Luke delivered a sickening smile. ‘See? We’re being kind.’ He pointed to the doors. ‘I’ve sealed them up, so air won’t get in. There’s a wad of newspapers stuffed up the chimney too. You’ll pass out from lack of oxygen long before the fire gets you.’
‘Alex is coming . . .’ I choked a cough as the acrid fumes infiltrated my airways and reddened my eyes. ‘They’ll put you away for life.’ Clenching my fists, I fought against my bindings, feeling a small give in the rope. But it was not enough. This was not my Dad’s watered-down white spirit being spilled on the floor. As soon as Luke added a spark, I would go up in a ball of flames.
‘That’s the beauty of it,’ Luke said. ‘Your long-suffering husband is going to turn up just in time to watch you burn. We had a drink together. Nice chap. Maybe we could become friends. I could let him see Jamie . . . every now and again.’ He cocked his head to one side, regarding me like a crow about to pick at a worm. A row of white teeth glistening under the artificial light as he smiled. ‘I did enjoy playing with you.’ Giving the room one last glance, he stood at the door. ‘Goodbye, Emma. Enjoy your time in hell.’ Flicking back the lid of his lighter, he positioned his thumb over the wheel. I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping it would be quick.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-SEVEN
ALEX
2017
I sneezed three times in quick succession, making my car wobble in the road. My vision was blurred by a pair of flashing headlights as the oncoming driver’s horn blared loudly in frustration. After breaking the speed limit, I was back in Essex, filled with a sense of dread. A beeping noise and a flash from the dashboard alerted me that I was nearly out of diesel. I groaned with frustration. All I wanted was to get Emma away from that house and the horrible memories that came with it. I would help get her better, nurse her back to health. I clicked down the indicator to pull into the next petrol station. Call it a sixth sense; I just knew something bad was about to happen. I checked my watch. The tide was still in. The island owned Emma now.
After paying for my diesel, I headed back on the road. Soon I was parked at the wrong end of the tide, willing the waters to part. I patched through a call to her phone. No answer. I ground my teeth as I tried Theresa again. She answered almost immediately. ‘Alex, I’m driving. What’s the matter?’
‘I can’t get through on Emma’s phone. Why isn’t she answering?’
‘I told you, she’s asleep. Look, I’m going back there now. Where are you?’
‘At the other end of the causeway. Where are you?’
‘On Mersea. I’ll be back at the house in a minute.’ She sighed. ‘Emma’s not been herself today. I just nipped out to pick up some milk from the all-night shop.’ I frowned, wishing she had not left Emma alone.
‘Seeing as I’m stuck here,’ I said, imagining Theresa on the other side of the tide, ‘you may as well tell me what’s going on. Because you’re hiding something, aren’t you?’
‘My divorce papers came through, that’s all. Listen, I’ve got to go. I’ll talk to you when you get—’
‘I don’t believe you,’ I said. ‘I’ve confided everything in you. Isn’t it time you did the same with me? Who did we dig up that night?’
‘I’ve got to go,’ Theresa said.
‘Why? What’s the hurry, Theresa?’ But the only response was a dead dial tone. I exhaled a long deep sigh. She didn’t deny that the body wasn’t Luke. Judging by the state of the remains, they had to be at least ten years old. And then, just like that, the answer crept into my mind. Theresa sobbing over the skull. How she had carefully and gently wrapped it before taking it with her. There was never any question of me disposing of the body – because it meant so much to her. Emma and Theresa’s mother had not walked out on them. She had been murdered. Was that what this was all about? Theresa genuinely loved Jamie, and now we were taking him away. I couldn’t believe that Theresa would want to hurt her family, but something strange was going on. I gripped the steering wheel as I stared at the ebb and flow of the tide. If I risked driving through it, I could be stuck there even longer. But Emma could be in serious trouble. I might already be too late.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-EIGHT
EMMA
2017
The phone call from my husband had only served to pause proceedings. From what I gathered, he was stuck on the other side of the tide. Luke had stood over Theresa as she lied, his hand tightly gripping the back of her neck. I had not imagined the fear in her eyes.
‘Please,’ I whimpered, barely able to find the breath to form my words. ‘I don’t want to die.’
Theresa turned to Luke, stilling his motions.
‘Wait,’ she said, and relief swept over me as she saw sense. But it was short lived as she took a piece of paper from the dresser drawer and scribbled. ‘We should leave a suicide note in her bedroom, just like before. We don’t want this coming back to us.’
‘But it’ll burn in the fire,’ Luke said, his eyes narrowing as he looked from me to my sister.
‘There’s a tin box under her bed. If you put the letter in there, it’ll preserve it from the flames.’
‘No! You can’t do this!’ I fought for my life as I squirmed in the hard wooden chair. I couldn’t believe my own sister could turn against me in this way.
‘Jamie will be safe with me,’ she said, her words plunging me into despair. ‘He deserves more than you can give him. I’m sorry. It’s for the best.’
I screamed her name, but she didn’t flinch, just reached out and handed Luke the notepaper. ‘You’ve got to leave the second you light the fire. I’ll call the fire service once it takes hold. There’s an extinguisher in the kitchen,’ she said. ‘I’ll make it look like I’ve been trying to put it out.’
Luke nodded and left to place the note in my bedroom. On his return he sneered in my direction, his enjoyment at my predicament plain to see.
‘C’mon, we’re running out of time,’ Theresa said, disappearing briefly to the kitchen before returning with the extinguisher. Luke watched her warily, his expression revealing pleasurable surprise that my sister would betray me in this way.
‘Please,’ I cried, my throat raw from screaming. ‘I’m sorry. Please let me go. I won’t say a word . . .’ I coughed, the smell of petrol cutting my words short.
Luke gave me one last ghoulish smile before standing at the door, still holding the lighter. He flicked the wheel and it burst into life, the small flame signalling what was to come. Throwing the lighter to the floor, he turned his back on me as flames sprung to life in the room. I could not believe they had both left me here alone. Within seconds, the room was alight. My home was like a matchbox, providing kindling for the fire. I prayed for Alex to reach me in time. Wouldn’t someone see the flames? But by that time, it would surely be too late for me. My consciousness fought two battles, trying to understand my sister’s betrayal while coming to terms with the fact that I was going to die. Tears streaked down my cheeks as flames licked the walls of the living room, spreading towards the furnishings until the circle was complete. I felt like an object up for sacrifice and lowered my head into my shoulder as I tried not to breathe in the acrid smoke. If I could just get away. My heart beat double time, the bindings tearing the skin on my wrists and ankles as I fought. But the fumes made my vision blur, and within seconds the room began to spin. I closed my eyes as searing heat engulfed me, only to be tugged awake as something pulled at my wrists. My eyes snapped open, the sudden movement making me cough. It was Theresa. After releasing the contents of the fire extinguisher, she was undoing my ropes. Was she trying to make it look as if I had taken my own life? Surely, anyone finding me would know my hands had been tied? I should have pretended I was unconscious, got away when her back was turned, but my lungs burned in my chest, forcing me to splutter as I heaved for air.