I really thought I'd have this ready by now, and then I got so out of the habit of writing that it just felt impossible every time I looked at it.

I was determined to get this finished before my next birthday… but that's tomorrow, so it's now looking very unlikely! I did however get the penultimate chapter finished (and the last one is just some fluffy Harry/Nikki) – so, enjoy!

Thanks as always to everyone who has reviewed, messaged and reminded me that this needs an ending. I love you all!

As much as I want to get the final chapter up as soon as possible, I also want to find my mojo to make sure I'm happy with the last one... I feel like I owe them a happy ending!

xXx

Chapter 75 – Back to the barn

"One egg or two?" Nikki called through Harry's apartment as she stood in front of his open fridge.

"Was that a serious question?"

Nikki rolled her eyes and picked up an extra egg, closing the fridge door with her foot.

Harry appeared in the kitchen a few minutes later, his hair still wet as he scrubbed it with a towel. Nikki smiled and turned to focus on the frying pan, trying to ignore the fact that Harry's shirt was sticking to his damp skin in just the right places.

"What are you doing?" He asked and Nikki paused. She was hoping it would take him a little longer to start questioning her.

"Breakfast."

"You know that's not what I mean."

Nikki turned to Harry, spatula in hand, and raised an eyebrow.

"You're going to work?" Harry breathed, twisting his towel around his fists.

"Of course I am," Nikki tilted her head as if challenging Harry to retaliate. "I can't just hang around your apartment forever."

Harry opened his mouth to argue then closed it again.

"Are you sure you're ready?"

"Yes," Nikki answered immediately. "I just want to get back to normal. I want to feel like myself again, and that can't happen until I go back to work. You understand, don't you?"

"Of course I do," Harry smiled. "I was just hoping you'd take a little longer. But you've always been stubborn."

"I'm not stubborn!" Nikki argued, brandishing the spatula in Harry's direction.

"No, of course you're not," Harry laughed, throwing his towel in Nikki's direction and laughing harder when she dropped an egg trying to catch it.

"Harry!" She complained, but he could spot the grin on her lips as she untangled herself from the towel. "You're cleaning that up."

The squeal she let out was worth the clean up, Harry thought.

"Be quiet and make me breakfast or I'm not taking you to work with me," Harry smirked, grabbing a cloth from the sink and a bottle of cleaning spray.

Harry took his time cleaning up, watching her from the corner of his eye as he did so. But she looked happy. She looked relaxed, despite another restless night.

Nikki had been staying at Harry's apartment since she had left the hospital, and they had somehow fallen into a new routine that neither of them had been expecting. It had happened without questioning why and yet they weren't in any rush to change it.

Harry had gone to work every morning as usual leaving Nikki tucked up in his bed, and had gone home at every lunch break to check on her with the excuse that he had decided to eat healthier and was therefore avoiding the bakers down the road from the Lyell. Nikki hadn't believed him for a second but also hadn't complained at seeing him every afternoon.

By the time Harry got home in the evenings, Nikki had made them dinner and cleaned up the toast crumbs and milk stains he had left from that morning.

Neither one of them talked about Nikki moving back into her own apartment and neither intended to any time soon.

He had caught her over the weeks wincing in pain as she stretched across the dining table or brushed her hair, and he was suddenly reminded once again of what she had been through over the past few weeks. Of what Shaw had done to her. Of how close he had been to losing her forever.

But the last few days had been different. Nikki had seemed happier, more relaxed. At least while she was awake. He had seen no more signs of physical pain and she had even stole his chips when he had decided they needed another take-away.

She was getting better. Or she was just getting better at hiding the pain.

"It's paperwork only this week, right?" Harry asked casually as he finished cleaning up. "Office work. Nothing too strenuous."

"Yes, Harry," Nikki sighed without turning away from the frying pan, but Harry was far from convinced that she meant it.

"Where abouts did you say?" Leo frowned, scribbling down a location in his notepad and nodding to himself. "Ok, I'll be there in the next half hour. Anything else I should be aware of?"

"No," the police officer replied lazily. "Just an unlucky motorist and a tree, I'm afraid. There's an almost empty bottle of whisky in the foot well. Probably a bit run of the mill for you."

Leo rolled his eyes; he would take routine and 'boring' over anything else right now. Every death was hard, every case had a family who would need to identify the body, but the non-suspicious ones were always that little bit easier to deal with. Telling a family that their loved one was gone because of someone else's actions felt different, and never got any easier.

