“What arrangement?”
“You and Edward Marber.”
“Oh . . .”
“Will he come after you?”
“I don’t know.”
“What about Alexander?”
Laura’s eyes widened. “He wouldn’t hurt Alexander!”
“But might he try to snatch him?”
“Not if he knows what’s good for him!”
“Maybe we could have some officers watch your home . . .”
Laura was shaking her head. “I don’t want that. Donny won’t hurt me or Alexander . . .”
“You could always ask Mr. Cafferty for help,” Siobhan stated nonchalantly.
“Cafferty? I already told you . . .”
“Donny worked for Cafferty, did you know that? Maybe you could ask Cafferty to keep Donny away from you.”
“I don’t know anyone called Cafferty!”
Siobhan stayed silent.
“I don’t,” Laura persisted.
“Well then, you’ve nothing to worry about, have you? Maybe I wasted my time coming out here this time of night to warn you . . .”
Laura looked at her. “I’m sorry,” she said. Then: “And thank you.” She reached over and laid her hand on Siobhan’s. “I appreciate it.”
Siobhan nodded slowly. “Did Suzy ever go to college?” she asked.
Laura seemed taken aback by the question. “Suzy? I think she thought about going . . . maybe six or seven years ago.”
“Is that how long she’s worked in saunas?”
“At a rough guess.”
They heard the door to the Paradiso opening. A man, his back to them, face in shadow as he disappeared inside.
“I better get going,” Laura said. “Could be one of mine.”
“You have a lot of regulars, don’t you?”
“A fair few.”
“Means you must be good.”
“Or they must be desperate.”
“Was Edward Marber desperate?”
Laura looked slighted. “I wouldn’t have said so.”
“What about the punter who was leaving as I came in? He’s a regular, too, isn’t he?”
“Maybe.” Becoming defensive now, opening the car door and stepping out. “Thanks again.”
She started to cross the road. The sauna’s door was opening, throwing light onto the street. The same man emerging, only now with his front to them rather than his back.
Donny Dow.
“Laura!” Siobhan called. “Get back in the car!” At the same time she was struggling to find the door handle, which seemed to have moved a few inches from where she normally found it. Pushed open the door and started to get out.
“Laura!” Siobhan calling out her name almost at the same time he did, their voices clashing in the air above their heads.
“Come here, you whore!”
Donny Dow rushing at Laura. Laura screaming. And in the background, a sound Siobhan would hear for the rest of the night — the sound of the lock clicking shut on the inside of the door to the Sauna Paradiso.
Dow had Laura, grabbing her shoulders, shoving her backwards against the car. Then his arm went up and Siobhan knew, though she couldn’t see it, that there was a weapon there, a blade of some sort. She launched herself across the hood, one hand propelling her across it so that she flew feet first, catching him low down on one side. It wasn’t enough to deflect him. The knife sliced into Laura’s flesh, making a soft sound almost like a mild reproach. Tsssk! Siobhan grabbed for the knife arm, trying to lock it behind him, while listening to an elongated gasp from Laura, the air escaping from her as blood leaked from the puncture. Dow flung his head sideways, catching Siobhan on the bridge of her nose. Tears welled in her eyes, and she momentarily lost strength.
Tsssk!
The knife again finding its target. Siobhan let go of his arm and aimed her knee into his groin, connecting with all the force she could muster. Dow staggered backwards, his voice a rising complaint of pain. Siobhan watched Laura sag visibly. She was hanging on to the car’s door handle, knees buckling. There were rivulets of blood.
Got to end this now!
Siobhan aimed another kick at Dow, but he dodged it, turning full circle. The knife — it was one of those builder’s blades, the kind you bought in a DIY store — was still gripped in his right hand. Siobhan filled her lungs and let out a scream, making sure he took the full force of it.
“Help, somebody! Help us here! She’s dying! Donny Dow’s murdered her!”
At the sound of his name, he paused. Or maybe it was the word murdered. He stared unblinking at Laura. Siobhan made a move towards him, but he backed away. Three, four, five steps.
“You bastard!” she shouted at him. Then she gave another scream, searing the inside of her throat. Lights were coming on in the tenement windows above the sauna. “Nine-nine-nine . . . ambulance and police!” Faces at the windows, curtains pushed aside. Dow was still walking backwards. She had to follow him. But what about Laura? Siobhan glanced back, and as she broke eye contact Dow took his chance, jogging and swaying his way back into darkness.
Siobhan crouched beside Laura, whose lips looked almost black in the streetlight, maybe because her face was so white. Going into shock. Siobhan sought the wounds. There’d be two . . . had to get pressure on them. The sauna’s door stayed resolutely closed.
“Bastard,” Siobhan hissed. She couldn’t see Dow anymore. There was warm blood oozing from between her fingers. “Hang on, Laura, ambulance is coming.” Her mobile was in her pocket, but she didn’t have any free hands.
Shit, shit, shit!
Then one of the neighbors was standing beside her. He seemed to be asking if everything was all right.
“Put some pressure here,” she said, showing him where. Then she fumbled for her phone, as it slid away from her bloodied grasp. The man was looking horror-struck. He was in his late fifties, thin hair flapping down over his forehead. She couldn’t push the numbers; her hands were shaking too much. She ran across to the sauna, gave the door a kick, then rammed it with her shoulder. Ricky opened up. He was shaking too.
“Christ . . . is she . . . ?”
“Did you call nine-nine-nine?” Siobhan asked.
He nodded. “Ambulance and. . .” He swallowed. “Just ambulance,” he corrected.
She thought she could hear a siren in the distance, hoped it was coming this way. “Did you tell him she was out here?” Siobhan spat.
Ricky shook his head. “Guy looked in a rage . . . I said she wasn’t on shift . . .” He swallowed again. “I thought he was going to do me.”
“Well, aren’t you the lucky one?” Siobhan ran past the woman from the sofa, who was now standing, arms folded protectively in front of her, and found the pile of towels and robes. She could hear sobbing from the actual sauna; didn’t have time to look, but knew it was Suzy, probably cowering in fear for herself. Siobhan dashed outside again, pushing towels hard against the wounds. “Lots of pressure,” she told the man. He was sweating, looked scared, but he nodded anyway and she patted his shoulder. Laura was sitting on the ground, legs folded beneath her. Her fingers clung resolutely to the door handle. Maybe she was remembering Siobhan’s instruction: Get back in the car! Mere centimeters from safety . . .
“Don’t die on me,” Siobhan commanded, running a hand through Laura’s hair. Laura’s eyelids were open a fraction, but the eyes themselves were glassy, like the marbles boys used to play with. She was breathing through her mouth, little gasps of pain. The siren was a lot closer now, and then it was rounding the corner from Commercial Street, sending sweeps of blue light across the buildings.
“They’re here, Laura,” Siobhan cooed. “You’re going to be fine.”
“Just hang in there,” the man said, looking to Siobhan for reassurance that he’d said the right thing. Too many episodes of Casualty and Holby City, Siobhan thought.
You’re going to be fine . . . The lie that brings no peace. The lie that exists only because the speaker needs to hear it.