by Shaun Baines
Angel forced her gun into Marvin's temple. He wailed, taking the knife from his wife's hand.
Masani spread out her fingers, amazed to see she had stopped shaking. Her insides were solid. Her heartbeat sounded like a faraway train.
"Where is the cocaine?" Angel asked.
"Go fuck yourself," Masani said.
Marvin gripped the knife and rocked in his chair.
Masani turned away, concentrating on her garden through the window, considering which plants to buy in the spring.
"I'm so, so sorry," her husband said, laying the serrated blade on her finger.
She flinched at its cold touch.
Marvin continued to apologise as the knife moved to a rhythm. Left to right. Left to right.
The garden was forgotten in the midst of Masani's screams.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Daniel walked around the silent scrapyard office, picking up pieces of paper and casting them aside. Touching the back of a computer, he found it cold, as was the kettle in the kitchenette. Sitting on the draining board were two mugs. One said 'Wife' and the other said 'Husband.' Bronson's mug was chipped.
Masani and Marvin had adopted Bronson as one of their family and Daniel couldn't imagine them abandoning him when he needed them most. But now that Daniel wanted them, the couple were nowhere to be seen.
Fearing the worst, he searched the rest of the scrapyard, checking under piles of twisted metal and discarded tyres. If they'd been killed, the scrapyard was the perfect place to hide their bodies. He followed worn footprints and old paths, and stumbled upon a rat cleaning itself on the roof of a Volkswagen Golf. Its boldness alarmed him. Where were Masani and her rifle?
Daniel needed more men and Masani was more man than most. Marvin would be extra baggage, but Daniel liked him. There was a kindness to him that was ill-suited to this line of work. It was worthwhile in its way.
He returned to the office and began his search anew, kicking over chairs and pulling out drawers. Time was an issue. Panwar was guarding Five Oaks on his own and while Daniel had faith in Lily and Eisha to look after themselves, the geek was likely to fold should the Maguires come calling.
Daniel strode into the kitchenette and wrenched open the cupboards, discovering nothing but polished surfaces. Under the sink was a drawstring curtain. He swiped it aside and found another cupboard. It was padlocked and Daniel rubbed his hands together.
Bringing down the heel of his foot, the padlock snapped free and the door swung open. Daniel dropped to his knees, his hands rummaging through the cupboard's contents. Inside was Masani's arsenal. He discarded the air rifle, but took the AR-18 and pocketed two boxes of cartridges into the bargain.
A yellowing envelope was taped to the back of the cupboard. He opened it and chewed on his lip. There was a worn photograph of Masani and Marvin on their wedding day.
Daniel carefully returned it to the envelope and pulled out a receipt from Bzovsky's Guns and Ammo in Jarrow. As far as Daniel knew, the AR-18 was only issued to special forces. Clearly, Bzovsky wasn't as legitimate as his receipt suggested and neither was Masani. More importantly to Daniel, the envelope also contained her gun licence for other, less nefarious weapons.
On it was Masani's address in Grindon and Daniel hurried from the scrapyard.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
The house was bigger than he anticipated. Panwar had taken a shower, using Daniel's body wash to clean his balls and his towel to dry them. Swathed in Daniel's dressing robe, which was too big and flapped around his ankles, Panwar wandered the rooms of Five Oaks, nurturing the jealousy in his stomach.
He pushed open the padded doors of the office. Broken frames and glass littered the floor. A bloody canvas hung like a flag from a leather sofa, but there were plenty of other paintings to choose from. He approached a watercolour of the Tyne Bridge. It was more abstract than he liked. The bridge was on its side, looking like the letter D. Twisted trees wrapped around the ironwork and dark birds circled the traffic. D for Dayton, he thought and taking a micro-camera, Panwar clipped it to the frame.
He went to the oak desk, idly flicking through the contents of its drawers. There was nothing there. Nothing that screamed success or hidden cocaine. He secured a listening bug to the underside, joining an army of them secreted throughout Five Oaks. The devices were linked to his laptop, which was in his bedroom. If Daniel did or said anything, Panwar would know.
