing a grey raincoat and grey trainers. There was nothing remarkable about him. No wonder she couldn’t remember him.

  ‘Brian, of course!’ Beneath her falsely effusive greeting, she was wary. They might have been at junior school together, but that was twenty-five years ago. ‘How are you?’

  He shrugged. ‘You know.’ His eyes slid away from hers.

  The breeze picked up and she thrust her fists into her jacket pockets with a shiver. It was chilly for May, more like late autumn than spring.

  An awkward pause followed the brief disturbance of mutual recognition.

  ‘Are you married?’ He was looking at her again.

  ‘Yes,’ she replied firmly, not meeting his eye.

  ‘You don’t sound very happy about it.’

  He was fishing. All the same, she hesitated before replying. ‘We’re fine.’

  ‘I was married,’ he said, although she hadn’t asked.

  ‘How long have you been divorced?’

  ‘We weren’t divorced. She’s dead.’

  ‘I’m sorry.’

  He looked away. ‘Suicide.’

  Caroline felt a tremor of guilt at having jumped to conclusions, and pity for the softly spoken man seated beside her. He had been through a terrible experience. Besides, he knew she was married. There was no harm in expressing sympathy. ‘Oh my God, I’m so sorry. Do you want to talk about it?’

  ‘There’s not a lot to tell, really. She killed herself after I found out she’d been cheating on me. She was having an affair.’ He shuddered. ‘It was horrible at the time…’

  It wasn’t clear if he was referring to his wife’s infidelity or her death.

  ‘I can imagine.’ It was a stupid remark. Of course she couldn’t imagine what he must have gone through. ‘I’m so sorry,’ she repeated. She didn’t know what else to say.

  ‘We were fine until she met someone else.’

  Studying his profile, she saw his lips press together, contorting his face. Afraid he might break down, she was relieved when he spoke calmly.

  ‘It had to end. It couldn’t go on.’

  Wanting to comfort him, she couldn’t think of the right words. Only his disgusting hairiness restrained her from reaching out and putting her hand on his.

  ‘I know how you feel,’ she said quietly.

  ‘Really?’

  She turned away, unnerved by the intensity of his gaze. The bench beside her creaked as he shifted position.

  ‘How could you possibly understand?’

  A few yards away on the grass the boys were playing football. With nothing else to distract her, she had a sudden urge to confess her unhappiness. Brian had told her about his wife’s suicide. That must have been a painful confidence to share, inviting her to divulge secrets of her own. It would be heartless to hold back. What did it matter anyway? Barely a vague recollection from the past he was, effectively, a stranger.

  ‘My husband’s unfaithful,’ she blurted out. All at once she thought she was going to cry. She had never spoken the words out loud to anyone but her husband who doggedly denied her accusations, claiming she didn’t understand his relationships with other women. She had believed him at first when he used to say he was working late, but it had been impossible to ignore the evidence. He was permanently besotted with one young girl or another. No amount of pleading on her part made any difference.

  ‘Bastard!’ Brian said.

  She warmed to his anger. There was no reason for him to care about her distress. He didn’t know her, not any more. The fact that they had once sat in the same class room was irrelevant. The past had been overshadowed by a more immediate bond: betrayal.

  Ed ran towards them, waving and calling out something she couldn’t hear. As soon as she waved back he ran off again.

  �
�Yours?’ he asked.

  ‘Yes. They’re football mad.’ She chuckled. ‘Have you got kids?’

  ‘No. I’d have liked a family but somehow it never happened. We never did get to the bottom of it, and then…’ He paused.

  They watched the twins in silence for a few moments.

  ‘Your boys look as if they’re enjoying themselves.’

  She followed his puzzled gaze.

  ‘They’re identical.’

  ‘Of course. Thought I was seeing double there for a minute.’ He smiled. ‘Must be hard work. How old are they?’

  ‘Ten.’

  ‘How could your husband even think of cheating, when you’ve got kids their age?’ He turned to her. ‘Tell you what, why don’t you let me help you? If I can, that is.’

  Instantly on her guard, she asked what kind of help he had in mind.

  ‘I was just thinking,’ he paused, ‘it might be a good thing if we could wake your husband up with a dose of jealousy. What I mean is, he’s busy playing away from home, right?’

  She nodded cautiously.

  ‘And all the time he knows you’re sitting at home. You’re always there whenever he wants to come back to you. I expect you even cook him dinner.’

  She was tempted to tell him it was none of his business what went on between her and her husband, but she kept quiet, intrigued.

  ‘What he needs is a bit of a scare, something to make him think he might lose you if he’s not careful.’

  ‘Lose me?’ Her gaze wandered back to the boys, kicking their football around. ‘I could never leave him. Not before they’re grown up anyway.’

  ‘Good lord, no! I’m not suggesting you leave him. But there are other ways.’

  ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

  He must have realised that she was irritated, because he spoke quickly.

  ‘What I’m suggesting is that I could maybe go to your house and make him think I’m interested in you. I can turn up on the doorstep and pretend I’m looking for you, didn’t expect him to be there, that kind of thing. Put the wind up him a bit. Let him wonder who the hell I am and what I want with you. People who are playing away from home always suspect everyone else is doing the same. It’s the way their minds work. That’s all I’m suggesting. Make him sit up and notice you.’