Outside

Chapter Two

I tense, bracing myself for what Liam is about to tell me.

‘There was a struggle of some kind,’ he starts.

‘A struggle? I thought it was an accident.’

‘No. Not an accident.’

I try to process this information. If it wasn’t an accident then it must have been… something else. Something worse.

‘A piece of glass from the door went into her throat which is what… which is what killed her. So at first it looked like a terrible accident. The thing is, she was also partly strangled and there was some bruising which points towards…’

I feel like I’m listening to him from a long way away, like my ears need to pop. His words are merging together. This is beyond normality and I think I might throw up at such a graphic onslaught. Teetering on the edge of hysteria, a scream forms without a voice. My knees go soft.

‘Whoaaa, Riley, are you okay?’ Liam drops his hat and puts his arm around me. He sets me down on the ground. I lean back against the side wall and he crouches in front of me. ‘I’m sorry, I shouldn’t’ve said anything. I’m an idiot.’

‘No, Liam,’ I croak. ‘You’re brave to tell me this. Please tell me the rest. I might be sick, but I need to know.’ No matter how hard it is to hear to this horror story I make myself listen to the rest.

‘We’re holding Luc as the only possible suspect.’ He pauses and looks at me for a reaction. ‘I know it seems crazy, Luc’s no more a killer than you are, but he found her and there are no other suspects.’

‘Luc?’ I let his words sink in. I can’t believe it. No way can Luc be involved in this, he just can’t be. ‘I knew they were questioning him but he can’t be a suspect. What about Eddie and Rita? They won’t let you hold him.’

‘Actually, Luc’s parents might be the ones who employ us, but security is paid for by everyone here. We’ve told the Donovans we won’t contact the army till we’re sure of what happened.’

‘Right.’

‘Riley, I feel bad telling you all this, but don’t worry about Luc. You just need to think about yourself and your family.’

I nod.

‘I’ve got to go now but I don’t want to leave you like this. Are you gonna be okay? Shall I help you back inside?’

I shake my head.

‘Look,’ he continues, his brow creased. ‘Please don’t tell your father I’ve told you any of this. He told me not to say anything and I think he was right. I shouldn’t have told you, I’ve made you even more upset.’

‘Liam.’ I shake my head again. I can barely speak. ‘I won’t say anything. Go, before you get into trouble. Thanks for telling me. I know that must’ve been hard.’

‘I’m sorry, Riley. I’ll see you soon.’ He touches my arm, retrieves his hat from the ground and walks away.

I stay sitting here on the ground not thinking about anything, letting my mind shrink and expand, trying to keep the bloodied images from clawing their way back inside my head. Skye is gone.

I shakily stand up and stagger towards the house. Putting my hand to my throat, I can feel pain, like someone is strangling me, choking off the air. How can Luc have anything to do with this horror? It must have been accidental. Luc is always so sensitive to Skye and her feelings. He obviously knows she had a crush on him; well it was plain for everyone to see. But he treated her affectionately like a little sister. Our families have been close since before we were born. I’ve got to see Luc, to hear what he has to say.

The doorbell rings accompanied by a sharp knock on the front door.

‘Mr Culpepper, Sir.’ The voice belongs to Roger Brennan, Head of Perimeter Security. I open the door and let him in. ‘I need to see your parents,’ he says.

‘Okay,’ I mumble.

Ma’s still asleep upstairs. Pa gave her something strong to calm her down. I don’t want to think about it, I just have to get through each second at a time. I’m in a nightmare that won’t be over for a long time yet.

Mr Brennan follows me into the kitchen where Pa’s been sitting in silent grief for what seems like hours. Pa looks up at him.

‘Okay, Riley,’ he says, dismissing me from the room with his eyes.

‘No, Pa. I want to stay.’

Mr Brennan looks from me to Pa. Pa slumps his shoulders and nods in resignation. I sit next to him, drawing my knees up to my chin. He looks at the guard and gestures to another chair. Roger Brennan takes his hat off and sits down.

