Tedd and Todd's secret (28 page)

But she didn't say a word. Her husband's expression had changed along with his clothes, and instead of the overalls he'd been wearing seconds before, he now had on an elegant white suit.

She watched him walk out of the living room and out of the house without saying a word or closing the front door. She was left alone in the house, shocked and speechless.

"Hey, don't push, you bloody idiot," the man yelled, without turning around to see who was behind him.

It was a pity he hadn't, because when he did lay eyes on the pusher, he found he was looking at the biggest man he'd ever seen. His arms were so thick that the black suit he was wearing was at breaking point. He had a strange glint in his black eyes and was carrying an enormous mallet in his huge hands. It was like a giant hammer, around five feet long with a black metal head the size of a suitcase. The crowd around them had separated, some had run away, while others stood still in the distance, curious to know what was going to happen next.

Earl Black kept walking, unperturbed, towards his objective. A short while earlier in the park, he'd been at the point of nearly pulling James White's head off with his bare hands. But, as the little man had predicted, he'd walked off, and a new goal had formed suddenly in his mind that had brought him here now. Rocking the formidable weapon he was carrying from one side to the other, Earl rounded the high fountain in the middle of the shopping centre, seeking his prey.

"Maybe that's the answer," he heard a man call out, standing up and waving his hand. "Let the show start."

Earl didn't pay him any attention. He had no idea what he was talking about, but when he saw the man sitting beside the caller, he couldn't take his eyes off him. He wasn't the one he was looking for but there was something familiar about the young man sitting there.

"You," Earl called out. "Do I know you?"

"What?" said the other man, the one who'd waved his hand at Earl. "I thought it was impossible to interfere. But of course you've already run into the–"

"Shut up, Dylan," Ethan said, before he turned and looked at Earl Black. "You've got something to do. You must do it and forget me. Don't get distracted. "

"Tedd and Todd aren't going to like this interruption very much," Dylan Blair observed, looking at the mallet Earl was carrying. "You could stop a tank with that little toy, big fella."

"I know who you are," Earl said, tightening his grip on the weapon, memories of an earlier fight sparking out of his brain. "You're Ethan Gord. We fought some time ago. I almost–"

"Forget that!" Ethan yelled. "Do what you've come to do."

"Son of a bitch," Dylan exclaimed, stepping back without taking his eyes off Earl. "Stop shouting at him! By the way, is it true that you fought against him? I don't believe you could survive with that scrawny body of yours. A belch from this guy could blow you into pieces."

"It's true what you're saying, Ethan," Earl said, his expression suddenly serious. "I've got to kill someone."

CHAPTER 20

Some hours later, when he was once more led to the interview room, Aidan was surprised to see not only Lance, but Carol. "How did you get in here? " he asked Lance as he sat down opposite his two friends.

"The duty sergeant owes me one,” was Lance’s cryptic reply. "But we don’t have long, so listen carefully.”

There was no doubt that everybody was worried. But what they failed to understand was that a man who throws somebody else into the Thames, in the middle of the day, in front of a crowd of witnesses, doesn't care about the consequences of his actions. No one, Wilfred included, could understand why Aidan had done what he did. And the only thing that Aidan remembered now from his conversation with his millionaire ally was an "I warned you", and that he'd get him out of jail as soon as he could.

"We came as soon as we could," Carol said.

Aidan looked into Carol's warm eyes. Seeing him the way he was, they probably thought he'd lost his mind. At least, that was what everyone else seemed to think.

Carol looked at him with an overwhelming feeling of tenderness. The conversation with her wasn't going to be easy. This morning he'd become aware of his feelings for her for the first time. He was surprised about her feelings for him because he didn't represent anything more than a stack of problems for another human being. But feelings have got little to do with logic.

"Lance has been arguing with the duty officer," Carol said. "He doesn't want you treated like a common criminal."

"But that's what I am," he said flatly. "The sooner you accept it, the better."

"Don't talk like that, Aidan," she begged him. "You don't deserve to go to jail. It's not fair."

"Listen, Carol," Aidan said, taking one of her hands in his, aware that the police guard at the door was watching his every move. "I've discovered that I feel something for you. Or rather, I could if I wasn't dead inside. I almost killed a man today and I don't feel even the slightest remorse. And what's more, I'd do it again. That doesn't make me a decent human being. I'm only going to hurt you if you stay close to me. I deserve to go to jail."

"Don't say that," she sobbed. "You're speaking like someone who's already given up. Where's that willpower of yours gone to? Until the jury condemns you, you're not guilty of anything."

