Part 9 (2/2)
”So what do we do?” Danny asked. ”Light some candles, burn some incense?”
Jane withered him with a harsh look until she realised that he wasn't taking the p.i.s.s. ”Just a little quiet,” she answered honestly as she took her mother's brooch in her hand and ran her thumb over the surface.
The lounge was large and full of expensive - but cold - tastes, as though the owner had little sense of themselves and more how they should appear to the world around them. Jane couldn't help but feel a little sorry for Marion, however much the woman would hate the sentiment.
Jane walked slowly over to the spot where Marion had been found chained to the walls with her arms stretched out on either side in a crucified pose. The long blinds were drawn all the way across the back wall, plunging the room into darkness. A sudden thought of inspiration struck her and she carefully pulled a corner of the covering aside. She could see immediately that the whole wall was sparkling gla.s.s. ”This is why he didn't show me this one,” she thought aloud.
”I'm sorry?” Danny asked.
”The window wall.” She pointed. ”I would have seen his reflection in the gla.s.s.”
”He could have worn a mask?”
”No, not him; he wanted her to see him, to see all of him.”
”So you do know something about him.”
”Not enough,” Jane admitted. ”Not nearly enough.”
”You still can't get a fix on him?”
”Not yet, but I'm getting closer. Right now I feel like an amateur boxer stepping in the ring with the heavyweight champ and swinging wildly, but those old reflexes are coming back, Danny. It's slow work but I've never been involved with anyone who had my gift and was able to use it against me in such a way. He's able to force visions into my head and only show me what he wants to.”
”Why? Why you? Is it just because you share the same... ability, or is it something more personal?”
”Now that is a good question, Detective.”
”It seems like all we've got here are questions, Jane; it's about time that we got some b.l.o.o.d.y answers,” Danny growled.
”Well all right then,” Jane sighed. ”Let's take a look.”
She hadn't wanted to replay Marion's death. She had been grateful that the killer had at least spared her that experience but Danny was right - it was time to start pus.h.i.+ng back.
She stood in the centre of the room and let her mind empty. She shook the tension from her shoulders and relaxed her body one inch at a time until she was in tune with both worlds. Marion's presence was close by now and she could feel the woman's rage. That anger was useless to her and tended to blind more than illuminate, but the woman's essence was strong and Jane used that fuel.
The world faded away as the swinging scythe cut through time and s.p.a.ce until she stood at the threshold of the Shadow World where death lived.
The last act of the gruesome play and the first that she had to endure was Jacob Yeller being ushered in through the front door to his doom. Jane could tell that this had not been in the killer's plan and for the first time she sensed a little hesitation and apprehension in the man. Yeller's death was mercifully quick as he was led into the lounge to see Marion's dying body on the ground. His throat was slit from behind and his body was dragged to the bathroom, discarded as meaningless.
Jane steeled herself as Marion was laid bare, stripped of clothing and life. She felt the woman's screams and bucking pain as the blade cut deeply into her flesh, the carving mark of the Crucifier.
The drawn blinds covered the window wall as she'd feared and the killer was obscured from her. Normally, Jane was able to thrust herself into the scene and find something to identify the killer; it had been her way when helping Danny's father. But now this man seemed to know every trick that she had in her locker and was blocking her at every turn.
She stepped around the butchering, trying to ignore the sound of wet thuds as the killer started to undo his work as time ran backwards. She tried to concentrate on the room, to look for any reflective surfaces, to catch a scent of anything identifiable, to hear a voice, an accent, anything, but there was nothing.
Marion Ramsey was sucked down from her chains as the carnage ran in reverse. Her face folded and knitted back together, thankfully, as her clothes returned and her body became whole again. Jane watched as the formidable woman fought for her life, running through the apartment - even chasing the killer at one point, and Jane admired her even more. Eventually, the scene was finished and she was left with the sight of Marion staring down at a collection of photo frames with melancholy in her eyes.