Leo hung up and shrugged a knot from his shoulders, yawning as the door buzzer sounded and he noticed movement in the office.

"Harry?"

His colleague was at his door in seconds and Leo was relived to see Harry lean against his doorframe with a playful smirk on his lips. The frown that had been etched across his features over the last few weeks was finally gone, the worry now almost non-existent in his eyes.

Almost.

"I thought you were coming in early this morning?"

"So did I," Harry shrugged off his coat. "Something came up, sorry."

"How's Nikki today?" Leo asked causally, knowing full well that she was still staying at Harry's apartment, even if he hadn't openly admitted the fact.

"You can ask her yourself," it was Harry's turn to roll his eyes as he disappeared from Leo's office.

Leo chuckled as he watched him leave. He wasn't surprised, of course. He was impressed that Harry had managed to keep Nikki away from the office for as long as he had, but this was the woman with a tendency to discharge herself from hospital before she was ready, and spend every waking second caught up in a complex case. There was no way she'd stay away from the Lyell for any longer than necessary.

Leo took Harry's place by the doorframe and watched Harry as he watched Nikki. To anyone else this might have seemed strange, but for the three of them it was normal. Their own weird little normal.

"Nice to have you back," Leo grinned as Nikki dropped her coat over the back of Harry's chair.

"Paperwork only, I know," Nikki stated quickly with a glance in Harry's direction.

Leo laughed and held his hands up in mock surrender.

"I'm not getting involved," he raised an eyebrow. "When you're ready to get back out to crime scenes then let me know. No one knows when you're ready but you."

"Thanks," Nikki smiled, now avoiding looking at Harry who she knew would be wanting to argue with Leo as soon as she was out of ear shot.

"Speaking of crime scenes, I'm supposed to be on my way to one now," Leo glanced at his watch. "So I'll leave you two to it. Nikki, please ignore Harry if he tries to give you the Lewis file. He was supposed to have it on my desk last week but managed to lose it and is now playing catch up."

"My incompetence was supposed to be our secret," Harry smirked but Leo just chuckled in return and headed out the Lyell with a wave.

"We all know how forgetful you are Harry," Nikki said casually. "Where did you leave it this time? Viewing balcony?"

"Maybe," Harry responded, inwardly wondering how Nikki seemed to know everything.

Nikki had been back in the office all of five minutes and somehow everything suddenly felt right again. The office had been eerily quiet for the last few weeks, despite the numerous officers that had been in and out the doors.

"Leo was right," Harry smiled. "It's nice to have you back."

"Harry, I've just walked through the door!" Nikki giggled as she logged on to Harry's computer.

"I know," he shrugged. "But now the office feels right again. Although I'd just like to point out that that is still my desk."

"If you say so."

Harry grinned and took his place at Nikki's desk, picking up the Lewis file he had been avoiding all week and pretending to read the notes he had scribbled on the front page.

"Harry, will you stop watching me and get on with your work," Nikki rolled her eyes again. "I have enough emails to keep me busy for a week."

Harry smirked as he twisted his pen around his fingers. He had always had a habit of watching Nikki out of the corner of his eye but it had only seemed to get worse since he had got her back. It was as if he had to keep an eye on her, just to make sure she hadn't disappeared again.

"I'm not going anywhere, Harry."

"Will you stop doing that?" Harry laughed.

"What?"

"Reading my mind," Harry smirked. "It's creepy."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief that Nikki didn't know all the thoughts that ran through his head. The fleeting thoughts of waking up in the same bed as Nikki every morning, and not in the way they were currently doing. Not with him lying on top of the bed sheets, his arms aching to wrap around her and hold her close. He wanted a life together. He wanted to never have to worry about her moving out.

He was snapped out of his reverie by the ringing of the office phone and inwardly groaned at the thought of having to leave the office.

Sure enough, the voice on the other end of the phone was a disgruntled police officer. Harry tried to catch Nikki's attention but she was too busy flicking through her mobile.

"We have another case," Harry hung up and looked at his watch, worry etched across his eyebrows.

"Well, you better get going then," Nikki nodded towards the door.

Harry frowned.

"Will you be ok on your own?"

"I'm a big girl, Harry," Nikki rolled her eyes. "Go and leave me alone."

She smiled and dropped her phone back on the table.

"I'm going to meet Jess for lunch anyway."

"Oh, charming," Harry chuckled, relief washing over him at the fact that she wouldn't be on her own for too long. He knew he was being ridiculous, irrational, but he couldn't help it. "First day back and I've already been replaced by a girly lunch."

