AVENGE

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE - IMOGEN LEBUTT

43.

IMOGEN LEBUTT

Joy had a large smile on her face as she attempted to grab hold of the diecast toy car that her mother had pushed towards her. As she grabbed it the vehicle moved, surprising her, and her arm slipped outwards. She ended up flat on her tummy again.

Imogen laughed. "Oh, Joy. Try this." She pushed the doll that Oscar had given her closer.

Joy grabbed hold of that and attempted to eat it again.

Imogen ruffled Joy's hair and then kissed the top of her head. I love you so much, she thought. Imogen looked up at the sound of her phone ringing. Should I put her in her playpen, she thought. No. I won't be long. She got up and fetched the phone from her bedroom.

"Hello," she said as she sat back next to Joy on the floor.

'Are you alone?'

"Who is this?"

'Eclipse.'

The joy on Imogen's face vanished.

'Are you alone?'

"Just me and my baby."

'Okay. Oscar Tomkins is at the top of your building. He is mending the lift. Give him a hug then jump down the shaft, taking him with you.' The call ended.

Imogen stood up and walked towards the front door. She opened it and walked out, leaving the door wide open. She was on the fourth floor and slowly started climbing the stairs going up and up until she reached the fifteenth floor. Only the roof was higher than this. Oscar was working on the motor unit at the top of the shaft. The carriage was all the way at the bottom.

Oscar saw her coming and smiled before climbing back out of the shaft and unhooking himself from the safety line. He took a couple of steps towards Imogen with his arms out in a wide embrace. "Imogen. What are you doing up here?"

Imogen didn't answer. She kept walking towards him.

"I'll be down in half-an-hour. This damn lift has stopped working again. Although, this time I think it has been vandalised."

Imogen continued her slow advance towards him.

"Imogen. Is there something wrong?" His step faltered slightly. He'd noticed Imogen's blank expression.

She continued her slow advance towards him.

"Have I done something wrong?" Oscar had stopped walking.

Imogen's arms opened wide as she closed in on him.

Oscar's arms had dropped to his side, but he lifted them again at the sight of Imogen's anticipated hug.

Imogen wrapped her arms around Oscar, and he responded in kind.

"Are you all right?" he asked again. He could feel there was something wrong.

Suddenly, with surprising strength that Oscar didn't know she had, Imogen lifted him up from within her hug.

Oscar whimpered from the pressure on his ribs. "That hurts, Imogen. Stop it. Ow!" How is she doing this, he thought.

Imogen moved towards the open lift shaft.

"Stop, Imogen." Oscar had managed to turn his head enough to see where they were heading. "Imogen. The doors are open. We'll fall. Imogen!" Oscar was trying to prise her arms apart but she had him in an iron-like grip.

She speeded up, heading straight for the open shaft and Oscar screamed out.

"Help! Someone! Imogen! Stop!"

They went over the edge and Imogen kept her grip on him all the way down. Imogen remained silent but Oscar was screaming, with terror, all the way down until their bodies hit the roof of the carriage.

Oscar's screams were silenced instantly as both their bodies broke on impact. They died in what seemed like a lovers embrace.

A few doors opened on multiple floors to see what the noise was.

On the fourth floor, Joy had made it to the open front door and was starting to crawl out when a neighbour spotted her and walked over.

"Imogen," she called. "Imogen. Your baby's outside." The lady picked Joy up and stuck her head in Imogen's apartment. "Miss LeButt. Are you okay? I'm coming in." The lady entered Imogen's apartment to search for her.

"Imogen. You shouldn't leave your door open. Joy was out on the landing. Imogen."

The lady walked back out of the apartment still holding Joy. Two more neighbours were out on the landing.

"What's going on out here? Did you hear something?" asked the man from down the landing.

"I heard something and found Imogen's baby crawling on the landing. But there's no sign of her."

Then a scream came from below them. They moved over to the rail and looked down.

"Oh my god," said the lady.

"I'll call for an ambulance," said the man. He pulled his phone from his pocket and dialled 999.

Outside, a blue Volvo moved away from the Hollycroft Heights car park.