Page 127 of Carbon

“Is everything all right?” the grey-haired man asked.

“Shit,” Sofia muttered, loosening her grip.

What on earth was I supposed to say? Nothing that could implicate Blackwood or Ben in any way, that was for sure.

“This man appeared in my driveway and took me hostage. Then he stopped that poor lady on the road outside and forced her to drive us.”

The man looked doubtfully at Sofia, still sitting on Leroux.

“He didn’t wear a seatbelt,” she said. “I only just passed my driving test, and I got so nervous I forgot how to steer.”

She followed up with a giggle, and the man’s eyes widened.

“He went clean through the windscreen,” I said. “We were just checking for a pulse.”

Another car engine sounded, and all heads turned as Gideon and Roxy appeared. How on earth had they got here?

“Should we call the police?” the old man asked. “And an ambulance?”

Gideon stepped forwards and flashed an official-looking badge. “Inspector Renton, Oxfordshire Constabulary.”

Where had his French accent gone? He stooped to look at Leroux, then straightened.

“We’ve been looking for this man for a while, and we just got a tip-off he’d abducted a woman at gunpoint.”

“Really?”

Leroux coughed, and Gideon produced a pair of handcuffs. “He’s been one step ahead of us until now. Would you mind waiting back by your car? This is a crime scene now.”

He smiled at the elderly lady, who beamed back at him.

“What did he do, officer?” she asked.

“Armed robbery. He’s a very dangerous man.”

Gideon snapped the cuffs on Leroux, then walked towards the old couple, arms outstretched to herd them back to the road.

“Finish it,” he whispered to Sofia as he walked past.

Except Roxy got there first and booted Leroux in the nuts with one of her shiny black kitten heels.

“That’s from me.”

Another kick.

“And that’s for Ben.”

“Done?” Sofia asked, flexing her fingers.

Roxy’s shoulders slumped. “Yes.”

I tried to stand, to walk away because no matter what Leroux had done, I still didn’t want to see a man die. But my knees liquified as I staggered forwards, and the last thing I saw before the trees dimmed was Roxy crouching beside me, her eyes filled with worry.

* * *

A siren woke me, and as the world came back into view, I tried to sit up. Hands pushed me back down, and I focused on Roxy leaning over me while Sofia pressed on my leg. Hell, that hurt.

“What happened?”

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