"You won't be back for hours," Nikki dismissed his joke and turned towards the open file on her desk. "I'll be starving by then. Now go away before your DCI calls to check where you are."

She was right, of course. Harry knew as well as Nikki did how impatient they could be.

"You need anything, just give me a call. Ok?" Harry called as he grabbed his coat and received a murmured confirmation from Nikki.

"I mean it," he emphasised as he paused by the door. "Anything."

"I know!" Nikki laughed, shooing him away. "I'll be fine. I'm only going to the café across the road. Now go!"

Harry nodded and Nikki watched as he finally left the Lyell, a backwards glance as he went. As soon as he had rounded the corner Nikki picked up her phone again and opened her contacts, finding Maddox's number almost instantly.

He picked up on the second ring.

"Maddox."

"Hi, it's Nikki Alexander," Nikki spoke quickly. "I need to speak to you. I'll be at the station in the next half hour."

Maddox leaned against the table in the meeting room and looked at Nikki expectantly.

"I need to go back, one last time."

"No," Maddox shook his head and folded his arms across his chest, a stern look in his eyes. "Not going to happen."

Nikki knew this wasn't going to be easy, but she also knew that Maddox would be much easier to convince than Harry.

"Look, I know that you'll still have officers going there to collect evidence. All I want to do is have a look around. I won't touch anything," Nikki pleaded, watching for any sort of reaction from Maddox. But there was none.

"Why?"

"I don't know," Nikki shrugged. "Closure? Curiosity? A want to see it from a pathologist's point of view?"

"You know, most people would never want to go anywhere near there again," he paused slightly before adding "Most normal people."

Nikki smiled and was sure she could see his lip twitch slightly.

"No pathologist is normal," she crossed her arms, mirroring his body language. "So, does that mean you'll take me with you?"

"No."

Nikki sighed and opened her mouth to argue again but Maddox interrupted.

"Not without Harry, too."

"What?" Nikki asked, taken aback. She had managed to sneak away from Harry so he wouldn't have to go. She had purposefully omitted Harry from her plans to return to the barn, knowing that he would find it harder than she would. "Why?"

Maddox laughed roughly and raised an eyebrow.

"Because you haven't told him you're here, or that you want to go back to the barn. Have you?"

"What do you think?" Nikki replied.

"Exactly. And I don't want to listen to him complain for the next month that he should have been there too," Maddox said simply. "He's told me already that he wants to know where it is, and I refused to tell him. Told him that he should speak to you and look at the information you left on the flowers, that he should be able to work it out himself."

"You found my research on the flowers?" Nikki asked, distracted momentarily from the conversation.

"Yes," Maddox stated. "Harry did. He sent us a scan of the pages you were looking at. They helped us in narrowing down exactly where Shaw was keeping you all."

Nikki smiled weakly and turned away from Maddox; she could remember seeing the flowers growing underneath the scratched window. A small reminder that there was life outside the confines of the barn.

"So it's both of us, or we're not going?"

"That's the deal," Maddox nodded. "I must be crazy, voluntarily agreeing to put up with two stubborn pathologists instead of one."

Nikki nodded in agreement and smiled. That was the second time in one day she had been called stubborn.

"I have a meeting in five minutes," Maddox stated. "Have a think about it. Talk to Harry. If you still want to go, I'll take you there once my meeting has finished."

Maddox pushed himself from the edge of the table and disappeared from the room, leaving Nikki alone.

She didn't care what Maddox said; Harry wasn't going with her. She wouldn't do that to him.

Maddox returned within twenty minutes to Nikki pacing the meeting room.

"Did you speak to Harry?"

Nikki nodded automatically, forcing a smile to her lips.

"He's going to meet us at the crash site," Nikki lied, not daring to look Maddox in the eyes. "He's been called to a case but said he'd head there as soon as he's finished and follow us to the barn."

"You sure about that?"

"Of course," Nikki frowned, finally turning to face Maddox.

There was a pause.

"Fine," Maddox sighed. "I'm not in the mood to argue."

Nikki followed Maddox to his car without thinking, but it wasn't until she was about to open the passenger door that she realised what she was doing. It wasn't that long ago she had watched this very car sat outside her apartment, convinced that it was following her.

It was, of course. But not for the reasons she had imagined. Maddox had followed her home on more than one occasion, always on the look out for Shaw. And all that time, she had thought he was one of the bad guys.

Nikki laughed at how stupid she was being. Good guys and bad guys. There was no such thing.

