Seeing Red

By Alison Clifford

Have you ever enraged a murderer?
Redhead Nell, a civilian psychologist with the US Navy, takes her dream job at a submarine base to escape a protective family and build a life of her own. Meeting James, the handsome skipper of the submarine Scottsdale, is a bonus she hadn’t expected.
When Nell is attacked after a body is pulled from the local river, two investigations swing into motion, with no obvious link between them. The killer plots to keep the cases separate and conceal the damning secrets from his past that would lead to a connection, and his demise.
As his attempts to complete the cover-up fail, his frustration and rage turn toward the person who stands in his way.
The redhead shrink.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Alison Clifford
• Release date: Apr 25, 2016
• ISBN: 9781311723246

Alison Clifford

Alison began writing as a teenager, hiding away in the school library during lunch to work on her stories. None of these projects ever made it beyond the first few chapters as other interests took over.During her final year of high school, Alison joined the Australian Army Reserve and went on to serve in the Royal Australian Air Force.A fan of motorsport, Alison follows the V8 Supercars, Formula 1, and MotoGP, and loves to attend local motorsport events. As well as being a self-confessed stationery junkie, she also likes spending time at the local Botanical Gardens.Alison is married with three children and lives in Tasmania, Australia.

Book preview

I still think you’re making a huge mistake.

Well you would, wouldn’t you? Nell frowned at her brother. It’s incomprehensible to you that I am able to look after myself. I’m twenty-eight Andrew, I think I can handle things.

That’s not it. He glared at her, his green eyes narrowed to slits under his red brows. I don’t like you being so far from home.

Nell returned his glare with one of her own. Go on, say it. So far from home with all those randy Navy guys around.

I know them better than you.

Not all of them. She couldn’t resist the temptation to stir the heat of his anger into flame.

Nell!

She smirked and turned to leave the room.

Don’t you walk away from me.

Stop me. She broke into a run, fleeing for the stairs as Andrew closed in behind her. She giggled as he lunged for her, and missed. The stairs and her escape were in front of her now. Andrew reached out again as she dived for the first step, missing by an inch and pitching forward. Nell flung out a hand and managed to prevent herself from face-planting on the wood stretching up in front of her.

Got you. Andrew grabbed a handful of her sweater, pulling her up off the stairs. Nell clung to him, laughing too hard to regain balance without his help. You’ll never outrun me Nell; your feet will always get in the way and trip you up.

Nell’s laugh died as she looked down. I don’t get it. They’re not big, but they still trip me up all the time.

Clumsy Nell.

Don’t call me that, Grumpy.

Hey, I’m not grumpy! Andrew gently pulled a strand of Nell’s long hair. I just don’t want you to move away.

I don’t want you to move away either. They turned to where their father, Roy, stood watching his kids.

I’m not going far, just up the road a little way. You’ll have to come and visit.

You know I will. I haven’t been to the New London Submarine base before. I look forward to seeing it.

Nell walked into Roy’s hug. This time it’s me going away, not you.

I’ll miss you Nell.

I’ll miss you too, Dad.

Nell watched Roy walk back into the kitchen with Andrew. They were used to goodbyes. Roy had been a Naval Officer for most of her life, and leaving home for work was normal. He had retired a year ago, and now it was her turn to leave him behind, to spread her wings and find her place in the world.

It had seemed natural to work within the Navy once she completed her studies in psychology. Her experiences had given her a deep understanding of Navy life, particularly from a family viewpoint. Until now she had worked as a counsellor at the Washington Navy Yard, but when a vacancy arose at the New London Submarine Base, Nell had been quick to apply. Submariners were a different breed of person; the challenges of submarine life unique. Nell had been thrilled when they’d offered her the job. Roy had celebrated her success with her, but Andrew, always protective, had been unimpressed that she would be so far from the family home.

A Naval officer like Roy, Andrew was wary of his own breed. The boyfriends in her life who had been grilled the hardest had all been sailors. It made her wonder what he got up to if he felt they needed interrogation more than the non-Navy ones. Andrew had scared away more than one man in the past. While Nell appreciated his care, his attitude was one of the reasons she had applied for the position. She needed to take a stand and live her own life, without the spectre of her male relatives hovering over her.

