Page 31 of Beyond the Darkness (Basic Instincts #3)

Getting Answers

Despite the impact of the collision, Hudson was fortunate that his injuries were no more serious than a fractured coccyx and severe concussion. He was kept in hospital overnight for observation.

“Where’s Luke?” he asked the nurse who attended him the following morning.

“I don’t know who you mean,” she said with a concerned smile. “The police want to speak to you, but the doctor has forbidden it until he gives you the all-clear. He’ll be making his rounds soon.”

Hudson shuffled up the bed, wincing at the pain in his lower back, and eased his weight onto his side.

His head was woozy. He didn’t know if that was from the knock he had taken, or the drugs they had given him.

Either way, he felt like shit. Despite all that, he had a clear memory of everything leading up to the crash last night.

Rav’s murder, Amber, Corman, those vile masks.

“I want Luke,” he said. “I’m not speaking to anyone until I know that he’s okay.”

The nurse frowned. “Try not to get yourself agitated and I’ll see what I can do.”

When she left, he gripped the rail on the side of the bed and pulled himself fully over onto his left side. That felt better. He’d known a stuntman once who had broken his coccyx several times over. Hudson had thought he was exaggerating about the pain—now he realised he had underplayed it.

At least he was alive.

Thanks to Luke. If he hadn’t attacked Corman when he did, Hudson wouldn’t be here. He’d have ended his days with a split skull, dying on that driveway beside Rav.

Poor Rav. His family must know the devastating news by now. Their whole world would have collapsed.

His mind flashed back on those moments. Corman in the Baby Face mask, appearing as if from nowhere, bringing the axe down without a second’s remorse or hesitation. The startled look on Rav’s face, a few seconds of incomprehension and then nothing. That image, that memory would haunt Hudson forever.

And now what? Had Corman survived? Where was Luke? The police would want him for sure. Luke had killed Amber. Without Hudson’s account, they had no evidence that it had been in self-defence.

He had to speak to them now.

He pushed onto his elbows, reaching for the buzzer at the side of the bed. “Nurse,” he yelled. “Nurse.”

When she came in a few moments later, she was not alone.

Luke came in behind. He looked exhausted, with sunken eyes and sallow skin, and was still the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

“Thank God,” Hudson cried.

Luke ran to him. They wrapped their arms around each other. He could tell that Luke was holding back, fearful of hurting him, so Hudson hugged him even tighter.

“Are you all right?” Hudson said, choking back tears.

“I am now.” Luke pressed his face into the crook of Hudson’s neck. Hudson felt his tears on his skin.

“Are you hurt? The car…”

“Barely glanced me,” Luke said, drawing back to look at him. He brushed his fingertips gently across Hudson’s lips. “Oh, my God. Your face.”

Hudson let out a relieved laugh. “I dread to think. But it doesn’t hurt as bad as my ass.”

Now they both laughed. Luke put his hand on his shoulder. “Thank God you’re alive. When I saw you go over the roof of the car, I thought that was it.”

“Corman—how did you…?”

“Smashed the bastard over the head with one of my plant pots. I hit him so hard, it shattered the damn thing. I only wish I’d hit him harder.”

“Where is he?”

“Not here. They’ve taken him to a hospital in Newcastle.”

“Alive, then?”

“Very much. Bleed on the brain, they say, but he’s expected to pull through. He’s under police guard. He won’t be going anywhere other than prison when they discharge him.”

Hudson gripped his hand and pressed it to his face. “What about you?”

He shrugged. “On police bail while they make enquiries. Fair enough, I suppose. I know how the system works. I’ve been at the police station all night, answering their questions.”

“No way. That’s not fair. They would have killed us.”

“Hey,” he said softly. “Don’t get so worked up. The cops know what happened. They’re just doing their job. Making sure they have all the facts. I’ve never been the biggest fan of Blyham police before, but they’ve been fair with me. I’m not worried.”

“I want to speak to them.”

“Don’t worry, you will.”

He reached for him again, seeking his reassurance. “What happened to you? Before I got there last night? Did they hurt you?”

“I’m fine. One of them rushed me when I came home.

Corman, I guess. He was strong. He knocked me out with something.

He had it in a rag and put it over my nose.

When I woke up, I was already tied to the chair.

I knew as soon as I saw the underpants I was wearing what was happening.

Red Hills Massacre. Your famous death scene. And just like Julian.”

