The Hangman’s Hold. Michael Wood

the top of his voice.

      Joe kissed all of the children in turn and told them to have a great time. He picked Jason up and raised him high in the air.

      ‘You’re getting big now, birthday boy.’ He kissed him on the cheek. ‘Enjoy the film. Tell me all about it when you get back.’

      ‘Ok.’

      Karen turned to make sure the kids were out of earshot. ‘Remember …’

      ‘I know, presents first, then cake.’

      ‘And don’t drop it either or I’ll drop you.’

      ‘Such a lovely way with words.’ Joe kissed his wife hard on the lips before she could issue any more instructions. He waved them off and closed the door.

      The silence, no chattering wife, no excited kids, was deafening. He breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. As much as he loved his family, he appreciated his alone time just as much.

      It was an unusually cold morning. The sun was shining in the clear blue sky, but it was bloody freezing. As Joe selected fifth gear, he slammed his foot down on the accelerator and headed into Derbyshire. The rolling landscape was covered with a sparkling layer of frost, bare trees reached into the air, sheep grazed on the steep hillside, and the sound of birds singing was heart-warming. Winter was maintaining its stronghold on 2017 for a little longer than usual. With these stunning views, it didn’t matter.

      Joe had struck lucky when it came to in-laws. Karen’s parents were kind and generous. They welcomed Joe into their family and forgave him his past deeds. As long as Karen and the kids were happy, they were too. They invited Joe in for a hot chocolate to warm him up before presenting him with a sack full of gifts for Jason. It was exactly like the Christmas Eve present run.

      ‘There’s a little something in there for Esme and Victoria too. I didn’t want them feeling left out,’ Karen’s mum said.

      ‘You don’t need to do that, Alice. You gave them all plenty at Christmas.’

      ‘Well, I just want them to know we think about them all. Give them a big kiss from their grandma and grandad and tell them we’ll see them tomorrow.’

      Joe headed back to Sheffield. He stopped off to fill up with petrol, then went to the far side of the city to collect the cake from the baker.

      ‘Oh my God, that’s brilliant,’ he beamed when he opened the box and saw the large cake inside. ‘Jason will love it. It’s his favourite Minion.’

      ‘Well I hope you all enjoy it.’

      ‘We will.’

      The box was secured with the seatbelt and Joe drove carefully back to Meersbrook. He couldn’t stop smiling as he imagined the look on Jason’s face when he saw the cake. He drove straight into the garage and closed the door behind him.

      Before he’d left, Joe had set the dining room up for the mini-party they were having later with a few of Jason’s friends from school. The table was clear, and Joe could place the cake in the middle without any hassle. It was heavier than expected.

      He took the lid off the box, carefully removed the large yellow cake from it and placed the smiling Minion on the table. He stood back and inspected it. Karen would kill him if there were any damages. He was amazed something so intricate could be made out of sponge and icing.

      The attack caught Joe unawares. The wind was knocked out of him from behind, and he fell to the floor, hitting the ground with a loud thud.

      Dazed, he shook his head and tried to stand up, but something was pushing down on his back and he fell to the floor once again. He looked up and saw his pained reflection in the patio windows screaming back at him. Above him was a dark figure dressed in black who had one foot on his back, pressing him to the floor. He couldn’t breathe as he felt his ribs starting to break.

      ‘I could easily kill you. It wouldn’t take much for a broken shard of a rib to pierce your lung and for it to fill with blood. You’d gag. You’d choke. You’d drown in your own blood, but it wouldn’t take long before you lost consciousness.’

      The pressure was released from Joe. He was in a great deal of pain, but he managed to turn over onto his back. He coughed as he struggled to regain his breath.

      ‘Who the fuck are you?’ he asked.

      The man dressed in black took off his backpack, unzipped it and took out a length of rope. He held it aloft, showing Joe the noose swaying at the end of it.

      ‘I’m your executioner.’

      Panicking, Joe tried to get away. He didn’t get far as he banged the back of his head on the patio window. He turned, reached up for the handle and pulled, but it was locked. He felt the noose go over his head and squeeze into his neck. He tried to get his fingers under the rope, but it was no good, it was too tight. Already his breathing was laboured, and he felt light-headed as he was dragged along the carpet.

      ‘Wake up, Joe,’ his attacker shouted, slapping him across his face. ‘You need to know why you’re being executed. You’re taking all the fun out of it.’

      ‘What do you want?’

      ‘Justice. That’s all I want.’

      ‘I haven’t done anything wrong!’

      The man let go of the rope, and Joe fell back, hitting his head once again on the floor.

      ‘How can you say that? How can you deny what you’ve done? When you’re breathing your last breath, think of Rebecca.’

      Joe’s eyes widened. That was a name he hadn’t heard in years. ‘No. Please,’ he wept. ‘I’ve got a family. Please. Don’t kill me.’

      At the sight of Joe begging and pleading for his life, the Hangman smiled.

      ‘Mum, I feel sick.’

      ‘I told you not to eat all those fries.’

      It was going dark by the time Karen and the children made their way from Meadowhall back home to Meersbrook. They’d had a great day, although when planning it, Karen hadn’t taken into account the annoyance of Saturday shoppers. She had felt a headache come on after ten minutes. The volume of The Lego Batman Movie hadn’t helped either. The burger in Oasis afterwards was tasty, but the wall of noise from those around her took the edge off her appetite. Jason, however, had delighted in finishing off everyone else’s fries. Now, he was paying the price. When she’d gone to the toilet and seen her reflection in the mirror she looked as if she’d aged ten years since arriving at Meadowhall. The mall sapped every ounce of energy from the moment you arrived. When the extension opened it would be hell on earth.

      ‘Have you had a good day, Jason?’ she asked, trying to distract him from feeling sick.

      ‘It’s been brilliant,’ he brightened up. ‘I can’t wait to tell Dad about the film. Do you think he’ll take me to see it again next weekend?’

      ‘I’m sure he will,’ Karen said smiling, knowing her husband was a big kid at heart and would probably enjoy The Lego Batman Movie even more than Jason did, if that was possible.

      Karen turned the corner and pulled up in front of the house. She wondered why it was in darkness. Maybe Joe was planning to jump out and shout surprise. Jason would love that.

      Jason climbed out of the back seat and ran to the house. The front door was unlocked and he went straight in. Karen could hear the calls for his father from the road. For a tiny child, he had a loud voice. Victoria and Esme helped Karen with the bags of shopping. She had just closed the boot when a glass-shattering scream came from the house. She dropped a bag and a bottle smashed. Red wine spilled out of the torn plastic and ran down the road. She froze as she looked at the open doorway of her home and saw her little boy staring at her. His face was pale, and he was shaking violently. Her mouth opened but she couldn’t speak. Her heart seemed to have stopped beating and her world stopped turning.