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‘Please identify yourself. This is the police. We’ve been alerted to the alarm activation.’ The voice barked at her, sharp and commanding.
‘Um, I’m Freya Johnson. There was a noise from the kitchen and then the alarm went off and…’
The lightheadedness was there again. Her eyes couldn’t focus.
‘Password!’ the voice barked again.
‘Um, I, er, just give me a minute…’
She felt like she was going to vomit. She couldn’t remember what her password was.
‘You have twenty seconds then I’ll radio for an immediate armed response.’
‘Um, er, it’s “John McClane”. Did you hear that? John McClane!’
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, the noise of the alarm ceased.
‘Hello, Miss Johnson, my name is Vanessa. I’ve deactivated the alarm here, but you will need to reset the control panel. Now, are you sure everything’s OK?’ the woman’s voice spoke.
‘I think so. I don’t know; I think I’m deaf. Let me go and check the kitchen.’
Gingerly, she left the lounge and made her way up the hallway towards the kitchen.
She flipped on the light and saw Willis in the middle of the kitchen, stood next to a black crow, feathers around his lips. Freya looked up from the floor and saw the kitchen window was broken and glass was all over the work top.
‘I think you’d better get the police to come.’ She called Willis to her and picked him up.
‘OK, Miss Johnson, I’ll have a unit come straight over. Do you want to keep talking to me until they arrive?’
The intercom buzzed loudly and it startled her. Her breath caught in her throat and she almost let go of Willis and the phone. Willis jumped from her arms.
‘Miss Johnson, is everything OK?’
‘Yes, yes it’s fine. Hang on, just one second. Hello?’ she said into the intercom system.
‘Hi, Freya, it’s Jolie,’ her neighbour’s voice called through the speaker.
‘Hi, Jolie. Come on up to the house. Er, hello? Vanessa? It’s fine, it’s my neighbour. She’ll be here until the police arrive. Thank you for your help.’
She ended the call and rushed through the hallway to the front door to meet Jolie. She could see her friend marching up the driveway laden down with grocery bags.
‘Sorry I’m late. Adrian decided to paint the kitchen with ketchup and… well, look at your hair!’ Jolie said.
‘I… well… I’ve got the police coming in a second and…’
‘You haven’t had another break in! Oh my God, when?! With you here in the house?’ She went up the steps to the house.
‘Well, it wasn’t really a break in, it was… Look, come in and make yourself at home. I’ve got some wine open and there’s beer in the fridge or there’s soda or… I’ve just got to call someone about the broken window.’
‘I’ll do that.’ Jolie put her arm around Freya. ‘I’ll also make some tea.’
22
The President’s Lounge was a well-known, members-only club in California. It was frequented by the rich and famous and was very exclusive. Nicholas had been a member for some years, but he’d only been in the establishment once when he’d met with a director. It wasn’t his scene.
He nodded to a few people he recognised and made his way to the bar at the far end of the room. He didn’t like the place. It was all bright lights and wall-to-wall names from the American edition of Who’s Who. It wasn’t somewhere he felt comfortable.
He ordered a beer from the bartender and sat down.
