Eric closed his eyes. He shook his head slowly. 'I thought Chris knew me better than that.'
'Did you?' Megan asked, looking him directly in the eye.
'How can you ask that?' he said.
'Did you?' she repeated.
Eric's eyes met hers. 'No,' he said, barely audibly. 'No, I didn't.'
They sat for several seconds, just looking at each other. Memories of that time so many years before when Megan had been so desperately in love with Eric came flooding back to her.
'Do you believe me?' he asked eventually, still holding her eyes.
'Yes,' she said. 'Yes, I do.'
Eric smiled. 'Good. But why does Chris think I killed them? And how could I possibly have killed Alex? Surely Duncan did that, if anyone?'
Megan launched into an explanation of Chris's view of events. When she had finished, Eric looked thoughtful.
'But he doesn't have any evidence at all. It's all smoke. He's just freaked out by it all, and he's picked on me as the answer. That disappoints me. I always liked Chris: I thought he'd know better.'
'What about the psychometric tests?' Megan asked.
'Oh, that,' Eric smiled. 'I was the perfect interviewee. You must remember that. I got offered jobs by ten Wall Street firms in my senior year in college. My secret was that I told them what they wanted to hear. And Bloomfield Weiss wanted to hear that I was a big, tough, nasty guy who ate babies for breakfast. So that's what I told them. I guess I went a bit over the top. But, as you know, they gave me the job.'
'So you lied?'
'Not exactly. But close. I embellished. Whenever there was a choice of helping a little old lady across the road or throwing her under a bus, I threw her under a bus. That kind of thing. But none of it was real. Once I got to Bloomfield Weiss I paid lip service to all the "it's a jungle out there" bullshit. I was always the predator, not the prey. But I think I behaved pretty decently. Ask Chris. He knows.'
Megan was relieved. Eric's explanation was totally believable. If this Dr Horwath woman had been any good, then she should have been able to detect Eric faking his answers, but Megan wasn't surprised that he had managed to mislead her.
'So who do you think killed Ian and Lenka?' Eric asked.
Megan sighed. 'I don't know. I try really hard not to think about it. It must be Duncan, I guess. But Chris is sure Duncan's innocent. I don't know what it is about those two, Chris always seems to be covering for him.'
'We all did on the boat, didn't we?' said Eric. 'Maybe that was a mistake. I don't know. Those kind of secrets have a habit of coming out eventually.'
'What do you think?' Megan asked.
Eric stared into his beer thoughtfully. 'I don't know, either. I guess it must be Duncan. But I think the most important thing for you to do is to forget all about it. If Duncan is a killer, or someone else who we don't even know, they're watching you. Chris can get himself into whatever kind of trouble he likes, but I'd hate for anything bad to happen to you.'
Megan blushed and looked up at Eric. The look of concern in his eyes was much more than worry about an old friend from a previous life. 'Thank you,' Megan said, and touched his hand.
Eric smiled at her. They sat like that, her hand touching his, for a moment that felt to Megan to last for ever.
'Let's talk about something else,' said Eric eventually. 'What are the famous Cambridge dons like? Are they all as crazy as they look? And what do they all do now they can't recruit spies for the KGB any more?'
Megan launched into a description of some of the eccentrics she had met in her college. That led on to exchanging memories of their professors at Amherst. Then the conversation became more personal. They discussed the major decisions they had taken in their lives, and why they had taken them.
Eric began to talk about Cassie. 'You met her, didn't you?' he asked.
'Yes. A couple of times, when you first went out with her.'
'What did you think of her?'
'She was nice. Very pretty, obviously. I can't say I liked her, but I was a bit biased at the time.'
'Sorry,' Eric said. 'Stupid question. But you're right. She seemed like the perfect woman. Beautiful, intelligent, charming.'
'And her father is a bigshot in the Republican Party.'
'That's unfair.'
'Sorry.' But Megan wasn't. She didn't like this listing of Cassie's charms.
Then Eric frowned. 'I don't know. Although I never admitted it to anyone, that probably was something else in her favour. In fact, she seemed perfect in every way. All my friends said so. And for the first couple of years they were probably right.'
