Convictions — Excerpt from Chapter One
The man stared through the windscreen of the car, one hand gripping the steering wheel, the other clutching the crucifix he wore on a chain around his neck. A private symbol of his faith, it normally sat unseen beneath collar and tie, but with tie removed and collar undone, he could hold on to the small gold cross, feel its power flood into him as he prayed.
God had brought him to this place on this night. He had listened to his prayers and had guided him here, here where there would be someone who needed to be saved. Someone who needed to meet Him.
The area of the car park he waited in was dark, the nearest lamp broken. There was no one nearby. Ahead, he could see the empty bus stops, a couple of taxis waiting for the last train to come in, the drivers chatting and smoking and hoping for fares that would tip well to round off the night. He watched and prayed.
Finally he saw them, the reason God had drawn him to this place out of all those he could have gone to. He fired the engine and the car crept forward towards the two small figures.
God had brought him to this place on this night. He had listened to his prayers and had guided him here, here where there would be someone who needed to be saved. Someone who needed to meet Him.
The area of the car park he waited in was dark, the nearest lamp broken. There was no one nearby. Ahead, he could see the empty bus stops, a couple of taxis waiting for the last train to come in, the drivers chatting and smoking and hoping for fares that would tip well to round off the night. He watched and prayed.
Finally he saw them, the reason God had drawn him to this place out of all those he could have gone to. He fired the engine and the car crept forward towards the two small figures.
***
Penny awoke with a start. Something had disturbed her sleep, something out of place … there it was again, a tapping on the front door, the familiar sound threatening in the darkness.
‘Derek.’ She shook her husband awake. ‘Derek, there’s someone at the door.’
‘What time is it?’ Derek was groggy, full of ale and unhappy about being woken up.
‘Just gone two.’
‘Ignore it, Pen, it’s the middle of the bloody night.’
Seconds later he was asleep again. Penny touched the base of the bedside lamp just once to keep the light dim, then swung her legs out of bed and shuffled her feet into her slippers. Her head felt woozy and she regretted that last glass of wine: she’d be hung over in the morning and she had a busy day ahead of her, starting with picking the kids up from Derek’s mum’s house. The tapping began again. She sighed, pulled the bedroom door shut behind her and flipped on the landing light, sending shadows scampering back into the crevices where they lived.
‘Who is it?’ she called when she got to the front door. Her voice sounded frail and afraid, the unknown on the other side of the door making her fearful. No good news arrived by night. ‘Who’s there?’
She heard a strangled sob, then: ‘Mum.’
Penny fumbled the lock, panic making her clumsy, then yanked the door open to see her eldest daughter, bedraggled and tearstained, on the front step. Penny gathered her child to her, felt the little girl sag against her, pulled her through the door and into the hall, then on into the sitting room, shushing her and snapping on lights as she went.
Once they were seated, she brushed her daughter’s hair out of her eyes, fighting the swell of panic, trying to stay calm, trying not to frighten the girl even more than she was already frightened. ‘Tina, what’s happened, pet? Why are you not at your gran’s?’
‘Mum …’
‘Where’s Annie?’ asked Penny, suddenly very afraid. Her two girls were inseparable.
Tina shuddered. ‘She’s …’ she began, hesitantly. Then she cried out, ‘Mum, he took her! The man, he put us in his car and he took Annie!’
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Convictions by Julie Morrigan is available for purchase now from Amazon UK, Amazon US and Smashwords.