Leaving the office, he was distracted by the sound of music and laughter. He followed it to Eisha's bedroom. A make-believe audience of dolls lined the bed and Lily and Eisha danced in the middle of the room, unaware of the real audience hovering by the doorway. They were dressed up. Lily wore Christmas tinsel in her hair and her expensive watch. Eisha laughed, her mouth smeared in a layer of bright lipstick. They held hands and spun each other in circles.
Panwar settled on the corner of the bed, crossing his legs. He leaned over and switched off the radio.
The girls jerked to a stop.
"Can I have a word with Auntie Lily, please?" Panwar asked.
Eisha locked her arms to the side of her body and her eyes contracted. "Put the music back on."
"The time for music is over. I need to speak to my partner."
"What's going on?" Lily tugged the tinsel from her hair, twisting it around her fingers. "We were having fun."
"I'm afraid that's over, too."
Lily dropped to her knees, tugging on the hem of Eisha's dress to get her attention. "It's okay, pet. I'll chat with Uncle Panwar and then we can keep dancing. Why don't you get a snack from the kitchen?"
"This isn't about a snack or dancing." Eisha brushed off Lily's hands and snatched Angry Cat by the throat. Marching up to Panwar, she held it in front of his face. "I know who you are now."
Panwar eased back onto the bed, looking at the cat's ruined face. Nothing was what it seemed. Neither the cat nor Eisha.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he said, tightening the belt around Daniel's robe.
Eisha's skin paled and her eyes bored into his. "Angry Cat doesn't work and what you're doing won't work either."
"Don't you talk to Panwar like that," Lilly shouted. "You're not your father."
Eisha's hand shot out, slapping Lily across the face. The sound echoed around the room and Eisha gulped, tears brimming in her eyes.
With a sob, she ran from the room, taking Angry Cat with her.
Panwar got to his feet. "She's more like Daniel than we'll ever know. They're the different sides of the same coin."
Rubbing her cheek, Lily went to the doorway. She looked along the corridor and over the bannister to the floor below, but Eisha had disappeared. "What was all that about? What was that thing with the cat?"
"We need to talk," Panwar said. "About us."
He wished he was in his own clothes. The robe dwarfed him, like its owner. It also smelled like Daniel. Like dirt or rot. Panwar's skin crawled and if he hadn't been naked underneath, he would have discarded the robe on the floor. "This is a big house, isn't it? For one man and his rabid daughter?"
"What's got into you?" Lily asked. "Don't say that about Eisha."
The smile on his lips was heavy. Not really a smile at all. "You're loyal to a fault. Daniel must really like that. Takes it for granted, I imagine."
"Are you jealous of him?"
Panwar waved her away. "Of course not. I'm twice as rich as him and my biggest payday is yet to come, but be warned. Daniel isn't everything he says he is."
"Unfortunately, he is. And more."
A knock came from the front door and the tension dropped from Panwar's shoulders. The Daytons were a mess and he'd be glad to be rid of them. He was sorry for Lily, though. She was the only innocent one among them, but it didn't excuse her from lying about her feelings for Daniel.
He checked his watch and frowned. "I didn't expect her so soon. She's early."
"Who's early?" Lily asked. "Who's at the door?"
"So full of questio
ns. Never the right ones." Panwar grabbed Lily by the wrist and dragged her to the stairs. "It's over between us. You should accept that."
Lily resisted him, digging her heels into the floor.
With a yank, Panwar pulled her down the steps. "We're going on a journey with my friend. You've already met her, actually. She came to your house."
"That mad bitch? What are you doing with her?" Lily kicked out at him, but she missed her target. It unsteadied her and Panwar heaved her closer to the door.
"Tyne-der was perfect for getting to know you," he said. "Your desperation led me to Daniel."
"Let me go," Lily shouted.
She crouched and flew at Panwar. He collapsed backwards, his robe fluttering open, exposing his everything. Crumpling on top of him, she struggled for purchase as they rolled to a stop on the bottom stair. She got to her knees, attempting to crawl away, but Panwar snatched at her ankle. Lily screamed, but she was trapped. She kicked again, but he batted her foot aside.