‘There’s been a development. We’ve released Lucas and we’ve discovered a possible murderer.’

I dig my nails into the tip of my thumb until it hurts. Pa doesn’t react.

‘We haven’t apprehended him yet,’ he continues, waiting for us to digest this news.

‘Possible murderer,’ Pa says the words slowly. ‘What does that mean exactly?’ Tears start to roll down his cheeks.

‘I’m so sorry, Sir.’ Roger Brennan suddenly drops his bluff guards’ manner. He bows his head for a moment. ‘I know this must be hard for you. Shall I go on?’

‘Please.’

Mr Brennan squares his shoulders back. ‘His name’s Ron Chambers. He’s an electrician.’

Pa’s head snaps up. ‘Chambers?’

‘Yes, Sir.’

‘Didn’t he work next door at Eddie’s? I’m sure he said he had a man named Chambers working there earlier this year.’

‘Yes, he worked at the Donovan’s for a few weeks. It seems he cut a hole in the perimeter fence in their garden.’

‘What?’ Shadows cross Pa’s face. ‘How?’

‘The hole’s hidden from view by the undergrowth and you’d never know it was there unless you looked for it. He must have made it while he worked there and then… I don’t know… Maybe he crawled back in late last night, or maybe earlier this morning. We’re not sure of the timescales.’

It shocks me to hear how an outsider gained such easy access to our Perimeter. But even more shocking is seeing Pa like this. It scares me, makes the ground shift beneath me.

‘I’m gonna kill the evil bastard,’ Pa whispers through clenched teeth, tears still sliding down his cheeks.

‘Look, Mr Culpepper, Sir, I can only imagine the horror you’re going through, but please know we’re doing everything we can.’

‘The only thing you need to do is put a bullet in him.’

‘A team has gone to apprehend him and once he’s been questioned and found guilty, we’ll get the army in for the execution or we can do it ourselves. We won’t let him get away with it.’

But he does get away with it.

This afternoon, eight of our Perimeter Guards went to Ron Chambers’ apartment at the Charminster Compound. They arrested him and brought him back to the Guards’ House, here at Talbot Woods.

He refused to talk.

Pa went down there and tried to gain access to his cell, but Roger Brennan wouldn’t even let him see the killer. I heard later what happened in there.

‘You’re not going to stop me from ripping his head off,’ Pa said, furious the guards were keeping him from exercising justice. Pa usually got his own way and it must have driven him crazy to know my sister’s murderer sat only a few feet away.

‘Sir,’ Roger Brennan said. ‘Mr Donovan told me to ask you to wait. Told me to tell you you’ll get your chance.’

‘Wait for what? There’s nothing to wait for. I need to finish this now!’ Pa paced up and down, enraged, but the guards held firm.

‘Not just yet, Sir. I know how you feel.’

‘Bollocks do you know how I feel!’

Roger Brennan spoke calmly. ‘The case is too high-profile. If you kill of one of Charminster Compound’s tradesmen you’ll land yourself in a whole heap of trouble.’

‘So?’

‘Do you want to start a perimeter war? Where would that leave you and your family?’

‘My family…’ Pa couldn’t finish his sentence. He tried again. ‘I won’t kill him yet. Just let me in that cell. Just give me five minutes alone with the…’

‘All in good time, Sir. I’m sorry but I have my orders.’

It turns out they should have let Pa in there to do his worst, as later that night Ron Chambers escaped.

How he got out of a locked cell in a highly guarded perimeter is a mystery. Ma’s Armoured Vehicle (AV) disappeared at the same time and they’re assuming Chambers must have stolen it.

Liam was knocked unconscious during the escape but was otherwise unharmed. Pa and Roger Brennan both suspect inside help, and blame is hopping from shoulder to shoulder. It doesn’t change anything. It still looks like an almighty cock-up.

No one seems to have a clue who’s responsible and why they would want to help the killer of my fourteen–year-old sister.