How do you escape someone who’s always one step ahead?
Ryan Lamb captures the raw side of city life through the lens of his camera. But when someone starts sending him tip-offs about incidents involving the emergency services, he is lured into a deadly game.
Soon, his gritty photos of fires, car crashes, and street brawls have skyrocketed his career. Then a new message directs him to the scene of a violent armed robbery before it has taken place.
With the police closing in, Ryan realises he’s been manipulated by a sinister presence who knows everything about him and his girlfriend, Carla. Now the two of them must find a way out before they lose everything, including their lives.
Chris Simms: nominated for the Theakston’s Crime Novel of the Year and CWA Daggers!
Outside, the younger officer guided him towards a patrol car parked across the pavement. An ambulance was beside it. A motorbike, with two more patrol cars, in the road. Another ambulance beyond that. Through the multitude of silent flashing lights, Ryan could make out an officer in a hi-vis jacket running police tape out from a lamp post. A few locals were gathered further along the pavement.
‘You can pop those in here, thanks.’
It was the more senior officer. He was holding out a clear plastic bag. ‘The gloves. Peel them off and drop them in, thanks. PC Scott? Take his account of what happened.’
‘Sir.’
Ryan removed the marigolds then found himself being ushered into the back of the nearest police car. The door shut and, for a moment, he was alone. He had time to check the bulge of his camera wasn’t showing beneath his ski coat. The strap was safely tucked beneath the collar, too. That was good. The front passenger door opened, and the constable climbed in and half-turned. ‘So, I’m PC Matthew Scott. What I need to do is ask you about what happened here. Is that OK?’
The officer sounded slightly nervous. Ryan reckoned the bloke was a year or two younger than him. ‘Fine.’
‘Good.’ He removed a pen and pad from the glove compartment. ‘Right, let’s see…you said you were passing by the shop. When was this?’
‘Quarter past ten? Maybe a minute or two later.’
‘And what did you observe?’
‘Well – nothing, at first. I heard shouting. A bloke shouting. Then another sounding distressed. I wasn’t sure if a window was open and it was a film playing. Then the door of the shop opened and the first one appeared.’
‘A male?’
‘Yes. Wearing dark clothes and a balaclava. Plus, he had a hammer.’
‘OK.’
‘He shouted “Move” back into the shop.’
‘How old did he seem?’
‘Mid-twenties, I guess.’ Ryan clicked his fingers. ‘And he said, “Fam” Actually, it was, “Hurry up, fam.” So I reckon in his twenties.’
‘What did he do?’
‘They had a car double-parked directly before the shop’s doors. The –’
‘Sorry, they had a car?’
‘Yes, a white Golf. The first one: he got in the driver’s seat, the second one –’
‘Any description?’
‘A bit taller. Maybe six foot. And he was bulkier. He was carrying a hold-all and a machete.’
‘You said a machete?’
‘A big blade, anyway. Fat and curved. The bag looked heavy; bottles clinked when he put it in the boot. He then jogged round to the passenger’s side and – ’ Ryan’s eyes widened. ‘I got it on film! As they pulled away.’
‘Sorry?’
‘I filmed them driving off!’
‘On your phone?’
‘Yes.’
‘Can I see?’
Ryan produced it from his pocket, brought the footage up and passed the device over.
PC Scott eagerly studied the clip. ‘Can I borrow this for a minute?’
‘Of course.’
The officer climbed swiftly out of the car. ‘Sarge? We’ve got the car on – ’
The door slammed shut and Ryan was alone again.
He realised his fingers were trembling. This was crazy. I need to mention the bloody photos! He thought about the images he’d taken. They were probably of no use to the police. Why bother?
The windows were starting to steam up; he cleared a circle to see through. PC Scott was showing the footage to several colleagues. The sergeant was already on his radio. I’ve given them the useful stuff, Ryan thought. Surely?
PC Scott was heading back towards the car. The door clicked open and he retook his seat. ‘That’s really useful, thanks.’ He handed the phone back, along with a slip of paper. ‘Can you WhatsApp that to the number written there?’
‘Sure.’ Ryan sent the file on its way.
‘You got footage of them driving off. Then what?’
Ryan peered back towards the convenience store, gathering his thoughts. An image of the man stretched out on the floor filled his head. The glistening pool of blood. Tell him about the pictures. You have to. He rubbed at his forehead with the tips of his fingers. Two people in suits were now ducking beneath the police tape. One male, somewhere in his forties. Chunky, but not fat. The other was female, probably a decade younger. She had light brown hair tied back in a ponytail. They walked up to the uniformed officers outside the shop.
‘I realise this must be hard,’ the constable said. ‘Take your time.’
This is a tricky one – if I mention the idea which sparked the novel, it will give the entire plot away. As ever, I’m interested in privacy and how our personal details can so easily fall into the wrong hands. (It’s something I explored in my novel, Loose Tongues where women are being found dead in their homes, each with her mobile phone forced down her throat.)
In Midnight Rambler, we have a young graduate as the main character. Something else that interests me is that hazy time between adolescence and the adult world. With so many things to navigate – work, where to live, relationships – it’s not an easy time. Aspiring photographer, Ryan Lamb is at that stage and, as a result, is vulnerable. This is what a mysterious presence picks up on, and soon Ryan has been manipulated into an increasingly dangerous game of cat and mouse. Keen to keep profiting from the success of his images, but haunted by the question of where his tip-offs are coming from, he doesn’t know what to do. His dilemma is worsened by the police not trusting him: so, when things start to get truly disturbing, he can’t rely on grabbing his phone and calling for help. I suppose, it’s a ‘coming of age’ story – but one with quite a bit of blood!
“As always, well plotted, well written and engrossing.”Amazon Reader Review
“There is absolutely nothing to dislike, the characters are believable and the story is great. I couldn’t put it down.”Amazon Reader Review
“As usual Chris Simms never fails to entertain with another of his Manchester based crime novels. The characters are well written and story keeps you guessing from start to end.”Amazon Reader Review
“I found that I had to keep reading. I was hooked and read it in a couple of days. Loved the story and the characters. Brilliant.”Amazon Reader Review
“If you like a gripping read you will enjoy this gritty crime drama based around Manchester. I would also advise you to take a look at the other books available on here by the same author.”Amazon Reader Review
Outside the White LinesDon’t drive at night. Don’t drive alone. And if you do break down, don’t open the door to anyone even if you believe they’re there to help you.
Pecking OrderRubble lives in a caravan and works on a battery farm. Totally oblivious to the outside world, he spends his days disposing of the sick and injured hens.
The Night WatchmanAn ex-Royal Marine finds himself up against some of Manchester’s most ruthless criminals.