"I made sacrifices for you," Panwar said. "Living in that pokey flat. Taking a beating. I really think you should be more grateful."
With a lurch, he got to his feet, his mouth open as he panted for breath.
"We're leaving Five Oaks with Angel," he said, twisting the door handle. "I don't think you're going to get on, but there's nothing we can do about that now."
Opening the door, Panwar found a teenager on the front step, wind ruffling his dirty tracksuit. He looked like he'd been in a fight. One of his eyes was bruised and swollen.
The teenager glanced down at Panwar's naked form and raised a gun.
"Who the hell are you?" Panwar asked.
Chapter Forty
Following Hylton Road, Daniel chased around Masani's estate until he found Gatelett Street, which wasn't easy. Every street and avenue in Grindon started with a G. He was sure some town planner thought it cute, but to Daniel, it was annoying. The place was a maze and he was on the verge of giving up when he stumbled upon her home.
The front garden was hedged by neatly trimmed privet and their lawn was striped after a recent cut. It wasn't maintained. It was manicured. Daniel sneaked down the side of the house to a creosote gate taking him into the back garden. This area was more rustic with sprawling dog roses and spindly lilacs. Birds chattered in the trees and a robin flitted between overgrown shrubs. If Daniel had to guess, he'd say Marvin looked after the front garden, but the back garden belonged to Masani.
He peered through a window into the house and his throat tightened. Hurrying through the kitchen door, his feet stomped on broken plates. He stared at the pancakes jellifying on the floor, but his eyes were drawn to the table. It was puddled in blood, sparkling in the sunlight. A knife with a serrated edge was smeared in red. Next to it was a trigger finger cut off at the knuckle. The nail was painted in Masani blue.
A blood trail led through an open door. Injured, but defiant, Masani had crawled to safety. He stepped carefully, but quickly, following the stains along a carpeted hallway to the stairs.
Masani sat in profile on the lower step, propped against the wall, her eyes closed.
"Are you okay?" Daniel asked, but his question was met with silence.
The walls were decorated in photographs. Some depicted Masani and Marvin's wedding, similar to the one Daniel had seen in the safe. Others were of holidays. Masani on her own. Marvin on his own. There weren't any children and Daniel assumed the couple was childless, content with their life as it was.
"Are you okay?" Daniel asked again, inching closer.
His mouth dried when he realised why Masani wasn't talking. The right-hand side of her skull was missing, destroyed by a bullet. Facial muscles clung to shattered bone. Her molars were visible through a blackened hole in her cheek.
The blood trail led from the kitchen to the stairs. Masani was a hard woman, but there was no way she could have sustained those injuries and dragged herself so far. Most people would have died where they dropped.
Sobbing came from the top of the stairs and Daniel saw Marvin curled into a ball, his face pressed through the glossy white balusters of a wooden handrail. He was wearing pyjamas and some sort of apron. His left arm was wrapped in a bloody tea towel and he held a leather belt in his hands, twisting it around his knuckles.
"Do you want to come downstairs?" Daniel asked.
"She's dead," Marvin said in reply.
Glancing at Masani's body, Daniel didn't dispute it. "What happened?"
Marvin slipped the end of the belt through the buckle and looped it over his head. The other end was tied to a baluster and Marvin struggled to his feet.
Daniel quickly scaled the stairs, accidentally knocking Masani to the floor. She landed face down with her arse in the air.
Howling, Marvin's eyes swam at the sight and he threw himself down the stairs. His body jerked to a stop when the belt snapped taut, a purple tongue protruding from his mouth.
Dragging him by the apron, Daniel brought Marvin to the top of the stairs, wrestling the belt from his neck.
Marvin buried his face into his hands. "I've been sitting here for hours trying to get up the courage to kill myself."
Daniel sat next to him, resting his arms on his knees. "Why did you wait until someone was here to rescue you?"
"I'm a weak, old fool," Marvin said. "Masani got frustrated with me, but she never called me names. Not ever. I think she liked looking after me."
