Sue for Mercy - Veronica Heley Page 0,45

“If we get a doctor and J.B. comes round, he’ll prosecute Charles and Charles will be able to prove that he didn’t put the money through his own account. No one will be able to prove that he did. But if the bank is asked to hand over those cheques to J.B., he’ll see at once that they were made payable to us. The only way we can cover up the fraud is to allow J.B. to die.”

“Oh, Charles is in it up to his neck,” said Bianca. She was the only one in the room who didn’t appear to be feeling the strain. “The only way we could have got those cheques is through Charles, and even if he didn’t benefit from them directly, he still committed a crime by obtaining them for us, and so he’ll go to prison.”

“Prison or no,” said Charles, “I’ll not let him die. Now do you go for the doctor, Julian — or do I?”

The two men stood toe to toe, glaring at each other. I willed Julian to give in, He did waver.

“You always had a special feeling for him, didn’t you?” Charles didn’t reply. “Well... I suppose... but the phone — you can see we can’t phone.”

“We can take my car, and phone from down the road.”

Bianca slid her arm through her husband’s, pressing herself against him as she whispered in his ear. Julian’s face stilled. His back stiffened, and I knew we’d lost.

“Go if you like,” he said indifferently. “I suppose it may help your case with the police if you call the doctor yourself. If you do succeed in reviving my father, and he raises the matter of who received the money from the cheques, then we shall say that you gave it to us so that we could repay the people who had suffered from your father’s fraud.”

It sounded thin. I didn’t like it, and I could see that Charles didn’t either. There was something about the cocky set of Julian’s head which hinted at knowledge undisclosed.

“All right,” said Charles. He looked and sounded defeated. He came over to me, and I stumbled to my feet.

“I’ll come with you,” I said, and then had to steady myself so as not to fall. I’d been hit on the head once too often.

“Let her stay,” said Ruth unexpectedly. “She’s not fit to go tearing around.”

“Why — so she shall,” said Bianca. She put an arm round my shoulders, pulling me off balance and away from Charles. There was something about her ready agreement which puzzled me, but my head was aching too badly for me to be able to work it out.

“Well...” said Charles, looking unsure of himself for once. “I’ll only be five minutes, Sue, and it’s true you don’t look too good.” He glanced at his watch. “Say ten minutes at the outside.”

We didn’t even kiss or touch hands. He let himself out. We heard his car start up. I didn’t even go to the window to wave goodbye.

“Let him get to the road,” said Ruth.

“Yes,” agreed Bianca. “She was busy with something in the armoire. “We don’t want him blocking our drive.” She brought a complicated bit of electrical wiring out of the cupboard and set it on the coffee table. “Sue — come and look at this, will you?”

I felt evil in the air, but couldn’t work out where it came from.

She smiled up at me. I think it was the very first time I’d seen her look really pleased about something. “Do you remember that we installed a radio set in Charles’ car after he had his little spell in hospital? Well, that was no ordinary radio. It contained sufficient explosive to blow the car to fragments, and Charles with it. It has a radio-controlled detonator, and this...” She gestured to the box of tricks before her. “Is it!” She grabbed my hand and selected a finger. “Here press the switch and send your lover to Kingdom Come!”

“No!” I screamed. “Charles!”

“No good calling for him,” laughed Bianca, pulling on my finger. I clawed at her with my free hand, and Julian hastened to help his wife. He wound his long arms round me, forcing me towards the wicked instrument. I kicked and heard him yelp. I screamed. Ruth flung herself on my other arm; she was crying again. Robert danced around us, yelling ineffectively.

“Now!” screamed Ruth.

“Now!” smiled Bianca, and with one last effort she placed my finger into position and bore down on my hand