Page 50 of Dying Breath
‘Hello.’
‘I think we have a copycat on our hands.’
He shook his head; he knew that he should have ignored it. He hated Lucy’s insightful phone calls, which usually came at the most inconvenient times of the night.
‘A what?’
She spoke more slowly. ‘A copycat serial killer. Toby has just been here with some rather compelling evidence that I’ve been studying for the last two hours. I’ve searched everything on the internet he mentioned and I think he’s right.’
‘Who the hell is Toby and what does he have to do with it?’
‘The new CSI – don’t be dim. This is important, Mattie. What if we do have a perpetrator who’s going around copying other serial killers?’
‘Then we’re in deep shit, that’s what.’
‘Anyway, I just thought I’d share that snippet of information with you. Make sure your doors are locked.’
He sat forward. ‘Why? Do you think he’s coming here?’
‘No, I’m just worried and being cautious, especially after the last time. You know how quickly it all went wrong.’
He did. ‘Should I come over to yours, bring my pyjamas and we can have a sleepover?’
‘Piss off.’
‘I’m being serious, Lucy. I’m man enough to admit that I still get a bit freaked out by all of this and we both know what you’re like for getting yourself mixed up in trouble. You have some weird magnet that attracts killers and freaks to you.’
‘No, I’m going to bed now. Besides, my house is locked up tight. My burglar alarm is on too. I just wanted to get it off my chest. Run it by you and see what you thought.’
‘Oh, well thanks for that; as long as you’re all right, then. What did you have to ring me up and tell me that for? I haven’t got a fancy burglar alarm. Couldn’t it have waited until tomorrow?’
‘I thought you’d want to know.’
‘Yes, cheers. Night.’
Annoyed with her, he ended the call, stood up and went to check that all his windows were shut and his doors were locked. She’d given him the chills – why the hell was she so stubborn?
Lucy felt bad. She had a way of blurting everything out to Mattie to make herself feel better. She hadn’t even stopped to consider how he would react to the news.
Chapter Forty-Six
His visitor had been in the shower for quite some time; his skin was so clean it was glowing. He was impressed – he’d used the razor and was now clean-shaven. Dressed in a brand-new pair of Nike joggers and matching t-shirt, he looked like a completely different man. The only thing that gave away the fact he was a drug addict was that he kept raking his nails along the skin of his arms; he was trying to ease the itch caused by the lack of heroin in his veins. Unless, of course, it was a reaction to being clean for the first time in days. He laughed to himself. It was the heroin withdrawal – he knew this because he’d complained about the dull ache in his bones when he’d first come downstairs and told him that he needed something to take the edge away.
As Lewis walked into the kitchen now, he heard him inhale.
‘You look different – do you feel a bit better?’
‘Yes, I do. Thank you.’
He turned back to the stove. ‘You’re welcome. There’s some co-codamol on the table. If you take a couple they’ll help with any pain you might be in. There’s also a selection of spirits in the cupboard behind you or there’s vodka in the freezer.’
He watched as his hand reached out for the blister pack of painkillers and popped out three of them. Crossing to the freezer, Lewis took out the vodka, and he handed him two shot glasses.
‘Good choice. I’ll join you.’
Lewis took the glasses from him and filled them both with the ice-cold liquid, handing one back to him. He watched as Lewis put the tablets in his mouth and threw back his head, downing the shot of pure vodka in one gulp. He swallowed, then began coughing and spluttering.
‘Are you okay? Don’t be choking on me; do you need me to rub your back?’
