Auryn paced towards him. Daniela made a grab for her arm but missed. Auryn’s face, the set of her expression, scared Daniela more than anything else.
Henry was dragging himself away on hands and knees through the shallow water. There was nowhere to go. Blood leaked down his stomach, stained his shirt, dripped from the waistband of his jeans. He reached the bottom of the stairs and clung to the lowermost step like a life raft. He tried to rise but dropped, gasping, with his cheek pressed against the stair. He must’ve been hurt worse than Daniela had realised.
‘All I ever wanted was for you to leave us alone,’ Auryn said in her quiet voice. It was unlikely Henry even heard her.
Right then, the moon emerged from the clouds, to shine a faint illumination into the old house. It stained the water silver. Painted everything else the colour of bone. Henry slowed his breathing as he gathered his strength and smothered his pain. Like somehow, he could still fight.
Daniela was paralysed; like a hand was pressing down on her shoulders to hold her in place. She still leaned against the wall for support, legs numb, staring at her sister but barely recognising her. Even though she saw what would happen, she couldn’t prevent it, like it was a drama on TV; distant and unalterable, the outcome inevitable.
Auryn turned the knife in her fingers, running her thumb across the inlaid snake on its handle.
‘This is for your family,’ she said to Henry.
38
February 2017
‘Congratulations,’ Franklyn said on the phone, ‘that’s me. What d’you want?’
Daniela felt like she’d been punched in the chest. ‘Franklyn, it’s me. Daniela.’
There was a rumple of noise as the woman sat up in bed. ‘Dani? What the hell are—? Are you all right?’
‘I’m fine, yeah. Fine.’
Her sister laughed. The sound was so familiar it sent chills up Daniela’s back. ‘Fine, she says. Like it’s been five minutes and not five years. Hey, how’d you get this number?’
‘Am I not supposed to have it?’
‘Nah, it’s just … it’s a new phone. I’ve not given the number to many people.’ Franklyn coughed, the sustained hacking cough of a life-long smoker roused from a deep sleep. ‘So, what’s up? What’s the big emergency?’
On the road behind Daniela, headlights appeared from the darkness and swept in the direction of Winterbridge Farm. Daniela wasn’t close enough to see the vehicle. Who was it? The police? There hadn’t been nearly enough time for Stephanie to find an armed responder. They wouldn’t be stupid enough to go after Henry unarmed, would they?
The engine was cut off as the car pulled up near the cabins.
‘Franklyn, have you spoken to Steph?’ Daniela asked.
‘Steph? Not for a week or so. Why?’
Daniela closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against the damp bark of the tree. ‘It’s Auryn,’ she heard herself say. ‘She’s dead.’
There was silence on the line apart from the hiss of long-distance static.
‘Say something, Franklyn, for Chrissakes.’
When Franklyn spoke, her voice was soft and faraway. ‘What happened?’
‘I – they don’t know yet. She’s dead. That’s all I know.’
Another moment, where all Daniela could hear was her sister breathing. At last Franklyn asked, ‘Where did it happen?’
‘At the old house.’
‘Okay. Okay. I can’t get there till tomorrow evening. I’ll need to … it’ll take me a while to get home. Okay? Where are you? Are you in Birmingham?’
‘No, I-I’m in Stonecrop. Hey, Frankie? You’ve not spoken to Henry McKearney, have you?’
Franklyn’s voice became careful. ‘Henry? Why?’
‘Just tell me if you have.’
‘No. God, no, of course not. If I can avoid talking to him for the rest of my life, I’ll die happy. I swear.’
Daniela let out a breath. It’d completely thrown her to hear Franklyn’s voice, and her thoughts were a mess. But Franklyn’s number had been in Henry’s cabin. Why had Henry—?
From somewhere in the distance came a muffled bam, like a car backfiring. Daniela’s head came up fast. No, not a car …
‘Dani?’ Franklyn asked. ‘You there?’
‘I gotta go. I’ll call you in the morning, yeah?’ Daniela hung up quickly before Franklyn could say anything else.
