"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.