Page 83 of Devil's Dilemma

“What’s the plan, Ro?”

Noticing Twister’s also looking at me, I decide fast. “I want to take them by surprise. Sparky and I will hide down here, you and Twister upstairs. I want them inside, door closed, and with their escape routes cut off.”

There’s a coat closet by the front door which looks just about large enough for me to hide in. With the warmth of the day, they shouldn’t have any coats to hang up.

Sparky sees me eyeing it and jerks his head backward. “Soon as we hear movement outside, I’ll hide behind the kitchen door.”

“Be useful to listen too, rather than taking them on straight away,” Twister puts in. “Once they think they’re safe, they might relax and give something away. Perhaps about who ran interference for them.”

I raise and dip my chin. I’ve been thinking about that too.

“It was deliberate, not an accident. Not fuckers thinking they’d pitch their cars against bikes.” Judge frowns. “I’ve been talking to Wills. They had blacked-out windows at the rear. He said he and Cuff were having enough difficulty swerving and keeping shiny side up to notice much about them.”

“Licence plates?” asks the enforcer.

But Judge shakes his head. “I don’t know if Cuff caught sight of them, but Wills didn’t.”

Unbeknownst to Skull, we’re here and waiting at what we presume is his house, or at least, that of the woman who accompanied him today, and who he looks overly friendly with in those photos that keep catching my eye. Who helped him is a mystery he can solve when he returns, or we track down where he’s gone.

An hour passes. Two. Darkness descends. Then, at last, when I’ve about given up for the night, the sound of a car arriving outside reaches my ears. Twister and Judge disappear up the stairs, Sparky into the kitchen, and I ease myself into the coat closet to be out of sight. I crack the door so I can see out, eager to catch sight of my nemesis again.

The door opens. A woman steps inside, then puts her hand up to disarm the alarm and frowns, obviously remembering she hadn’t set it. It’s the woman who’d been with Skull, the woman in the photographs. But she’s alone, without even her child.Fuck.Don’t like the idea of questioning a broad, but if I have to, that’s what I’ll do.

Her eyes flick one way then another.She suspects.But then, she starts lifting the cushions on the couch, and I realise she’s hunting for something.

Her phone rings. She answers, conveniently puts it on speaker, and places it down, then goes on her knees to keep looking for whatever she’s come for.

“Clare.” Skull’s voice comes over clearly even though distant and tinny. He sounds angry. “Come back. It’s not safe.”

“I’m at the house now. There’s no one here, no bikes around, I drove up and down and checked. It’s safe.”

“Clare…”

“Don, it won’t take long to find it. Katy will never sleep unless she has Pooh bear. You know what she’s like.”

“She’ll have to get used to it,” the man she referred to as Don, snarls. “I’ll buy her a new one.”

“She won’t want that. She’s been crying all evening, she’ll make herself ill, Don. It’s here somewhere.”

“Fucking three-dollar toy…”

“That’s she’s carried around since she could walk. That’s all I want, Don.” She stands up and frowns, then walks into the kitchen.Christ, I hope Sparky’s hidden himself.Making her voice louder, she calls out, “Can you remember where she put it?”

“I don’t know where she put it.” Don sounds like he’s in despair. It’s Skull, I’m sure of it, but the timbre of his voice has changed. The man I knew would have thrown a few f-bombs in, but even in his worried state, damn seems the worst he can use. “Clare. These men are dangerous. If they find out who I am.”

“Well it’s good I came back. We hadn’t set the alarm.”

“Find the damn bear, set it and get out. Clare, please. I’m worried about you.”

So he should be. I grin to myself.

“I’m going upstairs. It must be in her room.”

Leaving the phone where it is, she heads for the stairs. Easing myself out, using the stealth skills I learned in the Army, I move without making a sound and place myself behind her, pressing the red key to end the call as I pass by the table where she left it.

Halfway up she pauses and gasps. Then turning, starts running back down, straight into my arms which go around her like a brace.

“Don,” she screams. Then again when there’s no answer from the phone, “Don!” The device starts ringing again, but I have no intention of answering it.

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