Miss No One, Mark Ayre [romantic love story reading .TXT] 📗

going to die, and it was her fault. Abbie had taken her eye off the ball multiple times. She'd screwed up again and again. She struggled to live with the guilt of the few lives she had previously failed to save. None of them had been so young as Isabella. Abbie would never come to terms with this failure. This was one mistake with which she could not live.

It was over. What if Abbie presenting her wrists and letting the police arrest her brought Isabella and Ndidi a few hope-filled minutes together? If it was only seconds, that might still be worth it.

Besides, Abbie was to blame for the murders of Christine and Ana. If Kilman died, she'd be responsible for that too. So why not confess? A life behind bars was better than she deserved.

Bobby's smile tried to force its way into her mind, and she shoved it back. He was better off without her too. His memory would dissuade her from doing the right thing.

Abbie remained on the carpet. Something held her to the ground. Something niggled at the back of her mind; whispered to her. Something wasn't right.

But she couldn't fathom what that something might be…

Enough. Abbie's mind was trying to find a way to make Abbie run from the police, but running was no longer the right option. Ndidi was right. If Isabella was Abbie's priority, she had to jump at any chance to save the girl. Even if she considered the odds of it coming in one in a million or worse.

Leaving her gun on the carpet, Abbie finally forced herself to rise. Like a zombie, she stumbled towards the flat's front door. If she was to spend the rest of her life in a cell, she should enjoy her last couple of free minutes in the fresh air, the last of the day's sunlight. Besides, PC Evans was in the carpark. Perhaps Abbie would get a chance to kill the corrupt cop with her bare hands. She was already going down for murdering at least one police officer; why not add another? Why not really earn her sentence?

Abbie reached the door and touched the handle. Paused. Now was the time to go. She really did want to take some deep breaths in the fresh air before her arrest.

But she couldn't. Not quite yet. She looked to her left, to the bedroom; to her right, to the living room. She had to go to the corpses. She had to close their eyes and apologise to their faces. They wouldn't hear, wouldn't know, but it was important none the less.

She would say sorry to Christine, sorry to Ana, then leave. Then the police could take her.

Abbie released the door handle and moved into the bedroom.

Still trembling, shaken by the twists and turns, Abbie stepped from the building into the carpark. From Christine's living room window, she had spied the car she wanted. Now she crossed to it.

The sirens were heavy in the air. The police could be no more than a couple of minutes away. As Abbie approached the car she had seen from Christine's window, it's driver side door opened, and Police Constable Evans stepped out.

"Off-duty, are you?" said Abbie.

Evans was wearing a white T-shirt and dirty black jeans. Black boots. His car was cheap, probably at least third-hand when he got it. He smiled like a man who had recently won the lottery despite not having purchased a ticket.

"Day off," he said. "Except, a cop ain't ever really off duty. I saw you and had to call it in and wait around. Make sure you got the justice what's come to you."

Closer and closer, the police cars came, just like earlier, at the school. This time, Abbie didn't intend to run. Not literally, anyway.

"You're an honourable guy," said Abbie. "I decided in Christine's flat, if I was to serve time for killing a police officer, I'd like to at least earn that time by murdering one. That's why I'm here."

Abbie got the impression Evans would have liked to hold a brave front. But he was young and corrupt, and fear came easily. His eyes widened, and his skin paled. He wanted to stand still in the face of Abbie's threat but took an involuntary step back.

"You don't want to do that," he said.

"False."

"If you do, Orion'll kill Isabella."

"Orion plans to kill Isabella no matter what happens. You either know that, and you're lying, or you don't, in which case you're a moron. I'd believe either."

Evans’ jaw worked, but he had nothing to say. The problem was, he knew Abbie was right.

She stepped forward. Evans took another step back and withdrew a knife. Short, dirty, but sharp enough to inflict severe damage to any gut.

"You ain't armed," he said. "Come near me, and I'll knife you. Don't think I won't. I'll do anything to save myself, and I'll get away with it."

"I'm sure you would do anything, and I'm sure you'd get away with it. But what makes you think I'm unarmed?"

Evan's eyes darted to Abbie's hands, double-checking he hadn't missed something.

"You had a weapon, it'd be out already."

"Hmm," said Abbie. She tapped her chin. "You know, you're probably right. Except, I did have a gun. I'm sure I did. So where can it be?"

Abbie patted her waist, then her jacket, but the gun was in neither location. She opened her coat and lifted her shirt so Evans could also see she was unarmed.

"Where on Earth can it—“ Abbie clicked her fingers in a mock light bulb moment. "I remember—" Evans felt cold steel against the back of his skull. "—I gave it to my ally, so she could sneak up behind while I distracted you. Thank you, Ana."

Evans twisted his head until he was staring into the barrel of the gun clasped in Ana's hand. The young lawyer smiled at the corrupt cop.

The sirens grew louder.

"I think you better get in the car, PC Evans," said Abbie. "We’ve got places to be."