Fatal Page 9

Again, Alice gasped.

  ‘Everything all right? Have I upset you?’

  Feeling the sun on her face and giving a tiny smile, Alice nodded as she spoke down the phone. Her heart raced as she spoke eagerly. ‘No. No, the opposite. I just didn’t know you were like me.’

  ‘Like you?’

  ‘That you believed.’

  ‘Oh, I do, Alice. I don’t know where I’d be without my belief. I’d be lost. You know, maybe … Oh, it doesn’t matter.’

  Suddenly feeling better than she had for the last few weeks, Alice urged Nico on. ‘No, please, finish what you were going to say.’

  ‘Okay, perhaps it’s silly but it sounds like we’ve both been through such a difficult time lately, so I thought it would be nice to say a prayer together.’

  Genuine delight and relief rushed through Alice as she fought back the tears. Speaking quickly, her words tumbled out of her mouth. ‘I’d like that, Nico, and you’re right, it’s been so hard, and I don’t feel I can talk to Dad at the moment, he’s so upset and won’t tell me anything. I don’t even know why we’re here. I don’t understand what’s going on. And what happened at the convent, I know that somehow it was my fault. I just know it … They were even calling my name, Nico. How did they know my name?’

  Nico purred out his words as he stood up and looked out of the tiny barred window of his prison cell. ‘Alice. Sweet, sweet Alice, try not to get upset. Maybe these people heard someone call your name. That nun you mentioned, perhaps she told them your name. It’ll be a simple explanation. You shouldn’t blame yourself.’

  Remembering her mother’s words, Alice chewed on her lip tentatively as a sinking feeling hit the pit of her stomach. ‘Really? You don’t think it’s because I’ve sinned that evil found me?’

  ‘Alice, it hasn’t found you yet, and trust me, when you see evil you’ll know it. It’ll peel your skin away, leaving only your flesh, and burn out your eyes. So no, Alice, evil hasn’t found you … yet.’

  Alice’s voice shook. ‘Thank you, Nico.’

  ‘For what?’

  ‘For listening. You’re so easy to talk to. You remind me so much of my friend, Isaiah. He was easy to talk to as well. I miss him.’

  ‘Well, that’s why we need to stay in touch, then you’ll have someone to talk to. I’m thinking maybe I should talk to your dad, find out what’s going on. Perhaps somehow I can help.’

  Standing up and crossing over the wide, empty road that stretched further than the eye could see, Alice walked away from the motel, making double sure no one would hear her. Even though she barely knew Nico, he felt like her saviour, like he had been sent to her.

  ‘Would you? Would you help me? Because I’m so worried about him. I just don’t know what to do and I love my dad so much.’

  ‘Of course. But I think it’ll probably be better if I can talk to him face-to-face. It sounds like he could do with a friend. Maybe you can tell me where you are and I can drive on up, sort whatever’s going on. Though it’s probably best not to tell him I’m coming. Your dad can be a proud man and sometimes he doesn’t always know what’s good for him. So, what do you say, Alice? You think it’s a good idea?’

  And without hesitation, Alice Rose, feeling at peace, began to give Nico the address.

  18

  Deep in thought, Franny Doyle tried to calm her nerves, standing outside the small liquor store on the isolated road. She’d asked Cabhan to wait in the car for her whilst she popped in to get a few groceries, but that was only half the story.

  Glancing towards the car parked a couple of hundred yards away, Franny’s heart pounded as she pulled her scarf up over her face, leaving only her eyes exposed. Tugging down her hoody and feeling more out of her comfort zone than she’d ever felt in her life, Franny, taking a deep breath and, knowing that this was the only way, pushed open the door.

  The bell above the store entrance rang as she edged in and made her way along the aisle, past the bottles of beer, past the cereal boxes and the giant packs of kitchen rolls, to the front of the store.

  From behind her scarf, Franny’s mouth became dry. Shit. A grey-haired man, bent double, shuffled out from the back room and, with a smile along with a soft Montana lilt, said, ‘Hey, ma’am, can I help you?’

  Of all the people she didn’t want it to be, an old man was right there at the top of her list. Hating herself, she slowly pulled Cabhan’s gun out of her pocket, all the time focusing on the reason she was going to such extreme measures: Alice.