From where Daniela stood the cabins were hidden behind a hedgerow. She hurried through the wood to where the trees gave way to fields. She could see the flat top of the cabins and part of the road. A police car was tucked in behind the blue estate that was parked outside the cabins. It had to be Stephanie’s; there were no others in town.
No, she wouldn’t, she wouldn’t be so stupid …
Daniela held her breath, heart pounding. Maybe she’d misheard. Sound was tricky at night. It could’ve been anything; it hadn’t necessarily come from the cabins …
Following the hedge, Daniela hurried towards the road. A car door slammed, the sound echoing, and a moment later the engine restarted. Daniela pulled back behind the nearest tree as the headlights swung along the road. The vehicle was a shadow. Stephanie’s car? Or the other?
Was it Stephanie or Henry returning to Stonecrop?
The chill sickness that’d been growing inside swelled until it choked her. All she could think about was that goddamn shotgun in Henry’s hands, and the look on his face as he’d loaded it.
Daniela ran to the road. By the time she got there, winded and out of breath, the car was long gone. She hesitated, then went in the direction of the cabins.
She slowed as she approached. Floodwater dragged at her feet. A stitch needled her side. She was gasping for breath and felt like she might be sick. Rain began to fall again, pockmarking the water, stinging her face.
The police car was still parked near the gate. There was no sign of the blue estate.
No. No, no, no, no …
Daniela sprinted up the path. Cabin Four was in darkness. It looked no different from before. Daniela stepped onto the decking. Her breath was ragged in her chest. She wiped rainwater from her face.
She tried the handle and found the door locked.
A moan rose in her throat. It was too dark inside to see through the window. Hands shaking, Daniela unlocked her phone and held the screen up to the glass. The weak glow illuminated the interior.
The table had collapsed or been folded away. It made the kitchen slightly more spacious. She angled the light towards the rear, and saw the blood.
It was splashed up the wall and across the cabinets in a wide swipe. The fire-engine red looked unnaturally bright, mottled with darker specks and congealing lumps. A few droplets created trails as they wound their way down to drip onto the sprawled body on the floor.
39
Daniela’s stomach contracted so sharply she doubled over. Gasping, clutching the phone so hard her knuckles turned white, she clenched her teeth until the wave of nausea receded. Her knees were trembling to the point of collapse.
After what seemed like an eternity, she straightened up and shone the weak light through the window again. She had to be sure.
The body lay with feet towards the door. One bloodied hand was flung out. The person wore dark trousers and a bulky jacket that looked a lot like Stephanie’s police vest. The side of the head she could see was a mess of red and white, pulped flesh and chipped bone, a concave divot that’d obliterated the left eye and ear, as well as most of the jaw.
Daniela leaned close to the window. She held her breath so the glass didn’t fog. Blood pounded in her ears and made her feel like she would pass out.
Was it Stephanie? She couldn’t tell. She had to get inside, even if—
Someone grabbed the back of her head and slammed it into the window. The glass shattered. Before Daniela could do more than gasp, fingers clutched a handful of hair and yanked her head back, then bounced it off the window frame. Pain lanced through her cheekbone. Her vision went
black.
A kick to the back of her knee buckled her leg. The only thing that stopped her falling was the hand gripping her hair. Daniela drove an elbow into what she hoped was the attacker’s ribs, but the blow glanced off. The attacker shoved her against the wall. Again, Daniela’s head cracked off the wooden boards. She bit her tongue and tasted blood.
Another kick to her leg dropped her. The hand let go of her hair. Daniela fell, unable to catch herself, her wits scrambled. She was blind. It took her a moment to realise this was because she’d dropped the phone and the light had gone off.
The attacker kicked her hard in the stomach. All Daniela’s breath went out in a single gasp. She curled over, hands clutching her abdomen, her lungs clawing for breath, all thoughts of defending herself gone. She could focus on nothing but trying to breathe around the hurt.
She heard the rush of air as another kick angled towards her ribs. Daniela rolled away. The boot caught her elbow and set a jolt of fire up her arm. Daniela grabbed her attacker’s leg and heaved. The move brought the person down on top of her. Daniela rolled, attempting to get out from underneath. She didn’t realise how close she was to the edge of the decking until they both tipped off the side and dropped into six inches of water.
