One Night by Malla Duncan Page A

Physically
I would be no match. His small eyes reflected an empty intensity. I was certain
he was as stupid as he was insane; gullible and easy to manipulate. I would
have to rely on that largely underrated weapon – feminine guile.
    We trooped into the living room. Wally
edged around to face us. Galina kept close to me. I could feel her eyes on me,
watching my reactions, taking cue. Obviously she believed I might miraculously
produce a solution to this disaster. Wally indicated a couch. We sat facing the
television. I saw it was paused on a computer game; castle ramparts standing resolutely
against attack from knights in space-age design armaments.
    There was a sound on the stairway
against the wall. A man stood there, his hair tousled, pale eyes staring at me
and Galina like a raptor bird which had just spied a couple of tasty morsels. Slimmer
than Wally and much younger, he had a soft-muscled, rangy build, his hair darker
than Wally’s, eyes sharper. As he gawped at us, mouth slack-lipped like an
idiot, I remembered Mona’s words… kid brother’s in jail for rape and murder. And
Alice Petting...what had she said? Bunting brothers. Pair of weirdo’s.
    He said in a woolly voice, as
though he had a mouthful of food, ‘What’s going on?’
    ‘Never you mind, Matty,’ said
Wally. ‘I’ll deal with this.’
    ‘Girls – ’ Matthew Bunting uttered with
a distinct drool, his hands clutching the banisters.
    Galina and I recoiled. It was
revolting. I wondered if this mentally-challenged idiot had ever seen a real
live woman in his home – let alone two. He was staring in a manner that went
way beyond surprise, his look a horrible cross between derision and rampant
lust.
    ‘You mind yourself,’ said Wally,
his voice on a threatening note. ‘Else I take a whip to you.’
    Reluctantly, Matthew turned. His
eyes never leaving us, he climbed the stairs and disappeared.
    Galina’s hand slid against my
sleeve, her fingers clutching. I side-glanced her. She was stiff with fright. Her
bravado, so instinctively displayed on the gravel track, had vanished on sight
of the gun. I wondered what experiences she might have suffered in her own
country that had made her so brave, and so afraid. She must believe she had
gone from the proverbial frying pan into the fire; within a few hours she had
seen a dead body, witnessed an assault, and was now faced with imminent death
at the hands of a madman.
    Somehow her innocence betrayed made
me want to fight back. She had saved my life – perhaps the opportunity to
return the favour had come sooner than I thought. My shock and fear was turning
to fury and hatred – far more motivating stuff.
    I looked into Wally’s small,
resentful eyes, read the insecurity of a limited mind.
    I said, ‘You’ve been pretty smart,
Wally.’
    Wally blinked. His fat nose was
shiny with sweat, cheeks reddened by spider clusters of broken veins. Wary
curiosity brimmed in his eyes. Flattery was wasted. I knew his name.
    ‘How do you know me?’
    ‘Everybody knows you.’
    His mouth fell open.
    I waved a hand. ‘You don’t like
visitors. People talk about you.’
    He looked at me with suspicion.
‘Nobody comes here.’
    ‘But they’ll come now,’ I said.
    His eyes flickered.
    ‘They’ll come looking for us and
turn your house upside down. And you know they’ll find your brother.’
    Wally shifted. I was building
unpleasant pictures in his head. He lowered the gun. I sensed Galina’s eyes
tracking the movement.
    I pressed, ‘You’d better turn us
in. That would be the most sensible thing to do.’
    There was a long moment. His look
was speculative. He said, ‘You think I’m stupid?’
    I didn’t answer.
    He smiled suddenly, irregular
peg-shaped teeth. ‘Do you know how easy it is to get rid of you?’
    I felt as though ice had trickled
down my spine. ‘Not easy to get rid of three people.’
    But I knew he was mad enough to do
it – and he had the whole forest to hide the bodies. No one knew