Rollover Read Online Free

shape on the floor in the middle of the room.
    The shape turned out to be Vince. He was lying on his back in a pool of his own blood.
     
    Maggie Cain paced up and down the length of the living room, barely able to contain her excitement. Could it be true? she wondered. Had Vince really won the big prize on the lottery? And if so how much would he give them?
    The thought of it made her blood tingle. A rollover sum of eighteen million pounds would give Vince plenty of scope to be generous. He’d told Danny he would make them rich. So what did that mean? A million? Two million? Maybe more!
    She found it hard to grasp what was happening and she prayed that Vince wasn’t having a lark. He wasn’t averse to playing practical jokes, especially when he’d had too much to drink. But surely this would be a step too far even for him.
    Danny should be at the cottage by now. So he’d be calling her any second. She tried to prepare herself for bad news. Told herself there was no way all their financial problems were suddenly going to be solved. Life simply wasn’t like that. They had got into a rut and they would not be wrenched out of it by a stroke of incredible luck.
    Or would they? It was about time some good fortune came their way. Things had been difficult. Their marriage was under pressure like never before. Maybe a windfall was the answer to all their problems.
    Suddenly the phone rang. Their landline. She answered it as quickly as she could, her hand shaking and her heart thumping.
    ‘Is Mr Cain there?’ a man’s voice said.
    She was taken by surprise. Had assumed it would be Danny. Her disappointment was almost palpable.
    ‘No, he’s just gone out,’ she said. ‘This is Mrs Cain. Who is speaking?’
    The line went dead and she was left staring at the phone. Who the hell was that? And why had he hung up? She didn’t dwell on it for long, though, because Danny often received calls from strangers. And besides, she was too excited to let it distract her.
    Instead she went into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water. She felt hot and sweaty. What on earth was keeping Danny? Why hadn’t he phoned?
    Just then their doorbell rang. Her heart heaved in her chest again. Was it Danny? Had he come back?
    She hurried to the door and pulled it open. She was confronted by a tall figure wearing a black ski mask. Before her brain could even register the danger he had stepped over the threshold and was pushing her back along the hallway.
    She started to scream but a large, gloved hand was clamped over her face and the man issued a chilling warning into her ear: ‘Make a noise and your daughter will be hurt.’
    Maggie had never known such fear. It was like ice-cold liquid passing through her veins. With a firm grip on her arm he marched her into the living room.
    ‘If you stay quiet and do as you’re told then you’ll be OK.’ 
    He took a roll of duct tape from his pocket and tied her wrists. Then he pushed her back on to the sofa and stood above her, his posture threatening. The ski mask covered his mouth so she could only see his eyes. They were so dark she couldn’t tell the difference between the irises and the pupils.
    The woollen cloth moved as he spoke. ‘I know that your husband has gone to Vince Mayo’s house. I also know about the winning lottery ticket. I now need you to tell me if anyone else knows about it.’
    The ticket! What was going on? How did this man know about the ticket? Who was he?
    He raised his voice. ‘Answer the question, Mrs Cain. Have you or your husband told anyone else about the ticket?’
    Maggie tried to swallow. She felt her throat lock up. The man reached out and grabbed her by the hair, pulling it until she yelled out in pain.
    ‘I warn you I will hurt you and your child if you don’t tell me what I want to know.’
    She managed to shake her head.
    ‘Danny told me not to tell anyone,’ she said. ‘So I didn’t.’
    After a moment’s hesitation, he let go of her