Switchback Stories by Iain Edward Henn

Author:Iain Edward Henn
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Sunfire Publishing
Published: 2014-02-07T06:00:00+00:00

Two

The late afternoon quiet was shattered by sirens. Two police cars and an ambulance, one after the other, no more than a minute apart. For the first time in years, gaining access to The Ferns was no problem. The security system had been shut down and the entrance gates left wide open.

Detective-Inspector Tony Carstairs entered the house. Several other officers were in the entrance lobby. One of them approached Carstairs. ‘The man over there,’ the officer indicated the figure at the far end of the hall, ‘is Crayton’s manservant, Hooper. He found the body.’

Carstairs approached Hooper. ‘Mr Hooper, I understand you found the body of Mr Crayton, and the young woman, on your return here this afternoon.’

‘Yes. Mr Crayton was slumped against the wall. Miss Crawford was sitting nearby, apparently in a state of shock. She was still holding the gun. She’d been shot in the leg. There was blood everywhere, sir. Everywhere.’

Carstairs nodded and walked through to the main lounge. The other officer accompanied him. ‘A bullet grazed the female’s left leg,’ he told his superior. ‘Just a flesh wound. The paramedics want her to go to the hospital for overnight observation. That’s all.’

Cynthia was seated on the lounge, sipping from a mug of coffee. She was flanked by a female police officer and one of the paramedics.

‘Miss Crawford?’

She looked up at Carstairs, her eyes frightened.

He sat down opposite her. ‘I’m Detective Inspector Carstairs. Would you like to tell me what happened?’

Cynthia sipped at the coffee again. Her hands were shaking and she glanced from the coffee mug to Carstairs and back again. ‘It was after Hooper had left for the afternoon.’ Her voice was small and frail. Tentative. A victim’s voice. ‘Mr Crayton called me into his office. He said he had the hots for me and made certain … suggestions.’ She fell silent again.

‘Go on, Miss Crawford.’

‘I told him I wasn’t interested and offered my resignation. I tried to leave but he blocked my way and grabbed at me. I … just wasn’t expecting anything like that. I never dreamed a respectable man like he was … could attack a defenceless woman. He tried to rape me.’

Shakily, she placed the mug on the coffee table. ‘I tried to get away, but he became very violent. He threw me against the wall behind his desk. I knew he kept a gun in his desk drawer; I’d overheard him discuss it with Hooper once. I wasn’t sure which drawer, but I was desperate, so I lunged for the nearest drawer and the pistol was in there.

‘I had no intention of shooting him, Inspector. I just wanted to keep him at bay so I could get out. I headed for the door, but I didn’t know he had another gun, under his coat. He shot me in the leg. He said I didn’t have the guts to shoot back and the wound would make sure I couldn’t run away. He moved in on me and I … I fired. I

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