Sheena twists her fingers together now. I catch the whites of her knuckles. "Who doesn't love me, Kat?"
"Daniel."
She blows hot air from her mouth. "And why do you think he doesn't love me?"
My eyes glance around the room. I roll my tongue over my lips. I know this annoys her. "Because I'm the only person Daniel's ever loved, that's why..."
Sheena
I glance to the door again. It has become a compulsion. I've never wanted to see anybody as much as Apinya right now. I long for the door to swing open, for her to walk in uttering breathless apologies. Apinya worships me more than any woman in the group. I truly am her leader. She'll be on my side. There is another reason I keep looking at the door, though. I keep checking who is closer to the exit -me or this stranger I suddenly find I'm sharing the room with.
"You're psychotic," I say, spitting out the words.
Kat shrugs her shoulders. "Maybe I am. Maybe I'm not. Did he tell you that you were the Queen in this little game of his? He sent you to me, Sheena."
I hold her eye. "So what happened, Kat? Did he reply to one of your fan letters from prison? Not only are you psychotic, but you're deluded, too. You're a sick, pathetic bitch..."
She looks down at the floor. "Sticks and stone, Sheena, sticks and stones. I wish I was deluded. I wish I never met him. I truly do."
I decide to go along with it. I want to hear what she has to say, even if it is just a sick fantasy. "When did you meet him? Did you have an affair? Does Ray know about it?"
She shakes her head. "He was my first love. When I was a teenager. He was my only love."
Her gleeful smile vanishes. She looks forlorn. She doesn't love Ray?
"Sheena. You know I'm sometimes overcome with dark moods?"
I nod. I may be heartless, but even I think they sound painful. I don't envy her.
"Do you know why I get these moods?"
I shrug. "Depression, I guess. The death of your brother? The death of your parents? You've always played the victim, Kat. It could be any number of reasons."
She looks up at me. The light in her eyes indicates she sees some humanity in me, even if it's just a glimmer. I don't want her to see humanity, though; Daniel says it's a sign of weakness. "You're right in a way, but not in the way you think. I do get depressed. Awfully. It suffocates and strangles me. But I don't think it is my natural state. I sometimes feel like that because I fight against this life of mine. This dull, predictable life is his creation. He made me live it."
"So why on earth would he do that, Katherine?"
"To avoid bringing attention to myself. So that I remained invisible. Just like he did for all those years. Until the urge became too much, until he got caught last year..."
I clench my fist. I might just finish her now, just to stop her talking.
"I know you think you're the real deal, Sheena. But I don't believe you've actually killed anybody, have you?"
I dig my nails into my palm. I consider arguing against this, but I'm beyond caring now. Didn't I kill a defenceless man with Apinya a couple of hours ago? Admittedly, I didn't want to. My plan was always to get my followers to commit the killings. Daniel said you can learn from Charlie Manson. Kat forced me into a corner. My eyes burn into her skull. She doesn't seem to notice.
"You know what brings me down? What makes me feel so low I can barely move some days? Boredom. The lack of excitement I so crave, just like Daniel does. Can I tell you something about Daniel that you don't know? That nobody knows?"
"You've shared your fanatical story that you were once with him-"
"Not that."
She looks around the room. Over my shoulder. At the door. "You said that your boyfriend killed my brother-"
"Yes. Benjamin Conway."
"He didn't kill Ben."
My waved hand dismisses this outrageous comment. "Of course he did. He left his trademark sign-"
"Oh, that was him. He was there. But you know who stabbed him? The person who pulled back the knife and plunged it into my brother's chest?"
I shake my head. My upper lip trembles.
"That was me."
I stifle my gasp with my hand. What is she saying? Who is this woman? I pull my chair back. Whoever she is, I'm ready with my fists, with my teeth, with the knife in my pocket. She had better be one crazy woman if she wants to be crazier than me.
