The Edge of Sanity (33 page)

Charlie watched and waited.

And there Danny Boy went, running his hand over his neck.

Which was a sure sign the wheels were still going round. Charlie had watched him long enough to interpret his annoying little habits. Might not say a lot, but the body language was a dead giveaway. Think he’d have more sense than to be thinking. Man, he was annoying.

‘You didn’t answer me, Daniel.’ Charlie pressed the gun closer.

‘I, er …’ Daniel breathed out, slowly. ‘Sorry.’

Charlie considered. ‘Accepted,’ he said. ‘But make it a bit snappier next time.’ He relaxed a little as Jo appeared below the steps, and let the gun drop to Daniel’s shoulder.

‘Ah, good. Coffee. Service is a bit slow around here, if you don’t mind me saying so, sweetheart.’ He motioned Jo up on deck. ‘You’d do better to move quicker when I tell you to, as well, next time—as in into the bedroom.’

Charlie smirked and waited, his satisfaction immense when Daniel didn’t move so much as a muscle.

She did though. Shot him a look of pure venom from under her eyelashes.

Superior, smug cat’s eyes, thought Charlie, watching her looking down, pretending acquiescence. She
definitely
needs to learn a little humility, he decided, aroused at the prospect of knocking the arrogance out of her while Danny Boy watched.

Later though, when they’d covered more ground. Looked like a plain day’s sailing come first light, but he was no expert. Might need her to stay healthy for a while. Tonight would be soon enough.

Meanwhile, Charlie clicked his fingers, indicating she should serve him his coffee.

****

Damn it! Right in the line of fire. DI Short cursed silently, more frustrated than he’d been in twenty odd years of being a copper. He’d only one choice after all, he realised. The parasite would stick close to his host. And if they started the engine, it would be a
fait accompli
anyway.

Carefully, he shifted his position, ready to move swiftly as soon as he had to.

Charlie whirled around.

He narrowed his eyes and scanned the undergrowth to the side.

A rustle in the bushes was all he’d heard—probably just a bird—but his nerves were on tenterhooks with these two going out of their way to irritate him. He’d sort them though, once and for all when he’d got the cash. Only question was, which one to shoot first. Her?

He glanced at Jo. No, Danny Boy, he decided. And watch her suffer. Nah, whatshername. Watch them both suffer. Right now, he needed some coke. He jerked around to summon Steve and knocked into wifey.

Jo stepped back, but not fast enough. ‘Oh, God!’ She clamped a hand to her mouth and looked down horrified as the contents of the coffee mug spewed forth.

Charlie clutched his brand new shirt from his chest, blinking stupefied at the white stripes turning coffee-coloured brown.

An agonising second slipped by while he studied it, and another before he lashed out, sending Jo sprawling, and bringing Daniel swiftly from nine down to one, nothing in between.

‘Clumsy cow.’ Charlie seethed, dabbing at his sodden shirt, his attention diverted from Daniel, whose eyes were fixed firmly on Charlie.

Daniel stood shakily.

It was right inside his head this time, the lightening turning the room blue-white.

The thunder clapping as an old man hit the last stair.

Metal concertinaing against metal.

The front of the car crushed by a truck.

Over and over, twisted metal unfurling, so loud in his head, he couldn’t bear it. Couldn’t bear to hear Jo sobbing. See the tiny white coffin, so small he …

Should have carried Emma home in his arms.

Daniel shook his head, tried hard to stop the slide show in his mind.

Jo sobbing? That filthy psycho standing over her …

‘Shut your fucking noise up,’ Charlie snarled at Jo. ‘Or I’ll—’

Charlie stopped as Daniel’s arm snaked silently around his neck.

‘
What
will you do, Charlie boy?’ Daniel yanked him backward, jerking his arm upwards, savouring with sweet satisfaction at the sound of teeth hitting teeth, of sinew stretching. ‘You’re not answering me, you snivelling little shit.’ Daniel grated, locking his arm tight.

Charlie gagged, flailing about with his free hand, finding Daniel’s forearm and desperately trying to prise it from his windpipe.

‘Didn’t quite catch that,
Charlie.
’ Daniel squeezed tighter.

****

Charlie struggled, determined not to free his other hand and let go of … the gun! A spark of hope surfaced above his desperation. He brought his gun hand up, and back, and home, sharp, into Daniel’s side.

Heard ribs cracking.

A low moan close to his ear.

Daniel’s breath cut short—and then his grip faltered and loosened.

‘Thank you, Lord,’ Charlie muttered as he spun around to see Daniel keel forwards, clutching his chest.