Megan's pulse quickened. 'The first couple of years?'
'Yes,' Eric said, and fell silent.
'Why? What happened then?'
'I don't know. It was nothing she did; she's always been the perfect wife. It was more me. I came to realize that I needed something else from the person I was supposed to love for the rest of my life. Something that for some reason Cassie couldn't give me.'
'Something else? What do you mean?'
'I don't know. It's hard to describe.' Then he looked directly at Megan. 'Well, actually I do know. And so do you.'
Megan did her best to fight the surge of excitement within her. She knew it! Her feeling that there was a unique bond between them was confirmed. Eric knew it too, she was sure. 'That's a bit tough on Cassie, isn't it?' she said carefully.
Eric nodded. 'It is. And I feel so bad thinking it. So ungrateful for all she does for me. But I can't help it. And it's one of those ideas, that once you get it, it doesn't go away.'
'Are you going to do anything about it?' Megan asked. For a moment, she thought she had gone too far, but she had to know. She just had to know.
Eric looked confused. 'I don't know. The truth is, most of the time I'm thinking about work. And I love Wilson. No. I expect we'll just drift further and further apart. It's sad, though.'
Megan's throat felt dry. 'Yes, it is.'
She felt like throwing herself on him right there and then. But she knew that he was still married, and despite his unhappiness, from the sound of it there was no imminent bust-up likely. He gave no hint that he had ever been unfaithful; on the contrary, he gave the impression of being a dutiful, if occasionally absent, husband. She couldn't be responsible for breaking up a family, could she? And what about Chris? Starting something with Eric would be very cruel to him. And she didn't want to be cruel to Chris.
Eric glanced at their empty beer glasses. 'I think it might have stopped raining. How about we go find somewhere to have dinner?'
'Yes,' she said immediately. She couldn't have said otherwise: she had no choice.
Eventually, Chris's train began to move, and ten minutes later it pulled into Cambridge. Duncan had been delayed by the same level-crossing incident. Chris waited the couple of minutes for him to arrive, and after exchanging curses they jumped into a taxi. The rain had snarled up the traffic, and it was twenty minutes before the taxi reached a small residential road by the river.
Chris and Duncan ran over the footbridge to the Fort St George. They scoured the place, but no sign of Eric and Megan. Chris grabbed the barman's attention, a lanky boy with spots and an earring. 'Have you seen two Americans in here? A tall man and a girl with long dark curly hair?'
'Oh yeah,' he said. 'They left a couple of minutes ago.'
'Thanks.' Chris turned to Duncan. 'They've probably headed back across the green towards the town. Let's go.'
They ran out of the pub, and surveyed the acres of parkland surrounding them. It was very dark, and although streetlamps illuminated a road that crossed the green they couldn't see either of them.
'Come on,' said Chris, and he set out along a path that led to the lights of Jesus College and the centre of the town. He ran fast, praying that Megan was all right, that Eric hadn't touched her, that Eric wouldn't touch her.
Terry looked up from the portable chess set on the front seat beside him, and saw the two figures leaping
out of the taxi and rushing over the bridge. He recognized them immediately. As the taxi drew away, he was just about to get out of his own car, when he saw another cab pull up. This time a tall man in a long coat appeared, looked over the bridge where the other two had disappeared, and followed them.
Terry went after the three of them, his senses alive. It looked like the boss was going to need some help.
9
Chris ran steadily, peering into the darkness of Jesus Green. He could hear Duncan puffing along behind him. Then he saw them: two figures walking slowly towards the town. He increased his speed to a sprint. They turned as they heard him approach. It was Eric and Megan.
Chris came to a halt beside them, out of breath. They were in the middle of the green, far from any buildings. No one else was near them.
'Chris! What the hell are you doing here?' Megan exclaimed. 'And why did you bring him with you?'
Duncan joined them, panting heavily.
'I need to talk to you,' Chris said between breaths.
'Well, we don't need to talk to you.'
'Please, Megan. This is important.'
Megan threw Chris an impatient look. But there was hesitation in it also.
