A Room Full of Killers: A gripping crime thriller with twists you won’t see coming. Michael Wood

      

       Chapter Sixty-Nine

      

       Chapter Seventy

      

       Chapter Seventy-One

      

       Chapter Seventy-Two

      

       Chapter Seventy-Three

      

       Chapter Seventy-Four

      

       Chapter Seventy-Five

      

       Epilogue

      

       Acknowledgements

      

       Keep Reading…

      

       About the Author

      

       Also by Michael Wood

      

       About the Publisher

       PROLOGUE

       Manchester. Tuesday, 7 January 2014

      I was in agony. The pain was immense. I couldn’t believe it. I looked across at the alarm clock and saw that it was just after 1:30 a.m., and I hadn’t been to sleep yet. How could I when all I wanted to do was vomit everything I’d ever eaten.

      I managed to roll out of bed and practically crawled to the bathroom. I made it to the toilet just in time. The sick was never-ending. I honestly thought I was going to bring up an organ. There was so much of it. It was like that scene from The Exorcist.

      I must have woken my sister, Ruby, because I looked up to wipe my mouth and she was standing in the doorway. She had her hands on her hips and a serious look on her face like she was going to tell me off. If I hadn’t felt like I was dying I would have laughed. How could she try and look mean and threatening when she was wearing Hello Kitty pyjamas?

      ‘Could you be any louder about it?’

      ‘Sorry, Ruby, did I wake you?’

      ‘No, I always go for a walk around this time.’ She looked at her wrist as if there was a watch there.

      ‘Sorry. I don’t think I should have reheated that curry I had for my tea.’

      ‘Have you made yourself sick so you don’t have to go to school in the morning?’

      ‘No. Why would I do that?’

      ‘Because I heard you telling Dad you hadn’t done your science homework.’

      ‘I’ve not made myself sick, Ruby. Go back to bed.’

      I managed to pick myself up off the floor, although I felt dizzy and the sweat was pouring off me. I had to steady myself against the wall. I was shaking and hot but I felt cold at the same time. I had no idea a chicken korma could cause such agony.

      ‘Do you want me to wake up Mum and Dad?’

      ‘No. It’s OK. I think I’ll go downstairs and see if we’ve got anything to settle my stomach.’

      ‘OK.’

      ‘Are you going back to bed?’

      ‘Yes,’ she said, folding her arms.

      ‘Go on then.’

      ‘I’m waiting until you’ve gone downstairs. I don’t want you to fall.’

      I went to go downstairs and kept looking back at Ruby, who wasn’t moving. I knew what she was going to do. I would have made some kind of sarcastic remark but I was frightened of opening my mouth and being sick again, because Dad had just polished the floorboards. He’d kill me if I splattered regurgitated korma all over them.

      I was halfway down the stairs when I heard Ruby tap on Mum and Dad’s bedroom door. ‘Mum, I had that dream again. Can I come in with you and Dad?’

      I smiled to myself. Ruby had promised that she’d sleep in her own bed all through the night. It was her New Year’s resolution yet she’d broken it within three days. She hated sleeping on her own, God knows why.

      As soon as I opened the door to the kitchen, Max jumped out of his basket, tail wagging, and thought I wanted to play with him. He started jumping on his back legs. As much as I loved the little dude, playing with a Fox Terrier at two o’clock in the morning was not my idea of fun. He ran over to the back door so I let him out.

      I left the door open while I looked for something to take. Dad suffered really badly with his stomach. He only had to look at a jar of beetroot and he got indigestion. He was bound to have something that could stop my stomach doing somersaults.

      I found a small tub of Andrews Salts and made myself up a glass. I swigged it back in one gulp and shuddered at the taste. It was nasty.

      Max came running back into the kitchen with a tennis ball in his mouth and dropped it at my feet. I wasn’t going outside to play fetch in the garden. It was bloody freezing out there. I made him go back to his bed, locked the back door and went into the living room. I didn’t have the strength to walk up the stairs.

      I curled up on the sofa, pulled the blanket around me and tried to get comfortable. Whatever was in that medicine seemed to be working as there was no gurgling sound coming from my stomach. I wasn’t shaking as much either.

      I was shattered. I looked at the clock – 02:15. I’d never been up this late before in my life. I was just nodding off when Max came in and licked my face. He lay down in front of me on the floor. He could tell I was ill and was looking after me, bless him. He was snoring in seconds. I wish I could fall asleep so quickly.

      04:50

      Max started licking my hand and barking. I briefly opened my eyes but, as it was still dark, I nudged Max away and pulled the blanket over my head. If he wanted to go out again he’d have to wait. I was finally warm and comfortable.

      Another bark. This time he was nuzzling my hand and trying to pull the blanket off me with his teeth. He may be a cute dog and able to get away with a lot of things, but there was no way I was getting up for him now.

      ‘Max,’ I whispered loudly. ‘You’ll wake everyone up. Go to sleep. Now!’

      I waited. I heard him groan, walk around in a circle a few times then drop to the floor. Thank God for that.

      05:05

      It seemed like only minutes later that he started fussing me again. He was yapping, barking, tugging at the blanket, and licking my face. I