“Ei se pelaa, joka pelkäa,” Elea said softly.The one who is afraid won’t play.
“At least let me in on your games. This isn’t only about you, Elea. Any cock-ups, and it’s my neck on the line.”
“And Mitch, don’t forget him. Or don’t you care whether or not he gets fired?”
“Elea...”
“I’m kidding.Hei. If I was going to kick off, I would have done it at the house when Ant Thompson told us to eff off.” She looked pointedly at the clock on the wall. “Haven’t you somewhere to be?”
Swann frowned. Checked the time. Realised that she was right. “Shit. How did you—”
“I memorised your calendar. The devil is in the detail. Enjoy your meeting!”
Then he was gone, leaving her to sink into his warm leather chair. It was a luxury that most officers weren’t granted, and she wondered if he’d bought it himself. She input his password into his computer, and it opened up for her. Swann had been sloppy, allowing her to watch as he typed it in. And he called himself a detective. She took in the video he’d been watching, brought it back to the start and allowed it to play again. Jenny Flynn. West Common. Her case clearly still haunted Swann. Elea felt a pang of guilt as she remembered the awful accusations she’d made about his lack of commitment to Liisa’s case.
She’d accused him of giving up. Of focusing solely on the worst possible outcome. But she was wrong. She knew Swann. He never stopped hoping. He was just more pragmatic than her. But he was wrong, too. She wasn’t a loose cannon. Not every action needed to be tempered with violence. She was being honest about playing the long game. Some things needed a slower approach. Which is why she’d slipped a note into the pages of Sienna’s Colleen Hoover book. There was no way Ant would see it. His sort preferred to play war games and blow stuff up online. Elea had seen the bruises on Sienna’s wrists. The look of desperation in her eyes. She’d pre-empted what she’d needed to hear and had written it down. A promise of Elea’s support. Of a way out of the life Sienna had found herself in. Then she’d left her mobile number, telling Sienna to ring—day or night. Would she search her name online, find out who she was? Deem her trustworthy as she wasn’t a member of the English police force? Elea could only hope so. Because if she didn’t hear back in the next twenty-four hours, she was going back—without Mitch in tow.
Chapter 30
Liisa
“Iwant to go home,” I say quietly. “I don’t want to get married.” My voice cracks. “I want my mother.”
We’ve been sitting at the table for so long that the food has gone cold. It feels like a test. As if they’re waiting for me to run. Mikael watches me cooly, the same way I imagine him quietly watching the forest animals before they step into one of his traps. I jump as Johanna brings her meaty fist down onto the table.
“I am your mother now!” Her brown teeth flash. “Smile, because this is a good day. Youwillget married. Isn’t that something all little girls dream about? This isn’t easy for me, you know!” She begins to cough. It’s this horrible hacking sound. Mikael goes to jump up from the table, but she shakes her head. I’ve heard her cough many times, but not like this. She presses a tissue to her mouth and droplets of bright-red blood bloom. It’s more than the smoke from the chimney causing this. It’s her illness. What makes you cough up blood? I push aside my panic to work it out. Lungs? Lung cancer? I glance at Mikael for some silent reassurance, but he looks away, unconcerned.
We sit and wait for the awful hacking sound to pass. At last it stops. Johanna shudders, red-faced and sweating as she regains her breath. She pulls her cardigan around her, a brown, smelly home-made thing with holes in the elbows. I think about what she’s said as the fire crackles and spits in the fireplace. I’ve seen her making garlands, working fake off-white flowers into some kind of crown. During her last shop she bought all sorts of things: ribbons, flowers, wire. Then there are the nights when I’ve heard her messing about on her sewing machine. Now it makes sense. She’s planning everything out. Why is she so weird? How did she even have a child of her own? I’ve wondered about Mikael’s father, but have never been brave enough to ask.
Johanna pours herself another cup of coffee and slowly sips. Mikael mirrors her movements, and I do the same. She dabs her eyes and normal colour slowly returns to her face. “I will make your wedding dress, and you will be beautiful. Everything will be as it should be.’ She pauses to take another sip. “I will teach you how to cook properly. How to look after the house, and you will love my boy.”
My mind races ahead. Johanna has always been dangerous—too dangerous for me to escape. If I wait until she dies and then it is just Mikael, I might be able to get away. I wonder how much longer she has left. Her eyes narrow. I have to say something, otherwise I will feel her rough palm against my cheek. “Sorry that you are sick.” It’s the best I can come up with. Mother told me that sometimes in life you have to tell people what they want to hear, even if it’s not the truth. I doubt she meant a moment like this.
“Yes, well. God has plans for us all.” Johanna’s large bosom heaves up and down as she takes a deep breath. There are crucifixes in this house, nailed to the walls and hung around her neck. But she is not a good person. Nothing makes any sense. She nods towards the window. “That world out there is wicked and evil. You’re better off here with us.”
I want to scream. I want to shout, but instead I dry my tears and focus on what I can take from this. Johanna is dying. She controls us all. Without her—well, without her I might have a chance of getting away. I’m not getting “married” yet. Not until I get my period and...well, that’s never going to happen, as I won’t tell her when I do. I breathe. This might work. This could be worse. I hope she dies soon. But then I look at Mikael and I don’t know if I can trust him. I’ve always been scared of us being left alone. So far, Johanna keeps a watchful eye.
“Well, that’s that out of the way.” Her coarse voice breaks the silence, making me jump. “You can wash up, change into your clothes. I’ll show you how to make the lovely food that you’ve had today. But first...”
She stands behind us and my shoulders rise an inch. I watch in horror as she picks up Mikael’s hand from across the table and lays it on mine. I almost snatch my hand away. The feeling of his cold skin is repulsive. But Johanna seizes my wrist, her dirty, stubby nails pinching me.
“Don’t be shy,” she chuckles darkly. “There must be a courtship before the wedding. You can start by holding hands.”
Mikael squeezes my fingers, and I want to throw up every scrap of food. But Johanna is standing behind me and I know for sure now that this is a test. At the back of my mind, I remember something they said in the car. That I wasn’t the first. That it had to work out this time or...
I freeze, head down, hair shadowing my face. Johanna laughs, saying something about me being shy. I don’t want to see Mikael’s expression. I just want to come out of this alive.
Chapter 31
“Congratulations,” Elea said to Ness as she negotiated the Nettleham road roundabout. “You must be honoured, being my babysitter.” They were in an unmarked job car, an old Ford Fiesta that had seen better days. Elea was on a mission: To get to know Chelsea Hobbs. A visit to her old football coach might provide insights that police reports couldn’t. Ness brightened up the space with her usual colourful clothing: a cheerful floral shirt teamed with navy trousers and an orange cardigan. Her perfume carried a citrus tang.
“I’m happy to get out of the office,” Ness replied with a smile. “I don’t mind ferrying you around.” She glanced in Elea’s direction, a twinkle in her eye. “Although I’d love to know what you’ve done to get such a reputation. I’ve enjoyed watching them running around after you.”
“Them?” Elea raised an eyebrow, already knowing the answer.
“Swann and Mitch. They’ve been watching you like a hawk since you got here. What did you do? Murder a suspect? Plant evidence?”
It seemed Ness was a woman who wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. “Nothing like that. I’m perfectly harmless.”
