The Snow Killer (6 page)

“What the fuck happened, Diane?”

“I shut him up. He wouldn’t stop talking about…” She broke down in tears and Danny strode across the room to his lover to comfort her. “Get away from me” She held the knife out in front of her and he stopped in his tracks.
I’m fine. I’m fine. I’m fine.

“It’s OK honey, its fine.”

“It’s not fucking fine! I just…” she started crying again.  The knife clattered to the floor and he ran over to her, rocking her in his arms. “I don’t know what happened. I panicked.”

“Sound familiar?”

“It’s OK, sweetie. I’ve got you. I understand.” She was repelled by his words.

“Understand? You don’t understand anything. You’re just a kid! That man,” she pointed to Dead Jerry, “that man, tortured me, hurt me for our entire marriage. I hated him. He is- was – the most pathetic thing that ever lived, and I’m glad I’m rid of him. I killed him.”

“I know.”

Diane looked at the body. “Oh my god, I killed him.” She looked at Danny. “Danny, I killed him. Oh my- I fucking killed him. I, oh my god - what am I going to do?”

“It’s OK-“

“I killed Jerry. I cut his throat open, and you think it’s going to be OK?”

“Tell her. Go on, she’s as bad as you now.”

“Danny, we need to get out of here, before anyone shows up and finds a body. I could claim self-defense, he attacked me.” She looked up at him. “Good, you got the bag, we need to go.” Diane dragged the body to the chez-long in the lobby.  “We need towels: to soak up the blood. It’s polished marble so it should be easy to clean. Could you fetch me the towels from the bathroom and the bleach under the bathroom sink?”

She’s so… logical.
“Diane...”

“Bathroom’s third door on your right.” She stroked the body’s hair.

“Diane?” He looked at the woman in front of her.
Pump. Pump. Pump. She’s changed. She’s a killer now. Can I stay with her after this?

“She killed him so she could leave with you.”

“What Danny?”

“I do understand.”

She let go of the body and let it slump on the chair. “What?”

“I understand how you feel.”

“No, you don’t Danny. You’ve never hurt anyone in your life.”
She sounds frustrated. Danny, tell her.

“Yes I have. My mother and Emily… and…” He walked over to Diane, trying to ignore her dead husband between them, took her hand, and looked her in the eyes.
She’s not crying.
Pump. Pump. Pump.

“
What are you talking about Danny?” He looked at her hands, covered in blood.

“I… I know how you feel right now. It’s horrible. But you did the right thing.”

“Danny, you can’t know-“

“I killed Lily Adamms”

“What?” she stumbled backward a little and her grip on his hand slacked.

“The girl that died the night we met, the one they found with her head smashed in, on Spring Lane near the pub? That was me. I panicked, she-“

“You killed that girl?” Diane dropped his hand and backed away.

“Yes.” He swallowed and tried to keep eye contact but he ended up staring at a wall instead.

“You never said anything. That was months ago…You-“

“I couldn’t tell you. I was afraid you would leave me, or hand me in.”

“You didn’t tell me. Of course you didn’t – I’m a freaking lawyer. You thought I would turn you in…”

“Pretty much.”

“Danny, that was months ago, how have you not told anyone?”

“I tried to tell you, the first night we… but I didn’t know how to say it. How do you tell a woman you’ve just met that you killed someone two days before? I didn’t know what to do.” The tears escaped down his face, trailing down his cheeks.
Pump. Pump. Pump.

“And now you think it’s OK because I killed Jerry?”
Fuck, she looks angry.

“Well -“

“Jerry- my abusive husband.” Something clicked in her mind. “That girl- that’s the same girl who… she slapped you in the pub. Oh my god, did you kill her because she hit you?”

“No, no! She just made me so angry and… I didn’t mean to kill her: it was an accident.”
Pump. Pump. Pump.
They stood in silence for a moment.

“We need to go, Diane, don’t we? Need to get out of here and back to the flat and get the rest of the stuff. We need to go.”

“Yes. We need to get out of here.”  She looked around her and picked up the bag. They walked back to the flat in silence.

…

“Have we got everything? It’s all in your car, isn’t it – Di?”

“Yes.” She stood in the doorway, the last bag of her clothes by her left foot. “Danny…” He could hear her voice breaking so he looked up and tried to catch her gaze.

“You’re still coming, aren’t you, honey? Farmer Dan and Mrs. Fores: a happy life together in the country?”

“A happy life” she repeated, staring at the bag on the floor. “In the country.”

“Together, Di. You and me together in the country. We can start again…”

“Start again?” She looked at him.

“You are still coming, aren’t you, Diane?” He watched as Diane picked up the bag and walked out the door.

I would just like to say thank you to every person I have ever met. Life inspires us to write, and without a hectic social calendar and a secret love of people-watching, I would have never written this book.

Thank you to my lecturers encouraging me to write. Thank you to anyone who ever read the previews of the book on my blog: those page counts kept me going. Thank you, Lara, for staying up with me until the early hours of the morning to make sure I hit my word count.  Thank you, Ed for introducing me to the magic that is coffee. Thank you, Elaine, you taught me to be brave in the face of ignorance. Thank you to my brother, Daniel, for helping me through everything. Thank you to my parents, Victoria and Paul, for supporting me through everything.

I would also like to add a huge thank you to my late stepfather, Norman: you were there for me in the darkest times, and the brightest. Thank you so much for being in my life: without your happiness, and what you did for me, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I love you, and I miss you.

Finally, thank you to my father, James. I grew up in spite of you, and I will continue to live my life proud of my gender: not cowering from it. Women are stronger than you think, and I hope this book proves that, if nothing else.

If you would like to see more of Melissa Holden’s work, go to:

https://www.facebook.com/MelissaHoldenWriter

Or check out her Amazon page:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Melissa-Holden/e/B00GSL71SE/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1