Page 67 of The Trap by Catherine
She needed more time.
She needed to call Denise and get her here. No, there was no time now, not if Denise hadn’t even left yet. It would take her an hour to get here from Dublin. Angela could call 999. And tell them what? OK, no, she could call Denise and getherto send the locals, and then—
“I want you toleave,” Caroline said again.
Angela had to do something.
Anything.
Time’s up.
“Caroline O’Callaghan,” she said. “I’m arresting you under the Criminal Law Act of 1997 on suspicion of the murder of Tana Meehan...”
But Angela didn’t know the rest.
She wasn’t even sure she knew that much.
“What the fuck?” Caroline was looking at her like she was certifiably insane. “Are you having astroke?”
In the beat Angela took trying to come up with a response to that which wouldn’t make her look like an even bigger idiot, Caroline bolted for the front door.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
Angela ran after her, caught her, gripped her by the upper arms.She managed to turn her around, swapping their places, so that now it was Angela’s back against the front door, blocking Caroline’s access to it.
“You can’t leave,” Angela said, holding her hands up in astopgesture.
“I’m not going to.Youare.”
And then—
An engine.
Outside.
Getting louder.
Both their heads turned toward the sound.
While Caroline was distracted by it, Angela flung open the door and ran outside.
Denise was just pulling up, getting out of the car.
“What the...?” she started.
Angela turned to point to Caroline, who turned and ran back down the hall, into the shadows at the rear of the house. “She’s wearing Tana Meehan’s chain,” she said breathlessly. “She’s got pictures, a whole load of pictures, of Roland Kearns in the other room. And she’s lying. I don’t know what’s going on but something isn’t right. It’s not right. I don’t—”
“OK, OK,” Denise said, reaching for her gun. No, her radio. Angela watched as she brought it close to her mouth and pressed a finger to the little orange button on top. “Member in need of assistance. Member in need of assistance.” She called out an Eircode which Angela assumed was Caroline’s. Then she threw the device to Angela. “Go to the gate, watch for them, explain what’s going on when they get here. And whatever happens, donotcome inside the house, OK?”
Angela nodded.
“Go.Now.”
Angela did what she was told, turning back only once, to see Denise disappear inside the house with her gun drawn.
THE KNIFE RIDGE
Not long to go now. We’re almost there.
