One Good Deed by David Jackson

Author:David Jackson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Profile Books
Published: 2023-11-15T00:00:00+00:00

22

‘Who are you?’ he asked.

He had dragged her into the garage, tied her hands together around a concrete post behind her, bound her feet. He had taken her keys and phone, and then he had fetched her car, slid open the garage doors and driven it inside. Then he had brought his own car in, put a padlock and chain around the gates and closed up the building. On the off-chance that anyone would choose to venture down this forbidding street, they would never know the building was occupied.

Darren sat on a wooden stool, staring down at her. Among other items on the bench next to him, a battery-operated lamp provided the only source of light. Heidi wondered why he had brought such things – the lamp, the rope he’d used to tie her with, a roll of duct tape, scissors, a box of snacks, bottles of water. The answers her brain conjured up were not pleasant.

‘Who are you?’ he said again.

‘N-nobody. My name’s H-Heidi. I was just walking past and I saw your car and the open gates. I w-wondered what was going on.’

‘Well, H-Heidi, the first thing you should know about me is that I don’t like people who lie to me. So cut the fucking bullshit and tell me why you followed me all the way from Elliott’s house. And if you say “Who’s Elliott?” I am going to slice your fucking ears off. Okay?’

Her swallow was audible in the echoey chamber. She could smell grease, oil and dirt but the garage was clearly no longer in use. The shelves were bare and there were no vehicle maintenance tools or equipment on show. Just a couple of ragged tyres sitting in one corner. Heidi guessed there was no longer any power or running water.

She’d thought she had made a good job of tailing Darren. Clearly not. No point lying now.

‘I’m his best friend,’ she said, doing her utmost to control her nervous stutter. ‘I was trying to help him.’

‘Help him do what?’

‘I was trying to find out more about you. Find out where you live.’

‘Why?’

‘To get you off his back.’

‘Did Elliott ask you to follow me?’

‘No. He doesn’t know anything about this. In fact, he’d be annoyed if he knew.’

‘So why did you do it?’

‘I told you. I wanted to help him.’

‘You normally go around helping people like this? Sticking your nose in where it’s not wanted?’

‘No. But Elliott means a lot to me.’

‘What does that mean? You fucking him?’

The expletive rattled her. It was a demeaning view of the relationship she wanted with Elliott.

‘No.’

‘You and Rebecca both fucking him?’

She shook her head. ‘There’s nothing between him and Rebecca. He already told you that.’

‘Yeah, but he’s just as much a liar as you are. Seems like I’m surrounded by fucking liars.’

Darren got off his stool, then picked up his knife and began pacing. It was a big knife. A hunter’s knife. Heidi could still feel its icy bite at her throat.

‘We’re not lying,’ she said. ‘We—’

‘Shut up.’

She paused, then tried again.

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