Nick’s eyes opened wider. “Shawcross.”
Renee nodded thoughtfully. He rolled at a wedding band on his finger that Nick had not noticed before. “Shawcross is a weak man with selfish intentions. I have seen this with my own eyes. Now that the man, Dave, is gone and the most popular male of the group is out of the way, he will be able to assume authority easily.”
“Most popular? You mean me?”
“Indeed. People respect you, Nick. You have a level head, no? But the thought of you committing murder has damaged the group badly, made them feel lost and insecure. This is the time to establish a permanent hierarchy – while the populace is desperate and weak.”
Nick shook his head and cracked his knuckles. “I don’t see the point. What is there to be in control of?”
Renee smiled knowingly. “At the moment, nothing. Later, however, there will be life itself at stake. To be the man who controls who gets food and who doesn’t is an envious position. To decide who lives and dies is to be God. The one true Lord does not look kindly on such ambitions. That is why he has told me to help you.”
“Help me?”
“Yes. I will remain here with you. Whoever killed Dave will likely prefer you out of the way, too. I will make sure that does not happen.”
Nick thought the whole thing ridiculous, but Renee seemed deeply serious. But, with all that had happened, it was probably better to be overly cautious than foolhardy.
“Okay,” Nick finally said. “Thank you.”
“You are a good man, Nick. I hope that is proven.”
“Me too. But what if it’s not?”
Renee tilted his head. “Then you and I should get comfortable here as we may never leave.”
Suddenly the door at the top of the stairs opened. Eve came down, holding a plastic tray in front of her.
“I brought you some food,” she said. She sounded upset, close to tears.
Nick walked over to her. “I didn’t do it, Eve. You know me.”
She handed him the tray. There was a pint of coke on it along with the browning leaves of a salad. “Do I? I thought I did.”
Nick put the tray on the floor and looked her dead in the eyes. “Yes, you do, Eve. You know me better than anybody else left on Earth. I didn’t do this.”
Eve stared down at the floor. “I don’t know what to think, right now. Dave was a pig, but he didn’t deserve to die.”
Nick nodded. “I agree.”
Eve turned around and started back up the stairs.
“Eve,” he shouted after her, but she ignored him and exited through the door. He listened to the lock turn behind her.
He went and sat back down, looked over at Renee. “I guess you really are all I have.”
Renee nodded solemnly. “Things change, my friend. You just need to be patient. God will shine his light of truth on those who are guilty.”
Nick stared down at the wilting salad on the floor and wrinkled his nose. “I just hope the truth comes out before I starve to death.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
It had been almost a week since Dave’s death. Anna had dragged the man to the morgue herself. She still couldn’t get over the fact that Nick had murdered him. In fact, there was a part of her that didn’t believe it all. He just didn’t seem the type. She was a person of logic, however, and the only logic available said that Nick had murdered Dave in cold blood.
“You okay, Anna?” Mike asked her as they fed the Clydesdale horses. The new born foal she’d delivered at the start of everything was healthy and doing well. The mother seemed to enjoy nursing.
“I’m just thinking,” she said. “Not about anything important, so never mind.”
Mike rubbed his hands together, clearing them of food particles. “I’m out of food. Do we have any more nearby?”