Wasn’t itcompletelyunfair that—
The edge of the bed hit the back of his knee and that was it – both legs gave way.
No, no, no, no, no!
Andrew whirled his arms, arching his back, trying to get his balance back. Then gravity took over, thumping him down on the mattress hard enough to make the whole bed bounce. Not far. Just a fraction of an inch. But the bed’s metal feetclunkedagainst the carpet like a hammer.
An avalanche of stuffed toys tumbled to the floor.
The silence that followed was deadening.
Please no...
Oh Christing, buggering, no...
What if DS Davis heard that?
What if DS Davis decided to investigate?
What if DS Davis killedhimtoo?
Andrew wrenched himself off the bed and scurried on his tiptoes back to the door. Making no sound at all. Not evenbreathing. And pressed his ear to the wood.
Silence.
Natasha wasn’t crying any more. Might be unconscious? Or already dead.
Anrew bit his bottom lip.
Was that a creak?
Maybe it was a creak.
A footstep on the stairs?
And there was nowhere to hide.
The bed!
Hide under the bed...
Only the tiny gap wasn’t big enough to take him and his rucksack and it was only a single bed and the metal framewasn’t going to conceal much and all DS Davis would have to do is bend down and look and see him cowering there and he’d be trapped and Davis would drag him out and kick him to death on a kid’s bedroom floor surrounded by stupid stuffed fucking animals in this horrible lifeless house.
Andrew’s throat tightened.
Jaw quivering as tears threatened to break free.
Please...
Should’ve hidden in theotherbedroom – the one filled with boxes. But it was on the other side of the landing and how was he supposed to get there with all the lights on in the hall and DS Davis standing right there?
Oh God, oh God, oh God...
Andrew shifted his weight from one foot to the other, dithering, looking from the door to the curtains and back again.
Barricade the door?
No time.
