answered, “Let’s just get what we came for.”
I had visions of them opening the cupboard door and finding me, but their footsteps moved farther away towards the other end of the carpeted office. One of them had turned the lights on, and the cupboard door was outlined in a soft yellow glow.
“Where’s the other one? We need to get rid of these for fuck’s sake!” Terry cried.
“Max probably has it, for protection, what with Eric sniffing around the past few weeks,” the squeaky one replied.
Terry grunted and asked, “Did you take care of him?”
“Oh, yeah. I got one of the lads to sort it. We won’t be seeing his lanky ass anymore,” Squeaky responded. I wondered, could this Eric be the man I’ve been longing for? I doubted it…
“Are you sure?” Terry asked.
“Do you doubt me? Have I ever let you down?”
“No, you’re a good boy.”
“Well, we tracked him down. Never guess what he was doing?”
A pause.
“Perving on one of your girls! Er, Kate, I think. Max’s bit, you know, the new one; brunette with the baps upfront,” Squeaky chuckled.
“Anyways, Eric’s a goner, having a whale of a time in the North Sea I imagine.”
“So be it… it had to be done,” Terry sighed, “And the girl? Anything we need to worry about?”
“Nah, Max vouched for her.”
I couldn’t believe my ears and pressed my hand to my dry mouth to stop from crying. They were killers, casually talking about the demise of another human being. Eric. My Eric? I prayed that he was not my stranger. Could he really be dead? God, I hoped they would not find me, as I would surely be disposed of just as easily.
The gun handle was slick with sweat from my tightened grip; I doubted I would be able to use it if they threw open the door and found me. I wasn’t a killer. I was just an ordinary filing clerk. Damn Eric!
A tear escaped. I didn’t want to die. How could the most exciting night of my life lead me to this point, trapped in a cupboard scared for my life, re-evaluating the only friendship I’d be able to cling to?
“Where’s the sodding ledger?” Terry continued.
“Check the other drawer.”
“I did, it’s not sodding here.”
“Max must have that with him, too,” Squeaky voice said.
“Can’t trust him with anything. Get on the phone and ask him, will you?”
I winced, coming back to my senses. If they called Max, he’d tell them he didn’t have it with him. They’d start searching, and they’d find me.
“Straight to voice-mail,” Squeaky reported.
Max would soon receive a brutal talking to due to my interference, but if there was ever a time I felt relief, this was topping the all-time charts: Top of the Pops, eat your heart out!
“Sod it, we’ll have to do without it. We need to be at the docks now. We don’t have time for this shit,” Terry said, temper flaring, patience all but extinguished.
I listened and waited. They’d stopped talking. I couldn’t hear what they were doing. Had they heard me?
A switch was pressed, and what little light had bled through the cracks of the doorway was now gone. The slight shuffles of feet diminished, receding as Terry and Squeaky, to my relief walked away.
Resisting the urge to come out of my hiding place, I started to count. I would wait for five minutes before emerging from the cupboard. I don’t think I would’ve been able to move anyway. The fear I felt pulsing around my body held me firmly in place. And I didn’t have the strength to even lift my arms.
All I could think about was Eric… it had to have been him, right? They mentioned him watching me, I was the only Kate working at the Quadrello office, and now he was gone. When had they taken him? When had he looked upon me without me knowing he was there?
Silent tears streaked down my face; he would never touch me again, never stroke my neck or hold me from behind. Weak with grief and stunned with fear, I managed to stand, unstable in the awkward space. I dropped the gun into my
I had visions of them opening the cupboard door and finding me, but their footsteps moved farther away towards the other end of the carpeted office. One of them had turned the lights on, and the cupboard door was outlined in a soft yellow glow.
“Where’s the other one? We need to get rid of these for fuck’s sake!” Terry cried.
“Max probably has it, for protection, what with Eric sniffing around the past few weeks,” the squeaky one replied.
Terry grunted and asked, “Did you take care of him?”
“Oh, yeah. I got one of the lads to sort it. We won’t be seeing his lanky ass anymore,” Squeaky responded. I wondered, could this Eric be the man I’ve been longing for? I doubted it…
“Are you sure?” Terry asked.
“Do you doubt me? Have I ever let you down?”
“No, you’re a good boy.”
“Well, we tracked him down. Never guess what he was doing?”
A pause.
“Perving on one of your girls! Er, Kate, I think. Max’s bit, you know, the new one; brunette with the baps upfront,” Squeaky chuckled.
“Anyways, Eric’s a goner, having a whale of a time in the North Sea I imagine.”
“So be it… it had to be done,” Terry sighed, “And the girl? Anything we need to worry about?”
“Nah, Max vouched for her.”
I couldn’t believe my ears and pressed my hand to my dry mouth to stop from crying. They were killers, casually talking about the demise of another human being. Eric. My Eric? I prayed that he was not my stranger. Could he really be dead? God, I hoped they would not find me, as I would surely be disposed of just as easily.
The gun handle was slick with sweat from my tightened grip; I doubted I would be able to use it if they threw open the door and found me. I wasn’t a killer. I was just an ordinary filing clerk. Damn Eric!
A tear escaped. I didn’t want to die. How could the most exciting night of my life lead me to this point, trapped in a cupboard scared for my life, re-evaluating the only friendship I’d be able to cling to?
“Where’s the sodding ledger?” Terry continued.
“Check the other drawer.”
“I did, it’s not sodding here.”
“Max must have that with him, too,” Squeaky voice said.
“Can’t trust him with anything. Get on the phone and ask him, will you?”
I winced, coming back to my senses. If they called Max, he’d tell them he didn’t have it with him. They’d start searching, and they’d find me.
“Straight to voice-mail,” Squeaky reported.
Max would soon receive a brutal talking to due to my interference, but if there was ever a time I felt relief, this was topping the all-time charts: Top of the Pops, eat your heart out!
“Sod it, we’ll have to do without it. We need to be at the docks now. We don’t have time for this shit,” Terry said, temper flaring, patience all but extinguished.
I listened and waited. They’d stopped talking. I couldn’t hear what they were doing. Had they heard me?
A switch was pressed, and what little light had bled through the cracks of the doorway was now gone. The slight shuffles of feet diminished, receding as Terry and Squeaky, to my relief walked away.
Resisting the urge to come out of my hiding place, I started to count. I would wait for five minutes before emerging from the cupboard. I don’t think I would’ve been able to move anyway. The fear I felt pulsing around my body held me firmly in place. And I didn’t have the strength to even lift my arms.
All I could think about was Eric… it had to have been him, right? They mentioned him watching me, I was the only Kate working at the Quadrello office, and now he was gone. When had they taken him? When had he looked upon me without me knowing he was there?
Silent tears streaked down my face; he would never touch me again, never stroke my neck or hold me from behind. Weak with grief and stunned with fear, I managed to stand, unstable in the awkward space. I dropped the gun into my
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