Easy As Falling Off A Bike
by Angharad
part 253.

Exhausted and feeling quite ill, I lay on my bed. I needed to know what had happened to the thug who had died in hospital. Had I actually taken a human life, me the brave soul who feels upset at running over beetles in the road. I was really upset with myself.

I went to talk to Tom. He was busy in his study, I knocked and entered.

"You look like shit, go and rest."

"I can't, I'm too worried."

"Can't you lie down and worry?"

"Not at the moment, no."

"You want to talk?"

"Is it that obvious?"

He cleared his case off the chair, "Have a seat. Now apart from Stella having been kidnapped, what's the problem?"

"That bloke they took into hospital..."

"What about him?"

"He died."

"Oh. How do you know?"

"Henry told me."

"Is there anything that bloke doesn't have a finger in?"

"I wouldn't know, but it wouldn't surprise me."

"So why are you telling me?"

"What if I killed him?"

"You don't know that."

"But what if I did?"

Tom sat silently in thought. "The easy thing would be to say he asked for it..."

"But I have maybe killed someone."

"You don't know that, and I hadn't finished...."

"Sorry," I blushed and felt my eyes filling with tears.

"As I said before, it would be easy to say he had brought it upon himself. It would also be easy to point out that you might be dead yourself if you hadn't fought back. As Stella could be."

"Oh, Tom, I can't bear it. Nothing is worth the taking of life."

"I agree, Cathy, but I'm afraid there are many who don't. This lot are unfortunately amongst the latter group."

"But that doesn't give us licence to kill them."

"Not without cause no, and that has to be legitimate cause, not just greed or power."

"Why did I have to kick him so hard?"

"Aren't you prejudging the issue here, we don't know how he died yet. To start with Pippa bashed him after you did, so it could be her blow which hastened his demise. He may have died from any number of things including Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus. Especially in a British hospital."

"That's not fair Tom, the hospitals are getting it under control. I mean I survived two weeks there."

"Yeah okay, but he didn't."

"And I suspect I killed him."

"You'll have to wait for the PM on that and the coroner's court. You may never know what killed him or if your action hastened it."

"I just know it."

"So why did you want to talk to me if you knew it already. Or do you just want to get all maudlin, because I have work to do. If you don't want to rest, I have some you could do too."

I felt that Tom had rebuffed me. I thanked him and apologised for wasting his time. I made the police some tea, took a cup to Tom and went out into the conservatory with my own. Kiki made a fuss of me even if I was a homicidal maniac.

I got the ironing board out and ironed the laundry, it was something to do which kept my hands busy without taxing my brain too
much.

"Thanks for the tea," said one of the coppers bringing the cups back.

"You're welcome." He was about to leave when I stalled him, "When will they know what the Russian died from?"

"What Russian?"

"The one I helped arrest."

"I didn't know he was dead, how do you know?"

"I can't tell you, sorry."

"In which case I can't help you as I don't know myself." He left the kitchen and I was back to my thoughts.

Over and over again, I heard the dead man telling me he'd like to rape me then kill me. I also heard my bravado in replying to him, then I saw myself jump and double kick him and he fell. I also heard the shot, then the smashing noise as Pippa broke the pot over his head and him crashing to the ground.

Maybe I should have gone with him, perhaps they'd have left Stella alone, but probably not. If they were wanting to frighten or intimidate Henry, they'd have to do a lot more. His ancestors fought at Waterloo- the battle not the station, in the Coldstream Guards. He'd done service in the same regiment for two or three years. Simon was the first to skip the militaristic involvement. He was also the first to be engaged to a transsexual woman.

I eventually ran out of ironing and went to see how much time we had left on the deadline for Stella.

"About an hour and a half," said the younger of the two coppers.

"Oh no, we must try and save Stella."

"Don't you think everything that is possible is being done."

"Let me text them, offer to take her place."

"Why, so they can kill two of you instead of one?"

"It's worth a try, you could always follow me."

"What if they decided to shoot you from a distance."

"Oh!"

"Please try and be brave Miss Watts. Rest assured that we are doing all we can."

Just then, one of their phones rang and the one in the hoodie, said, "I've gotta go." He rose and ran off, the tyres of his car squealing as he accelerated.

"What's he up to?"

"I have no idea."

"Is he firearms trained?" I asked.

"Kevin? Yeah I think so, why?"

"Are you?"

"Trained but not armed."

"Something's up isn't it?"

"Search me?"

I didn't take him up on his offer.