Page 62 of Worse Than Murder (DCI Matilda Darke Thriller #13)

T ania Pritchard can’t sleep. Her mind is working overtime and won’t switch off for some reason.

She throws the sheets back and climbs out of bed.

She thinks better while she’s drawing on a cigarette.

That’s her reason for never giving up, anyway.

She vapes, occasionally, but nothing beats the real thing.

Vaping is like having vegan mayonnaise. It makes no sense.

She goes downstairs and picks up a packet of cigarettes from the coffee table, lights one and feels her entire body instantly relax as the nicotine hits.

Glancing to her right, she can see daylight through the thin curtains. She looks at her watch. Surely, it’s too early for sunrise. She peels back the curtain and sees an orange glow in the distance. That’s not the sun. That’s fire. And the only thing she knows in that direction is Nature’s Diner.

Stubbing out her fag, she takes the stairs two at a time and pulls off her nightie while scouring the floor looking for the clothes she discarded last night.

She runs to her shitty Punto, climbs in, turns on the engine and slams her foot down hard on the accelerator. This is where her erratic driving pays off.

* * *

Philip uses the fire extinguisher to smash the padlock on the garage. He pulls back the door and we run inside for the aluminium ladder. We grab it and run back to the restaurant, Woody following. Philip slows as he looks up and watches as his restaurant burns around him.

We prop the ladder against the end wall. It’s too short and doesn’t quite reach the open window to Philip and Sally’s bedroom.

‘Is this the longest ladder you’ve got?’

‘Yes.’

‘They’re not going to be able to reach from there.’

‘Shit.’

‘Hold onto the bottom,’ I say as I start to climb.

‘What are you going to do?’

‘Something incredibly stupid. Just make sure it’s stable.’

‘Shouldn’t I go up?’

‘I’m lighter than you.’

I call out for Adele as I make my way up the rickety ladder.

It’s strange how an emergency stops us thinking about our own personal problems. I should be cowering in a corner right now, rocking back and forth, crying like a baby at the prospect of losing more people I care about.

I’m not. I’ve jumped straight into action to help them, to save them.

This is my police training. It’s engrained within me.

I can’t sit back and watch disaster unfold around me. I have to help.

‘Adele!’ I scream again as I reach the top of the ladder.

Adele pokes her head out of the window, looking relieved to see me.

‘Are you all okay?’ I ask.

‘Carl’s worried about Woody.’

‘He’s fine. He showed us the way out. He’s down here.’

‘Carl, did you hear that?’ Adele turns back into the room.

Carl appears at the window and looks down. Woody, on the ground, barks and wags his tail as he sees Carl looking down at him.

‘Adele, this is longest ladder we’ve got. It won’t reach the window. You’re going to have to back out and lower yourself down to the top rung. I’ll guide you.’

‘Shit,’ she says.

‘It’s the only way out.’

There’s a good five feet between the window ledge and the top of the ladder. Adele and Sally will just about reach if they’re careful, but Carl is going to have to jump, and I haven’t quite worked out how to get Woody out.

‘Send Carl first,’ I shout. I look down at Philip. He gives me the thumbs-up.

There’s an explosion and one of the picture windows at the side of the restaurant is blown out, shaking the entire building. I hold onto the ladder tightly.

‘It has to be now!’ Philip screams.

* * *

‘I’m not going,’ Carl says. He steps back from the window and sits down on the floor beside the bed. Woody runs to him and curls up beside him.

‘What?’ Sally asks. ‘Carl, sweetheart, I know it’s scary, but Matilda will grab you and guide you down to the ladder.’ She coughs. ‘Your dad is waiting for you at the bottom.’

‘I’m not leaving Woody.’

‘He’ll be right behind you,’ she says.

‘No. He won’t,’ he cries. ‘He can’t jump down to the top of the ladder and Matilda won’t be able to catch him. He’s not going to get out. I’m not leaving him.’ He wraps his arms around Woody’s neck and holds him close.

‘Carl, I’m not losing you again,’ Sally shouts. Her voice is shaking with terror. She’s nervous but trying to sound forceful. ‘You’re going out of that window.’

‘Woody looked after me in Sweden. He got me through it all. I’m not leaving him here to die.’

Adele grabs a curtain and yanks it off the pole. ‘Carl, I’m pretty sure I can wrap this around Woody and lower him out of the window. It’ll reach Matilda. She’ll grab him and get him down. He’ll be fine. I know it. But we have to move now.’

‘He goes first.’

‘No. You go,’ Adele says, firmly. ‘It’ll give me a chance to make this secure.’

‘Don’t leave him to die,’ he says, tears running down his face.