  Stretching her arm out, she expertly pointed the gun level with the old man’s eyes.

  ‘Give me all your money. Give me whatever you’ve got in the till and what you’ve got in the safe. And whether you believe it or not, I will make sure I return all of it. Every single cent.’

  The old man’s stare locked with hers, contempt rather than fear pouring out of his eyes. ‘There ain’t nothing in the till, so you’ve had a wasted journey, ma’am.’

  ‘Show me … Go on. I said, show me!’ she repeated firmly, trying to keep her emotions in check.

  The man chewed on his gum, hostility oozing out of him. ‘And if I don’t, what then?’

  Knowing she was being tested, Franny, aware of time and realising that there couldn’t be any mistakes, snapped her reply. ‘Do yourself a favour, don’t ask questions because I don’t think you’d want to know the answer. Now, just give me the money and this can be over really quickly.’

  With his gaze on the gun, the old man tapped on the till, springing open the drawer. Inside were a number of ten- and twenty-dollar bills.

  ‘Give it to me! All of it. Hurry up!’

  Seeing the man was not going to cooperate, Franny, desperate to get out of there, leant across the counter and grabbed the cash. ‘Now, where’s the safe?’

  ‘We don’t have one.’

  Quickly clicking off the gun’s safety catch, Franny raised her voice, feeling agitation beginning to creep over her.

  ‘I haven’t got time for this, so just show me where the fucking safe is.’

  Full of hatred, the old man gestured with his head. ‘It’s through there.’

  Rushing behind the counter, Franny, her forehead covered with sweat, ran into the room, but as she did so she heard the door shut behind her. Panicked, she began to bang on the door as the old man hurriedly turned the key.

  ‘Open the door! Open it! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!’

  ‘Hello, 911? There’s a robbery taking place …’

  From the other side of the door, Franny could hear the old man on the phone. Angrily, she kicked the wall hard. Jesus, how had she been so stupid? It was a number-one schoolboy error. Her father had taught her so much better than this. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. What was she supposed to do now? More to the point, what were Alice and Cabhan supposed to do? She had let them down, big time.

  She hammered on the door again with the end of her gun, trying to make her voice sound hard and authoritative. ‘Let me out! You hear me? Let me out of this room.’

  In frustration, Franny twirled the chamber of the gun. Not one single bullet in it. She’d taken them out as a precaution, never intending to shoot anyone and never wanting to hurt anybody either. But now look, she was screwed and it was all her own doing.

  She fought back tears as the old man spoke to her through the door, a satisfied tone in his voice.

  ‘They’ll be here in a minute, lady, and then let’s see what you’ve got to say for yourself.’

  ‘Just open the door. You hear me! Please.’

  ‘Not so bold now, are we?’

  ‘Just let me go. This isn’t what it seems. I was never going to hurt you. I was desperate, that’s all.’

  ‘Tell that to somebody who cares.’

  With anxiety rushing through her and beads of sweat running down her face, Franny looked around the room. There was nothing. No window to climb out of, no chairs to break the door down, no sharp objects to prise the door open with, but then she stopped, her gaze going to the corner of the ro
om. There was one thing that she did see. In the corner there was the safe. A mechanical dial safe. One of the first ones her father had taught her to crack.

  Rushing across to it, Franny did what her father had always taught her – make use of any time, whatever the situation.

  Hurriedly bending down, Franny pressed her ear against the safe and began to turn the dial slowly to listen, trying to determine the contact point of the lock, hoping to hear the lever make its connection with the notch … She gasped. There it was, the small click that would allow her to work out which numbers on the dial face corresponded to the left and right.

  Putting her finger in her ear to block out the old man’s shouts, Franny continued to work on the combination, each time starting the process from a different position before skilfully turning the dial to the left, then to the right, listening and pausing, mentally remembering the numbers as she re-engaged the dial cam, finding the point of zero.

  ‘… Ten years you’ll get for this. Don’t know who you think you are, coming into my goddamn shop.’

  Down the road, Cabhan sat in the car, checking his watch for the fourth time. He had no idea what was taking Franny so long. He glanced up and, not seeing anybody, decided to get out to see if Franny needed any help with the groceries.

