Every Second Counts

Epilog

MAGGIE BANCROFT STORMS into my apartment, eyes blazing, shouting, 'What happened? You had something to do with his death, didn't you?'

I can't believe this is happening again. Someone else thinks they've got the right to waltz into my own space without an invitation. Scaring me half to death!

I'm up on my feet in less time it takes to say, 'What? What are you doing, here?' just as Floppy leaps and attacks her.

'Floppy! Stop!' My command has my guard dog with bits of Maggie's woollen jersey stuck in her teeth, slithering to the ground in front of her feet.

'What the fuck?' Maggie splutters as she steps backwards in an effort to right herself, her eyes trained on my dog.

'I'm sorry about that,' and call Floppy to follow me. 'Come here, girl,' and I push her out into the hallway, shut the door on her and turn back to Maggie.

'Look, I know you were fond of him...' I start, not really knowing what to tell her.

She glances at my red hair momentarily then she says, 'He was helping me. Really helping me.' I'm confused and wonder if she's talking about Patrick.

I realise it doesn't matter whether she's referring to Houston or Patrick, they were both nasty pieces of work and they're both dead. I cover my bases and say, 'He was a very bad man.'

'A bad man? You don't know the half of it. I don't know how you did it, but you killed him. I know you did. I needed him desperately to help me and you killed him.'

I take a step toward her, 'Hey, let me explain.' And bloody hell, I have enough evidence in this apartment to show Maggie Bancroft just what debauched men both Patrick and Reuben were. She'll be changing her tune in just a few minutes. 'Just calm down and I'll...'

'You killed him. You fucked up piece of shit, you killed him,' Maggie shouts as she storms toward me her fists ready to strike me.

Fuck! My ribcage still hurts and I brace myself to take the pain of lifting my right leg and position myself to land a kick in Maggie's chest. Not hard. Just enough to let her know I mean business and she needs to calm down and listen to why the men in her life have been utterly vile human beings.

Within moments I realise my mistake. I should have given her all I had. Not been misled by any sense of loyalty because when my foot makes contact with Maggie's chest all that happens is she staggers backwards and her momentum stops when she backs up against my coffee table. Her face contorts. 'You've ruined everything. Don't you get it?'

Of course her words confuse me. 'Let's just calm down. You have to listen...'

'I don't think any words can sort this out.' Maggie whips her hand from behind her back and produces a gun. A fucking gun.

She aims it at me. Her hand shakes.

'What the fuck?' the words tumble out of my mouth. 'We can sort this. He was a terrible man.'

'You have no idea what you've just done,' she says. 'I should give you what you deserve,' but then she lowers her arm and hangs it by her side, her gun dangling downwards clenched tightly in her hand. 'I know Reuben Houston was a disgustingly bad man, why do you think I've got this baby?' she says gesturing to the gun in her hand. 'But he had something I need. I know you were getting dirt on Reuben for the deaths of your parents and I reckon...'

I cannot believe after the couple of days I've just had that my life is in danger again. I feel my temperature soaring. Is she a threat or just sounding out, but my instincts say I need to disarm her and just as I start to pivot toward her, the oddest thing happens.

She looks up over my head. 'Good,' she says, 'about time.'

Someone else is here? I've already started a forwards motion, my bunched up fist springing forward ready to give her one hell of a jab on her nose.

For a split second I see Maggie's expression change. Amid my forward motion, I start to turn to see if there really is someone behind me.

My head spins.

The muffled explosion of the gun firing.

The pain in my back is horrific.

I feel a motion. I'm falling. Forwards. I stagger, then I fall backwards.

OOMPH! My body hits the hard white tiles in my dining room. It's like I'm being crushed by the jaws of death. Then, all pain disappears and thoughts flit through my head at random. The liquid seeping out of the corner of my mouth is salty and sticky. It won't take too much for the Heslop's to clean it up, it'll pool onto the white tiles. Carter will win...everyone will win, they all told me to keep my nose out. My document, who will...?

Maggie comes into view. 'I'm sorry,' she tells me. 'None of this was meant to happen. It started when...and...I wanted...'

I try to understand what she's saying. But the words float, they don't seem to string together. Then I cough. I taste blood in my mouth, blood just like...

...and then the dining room goes dark. Maggie standing over me wavers and fades.

...and then everything goes dark.

...and then nothing.

Nothing at all.

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To be continued... 3rd Red Picasso psychological thriller – 'Reckless Pursuit'

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