Page 76 of Nothing But the Night (Basic Instincts 2)

“He was her only child. From what I’ve been able to find out, he dropped out of uni when he was twenty, to pursue a modelling career.”

“He was a good-looking boy,” Marc remarked. Stefan Readymarcher reminded him a lot of Theo when he was younger.

“He took after his mother,” Nadine said. She perched on the edge of Jason’s trolly. “She tried to be a model when she was younger, too. I’m guessing she encouraged him. Obviously not with the Hot-4-Fans stuff, but she must have fancied his chances in the mainstream industry.”

“How do you know this?” Marc asked.

“It’s easy enough when you know where to look. That was the problem before. No one was even looking at her. We thought, if anything, the killer was going to be some kind of dodgy connection on Soloman’s part. Not his glamourous PA.”

“How did she managed to kill four men? Four strong, well-built guys,” Jason asked. He looked and sounded exhausted.

“I saw what she did to Ryman,” Marc told him. “Trust me, she’s capable all right.”

“I have no doubt about it,” Nadine said. “We’ve got a team going through every damn thing she’s ever posted online. In the morning they’ll start knocking on doors. From what we know so far, she used to work at the box office of the Empire Theatre while trying to get her modelling career off the ground. When it didn’t, she married a playboy businessman called Des Carlisle.”

“Des Carlise?” Marc said incredulously. “I know him. He went bankrupt years ago. He even owned me money at one time.”

“Chantelle ditched him before things got that bad and upgraded to Eddie Readymarcher, who was older and even richer. He also adopted the kid she had with the first husband, Stefan. Readymarcher died aboutfive years ago, leaving her very wealthy. Which is when she helped Soloman Archer with the campaign that led to him winning the local seat. She had no need to work, but it appears she liked the status that went with working for a member of Parliament.”

“Until she stuck a knife in him,” Jason grumbled.

“What about Stefan’s Hot-4-Fans account?” Marc asked.

“Everything checks out. Chantelle had the account deleted after his death, but nothing ever really disappears from the internet. He promoted his videos on Twitter and the clips are still there. Including one with Theo.”

“Shit. Can we get them removed?”

“I had already put in requests on your behalf,” Jason said. “Theo’s stuff should be gone very soon.”

“She killed four men because of a few raunchy clips?” Marc said incredulously. “It doesn’t make sense.”

“I think it was more to do with the corruption of her precious child,” Nadine said. “It looks like Stefan had issues before he ever got involved with Theo. But when has rational thought ever stopped a parent from doing whatever it takes to protect their kid?”

“It’s such a waste,” Jason said. Marc had never heard him sound so sad or dejected. His pallor was even more washed out than before.

“Are you feeling okay?” Marc asked. “Want me to get a doctor?”

Jason looked straight at him with wide, wounded eyes. “I’m just sick of this shit. Four men have died for nothing.My best friend has died for nothing.” Tears spilled over the lids and streaked through the smoky deposits that coloured his cheeks. “I almost lost you.”

Marc got to his feet and leaned over the bed. He hugged him gently. He really wanted to wrap his arms around Jason and hold him until there was no more hurt, but pain was a grim reality. Physically and emotionally. Marc pressed the side of his head against Jason’s. He kissed him on the neck. “You haven’t lost me. She could never take me away from you.”

Then his own tears came, and he made no attempt to stop them.

Chapter Twenty-Six

A City in Mourning

Three nights later, the streets of Blyham were brought to a standstill by a procession that started on the riverside, in front of the Vermont Hotel, where Theo Glass had been killed by Chantelle Readymarcher four months earlier. Thousands of people gathered, carrying photos and candles, to honour the victims. The parade passed along the waterfront before heading upwards through the centre of the city to gather before the town hall at eight p.m.

It was a predominantly solemn and heartfelt occasion, but there was anger too. Among the tributes to the deceased, there were placards readingHow Many More Must Die? Shame on Blyham PoliceandStop the Killing Now. There were Pride flags and LGBTQ+ banners but the sadness and anger that were felt in the city went far beyond that community. There was fear across all social groups as people wondered which minority would be targeted next.

Marc and Jason waited at the town hall for the parade to arrive. Neither of them was fit enough afterwhat they’d been through to complete the route on foot. Marc’s parents sat beside them. They were both in tears, holding hands as they witnessed the shared grief of so many people. Theo’s face was displayed prominently on placards and T-shirts as the people of Blyham honoured the dead.

The police were there to monitor the crowds but kept a respectful distance. Marc knew how strong the anger in the city was towards them. One wrong move and this peaceful protest could tip into a riot. The media interest in the march was off the scale, with TV news crews and reporters battling for position in a sectioned off area in the square. They’d been warned not to provoke the mourners. Anger towards the press was almost as strong as that towards the police. None of the victims had been deemed newsworthy, until the killing of Soloman Archer had made the story a national sensation.

Only Nadine Smythe had been granted a place beside the families and friends at the front.

The tension was a dense, palpable thing, but as he looked upon the sea of people, at the candles and messages of love, Marc felt a sad sense of optimism.

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