Part 28 (1/2)

On the table, arranged in front of her, stood eight photo frames He must have toured the house for them while she was unconscious Each frame contained a different picture of Hannah

Hannah dressed as an angel at a school play Hannah posing on a sports field with hockey stick and ball Hannah on a tra in the sea

'Her nahter'

Nicole said nothing She looked up at him Stared into his dead eyes

'You know, I really didn't want this to happen,' he continued 'I really wanted toold and spiteful I enjoyed e did earlier There's definitely a positive eleressive streak'

She spat at him A thick curdle of blood It splattered across his cheek

He sighed 'But you are vicious It's a shame Where can I find her?'

'I'll kill you first'

Jakab raised a hand to his face and wiped away the clot of blood and saliva He stood up and walked across the kitchen, returning with a cloth He used it to clean his fingers

Moving around the table, he sat on the chair beside her 'You're not going to tell me I didn't think you would Not really You're stubborn, just like the rest of them It's not an attractive trait, Nicole'

He reached out to her She flinched away from him, but her an to talk, soothingly, as if to a wounded bird he was hoping to ht A wounded bird Too badly broken now

'I'ently take your head in h the hair above her ears 'And you're going to let me, that's it, just like that, exactly like that You see, you ht not know this, you probably don't, but there's this old hosszu elet parlour trick It's quite a good one I don't knoorks, I don't even kno I do it But it does work, and that's all that really ainst her temples, felt a sudden warmth from them Nicole tried to turn her head away, but Jakab eased it back towards hi The warmth in his hands became a heat, and suddenly she felt a lance of pain in her head

'It won't hurt for long,' he told her 'That's it, relax'

She felt her heart begin to thu her inning to race A huge pressure was building in her throat, in her head The walls of her skull felt like they were bulging Her ears popped

Then, quite suddenly, Nicole felt so at hih a tide of crimson She opened her mouth to shriek

Jakab tilted his head as he watched her 'I always find this part fascinating Where do you go?'

Charles parked on the street outside his house, switched off the engine and unclipped his seat belt He rubbed his face and stared at the sweat glistening on his fingers One question repeated in his mind

What have you done?

The man he had visited earlier was undoubtedly Beckett The creature he had arden yesterday undoubtedly was not They had looked identical, sounded identical, acted identical But the impostor who had shown him the Royal Decree had seemed pleased at Charles's discomfort Had mocked him with his eyes

Charles stared at his house, at the home he had shared with Nicole for the last twelve years What did they do now? The experiences of those who had already travelled this path suggested only one option Flee Is, the few precious and irreplaceable things letters, photographs Find Nicole Collect Hannah from her school Leave

What have you done?

He knehere their passports were, knew the whereabouts of his important documents He had about a thousand pounds in cash inside the house Enough for their iet lass of the front door Instinctively, Charles ducked down on to the passenger seat Raising his head, he watched the door open and saw an identical Charles Meredith step outside

'Ohhis favourite Oxford Blue sweater It shut the door behind it and walked down the path to the street

Charles rolled off the seat and wedged hi, convulsing He did not kno long he lay there, but when he sat up, looking up and down the street, his nightone Charles cla, his teeth clattering together in his mouth

In the hall, he called out his wife's nahts were on He walked down the corridor to the kitchen, noticing that raphs that lined the wall had disappeared Discoloured oblongs of wallpaper announced their absence

He opened the door to the kitchen and found a pool of what looked like coffee on the floor Footprints had skidded and slipped through it, leaving trails In one corner lay an empty knife block In another, its collection of knives A bloodied tea toas bunched up on the work surface On the kitchen table he saw a collection of photo fra him, sat Nicole

Charles closed the door behind hi froe Pinned to a cork board above it was a list of important numbers Nicole had put thes Charles stared at the list for a while, looking for the number he needed Then he picked up the phone and dialled

A woman answered

He cleared his throat and explained that he needed to speak to Hannah Meredith, that he was her father, and that it was urgent The woman listened, and put hihter from her class

From the breakfast nook, his dead atched him It looked as if, at the end, she had wept tears of blood Her left eye was closed Beads of blood oozed froht red orb He didn't like to look at it for long Didn't want to reushed from her nose It had splashed down her breasts on to the round curve of her stoht that Jakab wanted her Had thought that had been the point

'Dad?'

'Hannah'

'What's happened? Everything all right?'

'No Not really' Charles paused, turned his back on his wife It was difficult to concentrate with her staring at hiht now Once I finish talking, you need to hang up and just go Do you understand?'

A pause on the other end of the line 'Did he come?'

'Yes, Hannah, he did'

'Is Mum with you?'

'Listen to me Can you find your way to St Mary's Church?'

'Sure'

'Good Go there Wait for me I'll be there within the hour' He paused 'Is there anything you want ? From the house?'