Missing - Adam Nicholls (ready player one ebook txt) 📗
- Author: Adam Nicholls
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Book online «Missing - Adam Nicholls (ready player one ebook txt) 📗». Author Adam Nicholls
“You know what?” Sandra whispered in Mason’s ear, still clutching him. “Maybe we should rethink a few things.”
Mason felt it like a sucker punch. He knew it was probably just the elation of the moment that made her say it, but how was he supposed to respond? His initial reaction was to smile, to say Great! and Everything will be okay. But in spite of his own mistakes throughout their marriage, could he ever really accept the way she’d handled it?
As difficult as it was, he said nothing, rubbing his tired eyes and breaking free of the embrace. “I’d better head home.”
“We’ll talk tomorrow,” Sandra told him, nodding.
“Sure.” Mason kissed his daughter on the cheek and mussed her hair. “See you soon.” He went back to his car, started the engine, and pulled out of the drive. In the rearview mirror he saw his wife and daughter standing and waving him off. Joshua skulked in the background.
Go get some rest, he could imagine Evie saying. Mason wanted to take that advice, and he certainly would. But there was somewhere else he had to go first. It was something he’d started earlier that night but hadn’t quite finished.
Now that he was alone, he could finally do it.
“I hate to say it, Mason, but I’m disappointed in you.” Captain Cox pushed back from the table and went to the door, holding it open for him to leave.
After a few hours’ sleep, he’d returned to give the entirety of his statement and his reasons for terminating his pursuit of Marvin Wendell. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be more help,” he said, shooting a look at Bill, who stood clutching a clipboard.
The three of them left the room together. The captain headed toward her office, while Bill showed Mason to the coffee machine. It felt like a cliché spot for a private discussion, but they had to talk while they had the chance.
“Where were you this morning?” Bill asked, looking skeptical.
“Cleaning up after you. The cameras needed wiping, you know.” Mason just wished the man would be more careful. If they were going to pull this off, they had to work as a team. Any half-hearted efforts could end them.
“Okay.” Bill glanced around, dug into his pocket for the key, and slid it into Mason’s hand. “Make sure nobody sees you. I’ll have to catch up later.”
“When?”
“I’m off duty at five, so hang in there.”
Mason stuffed the key into his pocket and walked toward the side exit. The front of the police station was swarming with press, who had somehow gotten wind of the situation and made it public. That was bad for everyone.
In the alleyway beside the building, Evie stood gazing at the beautiful morning sky. Although she’d begged for an explanation from Mason, he had nothing more to offer her. The best he could do was assure her the killer would move on from San Francisco.
“Get in,” he said, opening the car door.
He drove her back to her apartment and stopped outside in peaceful silence.
“Will you be all right?” she asked.
“I’ll live.” Mason wondered how he was going to convince her that he’d simply shied away from hunting Wendell. After all the judgment he’d received from Captain Cox, the last thing he wanted was Evie to be disappointed with him. “I’m looking at apartments tomorrow.”
“Oh? Not getting back with Sandra, then?” she said, a tone of sadness in her voice.
“I doubt it. There are other things for me out there, you know?”
“Yeah.” Evie sat back in the seat, the half-open door letting the cool winter air in. “That’s great about the apartment though. But how will you pay for it?”
Mason had asked himself the same thing, and now the answer seemed clearer than ever. “I think it’s time to reopen the office. I can take on other cases, ones I don’t associate with my time on the police force.”
Evie smiled and kissed him on the cheek. “It’s what you’re good at.” She climbed out of the car, closed the door, and headed into her apartment building, looking over her shoulder and giving a little wave.
Mason was looking forward to the life he’d just described. It would be dangerous, sure, yet he would miss it if it weren’t there.
But there was still one thing left to finish before he could move on, something he couldn’t possibly have told Evie or the captain.
Checking the key was still tucked away in his pocket, he looked around to make sure he wasn’t followed, then drove to where he needed to be.
The shipping container sat at the back of the lot, where it was quiet and out of the way—no wonder Bill had chosen it. Mason checked his surroundings before sliding the key into the heavy-duty padlock and opening it up. It was dark inside, but Mason had to lock the door from the inside before he could use the internal lamp.
Clunk.
The room lit up, and Mason turned to face the back, where an orange glow illuminated Marvin Wendell. The man was a mess: naked, chained up tight, and silenced by a homemade ball gag Bill had made with a snooker ball and a belt. It looked painful as hell, but it was no less than he deserved.
“Morning, asshole.” Mason stepped forward and removed his jacket, placing it on the upturned crates. “Bill wanted me to wait until he got here, but I don’t see why we can’t just get started.”
Wendell struggled to break free of his chains, but nothing happened.
Mason walked slowly to the gurney, admiring the detail Bill had gone to. He understood the man’s pain, too—Wendell had killed Bill and Christine’s son. That was enough to make anybody crazy for revenge.
“You know, you made a big mistake by hurting my daughter.” Mason pulled the dust sheet off the tray, revealing a pile of rusted surgical tools.
Crying and screaming behind the gag, Wendell thrashed against the chains.
Mason picked up the first tool and held it up to the light. It looked like a bottle opener, a kind of blade with clamps. We’ll start with this. “Now, hold still. You wouldn’t want me to miss.”
When Mason was done, he and Bill would burn the body and try to pass it off as an unsolved murder. It may not be the official closure of the case—they may not even get away with it—but it would bring the Lullaby Killer to the horrific end he deserved while administering justice to all the families he’d destroyed.
Grinding his teeth, Mason got to work on punishing Wendell, blissfully unaware he’d been followed to the site.
If only he knew he’d just opened a whole new can of worms.
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