Faith - Lesley Pearse [232]
Laura couldn’t breathe, she could feel her eyes popping out of her head, her legs were trapped by his, and even though she tried to lift her arms to pummel him they wouldn’t seem to move.
‘Come on, boss, let’s go,’ she heard Andy say. ‘I don’t want none of this, it’s too fucking heavy.’
‘You fucking go if you ain’t got the stomach for it,’ Robbie yelled back at him, still squeezing at her neck. ‘You’re just a bloody doughnut anyway.’
‘You’re on yer own then,’ Andy said indignantly. ‘I ain’t the one wiv the Old Bill on me tail.’
Laura could see nothing but Robbie’s face just a few inches from hers, and even that was blurred. But she sensed that Andy was walking away and that she was going to lose consciousness any minute. In one last concerted attempt to defend herself she forced her arms up to grab Robbie, and at the same time brought her knee up sharply into what she hoped was his crotch.
She was on target for he yelled and let go of her, and in that instant she heard the front door slam, Andy had gone. She was still gasping for breath, her eyes were stinging and still blurred, but it was suddenly quiet. Lucy had stopped barking and the only sound was Robbie’s laboured breathing.
Her eyes cleared just as he began to stagger towards her, and she backed away towards the patio doors. She stumbled against something and looking down she saw it was the cast-iron cat they used to hold open the door. She snatched it up and brought it down on his shoulder with all her strength.
His eyes opened wide with surprise and he staggered back a couple of steps, but then he sort of buckled and keeled over and fell flat on his back with a thump.
Although she had wanted to stop him in his tracks, she hadn’t expected it to work. She stood there looking down at him. His eyes were open but they looked vacant, and she didn’t know whether to run or to check if he was still conscious.
Then the doorbell rang.
She thought it was Andy come back to get Robbie. She wanted to get to the phone and call the police, but Robbie could be tricking her and the moment she moved away from him, he might jump up and grab her again.
‘Coo-ee!’
She started at the sound.
‘Coo-ee! Laura! Are you there? I’ve got Lucy. She was out on the road!’
All at once she realized it was Mrs Hernan from next door, and she was calling through the letterbox.
Relief flooded through her. ‘Call the police, Mrs Hernan!’ she yelled back, moving past Robbie so the woman could hear her. ‘I’ve been attacked! The man’s still here and I’ve knocked him out with the doorstop, but he might come round. Please be quick.’
The letterbox slammed shut and she could hear the neighbour rushing away. But as she turned, to her horror Robbie was trying to get to his feet. She screamed and ran at him, pushing him so hard he fell down again. ‘Stay there or I’ll hit you again,’ she shrieked at him and picked up the doorstop, brandishing it warningly.
He was just lying there, looking up at her. Whether this was because he was dazed or planning his next move she didn’t know, but she knew she had to make certain he couldn’t do anything more. Pulling the belt off her jeans, she bent down and rolled him over on to his stomach.
‘Help me,’ he said, his voice strangely feeble.
‘No chance,’ she said, and catching hold of his arms she pulled them together behind his back, slipped the belt like a noose around his wrists and pulled it tight.
With nothing close by to tie his feet together, and afraid he might get free if she went to find something, she sat astride his legs and held the end of the belt tightly so he couldn’t move his arms.
‘You’re hurting my legs,’ he whimpered.
‘Good,’ she said grimly and pressed down harder on them. ‘Now you know what it feels like – you nearly strangled me.’
Her throat hurt and she could barely swallow. She could feel her face swelling and one of her back teeth was loose. But she was determined to hold him down till the police arrived.
He began to struggle and swear at