Read Dead Man's Gift 02 - Last Night for Free Online

other end of the phone. ‘Okay,’ said the kidnapper, sounding thoughtful. ‘I’ll call you in the next two hours. In the meantime, get ready. Your son’s depending on you.’
    The line went dead, but Tim stood in the middle of the room with the phone to his ear for a good minute, allowing the tears to stream down his face. There was no way out. Last night it had all seemed so surreal. Now fate was charging towards him like a steam train and he was helpless in its headlights. His life was over.
    But then a new thought struck him. He had the opportunity to be brave. To make his son truly proud of him. By going to his death as a man with his head held high. People would remember him as someone who gave his life so his son could live. They would think well of him, possibly for the first time in his life.
    ‘Be brave,’ he whispered, putting the phone away in his pocket. ‘Be brave.’
    But even as he spoke the words, he could feel his hands shaking.

16
    Scope stretched in the driver’s seat, trying to get comfortable. He and Orla had been in his car, two hundred metres further down the street from where Frank Bale lived, for well over an hour now. It was the only place they could park legally, and Scope was frustrated and impatient, knowing they were wasting valuable time. He’d had to turn the heating off to conserve the battery and the car’s interior was cold.
    ‘You don’t talk much, do you?’ said Orla. She had Scope’s laptop on her lap, which was connected to the tracking device under Bale’s car, and she seemed happy to be helping him.
    He shrugged. ‘I only talk when I’ve got something to say.’
    ‘And you’ve got nothing to say to me? Are you still pissed off about what happened with Tim?’
    ‘You did a bad thing.’
    ‘I didn’t force him to sleep with me, you know. He chose to. It’s not my fault he’s a philandering arsehole.’
    ‘I wouldn’t deny that,’ said Scope, looking out the window.
    ‘So why are you helping him?’
    ‘Let’s just say I’ve got a connection to the family.’
    Out of the corner of his eye, Scope could see her looking at him, wanting to get his attention. He ignored her. He had no desire for small talk, not with everything else that was going on, but as he sat staring out at the street, watching it begin to fill up with school kids and the next wave of commuters, he heard Orla sobbing quietly. With a sigh he turned towards her. ‘What’s wrong?’
    ‘I just can’t believe that Phil tried to kill me. I can’t believe my life – everything – is so fucked up.’
    ‘You can change it, you know,’ he told her. ‘You’re young. You’re pretty. You’re not stupid. That’s usually considered a winning combination.’
    ‘But how? I’m caught up in something really big, and Phil’s lying dead in my flat.’
    For a moment, she looked like a terrified young girl. It might have been an act, but somehow Scope doubted it.
    ‘You don’t have to stick with me,’ he said. ‘Go to the police. Tell them the truth. Phil tried to kill you; a stranger intervened; you ran away. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell them too much about me, of course. But the point is, you can sort this.’
    ‘I just want to be happy, that’s all,’ she said, shaking her head as if even the thought of happiness was pointless. ‘I didn’t want to end up like this.’
    ‘And you don’t have to. Make a fresh start away from here. Take a TEFL course or something. Go and teach kids English in some far-flung country where you can feel the sun on your back.’
    ‘I don’t have the money.’
    ‘Then earn it. Get a job. Save up. You can do anything if you try. Remember that.’
    She smiled a little and put a hand on Scope’s arm, giving it a squeeze. ‘Maybe I will. Thanks. You’re a nice guy.’
    Scope knew she’d never do it. He could see it in her eyes. She was the kind of girl who was used to fooling men and telling them what they wanted to hear. Fair enough. It