The dark side of my soul by keith lawson Page B

could get through and keep the weapon so that it would never be found. There was also an ulterior motive I had for keeping it, although I would not admit it at the time, I enjoyed the feeling of power the gun had given me, I had enjoyed shooting those men. I wanted to keep it.
    As I retraced my steps I put the pistol back in the deep pocket of the coat, then jumped back into the car, closed the door and switched on the lights. I was only just in time. A white van came along the road at speed and had to swerve to avoid me. Without the lights on it could easily have crashed into the back of my car and that was the last thing I needed. I waited a few seconds, partly to compose myself and partly to see what happened to the van up ahead but it faded from view, enveloped in the fog. That was a good thing I told myself. If I couldn’t see it then the police probably couldn’t see me stopped at the roadside either.
    Very slowly I moved forward. The repetitive blue flashing lights became brighter and through the mist the ghostly shapes of the white van and the police car came into view. As I approached, a single policeman was standing in the road talking to the driver of the van through the vehicle’s open window. The police car was in front of the van and sideways on across the lane on which I was travelling. A sigh of relief escaped my lungs as the officer waved the van on its way. As I had hoped no searches were being made, only questions being asked.
    As I approached, the police officer indicated for me to stop a little way in front of his vehicle. I opened the window as he stepped towards me and I immediately recognised him as the young round faced officer who had called at my home the previous week.
    “Good morning, I’m sorry to have to stop you but I need to ask you a few questions. It won’t take long.” He still didn’t look old enough to be in the force.
    “That’s okay,” I replied with a smile.
    “Can you tell me where you have been this morning sir?”
    “Sure, to the golf club just along the road.”
    “A little early for golf isn’t it?”
    “Well my friends and I often play early but today, in view of the conditions I was just checking it out to see if it would be playable later but I don’t think this fog is going to lift.”
    “You golfers are crazy. And where are you going now sir?”
    “Home to have a nice hot breakfast”
    “Ah yes, I remember you now, we called at your house after that hit and run incident. Did your wife get home eventually? She had been to London to see her friend hadn’t she?”
    “Her sister,” I was surprised he remembered. “Yes she got home but very late, I had to make my own dinner that night.”
    “Tough, I have to make mine every night.” He laughed then continued with his questions. “Have you noticed anyone or anything suspicious this morning, like a car speeding or an abandoned vehicle?”
    “No, I can’t say I have but you can’t see much in this stuff.” I waved my arm at the fog. “Why, what’s up?”
    “There’s been an incident in the forest, only just occurred, it was fortunate that we had a couple of cars in the immediate vicinity, two people have been shot.”
    The man with the dog must have called the police. It was amazing how quickly they had reacted. “What, here in Lyminge forest, a shooting?” I feigned surprise.
    “Yeah, apparently it’s a real mess, two victims, both dead.” He was casting his eyes around the inside of my car. “What’s in the bag sir?” he said, indicating the holdall which was still on the passenger seat.
    I froze and for the second time that morning my heart stopped beating. Worrying about the pistol I had forgotten all about the money.
    “Er, oh, my golf shoes, you have to wear them when it’s damp like this even if you’re only walking up to the first tee, your feet get soaked in ordinary shoes.” It was the first thing that came into my head and I willed him not to want to look in the bag.
    He nodded