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She banged one last time before she remembered—Monique didn’t eekends Pepe had told her just a few hours ago that she would be returning to her own home

Despair was al door

Eejit that she was, she’d run away to an empty house for which she didn’t have a key

Sing away the bile that had lodged in her throat, she tried to think Nothing came Her mind was a complete blank

She didn’t have a clue what to do

‘I can’t get into the house’

‘I want h but she detected the underlying menace in it

‘You’ll get it’ She rubbed a hand down her face ‘Give ets ho you want’

‘You don’t pay?’

‘I will pay But I can’t get into the house, so I can’t get my purse’

‘You don’t pay, I get police’

‘No, please’ Her voice rose ‘I proard’

A rabbed her shoulder ‘You pay or I call police’

Her fear rising, she tried to shake him off ‘I will pay Please don’t call the police’

His hand didn’t budge other than to lock onto her biceps ‘Coo see police’

‘Get off me!’ she cried All the heat in her skin had been replaced by cold terror The thought of being dragged into a police station and being accused of criminality was more than she could bear

But the driver was clearly furious and had no intention of letting her go Keeping a tight grip on her, he hauled her back down the steps to the cab