Nell leaned against the doorjamb, watching her father and brother talk as they washed the dishes. She would miss both of them, but right now she had a life to live, and it was going to be over three hundred miles up the coast and out of easy reach. And interference.

Chapter Two

He watched as the light died from her eyes, leaving them blank and empty. His hands shook with the incredible adrenalin rush surging through his body. He felt so alive. He released his grip on her neck and let her fall to the ground. Her body landed awkwardly, her limbs splayed out as if caught in the middle of some bizarre dance. Strands of strawberry blonde curls draped across her face, her protruding tongue almost the same colour as her livid skin. The sight of her was disgusting; just as the personality inside had been. He wiped his hands fastidiously on an old rag, removing all trace of her touch from his skin. The rag was dropped on top of her body as he considered what he needed to do now. How would he get rid of her? He couldn’t dismember her; there would be too much evidence left in the garage in which he stood. His eyes lifted from the dead woman at his feet and rested on his small fishing dinghy. Just the thing. He had been planning to go fishing in the morning – he could take the body and dump it in the sea when he was out. Easily done, and the water was deep around here.

He rummaged through a shelf and found a new tarp and a coil of rope. The tarp was a dark green, perfect for the job. He laid it out on the garage floor, then rolled and shoved until the body lay in the middle. It was a struggle. She hadn’t been a big woman, but it still took a lot of effort to move her. He paused again; he needed to get this right. What story would he use to explain her disappearance? Well, she had said she was leaving him. He would stick as close to the truth as he could. She wouldn’t leave without her bag, so he went into the main part of the house and headed straight for the kitchen. Her handbag rested in its usual spot on the counter. He carried it back into the garage, dumped it on top of the body, and started to wrap the tarp around her. It was hard to get the rope around the large bundle, but by rolling it back and forth, he managed to tie it up. He stood back to survey his work. Weight. He would need something to weigh it all down. A couple of concrete bricks sat in the corner of the garage. Perfect. He lifted the cover on the boat and dropped the bricks into the dinghy, adding another length of rope to tie them to the bundle. More struggling – this was harder than it looked in TV shows – he lifted the tarp-wrapped bundle over the edge and into the boat. Breathing heavily from his efforts, he turned and noticed a puddle on the garage floor. His nose wrinkled in disgust as he mopped it up with another rag which he dropped into the dinghy with the rest. Finally, he drew the cover back over the boat, securing it in place. He was pleased to note that there were no visible sign of the contents of the dinghy. He would find the perfect spot and throw the bundle over the edge. Once he returned to shore, he would follow his normal practice of washing out the boat by the slipway. He could make sure that any marks or other potential evidence was washed away as he did so. It was all too easy.

* * * *

He sat at the desk in his study and replayed the moment all life had left her body. His hands tingled as he recalled the feeling of gripping her neck and squeezing, of seeing the panic in her eyes when she realised he wasn’t going to let go. He’d watched the light fade from her eyes. An intense pleasure surged through him at the memory. She had asked for it.

His life had been hell since they returned from their honeymoon over twenty years ago. Her incessant demands, her criticism and snide comments, her vanity and spite – he had put up with it all. Then she’d announced she was leaving him. His hands had closed around her throat, and she died. She’d got what she deserved. He had dreamed of strangling her for a long time, and the reality was everything he hoped for. He’d almost acted on the impulse a year ago, but had stopped himself before he’d touched her. It had led to being counselled for anger management. She’d insisted – that or she’d report him. He’d gone along, but it had almost been his undoing.

During one of his sessions he had confessed his fantasy to the shrink, but had convinced him it had been a momentary thing. He loved his wife, he said. He reassured the good doctor that he had learned to control his anger and had sworn he would never hurt her. The counselling sessions had been completed and he was a reformed man – on the outside anyway. He’d managed to control his temper and had never so much as raised his hand to his wife since then. But the fantasies of strangling her and watching the light die from her eyes had never completely gone away.

