Astrid drove them to the apartment, figuring Rosie’s pained expression meant it wouldn’t be beneficial to have her behind the wheel. She wasn’t feeling too good herself, but it had nothing to do with what they’d witnessed at the eating competition.
There was no accident at the brewery, but murder. And more in the town, including the ones since I arrived. So none of this has anything to do with me or the Agency.
But she was still in the dark regarding the brewery events, and only one man could help her with that: Benedict Sawyer. His veiled threat against Eleanor Campbell wouldn’t stop her from confronting him sooner rather than later.
How she’d do that, possibly including getting through a presidential security cordon, occupied her mind as she guided Rosie into her apartment. Rosie gulped and grabbed at her throat as they entered. Astrid thought it was a reaction to what they’d seen at the food eating competition until she saw the figure sitting in the chair.
She assumed Rosie’s shock came from finding an intruder there, and not because of the mask he wore. Astrid knew it was Guy Fawkes’s image, but it had long since transferred from having meaning only to British people. Because of its use in fiction and political protest, it was a symbol opposing fascism and tyranny. Yet she understood the man behind the mask didn’t represent any of that opposition.
Rosie shouted at him. ‘What the fuck are you doing in my apartment?’
Astrid touched her arm. ‘Don’t you recognise him?’
‘What? How could I when he’s wearing that crazy thing?’ Heat shimmered in her eyes. ‘Is this a protest against my father’s wealth?’
The man in the chair uncrossed his legs. ‘I told Pop to get rid of you years ago.’
Fear replaced her anger. ‘Jimmy? How…, how did you know I was here?’
‘How stupid do you think we are, Sister? We always know where you are. I don’t understand why Pop tolerates you, but he won’t any more when he hears about this.’
So Benedict Sawyer didn’t know his son was there. That was good.
‘Why don’t you show Rosie your face, Jimmy?’
He twisted his neck towards her, moving the mask so it seemed as if his head was about to fall off.
‘You know, English, I only killed the kids because of you.’
Something kicked her hard in the gut. ‘You’re lying, Sawyer.’
Rosie took a step forward. ‘Is that really you, Jimmy?’
Astrid pulled her back. ‘It’s your brother, Rosie. I gave him that mask.’
Back in Sugar Hill, after she’d finished her work with the screwdriver, she’d found the Fawkes mask underneath the pile of tools Sawyer had intended to torture her with. She knew of his intentions because he’d told her between his screams. Even the music turned up to eleven couldn’t drown out the worst of his howling.
Confusion replaced Rosie’s anger. ‘I don’t understand this. Why did you give him that mask?’
‘I thought it might provide some enlightenment to your brother, Rosie, and help him change his ways.’ She flexed her damaged fingers. ‘But I don’t think it worked.’ She stepped towards him. ‘There’s no need to worry, though. I’ll get rid of him.’
‘I wouldn’t if I was you.’ He removed a pistol from his pocket and aimed it at her. ‘You both should sit down.’
Astrid refused the order. ‘Only if you take the mask off, Jimmy.’
He moved his arm and pointed the gun at his sister. ‘I won’t tell you again.’
Rosie grabbed her and dragged them both on to the sofa. As they slumped down, Astrid noticed there were fewer photos dotted around the room. Then she fixed on him.
Distract him before rushing him. But how? Plead to his better nature? Impossible. Insult him like before, get him angry so he’s reckless and makes mistakes? But that risks increasing his fury, so he shoots us in anger.
‘What do you want, Brother?’ Rosie’s newfound calmness impressed Astrid.
He turned the gun towards Astrid. ‘When you were rolling around in bed, didn’t she tell you what she did to me?’
Rosie kept her focus on him. ‘You sent those Jones idiots to attack her. I know that.’
His fingers shook, but his voice never wavered. ‘That was just a bit of messing about, that’s all. It doesn’t account for this.’
With the weapon pointed at Astrid, he used his other hand to remove the mask. She knew what was coming, but Rosie gasped when she saw his face. Astrid was happy to see her work had settled in across his forehead because it had been difficult to get the tip of the screwdriver to cut through his skin as she’d wanted. But the word PERVERT stood out well enough; an experienced tattooist wouldn’t have done any better. Where her lack of skill became apparent was her efforts under the eyes. The PER on the right cheek seemed to say PEP, while the VERT on the other one now said VAPE. She couldn’t help but laugh at her clumsiness. Still, cutting into soft flesh never produces the best results.
Rosie gripped Astrid’s arm. ‘What did you do?’
