Driving Force

Chapter 18

"Howmanyofthem?"

"Therehadtobetwoatleast.Ifnot,whybothertotalk?"

"Areyousurethat"swhattheysaid?"

"Prettysure."

"Whatsortofaccent?Didyouknowthevoice?"



"No."Iansweredthesecondfirst."NotanEtonaccent.Rough,sortof."

Lizziesaid,"You"llhavetotellthepolice."

Iwa.s.silent,andsheglancedatmetoolengthily,evenforlighttraffic.

"You"llhaveto,"shesaid.

"Keepyoureyesontheroad."

"You"reas.h.i.t."

"Yep."

Shedrove,however,withmoreattentiontogettingushomesafelyandIwonderedwhatgooditmightreallydoifIbotheredtotellthepolice.

Theywouldtakeastatement.Theymightcheckwiththenight.w.a.tchmanthatIhadinfactcrawledoutofSouthamptonWater.IcouldtellthemthatasIhadn"tknownuntilfiveminutesbeforehandthatIwasgoingalongtothefarmyard,therehadn"tbeenanysortofpremeditatedambush.I"dwalkedinwhenIwasunexpectedandbeensmartlypreventedfromfindingoutwhowasthereandwhattheyweredoing.

TakingmetoSouthamptonmustequallyhavebeenimpulsive.Throwingmeinalivebutapparentlyunconsciousmeanttheyhadn"tmuchcaredifIlivedordied...almostasiftheyhadn"tmadeuptheirmindsonthatpointandwereleavingittofate.

Nonsensical,asLizzie"dsaid.Anyone,especiallythepolice,wouldbesceptical.Andwhatwouldtheforcedoabout.i.t?Theycouldn"tandwouldn"tguardmedayandnightagainstillogicalpossibleattemptedmurder.IfIdidn"twalkunexpectedlyintoshadowsatnight,whyshouldanyoneattackmeagain?

Probablyalotofthatcreakyreasoningwastheresultofconcussion.Morelikelyitstemmedfromtheusualaversiontolessthanfriendlyquestioning,wherecrimewa.s.seentobethefaultofthevictim.

Igingerlyfeltthebackofmybythenmutedly-throbbinghead,wincingattheactualcontact.Anybloodthathadbeentherehadbeenwashedaway.Myhairhaddried.Therewasalumpandasoreness,butnogapingcutandnodentinmyskull.Asinjurieswent,comparedwiththea.s.saultsofsteeplechasing,itwasofthe"it"llbeallrighttomorrow"kind.Tohavebeenknockedoutracingmeanttobegroundedbythedoctorsforuptothreeweeks.Iwouldgroundmyselffortherestofthenight,Ithought,andmaybeIwouldn"tgotoCheltenhamuntilThursday.Thatshoulddoit.

TheFourtrakhummedushome,theroaddirect.SouthamptonDockswasthenearestdeepwatertoPixhill:thenearesttidalplacewhereunseenbodiescouldwashoutontheebbbeforedawn.

Stopthinkingabout.i.t,Itoldmyself.Iwasaliveanddryandnightmarescouldwait.

Lizzieturnedintothedrivewayandcurledroundthehouseandwefoundsomethingabsolutelyrottenhadhappenedwhilewe"dbeenaway.

MyJaguarXJS,mybeautifulcar,hadbeenrunatfulltiltintoLizzie"sRobinson22.Thetwosweetmachinesweretangledtogether,lockedindeepmetallicembrace,bothtwistedandcrushed,theJaguar"sbuckledbonnetrisingintothehelicopter"scab,whoseroundbubblefronthadbeensmashedintojaggedpieces.Thelandingstrutshadbuckledsothattheaircraft"sweightsankintothecar"sroof;therotorbladesweretiltedatacrazyangle,oneofthemsnappedoffontheground.

Allonecouldsaywasthatnothinghadcaughtfireorexploded.Ineveryotherway,thetwofastengines,ourpleasure,oursoul-mates,weredead.

Thehouse"soutsidelightswereon,raisinggleamsonthedoublewreck.Itwa.s.spectacular,inamacabresortofway;ashiningunion.

LizziebrakedtheFourtraktoajoltinghaltandsathandovermouth,disbelievinglystunned.Islowlysteppeddownfromthepa.s.senger"sseatandwalkedtowardsthemess,b.u.t.therewasnothingtobedone.Itwouldtakeacraneandatow-trucktotearthatmarriageapart.

