Birthdays for the dead

Don t be daft. Eugene dragged my hand up then tipped two little shiny things into my palm. Bullets. He squeezed my fingers around the gleaming brass casings, then took the bullets back and dropped them into a clear plastic freezer bag. Zip-locked it shut. There you go. we get these, and you get this. He slid a plastic pencil case into my jacket pocket, then slapped me gently on the cheek. Catch you later, Haggis.

Eugene peeled off his blue nitrile gloves, disappeared behind the car and climbed back in behind the wheel.

Terri buzzed the passenger window down. She d changed out of the dress into a yellow shirt, black denim jacket, and baseball cap. Well, it s been fun, but in case you re thinking of hopping off to the nearest police station to file a grievance: please remember, yours are the only fingerprints on the gun.

I stared at her. Blinked in slow motion.

We have a dead slut with your bullet in her. And who knows where the gun will turn up next: armed robbery, dead cop, series of murdered prostitutes? A wink. You take care of that foot.

The Range Rover growled away from the lay-by, taillights glowing like the eyes of an evil cat. Shrinking. Then gone.

All alone.

All alone in the dark.

Got to get back to Bath: find the car. Go home

My right foot dragged across the tarmac. Pins-and-needles wrapped in silver duct tape, wrapped in a towel, wrapped in more duct tape, wrapped in a heavy-duty bin-bag. Step, scuff Step, scuff Step, scuff, stumble. The ground rushed up to catch me.

THUMP.

Fuck.

I lay on the road, in the dark and the cold, panting. Swearing.

Katie

Crying.

A thin frigid drizzle settled onto my face.

BASTARDS!

Deep in my pocket, my mobile rang. Took me three goes to drag it out. DR MCFRUITLOOP flickered on the screen, then disappeared. Gone to voicemail.

My legs wouldn t work.

I fumbled with the buttons for a while, and finally her recorded message crackled out of the speaker. Ash? Hello, it s Alice, Alice McDonald? OK: so Henry was right about everything the Scenes Examination Branch have dug up all the spots he marked on the map and they ve found the other bodies. All of them. A pause. Somewhere in the distance, a fox shrieked.

We ve got eleven sets of remains in total so there really was another victim five years ago. I wanted I thought you d like to know. Call me back when you get this Please?

End of message. To delete this message, press three.

They d found Rebecca.

I covered my face with my hands and sobbed. All these years, and my little girl was finally dead. Rain soaked through my hair, into my clothes, cold and damp on my numb skin.

Katie and Rebecca

No.

Get up: still got till five o clock tomorrow.

Get up.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!

Up. NOW.

I hauled myself onto my knees, then up onto my jittery feet. Step, scuff Step, scuff Step, scuff

Find him and kill him Step, scuff Step, scuff Wrap my aching fingers around his throat and squeeze Step, scuff Step, scuff Tie him to a chair in the basement Step, scuff Step, scuff Carve shapes into his skin, listen to him scream Step, scuff Step, scuff

Headlights glittered in the darkness, getting closer.

Step, scuff Step, scuff

The car slowed, then rolled to a halt, right in front of me.

Step, scuff Step, scuff

The driver s door opened, and a light came on inside.

Are you all right?

I blinked, rubbed a hand across my eyes.

It was a kid: skinny, blond floppy hair, big gap between his front teeth. Dawson Whitaker, Terri s son.

I screwed up my face till the car came into focus too. A shitty Renault with dents down the side. My car. That s my car.

I m sorry. He opened the passenger door, hurried over and took hold of my elbow.

Step, scuff Step, scuff

Watch your head.

I collapsed into the seat. Want to go home

Dawson licked his lips, fidgeted for a moment. Then got back in the car.

It wasn t my fault. The kid changed down, drifting into the outside lane to overtake a motor home. I knew something was up Mum won t let me go to rugby practice without protection, not after what happened to Dad But it s usually just Eugene, or Ed, or Derek, never all three

A motorway sign loomed out of the darkness: South Wales M4; Bristol (West), South West, Midlands (M5); Bristol M32.

Dawson drove past the junction. Can t take you into Bristol Mum does all her business there, if we show up at A amp;E she ll know in fifteen minutes. We re going to Gloucester.

I sagged further back into my seat. No hospitals

You should settle down. Try to sleep or something.

Fat chance. How did you find me?

He kept his eyes fixed straight ahead. What happened to your foot?

An act of atonement. I made a gun from my fingers and pointed it at him. Bang.

Mum always dumps them on the way to work. I thought Well, if you were still alive Streetlights sparkled in the distance. We overtook a scabby Transit van. Did the Birthday Boy really take your daughter?

You drive pretty good for a wee boy.

I m thirteen. I m not a child.

Right.