Gods and Monsters

IX

Harkness Household - Barnet, London 

Peggy's head hurt.

She blinked slowly as the world came back into focus, but she could see no sign of Ella. In fact, there was no sign of Ella's parents either, the kitchen now completely spotless. Attempting to stand, Peggy found herself pulled back, her hands tied to the chair.

Eugene entered the room, slicking his dark, greasy hair back on his head as he held Nick's pistol in his other hand. "I've got to give it to you, Peggy," the Scotsman said, his voice aggressive and malevolent, "I didn't think you'd have the balls to come here and kill me."

Peggy wanted to say something imposing to Eugene, something to strike fear into whatever he had instead of a heart. Instead, she came out with cliché's. "Give up, Eugene. You can still do the right thing here. Let the girl go."

He laughed so hard at this saliva began dripping down the outside of his mouth. "Oh Peggy, sweet little Peggy. I thought you were better than that. You know, they had such high hopes for you."

"Who did?"

Another twisted smile spread across Eugene's face, "Never you mind, detective. Never you mind.

Behind her, Peggy slowly began grinding her wrists into her restraints. She could feel her skin being pulled and scratched away but it was her only chance of getting out of here alive. She couldn't help but think of the others, wishing she had been straight with them about coming here to confront Eugene. She was way over her head now.

"So, tell me, Peggy," Eugene said as he placed Nick's pistol on the kitchen counter, producing his own from a pocket inside his long leather jacket, "Where's our mutual friend Mr Quinn. I'm surprised he sent you here all by yourself."

"He didn't send me," Peggy spat, her wrist grinding growing evermore furious by the minute.

Eugene stopped as she said this. "Oh, no. Oh, no, he didn't send you alone, did he? I bet he's waiting outside, waiting for some sort of signal for him to come storming in here. You know, he has a habit of this."

"Charlie's not here, but if you don't let me go in the next five minutes the entire house is going to be surrounded by armed police," Peggy lied.

The Scotsman continued as if he hadn't heard one word that Peggy had just said, "He used to work with this other girl, before you of course. Her name alludes me now; Sarah maybe? Anyhow, a couple of years back, those two had been chasing me all over the globe when we ended up in Ireland. God, I hated that place."

Looking down at the floor, Peggy tried to ignore Eugene and focus on freeing herself. Noticing her, Eugene stormed over, yanking her head up to his with his coarse hands. Their faces were inches apart now and she could feel Eugene's hot, heavy breath enclose around her face. "Listen to me when I'm speaking, Peggy," he whispered.

Then, suddenly, Eugene leapt up, bounding across to the other side of the room as he propped himself up on the counter, returning to his story. "Aye, Charlie and the girl had tracked me to some dive in Ireland where I was making friends. Now, bear in mind how much Charlie detested me, how much he hated even the mention of my name. But what does he do? He sends the girl in first. Aye, I cannae believe it either." Eugene laughed now, the same sick, twisted smile he wore in the picture with Yates. "Gosh, the fun I had with her."

"You're lying!" Peggy cried out, desperate to break free so she could throttle him.

But Eugene continued to smile, unfazed by Peggy's reaction, "Maybe I am. Maybe I'm not. But, if what I said put even the slightest bit of doubt in your mind, well, what does that say about Charlie as a friend? Fancy some coffee?"