IwalkedbacktowardsLizziewhowa.s.standingonthetarmacsaying"Oh,myG.o.d,ohmyG.o.d..."andtryingnottoweep.Putmyarmsroundher.Shesobbeddrylyagainstmychest.

"Why?"Shechokedontheword."Why?"

Ihadnoanswer,justanache,forher,forme,forthewantondestructionofefficiency.

InLizziethegriefturnedquicklytorageandtohatredandtohungerforrevenge.

I"llkilltheb.a.s.t.a.r.d.I"llkillhim.I"llcuthisthroat."

Shewalkedroundthehelicopterbangingitwithherfist.

"Ilovethisb.l.o.o.d.ymachine.Iloveit.I"llkilltheb.a.s.t.a.r.d..."

Ifeltmuchthesame.Ithoughtmutelythatatleastweourselveswerealive,eventhoughinmycaseonlyjust,andthatperhaps,thatwasenough.

Isaid,"Lizzie,comeaway,there"sfuelinthetanks."

"Ican"tsmellany."Shecametomyside,however."I"msofuriousIcouldburst."

"Comeinsideandhaveadrink."

Shewalkedjerkilywithmetothebackdoor.

Thedoorhadapaneofgla.s.sbroken.

"Ohno!"Lizziesaid.

Itriedthehandle.Open.

"Ilockedit,"shesaid.

"Mm."

Ithadtobefaced.Iwentintothebigroomandtriedtoswitchonalight.Theswitchhadbeenhackedoutofthewall.Itwasonlybymoonlightthatonecouldseethedevastation.

Ataguess,ithadbeendoneinafrenzy,withanaxe.Thingsweren"tjustbroken,butslicedopen.Therewaslightenoughtoseetheslashesinthefurniture,thesmashedtablelamps,theruinofthetelevisionset,thecomputermonitorslicedintwo,theripsinmyleatherchair,therawpiecesgougedoutofmyantiquedesk.

Everything,itseemed,hadbeenattacked.Booksandpaperslayrippedonthefloor.ThedaffodilsI"dpickedforLizziehadbeenstampedon,theWaterfordvasethathadheldthemcrushedtoslivers.

Theframedphotographsofmyracingdayswereoffthewallsandbeyondrepair.Ourmother"srarecollectionofchinabirdswashistory.

ItwasthebirdsthatseemedtoupsetLizziemost.Shesatonthefloorwithtearsrunningintohermouth,holdingthepatheticirreplaceablepiecestoherlipsasiftocomfortthem.Grievingforourchildhood,forourparents,forlifegoneby.

Iwentonawanderroundtherestofthehousebutnootherroomshadbeeninvaded:onlytheheartofthings,whereIlived.

Thetelephoneonmydeskwouldneverringagain.Theansweringmachinehadbeenhackedintwo.IwentouttothephoneintheFourtrakandwokeSandySmith.

"Sorry,"Isaid.

Hecameinhiscarwithhisuniformpulledonoverhispyjamas,thenavybluejacketunb.u.t.toned,hairychestvisible.HestoodlookinginaweattheamalgamofJaguarandhelicopter,andbroughtatorchwithhimintothehouse.

ThebeamshoneonLizzie,thebirds,thetears.

"Doneyouproper,"Sandysaidtome,andInodded.

"Morning,miss,"hesaidtoLizzie,thepolitegreetingbizarreb.u.t.theintentionkindenough.

Tomehesaid,"Doyouknowwhodidit?"

"No."

"Vandalism,"hesaid."Nasty."

Ifeltthemostappalling,heart-b.u.mpingapprehensionandaskedhimtodrivedownwithmetothefarmyard.

Heunderstoodmyfearandagreedtogoatonce.Lizziestoodup,stillholdingawingandabird"sheadandsaidshewouldcomewithus,wecouldn"tleaveheraloneinthehouse.

WewentinSandy"scar,itslightsflashingbut.i.tssirensilent.Thefarmyardgatesstillstoodopen,b.u.t.tomyalmostsickreliefthehorseboxesthemselveswereuntouched.

Theofficeswerelocked.Mykeyshadlongvanishedbut,seendimlythroughwindows,thethreeroomslookedasorderlyasusual.Thecanteen,dooropen,hadbeenleftalone.

Iwentalongtothebarn.Thetoolstorewa.s.secure.Nothinglookedoutofplace.IwentbacktoSandyandLizzieandreported:nodamageandnooneabout.

Sandystaredatmestrangely.