‘I won’t. I promise.’

Carl takes Woody’s head in his hands. He kisses him on the nose and the frightened dog licks him back.

‘I’ll be right outside, Woody. I’ll be waiting for you. I love you.’

Sally grabs Carl by the shoulders and pulls him away. ‘Come on, Carl.’

There’s a whoosh from the door. The wet towels have dried up and caught fire. The whole door is now ablaze.

‘Jesus Christ!’ Adele says. ‘We’ve not got long.’

‘What’s taking so long?’ I shout from the top of the ladder. I can’t see into the bedroom from this low down.

‘We’re coming,’ I hear Sally reply.

She appears at the window. She looks petrified. I know how she feels. She lifts Carl up. He wipes the tears from his face with the back of his hands and lowers himself out of the window.

‘I’ll see you soon, Woods,’ he calls out.

I’m standing on the top rung. I don’t feel secure. I risk a glance back and Philip is holding the ladder firmly at the bottom. I reach out for Carl, but I still can’t get to him. There’s a space of about a foot between my fingertips and his feet.

‘Sally, you need to let him go,’ I shout.

‘Oh God!’ she cries.

‘Sally, let him go. Carl, I’ll catch you.’

‘Promise?’ he calls out.

‘Definitely.’

‘I’m scared, Mat.’

‘I know. I’m scared, too. But we can help each other not be scared. A few seconds and you’ll be on the ground, safe and sound.’

‘I can’t do it, Mat. I can’t let him go,’ Sally cries.

‘Sally, you have to. Trust me.’

‘Mum, let me go,’ Carl cries out.

‘Shit,’ she says.

Sally lets go.

Carl falls.

He screams and I grab hold of him firmly, perhaps too firmly. I practically slam him against the brick wall, and he screams again. He’s going to have some scrapes and bruises, but I’ve caught him and he’s out of a burning building. That’s all that matters.

‘I’ve got you. I’ve got you,’ I repeat into his ear, soothing him. ‘Lessen your grip slightly, Carl, you’re strangling me.’

‘Sorry.’

‘Have you got him?’ Sally calls.

‘Yes. Fine. I’m going to pass him down to Philip. I’ll be back up for you.’

* * *

‘Sally, Woody isn’t moving. He’s gone under the bed, and he won’t come out,’ Adele says, trying, but failing, to coax him out.

Sally is emotionally exhausted. She wipes her eyes with her sleeves, squats to the floor beside Adele and looks under the bed.

‘Come on out, sweetie,’ she says in her best sickly-sweet voice.

‘We’re going outside. Do you want to see Carl?

Carl?’ His tail begins to wag. ‘He knows who I’m talking about. ’

‘He’s scared.’

‘He’s not the only one.’

‘Who’s next?’ Matilda shouts from outside.

‘Go. I’ll deal with Woody,’ Adele says.

‘Are you sure?’

‘Go!’

‘Thank you,’ Sally says, rubbing Adele’s back.

* * *

Sally appears at the window. She’s scanning the ground below and when she sees Philip and Carl, cuddling one of his dogs, she smiles with relief. He’s made it. She looks up into the distance.

‘I can see blue lights.’

‘About fucking time,’ I say. ‘Sally, swing your legs out. I should be able to reach your feet and guide you to the top rung, but you may have to let go.’

‘Shit. I bloody hate heights.’

‘More than fire?’

‘Good point.’

Sally lowers herself out of the upstairs window, holding onto the ledge by her fingertips.

I reach up and grab her ankles. ‘Sally, if you let go, we’re going to end up toppling back. You need to lower yourself down gently to me. Just a few inches, maybe not even that.’

‘I can’t.’

‘You’ve literally no choice, Sally.’

‘Fuck! Please don’t drop me.’

‘I’ll try not to.’

‘Okay. Letting go now.’

Sally lets go of the windowsill and I feel the full weight of her. She screams as her feet land on the top rung and she wraps her arms around my neck, like Carl did, only Sally has longer arms and a tighter grip and I’m pretty sure my eyes are going to pop out of my head.

‘Jesus Christ, that was scary,’ she says.

We’re holding each other tightly, neither of us daring to move.

‘Ease yourself down me then go carefully down the ladder.’

‘You can do this, Mum!’ Carl shouts.

Sally looks at me, tears in her eyes. ‘Thank you,’ she says as she painstakingly edges down the ladder.

I breathe a sigh of relief when I see Sally reach the ground and into Philip’s arms. I turn back to the restaurant. The smoke coming out of the window is blacker and thicker than before. We can’t have much longer left before it’s too late.

‘Adele, send Woody out next,’ I shout.

There’s no response.