Alex Palmer - The Labyrinth of Drowning

Grace’s wire, a sophisticated piece of miniature wireless technology, was neatly twisted in the underwiring of her bra and finished in the decoration set in lace between the cups.

‘I came here to get paid,’ she said. ‘That’s all. Then you double-crossed me. That’s why I drew my gun. Your money’s gone. Maybe it was never there in the first place. It’s time to go. Let’s just do that. Forget all this.’

‘It’ll be in her clothes.’ The muscle man giggled. ‘We can get her to take them off.’

To Grace’s surprise, a look of powerful distaste crossed Griffin’s face.

‘I’ve already got some clothes I want her to wear,’ he said. ‘Sara bought them the other day. They’re in the bedroom.’

Soon he was back, offering her the compact bundle. ‘Put these on. You can dress the way I want now. With your hair out.’

‘What for?’

‘It’s the way I want to remember you. I told you, you have beautiful hair.’

You’re sick . Don’t say it. Don’t make him lash out.

‘I’m not changing in front of this ape.’

‘You can change in there.’ Griffin nodded to the white-tiled room. Then he was staring at her with a total lack of expression. ‘If you won’t change, I’ll kill you now. Your brains will be all over those tiles. I don’t want to have to do that but I will. It’s up to you. I’ll be waiting in the kitchen.’

‘Get going,’ the ape said, pushing her inside. ‘Take everything off and give it to me.’

‘Get out,’ she said.

He grinned and pulled the door not quite closed. She felt his eye on the crack. There was nothing she could do. Shaking, she changed, keeping her back to the door. The dress was blue, waisted, coming to the knee, a glittering little-girl thing. Nothing like her taste. At least the clothes were new and clean. He had chosen her size well; he’d looked her over carefully every time they’d met, the way lovers do, not murderers. It was an odd look, as if he’d tried to make her a child.

She’d just finished when the door opened and the ape was there. He motioned to her to come out. When she did, he tossed her own clothes back inside the room and shut the door. Her wire was sensitive, but left in that room it wasn’t going to pick up anything.

In the kitchen, Griffin looked her over. He was still holding her gun.

‘Take your shoes off,’ he said.

‘Why?’

‘You don’t need shoes for this.’

She kicked them off.

‘Hands,’ he said, and the ape tied her arms behind her with plastic rope.

‘Good,’ Griffin said. ‘You look much better.’ He stared at her. ‘You’re very cool. All the other women I’ve had were sobbing by now. They all beg. I couldn’t do it because of my family, you must understand that. I couldn’t do that kind of work, or No, I won’t tell anyone. You can trust me . The men are no different. They cry too. You’re trained, but you’re human. Why aren’t you crying?’

My backup are coming for me. They must be .

‘Maybe I don’t believe this is real,’ she said.

‘Oh, it’s real,’ Griffin said. ‘What have you got for me?’

The ape handed Griffin two items, one after the other. He held them up for her.

‘Watch. I have a Rolex. I don’t need this.’ He tossed it on the floor. ‘Photograph. This is different. It’s unique.’

The photo showed Grace with Ellie in her arms, immediately after she was born. Her exhausted face. Everything that followed. All that love. Grace looked it at, her mouth closed against the uprush of emotion. Tears were in her eyes. I can still feel myself holding you. If only I was with you. Who will look after you if I’m not there ?

‘You can cry,’ Griffin said. ‘Talk to me.’

‘Where’s Paul?’

‘Waiting for you,’ the ape said with a cackle.

Griffin put the photograph in his trouser pocket. ‘I’ll keep this. I’ll take your hair too, before I finish. They’ll be my keepsakes. Whenever I think of you, I’ll go and look at your hair.’

I’ve dealt with people like you before. In the end you’re all the same. I’m not crying for you. You are not touching what matters most to me .

‘Where’s Paul?’

‘You know what people are going to think?’ Griffin said. ‘He murdered you and committed suicide.’

‘No one’s going to believe that. Not our families, not the police, no one.’

‘Your partner wrote a letter and signed it. It’ll be posted on his website tonight. I’ll show you. I spent most of last night matching his signature. I think I’ve done it pretty well.’

He reached into his inside jacket pocket and took out an envelope. It was addressed to Toby care of the University of New South Wales. The information that Toby was a student there was on Paul’s website. Griffin held up the letter for her to read. The words jumbled in her mind. Know she’s been cheating just not sure who. Never been sure. Made me leave my job .

‘No one will believe that rubbish.’

‘People believe what they want to believe. There are enough rumours out there for people to wonder if maybe it is true. And it’s his signature. Who can argue with that? People will say, who knows what he was thinking? He was always a private man. It’ll muddy the waters enough for people never to be sure.’

‘ Where is he? ’

The anger came out of her, a frustrated force. He stepped back a little, then laughed.

‘You won’t be like that soon. You’ll get down on your knees and you’ll beg and crawl like all the others. Enough talk. Everyone outside.’

‘In that little white Camry? The police have its registration. Did you know that? Anyway, where are we going?’

He stepped forward, looking her over.

‘The police aren’t here. There’s no one out there. You need to understand the situation. Everybody begs. I told you you’d kiss me. You will. You’ll do more than that, much more. You wait.’ He searched her face, looking for a fault line. She saw him look at her scar. ‘I know how to do it.’

Nothing will make me do anything for you .

‘Where are we going?’ she asked.

‘Wait till we get there. Remember, I’ll kill you if you do anything stupid,’ he said.

‘I’ll get going,’ the ape said.

‘Where’s his car?’ Grace asked.

‘Where you wouldn’t see it. I told you, I always take precautions.’ He turned to the ape. ‘Give me her shoes. I want to take them with me.’

‘Sure.’

‘Before you go, I’ve got a message for Tony senior. I’ve kept my side of the bargain throughout.’

‘I’ll tell him.’

‘No, you won’t. Because he’s double-crossed me.’

Grace’s shoes in his spare hand, Griffin shot the man dead. His body lay on the kitchen floor.

‘Why did you do that?’ she said.

‘The only people who know about my houses are the Ponticellis. They must have stolen my records and my money. If the old man sent Joe after you today when we had an agreement that I’d kill you myself, then he’s broken our bargain. If he thinks he can get me to pay him for those records, this is a message for him. He’ll be dead first.’

He pushed her out in front of him. There was no way to run. At the garage, he motioned her to sit in the Camry’s front seat. He tossed her shoes in the back, then fastened her seatbelt. She was pressed back uncomfortably in the seat, her hands losing circulation. He drove up the driveway and out onto the street. Sara had left the gate open.

‘Where are we going?’ she asked.

‘Back the way you came.’

‘Who’s Coopes?’

‘Coopes is a thing, not a person.’

‘What is it then?’