They sat in silence as Maddox drove though the city, her hands clenched together to stop them from shaking. It was only now that she was sat in the car did she realise what she was doing; going back to the place she thought she was going to die, without Harry by her side. Why did she think this was a good idea?

"Where are we going?" Nikki asked as she watched the familiar London streets out of the car window. "I thought it was-"

"Road works," Maddox interrupted. "We need to take a detour."

Nikki sighed and turned back to the window, aware of how silly the whole situation seemed to be. It wasn't that she was looking forward to getting there, but there was a part of her that knew that this wouldn't be over until she could see the barn one last time.

She wanted to be the one to decide when this was over.

"You ok?"

It took Nikki a few seconds to realise that the question had been directed at her, and even longer to work out that it was Maddox asking the question. At one point she thought Maddox was incapable of any human emotion, never mind concern.

Nikki nodded in response but didn't say anything.

Every muscle in her body felt tight. Tense. On edge. The further they drove the quicker she could feel her heart beating against her chest and that small niggle of doubt at the back of her mind, the whisper telling her that going back to the barn was a bad idea, started to grow louder.

"We can still turn around if you want?"

"No," Nikki answered quickly, even though the voice was now screaming at her to reconsider.

This was a bad idea. Why did she think that going back alone was going to help?

Nikki closed her eyes and focused on steadying her breathing before Maddox realised that something was wrong. She had to focus.

The car was quiet, the only noise the steady hum of the engine. Maddox had kept the radio off and Nikki knew it was probably because the case, their case, was still being discussed in the media. She could feel the car slowing to a stop and took a deep breath, her eyes still closed. The last thing she wanted was to be stuck in London traffic as her heart hammered against her chest.

The sound of the car door opening made Nikki jump and her eyes shot open, her breath catching in her throat. The door closed again before Nikki could register what was happening, and it was only the pressure of the hand on her shoulder that kept her rooted to reality.

But it wasn't Maddox's hand.

"Harry?"

"You didn't think I would let you go on your own, did you?"

Harry smiled weakly as he buckled up his seatbelt and Nikki felt a weight leave her shoulders that she hadn't realised was there.

Why on earth did she think she could do this without Harry?

"How did you-"

"Maddox," Harry interrupted and Maddox shrugged in response, a smirk playing on his lips.

Only a month ago Harry and Maddox couldn't stand being in the same room, and now they were contacting each other, voluntarily, to make sure they got their own way. Nikki knew they'd never be friends, but amicable was better than she'd hoped for. The Nikki before all this started would have argued the fact that they had gone behind her back but right now, the relief was overwhelming.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Maddox questioned again and Nikki nodded in response, not daring herself to respond.

She didn't have to turn around to feel Harry watching her from the back seat.

The cold afternoon chill hit them as the stepped out of the car and into the muddy field. Harry was standing by Nikki's side before she had closed the door, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

He didn't say anything, and Nikki was thankful for it. She knew that right now, if he had asked her to leave, she would have done so without a second thought.

But instead Harry guided Nikki after Maddox, through the mud and towards the drafty barn just visible through the trees.

"Protective clothing from here on, I'm afraid," Maddox stated as they got nearer and the many white suited police officers came into view.

Harry and Nikki nodded in response, slipping the protective overalls and shoe covers over their clothing as they had done so on many occasions.

"You ready?" Maddox asked as Nikki pulled her hair away from her face.

She nodded in response and walked into the barn without looking back at Harry.

Her breath caught in her throat instantly as the familiar smell of the barn hit her like a tonne of bricks. The air was stale, the ground hard and damp. She could see the dark blood stains where Megan had once been and feel the cold wind whistle through the gaps in the walls.

But all of that blurred into insignificance as Nikki spotted Harry stood just inside the doorway, his eyes swimming with tears and his hands shaking.

This was exactly why she didn't want him here.

Her hand found his and she felt him grip tight, his eyes fixated on the blood stained floor.

"Hey, we can go if you want?"

"No," Harry shook his head and rubbed his eyes roughly with the back of his sleeve.

"Let me know when you're ready to leave," Maddox spoke from behind them as he made his way to the officers at the other end of the barn.

"I didn't expect this," Harry spoke quietly, his grip on Nikki's hand tightening. "I had this horrible imagine in my head, but this- this is worse."

"Harry, stop it. Ok? Stop it," Nikki demanded, gripping Harry by the arm. "If you're going to carry on like this then you can wait in the car."

For a split second Harry lost focus of where they were standing, a small laugh escaping his lips.

"You sound like my mother."

