Killing with Confetti by Peter Lovesey

Author:Peter Lovesey
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Crime Fiction
Publisher: Soho Press
Published: 2019-05-22T01:02:40+00:00

Bloody umbrellas. Jack had aborted his mission, at least for this part of the afternoon. Only some masochistic streak acquired through years behind bars kept him watching.

Finally, a good five minutes late for the wedding, a Rolls-Royce appeared from the left with the main players, Joe Irving and his daughter. And with cruel timing the rainfall increased to monsoon intensity, a downpour of Biblical force, thick droplets that stung the flesh. Even Noah would have thought it excessive.

Everyone waited at least half a minute before some bold soul inside the car made the decision.

The chauffeur opened his door, sprang the clip on a huge umbrella, darted around the car and ushered the bride into the abbey. A flash of cream-coloured fabric and she was gone from view.

He returned to the car and performed the same service for Joe Irving. But for all Jack could see, it could have been Father fucking Christmas.

What a washout.

Jack stood brazenly behind the balustrade, the rifle hanging from his hand, in the sure knowledge that no one would notice him. He was saturated, of course, but so intent on what was unfolding below that only now did he discover he was ankle-deep in water.

Choked drains. Rising water.

The drainpipes couldn’t cope with the volume.

This was the moment he remembered Paul the cop. The world would be a better place without plods, but leaving one to drown in a gutter was careless.

He swore, perched the AK on a ledge, straightened his sodden face mask, turned, crawled up the roof, grabbed the top edge and looked over.

The cop’s body was all but submerged. He’d managed to wriggle closer to the corner and prop his head against the backpack to keep his face above the surface.

Jack scrambled over, grabbed the hapless guy and lifted him out of the water onto the roof. The eyes were closed and he was grey in the face so Jack ripped the strip of duct tape from his mouth.

The shock of strong adhesive being yanked off sensitive skin would have revived anyone except a corpse. The cop’s eyes snapped open. He took some shallow gasps of air.

Jack trickled some bottled water into the open mouth. “Drink up, mate. Didn’t bargain for this.”

After swallowing most of it, Paul asked, “Did you shoot him?”

“I wouldn’t still be here if I had.”

“What will you do now?”

“They’ve got to come out, haven’t they?”

“Is the rain going to stop?”

“Stupid fucking question.”

“Are you under orders to kill the bastard, or what? He’s a waste of space anyway in my opinion.”

Jack ignored that obvious attempt to curry favour. “How long does a wedding take?”

“Under an hour usually.”

“So I’ll wait and so will you.” He reached for the duct tape and slammed another strip over the cop’s mouth.

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