"MissCroft,"hesaid,"tellsmesomeonetriedtokillyou."

"Lizzie!"Iprotested.

Lizziesaid,"ConstableSmithwantedtoknowwherewewerewhenallthat...thatwickeddestruction...wasgoingonatthehouse.Ihadtotellhim.Icouldn"tavoidit."

Idon"tknowthatanyoneactuallymeanttokillme,"Isaid.ItoldSandybrieflyaboutwakingupinSouthampton."Maybethereasonfortakingmetherewastogivetimeforattackingmyhouse."

Sandythoughtthingsover,b.u.t.tonedhistunicabsent-mindedlyandannouncedthatallthingsconsideredhehadbetterreporttohisheadquarters.

"Can"t.i.twaittilllaterthismorning?"Isaid."Icoulddowithsomesleep."

"You"vehadtwodeadmenonyourpremisessincelastThursday,"Sandypointedout."Andnowthis.I"llbeintrouble,Freddie,ifIdon"treport.i.tatonce."

"Thetwodeadmenwereaccidental."

"Yourhouseisn"t."

Ishruggedandleanedonhiscarwhilehetelephoned.No,hewa.s.saying,noonewasdead,noonewasinjured,thedamagewastoproperty.Hegavetheaddressofmyhouseandlistenedtoinstructions,relayingthemtomeafter.Ineffect,twoplainclothesdetectiveswouldcomeinduecourse.

"Howlongisduecourse?"Lizzieasked.

"There"samajorflaponinWinchester,"Sandysaid."So...whenevertheycan."

"Whydoyousaynoonewasinjured?"Lizziesoundedindignant."Freddiewasinjured."

Sandyeyedmewithlongknowledge."Injuredtohimmeansbothlegsbrokenandhisgutshangingout."

"Men!"Lizziesaid.

Sandysaidtome,"DoyouwantmetocalloutDocFarway?"

"No,Idon"t."

HelistenedtomyemphaticreplyandsmiledatLizzie."See?"

"Whattimeisit?"Iasked.

SandyandLizziebothlookedattheirwatches."Threethirty-two,"Sandysaidwithprecision."Mymessagetoheadquarterswastimedatthreetwenty-six."

StillleaningonSandy"scar,Icouldn"tdecidewhichtoguard,mybusinessormyhome.Thedamagealreadydonemightnotbeall.Withsuchwantonpointlessbehavioura.s.stampingondaffodils,logicalpredictioncouldgetnowhere.Thegraffitimind,theurgetothrowstonesatwindows,looting,destructionforitsownsake,theywerethenaturalgleeofuntamedhumanity.Itwascivilisationandsocialconsciencethatwereartificial.

ThesidedoorofHarve"shouseopeneddirectlyintothefarmyard.Hecamehurryingoutinjeans,shrugginghisarmsintoananorak,anxietyplain.

"Freddie!Sandy!"Hisreliefwaspartial."Oneofmykidsgotupforapeeandwokemetosaytherewasapolicecarbythehorseboxes.What"shappened?"Helookedalongtheintactrowofvehiclesandrepeated,puzzled,"What"sthematter?"

"Somevandalsbrokeintomyhouse,"Iexplained."Wecametoseeifthey"dbeenheretoo,b.u.t.theyhaven"t."

Harvelookedmoreworried,notless.

"Iwalkedroundlate,"hesaid."ItwasallOK."

"Whattime?"Iasked.

"Oh,I"dsayaboutten."

"Um,"Isaid,"youweren"toutherebyanychanceanhourorsolater?Youdidn"thearanything?"

Heshookhishead."WhenIwentinIwatchedavideoofafootballmatchforawhile,andwenttobed."Hestilllookedanxious."Why?"

"Icamehereatroughlyhalf-eleven.Thegateswereopenandsomeonewasmovingabout.Ithought.i.twasyou."

"No,notthatlate.Ishutthegateatten.Everyonewasbackbythen,see?"

"Thanks,Harve."

"Whowashereathalf-eleven?"hedemanded.

"That"sratherthepoint,Idon"tknow.Ididn"tseeanyonecloseenoughtorecognisewhetherIknewthemornot."

"Butiftheydidn"tdoanydamage..."Harvefrowned,"whatweretheyherefor?"

ItwasaquestionworthansweringbutIwasnotatthatmomentgoingtoputforwardtheonereasonIcouldthinkof.Itwaslogical,besides:perhapstoologicalforthepoltergeist-typeirrationalityofsomuchthathadhappenedthatnight.

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