Silent - Warehouse On Fire

The Present, Lucy

She walks, or rather hobbles, across a path as fast as she can – difficult after a day or so lying in a dark room.  She has to keep stopping and starting, ready to pass out from exhaustion. Eventually, she comes to a car parked behind a high, abandoned wall and waits outside, trembling.  Her hands are tied, so she can't get into the vehicle.  What's happening?  Does Katie know this man?  Was Katie involved in the fire too?  Terence?

Katie Whittaker returns. 'Jace phoned me in a panic and Pete and Scott told me everything. Come on, Lucy, I'm taking you to a safe place.'  

'The fire twelve years ago? Did you kill my parents?'

'No, absolutely no. Listen, I was devastated when your parents died and you were left an orphan.'

'But the man said…'

'That man isn't very well.  You saw how he was back then. He contradicts himself in mid-sentence.' Katie helps her in into the passenger seat and puts the seatbelt on for her. 'I promise you, I had nothing to do with the fire. And neither did Terence. Now listen, we'll sort out your wrists later. And then, after you've had a chance to freshen up, the boys would like to see you.'

'Not Steve,' she says. 'I can't…'

'It's okay,' Katie says. 'You don't have to see Steve. Pete and Scott want to see you. Scott wants to apologise for his rude behaviour two years ago, and you and Pete have a lot in common.'

'My friend, Gavin's still…

'Gavin will be fine. We're going to see Pete and Scott, but before that, we're going to remove the wires and get you freshened up.  You have to trust me, Lucy. This is very, very serious.  That man is extremely dangerous.'

'How do you know him? I need to know.  Otherwise let me go. I can't travel with you, unless you tell me exactly what happened.'

Katie Whittaker sighs. 'Okay. It's a long story, but I suppose you have a right to know what happened.  Many years ago, my ex-husband Terence blew the whistle on a corrupt set up in the North West.  In doing so, he upset a group of very powerful businessmen who'd invested a great deal of money in various illegal business ventures.  As I result of that, I began to receive deaths threats, some of which were directed at my sons Steve and Scott, who were just little boys then.  My car was vandalised and I was even followed a number of times.  It was extremely distressing. I was especially worried sick for the boys' safety.'

'And?'  

'Terence hired the man. He was my minder, if you want to call it that.  And Steve and Scott's.  And he was ever so good at first, especially with the children.  But not long after he started, I realised he wasn't well mentally. It was little things at first, odd sentences he would come out with. And then one day, he went berserk.  Just like that.  One minute, he was fine.  The next, he was sweating and shouting in public, accusing members of the public of murdering his family. I had to call Terence of course, but he was ever so good about it at the time, even though the shouting had really upset and frightened the boys. He paid for the man to go into a private clinic where he received psychological support and medication. But unfortunately, the man was sectioned a few years later after developing an obsession with a young woman who quite rightly contacted the police. It got messy this time with a real threat of imprisonment. Terence spent a lot of time, money and effort getting him transferred to a private clinic, as apparently the doctors at the other hospital had drugged him up to the eyeball but done little to get to the root of the problem.  

'I have something else to tell you, which I only found out about today, shortly after Jace raised the alarm about you going missing. The man's been harassing Pete and trying to make out that he's Pete's real father, which is why Pete's behaviour has been all over the place recently. As soon as Pete heard you were in some sort of trouble, he owned up about contacting you and told us that the man had been messaging him with upsetting claims. He told Jace first and then Jace told me and both of us reassured Pete that he wasn't in any kind of trouble. And thank goodness, he did tell Jace. If he hadn't, we would never have known.'

'So he isn't Pete's father?'

'Of course he isn't. Pete's extremely sorry for believing him. He's desperate to see you again. He feels really bad about sending you those angry messages. You will forgive him, I hope?'

'Of course I will. He's my little brother.'

'Thank you, Lucy. That means so much to me.  And it will to him. Okay?  Don't look back, please. That man is potentially very, very dangerous.'

 But she can't help looking back.

'If you refuse to obey a simple instruction, Lucy, how can you expect to get on in life? Gavin's rescue is Gavin's business. Someone is dealing with that. Your rescue is mine. We need to get those wires removed.'

From the corner of her eye, she sees a tall bloke about six-foot, dark haired with a heavyset faces, leap down from the roof, straight onto the Angel of Mercy, bringing him down to the ground, and then Gavin's friend Jace runs into the building.  

'Is Steve with him as well?' she asks.  That would be another nightmare.

Katie shakes her head. 'Steve had a row with Jace this lunchtime and he's refusing to take Jace's calls or mine. Now, no more looking, Lucy. Let's not tempt fate or whatever you want to call it. Jace is a fine young man and he knows what he's doing. Everything will be fine. My Scott and Pete are very, very sorry about how they treated you in the past and they would like to see you.'

Katie drives away.

***
'I'll only say this once,' Katie says as they get further away from the abandoned warehouses 'And then you must never ask me again or talk about it to anyone, including the police. If you do, you'll put your life in danger again and no one will protect you this time. Understand?  My former father-in-law Arthur Harlesden ordered the deaths of your father and your mother twelve years ago.'

'Was that man involved as well?'

'I don't know for sure, but I don't think Arthur would have chosen an unstable person to carry out a fire. I doubt it very much.'

'But he said he was.'

'I just don't know,' Katie said. 'It's hard to know what's real and unreal with him.  But let me tell you a few things about Arthur Harlesden. Arthur's an evil, evil, wicked, cruel man who never forgave your father his one mistake. He made my life hell with his emotional blackmail and he destroyed my marriage to Terence pretty much from day one, even before I had the affair with your father. Terence isn't a bad man in any way, but he's ever so weak and far too afraid to stand up to his father. As soon as I've finished with you, I'm flying abroad with Scott and Pete.  I have a position lined up and Scott's been offered a job in the same place, even though he's still only seventeen but very bright, all things considered. The boys can't wait to leave. Terence is welcome to keep in touch with us and be part of the family, but I'm going to make sure Arthur never sees Scott or Pete again.  Ever.  I hope you feel you can stay in touch with us, Lucy. And when you're feeling better, you must come out to see us.'

Suddenly, Katie brings the car to a squealing halt.

Smoke.  

The abandoned warehouse's on fire.

And Gavin, Jace and the other bloke must still be inside.