As Stephanie spilled out the name of her rapist, Gina felt her stomach churn. All this time, he had been right there, laughing at them. Not any more. She was going to make an arrest and then she was going for Ronald Halshaw.
Sixty-Five
I pace. Lanky should have come and now he will pay the price, especially after letting Stephanie get away. He had one job and he’d be free of me, not now. Everything was going to pot, Stephanie was the loose end in all this and she was gone, gone!
I check my watch, still no word. Being late and turning his phone off, wasn’t on. I slam my hand on the doorframe and it crumbles away, just like my life is about to if I don’t clean up this mess quickly. He compromised everything and when he gets here, he’ll pay. I open the door and peer in at Susan’s emaciated frame, her head jerking slightly as she drifts in and out of consciousness. ‘I told you I’d make it painful.’ She was all but gone.
‘I couldn’t get away,’ Lanky said as he scurried past what used to be the old pool table, dodging the pieces of wall that had fallen in over the years. Lanky, that had been his nickname all those years ago. Taller than most of us and skinny with it, not so much now. He’d evened out. I could snap him in two now, just like I did with the pool cue all those years ago. ‘Give me the photo.’
Grabbing him by the collar, I hold a knife to his throat. ‘You think it would be that easy? Feel it, cold and sharp. I’d love to slice you up and after what you did you’d deserve it, wouldn’t you?’
Lanky began to tremble, flinching with every movement. He’d stuffed up and he knew it. I don’t allow stuff ups when my liberty is at risk.
I stare at the glint on the knife. I never used knives to get what I wanted before all this, I preferred good old manipulation and blackmail but Lanky deserves this. Why did he suffer no consequences of past mistakes? His cousin had lived a good life, in his hometown. A respected, hard-working family man. I had to hide just in case my world came tumbling down around me.
‘I deserve everything that happens. Do it!’ Too right, he does. Lanky pulls the knife closer to his throat and a trickle of blood drizzles down his chin. ‘I can’t live like this any more. The truth will come out, you know. You made me do it.’
‘I made you do it. I made you do your sick little thing, did I? From where I was standing all those years ago, I didn’t make you do jack. You’re just like me and you know it.’
‘You’re right, I am like you and I can’t go on. It’s killing me, keeping up the pretence.’
A whimper came from behind the door.
‘I think it’s about time Susie saw you for exactly who you are. Shall we tell her everything, Cuz?’
His lanky cousin hyperventilates as he drags him through the glass and the debris through the first door, then the second. ‘No, please don’t do this. Not Susan, leave her out of this. She doesn’t need to know.’
‘Oh, but she does. You thought it was all in the past, didn’t you? That what you did had been forgotten, that it was all over as you indulged in your cosy little life. I know who you are, not like them.’
‘I’m not that person. I made a mistake.’
‘There’s a difference between making a mistake and owning it rather than regretting something only when you think you might get caught. I thought I could count on you, now it seems I can’t. You’ve passed your use-by date. I no longer need you and you failed in your mission.’
I want to grin but I can’t. I trusted him and he stuffed up and as promised, his secret will come out. As I unlock the last door I push him in. Phoebe still sleeps, my little sleeping beauty. A fitting replacement for my loss. ‘Tell little Susie what you did. Don’t spare the details.’
‘Please don’t hurt the child.’
‘Look at Susie, that’s what you need to do, right now.’ I grab his hair, wrenching his head up and he blubbers out his secrets, begging her for forgiveness, I push the knife to his throat with a smile on my face.
‘Goodbye, cousin.’
Susan’s eyes fill up, too exhausted to struggle. She knows everything now and that makes me happy.
I grin at her, all dirty and damp, her filth and sweat filling my nostrils. I check my watch again. Stephanie will blab, I know she will. There’s no way back from all this, I know that now.
A manic smile spreads across my face as I stare at Susie. ‘Now you know the truth, you can die with it. I have my girl and I’ll take good care of her, I promise.’ With a last jolt of energy, Susan wrenches her binds. I kick the rat away and pinch her cheek. I pull out a piece of red liquorice and lay it next to Phoebe. Kids love it. She will too. I feel Susan’s pulse and its faint. ‘Not long now, don’t fight it.’ I pick the rope up and flex it, maybe I will finish her off. Letting nature take its course is so overrated.
Sixty-Six
‘Detective? Detective? Can you tell us anything about Susan Wheeler? Have you found her? What about Phoebe Wheeler? That has to be more than a coincidence. A missing child, dogs searching the same area that Dale Blair’s body was found. Should the public be scared?’ Lyndsey Saunders stood in front of Mary’s drive, holding a recorder up to Gina’s face. Two squad cars pulled up and PC Kapoor got out of one car.
‘Have you caught Dale Blair’s killer yet? What about the missing child?’ another journalist called out. Kapoor pushed him out of the way, knocking his microphone. ‘Hey, don’t touch my equipment.’
‘Get out of the way then,’ Gina called back.
The journalist began banging his microphone on his hand as a sound technician fiddled with his recorder. Gina strode to the door and knocked, Jacob following closely behind.
‘Is it true you have someone in custody?’ Lyndsey called out.