She spoke through the laughter. ‘I’m sure it was long overdue.’ Astrid waited for him to explode, hoping it wouldn’t be by shooting either of them, but something rash so she could get the gun from him. But he was unmoving.
‘Laugh while you can, English, but you got those kids killed. In the short time you have left in this world, I hope you remember that and imagine their little faces melting off as I poured the acid over them.’
Astrid dug her nails into the sofa, knowing he wanted a reaction from her. But her calm matched his.
‘Are you admitting to killing Caitlin Cruz and her children?’
He dropped the mask on to the floor. ‘Why not? It doesn’t matter what you know now.’
All the life had vanished from Rosie’s face. ‘Why, Jimmy? Why would you do such a terrible thing?’ Sorrow seeped from her. ‘They were only kids.’
Astrid answered for him. ‘Caitlin discovered something about the so-called accident at the brewery, and your father had your brother kill her for it. Isn’t that true, Jimmy?’
His smile twisted the scars on his cheeks, so it looked as if someone had spilt Alphabetti Spaghetti on his face.
‘That’s spot on, English.’ He shook with laughter. ‘And then the stupid bitch came to Pop and told him to make things right, or she’d go to the police and the media.’ The gun trembled in his fingers. ‘Imagine being that dumb.’
‘What did she discover, Jimmy?’
He steadied his hand. ‘There was no accident in the brewery. One of our incompetent brewers poisoned a batch of beer. We only found out when some of the staff drank what they shouldn’t and died three days later.’
Astrid stopped herself from making a joke about the terrible pints she’d had at the Ranch House. ‘This is what Caitlin learnt, and you killed her for it.’
He smirked like the Joker. ‘It was more than that. Those two idiots stole some batches before they knew what was wrong with it and sold it in town.’
She imagined the problems that must have caused.
‘How many others died?’
He narrowed his eyes. ‘At least four that we know of. It’s a good job Pop controls the Coroner and the senior management at the hospital.’
‘So you covered it up.’
‘We did. Until that nosey bitch found out.’
The low thump which had been vibrating inside Astrid’s head for the last five minutes increased in volume.
‘And you killed her for it. But you could have left her kids alone.’
He shifted forward in his seat. ‘I was going to, but then you turned up at the house, and I remembered you from the bar.’
‘You were in the house when I was?’
‘I was upstairs. The Jones boys were waiting out back in the car for my instructions.’
Her heart thumped loud enough to drown out his voice. Nearly.
‘You murdered her children just to get at me?’
‘Well, she deserved it for snooping into places she shouldn’t, but you had it coming for being such a whiney bitch.’
She dug her nails so far into the sofa, she imagined she might fall through the bottom. ‘What?’
‘I heard you talking to her as she patched you up. Moaning about your family and your sister, saying how much you hated them. And then going on and on about your niece, telling Cruz how much you loved the kid, and you wished she was yours. It sickened me, hearing that.’ He put his foot on the Guy Fawkes mask and crushed it. ‘And do you know what the ironic thing was?’
Her fingers ached. ‘What?’
‘Those two kids were sleeping in the other room near where I was hiding. And I thought I’d be kind to them.’
Rosie found her voice. ‘By killing them?’
‘Of course. Cruz was dead already, so it would’ve been cruel to leave those children as orphans.’ He gazed straight through Astrid. ‘You never get over losing your mother.’ He glanced at his sister. ‘And I knew this day would come soon enough, that I’d be across from you, telling you how you were to blame for their deaths.’ He ran a finger over the scars she’d given him. ‘But I didn’t know then what you’d do to me, did I?’
‘She should’ve killed you.’ Rosie spat the words at her brother.
‘It’s too late now, Little Sister. I’ll get the boys to cut up her body when I’ve finished, they’ll enjoy that, and then I’ll take you to Pop, and he can discipline you for betraying us.’
Astrid wondered why Caitlin hadn’t used the phone she’d taken from her to call someone. But she couldn’t since the battery had died in the bar. Astrid had wanted to text Courtney, but her mobile was flat.
But she still could have told me something in the car or the house.
Astrid searched her mind for the memories of that night.
Perhaps she said something, but I was too far out of it to realise. The drink and the beating left me dizzy. But I was better when she tended to my injuries in the kitchen.
Unless she somehow knew Sawyer was there. Astrid didn’t go upstairs, but maybe Caitlin did to check on the kids and found him. That would terrify her. No wonder she got rid of Astrid so quickly once she’d patched her up.
Astrid scrutinised Jimmy Sawyer and understood how Caitlin would have been terrified by him and what he might do to her children. As he leant forward with the gun pointed at her, she calculated how much leeway she had in dodging the bullets. Before she had an answer, he fired.