Daniela panicked as water closed over her face. The freezing cold attacked her nose and mouth as if relishing entry to her airways. The dark shape of her attacker was above her, their weight keeping her below water. The person fought to get untangled from Daniela.
In desperation, Daniela punched them in the ribs, but the angle was weak and the blow had no effect. Daniela struck out again and again, kicking and punching in a blind effort to get free. Her attacker put an elbow on her chest to get upright. It crushed the air from her lungs. Through the watery blur Daniela saw her attacker as a hazy shadow. Her vision was fading. Her chest hitched from lack of oxygen.
Then the weight came off her chest and hands grabbed her, dragging her above the surface, and she could breathe again.
She was so grateful for air that she didn’t resist as fingers strong enough to crush bone dragged her hands together in front of her. The pain was a pale shade of the agony that echoed through her chest and ribs with every breath. It was only when cold metal closed around her wrists that she started paying attention.
Daniela blinked several times to clear her vision. It was too dark to see properly. But she saw her outstretched arms, with the hands stacked one above the other, and the handcuffs around her wrists.
She raised her head. Her attacker stood over her, breathing hard from exertion or sheer anger. Despite everything, the first thing Daniela felt was relief.
‘Steph,’ she gasped. She would’ve laughed except it hurt too much.
40
Stephanie dragged Daniela to her feet. The action wasn’t gentle. Daniela staggered, unable to keep her balance, and would’ve fallen if Stephanie hadn’t yanked the handcuffs. The sharp pain cut into Daniela’s wrists. She stayed upright even though her left leg was very reluctant to take her weight.
Daniela sucked in a deep breath and winced. ‘I thought you were dead,’ she said. Her voice sounded as weak as she felt.
Stephanie didn’t reply. She dragged Daniela up onto the decking. Daniela swayed, focusing all her attention on not falling over. Stephanie peered into the cabin through the window. Her expression was lost in the shadows. She stooped to pick up Daniela’s phone from the decking and pocketed it, then yanked the cuffs again, pulling Daniela into a stumbling walk. Daniela had no choice but to follow.
‘I thought he’d killed you,’ Daniela said. ‘Seriously, when I looked in there … What the hell happened, Steph?’
Still no response. Daniela’s relief was wearing off, replaced by something chillier.
‘Steph?’ she asked. ‘C’mon, talk to me. Please. What happened?’
She tried to resist, but had no strength. When Stephanie pulled her arms, Daniela had to comply. Her chest hurt. Her boots were full of water and sloshed with every step. She could still feel the chill of being below the surface, unable to breathe.
Stephanie dragged her along the submerged path and onto the road. When Daniela saw the police car she balked again; an instinctive reaction. She hated being locked in.
‘Seriously, Steph, just talk to me, will you?’ Daniela dug in her heels as best she could. ‘Tell me what happened.’
Stephanie pulled open the rear door. ‘Get in,’ she said.
Daniela looked back at the cabin. Her mind was working at half-speed, numbed by pain and shock, but she knew things were badly wrong. Someone was dead in the cabin, and if it wasn’t Stephanie it had to be Henry. Henry McKearney was dead. And if Stephanie had been the only one there …
‘Listen,’ Daniela said, ‘whatever happened, I’m not going to say anything. Whatever you’ve done—’
Stephanie hit her, a solid punch to the gut that doubled Daniela over and dropped her to one knee. With a snarl, Stephanie shoved her into the car. Daniela fell onto the back seat. Stephanie slammed the door closed.
Daniela lay gasping on the upholstery. Rain drummed on the roof. The overhead light in the car made stars dance before her eyes. Her lungs hadn’t recovered from being kicked, bruised, and almost drowned. No matter how hard she tried she couldn’t draw enough air.
Stephanie stayed outside for a minute while she spoke on her radio. Daniela could only guess what she might be telling the police.
