He heard a door to the study slam shut, followed by a deep grunt. William’s mind roared with the need to get out of the room, to help Edward and to prevent any more mistakes from happening.
“We’ve got two options. Either we can leave Hanbury behind,” Mike said, “no one has to know what you did, and my family’s past can stay where it should be left. No one has to know what my great-grandfather did. The world will continue as if the past never happened. Or you refuse and get the joy of spending the rest of days buried alongsideyourdark truth.”
“Who killed Teddy Jones?”
“Circumstance killed him.”
“Who. Killed. Teddy. Jones.”
Mike answered Edward, but his voice was too quiet for William to hear. Whatever answer he gave conjured a war cry out of Edward.
There was a struggle. Brief. Over before it ever really began.
A heavy thud landed against the door, followed by the tale-tell sign of a body sliding down wood. Heavy panting and broken, rasped breathing told William all he needed to know. Someone was hurt – and badly.
Neither man spoke again.
“Edward,” William shouted, trying key after key until the right one fit. “Edward, Edward,Edward! Answer me…”
Only silence replied, broken occasionally by a groan. When the lock finally clicked open, something wet splashed against William’s foot. Blood seeped in beneath the crack in the door, puddling and soaking beneath cracks in the wooden panels. It took considerable effort to push the door open, considering something weighty leaned against it.
Not once did he stop shouting for Edward; whose silence was louder than any scream William could release. But that all died as he saw the carnage outside the room.
Slumped in the precipice to the secret room, Mike Dean lay, bleeding out. The letter opener was jammed into his gut, blood-slick hands clutching at it, shaking so viciously he had no hope of freeing it. He was alive, for now, but that didn’t mean he saw anything beyond his own pain. Because as William walked around him, leaving bloodied footprints in his wake, Mike just stared through him, mumbling something beneath his rasped breath.
Edward was slumped against the desk, legs outstretched, his chest rising and falling rapidly. His eyes fluttered, barely able to stay open long enough to watch William come to kneel before him.
“What did you do?” William sobbed, clutching his jumper, wanting nothing more than to unleash his relief. “Talk to me. God, Edward, you scared me. You fucking scared me. Edward Jones, just say something!”
Edward simply smiled up at William, tired eyes glittering with an emotion William couldn’t place. Was it shared relief or the shock that came because he was still alive – something they both didn’t expect? “I’m okay now.”
“Really?” William barked as Mike Dean dribbled a mouthful of blood down his chin. “You look like shit.’
Edward sat up, leaning his weight into William, skin paler than fresh paper. “I feel like shit.”
“Never do that again,” William said, clutching him tight. “Never ever do that again. Do you understand me?”
Edward’s eyes fluttered closed and stayed like that for a beat too long. William released his grip and laid a hand on his cheek, glad to feel a pulse as his other hand searched for one. “You’re beautiful, do you know that?”
“That doesn’t answer my question,” William stammered, snot and tear blending to one as he hulked out a laugh. “Don’t try and distract me.”
Edward managed a smile, and this one shone through his eyes. “I’m just being honest.”
William sat down beside Edward, took his hand, and gently laid it upon his thigh. They both looked at Mike, whose skin was paling, his eyes barely opened.
“What do we do now?” William asked.
“Call the… police,” Edward said.
“May I remind you that you’ve juststabbedthe police.”
“Call them… tell them everything. Andrew Dean… killed Teddy. More bodies.” Edward was slipping in and out of consciousness. “The well–”
William clutched for Edward’s face, stopping it from falling to the side. His weak breath came out beyond a slack mouth. His skin was cold. Too cold. “You need to stay awake, just a little longer, okay?”
William had to leave Edward’s side, fetch his phone, and make the call. But he couldn’t leave his side, not for a minute, knowing that he couldn’t stay alert. After all, Mike was still alive. There was a small bit of a relief at that. At least, if this was over, Mike would get the chance to explain himself.
“Are you back… already?” Edward asked, lips curling upwards.
