“For the play.”
“What play?”
“The amdram production. Didn’t Jack tell you?”
“No, he didn’t. I’m pretty sure I would have remembered.”
She reached into her handbag. “Here you are.”
“Murder at the Ski Lodge? Sounds great.”
“It’ll do you good to get out of the house.”
“I don’t suppose it can be any worse than the last play you dragged me to. Can it? Please tell me it can’t.”
“It’ll be good. You’ll see.”
Suddenly, a man came charging through the door, brandishing what looked like a shotgun.
“Everyone! Get down on the floor!” He slammed the door closed. “Now!”
One look at the gun, and no one needed telling twice.
“What’s going on?” Kathy whispered when we were lying under the table.
“Shut up!” he yelled. “Don’t make another sound or you’ll be sorry!”
He took up a position to one side of the window. Moments later, the sound of sirens could be heard, and three police cars pulled up outside.
Nothing much seemed to happen for the next few minutes. Staff and customers alike were still lying on the floor under the tables, and a few of them were sobbing. The gunman, who was still standing to one side of the window, kept glancing outside at the ever-growing police presence.
The silence was broken by the ringing of the phone behind the counter.
“Shall I get that?” The young shop assistant asked, nervously.
“No, leave it.” The man waved the gun in her direction. “Don’t move!”
The policeman nearest to the shop picked up a megaphone and began to address the gunman. “You in there, pick up the phone, so we can talk.”
The gunman continued to ignore the ringing.
The policeman tried again, “Pick up the phone and we can sort this out without anyone getting hurt.”
This time, the gunman shouted to the young woman behind the counter, “You! Pick up the phone.”
She got to her feet slowly, and I could see that her hands were shaking. “What should I say?”
“Just pick up the phone.” He snapped.
“Hello?” She listened for a few seconds, and then put her hand over the mouthpiece. “The policeman says it would be better for everyone if you would talk to him.”
“Tell him I’ve got nothing to say to him. Tell him if he doesn’t clear the road and get a car for me in the next thirty minutes, I’m going to start shooting people.”
She quickly relayed the information to the police.
“They say they’ll need more time.”
“Tell them they have thirty minutes, then I start shooting!”
She did as she was told.
“Now hang up the phone and get back down on the floor.”
Outside, the policeman continued to try to engage the gunman by using the megaphone, but he was having none of it. The phone rang several more times, but the gunman ignored it; he just kept checking his watch.
“I think he means business,” Kathy whispered. “He looks crazy enough to do something stupid.”
She was right; he did.
I couldn’t just lie there and wait for him to start shooting; it was time for me to take control of the situation.
“Jill, what are you doing?” Kathy tried to grab my hand, but I pulled away from her and stood up.
The gunman had his back to me; his attention was focussed on the activity out on the street. When I was within a few feet of him, he must have heard my footsteps because he spun around.
“What do you think you’re doing?” He pointed the gun straight at me. “One more step and I’ll shoot.”
“You don’t want to do that.”
“I’m warning you.”
The words were no sooner out of his mouth than he dropped the gun and fell to the ground, fast asleep. Phew! The ‘sleep’ spell had done its trick.
I walked over to him and picked up the gun.
The police had obviously seen what had happened because they came charging through the door. One of them took the gun from me; two others grabbed the sleeping man, and carried him out of the shop and into a police van.
“Everyone, can I have your attention, please!” It was the policeman who’d been using the megaphone. “The danger is over now. You can get to your feet.”
Everyone did as he said. Some people were in tears, others were hugging one another.
Kathy came running over and threw her arms around me. “What were you thinking, Jill? You could have been killed. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
The officer who appeared to be in charge came over to talk to me.
“What exactly happened in here just now, Miss?”
“I don’t know. I was trying to talk to him when he seemed to pass out and drop the gun.”
“That was a very dangerous thing you did.”
“I know. It was stupid. I’m sorry.”
The officer called again for everyone’s attention. “I realise that you’ve all just been through a terrible ordeal, but I have to ask you to stick around until my colleagues have taken your names and addresses. Counselling will be available for those who need it.”
“What about the shop?” said the woman behind the counter. “Can I stay open?”
“I’m afraid not. This is now a crime scene. You’ll have to close for the time being.”
“For how long?”
“I couldn’t really say, but we won’t keep it closed any longer than is absolutely essential.”
After we’d given our details to the police, I walked Kathy down to her shop.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” I said.
“I’m fine. You were really brave back there.”
“Really stupid, more like.”
We were interrupted by the sound of both of our phones ringing. Peter was checking Kathy was alright, and Jack was doing the same thing for me.
“I’ve been trying to call you ever since I heard the news,” he said. “I couldn’t get through. I reckon they must have
