What the hell was Robert Murphy doing blocking the stairs? There was a moment of terror when Izzy wondered if he was trying to stop her leaving because he was working with Louise. But that didn’t make any sense. According to Louise’s explanation, Robert knew nothing about the murders.
“Get out of the way,” Izzy shouted at him.
She started down the steps, moving as quick as she could, still holding the diary like a good-luck omen.
“Is my wife here?”
Yeah. The crazy bitch is right behind me, Izzy thought.
But she didn’t waste her breath. Just kept moving down.
Adam’s heavy footsteps pounded down the landing. Louise’s lighter steps followed. Robert started up the stairs, his broad shoulders leaving no room on either side.
Izzy was blocked in on all sides.
“Louise?” Robert called. “Are you up there?”
“Get out of the way!” Izzy screamed.
She couldn’t stop. She knew she was dead if she did.
So she kept descending the stairs, moving so fast her feet barely had time to grip the surface of the steps.
Izzy was halfway down when Adam caught up with her. He grabbed her shoulder.
She shrugged his hand off and hurled herself at Robert since the idiot wouldn’t get out of the way.
The only way was through.
Robert grunted when she hit him, then tumbled back, hands flailing. Izzy fell against him and the two of them tumbled down a few steps. Robert took the brunt of it.
They ended up in a tangled heap two steps from the bottom.
There was no time to waste.
Adam was still coming. His strong hands were clenching and unclenching, speaking of untold violence.
Louise was right behind him, pulling at him, trying to get his attention.
Ignoring her, Adam jumped over the banister and landed on his feet in the hall. A few steps took him to the bottom of the stairs, blocking the way to the door.
“Adam, wait.” Louise’s voice was shrill now. How could she be so scared of losing a maniac like him?
“Game over,” Adam said. “Give up, Izzy. You live if I let you live.”
Izzy extricated herself from Robert and got to her feet. She clutched Elaine’s diary behind her back.
She stepped over Robert and moved closer to Adam.
A broad grin broke out on his face. “It’s over. You know you belong to me.”
She was close enough to smell him now. Sweat mixed with hate.
He grabbed her wrist.
Izzy said, “No, Adam. I don’t.”
She spun in a circle. The movement tore Adam’s hand loose. She brought up her free arm and as she completed the circle she smashed her elbow into his face.
He groaned and wobbled on his feet.
Before he could recover, she drew back her other arm and swung it in a huge arc, putting every scrap of strength she had into it. She was gripping Elaine’s diary tight, feeling the weight of its pages, the weight of the past. Its spine smashed into Adam’s face.
His head snapped to the side.
His eyes rolled up in his head as he lost balance and banged his head against the wall. The third blow. Game over.
Adam crumpled on the floor.
Izzy hunkered down over him and checked that he was out cold.
“Now it’s over,” she said.
A small brown booklet poked out of Adam’s pocket. Izzy pulled it out, saw that it was her passport. She placed it in her pocket, stood up and stepped away from him.
A few steps up the staircase, Louise was wailing hysterically as she tried to get past Robert. He was holding her to him. She reached past him with one arm, trying to reach out to Adam, who lay unmoving on the floor.
“You okay, Izzy?”
She spun around to find Dylan. The side of his face was bloody.
Relief washed over her. “I’m fine. What happened to you?”
On the stairs, Louise gave a final moan, then buried her face in Robert’s chest and fell silent.
Dylan said, “Your ex clocked me on the head. Then that idiot on the stairs interrupted my 999 call. And he attacked me too. It’s like National Crack Dylan’s Skull Day.”
Izzy slipped her arm around him.
A moment later, the scream of sirens filled the night. Izzy opened the front door as a patrol car and an ambulance pulled up outside. Flashing lights filled the hallway, bathing Izzy in their glow. Officers and medics jogged up the steps.
She couldn’t wait for them to get Adam out of there.