He signalled for me to come to the car. I left the front door slightly ajar – if the wind opened it wider it might alert a neighbour. My legs were unsteady as I walked the few steps to the Volvo. I was at sea and the pavement lurched. I slid into the back seat beside him. The car was impeccable and smelled of some pine air-freshener. Goulden looked into the mirror, his pale blue eyes held mine. I could see he had a large freckle on his lip.
‘We’re going to the hospital. Don’t do anything stupid.’ He held up the knife. ‘I wouldn’t like to have to use this on Mrs Donlan here.’
‘Miss Donlan.’
Oh, Agnes. I braced myself but he didn’t seem to notice her correction. He used the central locking system to seal us in and started the engine.
We were soon caught up in the traffic jam. I could sense his impatience rising. He began to mutter under his breath, the back of his neck reddened. He put the handbrake on and fished in his pocket for something. Drew out a bottle of tablets, unscrewed the lid and slipped two into his palm. Swallowed them. We crawled forward a few feet. The streetlights came on, red that would soon brighten to orange. A gust of wind spattered rain across the windscreen. I reminded myself to breathe.
What on earth did he intend to discuss with us once he’d got us to the hospital? Did he really think we’d sit down and chat after this violent abduction? We crawled forward a little more. Was Ray back yet? How long before he began to wonder about me, try the number? A siren sounded and gradually an ambulance made its way through the traffic on the other side of the road.
Very slowly I moved my arm and inched my hand towards the door lock. I hadn’t a coherent plan in mind but I wanted to see if I could get out of the car if an opportunity arose. I pushed hard with my thumb praying the lock would move quietly. It wouldn’t move at all. Childproof.
The bleeping of the car-phone made me squeal. My hand shot back to my lap. Goulden didn’t pick the thing up, just jabbed at it with his fingers.
A woman’s voice, cultured, low-pitched. ‘Ken, the police have been here asking about the tablets. How the hell did they find out?’
‘What did you tell them?’ He was anxious.
‘I didn’t know anything about it. I showed them the records, no entry for that prescription. I told them I’d no idea where they’d come from.’
‘They believe you?’
‘I don’t know. They said they’d want to talk to me again. Oh, Ken, we never should have used Malden’s. You should have used a false label, invented a pharmacy.’