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Tyler’s defiance forbade a response. Mrs O’Doole opened her mouth to admonish him but thought better of it.
Beth cut through the family stand-off. “The gun’s definitely locked away?”
“Yeah. We put it back there after the last time we used it.”
“And there’s ammo?”
“In the bottom drawer of the desk,” Kevin chimed in. “Right at the back, behind all the fishing reels.” He evaded the heat of his mother’s gaze as well.
“Tyler, how long do you think it would take to open the gun cupboard and load it?” Beth asked.
“He’s not going down there,” Mrs O’Doole interjected.
“I’m not saying he should. I’m just asking, if we did make a run for it, how long it would take to arm ourselves.”
Mrs O’Doole bit her lip as she resigned herself to their limited options. “I can load the gun.”
“Not as fast as me,” Tyler butted in.
“Tyler, no.”
“It’s sticky. You haven’t got the knack.”
“I won’t hear of it.”
“Mom,” Tyler said firmly, and waited for her eyes to engage his. His voice softened. “It’s not like I have a whole bunch of time left to play with...”
“Tyler, enough.”
He continued regardless. “But you and Kevin do.”
Mrs O’Doole shook her head rapidly.
“You know it makes sense. You could never handle Dad’s guns. Let me do it.”
Beth sensed there was something more significant than a mother/son feud being aired and kept quiet.
“Out of the question.” Mrs O’Doole bit her lip harder to compose herself. “End of discussion.”
A sound at the window. All their heads turned towards it. It was barely discernible; four sharp scrapes in quick succession as if something were scratching the wood.
“What’s that?” Kevin’s eyes were suddenly bulging.
“Quiet,” Mrs O’Doole whispered.
Four chests halted as they waited.
*
“I thought you were going fishing.” Mrs Hollis responded to the sound of the kitchen door opening. She’d just settled herself in front of an old Law and Order rerun in the lounge with a plate of microwaved cinnamon cream hotcakes. Caught in the act. It was the sort of nightclothes brunch that Ned had outlawed because of her hypertension. She waited for a response but none came. “Ned?” She quickly slid the plate under the chair and walked into the kitchen. He was leaning on the counter with the receiver of the wall-mounted telephone to his ear. “What is it?”
He didn’t look at her. “Police.”
“What’s going on?”
He still didn’t respond, just blinked his eyes while he waited to be connected.
Mrs Hollis hated her husband when he kept her out of the loop. She’d recovered from almost being discovered with the hotcakes, but maybe he could smell them in the kitchen. Why the hell didn’t he just go fishing and let her have her day? “Ned, tell me. Did you stop by Whispering Brook?”
Ned turned to her and she could see the gravity of the situation in his eyes. “The girl was there... and a guy. He seemed anxious to get rid of me, virtually shut the door in my face. When he turned from the window, though, I saw he had a gun behind his back.”
*
Nobody wanted to breathe first. No further sound had come, but none of them shifted their gaze from the window.
Beth was the first to briefly exhale. “He’s going to try something soon.”
“Maybe he’ll wait for us to make a move.” Mrs O’Doole swung her weight from knee to knee to stop her legs going to sleep.
“I don’t think he’ll wait. We’ve got to be prepared. Is there anything in here we can use as a weapon?”
The four of them cast their eyes about the room, but another sound at the window magnetised them to it again. It was the same as before. They waited a second time. It came again, more insistent. Something was at the shutters and it wasn’t a bird. It was making a concerted effort now, the scratching accelerating. Was a part of the blind being filed or sawed?
“He’s trying to get in.” Fear gave Kevin’s words volume.
Beth put her finger to her lips and crawled slowly across to the window on her hands and knees.
“Stay here,” Mrs O’Doole whispered behind her.
As she approached them, Beth kept focused on the shutters. If he were on a ladder trying to open them, there would still be glass between them but he could very easily shoot her through it. She scuttled faster and pressed herself against the wall below the window to find Mrs O’Doole crossing the oatmeal carpet.
“Mom.” Tyler grabbed her leg as she passed him.
From Beth’s position, the boys were entirely concealed by the bed. At least they would be safe if he started shooting into the room.
“Let it go.” Mrs O’Doole didn’t look back at her son. “I have to help.”
“No, you don’t.”
“Stay there out of sight with your brother. I’ll be safer under the window if he opens it.” She blinked a few times as she waited, and then moved quickly forward as he released her. When she reached Beth, they exchanged a glance before the sound drew their eyes upwards again. It was becoming more frantic.
“We’ll stand either side, I’ll open the window and we’ll push the shutters out. If he’s there, they’ll hit him.”
Mrs O’Doole nodded, and they both slid their backs along the wall and then stood either side of the window. Mrs O’Doole carefully shifted a lightweight dressing room stool with clothes heaped on it to one side and took up position at the edge of the frame.
Beth looked up and tried to spot any movement through the three holes in the glass and wood but thought it unlikely he’d give away his presence so obviously. Maybe he was crouching below it while he worked. Perhaps opening the shutters was exactly what he wanted them to do. Once they were wide, she and Mrs O’Doole wouldn’t dare reach out to close them again, which would leave the room accessible.
The scratching came again. Maybe he was about to break open the shutters. If he did, they’d have to shift the chest away from the door before they could escape, and he could shoot all of them through the glass in that time.
As if in answer to the thought, Beth heard a sliding noise behind her. She turned to see Tyler prising the drawers back from the door.
“Tyler.” Mrs O’Doole’s alarm grated in her throat.
Her son whispered back, “I can get Dad’s gun while he’s at the window.”
“Stay where you are.”
Beth waved her hands to halt him as well.
The scratching was frenzied now.
Mrs O’Doole took a step forward. “Get back behind the bed.”
Tyler looked down at Kevin. “Shut this after me and be ready to open it again.” He tugged the busted handle and slid through the tight gap.
“Tyler!” Mrs O’Doole shrieked.