Astrid thought she’d been transported into the middle of church bells, the infernal ringing affecting her so much, she felt she hadn’t been shot. Yet he’d aimed point-blank at her. She clutched at her chest and found no wounds. She only realised Rosie was on the floor when her ears and eyes returned to normal.
Sawyer loomed over her with the pistol at his side, his expression as pale as a snowstorm.
‘Look what you made me do, you English bitch.’
‘You’ve shot your sister, Jimmy.’
His hand trembled as he raised the gun towards her. ‘She’s had it coming for a long time, and now it’s your turn.’
Astrid didn’t hesitate, pushing up and forcing her head into his gut. She tumbled over Rosie as she and Sawyer crashed into the back wall. A mirror shattered around them as she wrestled to get the weapon from his hand, broken glass flying past her and into his eye. He screamed as he dropped the pistol and reached for his face. It was enough for her to pull from him and go for the gun, until she stepped in the wrong place and fell over his sister.
She tumbled on to the couch, her hands trawling through the photos on the carpet. Jimmy howled, bumping into the wall as blood poured from his eye. But it didn’t seem to impede him. As Astrid tried to jump up, he was on her and pushing into her spine. He got one hand on to her neck and forced her face deep into the sofa. She struggled to breathe as dust rushed down her throat, fighting for air while trying to push against him. His breath burnt into her flesh as he drove his face into her head.
‘I’m going to visit England soon.’ His voice was heavy enough to sink a leaky boat. ‘I’ll tell your sister how you died. I think she’ll be happy, don’t you?’
He relaxed his grip, so she turned to look at him. The blood trickled out of his eye and dripped on to her cheek. The scars she’d given Sawyer throbbed in his flesh as the fury oozed out of him.
‘Hurting women and children is your level, isn’t it, Jimmy?’
His psychotic grin reminded her of a clown from a horror movie.
‘What can I say, English? I know what I’m good at.’ His knee dug into her. ‘And the best thing is, you don’t even realise why you’re about to die.’
Heat soared through every sinew and bone in her, turning her insides into a volcano.
‘So why don’t you tell me, Jimmy? You can gloat all you want now.’
His weight pressing on her, plus the fingers around her neck, made it impossible to move. She tried to twist her legs and arms, but it was like fighting against a brick wall. He leant so close to her, she smelt the beer on his breath.
‘This is so much bigger than a few brewery deaths, but you’ll never know the truth.’
His lips were on hers. Perhaps he was going to kiss her, but she gave him one of her own. Astrid bit through the bottom of his mouth, her teeth cutting into his gums until she was clamped so hard to his face, it would be impossible for him to get loose without moving his body off hers.
Sawyer moved his knee enough for her to thrust her legs up with sufficient leverage to send him backwards and off her and the sofa.
He crashed into the Polaroids on the floor as she rolled over Rosie and grabbed the gun. Astrid leapt up before swinging her arm and catching him in the head with the pistol. The metal cracked into his skull and he collapsed. She stood there, her entire body shaking apart from the hand holding the pistol.
I could shoot him now and get this over and done with.
But it wouldn’t be. She ignored the thought and went to Rosie on the floor, bending her knees and placing her hand on Rosie’s back. Relief ran through her when she realised Rosie still lived. She placed the weapon to the side, got her arms underneath Rosie and turned her over, shocked but pleased to see no blood.
But he fired the gun. I heard it.
It didn’t matter now. She had to wake her while her brother was unconscious. She put her hands on Rosie’s shoulders and shook as hard as she could.
‘Can you hear me, Rosie?’
It took a couple of shakes before she spluttered into life.
‘What…, what happened, Astrid?’
She lifted Rosie forward and pulled her into her. That’s when she solved the mystery.
‘Your hobby saved you.’
They separated and Rosie reached into her jacket and removed the broken Polaroid camera: two bullets filled its innards.
‘My brother owes me a new one.’ She glanced over Astrid’s shoulders at him. ‘Is he still alive?’
Astrid stood. ‘For now.’ She held out her hand and pulled her up. ‘We need to get you from here; it’s not safe.’
Rosie agreed. ‘Of course, but where?’
It didn’t take Astrid long to decide on somewhere they could lie low. She reached into her pocket and removed the spare set of keys Jim had given her for his apartment.
‘These are for Detective Moore’s place; do you know where it is?’ Rosie nodded. ‘Good. The police should have finished there by now. You head there and wait for me. Then we’ll decide what to do next.’
Rosie took the keys. ‘What will you do?’
Something I should have done in Sugar Hill.
‘I’m going to make sure your brother hurts no one ever again.’