When the black SUV rammed him, Gareth’s car swerved onto the footpath. He stomped on the brake, bringing the car to a stop inches from a beech tree growing out of the pavement. The seat belt snapped tight against his chest.
He sat there, breathing hard. His brain was trying to catch up with the fact that he’d been forced off the road.
He could have been killed.
Luckily there had been no pedestrians on the path. If there had been, he would have gone straight through them like bowling pins.
The SUV came to a halt on the road a short distance from Gareth’s Citroen.
The vehicle was ominously still, its rear lights glowing blood-red.
Gareth unfastened his seat belt. He couldn’t take his eyes off the SUV.
Normally he would have gone over there, shouting and screaming, demanding to know what the driver thought they were doing.
Today wasn’t a normal day.
Not when you owed a loan shark €100,000 and it was due in a matter of hours.
A few cars passed by, moving around the stopped SUV and shooting glances at Gareth’s car, up on the footpath. The SUV’s driver ignored the beeping horns.
The front passenger window of the SUV rolled down. From where he sat, Gareth still couldn’t see who was in the vehicle.
He waited breathlessly for someone to do something. For a face to appear in the open window, for the car door to open.
Nothing… until someone flung a cigarette butt out the window. The glowing butt hit the road and sent sparks flying through the air.
Then the SUV accelerated hard, tearing down the road and out of sight.
Gareth swore under his breath, then wiped his sweaty face with his hand. He wasn’t sure how much more excitement he could take.
He reversed gently, his neck snapping back as the rear wheels dropped down onto the road.
Before he could pull away, his phone beeped with an incoming message. It was a photo, sent from an unfamiliar number, and it showed Tess emerging from her office. A time stamp showed that this had happened only a minute ago.
An icy feeling surged through Gareth’s whole body.
Someone was watching them both.
Gareth dialled Tess’s number. She picked up after two rings, her voice betraying her surprise.
“Gareth?”
“Hey. How are things?”
“Fine,” Tess said.
“Are you okay?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Where are you?” Gareth said.
“Walking to my car.”
“When you get in, lock the doors. And be careful driving home.”
“Why? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” He knew she could see right through him. Tess was no fool. That was for sure. And even to his own ears, he sounded suspicious.
“Tell me, Gareth. You’re scaring me.”
Cooney wasn’t going to harm Tess. Not yet, anyway. He was reminding Gareth to pay. That was all.
“Are you going home?” he asked.
“I’m going to Dee’s house.”
“Okay.” That was probably a good thing, Gareth figured. “I’ll talk to you later.”
“Wait a minute. You can’t just say we’ll talk later. What’s happening?”
“Just don’t talk to anyone and be careful driving.”
“Gareth—”
He ended the call, then glanced at the back seat where he’d left the bags he’d packed for him and Tess. Useless. Cooney wasn’t letting them go anywhere.