After all he had done, his wife then had the nerve to declare she was leaving him anyway. She made her announcement and a red mist of rage erupted at her words. He acted…and oh, it had felt so good. The crushing of her skin and muscle under his hands, the feeling of supreme power and control. Her surrender as she died under his grip had brought him alive. It was a memory he would cherish forever.

Chapter Three

Nell stood looking out over the Thames River, her green eyes taking in the panoramic view spread out before her. The grey clouds reflected their colour onto the waves capped by white, and gulls soared on the wind gusting over the expanse of water. Buildings lined the waterway; the city of New London. There were few boats on the water, but weather never stopped fishermen, or the Navy. There were no naval vessels in sight though, just a couple of fishing boats and one game yacht tacking into the wind. She sniffed the salty air with pleasure as the wind flicked her long red hair on her back with a gentle tapping. Nell sighed with contentment. Finally, she was here. Her new job; her new life. She took one last sweeping look around and turned back to her car. She climbed in and resumed the final drive into the city.

The owners of the house Nell would be renting had given her clear directions, and she had no problems finding her way.

Next left, then left again, she muttered to herself as she dropped the directions onto the passenger seat. She indicated, then turned. A car pulled out of a driveway in front of her. Nell stomped on the brakes and stopped short of hitting the boat the car towed. The driver glared at her as if she’d been in the wrong, then drove away.

Nice neighbours, she commented to herself. Another corner, then Nell scanned the numbers on the houses, slowing and pulling into the driveway of her new home. Nell was taken aback by the proportions of the house; the broad façade with its wide porch, the double garage, the multitude of windows. It looked as though it would comfortably house a family of six, let alone a single woman.

She walked up the steps to the front door, unlocking it and stepping inside. The house was full of natural light, reflecting off white walls and timber floors. She walked through the entrance hall and emerged into a large open plan kitchen, dining, and family room. The spaciousness of the room was lost on Nell. What drew her attention was the floor to ceiling windows spanning the rear of the house. Light muslin curtains were drawn back at intervals, revealing the view of the garden and woodlands behind.

Wow, Nell whispered as if afraid of disturbing the peace that met her eyes. She found the key, unlocked the glass doors and walked onto the deck. Shrubs provided privacy from the neighbours either side. A small wooden fence divided the garden from the woods, with a gate allowing access to the trees. The view of the forest from the deck would give Nell the perfect setting to unwind at the end of each day. She would gladly sacrifice the extra time it took to clean a home this large if it meant she had this view to come home to.

The house belonged to some of Roy’s Navy friends who had retired to California. They wanted to be able to stay in the house if they visited the area, and offered it to Nell at a reduced rent. At least she had plenty of room for Roy and Andrew when they visited her.

Nell headed into the house. Her foot jarred against something, and she stumbled.

Damn it. Nell looked down at the tiny step leading in from the deck. I’m going to have to watch that, she muttered to herself. She tapped it gently with her foot. Remember.

Nell investigated the rest of the first floor, and then headed up to the second floor. The rooms upstairs were as light and airy as the rest of the house, four bedrooms in all. Nell mentally claimed the large rear bedroom overlooking the garden as her own. She checked the water temperature and light switches to ensure the power had been connected as promised, and then returned to her car to collect her suitcase. As she lifted it from the trunk, the removal truck pulled up on the street behind her.

Now the fun begins, she said, and went to meet the removalists.

* * * *

Commander James Morgan stood in the sail of his submarine and looked out across the bay towards the dock, his eyes squinting against the wind. The chill of the breeze blowing across the water caused his ears to numb and his nose to run. The freshness, after so many days relying on recirculated air, was invigorating, and the salty smell familiar and friendly.

As he watched, the land grew closer until he could make out the crowd gathering dockside to welcome them home. It had been almost three months since they had left on an extended period of exercises and drills while they patrolled the North Atlantic Ocean. He glanced down briefly to ensure all was proceeding as it should.

