Release: A gripping, fast-paced thriller Read online

  Release

  Karen Moore

  “A blistering sequel to the author’s debut novel, Torn. The action travels from Wales to Sicily and what a page-turner Release is! It deals with important topics in a gripping story, so empty your diary before starting this book. Release tells a compelling, fast-paced story of family, loss, friendship and revenge.”

  Val Penny bestselling author of The Edinburgh Crime Mysteries.

  Copyright © 2021 by Karen Moore

  Artwork: Adobe Stock

  Design: Services for Authors

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or Crooked Cat Books except for brief quotations used for promotion or in reviews. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, and incidents are used fictitiously.

  First Dark edition, darkstroke, Crooked Cat Books. 2021

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  www.darkstroke.com

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  something nice will happen.

  To everyone who supported me through lockdown in the writing of this book.

  Acknowledgements

  Thanks once again to Laurence and Stephanie Patterson at Darkstroke for their continuing belief in me as a writer and for all their guidance in bringing this second book to publication. I am particularly grateful to my editor, Sue Barnard, for her wonderful advice and support, not to mention patience. Sue made the editorial process smooth and painless, at least for me. And as ever, my thanks to the lovely, talented bunch of writers at Darkstroke for all their help.

  A special thank you must go to everyone who provided invaluable feedback during the writing process as the book began to take shape: Alice Umbarak from Stockport Writers, and the members of Manchester Scribes. Massive thanks to those who read the finished manuscript and whose feedback helped me to polish it into the final version: Alice again, and the following members of Manchester Scribes: Sue Barnard, Jo Fenton, Louise Jones, and Pauline Barnett. A special mention to Louise Jones who has a forensic eye for detail, and always has a ready alternative when she feels something isn’t quite right.

  I mustn’t forget to mention Lexi, my cat, who has deleted many a paragraph, waltzing across the keyboard, trying to attract my attention. Those paragraphs obviously didn’t meet her exacting standards.

  And lastly, I would just like to say that writing may be a solitary business, but it has been wonderful to see how the writing community has continued to support and encourage each other during this difficult period of enforced isolation.

  About the Author

  Karen Moore is passionate about all things noir – crime, mystery, thrillers – and writes in that genre.

  She has been writing all her life, mostly for work purposes, and is now delighted to be able to spend more time developing her own creative work.

  Her debut novel, Torn, is a dark tale of intrigue and betrayal set in Sicily and North Wales. Release is the sequel, although it is written as a standalone novel for people who may not have read Torn.

  Karen worked as a tour guide across Europe, North America and Canada, followed by a career in PR and marketing. She has lived in France and Italy, and is now based in Cheshire, England. Her cat, Lexi, often appears in her social media feeds.

  Release

  Chapter One

  Shielding her eyes against the dazzling sunlight, Hanna shivered as she stepped out into the afternoon heat. Maybe it was the sharp contrast in temperature after the coolness of the cottage. Or was there another reason? Something was bothering her, an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach she’d had all day. It was as if the nightmares of the past were lurking in the shadows, threatening to return.

  Trying to ignore it, she carried the tray of marinated chicken pieces over to the barbecue where Rhys was busy poking the glowing coals. His tanned face crinkled into a smile.

  “Nearly ready now. Only a few more minutes. I’m ravenous. Don’t know about you?” Rhys almost had to shout to make himself heard above Eva’s shrieks as she tore around the garden after Bryn, his new squeaky doggy toy clamped between his jaws.

  Hanna forced a smile. “Me, too.”

  “How about an aperitif while we wait?”

  She nodded and flopped onto a garden lounger. “That’d be great, just what I need.”

  Rhys wiped the beads of sweat off his forehead with the back of his arm. “Fine. Won’t be a minute…” he said, already making for the back door into the kitchen.

