The Book of Death (Bourbon Kid 4)

committing to
it.
    ‘Fuck the police. Bunch of
corrupt fuckers,’ he muttered, not taking his eyes off the icy road ahead.
    The uneven road they were on was
covered in icy puddles and littered with potholes, many of which were hidden under
patches of snow and ice, making the road even more dangerous than usual. It
didn’t help that cars were parked on either side of the road, leaving little
room for manoeuvring around the hazards. The only blessing was that there was
hardly any other traffic about.
    ‘They’re pretty desperate by the
sounds of it though,’ Beth carried on. ‘And I’m out of work now. It could be
worth doing for a few days, at least.’
    ‘Yeah.’
    He seemed disinterested but she
carried on regardless. ‘A lot of officers were killed by the Bourbon Kid last
night. The streets aren’t really safe without a visible display of law
enforcement.’
    ‘Those cops got what they
deserved.’
    There was something about the
way JD spoke that revealed a real lack of compassion for the dead officers and their
families. He seemed to be missing the point that even though some of the dead
might have been bad people, they still might have young kids or partners who
would be suffering. Her thoughts turned to Bertram Cromwell again momentarily.
    ‘And Cromwell? Did he get what
he deserved?’ she asked.
    ‘Who knows?’
    ‘The answer is no,’ she snapped.
JD seemed so distant suddenly, as if he weren’t really listening. ‘I hope the
Bourbon Kid gets caught and they stick him in the electric chair!’
    ‘Shut up a minute,’ said JD,
twisting a knob on the radio to turn up the volume.
    Beth caught the end of Harry
Hunter announcing that there was a development in the Bourbon Kid case.
    “The local news has obtained
some video footage of the Bourbon Kid taken from the police station last night.
We urge everyone to check out the footage on the local news or on our Radio SM
website. Anyone who spots the man in the picture is advised to steer clear and
call the Bourbon Kid hotline. The number is…’
    JD switched off the radio before
Harry Hunter could read out the number.
    ‘Wow,’ said Beth. ‘I’m going to
check that out when I get home. I wonder what he looks like?’
    ‘Probably looks like everyone
else in this town,’ said JD. ‘Black and white camera footage is a waste of
time.’
    ‘Even so. I’d still like to see
the face of the man who murdered Cromwell last night.’
    JD seemed agitated. He rubbed
his chin and took a moment to respond. ‘You know what,’ he said. ‘Now that
you’re out of a job why don’t we just get the hell out of this place? Leave
today. Right now.’
    Beth was taken aback by the
suddenness of the suggestion. ‘What? Leave Santa Mondega altogether?’
    ‘Yeah. I only came back here for
you. Now that you have no ties to this place, there’s nothing to stop you and
me from moving away, starting a new life somewhere else. Somewhere with no
fucking vampires for starters.’
    ‘Really?’
    ‘Yeah. Unless you can think of a
good reason to stay?’
    Beth loved the idea. Leaving
Santa Mondega and travelling the world seeing different places with JD had been
a distant dream less than twenty four hours ago, but now that dream could
become very real. ‘Well, when were you thinking of leaving?’ she asked.
    ‘No time like now.’
    ‘That would be great, but my
landlord needs four weeks notice before I move out.’
    ‘Fuck your landlord. You can’t
pay him if you’re in New Mexico.’
    ‘We’re going to New Mexico?’
    ‘We could do. We can go wherever
you want, babe. Anywhere’s better than here.’
    ‘That’s true enough.’
    JD pulled the car over. They had
arrived at the apartment block Beth lived in. He stopped the car by the kerb
right outside the entrance and turned the engine off. He looked at her, his
face revealing he was deadly serious. ‘Yeah. Go pack up your clothes and
essentials and I’ll pick you up in an hour.’
    ‘What are you going to do?’
    ‘I’m gonna go get my
shit together then I’ll be back.’
    He leaned over and kissed her on
the lips, a slow lingering kiss that made up her mind for her. ‘Come on, before
I change my mind,’ he said.
    ‘You sure? Really?’
    ‘Yeah.’
    ‘I’ll need more than an hour to
pack though.’
    JD sighed. ‘What have you got
that you’re gonna need on the road? You can leave most of your stuff behind.
Just bring the basics and the sentimental stuff you can’t live without.’
    Beth