Gavin Lyall - Midnight Plus One

And perhaps she was right. Perhaps I was still Caneton. And perhaps- I looked at her, then at Harvey; at the haunted, lined face that was, in an odd way, so innocent because it showed its guilt so clearly.

I said: 'How're the shakes?'

He stretched his right hand towards me, fingers spread.

They were as steady as carved stone. He smiled down at them.

I said: 'Pretty good,' and then swung the Mauser over and down. I heard – and felt – the fingers crack.

In the shocked silence his dragging breath was like a scream. He arched forward, hugging his hand against his stomach, his face clenched and white. Then he toppled back and crashed into a chair.

The girl was at his side, cradling his head, stroking his hair, murmuring to him.

Maganhard said coldly: 'I hardly think that was-'

'I saved his life,' I said. 'For another month. It'll take three months for his hand to heal well enough to use a gun again.'

Miss Jarman looked at me, her eyes hard and bright. 'You didn't need to dothat.'

'It was cheap, simple, a bit nasty,' I said dully. 'What Caneton would have done. If I'd been somebody else maybe I'd've thought of something better. But I'm not.'

Harvey half opened his eyes and whispered hoarsely: 'You'd better hide good, Cane. Real good. Because I'll spend a long time looking.'

I nodded. 'I'll be at Clos Pinel – or they'll know where.'

'He'll kill you,' the girl said.

'Perhaps. It could be up to you. It could even be something for him to stay sober for.'

I walked out and nobody tried to stop me It was still snowing gently. Halfway down the mountain I remembered that I'd never collected the balance of my pay -four thousand francs. I kept on going, but looked at my watch. It was a minute after midnight. Ahead of me, the mountain road was a dark tunnel without any end.