  Hanna sat back with a sigh. Cosmo, their adopted cat, stretched out lazily on the patio, basking in the sun, purring contentedly. The heady scent of sweet honeysuckle wafted through the air. The garden was a blaze of colour: swathes of pink and purple mallow, dainty red fuchsias, spectacular blue hydrangeas, giant yellow daisies, and delicate peach roses. Amazing how they manage to bloom with so little attention, she thought. There was even a fig tree, although she doubted it would bear fruit in the Welsh climate. The fine weather wouldn’t last long.

  The warm sun made her drowsy and she was almost nodding off when she heard the chink of ice against glass. Rhys set two tall drinks down on the table, together with a bowl of olives. He collapsed onto the lounger next to her.

  “I thought you might like one of these,” he said, handing her a glass filled with a sparkling dark-coloured liquid, a twist of blood orange clinging to its rim.

  She took a sip, savouring the familiar bittersweet orange flavour that immediately conjured up memories of Sicily. Memories more bitter than sweet. A shudder ran through her as if a dark cloud had passed over the sun. Shrugging it off, she said, “Orange vermouth, my favourite! Wherever did you find it?”

  Rhys grinned as he reached for his drink, studying her over the top of his glass. “I saw it the other day in a farm shop and remembered you telling me how much you used to like it.”

  “It’s wonderful, really refreshing. The perfect summer drink,” said Hanna, reaching for an olive.

  Rhys downed half his drink in one gulp. “Mmm, not bad. I might have to have another one.”

  Hanna laughed. “You’re supposed to sip it slowly and relish its tangy aroma.”

  “You sound like an advert! No wonder you’re in marketing!”

  “You’d better get a move on with that chicken. Eva’ll be famished after all that running around.”

  “OK, boss, anything you say.” Rhys finished his drink, returned to the barbecue, and started to load the chicken onto the rack.

  Hanna took another sip and scanned the garden again. Eva was still charging around after Bryn in a game of hide-and-seek that he seemed to be winning. Peals of laughter and high-pitched squeals from the squeaky toy floated on the air. Just as well we’ve no immediate neighbours to disturb, she thought. Rhys busied himself at the barbecue, deftly wielding a pair of tongs, humming softly to himself.

  So much had happened since Sicily and her daughter’s kidnapping two years earlier. By some miracle Eva had emerged remarkably unscathed, and as her fifth birthday approached, she was growing into a chirpy and inquisitive little girl. She seemed happy in their new home, an old stone cottage in the little village of Abergarron, slightly set back from the North Wales coast, and had settled in well at the school she had been attending for the past few months.

  But for Hanna it hadn’t been so easy, and she still bore the scars of her Sicilian husband’s betrayal and deceit. What hurt the most was the apparent ease with which he had shunned both his wife and daughter in favo
ur of the noxious family business. But at least that was all behind her now, and Luciano was paying the price: a fourteen-year jail sentence in Palermo’s Pagliarelli maximum-security prison.

  Trying to dismiss her feeling of foreboding, Hanna reminded herself she had much to be thankful for. Eva no longer asked about Luciano and her Sicilian grandparents, and had accepted Rhys without too many questions. Hanna’s own relationship with Rhys was warm and loving, a bond that had developed naturally without any great effort on either part.

  “OK, folks, grub up!” came a shout from across the garden, startling Hanna from her reverie.

  “Oh, heck, I’ve not set the table!” she cried, jumping up.

  “No rush, I’ll give you a hand,” said Rhys, coming towards her, heading for the kitchen.

  Raising her voice, Hanna yelled, “Eva, food’s ready! Stop fooling around with Bryn and come and get something to eat!”

  A muffled cry of “Coming!” could be heard from behind the fuchsia hedge and a tousled and breathless Eva appeared, grinning, her face smudged with dirt. “Eccomi!”

  Hanna frowned. Eva rarely resorted to Italian these days, but some words and phrases still came out naturally in that language. The same thing happened to her from time to time. She couldn’t very well criticise her daughter for something that she too was guilty of. Instead, Eva’s comical appearance made her chuckle.