Just lie still. It’s over. Daniela squeezed her eyes shut. She didn’t want to believe Stephanie had killed Henry. But things were going so badly wrong. Every kick and punch had only emphasised that. This wasn’t Stephanie. Stephanie was a cool, calm professional who’d never struck out with her fists towards her family, not once. She’d been the rational voice in the chaos of their home. Franklyn was the troublemaker, and Auryn’s placid exterior had masked a cold hostility that none of them had ever suspected, but Stephanie was the peacemaker, the biggest and most self-assured of the four. It’d been her voice that kept them in line.
The car’s suspension shifted as Stephanie climbed into the driver’s seat. She had to search around for her keys, which were on the passenger seat. Stephanie switched on the engine, then stared straight ahead for several moments before putting the car in gear.
Carefully, Daniela sat up. She slid over so she could see her sister’s face, lit by the backwash from the headlights. If Daniela had wanted to, she could’ve lunged forwards and taken a swing at Stephanie. It wasn’t just the handcuffs that stopped her. She slumped into the seat as Stephanie turned the car around.
‘Where’d Henry’s car go?’ Daniela asked. ‘The blue car that was here. Did you move it?’ Then: ‘Did someone else? Was someone with you?’
No answer. Stephanie stared at the road as if Daniela wasn’t there. The car’s tyres hissed through the floodwater.
The car keys had been on the passenger seat. That wasn’t the sort of thing Stephanie would do, even in a security-blind town like Stonecrop. Daniela glanced at her sister’s legs; they were streaked with fresh mud, not all of which had been washed off by getting dunked in the water by the cabins. The pattern was like Stephanie had run here along the flooded lanes from the centre of town.
‘So, who took your car?’ Daniela asked. ‘I take it you didn’t lend it to them. You must’ve been pretty pissed, having to chase them all the way out here, then discovering they’ve already been and gone.’
Daniela rotated her hands in the cuffs, experimenting to see how much movement they gave. The answer, as always, was not much. The old-style handcuffs at least provided some wiggle room. These plastic-coated beasts with the spacer in the middle were more secure, obviously, which was why the police used them, but Daniela wasn’t a fan.
With a certain amount of contortion, Daniela touched her jacket pocket, at which point she remembered Stephanie had taken her phone. She found something else in her pocket though. A twisted scrap of paper that was now soaked.
‘I spoke to F
ranklyn,’ Daniela said. ‘I told her about Auryn.’
Stephanie’s hands tightened on the wheel.
‘She was kinda surprised to hear from me,’ Daniela said. ‘It’s been a while since we spoke. And she was surprised I had her number, since she hasn’t given it to many people.’ She studied her sister’s face. ‘But she gave it to Auryn, didn’t she? It makes sense they’d stay in contact. She gave Auryn her number, and she wrote it down.’ She switched her gaze so she was staring out of the window. ‘And Auryn dropped the piece of paper in Henry’s cabin when she was there last week.’
‘Auryn didn’t even know Henry was in town,’ Stephanie said. ‘They weren’t in contact anymore.’
Daniela gave a hollow laugh. ‘See, you police officers get all the training in how to spot a lie, but no one teaches you how to tell a lie, do they? Auryn knew Henry was here. And, I’m guessing, so did you. Did Auryn tell you she intended to give all of Dad’s savings to Henry? Or is this a fun surprise for you too?’
Stephanie went back to saying nothing.
‘Is Franklyn involved in this?’ Daniela asked, and steeled herself for the answer. Someone had driven the blue car away.
‘Don’t try to shift the blame. Franklyn’s not here to take the fall for you.’
Daniela let out a breath. ‘Y’know what? I’m glad. Despite everything she did, all the mistakes she made – no, because of those things – I’m glad. She changed, and she put the past behind her, and she got out of this godawful town. But you – you’re still here, doing the same as always, hanging on to the past, and now it’s got Auryn killed.’
Stephanie tapped her fingers on the steering wheel, then said, ‘You think being in prison has made you smart. It hasn’t.’
‘No. If I was smart, I never would’ve let you get me into this car. Because I’m right, aren’t I? There’s a lot you’re not telling me.’
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