fists against his temples. Opened his eyes again, looked at her. ‘We’ve got to sort this. Now.’
Sophie said nothing for a while. Just as Clayton was beginning to think she hadn’t heard, she sighed. There was no sense of resignation in the sigh, just a weary acceptance of a tedious situation. She kept her eyes on him.
‘I suppose it had to happen sometime. Sooner or later.’
‘Yeah, it did.’ He stopped. Was she talking about the same thing? ‘What had to happen?’
She stood up, moved towards him. Pressed her body right against his as she spoke. ‘There’s no point in pretending any more. I should say it’s been fun. But I’d be lying.’ She put her hand on his chest, started moving it slowly in circles. ‘And we’ve had too many lies, haven’t we?’
‘What… what you talkin’ about?’ He stared at her, seemingly hypnotised by her touch.
‘A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. I learned that working in a scrap metal yard. Same with a police investigation. And that’s you, Clayton.’
He was totally confused now. ‘Wh-what?’
‘Finding you were on the team was a bonus. Something I could work with. And when it all went wrong with Ryan, moving in with you seemed the perfect thing to do. Keep an eye on you, keep them away from me. But now it seems like that won’t work out.You’re off the team. And they’ve found out about Graeme Eades and me.’
‘So? We can sort it. We just need to get our story straight…’
She gave him a sad smile. ‘No, Clayton. I think it’s got beyond that. We’ve all got to make sacrifices now.’
‘What you talkin’ about?’
‘Family, Clayton. Family. Family ties. Stronger than anything. ’ There was sadness behind her words.
She was still stroking him, pressing her body against him. He didn’t understand her words but he enjoyed the feeling. Despite everything, he found himself getting an erection.
‘So I’ve got to go now.’
‘No, listen-’
‘Sorry, Clayton.You are the weakest link. Goodbye.’
He didn’t feel the blade at first. Not the first blow. Or the second. But by the third he was feeling it. The pain had caught up with the shock by then. Sophie moved away. He looked down.
She had stabbed him in the stomach. Hard, fast. His shirt front was covered in blood. No longer required to make its way to his heart, it was pumping out of him in gushing torrents.
‘No, no…’
He put his hands on his stomach, tried in desperation to catch the blood in his fingers. Couldn’t. It just ran straight through.
‘Oh God, oh God…’
He stumbled round, not knowing what to do, his panic increasing the rate his blood pumped out at. He looked to Sophie for help. But she had put on her coat, grabbed her holdall, which had been at the side of the armchair. She wasn’t even looking at him.
‘Help… help me…’
His voice, like the rest of him, was becoming weaker.
She ignored him, walked towards the door.
Something clicked inside him. He mustn’t let her get away. He had to stop her. Call an ambulance, call for assistance. He fumbled inside his jacket for his mobile, his fingers slippery with blood. Eventually he got it out, punched in 999. No use. He had turned it off on the way to the flat.
‘Oh God…’
He tried to thumb it on. Waited for it to power up, to find his network.
‘Come on, please… come on…’
Dancing black stars were moving into the edges of his vision. He tried to blink them away. But every time he blinked, they just seemed to increase in number. He looked round the room, tried to focus. He was aware of Sophie reaching the door.
‘No…’
The phone had eventually found a signal. He managed to dial 999, held it to his ear. It was ringing. His legs were weak. He felt like he wanted to sit down. He fought it, remained on his feet. Waited for the phone to be answered.
It was. He was asked which emergency service he wanted.
‘Ambulance. I’ve been… stabbed…’
Sophie heard his words, turned. She crossed the room, took the phone from his hand, threw it as far away from him as she could. It hit the wall. Broke. She nodded, pleased with her action, turned, walked back to the door.
‘No…’
His legs were ready to give way. With one last surge he managed to lurch across the room, blood following him, keeping pace as he went. He reached her by the door, put his hands on her. She turned, ready to swat him away.
Clayton knew he was fighting for his life. He knew his last breath wasn’t far off and he had to do something. He grabbed her, tried to remember his training. Hung on to her as hard as he could.
They were fighting by the door when the entryphone buzzer went.
65
‘This the place?’ said Phil.
Anni nodded. ‘Yeah.’
They shared a grim look. She pressed the button, waited.
Clayton and Sophie stopped struggling, looked at the buzzer in surprise. They both had an idea of who it would be.
Clayton reached for the receiver, ready to press the release button. But Sophie got there before him. Stopped him from pressing it.
The black stars were increasing. He knew he didn’t have long left.With all his remaining strength he knocked her hand away, pressed the release button. Shouted down the receiver.
‘Help… help me… somebody fuckin’ help me…’
Phil and Anni looked at each other. They didn’t need to hear any more.
‘Which floor?’ asked Phil.
‘Second.’
They ran inside and up the stairs.
Clayton’s strength was gone. His legs would no longer support him. The black stars were almost obscuring everything else before him. He crumpled in a heap in front of the door. Before his eyes closed, he felt a pang of guilt in amongst the pain. His mother. How he had failed in the dreams she had for him.
Then his eyes closed. For the final time.
He didn’t feel Sophie drag him by the legs, try to move him out of the way.
‘This one,’ said Anni, outside Clayton’s flat.
Phil pushed the door. It was locked. ‘Fuck.’
Then, to his surprise, it began to open.
He gave a quick glance at Anni. She was prepared too.
The door opened. There stood Sophie Gale. She stopped moving, surprise on her face. She was hurrying, clearly expecting someone to arrive, but not expecting them to be there waiting for her.
Phil began to read her her rights.
‘Sophie Gale, I-’
He didn’t get any further. She dropped her holdall, gave him a swift kick between the legs with her booted foot. He crumpled over as pain flooded through him. He thought he was going to throw up; he thought he would never feel the same again.
Sophie Gale tried to step round him.
But Anni was waiting for her.
