Page 111 of She Saw What He Did

He released her suddenly and she stumbled forward.

She turned to see he had a sawn-off shotgun pointing at her.

‘Ryan?’ she questioned, shocked.

‘Why did you have to follow me?’ he asked bitterly. ‘You’ve now put me in a terrible position.’

His voice broke. Ellen could feel herself sweating profusely.

‘I don’t understand what’s happening, Ryan,’ she said.

‘You of all people, Ellen,’ he said, stroking her arm.

Ellen shivered.

‘Ryan, listen …’

‘I was hoping you’d come with me,’ he said.

Ellen felt sick and prayed she wouldn’t throw up.

‘Come with you where?’ she asked, her eyes darting around. The place was totally deserted.

‘To South America, I’m going to get a nice place there. We could have a good life.’

‘I …’

‘Oh Ellen,’ he said, his voice soft.

‘Look why don’t we …?’ she began, pointing to the Mini.

‘Start walking,’ he said suddenly, pushing her forward.

His tone had changed. He pointed ahead, and she slowly began to walk. Damn it. Her bag and phone were in the Mini.

‘It’s that damn box,’ he said wearily. ‘If the Millers hadn’t poked their noses in and taken the box, everything would have been fine.’

‘What box Ryan?’

He laughed, and he didn’t sound like the Ryan Ellen knew.

‘You know what box, Ellen. I got it in okay. All I had to do was hand it over. But then they came along with their fucking geocache nonsense. Now everything is buggered. I didn’t know what the box was. It’s not my fault.’

Ellen looked around. All she could see were rolling hills and green fields.

‘It’s being delivered tomorrow. I can’t have anything going wrong now. I can’t let you or anyone else jeopardise the plan. Tomorrow Abby fucking Miller will deliver the box to Asquith Hall and hand it to the Prime Minister and then … Bob’s your uncle.’

Ellen gasped.

‘Oh my God Ryan, what have you done?’

‘Keep walking,’ he said.

Ellen was afraid. She thought about tackling Ryan but knew she daren’t take the chance. The shotgun could be loaded. Lowering her voice to a whisper, she said,

‘Did you kill Artem Taris?’

Ryan didn’t reply. She stopped and turned to face him.

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