Her Last Goodnight by Scanlon Michael

Author:Scanlon, Michael [Scanlon, Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Mystery & Detective, Police Procedural, Suspense
ISBN: 9781838880750
Publisher: Bookouture
Published: 2020-01-13T13:00:00+00:00

28

Beck awoke with a start, staring into the darkness, which was diluted by the light of the street lamp from outside the window. His breathing sounded as if someone were frantically pumping air into a bicycle tyre. He took a gulp and held it, grappling with the rising panic, trying to force it down again, but it was too strong, and kept coming, unstoppable, the crackling echo of laughter growing louder and louder. He looked around. There was no one laughing. Am I going crazy? He shook his head, realising he was still sleeping, trapped inside a dream.

‘No!’ he cried, shaking his head. ‘No!’ And then his eyes snapped open and he was really awake – staring into the eyes of Natalia. ‘Jesus.’ He made to push her away.

‘Stop! You’re having a nightmare. A nightmare, Finnegan, a nightmare. Relax, for God’s sake.’

He lay there, panting, listening to the hollow sound of his frantic breathing. He turned, pulled back the duvet and got out of bed, stumbled across the room and out onto the landing, closing the door behind him. He went downstairs and into the kitchen, the panic sweeping through him, dropping onto the floor by the cooker, opening the door of the cupboard where the cooking oils were kept.

Somewhere in there…

He rooted around, and way at the back found it. He fumbled with the top and screwed it off, raised the bottle of cooking brandy to his lips, was about to drink, when suddenly he felt it, a sense that he was being watched. He turned. In the doorway, sitting in that still and silent way of his, was Max, head cocked to one side, watching.

‘Jesus, Max. You gave me a fright, boy.’

Beck looked to the bottle, then to Max. The dog came and sat next to him.

Beck told himself, Just enough, no more, just enough. Still, he hesitated, looking to the dog.

‘Just a little,’ he said, wondering why he was telling an animal. ‘Just a little.’

He could hear it then, a low whine.

Beck raised the bottle to his lips, resisting the urge to gulp it down, took a deep swallow instead, then put the bottle back into the cupboard and stood. He went to the table, sat down and lit a cigarette. It was still dark outside, and for a fleeting moment the moon broke through the clouds and it was framed in the window above the sink like a painting. He knew she was standing there. Standing in the hall just outside the door. He took a long draw on the cigarette, watching as he did so the orange glow reflected in the glass.

‘Thought you were trying to give up,’ Natalia said, breezing into the room, her voice heavy with false cheeriness.

‘What?’ he said. ‘The cigarettes?’

She pressed the light switch on and the moon disappeared from the window as the florescent bulb came to life with a sound like crinkling paper. She crossed to the sink and reached for the kettle, turned on the tap and pushed the spout into the flow of water.

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