The Man Who Watched Women (71 page)

If he was unlucky, both he and Vanja would reach the end of their lives tonight.

Vanja had managed to pull up the nightdress and arch her back enough to push her bound hands between her thighs and get hold of the spring. It was now hidden in her right hand again. She could saw at the nylon stocking only when Hinde was out of the room. And that didn't happen often enough. He had gone out for a while to light candles, but otherwise he was there all the time. He seemed to be waiting for someone. It was as if the ritual, which had been so vital at the beginning, was now of secondary importance. He spent most of the time pacing back and forth, listening.

Vanja had the feeling she was no longer the main character. That she was lying there for a different reason. But it didn't matter to her. She was aware of the sharpness of the spring against her palm as she waited for him to disappear again so that she could carry on. So far her efforts had produced no perceptible results. Her hands were bound just as tightly; they were also beginning to feel cold and numb because of the restricted flow of blood. What worried her most was that her muscles were growing more and more tired. The question was how long she would be able to carry on.

If only he would leave the room.

But he was still standing there. Completely motionless.

Sebastian peered in through the broken window next to the front door and found himself looking into what must once have been the kitchen. It was dirty, with graffiti all over the walls. Someone had ripped out the sink unit. An old wood-burning stove from the beginning of the last century was standing in the corner, illuminated by the moonlight. Sebastian was aware of the faint glow of candlelight, probably from the room next door. He listened intently, but heard nothing. He walked up to the door, which was ajar. Broken glass littered the ground in front of it. He straightened his back.

Time to announce his presence.

The door creaked loudly as he opened it and stepped into the dark, narrow hallway.

‘Edward, I'm here,' he shouted, then stopped to wait for a reaction. Nothing. The house remained just as silent as before.

Obviously Hinde wasn't ready to show himself yet.

Sebastian turned left and found himself in the kitchen he had seen from outside. Half the floor had collapsed, and he had to walk around the black hole in the middle of the room. There was a stale, mouldy smell, and he headed for the flickering light from the room next door. It was large and impressive, and had probably been the dining room once upon a time. A large black mark on the pale wooden floor showed where a rug had once been, and the wallpaper had begun to sag and peel with age. It looked as if the wall had acquired arms and was reaching out to him. A single lighted candle sitting in its own wax was fixed to an old, ornate metal radiator. There were two doorways. Immediately in front of him lay another large room, forming a kind of suite with the one in which he was standing. To the right a corridor led further into the house. He could see another flickering light in that direction. Perhaps he was meant to follow the candles.

That was what he decided to do, at any rate.

She heard the voice. At first she couldn't place it. Or rather, she couldn't make sense of that voice in this context.

She turned to glance at Hinde and realised that her ears had not deceived her. His face was glowing with anticipation. This was the voice Hinde had been waiting for. For a long, long time.

He picked up the knife and slipped out of the room. She watched him go, forgetting for a second the sharp spring in her hand.

What was Sebastian doing here? Why had he called out to Hinde?

This couldn't be true. Sebastian never did anything for anyone except himself. That was how he worked. She knew that.

And yet he was here.

Sebastian had finished exploring downstairs. It was empty apart from a few more candles and some old rubbish. He went back to the stairs, looked up into the darkness and listened. Called out again. ‘Hello there!'

Still no reply.

He set off up the stairs. When he was halfway he could see the glow of another candle. He was starting to tire of this game now. He called out again, even louder this time. ‘Edward, I know you're here.'

He kept going. Some of the treads were rotten, and he had to step over them. When he reached the top he could see that he was at the beginning of a corridor. There were doors on either side, and one right at the end. They were all closed.

He opened the first door. The windows had been boarded up, so it was pitch-dark. He pushed the door all the way back to let in the small amount of light from the corridor, and walked in. It seemed to be empty, apart from an old desk in one corner. Nothing else.

He was about to leave the room when he heard a faint noise behind him in the darkness. He spun around, but it was too late. He felt Hinde's breath on his face, and the knife pressing against his throat. He tried to relax, and allowed Hinde to push him up against the damp, smelly wall.

‘I've been waiting for this,' Edward hissed.

He was so close that Sebastian could feel his excitement. He tried to remain calm. The knife was sharp. If Hinde pressed just a little harder, it would pierce his skin.

‘I've been waiting for you, but now it's time to begin.'