"My brother, Ben, was in love with Daniel," she says. "So many people were. Not just women. Daniel didn't mind. Far from it. He encouraged it. Just like you, he craved the power he had over people. But it drove me mad with jealousy. Plus, it just wasn't right. It was impure. Ben worried my parents wouldn't approve of him lusting after other men. He was wrong. Our parents were good, decent people. I overheard them talking about it. They knew all along that he was gay. They loved him whatever his sexuality. I didn't approve. I wanted my brother dead. Daniel knew this. He knew everything. He read my mind, just like he read yours. He told me that he'd already killed that weird couple. You think they were his first? Think again. I'd never heard anything quite so exhilarating. It made me feel alive. It fucking thrilled me. And-"
"And? What did he do?"
"He dared me to kill my brother. He said it would create an unbreakable bond. We would both be killers. So I did. In front of him. I pushed that knife into his chest so hard that the blood splattered all over my face. I proved to him I could kill. That I wasn't a coward..."
"You were a coward because you did what he told you to!" I shout. "You killed your brother, Kat. How is that possibly a good thing?"
I realise now that I believe everything she tells me. She may be psychotic. She may be crazy. But she isn't deluded. Not totally.
"That's only the beginning," Kat says.
She bows her head. She smothers her face with her hands. Could I jump on her now? Overpower her? I stay still. I'm addicted. She knows I won't do anything. I want to hear what she has to say.
"I lived this awful, dreary life with Ray for so long. Day after day after day acting like this perfect housewife. Do you know how exhausting that is? I did it because Daniel told me to, not because Ray did. And then I cracked..."
"Cracked? How?"
I think I know the answer. I just don't want to face up to it.
"I wanted to defy him. I wanted to make him aware I was still out here. I was still a danger. I wanted to show him I was still capable of taking life-"
"You killed your parents, didn't you?"
She looks up at me. The whites of her eyes are blotted red. "You know why I was the perfect lure tonight, Sheena? Why you were so impressed with my performance? I've done it before. The compulsion to do something utterly awful ate away at me for so long. The three of us picnicked. I threw off my clothes and jumped in the river for a swim. I wanted to be outrageous, to make my parents gasp. It was only when I was in the river that the compulsion overcame to me. What could possibly be more impressive to Daniel than killing my own parents? It was a compulsion. It was totally uncontrollable. My head disappeared beneath the water. I could barely make out their panicked outlines on the river bank. I didn't think I could do it. They were taking too long. I'd have to come up for air. And then they both dived in-"
"Oh my God, Kat..."
"They couldn't find me in that dirty brown water, of course. They didn't realise I kept pulling my head above the water for air. And then when they did find me - or when I found them - I grabbed their weakened bodies and held them under the water until - one by one - they stopped breathing..."
I take a deep breath. I look to the door. Apinya isn't coming, is she? What's to say this crazy bitch hasn't killed her, too? I don't have any options left.
I slide the knife from my pocket. She looks up just as I launch at her. Her outstretched leg hits me straight in the belly. The blade spins in the air and lands on the floor behind me. My hands grab Kat's red dress. I pull her down onto the floor. She lands on top of me. Reaching up, I snatch a handful of hair. Kat brushes aside my hand
. She straddles me. My writhing body can't push her off. She is stronger than me. Her fists crack the sides of my head. I shut my eyes tight and brace my whole body as she lands punch after punch on my softened face...
"Get up! Both of you. Get up now!"
My dazed eyes look up. The room spins. I expect to see blue uniform. I expect to see badges.
I take a second look.
Rose stands over us. I look past her shoulder. Ray and Bernard glare down at us.
Rose
It was Monday evening when Ray knocked on my door. His forehead glistened. His fingers fidgeted. He looked like he was in two minds whether to turn around and walk away.
"May I come in, Rose?"
We sat in the front room. "I was sorry to hear about your colleague," I said. "I guess you're not doing too well, are you?"
"I'm not, if I'm honest."
I knew this wasn't a man to share his emotions. He told me about his day. I must confess, it was much more exciting than my Monday. He said that this man - Tony - admitted that somebody had paid him to commit these diabolical crimes.
"Who do you think was behind it all?" I asked.