"Well if she was here she'd be telling you the same thing," Nikki frowned, and when he didn't respond she pulled Harry further into the barn and towards the small scratched window.

Nikki looked around the barn at the number of people bustling about and was surprised at how relaxed she felt. The warmth from Harry's hand radiated through her body, reminding her that she was safe. That when she was ready she could walk out of the barn and never return.

"Marsh Marigolds," Harry muttered and Nikki turned towards him. He was looking at the flowers just visible under the window, somehow surviving in the bitter cold.

Nikki smiled.

"When you were here," Harry started but the words caught in his throat. He coughed and started again. "When you were here, did you ever think about me?"

Nikki's eyes widened as she looked at Harry, and she moved to stand in front of him, taking both his hands in hers.

"Is that a serious question?"

"I said some things," Harry continued. "The day you- the day he-"

"Harry, I know. So did I-"

"No, listen,' Harry said, turning their hands over so he could grasp hers. "I said some things I will never forgive myself for. I don't know what made me say it, but I promise you I didn't mean it. None of it."

"Harry, please. Not here," Nikki said, a sadness in her eyes that Harry didn't miss.

She pulled her hands free and turned to the window, shaking slightly.

"Did I think about you while I was here?" She leant forward and blew on the window, her breath fogging up the glass. Just visible was the remains of the shape she had drawn the night Shaw had taken her from the barn. The shape that Jessica had questioned her about. A small love heart with the letter 'H' inside.

Nikki turned to Harry and couldn't help the tears that were now running down her cheeks.

"Every second of every day, Harry."

Harry ran his thumb across her cheek, wiping away the tear before it reached her chin. He could feel a lump in his throat but refused to let it escape. Not again. Not when Nikki needed him to be strong.

Letting go of her hand Harry reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a folded sheet of paper. The one on which Nikki had written her notes about the flowers currently at their feet. And the one with Harry's name written at the top, surrounded by the same love hearts as the one drawn on the scratched window.

"Not here," Nikki whispered, recognising the scribbles instantly.

Harry smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side and guiding her out of the barn for the last time.

"Janet, let her go. She needs to breathe," Leo laughed as Janet squeezed Nikki a little tighter.

"Oh shush," Janet grinned, turning back to Nikki. "It's so good to have you back."

"It's good to be back," Nikki smiled and Leo switched on the evidence screen that filled one wall of the room.

Leo had forgotten how nice it felt when everyone sat around the same table, all focused on the same evidence in front of them. To some people that may sound strange, they were often looking at the aftermath of a murder after all, but Leo still found himself amazed at just how passionate his colleagues could get when they were trying to solve a tricky case.

Today however, as much as Leo loved having everyone back together around the same table, he wanted nothing more than to turn the screen back off and send everyone home.

Because this case was their own. And they had to close it.

"Ready?" Leo cleared his throat and addressed the room. Harry, Nikki, Janet and Maddox all seemed to nod in unison before Leo took a deep breath and clicked the folder on the screen.

The screen was soon filled with the all too familiar photos of Ruby Wilson, Rebecca Hall, Lisa Roberts, Shara Davis and Megan Franklin. Leo clicked another folder and the images were joined by those of Jennifer and Ray Yates, as well as Julia Lyons.

Leo noticed both Nikki and Harry wince at the faces on the screen, each one pale and void of life. Each one caught up in the mess in one way or another. Eight lives lost, some more innocent than others, and Leo knew how close they had been to the headcount being much higher.

"Let's start from the beginning," Leo said quickly, wanting the meeting to be over with as soon as possible. "Ray and Jennifer Yates were found by the river bank with multiple wounds. Ray had sustained a penetrating stab wound to the chest as well as his back. Jennifer's radial artery in both wrists had been severed. Both died at the scene."

Leo paused and glanced around the room, noticing both Harry and Nikki still staring at the screen. His urge to turn it off was overwhelming but he knew they had to finish.

"Ruby Wilson was found by a shop owner on her way to work one morning. She had been raped, stabbed and then strangled, and there were large traces of Ketamine in her system. There was no way she would have been able to fight off her attacker once she had been injected," Leo could hear the words spill from his mouth and yet the only person he could make eye contact with was Janet, who gave him a warm smile of encouragement.

The quicker this was finished the better.

"Rebecca Hall, Lisa Roberts, Shara Davis and Megan Franklin were all found with similar injuries," Leo pointed to each of the girls in turn. "And it wasn't until a few weeks ago we found that all these women were connected to the deaths of Jennifer and Ray Yates."

