Page 69 of Natural-Born Cullers

Someone crouched by him a moment later.

“Raif.” It came so quietly off Simon. “The little girl, she’s Lucy… Voodoo Doll to Raif. The man in the bed, he’s Chase.”

The ruffle of a piece of paper came, and it forced Light to lift his head.

The drawing was all soft black scribbles. A butterfly was cut into pieces and stuffed into a woman’s hip as she lay on a settee, fingertips almost touching the floor.

The kid had talent, but it was a nightmare of a drawing.

“The Holly Blue Butterfly case,” said Simon. “Lucy’s mother was the fourth victim; Chase, the guy you just saw in the bed, on a ventilator… he was the last. The killer targeted Chase and Raif’s lover, Ash.” Quiet. “Your father and Martin targeted the killer.”

“To understand why I didn’t and wouldn’t take you, you need to meet a little girl called Lucy and dozens before her,” said Gray, again keeping this between him and Light as they sat in the café. “She’s six in a few months. She got caught up in my world just a few weeks ago….”

Lucy.

Gray had mentioned something about Lucy as they’d sat in the café. Before it blew up, before Brin—

Light screwed his eyes shut.

“Ash works at one of Jack’s garages so he can stay close to here.” Simon took the seat next to him. “Raif’s ex-MI6. He was the one to help me track you to the café before the bombing.”

Light tried to stop his shaking. Close… too bloody close. Everything came at his body from all directions, thrown back at him, all just another angle for the hurt to hunt him out.

“Jack, Gray…?” said Simon quietly. “They look after Ash, all of Chase’s care. Lucy’s.”

A hot chocolate nudged against his hand.

“Not all the cullers are Cath, Light. There’s good at your father’s core. And this… this is what the cullers, your father’s cullers, can… could bring to the table.”

Light stared down at the drink, went to say something but….

We get your father out first.

He pushed the drink away and got to his feet. As he turned, Gray stood leaning against the doorframe and even after this afternoon, concern was…

Still here for you, son.

Trying to bury his shaking, Light went over. “I need out of here.” He frowned. “Please?”

Gray didn’t look at him. “Ray. Home.” And that was all he said. No lectures over attitude, gunshot wounds, over pulling the trigger, just a call of…Ray…Home.

After a shift of head in Gray’s direction, Ray came over and nodded at Light. “Come on.”

As Light started to walk away, a beeper off someone’s phone cut into the quiet, and both Gray and Simon shifted suit jackets to get at them.

“Mine.” Simon tugged his phone free and read the number. “I’ve got to go.” His anger settled on Light. “I need focus away from here anyway.”

Light never let Simon’s look fall from his in the same breath. He hated how Simon always got to walk away.

“Debrief after I’ve left Thames House this evening,” said Gray, and he got a nod.

Yeah, even Gray got to walk away.

Chapter 21

Memetic Hazard

Dressed in white coveralls, Simon ducked under the Crime Scene tape blocking the lounge and made his way over to the only plain-clothed officer stood talking on his mobile. Stewart Reeves was CID, but the order to clear the scene called it out as he nodded Simon’s way.

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