“Police, ambulance.” I shouted moving back to where Lana lay.
“Ok can you tell me what’s happened and the address please?” The operator asked calmly. “114 Park Hall Gardens. He shot them both, Ben Hewitt he shot his dad and his sister, I think they might be….” I clutched at my stomach as nausea washed over me.
“You little bitch!” The blow to my ribs knocked me to the floor, the phone flew from my hand. Ben stumbled on his feet but grabbed the back of my hair throwing me across the floor. I heard his footsteps pounding behind me then was wrenched to my feet. “You don’t have any clue what I can do to you, I can ruin your whole life!” He shouted into my ear.
“You already have!” I sobbed a mixture of anger and sorrow ripping through my words.
“You think you know pain?” He hissed. “You haven’t seen anything yet.” He pulled his fingers through my hair scraping my scalp and slammed me across the floor again. Something cold slid under my fingers, I spat out blood from my split mouth and looked to see the gun laying beneath my arm. Ben’s eyes widened as I slid around onto my back with the piece of metal nestled against my palm, he ran towards me his shoes slipping on the blood.
“Stop! Or I will shoot you!” I screamed. He skidded to a halt panting as he glared at me.
“Shoot me! It doesn’t matter now, one of us isn’t getting out of here alive.” He almost laughed. “I just killed two people, you’re the only witness. If you live I’m going to be in jail for the best part of the next thirty years.” I pressed down the trigger as he moved closer.
“Stay away from me!” I cried but he kept edging nearer.
“You don’t have it in you to shoot me. You’re weak, the same as you were the night in the car park you didn’t fight me you let me do what I wanted. You couldn’t even fight to protect your own baby!” He leered. “Maybe we should finish what we started?” He jumped towards me hands outstretched aiming for the gun. I fired.
CHAPTER TWENTY
“Police!” The light swept across my face as I squinted upwards.
“Lie down, face first.” Another voice bellowed. “Keep your hands atop your head.” I did as instructed and felt the weight of a knee pressed into my back as my hands were lowered and cuffed at the base of my spine.
“Do you have any weapons on you?” The officer asked. I shook my head to indicate I didn’t and felt hands patting me down.
“Get her to her feet.” I was lifted by my arms and held upright. Two paramedics were kneeling beside Lana, a mask had been placed over her face, a thick white dressing stained with red lying atop her bare ribs.
“Is she alive?” I whispered through my broken lips.
“Yes she is, but barely.” The officer facing me nodded.
“Can you tell me what happened here?” Another man spoke, he was in plain clothes with an earpiece dangling loose against his chest. I nodded and began to speak.
“I think it’s best we do this at the station, get it all on tape.” He held up his hand to silence me and looked at the other officers.
“We will have to keep you cuffed while we transfer you to the station.” The female officer told me. I nodded watching as the black bag was lifted into the back of the van, the sound of metal wheels clicking down the stone steps made me turn and look over my shoulder.
“Lana.” I cried. The officer placed her hand on my shoulder and eased me back towards the car.
“She’s ok.” She said quietly as I lowered myself into the back seat. “For what it’s worth, we heard the emergency call, it’s all recorded.” She looked at me meaningfully.
“Is he dead?” I asked, the words stuck in my throat and came out as a croak.
“No.” The officer looked over her shoulder quickly before speaking again. “But he deserves to be.” She whispered, then shut the door with a soft thud.
“Time is five fifteen p.m, interview of Ms Rebecca Taylor regarding a shooting, three injured one fatality, at 114 Park hall Gardens London on the twenty eighth of Febuary 2016. Ms Taylor has a solicitor present” The inspector looked over at me. “Can you begin by stating your name please?”
“Rebecca Taylor.” I mumbled.
“Thank you. Ok Ms Taylor, can you tell me what happened today please, from the very beginning.” The officer leant forwards slightly, his elbows resting on the edge of the grey desk. I took a deep breath and began.
Lana opened her eyes, the light cast a strange white illumination across the room making everything look surreal, the blue walls, metal edging of the bed, boxes’ of machines beeping brightly at her side.
“Thank God you’re awake.” A familiar voice from beside her head, she tried to turn but found she could only look so far.
“Rebecca?” Lana asked her voice hoarse, she lifted a hand and felt the plastic tubing running across her face, tucked in gently against her nose. Suddenly the image of Ben, gun in hand flashed into her mind. She shuffled trying to sit up.
“No Lana, you have to rest.” It was Miranda, pressing a hand to her shoulder firmly.
“Where is she?” Lana looked up tears welling in her eyes.
“She is fine. She’s at the police station being interviewed.” Miranda soothed.
“Promise me she’s ok?” Lana began to sink back into the pillow.
“Yes darling she is fine.” Miranda’s face swam in front of her and she fell back into sleep.
I stepped out of the station into the night, my legs cramped from so long sitting down, nearly eighteen hours had passed.
“So we will be in touch with you remember, don’t go too far.” The female officer had escorted me out.
“Do you know which hospital they took her to?” I asked looking at the busy main road. She eyed me carefully.
“Do you have anyone who can come and get you?” She asked.
“No, I just need to be with Lana.” I suppressed a sob.
“Come on.” She signalled me around the side of the building. “I’m finished for the night, I’ll drop you off on my way home.” She pressed the button on her keys and a small red fiat flashed amongst the parked cars. I didn’t argue, I just hopped into the passenger seat.
