The Disciple (59 page)

Even at home there were well-wishers and back-clappers, though the two uniformed officers managed to get her inside unmolested. Hours later, she was sitting up in bed with a mug of cocoa, pulling her legs into her chest as hard as she could. It was nearing midnight – the telephone was off the hook and the freshening wind had dispersed the crowd who had gone to their own beds. Denise took a sip of lukewarm cocoa. No sleep without John.

She put her cup on the floor and just lay in the dark with her eyes closed. A creaking noise above opened them. A prolonged scrape followed a second later. She switched on the bedside lamp. It didn’t come on. She peered at it in the gloom. The bulb was missing so she jumped out of bed and reached for the bedroom
curtain, yanking it brusquely to let the moonlight in. A small column of dust falling from the ceiling sparkled in the lunar radiance and Denise followed it to its source. The trapdoor to the loft was shifting as though being lifted from above, and Denise Ottoman wondered if the wind had dislodged more roof tiles.

Then a foot in a black shoe dropped down, followed by a second. Denise shrank to the ground, wrapping the curtain around her, daring neither to look nor look away. Her scream of shock emerged as a mouse-like whimper and her heart skipped as black-clad legs, torso and head fell to the floor.

From the black ball a figure began to unravel like a newborn foal slowly clambering to its feet. Once upright, new lungs inflated with oxygen and new hands mimicked the sensation of first touch. Inch by tiny inch, the figure rotated the half circle to lay eyes on the squirming Denise, her bare feet pushing at the carpet, trying to force herself through the wall behind her.

A black-gloved palm was crossed with flashing steel and Jason’s grinning teeth followed suit.

‘I’m ready, bitch. Are you?’

If you were stranded on a desert island which book would you take with you?

This is a difficult question to answer because a desert island is exactly the place to catch up with all the books you’ve ever wanted to read but never had the time. To choose one is a terrible restriction, but as long as I had writing materials and sun block it probably wouldn’t be too hard to bear.

The other consideration of course is whether to take a favourite book to re-read, or a novel you’ve always wanted to tackle but have never quite got round to. Although I write thrillers I have to admit I wouldn’t take even a favourite one to the island. I’m not keen on reading books over and over because there are so many unread books on my shopping list and, once read, thrillers, no matter how satisfying, lose a large part of their allure when the plot is resolved.

For that reason I would select a novel that can deliver new pleasures with each reading.
The Corrections
by Jonathan Franzen would be a contender, as would Joseph Heller’s
Catch 22. The Magus
by John Fowles is set on a Greek island so might be a more appropriate choice, as would
The Naked and the Dead
by Norman Mailer for similar reasons. And if I had to choose a novel that I haven’t read but have always meant to –
Slaughterhouse Five
by Kurt Vonnegut.

Where does your inspiration come from?

The inspiration for
The Reaper
wasn’t difficult. A regular look at the news will throw up stories reporting the kind of social problems that The Reaper thinks need addressing – young people killing one another in the streets, anti-social elements blighting run-down estates, living their lives without any consideration for the rest of society. These are the real issues that give The Reaper a reason for being. Despite the extremist solution to anti-social families, at least The Reaper kills quickly and takes no pleasure from the violence visited upon the victims. The only goal is their removal from the face of the earth because The Reaper believes that the victims have wasted their lives and do not deserve to live. In that sense my killer is disinterested and, it can even be argued, a moral force. Certainly readers have told me that they found it difficult at times to know who to root for and this ambiguity goes to the heart of
The Reaper
series and Inspector Brook’s struggle with his conscience and inability to empathise with the victims.

Have you always wanted to be a writer?

Honestly, no. The creative urge hit me at Kent University when my great friend Giles Newington, who now writes for The Irish Times, persuaded me to act in a production of Pinter’s
The Birthday Party.
From there it was a short journey to writing and performing with him. Being big fans of
Spitting Image
and other satirical fare, our chosen avenue was comedy, little realising how tough a nut it was to crack, especially when there was a conveyor belt of talent from the Footlights who usually had the contacts and the profile.

Writing a comedy pilot for a series was a good experience but at a certain point in the process it became necessary to seek the approval of others before going further. At that point, judgements
are made by strangers that can kill a project cold. The novel appealed as a vehicle which required nothing but my own input to reach completion and, after a gap of several years in pursuit of a living in journalism and education, I turned to the form to create
Reaper: Coming Soon to a Family Near You;
the original title of
The Reaper.

What is a typical working day for you? Have you ever had writer’s block? If so, how do you cope with it?

My writing day is far from typical and I sometimes have to snatch time to get it done. I still work in education, though not full-time now that
The Reaper
series has taken off. But when I have got time to write, I’m happiest working a traditional day because eight hours is about my limit for sitting down. Besides, my wife – a head teacher – works long hours so I’m happy to do the domestic drudge of cleaning and cooking the evening meal while the work of the day percolates through my mind. Honestly, writer’s block has never been a problem. From time to time I wrangle over a plot point, sometimes for weeks, especially if I feel the characters aren’t comfortable with the path I’ve set them on, but that’s usually not a problem as much of the joy of writing is the rewriting where such problems are smoothed out.

The hardest thing is coming up with a working synopsis for the next book because, although I have a vague idea of what’s going to happen and where the story will end up, I know that things on the journey will not be set in stone. Once I start the actual work, things gradually drop into place.

Thanks go again to Jeff Fountain for his continuing practical support and encouragement.

I’d also like to thank all members of my informal support team who have continued to promote
The Reaper
series, especially my wife Carmel and my wonderful sister Susan Dunne – thanks for pestering me to finish
The Disciple.
Also thanks to Dennis and Geraldine Lee, unstinting in their support and leaders of
The Reaper’s
second front in the South of France.

Thanks to fellow Weekenders cricketer Joseph McDonald for taking the trouble to produce thoughtful and expert input on police procedures.

A big thank you again to Waterstone’s for putting up with me in-store on more than one occasion – particularly Sean Heavens in Derby and Glenys Cooper in Burton-on-Trent.

And once more I’m grateful to HarperCollins for the opportunity to reach a wider audience and their belief in
The Reaper
series. Thanks to Claire Bord, Maxine Hitchcock, now departed to pastures new and, of course, Sammia Rafique for her thoughtful input.

Finally thank you to David Grossman, my agent, for taking me on as a client and providing his expert guidance.

Steven Dunne has written for fun since attending Kent University in the late seventies when he first became interested in writing and performing. His primary focus was comedy. He wrote and performed sketches as well as dipping his toe into the terrifying world of stand-up comedy. He is now a full-time English teacher in Derby.

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