  ‘Wait here, Alice, but make sure you keep the doors locked, you hear me? I’m just going to see if Franny needs any help. I’m going to get myself a Dr Pepper. You want anything?’

  Giving a small smile, Alice sleepily shook her head before drifting off again.

  Walking to the store along the dusty road, keeping the car in sight, Cabhan was grateful to get out of the Montana heat. He opened the door, heard the bell ring and immediately was greeted by an old man, waving frantically and shuffling over.

  ‘I’ve called the police. The cops are on their way.’

  Not understanding, Cabhan frowned. ‘Cops?’

  ‘Yes, sir, we got a robbery in here. Ain’t the first time and I doubt it’ll be the last time. Anyway, I got them locked in there. Hopefully, the police will be here any moment now.’

  Concerned, Cabhan looked towards the door then back at the man. ‘Are you okay?’

  ‘Yeah, she had a gun but—’

  Cabhan cut in. ‘She?’

  ‘Yes, sir, probably a crackhead taking a chance. You wouldn’t believe the kind of folk you get out here.’

  Tentatively, Cabhan walked towards the door as the old man called after him, ‘I wouldn’t do that, sir. Like I say, she got a gun. Don’t think she’ll use it though, but you never know, desperate is as desperate does.’ The old man stopped to take a breath before raising his voice, shouting furiously, ‘Think it’s okay to go around scaring folk, do you? Well, let me tell you something, I’m going to make sure you pay for this.’

  ‘Just let me out!’

  Startled at the familiar voice, Cabhan’s thoughts began to race. He glanced at the man, who was staring at him. ‘How long did the cops say they’ll be?’

  The man hobbled towards Cabhan, adjusting his hearing aid. ‘They didn’t. Round here it could take hours, but then again, they could be pulling up now. But it took the cops over two hours to get to Mrs Jones from—’

  Cabhan interrupted, not wanting to hear any more. ‘Are you sure it’s a good idea to keep her in there? What if she has an accomplice waiting nearby and they decide to come looking for her? What then? Maybe you should just let her go.’

  For a moment the man looked worried, but quickly his resolve returned as he heaved from underneath the counter a shotgun, dropped two bullets into it and snapped it closed.

  ‘Nope, I’m not going to let these scumbags from the city get away with it. Round these parts you’ve got to look out for each other. Anyone else comes, they’ll have me to worry about.’

  Panicked, Cabhan tried to think quickly. ‘Okay, well, maybe, maybe we should look outside, make sure there isn’t anyone there. Why don’t you go and I’ll wait here? Make sure she doesn’t get out.’

  The man looked at Cabhan strangely, uncertainty coming into his eyes. ‘I know that’s an Irish accent you’ve got there, but you’re not from around these parts, are you?’

  Picking up on the man’s unease, Cabhan tried to reassure him whilst glancing out of the shop window, desperate not to see a police car rolling up. ‘No, I’ve come up from New York. I’ve always fancied coming to see Montana and it hasn’t disappointed. I wouldn’t mind getting myself a cabin up in the mountains.’

  The man continued to stare, his fingers tightening around the gun.

  Trying again, Cabhan smiled to give himself an air of calm. ‘I’m here with my daughter. In fact, she’s in the car outside. Look.’ He walked towards the door and opened it up to the deserted street before pointing down the road to a sleeping Alice. ‘There she is, she’s fast asleep, but you can just see her.’

  The old man squinted towards the parked vehicle and on catching a glimpse of Alice, he visibly relaxed. Smiling, he shuffled over to the counter and picked up a packet of sweets with an image of a mountain printed on it. ‘Here, take this for her. Montana candy.’

  Cabhan narrowed his gaze, acutely aware that time wasn’t on their side, vaguely replying, ‘Is there such a thing?’

  The man cackled, his badly fitted false teeth dropping down from the roof of his mouth. Pushing them back up, he shook his head. ‘No, but it sounds good. These things were made in China, I think.’

  He paused, moving closer in to peer at the tiny writing on the back of the sweet packet. Unable to see in the dim light, he moved towards the window and placed the shotgun down on the counter.

  Without a moment’s hesitation, and seeing this could be his only chance, Cabhan jumped forward and grabbed the gun. Swivelling round, he pointed it at the man and spoke firmly, without malice. ‘I’m sorry, I really am, and don’t worry, I’m not going to hurt you if you do what I say, okay? I just need you to let her out.’