“They must have known, after planting the seeds of doubt in my mind at the theatre…that you would be alone.”

“They could have followed you, for all we know. Seen us argue and decided that was the perfect moment.”

“Oh God, Luke,” he cried. “I’m so sorry. You were only involved in this because of me.”

“Hey.” Luke wiped the tear from his cheek. “Enough of that. The only reason they came after me, the reason Rav and Julian are dead, is because Amber and Corman are fucking psychopaths. No victim blaming. If we’re blaming anyone, it’s those two sick fuckers.”

* * * *

The doctor came around half an hour later and gave Hudson a thorough examination.

He declared he was fit to be discharged.

There was no treatment for the broken coccyx other than painkillers and time.

“Like a broken rib, it will get better on its own,” he explained.

“Sleep on your belly and take it easy for a few weeks. Try not to sit for long periods and take over-the-counter pain meds. This bone can take a long time to heal, several months, and you don’t want to do anything that’s going to aggravate it or set you back. ”

Luke had gone to Hudson’s apartment to collect some clothes for his discharge, and he was alone when the police arrived. DS Coppola and DS Peters—Luke’s ex-husband, Kris.

“You’d think the King was up here,” Kris remarked as they entered.

“Huh?”

“Press,” Benito explained. “Downstairs is swarming with them.”

“Shit. I hadn’t even thought of that.”

“Can’t blame them. It’s quite the story. Local podcasters murder your understudy then come after you in a bizarre tribute to one of your movies.” Benito raised his hands wide. “They’re going bonkers for it.”

“They murdered Rav, too,” Hudson said. “I’m pretty sure it was Corman who did that, though I didn’t see because of the mask.”

“Don’t worry, we’ve already checked out their apartments. We know they did it.” Benito’s eyes crinkled sympathetically. “Why don’t you have a seat? We need to ask you a few questions and then we’ll tell you what we know already.”

“I’d rather stand,” Hudson said, pointing to his backside.

“Oh course, sure. Sorry.”

Hudson moved over to the window, steadying himself with a hand on the sill.

Outside the sky was a perfect blue, clear and serene.

A stark contrast to the madness of the last twelve hours.

He was lost for a few seconds, before snapping himself back to the present.

He took a deep breath and turned to face the detectives. “Where do you want me to start?”

He gave a thorough account of the day, from Amber and Corman trying to suggest Luke had something to do with Julian’s death, to the phone call that had drawn him and Rav to the house at the coast, and the horror that unfolded from there.

He was surprised by how calmly he spoke, and how much detail he was able to recall.

“One of them jumped us as soon as we arrived. Rav didn’t stand a chance.”

“Had you ever heard from either of them before they turned up at the rehearsal rooms?”

“Not that I’m aware of. I didn’t know them or their podcast.”

“It looks like we’ve been laying the blame for your hate mail at the wrong door,” Benito said. “We don’t think Robbie Wiseman sent you those letters. They were all from Amber and Corman.”

He nodded numbly. It made sense. He hadn’t had any interaction with Robbie for months before coming here.

The stalking order had seemed to be working and had kept him away from Hudson.

He assumed the recent press coverage had been too great for Robbie to resist and that’s what had brought him to Blyham, rather than to deliver letters to the theatre.

“We need to go through all of their equipment, but from what we’ve found so far, Amber and Corman have had an unhealthy interest in you going back a long way.”

“Especially that slasher film you did,” Kris added. “They’ve got props and posters. All kind of replica masks of the killer. They were obsessed with it.”

“What about Corman? How is he?”

“He’ll live,” Benito said. “He’s awake, though he’s not talking yet. Probably doesn’t know what to do without his partner in crime. They were very much in it together. Not sure how well he functions alone.”

“Have you found any evidence that they killed Julian?”

“There’s a lot to go through, but we will. It looks like they were big on collecting souvenirs of what they did.”

It was becoming too much for him to take in. “What about Luke? Amber?”

“It’s not up to us. It’s a decision for the prosecution service, but I can’t see that it’s in anyone’s interest to charge him. It was self-defence. And no jury is ever going to find him guilty once the full picture is established.”

He nodded, somewhat relieved. “Luke saved my life. Twice in one night. I…owe him everything.”

“I know,” Benito said. “I think you need to prepare yourself. Corman and Amber were obsessed with you. To the point of wanting to kill you. When we find out exactly what they were planning, you’re not going to like it.”