number, he knew, though what it truly meant was hidden somewhere beyond his understanding. And if he succeeded in vanquishing another of these females, then his blood count would have risen to ten, a number that made him tingle with apprehension and delight.
They were easy prey, these feeble creatures waiting for him in the darkness, standing on the edge of pavements, teetering in their thin-heeled shoes. He remembered how their heads would bend forwards like anxious birds to peer into his wonderful car, willing him to stop for them and barter their stricken bodies for his hard-earned cash.
It gleamed out at him as the case door swung open, a blade so magnificent that for a moment Sacha wondered why he had not chosen it before. As his fingers closed over the hilt, he realised that it was something he had not seen before. Uncle Vlad must have made a recent purchase, possibly in the wake of trading in the one that had been his very favourite of all the white sports cars. The sabre was heavy as he lifted it from its place against the velvet back cloth and he weighed it carefully in both hands. A cavalry sword, he decided, a Hungarian szablya, perhaps, gazing at all that intricate tooling on its heft. The curved blade had a single cutting edge, designed to cut a swathe through the enemy as the weapon was raised above the head of a galloping horse. Sacha could hear the screams of his adversaries as he sliced through them, the whinnying of his steed as he surged against the tide of bodies coming at him.
Then the moment passed and he was stood there in the darkness, the sabre in his right hand, no sounds but his own breath and the blood ringing in his ears.
Carefully, reverently, he replaced the weapon and nodded his approbation. His choice was made. Now all he needed was a new victim.
CHAPTER 36
It might be her day off, but Barbara Knox was up bright and early, slicking fingers through her gelled hair after a quick shower. The radio was playing some old cheesy pop tune and Barbara found herself singing along, her mood lighter now that her decision had been made. She’d checked and Sundays were days when the car hire place would be open to the public. And why not pay it a little visit, just on the off-chance that she might stumble across some new information. Her smile broadened as she imagined Lorimer’s face when she presented him with the facts and figures on Monday morning. Wouldn’t that just make Sutherland’s eyes water! She’d sensed from the off that the DI had her down as no more than a filing clerk. Now she’d show him and all the rest that DC Knox was a force to be reckoned with.
Barbara’s smile dropped a little as she checked her mobile for any text messages but there were none. She flipped the phone shut and made a mental note to delete Diana’s number. Perhaps it was time to admit that she was finished with playing the woman’s games. In the clear light of day it was easier to see how she had allowed her judgement to be clouded by a collision of fantasy and reality. Today she would begin afresh, putting the job first.
Her hand reached out to switch off the radio and the abrupt cessation of noise left the flat empty and suddenly cold. Barbara blinked once, listening to the distant sounds of traffic that emphasised just how quiet it was in the flat. It was peaceful, she persuaded herself. She had space to do her own thing, didn’t she? But it’s lonely, a small voice answered her back from deep inside. Ignoring the voice, Barbara picked up her overcoat from where it had fallen two nights ago, gave it a quick brush and pulled it on.
Outside a hard frost had formed and Barbara took extra care stepping down the last few steps from the entrance to the block of flats where she lived. There was no direct route to Badica’s car hire premises and so she would have to take a train and a bus to get there, more than an hour’s journey on this freezing morning. Should she have called for a taxi, she wondered, shivering as her breath made puffy clouds like a cartoon dragon’s smoke in front of her face.
As though in answer to her thoughts she caught sight of a local cab coming to a