Page 72 of Watching You
Karl kicked him hard in the upper thigh as he was considering what to do.
‘Hands … behind … your fucking … back!’ he hissed, punctuated by additional kicks.
Lively sighed but began moving his arms slowly backwards. Karl took the hunting knife from his pocket and deposited it on the bookshelves before returning with a cable tie in his hand.
‘If you stay still, I won’t pull it so tight,’ he said, kneeling next to Lively and reaching round.
You got one chance, Lively knew. It had taken him a few years of policing to really understand the importance of that, but once learned, it was never forgotten.
Lively braced his neck as best he could then reached out to grab Karl’s collar and smashed his forehead into Karl’s. It was a stupid move given the spade injury, but his head had never failed him yet and he’d given out his share of Glasgow kisses in the previous decades.
Karl, though, was less chaotic than he seemed, reacting by reaching out and digging his fingers into Lively’s neck until he hit the injury. Lively let go of Karl’s collar, screaming, as Karl scrabbled for the bookshelves, standing to grab the knife and pulling the blade open at the exact moment Beth ran into the room, wrapped in just a white towel, though her face was even paler.
‘Get out!’ Lively yelled, but Karl was already reaching for her, catching her by the hair and shoving her to the floor on her knees, the long knife edge at her throat. ‘Don’t hurt her!’
‘It’s you,’ Beth said.
‘Jesus, Beth,’ Lively groaned. ‘You know him?’
‘Does she fucking know me?’ Karl screeched. ‘Do you, Dr Waterfall? You want to tell him how you know me?’
Beth’s voice was calm. ‘This is Karl Smith, Sam. He thinks I killed his mother.’
‘I don’t think so, you did! You put her on that operating table and she died. She was still alive when they put her in the ambulance, and ever since then she’s … she’s—’
‘Your mother’s right behind you,’ Connie said, walking in from the kitchen. ‘I can see her too, Karl. You’re not going mad although it probably feels like it.’
‘How did you—’ he started.
‘I broke a pane of glass in the back door while you were all shouting, which is why you didn’t hear. You should know, though, that I’m not alone. There are other police cars beyond the driveway and officers in the back garden.’
‘I don’t give a shit.’
‘I believe you. I think that when you killed your father, you made a decision about how things were going to work out. I think you mean what you say about wanting to kill Beth, too.’
‘He’s always wanted to kill me,’ Beth said. ‘And he just keeps coming back to try again.’
‘If you don’t want to die with them, you should stay back,’ Karl told Connie, his face twisted into a snarl.
‘Sure. Can I just ask, were you close to your mother because – sorry to be blunt – the woman I can see behind you doesn’t look all that loving if I’m honest. If you were my son and I could see what you were about to do, I’d be concerned for you. She just looks kind of … angry.’
‘Shut the fuck up!’ he screamed. ‘I know you can’t see her! You’re just saying it to fucking freak me out!’
‘Sorry, I should have introduced myself. My name is Connie Woolwine. I’m not a police officer. I’m not exactly what other people think of as normal, either. Most people say I’m a bit weird. They think they say it behind my back, but I have a sixth sense about that shit, so I know what they say and who says it.’ She tried not to look at Lively who was shaking as he stared at the knife digging into Beth’s flesh.
‘So fucking what?’ Karl laughed.
‘SoIsee things other people can’t see, too.’ She dropped her voice so it was little more than a whisper. ‘Dead people talk to me. We’re the same, you and I.’
‘Did they teach you to mind-fuck people when you trained with the FBI? I read all about you. I know you’re a psychologist. I know you’re here to get me to roll over and let you lock me up without making a fuss.’
Connie ignored his rising anger. ‘Was it your mom who toldyou to do all this? You looked after your dad really well for a long time and that can’t have been easy. I don’t think you’d have chosen to hurt him unless your mom had persuaded you to do it.’
‘He … I didn’t … he just died.’
‘There was certainly food and liquid in his airway, but you’d been caring for him a long time. You’re more careful than that. How did your mom get you to do it?’ She looked over his shoulder. ‘Mrs Smith – can I call you Barbara? No. Okay then – how did you persuade Karl to hurt his father?’
‘She’s not there right now. I’m doing this on my own. If I do it, she’ll leave me alone! I just have to finish it. I have to.’