Leo turned back to the table and could see Harry's fists clenched tightly in what he knew was an attempt to prevent himself from hitting something.

"Julia," Harry muttered, turning away from the screen. "Julia did this, and I had no idea."

Nikki placed her hand on Harry's clenched fists and Leo could see his shoulders slump slightly.

"I worked with Shaw every day and didn't prevent any of this from happening," Maddox interjected.

"At least you had your suspicions-"

"And I did nothing about them," Maddox finished, turning to face Harry. "I knew Shaw was involved in something and I thought I knew how to stop him. But instead I just gave him more time to kidnap other women and hurt the ones he's already locked up."

"You two really are as bad as each other," Nikki smiled weakly, tightening her grip on Harry's hands before letting go completely and moving to stand beside Leo, knowing that he would be finding this just as difficult as Harry.

"Shaw and Julia were working together," Nikki stated. "Shaw was looking for young, blonde women he could exploit against their will. He had a clientele who preferred blonde women and weren't bothered if they had enough energy to fight back."

Nikki paused for a moment and took a deep breath before continuing.

"He would drug them and take them to a meeting point for his clients to do what they pleased," Nikki couldn't meet Harry's gaze. "And once they had served their purpose, they were disposed of."

Nikki glanced back at the screen. At the pale young woman pooled in crimson blood. Each one now gone forever, even though she was still alive. What made her so different? How did she survive when they didn't?

"Nikki?"

She could hear Harry's voice and blinked away the tears forming in her eyes, before tapping a file on the right of the screen and watching as the selection of Happy Family playing cards filled the wall.

"This was Julia's idea," Nikki turned back to the room and nodded to the cards. "Ray Yates was involved in this from the start. He was working with Shaw, grabbing woman who fitted their profile and selling them on to their clients. Julia didn't know any of this at the start, but then the closer she got to Ray the more she found out. Ray had an affair with Julia and she started to help with collecting the girls."

Nikki emphasised her last words and shuddered slightly. 'Collecting the girls'. That had been how they had described it.

"Jennifer found out of course, about what they were up to," Nikki continued. "She questioned Julia and was told that their relationship was professional. Apparently Jennifer was desperate to stay with Ray and went along with the plan. Until she found out that they had murdered someone."

"That's when they fought. Jennifer lashed out, Ray hit her in retaliation and she fell. Julia and Ray thought she was dead and took her to the riverbank," Nikki spoke quickly, feeling her heartbeat quicken. "But she wasn't dead. She woke up once they got there and this time Ray hit her with the intention of killing her. Julia snapped at seeing her sister die at the hands of her lover and killed him in return. Both of those deaths were down to Julia, not Shaw."

"Nikki?" Leo spoke gently, placing a warm hand on her shoulder.

"I'm fine," she smiled weakly before turning back to the screen again. "The Happy Family cards were down or Julia, not that this pleased Shaw. Julia was adopted when she was a child and the only family she had ever known was being wiped out in front of her. She liked the idea of other families hurting as much as she was. She liked having some control in what was going on. I think we all know that Shaw was the real brains behind everything, she just got caught up in the thrill of it all."

"Julia was pregnant with Ray's child. Jennifer was pregnant by someone she met while looking for a new client. I don't think she was intending anything to happen, but she knew something more was going on between Julia and Ray," Nikki felt a lump forming in her throat and swallowed. "Shaw on the other hand obviously enjoyed what he was doing. He knew how to hide the evidence, how to change the women's clothing before they were contaminated by the barn. It was almost like a challenge to him. He kept samples of blood like trophies, just in case he needed them at a later date. He didn't just kill the girls, he tortured them for his own amusement."

Nikki could hear Harry's intake of breath but still couldn't look in his direction.

"So many lives were destroyed because Shaw decided to play a sick game," Harry said through clenched teeth. "And now what? What's going to happen to him?"

"He'll be put away for life," Maddox answered instantly. "I'll make sure of that. We have enough evidence now, enough witness statements to ensure he'll never be a free man again."

There was a silence in the room that no one dared to break.

"It's finally all over, isn't it?" Janet sighed and Nikki couldn't help the smile that graced her lips.

"It's over," Leo nodded, switching off the screen and running a hand through his hair. "I think we all need a drink. Maddox, that includes you."

Maddox nodded without argument and Harry's hand found Nikki's before she even realised he'd moved from the table.

"You're paying, right Leo?" Harry grinned, and for the first time in months they left the Lyell to the sounds of laughter.