Read I Know Who Did It (A Jack Nightingale Short Story) for Free Online Page A

bookcases closest to the stairs.
Nightingale started on the bookcase next to hers. As always he was amazed by
the variety of titles in the library, all devoted to witchcraft and the occult.
The books had been collected over more than fifty years by Nightingale’s
genetic father, Ainsley Gosling, a Satanist who had put Nightingale up for
adoption at birth.
    It took them the
best part of two hours before they found what Nightingale was looking for. Like
most of the books on the shelves, there was no title on the spine. It was bound
in the skin of some long-dead animal, a reptile maybe. It was a small book, six
inches by four inches just about, with fewer than a hundred pages, most of
which were blank. The pages weren’t paper, they were more like yellowed cloth,
and the words had been handwritten in capital letters. The only title was on
the first page – THE SUMMONING OF DEVILS and underneath was a list of
twelve names. Paimonia was the last name.
    Nightingale took
the book over to one of the sofas and sat down. Luckily the book was in English
– the volumes on the shelves came from all over the world, and a lot of
them were written in Latin.
    ‘Does it tell you
what you need?’ asked Jenny.
    Nightingale
nodded. ‘The whole thing. Though it skates over the details over what the deal
involves.’
    ‘The deal?’
    Nightingale was
about to explain when he realised that Jenny was better off not knowing the
finer points of negotiating with demons. ‘It’s complicated,’ he said. ‘But I’m
guessing that Nelson found a book like this.’
    ‘What are you
planning, Jack?’
    ‘What do you
mean?’
    ‘You’ve got that
look in your eye that says you’re up to something.’
    Nightingale
grinned. ‘I’m just doing my research, that’s all.’
    Jenny looked
around the basement and shivered. ‘Can you do it somewhere else, this place
gives me the heebie jeebies.’
    ‘ The heebie jeebies?’
    ‘ You know what I mean. The sooner you sell this place, the better.’

 
    * * *

 
    Nightingale was
about to clean his teeth when his phone rang. It was Jenny. ‘He’s here, outside
my house,’ she said, her voice trembling.
    ‘Who is?’
    ‘Nelson. Or Hall.
Or whatever his name is. He’s parked in a grey Toyota.’
    ‘Has he said
anything?’
    ‘He’s just
sitting there.’
    Stay inside, keep
the door locked, I’ll be right around.’
    Nightingale
hurried downstairs to the street and flagged down a black cab. Jenny’s
three-bedroom mews house was just off the King’s Road in Chelsea. Nightingale
had the cab drop him at the entrance to the mews. Jenny’s Audi was parked
outside her house. The grey Toyota was four houses along. There was someone
sitting in the driver’s seat, hands on the wheel. Nightingale walked towards
the car, trying to stay in its blind spot. He grabbed at the passenger door
handle and pulled the door open. Hall looked over at, mouth open in surprise.
Nightingale climbed in and slammed the door shut. ‘What the hell are you
doing?’ he said between gritted teeth.
    Hall sneered at
him. ‘It’s a free country. You came around to my home, I thought the least I
could do was return the favour.’
    ‘I don’t live
here.’
    ‘I know that. The
lovely Ms McLean does.’
    ‘You go near here
and I’ll…’
    ‘You’ll what,
Nightingale? And I’m already here so do what you think you have to do?’
    ‘I just want you
to leave her alone. She’s nothing to do with this. If you’ve got a problem with
me then face me, man to man.’
    Hall chuckled.
‘First things first.’
    ‘What do you
mean?’
    ‘You haven’t
worked it out yet? I’m due a sacrifice, and Ms McLean fits the bill. It’s a
pity she’s not a virgin, but…’
    Nightingale
grabbed Hall by the throat but the man continued to smile at him. ‘What do you
think you can do to me, Nightingale?’ he said, his voice strangled but firm.
    ‘I can stop you.
That’s what I can do.’
    Hall reached
inside his jacket and pulled