And they need to die tonight.
Andrew leapt up from the sofa, the pain of his wounds forgotten as focus and determination became his sole emotions. He headed to the kitchen and straight for the drawer beneath the microwave. He took out the longest blade he could find – a 9-inch carving knife. He wrapped it up in a tea towel and then stuffed the whole thing down the waist band of his trousers at the side so the weapon wouldn’t dig into him. Then he stood for a few moments, wondering if he should take anything else with him, but there was nothing more lethal inside the house than the knife he now possessed. He didn’t need anything else. Just something he could kill Frankie with.
Time to go…
Andrew let out a long breath and enjoyed the calm it brought to him. Stepping back through into the living room, he took one final look at the mess of his home to reconfirm his intentions of going through with what he was planning to do. There was still no doubt in his mind.
Into the hallway and through to the porch, Andrew unlocked the front door. The rain was falling even harder now, hitting against the glass windows with the same ferocity that Andrew felt pumping through his veins. He stepped out into the downpour and felt instantly refreshed as it cleansed his flesh, washing away the dry blood from his skin. He ran his hands through his hair and slicked it back, squeezing away the excess moisture.
“Mr Goodman. Stay right where you are.”
Andrew looked through the darkness and spotted two figures at the end of his path.
Officer Wardsley and Officer Dalton were there to arrest him.
***
“I don’t have time for this,” Andrew told the officers. “I need to go.”
“Not going to happen,” said Wardsley. “We need to ask you a few questions up at the station.”
“I did it, alright? I murdered that kid. You want to know why?”
The officers had closed the gap between them, without Andrew even realising it. Now they stood staring at him like he was a wild animal. They did not answer his question, but Andrew decided to tell them his reasons anyway.
“I murdered Jordan because he was one of the bastards that shaved my wife’s head, snorted coke off her naked body, and then stabbed her and my daughter. I couldn’t give him the chance to finish what he’d started. I couldn’t let him walk around free to do it again, to someone else.”
Dalton stepped slightly ahead of her partner and looked at Andrew pityingly. “You should have left it to us, Andrew. They’ll pay for what they’ve done, I promise. But now you’re in a lot of trouble, too. There’s better ways to deal with people like Frankie and his friends. ”
“Bullshit,” Andrew spat. “You don’t really believe that. They’re all going to cover for each other and nothing will stick. Jordan was already pleading ignorant when I cornered him.”
“Cornered him and murdered him,” said Wardsley stepping up beside his partner.
Andrew examined both officers. If they were doing their jobs correctly, he would’ve already been in handcuffs by now, in their squad car and on his way to the station.
But they’re letting me talk, thought Andrew, which means they sympathise.
“Do either of you have children?” he asked the both of them.
Both of them shook their heads.
“Then you have no idea what you would you do in my situation.”
“Perhaps,” said Dalton, “but what I wouldn’t do is murder someone in a hospital in front of frightened members of the public.”
Andrew laughed. “Makes it sounds like you disagree with my methods more than my actions.”
The suggestion was met with silence. Andrew looked into Dalton’s eyes and tried to read what she was thinking, but he couldn’t.
“You’re going to go to prison, Mr Goodman,” said Wardsley. “How does that help Rebecca?”