James felt a tinge of regret for the end of the voyage. He lived for his job and he loved his command – USS Scottsdale; his boat. The submarine and his crew were the focus of his life, and coming into dock signalled a period of time on shore as the boat was taken over for maintenance. It was all part of being in the Navy, but he would prefer to be at sea rather than on land. He looked forward to the next deployment already, and they hadn’t even docked from this one.

The crowd on the dock had grown in size as they approached and he could now make out individuals. There wouldn’t be anyone waiting for him. His last girlfriend had given up on him after one sea trip. That had been nearly a year ago and he hadn’t met anyone worth the effort of trying again; not that he looked too hard. It was tough on the partners of sailors, having to spend so much time without their loved ones. James had seen marriages fail, but he had also witnessed marriages that succeeded despite the strains of naval deployment. He had just never found anyone willing to put up with it, anyone who cared enough about him to wait. His love for his command probably didn’t help either. Dinner dates and weekends away had been cancelled as he put the Navy’s demands first. He was a commander; that’s how it worked, and that’s how he liked it.

James watched as the submarine drew alongside the dock, the sailors executing their allotted tasks with speed and accuracy. They were all aware of their commander’s eye on them – he expected excellence. The Officer of the Watch was also observing, along with the Chief of the Boat. It was no time to slip up.

James descended to the control room to supervise as they continued docking procedures. It wasn’t as simple as tying up and disembarking; a long list of tasks still required completion before the entire crew could leave. He would have to report to command, but he would be back on board later until all was complete.

James collected his paperwork from his cabin and climbed to the deck just as the gangway was secured. He passed the crew on the deck of the sub and stepped onto the gangway, pausing only to salute the ensign at the stern before striding from his boat to the waiting officer dockside.

Good afternoon Commander, the officer greeted him.

Good afternoon, James replied, refusing to watch the actions of his crew. To do so would be to imply the officer in charge was untrustworthy; an unfair aspersion to cast on his men, all of them competent and thorough. It wasn’t easy, as he wanted to watch what was going on, but he was resolute in keeping his eyes off the activity.

The walk to Command Headquarters took only a few minutes. James entered the foyer of the building, and headed towards his CO’s office.

Good morning Commander, the CO’s assistant greeted him as he approached. Admiral Staples is expecting you. Please go straight through.

James knocked once and entered, pausing to salute before approaching the Admiral’s desk to shake his hand.

Morning Commander Morgan, welcome back, the Admiral greeted him. The Admiral, who had risen at his approach, now stood towering over him. At six foot five inches, the Admiral topped most men under his command.

Morning Admiral. Thank you, it’s nice to be back.

Admiral Staples cast him a look of disbelief from under his black brows. James knew full well his Admiral knew he preferred being at sea, but no comment was made on James’ response.

The door opened as the Admiral’s assistant arrived bearing a tray of coffee and biscuits. James took a cup of the freshly made coffee and sniffed the aroma with a smile.

Now this I did miss. Coffee made from fresh beans, he said. Thank you.

The Admiral smiled as they sat down. I thought you might appreciate it, he said. You may commence your report now.

Chapter Four

He was pleased to see when he arrived at the boat ramp that few people were about. There were plenty of cars and boat trailers, but only one other group of people still sorting out their boat. He turned the car and reversed down the ramp until the dinghy was touching the water. As he turned off his car, he checked the mirrors to see where the other people were. They had finished loading their stuff onto their craft and were preparing to leave. Good.

He climbed out of his car, moved to the boat and began letting out the cable. As the dinghy slid back down off the trailer, he heard one of the men on the other boat call out, Hey, do you need a hand?

No thank you. I can deal with this. He tried to sound casual, but to his ears it was stilted. The other guy didn’t seem to notice.

No worries, buddy.

He watched as the other boat motored away from the ramp. He was on his own. The dinghy floated behind the trailer, and using the rope on the bow, he guided it to one side and tied it off to a mooring point. The bundle was still hidden by the boat cover, so he would be fine if