The car. They had slept in the car.
If it could be called sleeping. He had passed out with a combination of anxiety and exhaustion and didn’t feel rested. He began to remember why they had ended up where they were.
They had left the house and caravan, the woman driving, him in the passenger seat and the little girl in the back. She had been crying, screaming. He didn’t blame her. They had watched as a huge grey giant of a man had appeared, fought off the dogs and killed them in as bloody a manner as possible. Then moved on to the house, where he had strangled Jiminy Cricket.
They hadn’t waited for him to get to them.
Jumping into the boxy silver car, they had driven away, as fast and as far as they could manage, until they ran out of adrenalin and road. He had tried to calm the little girl, tell her that everything was going to be all right and that she shouldn’t get so upset. The woman had told him not to be so soft. Told him to shut up and stop telling the kid lies. He had felt like screaming and crying then.
He tried to sit up again. Slower this time, working with his back not fighting it. Managed to get himself into a sitting position. He looked into the back of the car. Josephina was sitting there, eyes wide in terror, too scared to move, her hands clamped hard between her legs.
‘Are you all right?’ he asked her.
‘Wee … need wee-wee … ’
He looked round again. The woman was sitting in the driving seat. Head back, eyes closed, mouth open. Asleep.
‘Come on then … ’
He opened the car door, began to uncurl his body. Josephina opened the back one, got out. Looked at him to see what she should do next.
‘Go on, over there in those trees,’ he said. ‘Don’t worry. I’ll be waiting here for you.’
She did as he said, hurrying away.
‘Aw, how sweet.’
He turned. The woman was out of the car and standing next to him. She looked terrible. Her make-up had rubbed away, leaving a face that looked like a patchwork quilt. Red and pitted in parts, smooth in others. It looked like it had been assembled from different pieces, none of which quite matched. The markings continued down her neck and on to her body, where they were hidden by her clothes. As he watched, she put her hand to her head, adjusted her hair. Tyrell noticed how shiny and plastic it was. Then he realised. She was wearing a wig.
‘She’s upset,’ he said. ‘She’s had a bad shock. She shouldn’t be here.’
The woman gave a contemptuous snort. Looked round. ‘None of us should be here.’
He saw Josephina from the corner of his eye as she approached them. She spotted the woman and stopped walking, not wanting to come any further.
‘Get her over here,’ said the woman. ‘Don’t want her running off. That’s all we need.’
Tyrell turned to the child, attempted a smile. ‘Don’t worry, Josephina,’ he said, holding out his hand. ‘I won’t let anything happen to you. You’re safe as long as you’re with me.’
Wary, Josephina made her way forward. Tyrell kept his hand outstretched. She came towards him, took it. He held on to her.
‘Lady … ’ said Josephina, looking round.
Tyrell glanced at the woman, then back to the child. ‘I’ll keep the lady away from you. Don’t worry.’
The woman shook her head. ‘Stop telling her it’ll be OK. Stop lying to her.’
Tyrell felt anger rise within him once more. This woman seemed to be able to bring that out in him very easily. ‘I’m not lying to her. I mean it. It’s the truth.’ He felt himself holding tight to Josephina. ‘I won’t let anyone hurt her.’
The woman gave another contemptuous snort. ‘Yeah. Right. Whatever. You saw what happened back at the house. You saw what the Golem did to Graham.’ Her mind slipped into a reverie. ‘Graham, oh God, Graham … ’
Tyrell was more interested in something else she’d said. ‘The Golem?’
She looked at him, eyes red-rimmed and wild. Focus coming back, her words just a perfunctory explanation. ‘Yeah. The Golem. That’s his name.’
‘But why is … why did he do that? Why is he after us? Who is he?’
She shook her head. ‘Questions, questions … He wants to stop me. And you. And he’s a killer. That’s all you need to know.’
Tyrell couldn’t believe what he was hearing. ‘What about … ’ He gestured towards Josephina.
‘And anyone who gets in his way.’
Tyrell’s head was spinning. Hurting from more than the cramp and the sunlight. ‘But … why? Who sent him?’
She looked at him. Straight. There was pity in the look. Tyrell didn’t know if it was for him or herself. ‘Ghosts,’ she said. ‘Ghosts from the past. They’re after us. They’re always after us … ’
‘Then … we’ll go to the police. Tell them what’s happened.’
Her eyes became slits, her mouth narrowed. ‘Don’t be stupid. We can’t go to the police, can we? Remember? If we do, it’ll be the end of everything. No money, no future.’
Tyrell said nothing.
‘D’you want to go back inside? Is that it? Because that’s what would happen. At the very least.’ She shot Josephina a glance. The girl flinched. ‘And God knows what would happen to her without you to protect her … ’
Tyrell felt like crying. At that moment prison didn’t sound too bad. But he wouldn’t leave Josephina with this woman. Definitely not.
‘So that’s why you’re doing this? Money for you, a future for me.’
‘Got it in two,’ she said.
A thought occurred to him. He had to voice it. ‘No,’ he said. ‘You don’t care about me. About giving me a future. Just so long as you get your money. That’s right, isn’t it?’
Her eyes flashed. It was like glimpsing a monster hidden behind a mask. ‘Yes. The money. Because by Christ, I’m owed it.’ She moved closer to him. He flinched, stepped backwards, taking Josephina with him. The woman’s lips twisted into an ugly smile. ‘Can’t you remember? Why you went inside? Why you were put away?’
‘No,’ said Tyrell, eyes screwed tight shut. ‘No. I don’t remember. Don’t want to remember. I never remember.’
‘You mean you don’t remember what happened? Any of it?’
‘I … ’ Tyrell could feel his mind slipping back at her words. Could see the bodies before him. Feel the shotgun in his hands. ‘No … ’ He shook his head. Tried to dislodge the memory, think about something else.
She watched him. ‘What about me? Don’t you even remember me?’
‘No,’ Tyrell said, shaking his head, not looking at her. ‘I’ve never seen you before. Not before this, anyway.’
She smiled. Regained some control. Turned away. ‘Good. Let’s keep it that way. For now.’
Tyrell’s heart was slowing. He was trying to think. He would have remembered meeting this woman before, he was sure. All he knew about her was that he didn’t like her, didn’t trust her and didn’t want to be with her. And that made up his mind.
‘I’m going,’ he said.
She turned back to him. ‘What?’
‘I’m going. And I’m taking Josephina. You … you can do what you like.’
‘Oh really?’
‘Yeah. Yeah really.’
‘I don’t think so.’
Tyrell turned. The woman was holding a gun, pointing it at him.
‘I really don’t think so … ’
55
‘Thought I’d find you in here.’
‘Love a gadget, me. You know that.’
Mickey had made his way into the kitchen. He found a pile of electronic equipment on the table, a mass of wires. And DS Adrian Wren.