The play was done and Jane headed for the exit when the scene slowly morphed into another. This time she was watching the outside of the same building from a hidden vantage point. There were several press men and women standing watch outside as she moved through the undergrowth on the other side of the street. She could see a car pulling up, a large 4x4 that looked oddly familiar, and then she saw herself climb out and wait by the rear entrance.
This was earlier, this was just now, she mused. Somehow, her self-inflicted vision had crossed streams with the killer's. He had been watching the apartment building when she'd turned up less than 10 minutes ago.
She backed out as slowly as she could manage so as to not alert the man to her presence in his head. She stepped back across the threshold to find Danny waiting for her. ”He's here,” she whispered, in case the killer could sense her thoughts. ”Outside. He watched me arrive.”
Danny moved faster than she thought possible and he was out the door before she could stop him. She bolted after him and struggled to keep up as he leapt down the stairs three at a time. He burst out through the door onto the street and stood looking frantically around in all directions.
She caught up to him by the kerb, panting with the effort. It was only when she reached his side that a car engine roared into life somewhere across the street and then Danny was running for his car with his keys out.
”Get out of here!” he roared as she ran alongside him.
”Not a chance!” she yelled back as they reached his car.
The automated locking system opened all doors at the same time, allowing her to jump into the pa.s.senger seat, ignoring his furious stare. ”Let's go, let's go!”
He peeled away from the kerb, swinging the car around and ignoring the horn blares of the traffic coming in the opposite direction as it swerved to avoid them.
”Left!” Jane shouted, pointing to a side street as she could still feel the killer's scent on the air. It was faint, but as long as they stayed close, she could follow.
Danny screamed around the corner in an expert slide. ”Where?” he yelled.
”Right, up ahead,” Jane answered as she struggled to fix her seatbelt into its housing while gripping the handle above the door.
The streets were residential and not built for speed. Panicked faces on either side stared open-mouthed as the two cars flew by. Speed b.u.mps in the road, built to slow down drivers, bounced them in the air as they took them too fast.
They rounded the right-hand turn and for the first time Jane caught sight of the car that they were chasing. It was the same silver rental that been following her before, the photographer's car. ”The silver Toyota,” she pointed and Danny nodded.
The street opened up into a commercial district with wider roads but more vehicles. Jane held her breath as they swerved in and out of the traffic. Large delivery lorries mingled with smaller cars and buses. They followed the silver car and darted into an empty bus lane that ran along the outside lane of the road to avoid the stalled vehicles at a set of traffic lights.
An elderly shopper belied his years as he managed to jump back out of the way, angrily waving his walking stick in the air as the Toyota mounted the pavement. Jane was almost certain that the car had swerved to try and hit the old man.
Danny swung back out into the centre of the road as more people rushed to the aid of the old man and blocked their path. Vehicles seemed to be coming at them in all directions and the Toyota made a break for it, caring little for the safety of pedestrians as he continued to drive along the pavement.
Danny skidded sideways as they took another turn and the car threatened to tip over; the only thing that stopped them was when they crashed into a row of parked cars, sending sparks from crushed metal up in the air. Danny righted the car and up ahead Jane could see the Toyota increasing its speed as the road opened up to meet the dual-carriageway that headed out of town.
The luck of the Devil himself seemed to riding co-pilot in the Toyota as the car shot through the junction, miraculously missing every car coming in the opposite direction at top speed.
”Get him, get him,” Jane snarled as Danny stamped on the accelerator.
They flew past the stop sign and Jane's hands flew to her face as a huge articulated lorry slammed on its brakes and started to twist towards them from the left. The sun was suddenly blocked out by the huge truck as it loomed over them. The sound of screaming tyres and burning rubber filled the air before the collision.
Danny's car was no match for the lorry and it crumpled beneath the impact. Jane heard gla.s.s shattering and showering her face in sharp shards before her head hit the windscreen and the world went black.
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