‘Sandra’s dead,’ I hiss in her ear. ‘Do you hear me? She’s dead. I killed her.’
I look across my old room, seeing the two of us reflected in the mirror on the far wall. ‘Interesting pose, don’t you think?’
‘What?’ she asks.
‘The shadow on the wall of the two of us entwined, but I’m the larger shadow, more powerful.’
‘What shall I call you?’ she asks.
I laugh at her. ‘Why? Are you looking to be my friend?’
‘I’m Kate.’
‘Lovely name,’ I say. ‘There once was a man called Frederick. He had a wife called Kate! He said, “I’m going to work in the fields. When I come back, I shall be hungry…”’
‘Grimms’ fairy tales?’ she replies.
‘Very good – that buys you a few more seconds.’
‘You never said what I should call you.’
‘Cassie.’
‘Your work is extraordinary, Cassie.’
‘Complimenting the lunatic, are you?’
‘I’m speaking the truth.’
‘Ah, yes, Kate, the precious truth.’ I rub the knife up her neck, causing more blood to trickle down. ‘One false move, and you’ll be a dead Kate. That has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?’
I can see torchlights outside. ‘We’ll need to go down below,’ I say. ‘No funny stuff until I work out what to do with you.’
When she turns, and I see her face, I say, ‘You’re that shrink?’
‘Yes, that’s me.’ She’s nervous.
‘Good, you’re not stupid, then. Now, do exactly as I tell you, or I’ll ruin your pretty face.’
‘Where are we going?’
‘We’re taking a trip to the basement. It will require crawling.’
She does as I say, but I keep close to her. She has made things complicated, but I’ve been tested before. ‘Keep making your way out onto the landing and down the stairs,’ I tell her. ‘I’m right behind you.’
‘Okay,’ she answers, barely above the sound of a mouse.
‘I’ve only ever killed one woman,’ I say. ‘She was a witch – a nosy, prying, sadistic bitch – but I can make an exception for you.’
ELLIOT FOREST, COUNTY WICKLOW
WITH EACH OF the search teams coming up empty, Adam couldn’t help but think that Mark Lynch had gone about this the wrong way. The empty house had turned their attention outwards, to the surrounding terrain, but what if Kate was right, and Sandra Regan had needed to stay close to home, the very place she had suffered most? Nor was he happy leaving Kate there, armed guards or not.
‘Listen,’ he said, turning to Barry Lyons, ‘I think we should head back to the house.’
‘That’s up to you.’
They soon reached the rusted gate at the end of the pathway. Adam saw the team with Alice Thompson coming towards them, ready to search the far side of the woods. He flashed his torch in their direction, signalling for them to come over. ‘Alice,’ he said, his voice low, when she was within hearing distance, ‘I’m going up to the house. I want you to come with me.’ Then, to Barry Lyons, ‘You stay here with Fitzsimons. I’ll be taking the other two detectives with me.’
He had a bad feeling, even though he couldn’t pinpoint exactly why. Approaching the house, he looked around for Kate, and the bad feeling got worse: he could see no sign of her.
‘Where’s Dr Pearson?’ he asked the detective stationed by Regan’s car.
‘She’s still inside.’
‘What? She’s been there nearly an hour.’
The detective stared back at him blankly. ‘We were told to stay out here.’
‘I don’t like this.’ Adam knew he needed to think fast. Kate wouldn’t have stayed in there that long, not unless something was wrong.
Addressing the same detective, he said, ‘Get the other two guys. There’s no bloody signal here with the woods. We’ll have to recheck the house without back-up.’
‘But Lynch said—’
‘Fuck Lynch – I’m calling the shots now.’
‘What are you going to do?’ Alice asked, so matter-of-factly that she spooked him.
‘We need to work out what’s going on inside.’
‘You won’t see them if they’re in the cellar.’ Again, she delivered it deadpan.
‘What cellar?’
‘Under the house. They stopped putting coal in it years ago. Sandra and I used to hide in it.’
He wanted to ask, why the fuck didn’t you say so before? But he knew if anyone was going to suffer his wrath, it would have to be Lynch for missing the bloody cellar in the first place.
‘Okay, listen to me, Alice. If they’re in the cellar, I’m assuming there’s only one way in.’
‘Yes. Through the kitchen. There’s a flap under the table.’
‘I’ll need you to come with me. She is closer to you than anyone else. It’s a risk, but it might be the only way of getting your friend, and mine, out of there alive. Are you okay with that?’
‘I’m okay.’
KATE