Page 8 of M for Murder

Oh well, Vic. Live and hope.

The tunnel came to a fork. Angell glanced over her shoulder. ‘Which way?’

‘How the hell do I know?’ Vic moaned, wishing for the hundredth time that he’d never gotten into this situation.

Shrugging her shoulders, Angell took the left fork.

Vic checked this time that the water was flowing down both forks before he asked, ‘Hey, why that one?’

‘Why not this one?’

‘Well, what if this body is down the right-hand fork?’

‘We could always split up,’ Angell suggested.

‘Are you kidding?’

‘No.’

‘We can’t split up.’

‘Why not?’ she challenged him. ‘Are you scared?’

‘Don’t be stupid. I just don’t think it’s a good idea splitting up in the sewer.’

‘We’d probably get out of here sooner if we did.’

Vic guessed that she had a point.

‘Okay, we’ll split up. But we meet back here in ten minutes.’

‘Fine. Ten minutes.’

Angell didn’t wait to discuss the finer details. Vic watched her wade across into the tunnel of the left-hand fork, the beam of her flashlight growing smaller. He trained his own light up the right-hand fork.

‘Okay, buddy, where are you now? Come to Papa.’

A loud yell made him jump. He lost his footing and landed with a loud splash on his ass. The flashlight slipped out of his hand and he found himself sitting in darkness as filthy water sloshed around his chest, filling his boots. It was cold and foul smelling, and it made him gag.

‘Shit!’ he yelled, very much aware that there was plenty of it floating around him. ‘Angell? Was that you?’

There was no answer.

Scrambling to his feet, Vic started to feel his way along the left-hand fork of the tunnel, towards where Angell had disappeared.

His heart was thumping loudly in his chest. What was going on? Had Angell found the body?

‘Angell?’

This time he got an answer.

‘Vic? Vic? Come here!’ The tone in her voice was urgent.

‘Where are you?’ he called back, about ready to kill her if this was a false alarm. ‘Shine the light, will you? I dropped mine and I can’t see where I’m going.’

‘I found the body, Vic.’ She sounded almost excited.

‘You did?’ He swallowed hard, not sure that he was looking forward to this.