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Authors: Kit Tinsley
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Steven to ask if he had seen what happened. She thought, at first, that he must have as his eyes were wide. Quickly she realised his was not an expression of wonder, but one of terror. He was going red and fighting to draw breath. He clutched at his chest and fell to his knees in front of her.
Julia rushed to his side.
'What's wrong?' Steven, what's wrong?'
He stared at her with pleading, watery eyes, as his lips took on a purple hue.
'I... can't... breathe,' he sputtered.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The rain had returned with a vengeance, falling in sheets from the now black sky. The flashing blue lights of the ambulance lit up the trees in the driveway. Mixed with the rain it gave everything a slightly unreal and melancholic appearance.
The paramedics wheeled Steven out on the gurney, an oxygen mask over his face. He seemed to have been slipping in and out of consciousness.
They had arrived quickly, but then again, the hospital was just around the corner. Julia followed them out, holding a coat over her head as she walked to the ambulance.
Once there the paramedics loaded Steven into the back. One of the paramedics stayed in the back with him, the other jumped out of the back and shut the door.
'Are you coming with us, Mrs Draper?' he asked. 'Or did you want to follow in your own car?'
'I'll meet you there,' Julia said.
'Do you know the way?' he asked.
'Steven works there,' he's a surgeon.'
The paramedic opened the back door again.
'Hey, Tony,' he said to the other paramedic, who looked up. 'He's one of the docs from the hospital, so better take good care of him.'
Tony nodded and gave a thumbs up.
Then the driver shut the door again. He turned to Julia.
'He'll be fine with us.'
Julia smiled and the driver hopped into the front. The ambulance pulled away. Julia watched as they left her driveway. She could barely believe everything that had occurred in the last forty minutes. She ran back to the house, remembering the car keys were inside.
The hallway was dim. In the darkness she flicked on the lamp on the table. It cast a reassuring glow over the room. She studied herself in the mirror. Her hair was a mess, and her makeup had run. She would normally not have left the house like that, but this was an emergency after all. She grabbed the keys and turned to leave.
There was a creak from behind her. It was as though someone was on the staircase. She spun around, only to see there was not any one there.
'He deserved it,' a whispering voice said, next to her.
Julia fled the house and ran to the car.
Sam had not wanted to return home after his meeting with Superintendent Reed. He had wanted a drink. In honesty, he had wanted to get drunk, very drunk.
He couldn't face going out in Lincoln though. Too many people. Someone would recognise him, and he'd probably get into a bar fight. This was the last thing that he wanted with his reputation already in tatters.
Instead he drove to Darton. It was a little town only fifteen miles south west of the city, but in terms of size it felt like it was a world away.
He knew the town well. His first post when he made detective was there. He had been assigned under DCI Jon Pearce. That man was a bully, and a thug, but he was also a damn good copper. Sam had been sad to learn of his death. His killers still hadn't been caught. His body, along with many others, had been discovered at the scene of a farm fire last year. Another copper, Holly Booth, and a local journalist, Pearce's nephew, were still missing, presumed dead.
Going to Darton presented the problem of how to come home. He decided he would probably just spend the night in his car. It wouldn't be the first time and he doubted it would be the last.
He parked up near the old windmill that was now some kind of cafe, and walked through the rain to the Nag’s Head. He looked inside and saw that it was still fairly dead in there, so he went to the bar and ordered himself a pint of Tuborg.
He found himself a
Julia rushed to his side.
'What's wrong?' Steven, what's wrong?'
He stared at her with pleading, watery eyes, as his lips took on a purple hue.
'I... can't... breathe,' he sputtered.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The rain had returned with a vengeance, falling in sheets from the now black sky. The flashing blue lights of the ambulance lit up the trees in the driveway. Mixed with the rain it gave everything a slightly unreal and melancholic appearance.
The paramedics wheeled Steven out on the gurney, an oxygen mask over his face. He seemed to have been slipping in and out of consciousness.
They had arrived quickly, but then again, the hospital was just around the corner. Julia followed them out, holding a coat over her head as she walked to the ambulance.
Once there the paramedics loaded Steven into the back. One of the paramedics stayed in the back with him, the other jumped out of the back and shut the door.
'Are you coming with us, Mrs Draper?' he asked. 'Or did you want to follow in your own car?'
'I'll meet you there,' Julia said.
'Do you know the way?' he asked.
'Steven works there,' he's a surgeon.'
The paramedic opened the back door again.
'Hey, Tony,' he said to the other paramedic, who looked up. 'He's one of the docs from the hospital, so better take good care of him.'
Tony nodded and gave a thumbs up.
Then the driver shut the door again. He turned to Julia.
'He'll be fine with us.'
Julia smiled and the driver hopped into the front. The ambulance pulled away. Julia watched as they left her driveway. She could barely believe everything that had occurred in the last forty minutes. She ran back to the house, remembering the car keys were inside.
The hallway was dim. In the darkness she flicked on the lamp on the table. It cast a reassuring glow over the room. She studied herself in the mirror. Her hair was a mess, and her makeup had run. She would normally not have left the house like that, but this was an emergency after all. She grabbed the keys and turned to leave.
There was a creak from behind her. It was as though someone was on the staircase. She spun around, only to see there was not any one there.
'He deserved it,' a whispering voice said, next to her.
Julia fled the house and ran to the car.
Sam had not wanted to return home after his meeting with Superintendent Reed. He had wanted a drink. In honesty, he had wanted to get drunk, very drunk.
He couldn't face going out in Lincoln though. Too many people. Someone would recognise him, and he'd probably get into a bar fight. This was the last thing that he wanted with his reputation already in tatters.
Instead he drove to Darton. It was a little town only fifteen miles south west of the city, but in terms of size it felt like it was a world away.
He knew the town well. His first post when he made detective was there. He had been assigned under DCI Jon Pearce. That man was a bully, and a thug, but he was also a damn good copper. Sam had been sad to learn of his death. His killers still hadn't been caught. His body, along with many others, had been discovered at the scene of a farm fire last year. Another copper, Holly Booth, and a local journalist, Pearce's nephew, were still missing, presumed dead.
Going to Darton presented the problem of how to come home. He decided he would probably just spend the night in his car. It wouldn't be the first time and he doubted it would be the last.
He parked up near the old windmill that was now some kind of cafe, and walked through the rain to the Nag’s Head. He looked inside and saw that it was still fairly dead in there, so he went to the bar and ordered himself a pint of Tuborg.
He found himself a
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