Last to Die: A gripping psychological thriller not for the faint hearted Read Online Free Page B

newsroom.
    ‘Opposite Bunny’s on Chadwell Street.’
    ‘We’re getting calls about an incident at Rockville High. Something’s going on over there right now.’
    ‘What kind of incident?’
    ‘I don’t rightly know. But it’s big enough that the Sheriff has despatched two cars. They’re en route.’
    Darla sat up a little bit straighter. ‘That all you got, Pip?’
    ‘Hold on.’
    Darla heard muffled sounds in the background before Pip came back on line. ‘We’re getting news that one of the kids might have been shot. But I don’t have confirmation on that.’
    ‘I’m on it.’ Darla hung up. ‘We need to get to Rockville High  now .’
    ‘What’s up?’
    ‘Shooting.’
    Chippy gunned the engine while Darla dialled from memory the number of Vonda Kelp, a money-hungry shrew who had been ‘temping’ at the Sheriff’s department for as long as Darla could remember.
    ‘Vonda, it’s Darla. What going on?’
    ‘Oh my gosh,’ Vonda’s voice dropped to whisper. ‘We’ve had a ton of calls in the last few minutes. Someone is shooting over at Rockville High.’
    ‘What do you know?’
    ‘Nuthin’ ’cept that shots have been reported.’
    ‘Shots? More that one?’
    ‘I can’t say for certain. Sheriff Dubray’s gone over there himself to see what the heck is going on.’ Incredibly, Vonda’s voice dropped another octave. ‘He looked real worried when he left here.’
    ‘Anyone hurt?’
    ‘I don’t know,’ Vonda said, ‘but it sure can’t be good if there’s shooting though, can it?’

4
    B y the time his brother showed up for work, Mike Conway was sweating up a storm and in as foul a mood as it was possible for any man to be. Earlier that morning, he’d sliced his palm open removing the shattered windscreen from a Honda Accord. Now his hand was throbbing and he was behind in his day’s work by an uncatchable rate.
    ‘Nice of you to bother making an appearance.’
    ‘I’m here ain’t I?’
    Ace Conway ambled across the courtyard at a leisurely pace. He removed his cap and ran water from an outdoor hose over the back of his neck. He shook his head, straightened up and put his cap back on. He wore a thin cotton t-shirt under his overalls and work boots that had once been tan but were now the colour of sludge. Beneath the faded trucker cap, a piece of red leather tied his long hair in a low ponytail at the base of his neck. Prison tattoos defaced almost every inch of his scrawny arms.
    ‘We open at seven. It’s gone eleven.’
    Ace stuck a cigarette between his lips and lit it with a match. Mike watched the flame and saw the tremble in his brother’s hand. He figured Ace was hungover and probably had more than just alcohol in his system. This was nothing new. Ever since Jessie had insisted he take his brother on, Ace had rewarded her faith and Mike’s loyalty by arriving to work late – if he showed up at all – stinking of hooch and stale cigarette smoke, usually wearing the same clothes he’d left work wearing the day before.
    Mike tried to keep a lid on the bulk of his emotions. It did no good to nag his brother. Ace would do what Ace would do. Nagging made no real difference and only served to aggravate them both. His brother was a grown man and at forty-four was senior to Mike by five years.
    ‘Whatcha do to yer hand?’
    ‘Windscreen on the Accord split.’
    Ace’s pale eyes drifted towards the main building. ‘Well, what’s on the agenda for today,  Boss? ’
    Mike bristled at the title. He knew Ace was rattling his chain. Hell, neither of them wanted this situation. A condition of Ace’s parole was that he involve himself in gainful employment, and there wasn’t any sucker left in Rockville that was going to give Ace Conway a job, except for blood.
    ‘Going to strip out the engine on the Datsun. Can you finish this off while I make a few calls?’
    Ace shrugged, managing to look more tired and disinterested by the second. Mike took that as a yes and went inside