Before she could overanalyse her thoughts, she crept upstairs. She’d just have a quick look around to double-check he wasn’t there injured or ill, and then she’d go. That way she could leave safe in the knowledge that she’d tried to find him. At the top of the stairs she sensed there was something different. For one thing, it smelled better. There were a number of doors to choose from. Turning left she was careful to watch where she put her feet but up here were stripped boards and no smelly carpet. She pushed open a door and it creaked so loudly she almost shushed it. Her pulse picked up again. The room was dark so Nora put on the torch on her phone and shone it into the room. A bathroom. She was about toleave when she scanned the room with the torch a second time. It was a white suite and it was completely spotless. Something didn’t add up.
‘Stop!’ shouted someone downstairs.
Shit! thought Nora, dashing into the bathroom and locking the door. The window was boarded up and she realized she was now trapped.
‘Filth!’ shouted someone.
On the landing there was banging, more shouting, and the sound of lots of feet on the floorboards.
‘Help!’ yelled a familiar voice.
Her heart thumping, she opened the door a crack but the door was shoved wide open and Nora was thrown backwards as Bruce barged in and covered her in doggy kisses.
‘What the hell?’ She scrambled to her feet and grabbed Bruce’s lead, which was trailing behind him.
She peered out of the bathroom on to the landing to see the back of a large figure all in black who had pinned a scared-looking Jay to the wall.
What could she do? Thankfully Bruce didn’t give her a chance to think. He sprang at the black-clad figure, barking wildly. Nora held on tight to his lead.
‘Leave him alone or I’ll let my dog rip you to pieces.’ She hoped she sounded menacing enough.
‘Nora, thank goodness!’ said Jay as his assailant was distracted by the dog.
The black-clad figure spun around. ‘Nora?’
‘Benicio! Oh, thank goodness. Are you OK?’
‘What the hell are you doing here?’ he snapped.
Not quite the welcome she had been hoping for. ‘I wanted to check you were all right.’ It was good to see him, although her heart was still racing and she was a bit bewildered by the situation.
Benicio frowned hard at Nora, and at Bruce, who was straining on his lead.
‘Er, sorry. Excuse me,’ croaked Jay. Benicio still had his forearm across his throat. ‘Would you mind…’ Jay pointed at his neck.
‘Who the hell are you?’ he asked without loosening his hold.
‘I’m Jay. I’m a friend of Nora’s and that’s my dog.’
‘Oh crap,’ said Benicio, releasing Jay and pulling the hood off his head. Jay slunk around to stand next to Nora and took hold of Bruce’s lead. ‘So there’s no police?’ asked Benicio, scanning their faces.
Nora and Jay shook their heads.
Benicio took a couple of paces one way then strode back, agitation radiating from him. The look he was giving both of them was making Nora increasingly uneasy.
‘Deano!’ shouted Benicio, which made Bruce bark. There was no reply.
‘Who’s Deano?’ asked Nora.
‘He’s…’ Benicio stopped talking. His jaw was rigid. ‘It doesn’t matter. He’ll have run for it because, like me, he thought it was a police raid.’
‘There was someone who went through that door,’said Jay, pointing up the hall. ‘I think he assumed that Bruce was a police dog and—’
Benicio strode to the door and ripped it open. Bright light flooded the landing, closely followed by an earthy smell. ‘Deano!’ he called again. ‘Nope, he’s long gone.’ He slammed the door shut and spun around to stare at Nora.
Benicio always had a brooding look about him but right now he just looked cross. ‘Why are you here?’ he asked.
‘Like I said,’ she began. ‘I heard you were sleeping rough and I thought maybe I could help you so I asked around and that brought me here.’
