Chapter 23: Bullet Proof

Robert and Nancy stared at the woman, she may have been old but there was a spark of youth in her eyes as well as a look of pure danger. Robert shielded Nancy,

' So know she knows everything, well I cant really let either of you leave now can I?' her look became more deranged and she focused on Nancy,

' Your mother' she practically spat the words out as she stared venomously at Nancy,

' She really knew how to ruin peoples lives, I gave him everything and what happens…daddy and his money turn up and he rejects me like I was nothing to him' she was now focusing on Robert,

' You ungrateful little bastard, I didn't have to raise you, I didn't have to feed and cloth you and keep a roof over your head, you should've died when you were born and spared us all this misery' Robert remained silent but Nancy could see he was seething with rage, Catherine carried on her scathing and goading until Robert snapped,

' And what about everything else you gave me? What about the savage beatings when you were drunk, which was most of the time? What about locking me outside in the rain so you could entertain your gentlemen callers? What about allowing your mentally unstable brother to treat me like a punch bag? What about all of that Catherine, and even on the day I left you tried to strangle me in front of my father, who could blame me for leaving and yet even after I did I still came back, I still hoped you had changed and you might actually care about me, but you don't and you never have'

' Well why should I have to care, you weren't mine' Nancy wanted to cry at hearing of her half brothers traumatic childhood and she gripped his free hand tightly,

' I'm not letting you ruin anything else for me Catherine, I have family and you can't take them away from me'

' Oh I think I can, you took my family'

' He took mine first!' Robert was shouting, his entire body was shaking violently

' He was a good man' Catherine's voice faltered slightly at the mention of her brother and he hand holding the gun dropped a few inches,

' He was insane, and by the looks of things so are you, killing innocent women to get attention Catherine, what were you hoping to achieve?'

' He would have been proud of me, they were whores, unclean, faithless whores just like your mother!' her eyes sprang back to Nancy,

' And I bet you're just like her aren't you, a filthy whore'

' Don't you dare speak to her like that?'

' Or what Robert, you'll kill me, you don't have the guts' Nancy tightened her grip on Robert's hand,

' Not like my brother he was a real man, he had guts' Nancy knew they had to buy as much time as possible, she decided to try another tactic rather than shouting,

' You're right'

' Excuse me?'

' You're right about everything, you were more of a mother to Robert than she was, and your brother was a good man' Robert caught her eye and realised what she was doing,

' Nancy how can you say that?'

' Because it's true, she wasn't even a good mother to me, why shouldn't women just like her be wiped off the face of the earth, better dead than inflicting more pain on good people like Catherine and her brother, if our mother had never interfered in their lives they could be happy right now, we deserve to die Robert' Catherine nodded menacingly,

' You see Robert she's smart, she understands'

' But may I make one request?'

' What?'

' Don't kill us here, not where that waste of space died'

' And where would you prefer I kill you'

' How about outside in the street, anywhere but where she died'

' Fine start walking' she stood to the side of the doorway to allow Robert and Nancy through before prodding the gun into both their backs and following them out of the room. Robert looked at Nancy concern in his eyes, she gave him a small smile as they walked down the stairs, they got to the back door and Nancy immediately noticed something different, it had been closed and locked, she twisted the handle and tried again but nothing?

' Do you have the key?' she turned to Catherine

' What are you talking about?' she shoved Nancy out of the way and began rattling the handle keeping the gun pointed at them,

' Where's the key?'

' This house is never locked, it doesn't need to be, people are to afraid to come here' Robert said,

' What do you mean?' they both heard the flicker of panic in Catherine's voice,

' There haven't been keys for this house in years' Robert let a small smile flicker onto his face,

' Then start walking and we'll go out the front' she jabbed the gun at them impatiently, they walked ahead of her once more, Nancy looked at each door in the hallway, she was sure they had been ajar when she had walked upstairs, they reached the front door and Robert twisted the handle, they heard a small click and the door swung open, the street outside was silent and a faint mist was floating in the air, the cold air hit them all as Catherine once again jabbed the gun into their backs.

Nancy and Robert walked beside each other down the steps and both paused when they heard the sound of a gun clicking,

' Any last words before I remove the two of you from this world?'

' I have some…' Nancy heard that voice and instant comfort washed over her, she and Robert both turned to see Holmes and Watson in the front doorway,

' Well rather he does…' Holmes nodded his head towards Nancy and Robert; they looked at each other curiously before Nancy saw Lestrade and his men emerging from hiding places,

' Miss Catherine Slater I am arresting you for…lots of murders, you will be tried and most likely hanged, you may speak your last words when the noose is round your neck' Catherine laughed maniacally,

' You really think I've come this far to let all of you ruin this for me, they both die'

She raised the gun and pointed it at Robert,

' The oldest bastard first' before anyone could react she had fired at Robert, Nancy felt everything around her slow down as she watched her half brother fall to the ground, the next thing she knew Holmes had grabbed two truncheons off of Lestrades men and used one to knock the gun from Catherine's hand and the other to knock her out, Nancy bent down and moved Robert slightly, he smiled and laughed as she turned him over,

' It really is a very clever invention Mr Holmes' Nancy stared at him completely confused and looked at Holmes, he smiled and pulled the corner of Roberts shirt down,

' Bullet-proof undergarment, I really shall have to think of a better name for it than that' Nancy smiled at him,

' How did you know?' her voice was quiet and shaky,

' Because I'm supposed to know' he smiled at her.