Poison Lilies by Katie Tallo

Author:Katie Tallo
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2022-02-27T00:00:00+00:00

18

Howard

MALACHY IS WAITING FOR HER WHEN SHE COMES OUT OF THE ladies’ room. The ceremony is starting. The ballroom doors are closing. A voice reverberates from a loudspeaker. Gus wonders if it’s the Governor General. She considers making a run for the ballroom, bursting through the doors and racing into the GG’s arms. She could beg for asylum. Grab the mic. Tell them what May Mutchmore-Stanfield did to her. Create a scene in front of everyone gathered in that grand ballroom.

But she doesn’t.

The GG has other things to worry about.

Like giving medals to brave soldiers.

Gus isn’t brave. She doesn’t make a break for it. Instead, she lets Malachy grab hold of her arm and escort her swiftly through the arched entryway. She feels powerless. And manhandled. Like she’s being dragged through water, a fish flopping on the end of a hook. He steers her away from the driveway around the building toward a gate in the stone wall surrounding the property. Out of nowhere Taggart heads for them at a fast clip. When he reaches them, he hooks her other armpit. The toes of her high heels skim the grass as she’s lifted off her feet. She feels like a child who’s been bad and is being hurried off to be punished. The other penguins smoke cigarettes and look away. None of their business.

Why is no one helping her?

Where are they taking her?

What are they going to do with her?

Her head is swimming with movie images of wood chippers and concrete hip waders and blood-soaked horse heads on white sheets.

What the fuck?

Linked together as if they’re in a three-legged race, they squeeze through the narrow service gate that leads to a residential street, mansions on one side and the massive stone wall surrounding Rideau Hall on the other. Malachy’s limo is parked in a long line of other waiting limos. Her captors scan for other drivers and pedestrians. Witnesses. The street is unmercifully deserted. No dog walkers or delivery men or members of the press or limo drivers.

Where the fuck is everyone?

A lone car heads in their direction at the far end of the street. Knowing they’ve only got seconds to get her out of sight, Malachy clicks the remote locks of his limo. He flings open the passenger-side back door and shoves her in as the car closes in. Gus tumbles to the floor of the limo, losing a shoe. Her knees burn on the carpet. Malachy slams the door behind her. She can hear muffled conversation, but she can’t make out what they’re saying.

Then the driver’s-side back door opens. She’s expecting Taggart or Malachy to jump in, but instead Howard’s face appears. He holds out his hand. Gus grabs it and he pulls her from the limo. A sudden burst of adrenaline fuels her legs. She scrambles out the door and tumbles into Howard’s waiting car. She locks the passenger door. Sees Malachy and Taggart in the side view mirror racing around the limo toward her. Where’s Howard? Then she hears a thud as Howard rolls awkwardly across the hood of his beat-up Honda Civic.

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