  “Go and wash your face and hands first. You look a right mess!”

  “OK,” said Eva grudgingly, dragging her feet towards the back door.

  “Hey, watch where you’re going!” Rhys cried, jerking sideways to avoid her as he emerged from the kitchen clutching glasses and a bottle of chilled white wine.

  Eva giggled and ran off to the bathroom.

  Hanna followed Eva into the cottage, quickly collecting cutlery and plates, the bowl of mixed salad she’d prepared earlier, and a fresh ciabatta bought from the local deli. Loading everything onto a tray, she stepped out into the garden again just as her mobile phone started to ring. Rhys rushed over and took the tray from her. Hanna fished the phone out of the pocket of her shorts and looked at the screen.

  “It’s your sister,” she said before responding.

  “Hanna, it’s me, Ceri.”

  “Hi, what’s up? Is everything OK?”

  “Something’s happened. I thought you should know straight away…” Ceri’s voice trailed off.

  Hanna was worried by her friend’s serious tone. “What is it? Are you and Sergio okay?”

  “Yes, we’re fine. It’s not about us. I don’t quite know how to tell you this… It’s Luciano. He’s… err… he’s been released from prison.”

  Chapter Two

  “Released? But… but… how’s that possible?” Hanna sank into the nearest chair.

  The day suddenly darkened, the sun disappearing behind a cloud. A chill spread through her body, as if the blood flowing through her veins was turning to ice.

  “Sergio heard about it from one of his sources. That’s all we know at the moment. We don’t have any more details.”

  Hanna felt dizzy, her head pounding as she tried to take in the devastating news.

  “I just don’t believe it. Christ, he’s only served, what, not even a couple of years of a fourteen-year sentence. What could have happened to quash that? Surely it must be a mistake?”

  “Probably some technicality drummed up by his lawyer. It all seems to have been done on the quiet. Sergio’s doing some digging as his newspaper’s interested, but he’s not hopeful. No one seems to know anything much. Even Sergio’s dad – and he’s in the police – has only just heard.”

  “Are you sure he’s been released for good? It’s not a temporary reprieve of some sort?”

  “The informant reckons it’s permanent.”

  Hanna felt goosebumps prick on her arms. “This has come as a hell of a shock. I wasn’t expecting him to get out for years, even if he didn’t serve his full term. I thought Eva and I were safe, but now, who knows? And great timing, too, what with your wedding coming up…”

  “Hope it won’t change your mind about coming over,” said Ceri hesitantly.

  “No, no, it’ll be fine. Once I get my head around it.”

  “Well, see how you feel. I wouldn’t want anything else to happen. You and Eva have both been through enough already.”

  “If you hear there’s any possible threat…”

  “I’ll let you know straight away if there’s any further news. Try not to worry too much. I’ll call again in a day or so, or sooner if there’s anything urgent. Take care, and give our love to Rhys and Eva.”

  “Will do. Love to Sergio too. Speak soon. Ciao.”

  Hanna ended the call, her mind in a whirl. How could Luciano have been set free with all the overwhelming evidence against him? God knows what lengths his family lawyer and associates had gone to in order to secure his release. Probably pulled strings in high places, called in a favour or two, or brought pressure – or even blackmail – to bear on those with influence. She was aware of Rhys hovering close by, his face drawn into a deep frown, his gaze an unspoken question.

  “It had to happen one day,” he said gently, leaning down and wrapping his arms around her.

  “Yes, but I never imagined it would be so soon.” She rested her head briefly on his shoulder, then suddenly pushed him away, hunching over as she struggled for air, on the verge of a panic attack.

  “Are you OK?” asked Rhys in concern, bending over her as she wheezed and tried to catch her breath.

  “I’ll be f…f…fine. Just give me a minute…”

  “Try to take deep breaths.”