'Come on, Megan,' Eric said, taking her arm.
'No, stay!' Chris's tone changed from pleading to a command.
'What is this, Chris?' Megan protested.
'I'm just trying to keep you alive, that's all. Keep us all alive.'
'That's ridiculous. Look, why don't you talk to Eric sensibly? He can help you.'
'Wait, Megan,' said Eric. 'I've kept out of this so far, and I want to stay out of it. As long as you're safe, that's all I care about. Chris can dream up all the wild theories he likes, but I'm having nothing to do with it. Now let's go.'
Chris glanced at Megan. She looked at him with a mixture of confusion and anger. He couldn't let Eric walk off with her.
'Stop!' he said, grabbing hold of Eric's arm.
Eric turned and glared at him. 'Get your hands off me!'
'Yeah, stop,' said Duncan. He stepped forward, brandishing the kitchen knife at Eric, a light sliver of grey in the darkness.
Eric froze. Megan let out a small scream.
Chris's first thought was to step back and let Duncan stick the knife into Eric. Maybe he could even help him. Then sense took over. 'Duncan. Hold on. Don't do it.'
'Why not? He killed my friends. He'll kill us if we let him. He deserves to die.'
'Don't, Duncan. It's wrong. And anyway, you'll get caught. You'll go to jail for a long time.'
'It'll be worth it.'
'No, it won't. Wait. I'll call the police.'
'No,' said Duncan grimly.
Chris glanced at Duncan's face. He knew there was no point in arguing further. And he couldn't try to restrain Duncan physically without letting Eric go. So he released Eric's arm and stood back. Megan was watching, horror-stricken. 'Stop him, Chris.'
At that moment, Chris heard a click behind him. They all turned towards the sound. There was Marcus in his long coat, unshaven and out of breath. He was holding a gun, and pointing it directly at them.
'Well, well, well. What do you call a group of investment bankers? A gaggle? A herd? Whatever. It looks like you all just can't get along with each other.'
They were silent, staring at the gun.
'Who are you?' Megan asked at last.
'Marcus Lubron. Alex was my brother. Until he killed him.' Marcus nodded towards Duncan.
'What do you mean?' Duncan objected.
'Put down the knife,' Marcus said, jerking the gun at him.
Duncan didn't move.
'I said, put it down.'
Duncan slowly laid the knife on the ground.
'You make me sick,' Marcus said. 'Not only do you kill my brother, but you start killing each other as well.'
'No, you don't understand,' said Duncan, moving towards Marcus.
'Stand still,' snapped Marcus. 'I know how to use this thing. It looks like I got here just in time to stop you killing another one.'
'But it's Eric who killed your brother!' Duncan protested. 'And the others.'
'I've had enough of this whining bullshit. Stand over there. And you,' Marcus waved the gun at Chris. 'Stand with him.'
Chris and Duncan stood to one side, next to each other, facing Marcus. His face was in shadow, but Chris could just make out the determined set of his mouth. He was serious. Deadly serious. Chris felt fear grab him.
'Marcus,' Chris said, in his best attempt at a reasonable voice. 'I think you've got this all wrong.'
'Shut up, or I'll blow your head off.'
'But Chris didn't do anything,' Megan protested.
'He killed your friend in Paris,' Marcus said.
'No he didn't. Tell him, Eric.'
She turned to Eric. He said nothing.
Marcus raised the gun and pointed it directly at Duncan. 'Alex may have meant nothing to you,' he said. 'But he was my kid brother. He would have had a great life ahead of him if you hadn't finished it. I wasn't there to protect him then. But I'm here now.'
'Marcus –' Duncan said, his voice cracking with panic.
'I said, be quiet,' Marcus snapped.
Megan watched all this with mounting horror. She was about to see someone shot in cold blood. She wanted to scream. She wanted to run. After the emotional turmoil of the last hour, and the strain of the previous month, she thought she was going to crack. It was all too much for her to take in. She looked at Duncan. Total fear. At Eric, impassive, with the hint of a small satisfied smile. And at Chris, standing straight, tense, but facing his last few seconds with courage.
