Gods and Monsters

VII

Harkness Household -  Barnet, London

The 1950s house looked remarkably ordinary for the home of someone who could potentially bend reality to their will. Set back from the road, the house backed on to a large farmers field, a good while away from the nearest neighbours. Peggy walked up the long, narrow driveway which lead to the front of the house, the pale moon her only source of light.

As she approached the house, Peggy could make out that lights were on inside, although exactly what was going on was unclear with the curtains drawn. Only one family hatchback was outside, although Eugene could have left his car nearby as she herself had done.

Standing in front of the door, Peggy froze. What had she gotten herself into? Had she seriously thought that she could just waltz in and kill Eugene saving the family all by herself? Then again, there had to be a reason why Frank had come to her and her alone, right?

Peggy was quickly shaken from her thoughts as what sounded like a gunshot echoed from behind the door before silence again. Slowly, Peggy knelt down slightly, lifting open the letterbox to see if she could get a look at what was happening inside. The hallway was empty besides a pair of children's shoes left next to the stairs.

"Armed police!" Peggy shouted, "We have the place surrounded. Step outside with your hands above your head!" Instantly, Peggy realised how naïve she had been. Eugene McDonald wasn't an ordinary criminal. He was a sick, twisted man who certainly wasn't going to listen to a single police officer, no matter the threat.

Time was ticking now and Peggy needed to act fast. Producing a bobby pin from her jacket pocket, she began working on the lock. As Nick had once told her, if you spend enough time around criminals each day you pick up a few habits here and there.

Another gunshot.

Peggy was working as fast as she possibly could, desperate to get inside despite the uncertainty that lay ahead. A few more seconds passed leading Peggy's mind to wonder what could be going on behind the wooden door; what could be happening to that little girl. The door clicked and Peggy was in.

She drew Nick's pistol and slowly walked down the hallway, peering in at the living room as she moved past. The television was still on, an animated children's film playing with a happy bunny chasing after his friend the bird. Peggy longed for the simplicity of childhood innocence, but feared that whatever happened here tonight, young Ella Harkness would likely lose any of that sweet, innocent naivety.

The door at the end of the hallway lead to the kitchen from what Peggy could tell. It was shut, but she couldn't wait any longer coming up with tactics or shouting through in the hopes Eugene might have a change of heart. She lifted her foot and crashed it into the door just as Charlie had done at Tim Brosnan's farm the other week.

In the centre of the kitchen was Mr and Mrs Harkness, their bodies tied to kitchen chairs but limp, thin trails of blood meandering down the creases of their face from the identical bullet holes in their heads. Opposite them, another chair with young Ella Harkness sitting bolt upright. Her face was pale and her mouth gagged, but she was alive. Speckles of blood were dotted across Ella's face, although Peggy couldn't tell if they came from the child herself or whether it was just the spatter from her parents brains.

Beneath the gag, Ella attempted to speak, unable to form any proper words with the white cloth between her teeth. Peggy moved closer, lowering her gun as she attempted to untie the knot around the back of Ella's head.

The cloth finally fell to the ground and Ella was free to speak, but what she said sent a cold shiver down Peggy's spine.

"Behind you," Ella whispered.

Peggy collapsed to the floor as the grip of a pistol came crashing down on the back of her head. The cloth was quickly picked up off the floor and shoved hard into Ella's mouth, silencing her again. Eugene stood over the detective, a menacing smile stuck to his face.

"Detective Parker. We meet at last." 

Continued in Part 8...

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