  She followed his advice. As she gradually calmed down, her breathing returned to normal.

  “Feeling better?”

  Hanna nodded.

  “Try not to worry. It’ll be fine, you’ll see. After all, you’ve not heard from Luciano or his family one way or another since he went inside,” Rhys pointed out reasonably. “There’s nothing to say that things will change now, or that you’ve any reason to fear…”

  She looked at him, a flicker of anger in her eyes. “But his father and brother were also sentenced, remember? Pretty difficult for any of them to act from inside prison. Now Luciano’s free, he could well try to get Eva back. I always thought it was strange that he gave her up so easily.”

  “But didn’t he agree to leave you alone as long as you didn’t grass on him to the authorities?”

  “Yes, but he doesn’t play things by the rules. And the fact he was arrested so soon after Eva’s release might have made him suspect that I had something to do with it. He might come after me wanting revenge.”

  “Really? Isn’t that pretty unlikely now, in the circumstances?”

  Hanna sighed. “Rhys, anything is possible with Luciano.” As she said the words, she realised yet again how little she had known of Luciano’s true character during their time together. So many sides, so many personalities: exciting lover, caring family man, and at the same time a heartless and hard-nosed criminal, married to his family’s business interests.

  Rhys took hold of both her hands, fixing her with his steady gaze. “You and Eva have a new life here, far away from Sicily, with me to protect you. You should both be safe enough now.”

  “Yes, you’re right,” said Hanna with a faint smile, more to appease him than out of any real conviction. After all, she remembered only too well that it was here in North Wales that Eva had been kidnapped by one of Luciano’s rivals, trying to muscle in on her husband’s lucrative illegal business interests back in Sicily.

  If it had happened once, it could happen again.

  ***

  The news had done little to dent Rhys’ hunger. He tucked into the barbecued chicken with gusto, as did Eva, having worked up an appetite running around the garden after Bryn. Hanna struggled to keep pace, chewing mechanically, the food like soggy cardboard in her mouth. She soon gave up, resorting to wine which slipped down much more easily. Much
too easily.

  The sun had reappeared, bathing the garden in warmth. Rhys was entertaining Eva with his jokes, resulting in peals of childish laughter alternating with groans. Hanna made an effort to join in. She could feel Rhys’ eyes on her from time to time.

  “Penny for them?” asked Rhys, interrupting her thoughts.

  “Sorry,” she mumbled. “I was miles away.”

  Rhys gave her a sympathetic look. “I know. Have you finished? Can I start clearing the plates?”

  Hanna pushed her plate of half-eaten food towards him. “My appetite seems to have disappeared.”

  “Not really surprising after hearing that. More wine?”

  She nodded and he refilled her glass. As she went to take a sip, she noticed Eva slip a chicken thigh off her plate, clearly intended for Bryn waiting patiently under the table.

  “Stop that, Eva, please!” she said, more sharply than she’d intended. “Chicken bones are bad for him.”

  A wounded expression flitted across Eva’s face. “But you give him bones from the butcher…”

  “That’s different. He can have raw bones but not cooked ones.”

  Eva looked puzzled but Hanna’s usual patience had deserted her, and she couldn’t be bothered to explain. She stood up and started to help Rhys gather the dishes. Eva sat back in her chair and folded her arms tightly across her chest, her bottom lip protruding. Bryn whined at her side, no doubt wondering where his promised chicken thigh had disappeared to.

  “Never mind!” said Rhys. “Why don’t you give him one of his favourite chicken chews instead? Then we can all go down to the beach for a walk.”

  Eva’s face lit up and she scrambled down from the chair and rushed off into the kitchen, returning with a chew clasped triumphantly in one hand. Bryn went berserk, running around her in circles, jumping up, trying to snatch it from her grasp. Eva giggled and ran away, making it into a game. Hanna laughed at their antics, cross with herself that she’d been so offhand with her little girl.