‘Bastard,’ Charlie rasped, kicking out, forcing Daniel onto his back. Face twisted, he advanced, gun pointed, intent on his aim. His heart thudded, his finger itched. Kill him, a little voice said. But he’s the golden goose, another argued.

‘Bastard!
You
are dead meat!’ Charlie shouted, turning the gun around, holding it high.

‘Choose a spot, Danny Boy.’ Charlie smirked as Daniel writhed, but the smirk slid fast from his face as the gun tensed above him.

‘No need,’ Steve said. ‘No need for any of it.’ He clamped his other hand around the gun.

‘What the—?’ Charlie turned awkwardly, still hanging onto it. ‘What the hell are you doin’!?’

‘Relieving you of this,’ Steve informed him calmly, and wrenched the gun out of Charlie’s grasp.

Charlie faced Steve full on. ‘Have you gone mental, or what?!’ he gasped incredulously. ‘Did you see what he did?’

‘Yep.’ Steve skirted around him and then, holding the gun with one hand, he eased his other under Daniel’s arm to help him into a sitting position.

Daniel’s breathing came short and sharp. He wiped his hand across his mouth and looked from the gun to Steve’s face. ‘You’re going to have to use it,’ he warned him, struggling to swallow a cough. ‘Because there’s
no
way that
bastard
goes near my wife.’

‘Shoot him in the arm,’ Charlie muttered. ‘That should stop his bravado.’

Steve locked eyes with Daniel. ‘For what it’s worth,’ he said, ‘I’ve seen how much you care for your family. Charlie’s got it coming.’

Steve nodded at Daniel, then handed him the gun. ‘I’m out of here,’ he said, standing up to help Jo, who was crouched in the corner, to her feet. ‘Course, you could stop me.’ He glanced at the gun, then back to Daniel. Waited, seemed to debate, and then turned to step off the boat—and straight into DI Short.

‘Crap!’ Charlie panicked. How did
he
get …?

Shit! He looked frantically for an escape—only to find a swarm of uniforms advancing towards him. Oh, man …

Charlie backed off, intending to go inside and grab whatsername, forgetting the crucial component required to carry out that course of action.

‘Stay,’ Daniel instructed.

Charlie snapped his attention back to Daniel, and found himself looking down the barrel of his own shotgun.

DI Short herded Steve Simmons towards the officers behind him, and turned his attention back to Daniel Conner, who was in possession of the firearm, which was aimed squarely at Charlie Roberts.

‘Dammit. Don’t shoot!’ he instructed, as armed officers closed in from all quarters.

Charlie eyed Daniel steadily. Shocked at first, he had to admit, and nervous, until he noticed the tremor to Daniel’s hand.

He wasn’t going to pull the trigger. Needed killer instinct that did, he reassured himself. Danny Boy hadn’t got the bottle. Shaking in his boots he was. ‘What you gonna do then, Danny Boy? Gonna shoot me, are you?’

Charlie smirked and looked towards to the safety of DI Short and his minions.

‘Yes,’ Daniel said simply.

‘Yeah, right.’ Charlie laughed. ‘Move over, Bruce Willis.’ Got his own police protection, hadn’t he? No way was Danny going to use that gun, especially not in front of wifey, who was still snivelling behind him.

He smiled leisurely as Daniel stepped back to assist Jo.

Nah, Charlie decided, as Daniel urged his wife gently into a waiting officer’s arms, his non-nondescript eyes locked on his as he did so, annoying sod. He wouldn’t do anything in full view of her, and certainly not in front of whatsername.

Daniel’s eyes flickered away from Charlie for a second. ‘Come on, baby, come out,’ he said to the daughter, who was standing hesitantly on the top step. ‘It’s safe now.’

‘Yeah, come on, baby,’ Charlie mimicked. ‘Come and join the party.’

Charlie stepped sideways, allowing the girl to exit, her eyes like a terrified Bambi’s and shaking as much as Danny Boy, poor cow. Must be hereditary.

‘Give me a shout if you fancy another quick shag, sweetheart,’ Charlie called as she stepped onto the towpath.

A tic went at the side of Daniel’s mouth. He walked calmly over to Charlie and smiled, which had Charlie momentarily flummoxed, then pulled back the gun and rammed it hard into his stomach.

DI Short flinched as Charlie doubled up. ‘Ouch,’ he said under his breath. ‘Okay, Daniel,’ he called. ‘I know how you feel but let him go now. He’ll get what’s—’

‘You have no fucking
idea
how I feel,’ Daniel shouted, glancing quickly at Jo. ‘The only way that
bastard
goes anywhere is feet first.’ He raked a hand angrily though his hair. ‘Got that, Charlie? Now, get down on your knees.’

