Pauline Rowson - In for the Kill

‘He’ll want the three million.’

‘Then for Christ’s sake tell him where it is.

According to you it’s nothing compared to what Hugo, Max and Edward took from the Jews. Take the bloody brooches and claim what you think is your compensation for your grandfather’s betrayal.’

I could see him thinking about it. I held my breath praying for him to agree.

‘OK.’

I didn’t trust him. He would betray me. He would leave me to face Rowde. As long as I could get Vanessa and the boys to safety before then I didn’t care. As soon as they were out of Rowde’s clutches I would go to the police and tell them everything. I would get protection from Rowde and they would arrest Miles.

I put my arm around Ruby and tried to steer her towards the door but she must have thought I was going to hurt her. She struggled against me. Then breaking free, she screamed and ran outside. I cursed. I couldn’t let her go in that state. I rushed out after her.

At the bottom of the gangway she stumbled and fell onto the shingle below. I hurried towards her and leant over to pull her up. The rain was lashing against us. She was sobbing and filthy.

She was skin and bone and trembling from head to foot. I put my arm around her, but she was screaming something, which I finally realised was: ‘My handbag! Where’s my handbag?’

‘Here it is,’ Miles said.

Something in his voice made me stiffen. I turned. The bag was open and so was his left hand. I saw what was in it. It was the third brooch.

CHAPTER 18

‘That’s mine,’ Ruby cried. ‘Livvy gave it to me.’

‘Livvy’s not around anymore. She would have wanted Hugo to have it,’ Miles wheedled.

Ruby’s face puckered up as though she was trying to recall something.

‘For God’s sake, Miles, take the wretched thing and let me get her into the warm,’ I pleaded with him.

‘No. She knows too much and so do you.

Move.’

He dropped the handbag and now I saw with horror what had replaced it. He was holding a revolver and it was pointing right at us.

‘It comes in handy knowing the criminal fraternity when you want something useful like this.’ He indicated the gun.

‘Miles, you can’t do this.’ I roared.

‘Move. Round to the back of the houseboat.’

My heart was pounding. My mind racing. Was he going to shoot us there?

‘This is crazy,’ I tossed over my shoulder, the wind catching my words and carrying them into the black night. I was half carrying and half shoving Ruby and by now we were ankle deep in water. The cold took my breath away; God knew how Ruby felt. She was crying and trembling, leaning heavily against me. I could see that she was on the point of collapse. ‘You’ve got the brooches, go and get the fucking money.’

‘Gladly, I just need to tidy up a couple of loose ends. Get in the boat,’ he commanded.

I made to protest but saw there was little point.

I climbed in and then helped a whimpering Ruby in.

‘Start it up.’

I did as I was told. The engine refused to start on the first couple of tries. Perhaps if it didn’t work he might let us go, I thought in desperation.

Then the damn thing spluttered into life and was merrily chugging away.

‘Let’s go for a nice little sea journey.’

‘In this storm? You must be mad.’

‘I don’t think so.’ He slipped the line that was attached to my houseboat. ‘Out or I kill the old woman now.’

I knew he was going to kill her anyway, and me, but if I did as he asked it would buy me time to think of a way out of this. The tide was carrying us with it. It was dark and I had to navigate my way through the buoys, just as I had done with Westnam in the boat.

‘Did you kill Westnam?’ I shouted above the wind.

‘No.’

It must have been Rowde then. I prayed that we might be spotted from another boat. But on a night such as this, who would be daft enough to be on their boat? And even if they were they would certainly be down below.

‘Don’t worry, Alex, I’ve got it all worked out,’

Miles sneered. ‘You killed Ruby because she saw you follow Deeta that morning. Then you killed yourself because you couldn’t live with what you had done and you didn’t want to go back to prison.’

‘How will the police know that if I’m dead?’

We were reaching the end of the channel; soon we would be into the Solent and exposed.

‘Because I will tell them,’ shouted Miles above the wind and rain. ‘You confessed to me, your lawyer.’

The gun was rammed right up against poor Ruby but she seemed not to notice. I think she was too far gone for that. None of us were wearing protective sailing clothes; my jeans and sweater were soaked so was Ruby’s thin dress and cardigan and Miles suit. This was madness.

‘We can’t go any further,’ I shouted with difficulty against the roar of the wind and sea.

‘We’ll all be killed.’ The waves were crashing over us. For the first time I thought Miles looked worried. ‘I have to turn back or we’ll all be drowned.’

‘Keep going,’ Miles commanded, stabbing Ruby with the gun. She had stopped crying but was crumpled in the cockpit. I could see her shivering uncontrollably. I was cold and wet, and if I didn’t get her out of this soon she’d die from hypothermia.

Could I overpower him? Would I stand a chance? Could I jump him before he shot Ruby and take him into the sea with me? But what would happen to Ruby? And at this time of year we’d only last a few minutes in the freezing cold water. We were going further, heading around the coast towards the lifeboat station. The sea was so rough that it was like being on a big dipper in the funfair, only wet and not nearly so much fun. I stared at the gun: would it still work if it were wet?

Miles shouted, ‘Keep going.’

He eyed Ruby. I could see that he was working out another way to kill her. I knew that all he had to do was push her over the side. Then he’d tackle me. I could put up a fight but Ruby would be gone.

‘I have to turn back.’ The wind snatched at my words and tossed them into the Solent. I knew it was too late. I couldn’t see over the waves, we were riding them high then plunging into the troughs, the sea washing over us. At any minute a wave could and probably would hit us and take us down with it. I felt behind me. Somewhere there were a couple of flares, kept purposely near the helmsman in case of emergency. This was one all right. I could and should be able to lay my hands on one in the dark. I had to wait for Miles to look away, but I couldn’t wait forever.

Then as a particularly nasty wave bashed into us and Ruby slid down onto the deck my fingers curled around it. I didn’t know if it would work but it was worth a try. If I didn’t do something we were all going to die. If I tried we might have a chance. Then suddenly the air was filled with a loud bang as the lifeboat was launched, and I could no longer afford to hesitate.

I wrenched out my hand, pointed the flare directly at Miles, pulled Ruby towards me and shot the flare as Ruby and I went over the side of the boat together. A bright white light lit the sky.

I thought I heard Miles cry out. The icy sea sucked the breath from my body. I struggled to hold Ruby above the tumultuous waves; her body was limp and weighed a ton. I concentrated on staying alive, trying to forget the mind numbing cold, the heavy clothes that were pulling me down, the salt that was swilling into my mouth and filling my lungs.

I was losing my grip on Ruby. I couldn’t hold onto her any longer. She was slipping away. I was so cold. I could see David and Philip’s laughing faces before me; I could hear them speaking, see them running along the beach, chatting on the boat with me on a bright summer’s day. My mother was smiling at me, her arms were open and a white light was all around her. I was no longer cold; I was floating peacefully to that white light. It was over. Then strong hands were pulling me back, my mother was fading, the light had gone, something was being tied around me and I was being lifted out of the water.