No Way Out by Samantha Hayes Read Free Book Online Page A

down.
    ‘Bloody hell!’ Marcus called out, squinting back to his house. Then, reluctantly, he pressed the button to release the gates and Roy drove through.
    ‘Get in,’ he called through the window. ‘I’ve already called for help.’
    Marcus threw himself into the passenger seat and saw Roy staring at his hand.
    ‘I tried to put it out, thought it was under control,’ Marcus said, choked. He added a few coughs. ‘But I burnt my hand badly.’ Then, before Roy could reply, the luminous blue tick-tick of police lights was behind them. The cars sped down the drive in convoy, skidding to a stop in front of the house. Before they had a chance to get out, two police officers were already running up the front steps to the open front door.
    ‘Anyone inside?’ Marcus heard them yelling repeatedly from the doorway. He wasn’t worried. The fire would have done its job by now, and no one would be able to get through the inferno. Although … as he looked at the front windows, he noticed the library window wasn’t as fiercely aglow as it had been. Not at all, in fact. And the police had foolishly ventured inside. He and Roy got out of the car, following them to the door.
    ‘Looks like it’s going to be a mess,’ Roy said, pulling Marcus towards him in a manly embrace. ‘I’m sorry this has happened.’
    Marcus could only manage a small nod as one of the officers came back out, holding a bunch of photographs. He gave a few coughs.
    ‘Is this your property, sir?’ he asked, approaching them. He was only young, perhaps with little kids himself.
    Marcus offered another nod, but then he shook his head. He didn’t know what to say or do. Suddenly, he felt like a kid himself, trapped inside denial. These weren’t his photos, and it wasn’t his computer. He didn’t have to say anything if he didn’t want to.
    ‘It’s a good job you’ve got a good sprinkler system. Wouldn’t want all that evidence destroyed, would we? We couldn’t get into the room properly, but these had been blown out by the heat currents.’ He came up to Marcus, flapped the pictures in front of him. ‘I am arresting you on suspicion of possessing child pornography. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention…’
    But Marcus didn’t hear the rest, barely felt the handcuffs latching his wrists together, didn’t say a word as the officers bundled him into the car. All he saw was the ghost of Ellie’s face pressed against her bedroom window, watching as he was driven away.
    *
    ‘You raped her, you fucking bastard!’ I scream at Tom, turning back to the phone, butting the screen with my nose. I pray I hit at least two of the nines in order to connect. Then I swing around again to see Tom coming close, the scent of sex smothering him. His top half is naked and the button and fly of his jeans are undone. The leer spreads across his face in a waft of pleasure.
    Suddenly, Ellie is behind him in the doorway. She looks pale and ashen, naked apart from Tom’s donkey jacket pulled around her like one of those provocative fashion adverts. Her eyes are dreamy and dark, her make-up smudged, her lips cherry red.
    ‘I’m going to
kill
you!’ I scream, hurling my tied-up body at him, spitting down his chest. Tom jumps back, avoiding it. He draws Ellie in from the doorway, pulling her close, nestling her under his arm.
    ‘Get the fuck off her. I called the police. They’re coming!’ My voice burns with rage.
    I wish I’d saved her before.
    I don’t care about my ear, or Marcus’s fingers, I just want to take time back to that day when she was in the bath. Make everything right again. The tears fall from my eyes, hot and thick as if it’s blood gushing out of me. It might as well be. I want to die, to bleed to death, to escape the guilt. I fall down onto the sofa, giving up, sobbing piteously for all of us.
    Then I hear her voice. Right next to me. She is kneeling down beside me.
    ‘Mum,’ she says. ‘Mum,