He rubbed his ruddy cheeks. "Sheena. I just can't see how it can be anybody else. Kat changed beyond all recognition as soon as Sheena joined Pontbach. I know everybody else thinks she is wonderful; I just don't trust her-"
"I don't, either," I said.
"You know what worries me, though? That this is just the tip of the iceberg. That these incidents were battles in a much bigger war. I think she's playing all of us-"
"Playing who?"
Ray scratched his bald head. I could tell he was talking from the heart, that this was unbearably uncomfortable for him. Even he questioned his theories. He needed to share what was on his mind to gain reassurance he wasn't going mad. I know how he feels. I have done the same thing with Bernard for months and months. "Us guys in the pub. The women in the group. I think she's turning everyone against each other..."
I reached forward and smoothed his hand. "I think you're right, Ray. I've been saying as much to Bernard. He suspects I'm losing my marbles, but I swear I'm not-"
"I don't think you are-"
"I tell you what. I'll speak to the women from the group. I still have a few allies. They care about me more than Sheena realises. And you speak to the guys from the pub. Is that a plan?"
"Yes," he said. "There's just one other thing..."
"What's that, dear?"
This time Ray looked away. His pained face tried to contain his feelings. "I'm not sure I know who Kat is anymore, either..."
"I was thinking exactly the same thing, dear."
I spoke to a few women from the group. Did Sheena really think they would stay quiet with me? They weren't as gullible as she imagined. Some of them were desperately trying to keep their emotions from bubbling over. They had already questioned Sheena's approach. They struggled with guilty consciences. Dave and Geraint opened up to Ray, as I knew they would. Sheena had apparently told them to keep their eyes out for Ray and Bernard, said they couldn't be trusted. How dare she? Did Sheena really think that the guys would choose her over their mates?
What became chillingly clear, from every conversation, was that the women sought revenge at the barn dance on Saturday night, 17th August.
What Kat didn't realise was that the women from the group were watching her, and not Grant. Myself, Ray and Bernard watched (from behind the wall) the events unfold at the barn. If Kat hadn't returned to untie Grant, then we would have done so. Admittedly, Ray couldn't resist giving Grant a few slaps around the face before letting him return to his wife. Who could blame him?
Just as they split, so did we. I trailed Sheena. Ray trailed Kat. Bernard trailed Apinya.
We waited outside for Bernard to arrive. We both agreed Apinya must have taken a detour. Finally, Bernard arrived, flushed and apologetic. Whoever was last in the building must have locked the door. Of course, I had a key. I guess they didn't see me as a threat; otherwise they would have changed the locks. I'm sure Sheena's sadistic boyfriend would have told her, at some point, not to underestimate anybody. The three of us waited in the dark corridor for the optimum time to strike.
And, as we waited, we listened to events unfold.
Neither woman notice us enter the room. They are too busy fighting. Even after I shout at them to get up, they both stare at us nonplussed, with open-mouths and dropped jaws. And so I decide to hurry things along. I pull Kat off Sheena by tugging at her long hair. I silence her shriek with a slap to the cheek. Accidentally stepping on Sheena's face as I pass, I look up and catch Bernard and Ray exchanging glances.
With my hands on my hips, I look around the room.
There it is.
I don't pick up the knife until I've put on my white velvet gloves, the ones I sometimes wear to play lawn bowls. Katherine and Sheena sit down opposite each other on those awful wooden chairs. Both fold their arms across their chests. Their brows hang heavily over their eyes. Katherine exchanges a brief, awkward glance with her husband, who fills the doorway.
"How long have you been there?" Kat asks.
Ray sighs. "Long enough, Kat."
I wave the knife in the air. "I'll get down to basics, ladies. We don't have much time. We've already called the police. The lovely DI Hunter and her handsome partner will be here shortly-"
Sheena smirks. "What are they coming for? Are they going to arrest us for fighting? You don't have anything on us."
I make sure my smirk is wider than Sheena's. I may be an old dear, but I'm not too old to play mind games, too. "Oh, quite the contrary, dear. Luckily Katherine over there has worked out how to use the video on her phone. She managed to get quite a good view of you and Apinya in the barn. Who would have imagined she was athletic enough to lie on the roof? I'm sure her video would have put Steven Spielberg to shame..."
