Whiteout - Ken Follett [134]
At the gunshot, Nigel and Elton went, but left the door open, and Elton remained in sight at the far end of the kitchen, talking urgently to someone in the hall. Then he returned, but went out the back way, leaving the door wide open.
At last Craig could move without being seen. The others were in the hall. This was his chance. He stepped out of the cupboard.
He flipped open the key box and snatched the Ferrari keys. This time they came off the hook without snagging.
In two strides he was out of the door.
The snow had stopped. Somewhere beyond the clouds dawn was breaking, and he could see in black-and-white. To his left was Elton, trudging through the snow, heading for the guest cottage. Elton’s back was turned and he did not see Craig. Craig went the other way and turned the corner, so that the house hid him from Elton.
He was shocked to see Daisy only yards away.
Fortunately she, too, had her back to him. She had obviously come out of the front door and was walking away from him. There was a cleared path, and he realized that a snowplow had been here while he was hiding in the boot cupboard. Daisy was heading for the garage—and Sophie.
He ducked behind his father’s Mercedes. Peeping around the wing, he saw Daisy reach the end of the building, leave the cleared path, and turn the corner of the house, disappearing from view.
He went after her. Moving as fast as he could, he went along the front of the house. He passed the dining room, where Nellie stood with her forepaws on the windowsill; then the front door, which was shut; then the living room with its flashing Christmas tree. He was astonished to see an old lady sitting by the tree with a puppy in her lap. He did not pause to wonder who she was.
He reached the corner and looked around. Daisy was heading straight for the side door of the garage. If she went in there, she would find Sophie sitting in Luke’s Ford.
She reached into the pocket of her black leather jacket and took out her gun.
Craig watched, helpless, as she opened the door.
7:45 A.M.
THE pantry was cold.
The Christmas turkey, too large to fit into the kitchen refrigerator, stood in a baking tray on a marble shelf, stuffed and seasoned by Olga, ready for roasting. Miranda wondered dismally if she would live to eat it.
She stood with her father, her sister, and Hugo, the four of them trussed like the turkey and crammed into a space three feet square, surrounded by food: vegetables in racks, a shelf of pasta in jars, boxes of breakfast cereals, cans of tuna and plum tomatoes and baked beans.
Hugo was in the worst state. He seemed to be drifting in and out of consciousness. He was leaning against the wall and Olga was pressing herself to his naked body, trying to keep him warm. Stanley’s face looked as if he had been hit by a truck, but he was standing erect and his expression was alert.
Miranda felt helpless and miserable. It was heartbreaking to see her father, such a strong character, wounded and tied up. Hugo was a rotter but he hardly deserved this: he looked as if he might have suffered permanent damage. And Olga was a hero, trying so hard to comfort the husband who had betrayed her.
The others had tea towels stuffed into their mouths, but Daisy had not bothered to gag Miranda, presumably because there was no point in anyone shouting now that the police had gone. Miranda realized, with a spurt of hope, that she might be able to remove the gags. “Daddy, lean down,” she said. He bent his tall figure over her obediently, the end of the gag trailing from his mouth. She tilted her head as if to kiss him. She was able to catch a corner of the tea towel between her teeth. She tugged, pulling part of it out; then, frustratingly, it slipped.
Miranda let out an exclamation of exasperation. Her father bent down, encouraging her to try again. They repeated the process, and this time the whole thing came out and fell to the floor.
“Thank you,” he said. “By God, that was ghastly.”
Miranda did the same for Olga, who said, “I kept wanting to puke, but I was afraid I would choke myself.”
Olga