  The old man glanced from the gun to Cabhan. ‘How can you live with yourself?’

  ‘Please, just open it. I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t have to … I said, open it. Now!’

  Taking the bunch of keys out of his pocket, he threw them hard at Cabhan. ‘Keep telling yourself that you don’t have a choice. I hope you rot in hell.’

  Not answering, Cabhan rushed over to the door, unlocking it as quickly as he could. He swung it open and came face-to-face with Franny. The scarf was still pulled up over her face, but her eyes showed her shock.

  Angrily, Cabhan bellowed at Franny. ‘We need to get out of here! Let’s go!’ Then, turning to the old man, he gestured with the shotgun. ‘Get in. Get inside.’

  As the old man shuffled into the room, Cabhan threw a couple of bottles of water and a chocolate bar inside. ‘I’m sure the police will be here soon; you won’t be in there for long. You got your phone?’

  The man nodded, patting his pocket.

  ‘Good, and I’m sorry that I had to do this.’

  Then Cabhan pulled the door shut and locked it before turning to stare furiously at Franny. He hissed at her, ‘You’ve got a lot of explaining to do, but right now we’ve got to get the hell out of here.’

  19

  Half an hour later, driving past the creeks and gullies of Montana, down endlessly long back roads surrounded by flower-covered hillsides, Cabhan screamed at Franny, banging his fist on the dash. ‘Pull over! Pull the fuck over! Now!’

  From the back seat, Alice awoke, startled, and sat up. ‘What’s happening? What’s going on?’

  Turning around and annoyed at himself for not being able to hold onto his rage any longer, Cabhan smiled at his daughter, feeding her with a lie. ‘Sorry, sweetheart. I need Franny to pull over because I think we might’ve hit something.’

  Alice spun round, looking back at the road. ‘What do you think it was?’

  ‘Perhaps a deer. Look, you stay in the car. If we did hit something, I don’t want you to see anything that might upset you. Franny can come with
me, can’t you, Franny?’

  Without waiting for an answer, Cabhan jumped out of the car. After going round to the driver’s door, he pulled it open, grabbed Franny’s arm and hauled her out whilst keeping a fixed smile on his face for Alice’s benefit.

  Whispering under his breath and ignoring her half-hearted protests, he dragged Franny away. ‘Keep moving, you and I need to talk.’

  Underneath the achingly vast blue sky, Cabhan, well out of sight of Alice, pushed Franny against the trunk of a gnarled pine tree. ‘Come on then, tell me. Tell me what the hell you thought you were doing back there. Because now not only will the Russos be looking for us, but we’ll have the goddamn cops as well. It’s hardly a win-win situation, is it? Well done for that.’

  Furious with Cabhan’s attitude and still feeling guilty for her actions, Franny pushed him back, her beautiful face twisted in anger as her eyes darted back to the road, ever vigilant. ‘I was doing what you didn’t.’

  ‘Oh, really, and what was that, hey?’

  ‘What was needed to get out of here. You know as well as I do the Russos will be looking for us even as we speak. We need to get back to Essex, because at least there we might have a chance. Here, we’re just sitting targets. So I did what needed to be done.’

  ‘Without telling me?’

  Franny held Cabhan’s stare. ‘Yes, Cab, because I know what you would’ve said.’

  ‘That’s right, I would’ve said no, because from where I was standing all that you managed to achieve was needing my help to get you out of a situation that had gone very badly wrong.’

  Not fully meaning her words, but hurt and annoyed with herself for feeling so emotional, Franny pointed her finger accusingly at Cabhan.

  ‘Whatever, Cabhan. I know I was doing the right thing. So, no matter what you say or think, I was actually sorting out our problem instead of just sitting there feeling sorry for myself, which is what you’ve been doing for the past few weeks.’

  Incandescent with rage, Cabhan stepped towards her. ‘Seriously, that’s what you think I’ve been doing? Not grieving for all those kids who were murdered, not worried about Alice, not devastated about Ally, not terrified what the Russos will do next, but feeling sorry for myself. Well, fuck you, Fran, and your coldness, because some of us care.’