it
that way. Have you made any public threats against Jones?”
“I’ve only said the
same as everyone else in my area’s been saying for years, that he needs his
balls cut off and put in his mouth.”
Harlan frowned
thoughtfully. “With Jones being so widely hated, there won’t be any shortage of
suspects for an attack on him.”
“Yeah and you don’t
have to worry about anyone saying anything to the coppers. They’d all be too
busy celebrating if the bastard got killed.”
Harlan looked hard at
Susan. “No one’s going to get killed.”
Her bitter blue eyes
returned his gaze with a sudden flash of hatred so intense he involuntarily
winced. “Not deliberately, but as we both know sometimes things happen that we
don’t intend to happen.”
A sense of immobility
spread through Harlan’s body like an injection of cement. Lumps stood out at
the corners of his jaw where his teeth locked together. When he spoke his voice
had a hoarse, hollow sound. “After I do this, the police are going to come
straight to your door. So you’ve got to make sure you and your boyfriend have
got solid alibis.”
“Neil works at the
hospital from six until six every night except Sunday.”
“That’s good. Have you
got a mobile phone?”
“Yes.”
“Give me your number.”
As Susan told Harlan her number, he punched it into his phone. “I’ll call you
and let you know when I’m gonna do it. Whatever you do, don’t come here again.”
“I won’t.”
A moment of silence
passed between Susan and Harlan. She continued to look at him, her expression
bouncing back and forth between anger, hate, fear and desperate hope so rapidly
it made his head reel. Blinking from her gaze, he motioned towards the door.
With a strange hesitating reluctance, she headed into the hallway. She turned
suddenly and gripped Harlan’s wrist with her cold, damp hand. All that was left
in her eyes was the agony of a mother fearing for her child. “I’m not stupid. I
know that the chances are Ethan’s dead. But I’ve got to believe he’s still
alive. And even if–” Her voice caught in her throat. Swallowing her pain, she
continued, “Even if he’s not, I still want him back.”
“You realise it could take
years to find him.”
“I don’t care how long
it takes. The moment Ethan went missing my life stopped. Since then time has
had no meaning.” Susan’s nails dug into Harlan like thorns. “Just get my little
boy back for me.”
“I’ll try.”
Susan shook her head frantically.
“Don’t try. Do it. Do whatever it takes.”
“I…” Harlan’s tongue
could barely force the words out through his teeth. “I will.”
“Promise me.”
“I promise. Whatever it
takes, however long it takes, I’ll find Ethan.” As Harlan spoke, a sick feeling
settled in his stomach. It was madness to make such a promise. A life of
fruitless searching or a long jail sentence, as far as he could see those were
the most likely outcomes of his words, but even so his conscience compelled him
to say them.
A little of the tension
left Susan’s face. She released Harlan’s arm, and with a seemingly unconscious
movement, wiped her palm on her coat as if she’d touched something dirty.
Harlan opened the front
door and poked his head out, glancing in both directions. When he was certain
there was no one lurking about, he said, “Put your hood up and keep it up until
you’re off the estate.”
Susan pulled up her
hood. “When will you call?”
“Soon.”
Harlan watched Susan get
into the lift, before shutting the door. He moved to gaze out the window again.
She emerged from the tower-block and hurried, head down, across the car-park.
Harlan scanned the streets for anyone who appeared to be watching her. There
was no one. When Susan disappeared from sight, he lifted his gaze to the
heavy-bellied clouds. He had his chance, but it was as thin as a razor blade.
An all-or-nothing chance that would either allow him to retrieve his
that way. Have you made any public threats against Jones?”
“I’ve only said the
same as everyone else in my area’s been saying for years, that he needs his
balls cut off and put in his mouth.”
Harlan frowned
thoughtfully. “With Jones being so widely hated, there won’t be any shortage of
suspects for an attack on him.”
“Yeah and you don’t
have to worry about anyone saying anything to the coppers. They’d all be too
busy celebrating if the bastard got killed.”
Harlan looked hard at
Susan. “No one’s going to get killed.”
Her bitter blue eyes
returned his gaze with a sudden flash of hatred so intense he involuntarily
winced. “Not deliberately, but as we both know sometimes things happen that we
don’t intend to happen.”
A sense of immobility
spread through Harlan’s body like an injection of cement. Lumps stood out at
the corners of his jaw where his teeth locked together. When he spoke his voice
had a hoarse, hollow sound. “After I do this, the police are going to come
straight to your door. So you’ve got to make sure you and your boyfriend have
got solid alibis.”
“Neil works at the
hospital from six until six every night except Sunday.”
“That’s good. Have you
got a mobile phone?”
“Yes.”
“Give me your number.”
As Susan told Harlan her number, he punched it into his phone. “I’ll call you
and let you know when I’m gonna do it. Whatever you do, don’t come here again.”
“I won’t.”
A moment of silence
passed between Susan and Harlan. She continued to look at him, her expression
bouncing back and forth between anger, hate, fear and desperate hope so rapidly
it made his head reel. Blinking from her gaze, he motioned towards the door.
With a strange hesitating reluctance, she headed into the hallway. She turned
suddenly and gripped Harlan’s wrist with her cold, damp hand. All that was left
in her eyes was the agony of a mother fearing for her child. “I’m not stupid. I
know that the chances are Ethan’s dead. But I’ve got to believe he’s still
alive. And even if–” Her voice caught in her throat. Swallowing her pain, she
continued, “Even if he’s not, I still want him back.”
“You realise it could take
years to find him.”
“I don’t care how long
it takes. The moment Ethan went missing my life stopped. Since then time has
had no meaning.” Susan’s nails dug into Harlan like thorns. “Just get my little
boy back for me.”
“I’ll try.”
Susan shook her head frantically.
“Don’t try. Do it. Do whatever it takes.”
“I…” Harlan’s tongue
could barely force the words out through his teeth. “I will.”
“Promise me.”
“I promise. Whatever it
takes, however long it takes, I’ll find Ethan.” As Harlan spoke, a sick feeling
settled in his stomach. It was madness to make such a promise. A life of
fruitless searching or a long jail sentence, as far as he could see those were
the most likely outcomes of his words, but even so his conscience compelled him
to say them.
A little of the tension
left Susan’s face. She released Harlan’s arm, and with a seemingly unconscious
movement, wiped her palm on her coat as if she’d touched something dirty.
Harlan opened the front
door and poked his head out, glancing in both directions. When he was certain
there was no one lurking about, he said, “Put your hood up and keep it up until
you’re off the estate.”
Susan pulled up her
hood. “When will you call?”
“Soon.”
Harlan watched Susan get
into the lift, before shutting the door. He moved to gaze out the window again.
She emerged from the tower-block and hurried, head down, across the car-park.
Harlan scanned the streets for anyone who appeared to be watching her. There
was no one. When Susan disappeared from sight, he lifted his gaze to the
heavy-bellied clouds. He had his chance, but it was as thin as a razor blade.
An all-or-nothing chance that would either allow him to retrieve his
Similar Books
