He shouted out on reaching the second step, ‘Shut the fuck up, Mother!’ and then continued climbing, but the detective reached up and attempted to drag him back. He kicked out, landing a glancing blow to the top of her head with the sole of his shoe, but she didn’t let go.

As Heath teetered on the very edge of the step, Kesey punched upwards, aiming instinctively, hitting out with all the force she could muster. He doubled over, dropping the knife, as the sickening blow struck his testicles with a force that caused him to gasp and gag. And then as Kesey’s sight began to blur, Heath fell heavily to the wooden floor, thumping his head against the carpeted boards, biting his tongue half through.

Heath screeched as she struck him between his legs again, this time with a well-aimed snap-kick which made him puke. Kesey hit him one last time, raising her knee up and stamping down on his abdomen before rolling him over, forcing an arm up his back, ordering him to lie still and securing his wrist in tight metal handcuffs. She forced his other arm wide, attaching the cuff to one of the staircase’s wooden balusters, ensuring he was secure.

She looked down at her prisoner and had never loathed anyone more. Every instinct told her to allow him to die as he began gagging on blood from his broken nose. But it wasn’t in Kesey’s nature. She was better than that. And so she turned him on his side in the recovery position to prevent him from choking. ‘You’re under arrest, Mr Heath. You’re not obliged to say anything, but anything you do say could be used in evidence. It’s over, and you lost, you’re going to prison for a very long time. It’s just a matter of how long for and what happens when you get there.’

48

Kesey stepped over Heath’s prone body, avoiding his feet, and began climbing the ladder towards the attic room one slow step at a time. Heath moaned incoherently, more sounds than words, as he engaged in an animated conversation with his dead mother that made no sense at all.

Kesey called out loud enough to be heard above Heath’s senseless protestations. ‘I’m coming up, Megan, it’s Laura, Laura Kesey. Heath’s incapacitated. You’re safe, and he can’t hurt you any more.’

Megan didn’t utter another word until Kesey’s head suddenly appeared through the open hatch. When she saw Kesey for the first time, Megan’s relief was obvious, the tension melting away as tears of happiness freely flowed.

‘Oh, thank God. I really thought we were going to die in this hellhole.’

Kesey smiled despite, or perhaps because of the tension. She felt close to collapse. Close to emotional meltdown. And so she chose humour to raise her spirits. ‘You should have seen what went on down there. We very nearly did.’

‘Is Heath… is he… is he…’

‘He’s in handcuffs. He can’t move. You don’t need to worry.’