She continued talking for a while. Sometimes she criticized him; at other moments she encouraged him to keep fighting. Aidan Zack let her talk herself out any way she wanted, and without realizing it, they finished up in each other's arms across the table. For the first time since he'd thrown Bradley into the Thames he began to feel remorse, seeing the pain he'd caused her.

"You should have told me what you planned to do," Lance Norwood reproached him.

Aidan and Carol let each other go as Lance put a restraining hand on Aidan's shoulder. He didn't look much better than Carol.

"Thanks for your support, mate," Aidan said. "But I'm not up to any more chats about what's happened."

"I would've helped you," Lance said. "But I would've found another way. I've always said that you're useless without me around and this time you've demonstrated it."

Lance's effort to lighten the mood didn't escape Aidan, in spite of the fact that his voice wasn't as sharp as normal and his expression wasn't the same. Aidan appreciated seeing him there. He'd always been his best back-up man.

"Tell me something," Lance asked. "I suppose you interrogated him before he took a dip in the river. Did Bradley have anything to do with the Blacks and Whites?"

Aidan was amazed. "How'd you arrive at that?"

"After you left, Carol and I kept at it. And we turned up some interesting stuff about their houses. All their homes were bought the same day your wife died. That didn't happen by chance."

"Exactly. Nothing's fortuitous in all of this, although I still don't get the connection. Bradley didn't know anything. He was just in it for the money."

"Then we'll stick with the plan. We'll get hold of one of these Blacks or Whites and get some answers."

Aidan studied him. He could see his partner wasn't playing games. "Forget it. The whole thing's too dangerous. Remember what James White told us."

"If you think I'm going to let you rot here, you'd better think again," Lance said, standing up and moving toward the door.

"Damn it, Lance. Don't do anything!" Aidan screamed after him, getting to his feet. "You've got a wife. Don't get involved. Carol, talk to him for God's sake."

"Don't worry. I'll keep him in sight."

Back in his cell, he realized that they'd come to find out what he'd got from Bradley. They'd already made up their minds to keep after the Blacks and Whites.

"Carol, don't do it!" he screamed. But there was no one there.

Ethan Gord sighed after Earl Black walked off. The big man was still searching for his mark, the huge mallet swaying at his side.

"Maybe we should keep out of this," Ethan suggested, grabbing Dylan by the arm as he took off after Earl. "We were about to get involved and we can't do that. Leave the big bloke alone."

"You're joking, aren't you? Speak for yourself, my friend. You're the one who can distract him. Not me. Besides, this is what we're here for. Don't pretend that you don't want to know what will happen."

"We shouldn't have come," Ethan lamented.

"Rubbish. We're not breaking any law," Dylan Blair informed him. "Stop worrying about it. Let's go. We're going to miss all the action."

The millionaire went after Earl, with Ethan following behind. Once again he couldn't fault Dylan's arguments, and he was curious to see everything for himself. He mixed in with a crowd that was following the black-suited giant.

"I hope this animal doesn't finish James off," Dylan said.

"We'll soon find out."

Earl stopped and put the mallet down on the floor, staring at a bar in the middle of a ring of shops that surrounded the fountain. After a while he started walking again, but just before he got to the bar he stopped again, as a woman in a wheelchair came down a side passage beside the bar. He lifted the mallet up in both hands as she wheeled her way towards him.

"Christ," Dylan exclaimed. "Is that who I think it is?"

"I'm afraid so," Ethan replied. "It's Ashley."

Earl threw the mallet through the air. It spun straight towards Ashley's head, but she ducked at the last moment, and it crashed into the floor with Earl just behind. He picked it up and hurled it at her again with all his might.

The knock was devastating. The mallet stopped on the back of the wheelchair, producing a deafening thunder. Ashley was thrown out of the chair and fell heavily several yards away. The wheelchair turned around its axis several times, bounced and knocked down three young men who were looking in the opposite direction.

"I don't get it," Dylan said. "I thought Otis was losing. Seems I was wrong."

"I can assure you when I checked it with Big Ben that Otis was doing real badly."

"But look for yourself. It's Ashley who's on the floor. Otis could win right now and it would be all over."

"She's not beaten yet."

They watched Earl approach the woman on the floor. He stood over her, one massive foot either side, lifting the mallet over his head. It seemed like the whole shopping centre was screaming.

"Well, I'm no expert but this looks like the end," Dylan said.

And with a terrifying roar Earl tensed his muscles and delivered the final blow, as Ashley turned just in time to see the giant mallet crashing down upon her head.