Frantic Zoe again pleaded with her tormentor. 'Wayne! It's not too late. You can leave by the back. Ethan has a speed boat…please…before you do something you'll regret.'
'I won't…regret it I mean.'
'I beg of you Wayne. We need to talk.'
Wayne swung the gun towards Zoe effectively silencing her. He walked around behind her on the lounge rested a heavy hand on her shoulder and hissed into her ear.
'Done talkin'.'
Zoe had never hung up the phone and the police had heard it all. As it stood Wayne didn't know he had been found out. If a negotiator was brought in he would know his game was up. If he was to be believed Darlene was expendable and there was serious doubt that Wayne would last the evening without losing it. Ethan couldn't risk it and demanded the right to go into his house, as bait. The cops had had no choice but to send him in with specific instructions, all precautions taken.
So here he was heart pounding bearding the lion in his den.
Keep him talking, they had said. Act natural. Draw him outside onto the deck.
'Rachel, I'm home. Where are you?...Oh! There you are.' Ethan sauntered into the lounge and made his way over to the drinks cabinet as if finding Wayne there with Zoe was a natural occurrence. 'Introduce me to your friend Rachel?'
'Er…Ethan this is Wayne. I worked with-'
'Why you calling her Rachel? Her names Zoe.'
'That's because it's today's name. Alas Rachel has amnesia and has been unable to tell me anything about her life before the accident. Not a thing. No details what so ever. So it's a pleasant surprise if she has found someone she so obviously knows who can give us some details on her history. First though what would you like to drink?'
The question clearly threw Wayne as his grip on Zoe's shoulder tightened then relaxed. Zoe wondered what Ethan was planning. That's if he had a plan, she thought grimly. And why hadn't he taken off his coat. As if it mattered, Zoe castigated herself.
'Scotch. On the rocks.'
'And you…Zoe?'
'Oh…Me? Nothing for me. Ethan I-'
The vicious grip on Zoe's shoulder cut her off mid sentence.
'What my love, Zoe, was about to say was that her memory has returned-'
Ethan jerked his gaze towards the distraught woman and recognized the truth of Wayne's statement. On a deep breath he returned to his task.