back.”
“But you managed it,” said Jack.
“With pleasure,” said Reg.
“Got yourself in here, fooled everyone, then just … led him out into the snow to die.”
“Piece of cake,” said Reg. “Wasn’t the original plan, of course. I wanted it to hurt a bit more. But I thought — all that snow — nobody would ever know.”
“The perfect murder,” said Sarah.
“It would have been,” said Jack. “If it hadn’t been for Craig’s little drugs scam.”
“Ah,” said Reg, stubbing out his cigarette. “So, that’s what brought you back. I thought I’d got rid of you.”
She watched as Reg pushed back his chair and stood up. He smiled at her again — and the smile made her feel queasy.
“I should thank you really, for giving me a lift back from the pub the other day,” he said. “Very decent of you.”
Sarah wondered what was going to happen.
Jack stood looking immoveable by the back door, his nightstick steady. Craig sat with his hands between his knees looking scared.
“Course, I’m not quite as feeble as I look,” said Reg. “Not much to do in prison. Gotta work out, stay fit, isn’t that right, Jack?”
“You can’t get away,” said Jack.
But Reg didn’t seem to be listening. He turned to Craig: “So what’s it going to be, Craig me old son? Big city — or small time?”
“God. I don’t know, Reg,” said Craig, looking nervously at Jack.
“Don’t worry about him,” said Reg. “Ex-cop. Yank. Loser.”
Sarah looked at Jack. What was happening? Then—
“What in heaven’s name is going on in here?”
Sarah turned — it seemed everyone turned — to see Shirley Woods striding across the kitchen towards them.
“Smoking! Drinking! Craig — I want you in my office right now! And Reg, time you were back in your bed, my dear. Meanwhile, you two had better explain just—”
Sarah saw Shirley suddenly stop in her tracks, her mouth open wide — and for the second time that night everything happened fast.
She looked to her side — and Reg had pulled a butcher’s knife from a block by the cooker and was backing over to join Craig.
“Reg?” said Shirley. “That’s a very sharp knife, my dear …”
She took a few steps away, instinctively. She saw Jack do the same.
“Whoa, Reg,” said Jack. “Sure you want to do that?”
“Get the damn car warmed up,” said Reg to Craig.
Sarah could see that Craig was just as stunned as she was.
“Bright lights, big city, Craig …” said Reg, lifting Craig to his feet. “Move it. Back the car up here to the door.”
Reg slipped the catch of the back door and pushed the young carer out into the darkness.
“Reg Povey, put that knife down right now—” said Shirley Woods.
“Sorry, Sister, no can do,” said Reg, moving the knife in an arc which seemed to threaten all of them. “Now put your phones on the table, please.”
“Jack?” said Sarah.
She saw Jack shake his head to her and then reach into his pocket and put his phone on the table. She followed suit. Next to her, Shirley Woods did the same.
Through the kitchen windows Sarah saw the lights of Craig’s car as it backed up through the thick snow into the courtyard.
“It’s been special,” said Reg, slipping the phones into his pocket. “One thing though, Sister — the food here’s worse than prison and that takes some doing, I can tell ya.”
Sarah watched as he backed out through the door. She heard the car door slam, then the Subaru slid away through the snow and was gone.
She turned to Jack:
“What are we waiting for?” she said. “Let’s go after them!”
“All in good time,” said Jack, folding his nightstick away calmly. “Sister Woods — can we borrow your car?”
“On one condition,” she said. “You come straight back here and you tell me just what the hell is going on and what happened to my patient.”
“Deal,” said Jack politely.
“It’s the Corolla out front,” she said, handing Jack the keys. “Don’t
“But you managed it,” said Jack.
“With pleasure,” said Reg.
“Got yourself in here, fooled everyone, then just … led him out into the snow to die.”
“Piece of cake,” said Reg. “Wasn’t the original plan, of course. I wanted it to hurt a bit more. But I thought — all that snow — nobody would ever know.”
“The perfect murder,” said Sarah.
“It would have been,” said Jack. “If it hadn’t been for Craig’s little drugs scam.”
“Ah,” said Reg, stubbing out his cigarette. “So, that’s what brought you back. I thought I’d got rid of you.”
She watched as Reg pushed back his chair and stood up. He smiled at her again — and the smile made her feel queasy.
“I should thank you really, for giving me a lift back from the pub the other day,” he said. “Very decent of you.”
Sarah wondered what was going to happen.
Jack stood looking immoveable by the back door, his nightstick steady. Craig sat with his hands between his knees looking scared.
“Course, I’m not quite as feeble as I look,” said Reg. “Not much to do in prison. Gotta work out, stay fit, isn’t that right, Jack?”
“You can’t get away,” said Jack.
But Reg didn’t seem to be listening. He turned to Craig: “So what’s it going to be, Craig me old son? Big city — or small time?”
“God. I don’t know, Reg,” said Craig, looking nervously at Jack.
“Don’t worry about him,” said Reg. “Ex-cop. Yank. Loser.”
Sarah looked at Jack. What was happening? Then—
“What in heaven’s name is going on in here?”
Sarah turned — it seemed everyone turned — to see Shirley Woods striding across the kitchen towards them.
“Smoking! Drinking! Craig — I want you in my office right now! And Reg, time you were back in your bed, my dear. Meanwhile, you two had better explain just—”
Sarah saw Shirley suddenly stop in her tracks, her mouth open wide — and for the second time that night everything happened fast.
She looked to her side — and Reg had pulled a butcher’s knife from a block by the cooker and was backing over to join Craig.
“Reg?” said Shirley. “That’s a very sharp knife, my dear …”
She took a few steps away, instinctively. She saw Jack do the same.
“Whoa, Reg,” said Jack. “Sure you want to do that?”
“Get the damn car warmed up,” said Reg to Craig.
Sarah could see that Craig was just as stunned as she was.
“Bright lights, big city, Craig …” said Reg, lifting Craig to his feet. “Move it. Back the car up here to the door.”
Reg slipped the catch of the back door and pushed the young carer out into the darkness.
“Reg Povey, put that knife down right now—” said Shirley Woods.
“Sorry, Sister, no can do,” said Reg, moving the knife in an arc which seemed to threaten all of them. “Now put your phones on the table, please.”
“Jack?” said Sarah.
She saw Jack shake his head to her and then reach into his pocket and put his phone on the table. She followed suit. Next to her, Shirley Woods did the same.
Through the kitchen windows Sarah saw the lights of Craig’s car as it backed up through the thick snow into the courtyard.
“It’s been special,” said Reg, slipping the phones into his pocket. “One thing though, Sister — the food here’s worse than prison and that takes some doing, I can tell ya.”
Sarah watched as he backed out through the door. She heard the car door slam, then the Subaru slid away through the snow and was gone.
She turned to Jack:
“What are we waiting for?” she said. “Let’s go after them!”
“All in good time,” said Jack, folding his nightstick away calmly. “Sister Woods — can we borrow your car?”
“On one condition,” she said. “You come straight back here and you tell me just what the hell is going on and what happened to my patient.”
“Deal,” said Jack politely.
“It’s the Corolla out front,” she said, handing Jack the keys. “Don’t
Similar Books
