“Why not?” Reilly shouted.
“’cause I was wearing gloves.”
Chapter Forty-two
The pellet bounced off the radiator with a deafening metallic clang before burying itself in the plaster an inch or two above Mary’s head. She jumped, screamed, and launched herself off the mattress onto the stone floor, panting for breath. She glared at the maniac who had fired it as he laughed himself stupid before firing another at the floor, inches from her face.
“What are you doing?” she shouted, bouncing back onto the mattress, trying to maintain some dignity as she used her hands to cover her private areas.
“Put your hands down, you stupid cow. I saw it all yesterday. Nothing impressed me then.”
“You are a foul individual,” shouted Mary.
“Compliments, compliments, Mary,” shouted Robbie, reloading the rifle and letting off another couple of rounds: one into the mattress, the other into the radiator, which, sadly for Mary, bounced off and took a small piece out of her right arm.
She grabbed it with her left, slumping back against the wall, gritting her teeth, the pain shooting through her arm. “What are you doing, you stupid man? You could have killed me.”
“I’m not aiming to kill you, for Christ’s sake. Why would I want to kill you? I haven’t got my information yet.”
“I’ve told you, I don’t know anything.”
“Rubbish.” Robbie slung the air rifle across his arm and slowly walked in. He knelt down at the edge of the mattress. “You’re either very brave, or very stupid. Which is it, Mary?”
“I’m certainly not stupid.”
“Then you must be brave, protecting your man like you are doing. So we’re going to play the game again, and God help you if you don’t give me something to go on.”
Mary’s insides rumbled at the thought of what that could mean.
“What do you know about his friends?” Robbie asked her.
“I’m cold.”
“Pardon?”
“I said I’m cold, and I’m hungry. Perhaps if you looked after me a little better, I might be able to help.”
“I don’t think you’ve got the hang of this game, Mary. If the worst comes to the worst, I won’t need you to find him. I’m just making things easier for myself and having a little fun along the way.”
“Fun?” shouted Mary. “What’s funny about kidnapping and torturing a defenceless woman?”
“It’s amusing me.” Robbie stood up.
“There’ll be people looking for me, you know.”
“Well, your mother won’t be one of them, will she? She can hardly walk, and if she could, I doubt she’d remember the way.”
“Don’t you insult my mother.”
Robbie grabbed her right arm where the pellet had removed a chunk of flesh, squeezing. Mary pinched her face so hard that all of her features ended up in the middle, as if she was in the hall of mirrors. She tried to screech, but her vocal cords failed her.
“Now what do you know about his friends?”
Mary was breathless, so Robbie let go. “Friends?” he persisted.
“I don’t know any of his friends.”
“What?” he shouted. “You’re his girlfriend and you haven’t met any of his friends? Mind you, type of company he keeps, you’re probably better off.”