‘There are a few cleaning supplies in the cellar and I was also hoping that you could have a look at maybe helping me clear it out. There is a lot of my late wife’s belongings down there. I’m afraid I boxed them up and tossed them down there in the early stages of my grief,’ said Jack.
Talking about Elsie was hard but he was sure it would help lower Adina’s guard. When she talked about the loss of her parents, he knew that their shared grief would be a way to garner her trust. He gave her a small smile and led her to the cellar. He opened the door and gestured for her to go down the stairs.
‘No, after you, Mr Danvers. I’m rather afraid of the dark. I’d feel better if you went first.’ She gave him an apologetic smile and he had no choice but to lead her down the stairs. What was he going to do now? This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. If she didn’t see Beckett straight away she would smell him soon enough: Beckett turning into a soup of urine, faeces, blood. He got to the bottom of the stairs and waited for the inevitable. He sighed, closing his eyes as her scream pierced his eardrums. He turned slowly to look at her.
‘Oh my God!’
Her hands were over her mouth, eyes wide with shock. Before she could react, he grabbed her top and dragged her down the rest of the stairs, putting all his weight into the movement. Adina tumbled down the stairs and landed hard on the concrete floor. It seemed he had at least managed to wind her. He called up the stairs to his father for help and then approached Adina. As he came closer, she backed away, trying to get to her feet. Jack was about to grab her arms to restrain her when she flung herself at him. It was so unexpected that he stumbled backwards, momentarily stunned. Adina scrambled to her feet and was about to run up the stairs when he grabbed her hair. Jack yanked as hard as he could and she was forced back into the room. Her screams echoed around the walls. It really was a good job they had no neighbours.
Adina whimpered as he pulled her into him. He put his arm around her neck and squeezed. Not hard enough to kill her but enough to subdue her. Satisfied he had her under control, he led her back to the opposite side of the wall from Dan. He forced her down onto the floor. She tried to resist but he pulled back his leg and kicked her as hard as he could in the ribs. He watched her clutching her chest, trying to breathe. Moaning in pain. Taking advantage of the distraction, he reached for the rope he had placed on the workbench and bound her hands and feet. He tied her up as tightly as he could. She was a fighter this one. Not a weak and pathetic rat like Beckett. Grabbing her phone from her pocket he left the cellar, smashing it against the stone wall as he went.