Sheena's smirk disappears. Kat cranes her neck forward and grins.
"Unfortunately for Katherine, she shouldn't look quite so smug. You see, I managed to get the recorder working on this old phone of mine, too. I've got her on tape confessing to - how many?- oh yes, three murders..."
Kat's body slumps. She looks up at me. Holds my look. She doesn't have much to lose, does she? "Make that four, you stupid old bitch. Who do you think went back to your husband's house after you paid your visit? He said you tried to put the frighteners on him with your own knife. Well, I did more than that. I proper stitched you up, didn't I?"
"I didn't like the man anyway, dear," I say. "As you said, I was considering killing him myself."
The two men in the room smile at that.
"Here's the thing." I glance at both women. "Your sick boyfriend killed my darling daughter. Now that is not alright. The problem I have, Sheena, is that a whole roomful of women say you were planning murder tonight. Two men from the pub are willing to testify that you were conspiring, too..."
I look up at Bernard and Ray. I soften my face when my eyes fix on Ray. His whole life has been destroyed. What he believed to be the truth was merely lies. The woman he loves with every inch of his being is a fraud. What I am about to propose will undoubtedly cause him untold pain.
"Gentlemen, would you be prepared to stand up in court to testify that you witnessed Sheena stab Katherine to death?"
I hold my breath. Bernard nods. Ray's face falls.
"Yes," he says, bowing his head.
"What the fuck are you saying, Rose?" Sheena says.
I pull another knife out of my pocket. This is the blade I threatened my husband with. I wave it in my air. Without thinking, Sheena's open hand takes her own knife back.
"I'm giving you two choices, Sheena. Either you use your knife to stab Katherine to death, or I use my knife to stab you to death. Personally, I don't want to get your blood on my lovely top, but I'm prepared to make the sacrifice if that's the choice you decide to make-"
"Don't do anything stupid, Sheena," Katherine says. She glances at the exit. Sw
ivelling her head, she eyes the window. As usual, the drab curtains are pulled wide apart.
"If you make a move," I say, "I'll bludgeon you to death myself."
Sheena's body trembles. She stands up. Katherine kicks out with her legs. Ray and Bernard move either side of her, close enough to strike, but far enough away to avoid any splashes of blood.
"Just do it, "Ray says. "Please, just get it over with it."
"I'm sorry Kat," Sheena whispers. "But I don't want to die."
Pulling the knife high above her head, Sheena plunges the blade deep into Katherine's chest, again and again and again...
Sheena screams at the top of her voice. The front door pushes open. DI Hunter and her colleague charge into the room. Hunter's jaw drops at the sight of Katherine's slumped, bloodied and motionless body. Sheena bends at the knee and tries to shimmy past Hunter. The detective sticks out her leg. Sheena stumbles to the floor in a crumpled heap.
"Sheena Strachan, I'm arresting you for murder. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you..."
Bernard
My exhausted body slumps onto the sofa. Normally I would have been in bed hours ago, but I know I still won't sleep. Not after tonight. My body aches, but my mind races.
And besides, I don't sleep well when I have the bed all to myself.
We agreed that I would tail Apinya. My wife. Of course, Apinya had to take the scenic route from the farm, didn't she? She thought she was sightseeing. Her body slumped when she turned around and saw me, trailing just a handful of steps behind her. Who did she fear was following her? Was she relieved that I wasn't a potentially man? Did she think I might be a dangerous man? That handful of steps quickly shrunk. Apinya froze when I continued walking towards her. Within seconds, her face dropped.
I told her I was there to kill her.
And so, I am alone again. This time potentially for the rest of my life. I just don't have the energy to fall in love again.
Sheena planted the idea in my mind. At first the anger and the resentment simmered. Over weeks and weeks, however, it boiled over. Apinya humiliated me. She abused me. She deserved to die. I wanted her dead.
I AM HERE TO KILL YOU Page 25
