Page 205 of Guilty Pleasures

‘Get out,’ she snapped.

As her feet scuffed on the roof’s surface, for a split second Emma thought of happier times when she and Stella had sunbathed out there one really hot July afternoon. Then she thought of Rob on the night of her birthday, smiling at her with love, holding her hands. And for a moment, despite the very real threat of death, it made Emma feel warm.

‘Now, here’s what you’re going to do,’ said Rebecca matter-of-factly. ‘You’re going to jump off this roof. The newspapers will report how you were depressed. Everyone knows how weird you’ve been since the fire. And now having to testify against your aunt, well, people will understand why you did it, Emma. Your shares will pass to your mother. Your mother will sell them cut-price to Ruan. And well, we all live happily ever after. Except you, of course.’

‘You’re mad,’ whispered Emma, her mind whirling. She had to think of something, she had to catch Rebecca off guard.

‘No, not mad. Just as ambitious as you are. Except I didn’t get the breaks, did I? The fancy schools and the high-flying jobs,’ she snarled.

‘Why are you doing this?’

‘Why? Because ever since I was a little girl I looked at Winterfold and knew my life would be better if I lived in it. Winterfold was supposed to be mine. Now walk.’

There was a noise behind Rebecca and she spun round to see what it was.

Emma felt a split second of hope before she could make ou

t that it was Ruan standing in the doorway of the fire exit.

‘Rebecca. What the hell is going on?’ he said, his voice raised and panicked.

‘Run along, darling,’ she said in a flat, emotionless voice. ‘I’m trying to finish something off here.’

Ruan took a cautious step towards her, reaching out towards her.

‘Rebecca. Stop it.’

Even in the darkness, Emma could see fear in his face.

‘Give me the gun. This has fucking got out of control.’

‘Don’t be a coward, Ruan,’ she screamed. ‘We have to get the job done. For both of us.’

Ruan and Emma exchanged a brief, frantic look. At that moment she knew that no matter what he had done at the Stables he did not want to see her killed.

‘Hand me the gun, Rebecca,’ he replied, his tone now pleading. ‘Think about what you’re doing. Thing about what’s going to happen.’

‘Rebecca. Listen to Ruan,’ said Emma, trying to keep her voice calm and steady. ‘He cares about you. This has gone too far but we can stop it right now.’

‘Emma. Walk. Now!’ screamed Rebecca pointing the gun at Emma’s head.

‘Rebecca, don’t,’ shouted Ruan surging forward to try and grab the gun.

Without time to think, Emma flung her body away from them. There was a loud crack; it was the sound of a bullet being fired.

Rob and Cassandra ran through the fire escape onto the roof. Rob saw a gun lying on the asphalt and kicked it off the building with his foot. It was only then that he noticed there was a body slumped on the floor.

For the second time in a fortnight Detective Michael Sheldon had to make a late-night visit to Chilcot.

Two ambulances were outside Byron House by the time his Ford Mondeo pulled up to the Milford headquarters. Ruan McCormack was in one of them; a gun-shot wound in his right shoulder had caused considerable loss of blood but, according to the paramedics, he’d live. Rebecca Milford was having her makeshift handcuffs transferred over to the real thing. Rob had been quite impressed with his handiwork. After restraining Rebecca on the rooftop he’d used yards of fabric from Stella’s studio to bind her wrists together until the squad cars had arrived. According to Cassandra the fabric felt like India’s finest silk and had never been put to a better purpose.

Emma sat trembling on a sofa in the Milford boardroom.

‘Are you all right?’ asked Sheldon sitting down next to her and putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

‘So now do you believe me?’ she said quietly, unable to look him in the eye.

Sheldon simply nodded.