“Do you have a cigarette?” I asked noticing the lighter in the centre console. We were zipping through down the main highway.
“Yeah, glove box, help yourself.” She pointed across my knee and flicked a switch to lower my window a little.
I reached for the box and tapped a cigarette loose pressing it between my lips and lighting the end, the flame glowed against the glass.
“Thank you.” I blew the smoke into the air.
“She is really beautiful.” The police officer tapped her fingers around the wheel, her dark skin shining smooth under the passing lights.
“Lana?” I asked even though I knew who she meant.
“Yeah.” She nodded keeping her eyes trained ahead. “I mean even with all that stuff going on, the masks and paramedics and stuff, you could still see that she is really something special.” I smiled and nodded again.
“She is.” The words lodged in my throat.
“He came out of surgery too.” She glanced at me. “Hewitt.” She added.
“He’s ok?” I asked tightly.
“Unfortunately yes.” She ground her teeth. “But you don’t have to worry, he’s too high risk to get bail, he’ll be remanded until trial and won’t be coming out for a seriously long time.”
We swung into the hospital car park, creaking to a stop beside the doors to accident and emergency, I thanked the officer again and darted inside.
“Rebecca?” Yvonne queried as I shot through the nurses entrance and wound through the corridor. I stopped and faced her.
“It is you!” She exclaimed with a smile.
“I’m looking for Lana Hill.” I said quickly. “The woman who was here with me that day.”
Yvonne looked at me biting her lip “I can’t give you any info Rebecca, you know that.” She reached for my arm.
“I just need t
o see her, please.” I begged. Yvonne pulled me to one side, looking around.
“She’s in room two, recovery ward.” She whispered.
“That’s the private wing.” I frowned.
“I know some woman from the board asked for it.” Yvonne shrugged.
I turned on my heel and stormed down the corridor, hearing Yvonne calling my name but refusing to turn around.
The corridors began to change, the blues replaced by muted greens and beiges, potted plants dotting the walls. I turned into the recovery ward, walking quickly past the nurses station hoping to go unnoticed, the door to room two was closed, a silver number pinned to its surface. I pushed down the handle and slid inside.
“Rebecca.” Lana sighed smiling as she looked at me, she stretched her arms forwards rustling the gown. I took two strides and fell into her embrace, sobbing as her hands smoothed my hair back from my cheeks.
“She really doesn’t need this upset.” Miranda stood in the doorway, a polythene cup of coffee steaming in her hand.
“You!” I pulled myself clear of the bed and almost vaulted at the woman.
“Control yourself Mrs Taylor.” Miranda recovered her composure and smiled into my face.
“Rebecca she’s not worth it.” Lana’s voice was weak, I turned and looked at her.
“The police can deal with her.” I said moving back and inching onto the bed.
“Why would the police be having anything to do with me?” Miranda placed her cup down and stood hands on hips glaring down at me.
“Perverting the course of justice, covering up rape, attempted murder, buying drugs, illegal money lending…. Oh I’m sure there’s a list they have.” I snarled. Miranda’s face flushed crimson.
“I haven’t got a clue what you’re implying.” She said loftily.
“I don’t really care anymore.” I shrugged. “Tell them, not me.” I tilted my head back to where two uniformed officers were speaking to a nurse who was pointing in our direction, their radios crackled as they came closer.
“Is it all over now?” Lana asked tiredly, behind us Miranda’s protests were fading into the distance.
“Yes.” I smiled. “He’s going to get what he should have from the start, a very long time in jail.” I held her hand as she drifted back to sleep.
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
The giggling woke me, not the noise of pans crashing or the hiss of the kettle boiling, but the laughter. I smiled into the pillow, turning over knowing that she wouldn’t be there but reaching out my hand anyway, I smoothed down the sheets that were still crumpled from the weight of her body.
A red foil balloon bumped gently next to the bed, I groaned as the number forty shone across its face. I pulled the sheets up over my head hiding it from view. Beneath the warmth of the cover, I breathed in deeply, the sweet sticky residue of Lana’s perfume and the smell of her body clung to the fabric. The memory of her soft kisses feathering my body brought a shiver to my skin covering it in goose bumps. All these years and she could still drive me crazy!
“Happy birthday!” The sing song chant carried ahead of them, echoing from the kitchen. I lowered the sheet and smiled as a dark haired little girl skipped into the room, her pyjamas stained with pink frosting she looked behind her eagerly. Lana stepped into view her long legs streaming from beneath her t shirt, she too was covered in blobs of crystalized pink sugar.
“Happy birthday.” She grinned lowering the cake to the bedside table. The little girl clapped her hands as I sat up and blew out the candles sending small wisps of smoke up into the air.
“What did you wish for mummy?” The little girl crawled onto the bed and wrapped her arms around my neck. I kissed her forehead and held her close, smiling at Lana who was cutting into the cake.
“I didn’t make a wish.” I told her, her tiny face crumpled into a frown, her green eyes so like Lana’s, full of confusion. “I don’t need to wish for anything because I already have everything I want.” I told her rubbing my face against hers. She giggled and hopped back down.
“Mom.” She tugged at Lana. “Can I really have cake for breakfast?” She looked up.
“Just for today.” Lana smoothed her dark hair down and handed her a plate with a smile.
“I love you.” I told her. She looked over at me before leaning across and placing a kiss against my lips with a dimpled smile playing over her mouth.
“I love you too.”
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