‘But you didn’t, you suggested that he do all those horrible things, didn’t you? I still have the scars. I remember the blood smearing over my arms and legs. You disgust me, Cherie. You! Now your husband and children will know just how evil you are. I have noted all the details of your torturous little rampage against me. Alex listened to you, he did everything you told him to do like some stupid puppy. You could have said,okay we shut her in a box, joke’s over. Let’s all go home, but no, that was just the start of the two hours that ruined me as you laughed and pitched in with suggestions on how to punish me more. I could see Penny wasn’t comfortable, but did she help? No, she just stood by and watched, just like my coward father did all those years ago.’ Lucy glanced back at Gina.
Cherie looked away. ‘I did all that, I did it.’
‘Are you ready to go?’ Lucy glanced back at her. ‘There’s nothing left for you, not now. Just like me, your life has been ruined too.’
Cherie let go of the rail and closed her eyes. Lucy took a deep breath.
‘Lucy, it doesn’t have to end like this. I heard everything and you wanted me to hear, didn’t you?’
Lucy began to rock back and forth against the railings.
Gina’s stomach jumped with every move. The mud had seeped through her tracksuit bottoms and they were now sticking to her knees and thighs, tightening as they dried a little. ‘You wanted me to know how you felt, didn’t you? That’s why you trapped me in a coffin. I felt the fear, the panic and, believe me, I’ve felt what it’s like to be humiliated and hurt. We can talk about this, Lucy. It stings, doesn’t it? There can be life after something so terrible and I’m sure when everyone knows what happened to you, the courts will be lenient.’ She hoped they would, but in reality Gina had no idea how sentencing would go down or how a jury would react to the case. At the end of the day, Lucy had murdered three people and was threatening to kill a fourth. ‘Please, Lucy. Let her go and step back over the railings, then we can talk about everything. I’m here to listen. You know me from the café. You know me better than I know you. I saw your room, in the attic. You didn’t want me to die, you wanted me to notice you and be there to listen. You chose me because you know I’d understand and all you wanted to do was remind me of what it was like. I’m sorry I’m late, but I’m here now.’
Lucy snatched a pair of scissors from her pocket and brought them up to Cherie’s chin.
The woman opened her eyes and flinched as the metal traced her neckline. Lucy swiftly brought the scissors down to the cord that bound them and snipped it in the middle. ‘You now have to live with the fact that everyone will know what you did; your husband, your friends, your neighbours, your poor children. At least they are no longer in danger from the likes of such a cruel, abusive person.’
‘I’d never hurt my children—’
‘Save it. I’m not listening. I’m now free to not have to listen to your bullshit. Before I change my mind, go. Go live with it. By the way, I sent a copy of my notebook to the press too. It should arrive in the post tomorrow and the world will know why.’ Lucy wiped away her tears with the arm of her coat. ‘You know something else, I’m done with crying.’
Cherie edged away but stopped.
‘What are you waiting for? Are you thinking of jumping? If I was you, I’d jump. Tempting, isn’t it?’ Lucy taunted.
As the wind began to howl, blowing the fine raindrops into Cherie’s face, she edged forward slightly.
Gina took another step. ‘Cherie, stop. You don’t want to do this.’
‘I think she does, Gina.’
Cherie’s bottom lip began to wobble. She sobbed as she went to climb over the railings. ‘I can’t.’
‘A coward to the end.’
As the woman cocked one leg over, her hand slipped. Gina stepped forward and grabbed her arm. ‘Come on.’
Lucy slid away from her.
‘Cherie Brown, I’m arresting you on suspicion of the attempted murder of Lucy Manders. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence.’ She glanced over to Jacob and waved him across. ‘I’ve arrested Mrs Brown. Please take her to the ambulance to be checked over and get her taken in for questioning.’
Gina took a step closer to Lucy. She knew that the charge may not stick due to the circumstances of the confession, but she’d work that one out later. ‘Let me help you, please step over the railings.’ Lucy held her hands out in front of her. She went to touch the railings but snatched her hand back out of the way.
‘I don’t know if I want help. You’ve done enough. Just make sure she pays for what she did, will you? Don’t let her walk.’
‘Please, Lucy—’
‘Please, Lucy,’ the woman mimicked. ‘That’s allshesaid, and the others.’ She paused and cocked her head to the side. ‘They were all so easy to lure to their death. Alex would turn up anywhere for a fix. Poor Penny thought Isaac was about to tell her about Marcus’s affair. There was no affair. Cherie thought I was Penny. Without question, they all turned up right where I needed them.’
Gina swallowed.
Lucy shook her head a couple of times. ‘Look, I’m sorry for what I put you through. Like I said, I needed you to know exactly how it felt. When you’re interviewing her, take that feeling and use it. That’s what she put me through all those years ago, then there was the torture. You know all about that, don’t you? I didn’t need to show you how that felt, not with what Terry did to you.’
A tremble began to form at Gina’s knees. She turned her head slightly. ‘I do, and it’s horrible, so horrible I wonder how I’m going to get through some days but somehow I do. You will too, Lucy.’ She paused as her dry mouth stopped her from continuing. ‘I can also tell you that you can live with what happened, you can get through this. Maybe you can even help others one day.’
‘I liked you when you came into my café and once I’d heard what happened to you, I knew you were the one. People like Terry, they deserve to die; that’s why I killed my father. He wasn’t the nice man he made himself out to be.’
Gina felt the pressure of needing to be alone so that all her own tears could escape. ‘Did he hurt you too?’
