The Fourth Cart

  Chapter Four

  Nick Price eased Susan Conners’ limp body down onto a guestroom bed, maneuvered her head onto a pillow, slipped her shoes off and pulled a bedspread up to her neck. He wasn’t going to undress her, or even loosen her clothes. He wasn’t in the mood, and he certainly didn’t want the situation misinterpreted when she woke in the morning. Mind you, he reflected, the way she’d been knocking back the brandies, he doubted she would have any thoughts in the morning other than for her hangover.

  He turned the light off, closed the door, crept along the galleried landing and unlocked the door to his sanctuary. He sat down on a tatty bamboo chair, Maliwan’s favourite. Given to her by her grandmother on their wedding day and shipped back to England along with everything else from their room above Lucy’s Tiger Den.

  After a few moments collecting his thoughts, he found Maliwan’s voice coming to him.

  You’re not smiling tonight.

  ‘Sorry,’ responded Nick. ‘It’s been a difficult night.’

  Tell me about it.

  ‘Do you remember Todd?’

  Tell me about him.

  ‘Todd Conners. He was a regular in the bar, for a couple of years. I got on quite well with him. So did Ronnie.’

  Was he the one that was always making eyes at me?

  ‘That’s him.’ Nick smiled. Maliwan would come over all girlish when a customer flirted with her. It was one of the many things he had loved her for.

  I thought you didn’t like him looking at me?

  ‘I didn’t,’ replied Nick with all seriousness. ‘But he was a good worker, I needed him.’

  So? What about him?

  ‘He died tonight.’

  I’m sorry.

  Nick was silent a full minute before choosing his next words. ‘Mal? It’s started hasn’t it?’

  Started? I don’t understand.

  ‘You know what I mean, Mal. Todd’s death was no accident.’

  Was he murdered?

  ‘He certainly was. A vicious attack with a knife. A knife that just happened to have an effigy of a Buddha carved into the handle. Makes you think, that, doesn’t it?’

  Of what?

  ‘You know. What we did in Tibet.’

  Maliwan’s voice fell silent.

  ‘Susan said there’d been no fight. She said it had been as if Death had just come up silently and taken him away.’

  He let his head sink into his hands, and tried to obliterate a fleeting memory of his tortured past. ‘He’s coming for us, isn’t he?’