Page 59 of Their Burning Graves
Luke’s voice was loud and venomous as he turned to her. Maggie grabbed hold of Ava’s arm, pushing her out of the door.
‘Go now, lock the door when you get there.’
Ava nodded, her eyes fixed on the huge knife that Luke was brandishing as he waved it around. Then she turned and ran across the road to Maggie’s bungalow, slamming the door shut. Maggie heard Roley bark in surprise, but she also heard the key turn in the lock and thoughtgood girlto herself. She turned to look at Luke, who was pacing up and down. He looked wild. Heather was crouched in the corner, blood running down her cheek, but it wasn’t too bad.
‘Luke, what’s the matter? You need to calm down.’
‘Don’t tell me to calm down.’
His eyes were wide, and spittle flew from the corner of his mouth as he shouted in Maggie’s direction. He took a couple of steps towards her. The blade of the knife glinted under the bright white lighting, and she could see a couple of drips of blood running down the blade.
‘Whatever is going on I’m sure we can talk it through, Luke, there’s no need for this. Heather is bleeding and you’ve scared Ava.’
‘Heather can bleed to death for all I care, the traitorous bitch. She tried to set me up. She told the police I killed them, the crazy, lying cow.’
Maggie felt her stomach begin to knot up. The knife was huge, and he was suddenly standing right in front of her. She glanced to her bungalow where Ava was watching from the front window, then turning her back to Ava she faced Luke.
‘Well, they didn’t believe her otherwise you wouldn’t be standing here now, would you? Give me the knife, Luke, you don’t want to hurt anyone, do you?’
Heather was no longer crouching in the corner; she had pulled herself up and picked up a large brass poker off the fireplace.
‘I want to hurt Heather. She’s a liar, a devious sneaky little bitch and a cheat. She doesn’t deserve to live when Sally is dead.’
Sirens cut through the early evening air just as Heather lifted the poker and brought it down hard against the back of Luke’s head. He fell forwards, towards Maggie who instinctively reached out her arms to catch him. As he toppled towards the old woman the knife blade pierced the paper-thin skin on her chest as it sank deep inside of her. Maggie let out a surprised ‘Oh’ as her legs gave out under her, and she slid against the wall to the floor. Luke fell to his knees as Heather hit him again, and this time he blacked out and hit the wooden flooring with a loud thud.
Morgan heard the call come in over the airwaves radio, and as she wasn’t far from Hest Bank Road, she straight away turned the car around. She arrived before the first patrol van and went running into the Riggs’ house without even thinking about her own safety. The hallway was absolute carnage but the only thing she cared about was Maggie, who was on the floor, her face ashen, with a large knife sticking out of her chest.
‘Maggie.’ She knelt down next to her. ‘It’s okay, don’t worry, you’ll be okay, we’ll get this out of you in no time.’ Morgan knew that she couldn’t pull the knife out because at the moment it was like a plug keeping the blood suctioned in. She glanced at Heather, who was holding a bloodied brass poker, and the unconscious Luke, who was lying on the floor.
‘Control, we need an ambulance now to Hest Bank Road, number thirteen. One unconscious, one severe stab wound.’ She looked at Heather. ‘It’s okay, Heather, put the poker down, officers will be here any second.’
The sirens were so close they were deafening. Maggie closed her eyes.
‘Maggie, Maggie, I need you to keep looking at me.’ Morgan gently took hold of her hand, sitting next to her and leaning her back against the wall. Her Doc Marten boots were near enough to Luke’s head that if he so much as moved an inch she would kick him as hard as she could.
Maggie looked at Morgan and she smiled at the woman. ‘You’re doing great, the ambulance won’t be long.’
Maggie coughed and a trickle of blood ran down her lips. ‘I don’t feel so great, please will you look after Roley for me?’
She nodded. ‘Of course, I will, but you’ll be home in no time to look after him yourself.’
The slamming of van doors outside signalled the arrival of backup. Finally. It always amazed Morgan how in situations so desperately serious, every second felt like an hour, yet it had probably been three minutes tops. Al, who was the only taser officer on duty, ran in and his mouth dropped open as he surveyed the scene.
‘Are you okay, Morgan?’
She looked down and saw that she had blood on her hands.
‘I’m fine, any update on the ambulance?’
More sirens in the distance was her answer and she felt a rush of relief. Luke let out a groan. Morgan pointed in his direction.
‘He’s going to need to go to the hospital, head wound, but Maggie is priority. I don’t care if his skull is sticking out of his head, Maggie goes first.’
Al nodded. ‘Does he need cuffing?’
‘Probably, I got here afterwards. Heather what happened?’
‘He was going crazy; he smashed the window then climbed in through it. I’d had the locks changed whilst he was at the police station. He had a knife, Maggie came over and sent Ava to her house, then he just turned on her. She was only trying to help, so I hit him over the head with the first thing I could grab. I didn’t mean to hit him that hard. But he fell, and he stabbed Maggie.’
