Harris raised his eyebrows. 'And you know this …how?'
'I just know, trust me.'
The grim faced detective relayed the information to the field officer in charge while Ethan telephoned his neighbour on the officer's phone.
I hope he remembers Magnum Opus, Zoe prayed.
'When's the lord and master getting in?' Wayne demanded.
'Not till just before dinner.'
'Call him back and tell him you need him here early. Say you have a surprise waiting for him.' Wayne sneered and said almost to himself… 'Yeah a real nice surprise….'
Zoe shook her head. No way was she enticing her love into this nightmare.
'No?' Wayne, his hand quivering, swung the gun towards Darlene his message clear.
'You can't be serious Wayne. Let her go.' She looked at Darlene, and noting her pastiness and laboured breathing, her fears for the housekeeper's health grew. 'Darlene's not involved. You can't hurt her just to get Ethan here…. Wayne, please take the gag and binding off Darlene. She's having trouble breathing and her hands are going blue. She's no threat to you.' Zoe entreated.
'I can't keep an eye on you both.' He whined, his bloodshot eyes sweeping them both before returning to the window.
'There's a lockable closet near the front door you can lock her in there only just take off the gag and loosen the tape. Please!'
Grudgingly Wayne did as he was asked after checking out the security of the closet.
Hoping Wayne was starting to waver, Zoe pleaded. 'Forget Ethan. You've got me, you don't need him. Let's leave together. I'll go where ever you want-'
'NO!... We'll wait… You had your chance with me and you blew it. Would you like me to tell you what I'm going to do to you while loverboy looks on?'
The grim faced men in the surveillance truck looked at each other and silently agreed that it was a good thing that the "suit" in the limo no longer had his mobile.
After what seemed like hours but was probably no more than 20 minutes the heart wrenchingly familiar crunch of tyres on the gravel could be heard.
Zoe's worst fears were realised.
He must have known something was up since he hadn't questioned the strange number or non-existent theatre outing. Had he ignored her warning about Wayne being a psychopath and the gun and had come to rescue them? Had Ethan not picked up the clues? Had he disconnected the phone even though she hadn't? Did he just not know what he was coming home to?