Page 54 of Nothing But the Night (Basic Instincts 2)

Shit.

They were all from Marc.

Jason ignored the voicemails and called Marc’s number straight away. When he answered there was a lot of background noise. People talking, sirens, traffic.

“What’s going on?” he asked. “Are you all right?”

“Yes,” Marc said. “Well, no, not really. But I’m fine. I’m not hurt. Did you get my messages?”

“No, I just finished with a client a few minutes ago. I called you straight back. What’s the matter? Did you meet Tyrone?”

“Tyrone is dead. I found him by the river. He’d been stabbed. Just like Dan.”

The world seemed to collapse beneath Jason’s feet, like the floor had fallen away. He grabbed the edge of the desk. “Are you all right? Tell me, honestly. How are you?”

“I’m fine. I’m shaken, that’s all. Fuck, Jason what is going on? Who the hell is doing this? Two of the boys we’ve spoken to in the last week are dead.”

“Where are you? Are you safe?”

“Yes, there’s a million police officers around. I’ve given a brief statement already, but they need to speak to me again in more detail.”

“Where exactly are you?”

“I’m in the carpark at the concert hall. I found him on the path along the river. They can’t get their vehicles down there so they’re coordinating everything from here.”

Thank God, he’s safe. “I’m coming now. I’ll be about fifteen minutes. Whatever you do, stay with the police. Don’t go wandering on your own.”

“There’s no chance of that. Right now, they’re treating me like a suspect. I’ve got an officer watching me like a hawk.”

“That’s good. Don’t let them leave you, okay. I’ll be with you soon.”

Jason pulled on his overcoat.Fuck. This was escalating rapidly. His instincts were right. Two men had been murdered, and someone had tried to kill Marc and himself. Theo’s death was far bigger than any hit-and-run. Someone was trying to shut the investigation down, permanently.

He grabbed his keys and hurried for the door, turning out the lights in his room. He should be able to get a cab from the rank along the street. With a bit of luck, he would be with Marc even sooner than he’d promised.

Ryman’s office was in darkness and Olivia had shut down her computer on the reception desk. The kitchen lights were still on. He switched them off and checked the toilets to make sure no one was still in there. He was sure he was alone in the building, but it wasn’t unknown for strangers to wander in off the street and use their bathroom. It was a matter of routine to check them before leaving each evening.

All clear.

As he hurried towards the top of the stairs, he froze, sensing he was not alone.

There was a figure on the staircase, halfway up. They were dressed entirely in black. There was a hood over their head and their face was concealed behind a black ski-mask.

“Who the hell are you?” he demanded.

The figure in black raised their right hand, revealing the jagged-edged blade of a hunting knife.

Jason considered his options in the fraction of a second. Another day, he could have taken them easily. He had the advantage of being above. A well-placedkick would send the stranger tumbling down the stairs. But with a sprained ankle and a broken rib, this was not an ordinary day. Could he really put up a fight, when a single punch to the ribs would incapacitate him?

The figure in black climbed the stairs.

Jason had no option but to retreat.

He stumbled backwards. Pain lanced through his leg as he put sudden weight on the injured ankle. He fought through it, making for the kitchen. His mind was already ahead of him, trying to work out what he would find in there that could be used as a weapon. There was nothing more dangerous in the cutlery drawer than a handful of forks and some butter knives. Useless compared to the hunting knife his pursuer wielded.

The same knife that had cut up Dan Blumel and Tyrone Lucas? Almost certainly.

Jason was determined that the blade would not be the end of him.

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