Paul Johnson - The Death List

“You could give the list to the cops,” Bonehead suggested.

“What if the Devil’s got my mother at one of the houses?” I said, slamming my hand on the desk. “What if he or one of his sidekicks kills her the second the law shows up?”

“The same thing could happen if we show up,” Rog pointed out.

“That’s why we have to be careful. Ultracareful.”

Andy appeared in the doorway. “Chow time. I’ve made chili.”

We went through. I didn’t think I’d be able to get anything down, but Andy was a good cook and I suddenly discovered I had an appetite. When everyone had finished, Andy having scraped the bowl and licked the wooden spoon, I sent Dave a text message. He replied saying that all was okay. At least Lucy was secure.

“What are we going to do, then?” Andy asked, putting down the spoon at last.

“It’s time we took the game to this tosser.”

“Easier said than done,” I said, suddenly remembering the notes that the Devil had sent me about Lizzie Everhead’s death. He’d be expecting another chapter, but I wasn’t going to play according to his rules anymore. I went through to the study and logged on to my e-mail server. As I’d expected, there was a new message from him, with yet another identity, this time WD999. No doubt he thought using the emergency number was very funny.

Matt, Matt, I read. You’ve been a bad boy. Who gave you permission to break into Flat 12 in the Vestine Building? That was really dumb. I hope you liked my collection of humans and fauna. Tonight I’m going to make you pay for your nosiness. People you love are going to die in agony, Matt, and all because you thought you could take me on. Do you remember what John Webster wrote? “As in this world there are degrees of evils, So in this world there are degrees of devils.” I’m the worst kind, as you’re about to find out.

“Shit,” Bonehead said, reading over my shoulder. “What’s the bastard up to?”

“I don’t know,” I said, “but I’ve got to work that out fast. I’ll have to risk using someone’s mobile from here.” He gave me his, a small silver device. I rang my ex-wife’s number. To my relief, she picked up immediately.

“It’s me,” I said.

“Matt!” she said, as if the word was a deadly insult. Obviously the Devil hadn’t got to Caroline. “Where’s Lucy, you…you criminal?”

“She’s safe. Are the police still watching you?”

“Yes. What do you mean, she’s safe? Don’t you understand? I can’t trust you. Your face is all over the news bulletins, you’re a wanted man. I have to see Lucy, I have to-”

“You’ll see her soon,” I said gently, then rang off. I wished I could have done more to comfort her, but I knew she wouldn’t listen. I’d been the enemy for years and now she had official confirmation of that.

The guys looked at me awkwardly.

“All right, say something!” I shouted.

Before they could, my new mobile rang. Very few people had that number.

“Hello.”

“Oh, Matt, it’s Sara.” She was breathless. “You’ve got to help me, there’s a man…he’s been following me…oh, God, I’m frightened…I think it might be-”

“Where are you?”

“Um…near the office, at the meat market, oh shit, he’s right behind-”

“Sara?” I tried to make out what was going on. I heard her shout and then scream. Not long after that, the line went dead.

“Jesus,” I said, staring at the others. “He’s got Sara.” I told them what I’d heard.

“I can drive up there,” Bonehead suggested.

“What the point?” I replied. “They’ll be long gone. This is what the Devil meant about making me pay. Christ, Sara…” I buried my head in my hands.

“What about telling the police now?” Rog said.

“How will they find Sara without putting her life in danger?” I said, looking up. “We’ve got the list of the Devil’s properties. It’s down to us.” All three of them nodded. “We’ll divide up the areas and each check out some properties. I’ll get Dave to come up, as well. That makes five of us. Four or five places each. All we’re doing at this stage is seeing if anyone’s there. If there are lights on, check for movement. Ring the bell and ask for directions. See who answers. Keep in touch by mobile. Andy, you and I will have to use our disguises again.”

“Oh, great,” the American said. “I really like having a slug on my upper lip.”

I called Dave from Peter’s landline.

“Sorry, Psycho,” I said. “I need you up here after all. How’s Luce?”

“Bit down in the dumps. You’d better talk to her. Ginny’s made sure she hasn’t seen your ugly mug on the news.”

I waited as he called her.

“Is that you, Daddy?” she said, her voice making me tremble.

“Hello, darling.” I tried to make my voice sound normal. “Are you having a good time?”

“Ye-es,” she said doubtfully. “Why aren’t we at school?”

“Extra holidays. Isn’t that good?”

“Ye-es. When am I going to see you and Mummy?”

“Very soon, sweet pie. In the meantime, have fun with the kids. Are they being good to you?”

She went into a lengthy description of the games they’d been playing. I finally managed to get her off the line. At least she was happy in her own little world. The idea of her finding out that I was a wanted man was repellent. I asked Dave if he was anywhere near Hythe. He said he wasn’t far off, so I gave him the address of the cottage to check out. After that, he’d be given his next destinations by Bonehead, who was going to act as coordinator.

“Right, let’s plot the properties on a map and work out who goes where,” I said, turning to find the other three already doing that. It didn’t take long. There were five places in the area of Camden. Andy took those because he could do them by Tube and bus. Rog took five to the north and west of that. Pete was going to do four south of the river. That left five to the north and south of the City for me, and three more for Dave to the southeast of the center.

“Listen, guys,” I said, when we all had maps and annotated copies of the list. “What you’re doing is way beyond the call of friendship. If you want to-”

“Forget it, man,” Andy said. “We’re all in this because we want to help you out.”

The others nodded firmly.

“All right, all right,” I said, raising my arms in surrender. “Pete, you’re in charge of stores.”

“Lucky I have such a well-stocked toolbox, eh?” he said, grinning lewdly as he handed screwdrivers, torches and chisels to everyone.

We headed for the door. I was going to take the BMW and drop Andy and Rog on their way north. Pete was going south in the Jeep. The three of us waved him away.

Then we drove into the pounding heart of the city, each of us sunk in his thoughts. Mine were full of a burning desire for vengeance on the Devil, who looked to have taken my mother and my lover.

I remembered another line from Webster’s play-“To fashion my revenge more seriously.”

That was what I had to if I was going to save Sara.

Karen Oaten was standing next to the array of human and animal corpses in Flat 12 of the Vestine Building in Bermondsey.

“It’s them,” John Turner said, coming into the room. “Wells and Jackson. They’re wearing disguises, but the CCTV shots are clear enough. I’m sure of it.”

His superior nodded. “The question is, what were they doing here?”

“Maybe they had some other dead body to get rid of.”

Oaten frowned. “And how did they do that, Taff? They didn’t carry it out, did they?”

“No,” he admitted. “But they took a letter from the post box.”

“Has it occurred to you that they’re doing exactly the same as we are?” she said, giving him a piercing look. “Trying to find the Devil.”