In those last moments before his death, he turned to her. His eyes met hers. Suddenly something snapped inside her, and she saw everything clearly. People were going to die here. The wrong people. This was so much more important than her stupid infatuation. She also saw that somebody loved her. And it wasn't Eric.
Slowly and deliberately, she stepped forward and placed herself in front of Duncan.
'Get out of the way!' Marcus growled.
'No,' Megan said calmly. 'Put the gun down.'
'Look, I don't care how many investment bankers I blow away here. Now, move!'
'I'm not an investment banker,' said Megan. 'And I don't think these people had anything to do with your brother's death. Even if they did, there has been too much killing. It must stop.'
A flicker of hesitation appeared in Marcus's eyes. Megan glanced quickly at Eric. 'Just tell me, how do you know who killed Alex? And why do you think Chris killed Ian?'
'He told me,' Marcus nodded towards Eric.
Then Megan knew. Eric had mentioned nothing to her about talking to Marcus. The attempt to implicate Chris was pure cynicism on his part. Eric had deceived her. About everything.
'He lied,' she said.
'Jesus,' Marcus said in frustration. 'OK. Then I'll shoot the lot of you. You all deserve it.'
'You won't shoot any of us,' Megan said, taking a step forward. 'You're not a killer. Alex wouldn't want you to kill us.'
'I will,' Marcus said, but Megan could see the doubt in his eyes.
'Well, if you do, you'll have to start with me. And you know I'm innocent.'
She took another step. The barrel of the gun was just inches from her chest. Marcus let it drop to his side.
Then Eric lunged. In one movement, he grabbed Marcus's arm and twisted it behind his back. Hard. Marcus let out a yelp of pain and dropped the gun. Eric shoved him forward and picked it up. He pointed it at Megan.
'Don't try that stunt with me,' he said coolly. 'Because I'll pull the trigger.'
'You bastard!' Megan said, her voice laden with contempt. 'I believed in you, and you lied to me. And you murdered all those people just because they threatened your precious little plans.'
'If you want something, you have to be prepared to do what it takes to get it.'
'I thought you were something special,' Megan said. 'But I was wrong. You
think you're better than us, don't you? Better than all of us. You think it's OK for lesser people to die so that the great Eric Astle can realize his destiny. Well, let me tell you something. You're small. You're a nasty, lying, evil little low-life. You amount to nothing, Eric. You never were anything, and you never will be.'
'Bitch,' he said and raised the gun to take aim.
A few seconds earlier Chris had faced death and accepted it. He had felt fear and overcome it. Now he couldn't stand and watch Megan die in front of him. In that moment, the decision seemed easy. If he stood still, Megan would die. If he jumped, perhaps he would get shot, perhaps Duncan would, but perhaps Megan would live. His eyes darted to Duncan, and he saw his fear had gone. He too was ready to act.
They launched themselves at Eric simultaneously. The gun went off, and then they were on him, joined in a moment by Marcus. Chris went for Eric's right hand, still clasping the gun. He pinned it to the ground as it exploded again, this time the bullet speeding harmlessly off into the darkness. Eric writhed and kicked, but in a matter of seconds they had him pinned to the ground. Marcus prised the gun from his fingers, and held it to his ear. 'Don't move, fucker,' he growled.
Terry watched all this from his vantage point, twenty yards away behind a tree. He knew this would happen sometime, that Eric would get himself in too deep. Well, Terry wasn't going to go down with him. He had over a million dollars stashed away in a Swiss bank account for just such an eventuality. Not enough to see him out for the rest of his life, perhaps, but enough to support him on an extended vacation somewhere. Time to go. He slipped off and headed quietly back to the Jaguar and Stansted Airport.
Chris got to his feet, and Megan ran to him. He held her tightly.
'I'm so sorry,' she said, looking up at him. 'Will you forgive me?'
'Of course,' Chris stroked her hair. 'Of course I will.'
She smiled, and buried her head in his chest.
He heard a curse on the ground beside him. Duncan was holding his shoulder.
The Predator Page 31
