Missy threw herself sideways off the chair and rolled behind Harry. She too grabbed a burning log as Harry advanced on the attacker, who was now swinging the hammer ferociously. Harry was well aware that it would only take one hit from the tool to disable or possibly kill him.
Still he advanced on the man, gaining ground, until they heard glass smashing from the kitchen at the back of the house. Then the sound of an explosion, like a petrol bomb had just gone off.
Harry took his eye off the ball for a second and the attacker lunged, but Missy got a strike in, hitting his arm and setting fire to his jacket. It caught and went up. He unzipped it, not taking his eyes off Harry, and threw the burning apparel towards the curtains, where the licking flames caught and spread.
They couldn’t see his face because of the mask, not unlike the one Harry had been wearing when he approached. More glass breaking, more flames and they were spreading closer. Thick smoke was creeping into the living room as the attacker turned and fled.
Harry and Missy were about to run outside, but the flames took hold of the back of the house. The fire exploded all around them.
Then Missy was on her feet, pulling on Harry’s arm as he struggled to get up. He was standing again, but the way out was on fire.
‘This way!’ Missy shouted, pulling him through a doorway on one side of the living room. They ran along a short corridor and Missy pushed a door that was ajar. It led into a bedroom. She ran over to a window and opened it, and they climbed out into the fresh air.
Harry started coughing and put a hand over his mouth.
‘We can’t stay here or we’ll be trapped!’ Missy shouted. They could both see the house was well alight now, the fire spreading like a disease.
They ran round the side of the house and came to the parking area. The BMW had been given the same treatment as the house. They could hear a car’s engine roaring as it hit the road further down.
Harry took his phone out and dialled treble nine. He hung up and called Jimmy Dunbar, not wanting to panic Alex.
Then he looked at Missy. ‘Two men. One with a hammer, trying to kill us. The same people who killed Clive.’ Then he hung up.
‘We don’t know the second person is a man,’ she answered. ‘It probably is, but you, being a copper, should know better than to jump to conclusions.’
‘Point taken.’
Then all they could do was stand and watch the house burn.
Twenty
Harry didn’t know if he was shaking more because of the come-down from the adrenaline rush or the rollicking Alex was giving him.
‘Jesus. Don’t you ever do that to me again, Harry McNeil,’ she said.
‘Changed days when a junior officer talks to her DCI like that,’ Missy said in a whisper as they stood at the back of the ambulance.
‘She’s also my wife,’ he said as Alex was looking over to the fire service fighting the fire.
‘Oh. Then she has every right. If I were your wife, I would be giving you a ticking-off too.’
He raised an eyebrow. ‘You invited me here, remember?’
‘I’m not your wife.’
‘Women stick together; that’s the problem.’
‘We also have good hearing,’ Alex said, turning back to him. ‘We’re also allowed to vent. Isn’t that right, Missy?’
‘She’s got you bang to rights there, Harry. But to be fair, I did ask him along here. I thought we’d be safe. Nobody knew I was coming here.’
‘What about your boss, Deal?’
‘He was already in bed. I didn’t tell anybody, and as far as I knew, I wasn’t followed. I mean, I’m not a secret agent, but it would have been easy to tell if there had been another pair of headlights following me.’
‘Somebody knew you were here, or coming here,’ Harry said. ‘But unless you told them, they didn’t know I would be here.’
‘It seems like taking a sledgehammer to crack a nut,’ Dunbar said. ‘It was a bit extreme, using firebombs like that.’
‘You think it might have been the Wolf boys?’ Evans said. ‘I mean, you said it was two men.’
‘The thing is, why would they destroy this house? If they’re wanting money, then they just saw a lot of it go up in a pile of smoke,’ Harry said.
‘Could be just a cover,’ Dunbar said. ‘Wanting to put us off the trail.’
‘Whoever it was, they’re out to cause mayhem.’
They turned as a patrol car came rushing into the parking area in front of the house, which was no mean feat considering it was already tight with vehicles, including the shell of the BMW, which was now a metal hulk.
Sergeant Turnbull jumped out of the passenger seat, leaving a constable sitting behind the wheel.
‘Where’s the car we were using?’ Dunbar asked.
‘It’s been wrecked, sir. Windows smashed, tyres slashed. It won’t be going anywhere except on the back of a tow truck.’
‘Looks like you could have been followed, squire,’ Dunbar said to Harry.
‘I didn’t see them.’
‘Maybe they knew where you were going in advance.’
‘How, though?’ Harry said.
Alex looked at Missy. ‘Thomas Deal knew you were coming here?’
‘No. I didn’t tell anybody. I just slipped out.’
‘Where were Fenton and Zach?’
Missy shrugged. ‘Your guess is as good as mine. I haven’t seen them. They’re acting very strange.’
‘I don’t think you should be staying in that house anymore. Is there room at the hotel next door?’
‘No. They’re fully booked with the people from the memorial.’
‘Why don’t you come and see if there’s a room at the little hotel where we’re staying?’ Alex said. ‘If not, I’m sure you could bunk in with me. Harry can sleep on the floor of another room.’ She looked at Harry, who nodded.
‘I think it’s a better idea than being in the house with Fenton and Zach,’ he replied. ‘Can you pack some things and come with us?’
‘I can. I didn’t bring a