Charlie looked up, astonished. ‘You must be joking. I ain’t—’

‘Do I look as if I’m joking?’ Daniel asked, his eyes burning with hatred.

‘For fuck’s sake,’ Charlie uttered, turning to DI Short, his hands nursing his stomach.

‘On your knees,
Charlie
,’ Daniel repeated. ‘Now!’

DI Short’s inclination was to turn a blind eye as Charlie blinked at him, beseeching and scared witless, he noticed with huge satisfaction. But his position wouldn’t allow him to stand by and watch Charlie Roberts get a taste of his own, unfortunately.

‘Drop the gun, Daniel,’ he said, moving towards the boat. ‘Leave him to me and get your wife and child—’

‘Don’t,’ Daniel warned, his eyes and the gun still fixed on Charlie. ‘Back off.’

DI Short hesitated, uncertain. He had every reason to … But was Conner actually
going
to shoot Roberts? DI Short hoped fervently not. ‘I can’t do that, Daniel.’ He stepped carefully onto the boat. ‘You know I can’t.’

‘Stay!’ Daniel shouted, swinging the gun around, then fast back to Charlie. ‘And you,’ he grated, ‘down on your knees, while you still can.’ He aimed the gun lower, which had Charlie dropping to his knees, fast.

‘Get them out of here.’ DI Short said grimly, indicating Jo and Kayla over his shoulder. Roberts had pushed Conner right over the edge. He bloody well
was
going to shoot him, and sod the consequences. Good God, hadn’t this family already been through enough?

‘Daniel,’ DI Short proceeded cautiously, ‘you can’t take the law into your own hands.’ He stopped and waited, wondering whether Daniel, who was now swaying on his feet, could even hear him. ‘You have to do this the legal way. Give me the gun, Daniel.’

‘Can’t.’ Daniel closed one eye.

DI Short took a tentative step closer. ‘Why’s that, then?’ he asked guardedly.

‘Three, two, one,’ Daniel replied, nonsensically.

‘Right.’ DI Short nodded and knitted his brow. ‘Which means what, exactly, Daniel?’

Daniel shrugged. ‘Bang.’ He concentrated his aim.

‘Fuck,’ said Charlie, turning a pale shade of white. ‘Don’t, Danny,’ he pleaded.

Daniel cocked the gun.

‘Look, I didn’t touch your daughter—’

‘
Shut
the
fuck
up!’ Daniel yelled.

‘I didn’t. I swear I didn’t.’ Perspiration broke out on Charlie’s forehead. ‘Danny please. I’m sorry. Okay? I –’

‘The name’s Daniel, not
Danny
. Not fucking
Danny Boy
. Daniel! Got it?’

‘Yeah,’ Charlie nodded quickly, ‘Daniel. Whatever. Just put the gun down,’ he begged.

Daniel continued to stare at him.

‘Shit. This is nuts.’ Charlie looked desperately to DI Short. ‘Do something!’ he shouted. ‘Don’t let
them
go. He won’t do anything in front of his wife and daughter.’

Charlie Roberts, that’s probably the first, and might well be the last, time you’ve said anything sensible in your life, DI Short thought. Conner cared about his family. They’d endured too much to go through anymore. He must know it.

DI Short took a deep breath, and then took a gamble. ‘Oh, go on then, Daniel,’ he said tetchily. ‘Show everyone what a big man you are and shoot the bugger.’

Charlie gawked.

DI Short turned away. ‘Go ahead. Do the world a favour.’ He shrugged. ‘Blow his brains all over the boat, Daniel.’

He paused for an instant, and then turned back. ‘And leave your wife wondering why you did it in front of your daughter. Whether to visit
you
in prison, when you didn’t care enough about her, or Kayla, not to.’

Daniel tightened his grip on the gun.

His hands shaking, DI Short noticed. Shaking badly.

‘I have kids of my own, Daniel,’ he said softly, taking another careful step towards him. ‘It would destroy me if anything happened to one of them.’

Daniel’s shoulders stiffened.

‘I know you lost your little girl, Daniel.’ DI Short stepped closer as Daniel reeled on his feet.

‘And that bastard has piled pain on top of pain, hasn’t he?’ DI Short pressed on, ‘Persecuted Kayla and Joanne? Taunted them. Touched them, Daniel?’

Daniel’s jaw tightened.

‘Dared you to do anything about it, so he could revel in his pathetic power and beat you senseless, hey, Daniel? I
know
him,’ DI Short said forcefully. ‘He’ll get what’s coming to him. But you have to stop this. Now, Daniel. For the sake of your wife and daughter. Show them you care enough not to put them through this.’