Page 85 of A Face in the Crowd
Ben grins as he moves, knowing I won’t be heard – or, if I am, it will be too late for someone to do anything about it.
‘I offered you everything,’ he says.
‘No, youtookeverything,’ I reply, still moving backwards. I’m hoping I’ll somehow be able to slip around him and dash for the front of the house.
‘Ungrateful…’ He’s keeping a distance, giving me no space to dodge around his arms.
‘What are you going to do?’ I say. ‘Kill me here?’
Ben raises the knife slightly, as if to say it sounds like an idea. ‘Who’s going to suspect a dead guy?’ he asks – and I realise that he’s right. There will never be justice for Jade, or me. He’ll go to ground and that will be the end. I keep edging away, but the hedge is close to my back now.
‘Help!’
Ben grins. ‘I want you to know that you did this.’
He takes another step forward and there’s nowhere to go this time. I’m trapped between him and the hedge, with only the knife between us. Time feels frozen and then…
There’s a ruffle from the hedge behind, a scratching, and, from nowhere, Billy bursts from the bush. I open my mouth to say his name, but he’s not the same creature who slept on my feet last night. The kind, loving animal has gone and he’s a snarling, spitting creature of fury. He doesn’t wait for me, instead launching himself teeth first at Ben’s forearm. The knife slips onto the turf as Billy and Ben tumble backwards over one another. I’m frozen to the spot, transfixed with stunned shock as Billy ends up on top, his teeth still sunk into Ben’s forearm.
Ben is screeching and flapping around, completely taken by surprise. It’s when he uses his free hand to punch Billy in the side that something within me snaps. I race across the grass, snatch the knife from the ground and charge to where they’re fighting. Ben continues to thump Billy in the side until I hurl myself onto the grass next to them. There’s a flurry of movement between them and they’re so close that I can feel the heat from Billy’s breath. He’s spitting and snorting in a way I’ve never seen before.
I hold the knife up and Ben’s eyes widen.
‘Stop,’ I say.
His free arm goes limp, but his other is still pushing back against Billy.
‘Let him go, Bill,’ I say calmly.
The snarling dampens immediately and then, a moment later, Ben’s other arm is released. I’m holding the knife a few centimetres from Ben’s throat, not breaking eye contact.
‘Roll over,’ I tell Ben – and he does.
A couple of seconds later, there’s a snaffling from the bushes. I glance up – but only for a moment – to see Karen blusters her way through. She’s out of breath and red in the face. ‘Billy! Bil—’
She stops speaking and I can sense her watching us, even though I’m focused on Ben.
‘Lucy?’
‘Call the police,’ I tell her.
Ben’s wriggling, his head tilted towards me. I hold the knife a little further forward, making sure he can see it. Billy is sitting calmly, panting and waiting for any other order.
‘You’ll never use that,’ Ben says.
‘Touch my dog one more time and let’s see.’
