Chapter 66
Felicity is pointing her gun straight at Rosie.
‘Felicity, this is insane,’ says Rosie. ‘And I know insane.’
‘I know,’ says Felicity. ‘I do know. But you know what that man did. I’m going in.’
‘I can’t let you do that,’ says Rosie, moving to block the conference-room door. ‘You’ll have to get through me.’
‘So be it,’ says Felicity, advancing, gun still raised.
Rosie shows Felicity her palm, like a ‘stop’ sign.
Rosie can just about believe that Felicity might shoot Connor Brooks, but she knows that Felicity won’t shoot her.
This will end in moments. If she shouts, then Ernesto will surely hear, and if Ernesto comes out to Felicity brandishing a gun, then that will be very bad news for Felicity.
Whatever this moment of madness might be, Rosie would rather not lose an office manager, especially such a cheap one.
‘Rosie,’ says Felicity. ‘I’m not going to shoot you, we both know that.’
‘Good,’ says Rosie. ‘That’s good. Let Ernesto deal with Brooks. That’s the best way.’
‘You really think that?’ asks Felicity. ‘With everything you know about the world? You really think Connor Brooks will find the right sort of justice?’
‘It doesn’t matter what I think,’ says Rosie. ‘It matters that I’m not going to let you in, and you’re not going to shoot me. So put the gun away.’
Felicity lowers the gun, and Rosie nods.
This is actually all rather exciting. Facing a gun when you know it’s not going to be fired is something of a thrill.
And you must never underestimate a thrill.
She will probably have to tell Steve and Amy, won’t she?
That the office manager pulled a gun on her, actually in the office.
They don’t have a head of HR at We Solve Murders, but Rosie feels like if they did, then this would be something she should report.
Amy won’t mind one bit, of course, she’d probably approve of the whole thing.
But Steve can be a bit more conservative.
Just so long as Ernesto doesn’t find out, that’s the main –
‘I’m not going to shoot you, Rosie,’ says Felicity. ‘But I am going to fight you. I’m sorry.’
‘You’re going to –’
Felicity rushes at Rosie, head down, knocks her off her feet and lands in a heap on top of her.
Okay, even Amy might have a view on this.
Rosie, winded, feels Felicity trying to scramble to her feet, and scythes her leg into the back of Felicity’s knee, bringing her crashing to the floor again.
Rosie climbs on top of her office manager now and tries to pin down her shoulders.
‘Felicity, no more –’
Felicity brings her head forward straight on to the bridge of Rosie’s nose, and Rosie falls backwards.
Rosie assumes that she should be in a great deal of pain, but, thanks to a lifetime of narcotic abuse, she long ago lost any feeling in her nose.
Also it has been broken more than once by very expensive plastic surgeons, so what’s the worst that can happen here?
Felicity is now on her feet and reaching for her keys in her bag, gun still in hand.
Rosie dives for her ankles and drags her to the floor again.
Felicity drops her bag, and both women crawl across the floor to reach it.
Rosie grabs the bag and pulls it towards her, but Felicity takes hold of the strap and pulls back.
A tug-of-war for the keys inside the bag begins.
‘Stop this,’ hisses Rosie, and for a second the struggle pauses. ‘One of us will break a hip.’
‘Mine are both titanium,’ says Felicity.
‘Mine too,’ says Rosie, and the struggle continues once again.
Rosie can feel she is winning. Mainly because she has both hands on the bag, while Felicity has only one hand on the strap, the other hand still protecting her gun.
When did Felicity get a gun? Rosie senses that one final heave will win the war, but Felicity then brings her gun hand around to try and grab the strap too.
There is a deafening noise as Felicity’s gun fires. Rosie sees shock on Felicity’s face as they both abandon the bag. As Rosie is wondering where the bullet has gone, the conference door flies open and Ernesto rushes out. He immediately kneels beside Rosie, a panicked look in his eyes.
‘No, Rosie,’ says Ernesto, out of control for a reason Rosie can’t decipher for now. With his trailing foot, Ernesto scoots Felicity’s gun towards him.
‘I’m so sorry,’ says Felicity. ‘I’m so sorry.’
Rosie wants to reassure her. It was an accident. It’s okay. No harm, no foul, no one got hurt. We’ll sort this out, nice to see a bit of passion. But no words come out.
‘It was an accident,’ cries Felicity.
‘Call an ambulance,’ says Ernesto. ‘She’s losing a lot of blood.’
Who’s losing a lot of blood? Rosie decides to sit up and rearrange herself. But she can’t sit up.
Ernesto takes off his belt. Something Rosie’s seen before. He loops it around the top of her arm and pulls it tight. ‘You stay with us, Rosie.’
Where else would I be going? Rosie thinks.
‘I was only here for Brooks,’ says Felicity before her call is connected.
‘Jesus, Brooks,’ says Ernesto and rushes back into the conference room.
‘Ambulance,’ says Felicity. ‘Ambulance, Brockenhurst Stables Business Park. Gunshot wound.’
Ernesto rushes back out of the conference room. He points at Felicity. ‘You make sure she doesn’t die.’
Felicity looks towards the conference room. It is empty. The far door of the room is also open.
Ernesto kneels down beside Rosie again. ‘He has run, I have to follow. Rosie, no dying.’
He kisses her on the forehead and sprints away.
Felicity takes Rosie’s head in her hands and holds her close. ‘Rosie, I’m so sorry. I only wanted to go in there and scare him.’
Rosie looks at her office manager and wonders why she is covered in blood. She looks down and realizes it is hers. So that’s where the bullet went.
No one has ever shot Rosie before, despite many people wanting to.
She begins to feel the pain now. It is in her right shoulder. She tries to speak again, but can’t. She tries to move again, but can’t.
Hopefully that is just shock. And if it isn’t, then her fun has finally come to an end. Not in a Malibu beach house, not in a New York penthouse, but on the floor of a reception lobby in a small business park in the New Forest.
This is not the ending Rosie would have chosen.
The pain grows worse. Rosie knows that is a good sign. She will try to speak again.
‘Mmmm, nnnn,’ she manages. This is good. This is very good.
‘Darling, I can’t hear you,’ says Felicity. ‘The ambulance is coming, it’s all going to be okay.’
Rosie nods. Nodding is another good sign. ‘Can … can …’
‘What do you need?’ Felicity asks. ‘What do you need? Anything.’
‘Can I have a cup of tea?’ Rosie mumbles, before the intensity of the pain makes her lose consciousness.