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Chapters (70)
  1. Cover
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  3. Map of Rutland
  4. Map of Oakham
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. On Borrowed Time
  69. Acknowledgments
  70. Adam Croft

She’d never realised how much the human throat could collapse under pressure. There was no way of getting air into her lungs. No way of releasing Smallwood’s grip. She felt the blood throb in her head as it struggled to circulate, her lungs desperately gasping for air.

As her vision started to speckle and blacken around the edges, she realised this was it. This was the end.

60

The air rushed into Caroline’s lungs as she wheezed and coughed. That sweet oxygen couldn’t come quickly enough, and her chest burned as her vision started to come back to her.

She had no idea how long she’d been out, or what had happened between then and now, but Smallwood was no longer on top of her. His arm was no longer around her throat.

She could hear sounds of a struggle, the noise of people shouting. The blood throbbed in her temples as it restored its usual journey through her veins.

She rolled onto her back, still gasping for air, which couldn’t come quickly enough. She turned her head to the side and saw Dexter pinning Smallwood to the ground, his knee and lower leg on Smallwood’s back as he held his wrists behind him.

‘You okay?’ Dexter said

Caroline nodded, her neck stiff and sore. She didn’t try to speak. Didn’t want to speak. In any case, there were no words she could possibly say. Her job had always shown her how fragile life could be and how quickly and easily it could be snuffed out. Those were facts she knew, but which she’d never experienced in quite that way. Not for many years, anyway.

She looked at Smallwood and was disturbed to see his face carried no emotion. This was the face of a man resigned to his fate, a man who knew what was coming and still didn’t mind one bit. This was how life was always going to turn out for him. This was his fate.

‘It’s alright,’ Dexter said. ‘You’re safe. You’re going to be alright. We’ve got him. Just hold on. Not long now. We’ve got him.’

Her head throbbed, but the cold tiles of Howard Smallwood’s kitchen floor provided some small relief. From here, her line of sight carried on out of the kitchen door, down the hallway and to the glazed front door. She heard the sound of sirens approaching; that familiar, welcome sound. She felt her eyelids getting heavier as the sound grew louder.

Then came the blue lights, flashing and strobing, bouncing off the frosted glass of Howard Smallwood’s front door, lighting the house.

Caroline closed her eyes and waited.

61

Caroline had never expected to spend her Monday morning in a hospital bed, but it would be fair to say the last couple of weeks hadn’t conformed to expectations in many ways.