Daniel patted him on the shoulder and handed the belt back.
"Will you help me?" Marvin asked.
"I don't need your help," Daniel said, glancing down the stairs. "I can carry her myself."
"No, I mean…with killing me."
"Jesus, no. I don't do that."
"I know who you are and what you've done. You can do this."
Daniel stood, towering over Marvin as he wept into his hands. The love of his life had been murdered in front of him. Who knew what torment he was enduring? What drain he was circling? Some people weren't meant for pain. They clung to the light instead. When it was extinguished, they were lost.
"I threw myself down the stairs knowing you'd save me," Marvin said. "Save me again and kill me."
"Okay, okay," Daniel said. "Tell me what happened and I'll help."
"Do you promise?"
Death was never far away from Daniel, but he had never killed someone who didn't deserve it and he wasn't about to start now.
"I promise," he said and Marvin raised his hands in a prayer of thanks. He sat taller on the step and recounted the tale of Masani's birthday. When he was finished, Daniel rested his head against the wall, pressing a finger between his eyebrows, massaging a deep frown.
Marvin wiped his cheeks. "Angel said if I cut off her fingers, she'd let us live. That's all I wanted. Masani would be handicapped, but we'd be alive. I could look after her for a change."
"But Angel killed her anyway?" Daniel asked. "Why?"
"She didn't," Marvin said. "A man did."
The frown buried deeper into Daniel's brow. No amount of massaging would erase it. "What man?" he asked. "Who came here?"
"After I took her first finger – " Marvin stopped to swallow his self-loathing. "He came in and watched. Asked questions, but he wasn't happy with the answers. He shot her. Shot her dead."
"Who did?"
"He did it to punish me, but he called it a favour. He said, most people were too weak to survive, but he was giving me a chance to prove him wrong." Marvin wrung the belt in his hands and cried again.
Too weak to survive? Daniel remembered the phrase. His Dad had said it by the lake and he recalled the dead fish floating on the water's surface. He grabbed Marvin by the wrist, shaking him into life. "The man who did this? Was he tall? Thin?"
"He didn't look like you, but he was kind of the same." Marvin picked at the dried blood of his apron. "Angel called him Scott."
The knuckles on Daniel's hands whitened and he slammed a fist into the wall. The plaster crumbled and a picture of a gri
nning Masani leapt from its hook. It cartwheeled down the stairs and broke apart against her dead body.
Betrayed again. Where Masani looked after her husband, his brother looked out for himself. Scott was working with the Maguires in their quest for the cocaine. There was no loyalty anymore. No code. Daniel's fingers danced and he saw them around Scott's throat. The imaginary satisfaction of it electrified him.
Scott was threatening Daniel's family. Not the legacy of the Daytons or the old institution surrounding them, but the flesh and blood people Daniel held dear.
His brother had crossed a line.
Daniel's rage hauled him down the stairs, but Marvin stopped him with a hand.
"You were going to help," he said, his eyes glistening through his blood tinted glasses. "You have to kill me."
Daniel turned on Marvin, who shrank back from the thunder in his face.
"Show some backbone and bury your fucking wife," Daniel shouted. He stepped over Masani with a whispered apology and stormed from the house.
Outside, he sat in his van, his impulse to kill screaming in his ears. Where Bronson had failed, Daniel would succeed. He'd kill Scott, render him into wet chunks and feed him to the Maguires. He wanted to obliterate every trace of him, raze him and his betrayal to the ground. Scott thought he knew what scorched earth was, but he was about to learn a whole new definition.
Glancing back at the house, Daniel saw Marvin peering at him from a downstairs window, the net curtains behind his head like a wedding veil. His marriage to Masani hadn't ended with her death. He would wait at the altar forever before he abandoned her.
Daniel grabbed the AR-18 from under the passenger seat. Masani's gun, he thought as he aimed at Marvin's head. It may have been her birthday, but this would be the last gift she'd ever give to her husband.
The crosshairs centred on Marvin and he mouthed the words 'Thank you' as he prepared to join his wife.
Chapter Forty-One
