Page 144 of Dying Truth

It took Kim three seconds to catch up.

Hannah Winters had disappeared and so had the knife.

One Hundred Four

Kim bent over Laurence Winters who was holding onto his stomach. The initial blood stream had slowed and from the noise he was making it was not life-threatening. He’d live and so would Hannah Winters if she had anything to do with it.

‘Saffie, are you okay?’ she asked, removing the gag from her mouth.

‘Y-yes… but my Dad…’ she said, moving towards him.

‘He’ll be fine,’ Kim said, grabbing Saffie’s wrists and untying the bandage that had bound her.

Saffie dropped to the floor beside her father.

‘Dad… dad… it’s me…’ she said, as the tears rolled over her cheeks.

‘Get his phone and call for an ambulance,’ Kim shouted as she tied Graham’s feet together and his wrists to the metal handrail that led into the pool.

‘He’s secure,’ she said, taking out her mobile phone. She could sure use a hand right now.

She groaned when she saw the cracked screen. Her thumb failed to light it up. It must have happened when Graham landed on top of her.

Damn it, she couldn’t waste any more time.

Kim looked at the distraught girl cradling the head of her groaning father, but she had to get after the girl’s mother.

She hit the fire alarm button as she raced out of the door. The siren rang out immediately, blasting her ears. But it was the fastest way to get help to Saffron and her father. Yes, she could wait for help from whoever responded to the fire alarm but every second that passed put space between her and an emotionally distraught woman with a four-inch blade.

She looked up and down the corridor and saw a flash of silver gown disappear around the corner.

And even though she was on her own she could see where Hannah Winters was heading.

One Hundred Five

Kim heard the sobbing as she opened the roof door.

‘There’s nowhere to go, Hannah,’ Kim said, spotting the woman to the left of a roof light. The knife sat on the ledge beside her hand.

‘Don’t come any closer,’ she said, without turning.

Kim ignored her and took a step as quietly as she could. In Hannah’s twisted mind the roof was a link to Sadie.

‘It’s all gone,’ she said quietly. ‘Sadie is dead, Laurence is dead, Saffie hates me.’

Kim should have guessed that her only regret was for herself.

‘Laurence isn’t dead,’ Kim said, using her voice to cover the fact she was taking another step.

Kim saw her nod her head. ‘Good, not that it matters. You saw the look on his face. Doesn’t matter that he was the one who planned it. And I was the one that made sure it happened. It’s because I never told him. I let him suffer all the guilt for her death.’

‘Was that his punishment for sleeping with her?’ Kim asked, moving closer.

She shook her head. ‘No, it was his punishment for loving her.’

She turned, and Kim saw the emotion in her eyes.

‘You think I’d have done it had she been a quick, meaningless fuck?’