"I've won!" he cackled. "I've won! I'll kill both of you and I'll be a hero! Then I can do what I want!"
"Are you trying to provide evidence for an insanity plea?" Barton asked calmly as I tried to staunch the bleeding from my arm.
"They'll say YOU were insane! I'll say you killed her! That you were an insane killer! And everyone will believe me! They have to! They must!"
He was ranting now. My appearance must have triggered off a sudden mental collapse in his already unstable mind. While it made him dangerous, it might possibly give me an opening. I was glad I'd brought Emily and Scruff along.
"It was a brilliant plan," I said.
"Of course it was! I'm a genius! I bought Mr. Barton's character from him, engineered his confrontation with Stock. I planned it all! And until your friends stopped me killing my leads, I was fine! Everything was working, but you ruined it. Oh, but you'll fail. You'll all fail! I'll kill both of you! Kill both of you and be a hero!"
"You'll still be a nutcase."
Galliard whirled to face Scruff, in full Robin costume, armed with a garden rake. He stared at her.
"Who...?"
"The girl who's going to beat you," she answered. I saw my chance and, wounded as I was, I tore the pistol from Galliard's hand.
"Thanks, Grey," Scruff smiled. "Still brave without your gun?"
Still completely insane, I thought as Galliard threw himself at my sister.
Scruff's a great kid, and pretty good in a scrap. She used the rake as a fighting-pole, throwing Galliard back. He grabbed the poker and threw himself at her again.
"You've spoiled everything! he shouted madly. "You've ruined my plan! I was going to kill Barton! I was going to be a hero!"
"You were never going to be anything other than a madman," I replied.
Scruff was trained to fight in her school. They're tough places, boarding schools. I just gave her a few hints on how to fight baddies.
She used the furniture to her advantage, boucing on chairs and sofas, using tables and the mantlepiece as high ground. Galliard swang viciously with his poker, but Scruff evaded it. Finally she caught it with the prongs of the rake and tore it from Galliard's grasp.
"Sorry, Mr. Galliard, you've lost," she said.
"No! I can't have! I planned so well..."
He bolted. Scruff and I ran after him.
"Your arm..." Scruff said.
"I've been shot before."
Galliard ran out, into the night. He was making weird, inhuman noises. He was completely insane. We had to stop him.
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