“Can you talk to her?” Elea turned to Fiona. “Because I need to know what the significance of these shoes is. Please.”
“I’ll try.” Fiona sighed, unlatching the front door. She wasted no time in ushering Elea out and locking the door securely behind her. The sounds of chains and bolts being drawn was another facet of how their lives had changed.
Mitch was waiting in the car. Elea stepped backwards, shielding her eyes as the morning sunshine pierced her vision. Staring down from the upstairs bedroom was Sophie, her pale face framed by her blonde hair. Elea wanted to reach out to her, to ease her obvious pain. The world was too much for her right now. But as her father closed the bedroom blinds, Elea realised something. Sophie hadn’t been gazing at her, she’d been staring at the street, her anxious face a portrait of fear. So that was why she’d hidden the shoes in a bag—so nobody would know what was inside. Sophie’s kidnapper was nearby.
Chapter 17
Liisa
Johanna’s heavy handpresses down on my head and glides across my hair. “There, there. It’s not so bad, is it? Now how about we get you out of these horrible clothes?”
I grip the cup of warm milk that she has given me, squirming as Mikael catches my eye. “I’ll take her.” His thin lips pull back from his teeth as he smiles.
When Mama bought me a new doll, the first thing I did was to change its clothes. NowIam the new doll, and I don’t want Mikael anywhere near me. I stare imploringly at Johanna before finishing my milk. As much as I hate this woman, I need her.
“Why don’t we both go?” She’s looking at Mikael the way I look at a dog that I want to pet, but don’t trust. Johanna takes my empty cup. Her hand is warm and weirdly comforting as she wraps it around mine. She’s frightening, but I’m glad that she’s here because I don’t want to be left alone with Mikael.
Like a good girl, I follow her out into the corridor, watching my step around the empty Leijona vodka bottles lying on the floor. I try to take in the layout of the cabin. I could pull out strands of my hair and leave traces of myself in the dark corners that nobody cleans. You learn about things like forensics when your mama chases murderers around.
The floorboards creak beneath Mikael’s slow footsteps. I hunch my shoulders, because I can almost feel his breath on my neck. Johanna stands next to a door, looking pleased with herself, and I fix my face to match hers. “This is your room. We’ve worked hard to get it right, haven’t we, Mikael?”
He doesn’t answer, just stares as he slowly licks his lips. Now he’s swaying from one foot to the other, and I wonder how I ever found these people normal enough to stop and talk to. Why didn’t I run across the road? Grandmother was on her way. Then I think about the blue coat that Johanna was wearing, so similar to my grandmother’s, and I wonder if she is OK. It’s becoming hard to breathe, but I force it. I need to stay strong. Mother is coming. She’ll bring police backup and...
The bedroom door creaks open. The place they’re going to force me to stay in. My stomach lurches, like I’ve eaten something rotten. I feel like throwing up. This is my prison. Johanna’s fist thumps hard against my back and I stumble forward a couple of steps, where I’m hit with the smell of fresh paint and damp. I try to take it all in, because they’re both watching me. The space is bigger than my room at home, and it has a toilet and a sink in the corner. Splinters of bluish light from the night sky slice through a boarded-up window, falling onto a double bed. My spirits sink as I take in the metal bath in front of the blocked-up fireplace.
“This is my old room,” Johanna informs me as she takes me inside. “I used to light the fire and have a bath here, didn’t I, Mikael?”
My stomach churns once more as they look at each other over the top of my head.
“Perhaps when we can trust you, we’ll light the fire again.” Johanna lets go of my hand and tells me to sit on the bed. At least the bedspread is clean.
My legs feel like jelly, so it’s a relief to sink into the mattress. I look around the room. The single light hanging over my bed is in a small square cage, and I wonder how they change the bulb. The wooden ceiling has been painted blue to look like the sky, with small daubs of fluorescent white paint, which I guess are meant to be stars. I fix a smile on my face because that’s what Johanna needs to see.
“That took Mikael hours, didn’t it?” Johanna speaks of her son with pride in her voice. “We went to a lot of trouble for you, young lady.”
“It’s lovely.” I find my voice long enough to lie. “Nicer than my room at home.” I could scream for them to let me go, or cry until my eyes swell shut, but neither of those things is going to keep me safe. All I have to do is to hang on. Mama will be here soon. I blink as Johanna fiddles with a dimmer switch on the wall. The light is stronger now, and it’s all too much to take in.
“This is your home now.” Johanna nods to Mikael. “Get the dress.”
Only now do I notice a big, dark wardrobe looming in the corner of the room. There’s a faded panel where a mirror has been removed. My eyes flick to the chair next to it, so that I see it’s been bolted down. Only now do I realise why there’s a cage over the light. Suicide is something Mum’s talked to me about, too. In a country with such long winter nights, we are all familiar with it.
Now Mikael is smoothing down a navy-blue full-length smock-dress with a white lace neckline and buttons that serve no purpose, other than to be ugly.
Johanna points to the drawers in the bottom of the wardrobe. “You’ll find fresh underwear in there.”
The fake smile drops from my face. I don’t want to get changed in front of these people.
“Don’t be shy.” Johanna’s fingers bite into my shoulder as she gives me a little shake. “We’re your family now. You’ll get used to being around us.”
I notice her other hand sliding over the home-made stun gun in her pocket. I take the dress from Mikael, rest it on the bed and turn around as I quietly remove my clothes. I can feel his eyes on my skin, but I tell myself to be brave as I unbutton my blouse. I hold it to my chest as I pick up the dress with one hand, then pull it over my head. I’m used to getting changed in front of people. I swim in the lake with my friends all the time. But nobody has ever looked at me the way Mikael is looking at me now. My cheeks burn as I drag the ugly garment over my shoulders and shove my arms inside the long sleeves. I pull my skirt off underneath the dress. I’m not changing my knickers in front of them both. No way.
“Aw...Look at this one, all shy.” Johanna chuckles as I turn to face her.
Mikael’s eyes bore into me. I glance at the door. Even if I could get past them both, I wouldn’t survive the night in the cold.
“Hei.” Johanna shakes my shoulder. “You can keep your modesty tonight, but you’ll have to fit in with the rest of us if you want to stay in this nice room.”
I nod, folding my arms tightly against the scratchy material of the hateful dress.
