She was on the floor, blood blooming across her white shirt. But her eyes were still open, her mouth moving. She lifted an arm and pointed over his shoulder. Helen was grappling with Penny, trying to pull Frankie from her grip. Patrick ran towards them – and at that moment, a rush of noise and wind almost blew him away.

A police helicopter rose from beyond the edge of the hotel roof, the whomp-whomp of its blades filling the air, hovering level with him and the struggling women. He waved his arms, pointed at Carmella, who was lying still on the ground, tried to shout above the roar, but he couldn’t even hear his own voice. The helicopter rotated, the cops inside gesticulating and trying to make themselves heard.

Several things happened at once. Helen spat in Penny’s face, the shock making the other woman loosen her grip, and Helen fell backwards with Frankie on top of her. Penny pointed the gun at them and flexed her finger on the trigger.

Yelling, Patrick leapt at her and, swinging his arm, knocked the gun aside. It spun across the floor. Penny stooped to try and grab it but Patrick grabbed at her and she tripped, twisting sideways and toppling over the edge of the roof, clawing at the rooftop and clinging to the raised edge of the building.

She screamed, the noise just audible above the din of the helicopter. Patrick grabbed her arms, holding onto her, preventing her from falling. Her eyes were wide with terror and he gripped her sleeves as hard as he could, but she was too heavy. He couldn’t hold her.

Her expression changed, became calm. She knew it was over.

‘Don’t let go,’ Patrick yelled. But he couldn’t hold on to her, not without her dragging him with her.

She shouted something in his ear.

And fell, her body tumbling down the edge of the hotel, bouncing off a window ledge and spinning towards the shining roofs of the cars parked below. He turned his head away before she hit the ground.

Chapter 46

Chapter 46
Patrick – Day 7

In the calm that followed the storm, Patrick sat heavily on the edge of a huge earthenware pot containing a small palm tree, considering his next move: Carmella, Helen and Frankie had been taken to hospital. Helen still didn’t know that her husband was dead. Alice was still at Larry’s – she’d have to be told, too. Even though Frankie was safe, Patrick felt numb with shock and despondency. So many lives lost or ruined. Poor little Izzy. Koppler, Sharon Fredericks, Sean. Georgia and her ruined face. Alice and her ruined life.