Playing With Fire

“What else did he say?”

“He said he was soon going to inject me with a fatal dose of morphine, that it was more than a piece of scum like me deserved, because it was quick and merciful, and if he had his way he’d make me suffer for much longer.” Mark glanced at Banks. “He was enjoying himself, you know. The power. Enjoying every minute of it.”

“I believe you, Mark.”

“He said the thought of me in bed with his daughter disgusted him, that she was a no-good ungrateful slut who deserved to die for betraying him like that, and now I was going to die, too.”

“He referred to Tina as his daughter?”

“Yes.”

“Did he say anything about being responsible for her death?”

“He didn’t say he killed her, if that’s what you mean.”

“Did he mention his wife?”

“No.”

“All right. Go on.”

“He said nobody would shed any tears about a piece of junkie filth like me being found dead of an overdose in a back alley somewhere, which is exactly where he was going to dump me.”

“What happened next?”

Mark lit his second cigarette and looked away. His voice became quieter. “I could see her standing behind him, in the doorway. Just standing there. Watching. Listening. He didn’t know she was there, but I could see her.”

“Mrs. Aspern?”

“Yes. At least, I guessed that’s who it was.”

“You’d never seen her before?”

“No, never.”

“Not around the boat or anything? She’d never come to visit Tina?”

“No. I’m not even sure she knew where the boat was.”

“Carry on.”

Mark swallowed, took a sip of water and went on. “He said… hestarted talking about the things he did to her, to Tina, you know, and how much she loved it when he touched her and put himself inside her and all the things she did to him. He was making me crazy, but I couldn’t break free. I couldn’t yell out and make him stop. And I could see her behind him all the time, her face just going paler and paler. It was sickening, what he said. I mean, I know Tina told me he’d abused her, but she… I mean, the details. He had to go into every little detail. She never told me all that… all that stuff he said, what he did. I wanted to shut my ears, but you can’t, can you? And all the time he was doing it, he had this strange sort of distant smile on his face, and he was fiddling with the syringe, giving a little squirt, like they do on television.”

“What did Mrs. Aspern do?”

“The next thing I knew, she was holding the shotgun – he’d left it in the doorway – and she told him to leave me alone, that I hadn’t done anything.”

“What did he say to that?”

“He turned to her and he laughed. He just laughed.”

“Is that when she fired?”

“No. He started telling her to put the gun down, the way you’d talk to a child, said that she hadn’t the courage to pull the trigger, just like she hadn’t had the courage to stand up for her daughter, that she was weak and cowardly. Then he started moving toward her with his hands out, like he expected her to hand him the gun. Then it just exploded.”

“She fired?”

“It was deafening. My ears are still ringing, but I was tied up, so there was no way I could have covered them up.” He shook his head and rubbed his face with his hands. “It was… I was covered in stuff, blood and stuff… I don’t know… It was just like he’d burst open, you know, a bagful of blood, like those water balloons you burst, and it went all over the place, all over me. The smell was awful. I closed my eyes, but I couldn’t close my nose any more than I could my ears. Gunpowder. And his insides. Shit and stuff. I had bits of him all over me. Slimy bits.” Mark shuddered and finished his water. He refilled his glass with a shaking hand.

“What happened next, Mark?”

Mark took a deep drag on his cigarette. “She cut me free with some scissors or something and just told me to leave.”

“She didn’t say anything else?”

“No. Just to leave. Then she took that stuff they put on you before they stick the needle in. You know what I mean. He had it on his desk, though I don’t think he was going to use it on me.” Mark gave a harsh laugh. “I mean, what would it matter if I got an infection when he was going to kill me anyway? I was backing out of the room, and she was pouring the stuff on the floor. You could smell that, too, some sort of surgical spirit, along with everything else. I was feeling pretty sick by then. Anyway, I saw a small fire extinguisher in the hall and I took it. She’d already started the fire by the time I got back, but it wasn’t a very big one. Just a small patch where she’d poured the spirits. It was easy to put out.”

“What was Mrs. Aspern doing while you put the fire out?”

“Nothing. She didn’t even try to stop me, if that’s what you mean. To be honest, she looked as if she’d had it, like she’d given up and didn’t care anymore. When I was sure it was out, I took her into the other room and she went with me, quiet as a lamb, like she was in a trance or something. I rang nine-nine-nine.”

Banks and Bridges said nothing for a while as Mark smoked and the tape recorder ran on. Finally, Banks asked, “Is there anything else?”

“No,” said Mark.

Bridges turned off the tapes.

“What are you going to do now?” Banks asked Mark.

“Are you charging me?”

Banks looked at Bridges, who shook his head. “I don’t think the CPS would find much of a case there,” he said. “You’re free to go. But you’re an important witness, and the CPS will want to talk to you, as well as Mrs. Aspern’s lawyers. Whatever you do, you need to stay close, stay available, make sure we know where you are.”

Mark nodded. “I know. I’ve still got some money left. I suppose I can buy myself some new clothes and find a place to stay for a while.”

“Why don’t you come back to Eastvale? Give my contact on the restoration project a call? He’s always looking for keen apprentices.”

“Du

Good luck, thought Banks, who hadn’t succeeded in getting the nightmare images out of his own head after years of trying.

Leslie Whitaker seemed to have done a ru

They had at least been lucky with Friends Reunited, A

Elaine Hough seemed a no-nonsense sort of woman with a brisk ma

“Come in,” she said. A

“Nice,” A

“I’m glad you like it. It’s more a reflection of my husband’s taste, really. I spend most of the time in my little den when I’m at home.”

“Not in the kitchen?”

Elaine laughed. “Well, it’s true, I still do love cooking, and I don’t get much of a chance to do any at the restaurant anymore. It’s the old, old story, isn’t it? You work your way up in an area you love, and then you find you’re so successful you spend all your time ru