Sebastian met Hinde's gaze. His eyes were shining, in spite of the fact that there was so little light in the room.

She was alive. Vanja was still alive.

‘Let her go,' he tried to say with as much conviction as possible. ‘This is between you and me.'

Hinde smiled at him. The look on his face said it all. A shake of the head merely confirmed Sebastian's worst fears.

‘No. I want you to watch. After all, you enjoy studying me. I thought it would be nice for you to have a front-row seat.'

Sebastian fought to maintain his composure. ‘Let her go. Take me instead.'

‘Instead? Never. Both of you, perhaps.'

He suddenly turned Sebastian so that he was standing behind him instead, still holding the knife to his throat. He pushed Sebastian out into the corridor.

‘I'm in control now,' he said.

In order to emphasise the point he forced the knife upwards, making it difficult for Sebastian to breathe. Bundled him along towards the end of the corridor. Closer and closer to the door. Sebastian realised that was where they were going. The room beyond that door was their goal.

Even though he knew it was utterly pointless, Sebastian couldn't help himself.

He begged.

He couldn't lose her.

‘Please, take me instead. Please.'

‘Very noble of you. But no doubt you have your reasons,' came the reply.

They had reached the door. Hinde pushed it open with his free hand.

‘Here we are,' he called out teasingly.

It took a second before Sebastian and Hinde realised the significance of what they were seeing.

The bed was empty. Torn nylon stockings lay in the spot where Vanja had been. Hinde was so surprised he loosened his grip on Sebastian, who reacted with lightning speed; he pushed the knife away and managed to break free.

He turned to Hinde, who was still lost for words.

‘Things not going according to plan?'

Disappointed and enraged, Hinde lashed out at him with the knife. Sebastian moved backwards towards the bed. Even though he knew he was in a very dangerous situation, he couldn't help feeling a surge of joy. It looked as if Vanja had escaped. That was the important thing. He had been willing to give up his life for her when he walked into the house, and that was still the case.

Hinde made another sweeping movement with the knife, and Sebastian backed away towards the corner of the room. Soon he would have nowhere else to go. He searched frantically for something he could use to protect himself, but there was nothing. The longer he could hold out, the more of a head start Vanja would have. He tried to step over the bed, but stumbled and fell onto it. Hinde was there in a second, and although Sebastian kicked out at him, Hinde managed to stick the knife in his calf. The pain was agonising. Sebastian grabbed hold of the bedhead with both hands and tried to haul himself away from Hinde. He could see his own blood pouring from the wound in his leg.

Hinde stopped and quietly contemplated Sebastian, who was pulling himself into the corner with his leg dragging behind. He was suddenly happy to take his time.

‘Perhaps things haven't quite gone according to plan. But at least I've got you.' He began to move slowly towards Sebastian. The icy composure was back as he looked down at the bleeding man in the corner. He raised the knife.

Sebastian looked up at him. He had nowhere to go, and prepared himself for the inevitable.

He saw the blade of the knife flash through the air. Felt a terrible pain in his midriff. Hinde pulled out the knife and raised it again. He was aiming higher this time.

‘One stab for every year I've spent in Lövhaga, I think. Only twelve to go.'

Sebastian was beginning to lose consciousness, but fought to stay awake. He managed to spit out a response.

‘Vanja is safe,' he said with a final smile. Hinde looked furious as he raised the knife again.

That was when Sebastian suddenly saw her. She flew across the room with something in her hand.

She was supposed to have run away. She wasn't supposed to be here.

No.

Hinde became aware of the movement behind him at the last minute, and spun around. He saw the Taser in her hand and just managed to duck before she fired at him. He turned the knife around and delivered a heavy blow to her head with the handle. Vanja dropped the Taser and fell to the floor. Hinde threw himself at her. She fought back, but he struck her again. Then he stopped and looked down at her limp body. He smiled at Sebastian.

‘That's what I call love. She came back.'

Sebastian began to crawl towards them with the final reserves of his strength. His shirt and trousers were covered in blood. He was dragging his leg through blood.

‘Don't do it. Don't.'

Hinde's expression was one of pure satisfaction. ‘You must forgive me, but I'm going to move straight to the finale.' He looked down at Vanja, grabbed hold of her hair and pulled back her head, exposing her throat. ‘Watch carefully, Sebastian. This is the last thing you will ever see.'