Sea Gem (55 page)

Mary did not hesitate. She picked up the filled teapot, swept the lid off onto the floor where it broke then, holding the pot with both handle and the spout, she hurled the hot contents in
Nicole’s face. The hot liquid splashed onto Nicole’s face and she screamed with agony. Mary darted aside, knocked the knife from her hand as Nicole, screeching like a banshee, danced up
and down in pain.

At the same moment, Mary heard a vehicle approaching then voices: Margaret calling, Michael shouting, then that which she most wanted to hear.

‘Mary!’ was Victor’s bellow.

The pain and cacophony of unexpected sound tipped Nicole’s mind off balance. Screeching still, she staggered back to the open door, her steps wavering as the hot liquid continued to scald
ferociously.

In blind panic from pain and human noise, Nicole shot from the door. Her left foot only rose on inch from the ground and met the old iron boot scraper. She tripped, her body flying through the
air with speed.

Margaret and Michael watched in stunned disbelief. Mary stood at the door, eyes opened very wide. Victor and Emil slithered to a halt. It became like a tableau of stone. Only one person
moved.

Nicole’s body twisted instinctively but her hands could not leave her scalded face. She spun a second time then hit the hard ground with her head in the wrong direction to the length of
her body. Her neck snapped with an ugly crack they all heard.

‘Nicole!’ Victor bellowed. ‘Mary!’

‘Mother!’ Michael roared and they all sprang forward together, colliding in each other’s way.

‘Stand back!’ Emil bellowed and they stilled as he bent down. He knew what he was going to find. One swift movement with his left hand and Nicole’s head rolled loosely.
‘She’s dead,’ he said unnecessarily. ‘She’s broken her neck!’

For two heartbeats, Victor stood frozen, then he bounded forward and grabbed Mary.

‘Are you all right?’ he shouted.

Mary nodded but shivered. ‘She had a knife. She came to kill me,’ she told them all, looking at Michael with fear.

Emil stood and strode into the house then came out after a few seconds. ‘Correct!’ he grunted. ‘It’s on the floor. No one’s to touch it, for fingerprints,’ he
warned them firmly.

‘Michael?’ Mary asked in a whisper, her brows creased with apprehension.

The younger man stood only a few seconds then gave a tiny shake to his shoulders.

‘It’s all right,’ he reassured her. ‘I have been expecting something like this for a while. Mother wasn’t—I guess she wasn’t right in the head. Not
since Jenny died in the war,’ he ended with a heavy sigh. He crossed over to her and elbowed his father aside.

‘Ssh!’ Michael crooned as tears started to flood down Mary’s cheeks. ‘If it hadn’t been you, it might well have been Margaret. You see, Mother resented her because
she was your daughter,’ he explained gravely.

Mary’s tears stilled. This had not occurred to her. She looked at Margaret who nodded in sad confirmation.

Victor pushed Michael back with a proprietary gesture and turned to Emil.

‘You all saw,’ he said pointedly. ‘You heard what my son said. In there is the knife and I expect there’ll only be Nicole’s fingerprints on it.’

‘When she threatened me, I didn’t know what to do. I’d just made the tea. I threw it at her,’ Mary gabbled, hysteria rising.

‘Ssh!’ Victor crooned, taking her into his arms, ignoring the rest of them. ‘It’s all over now. It’s just me and you. I know. Let’s leave Emil to do what he
has to do.’ He looked across to Margaret and Michael. ‘You youngsters go in and make a meal. I’m taking Mary for a walk up the road. We want to be alone,’ he told them
firmly.

With one arm around her shoulders, he guided her, shielding her from the sight of Nicole’s body and they strolled down the lane then he turned right on the coast road. Way ahead were the
Rocques, now almost disfigured with a huge concrete fortification, a landmark left by the Germans.

Mary looked up at him then smiled. He would want to take her there but she was puzzled.

‘How did you know Nicole was here?’

‘I was chatting to Emil when information came in that a strange woman had hitched a lift to Cobo. From the description I knew it had to be Nicole. It was a bit of luck I was with Emil. We
raced outside, grabbed a police car and drove like madmen to get here. I’ve never seen Emil move so quickly in all my life.’

He looked down at her, his smile gently warm. ‘But it’s all over with now. We are free at last. See! The Rocques. It’s been a long time since it all started there but
we’ve made it in the end, haven’t we, my wild sea witch!’