‘No,’ Sinéad replied.
‘But you know who I am?’
‘Yes. And I know what you did.’
Emilia’s stomach pitched. Sinéad’s ominous tone made her almost reticent to ask. ‘And what did I do?’
When Sinéad shook her head, Emilia explained all that she’d learned since waking up, including the threat to her family if she didn’t assist. Sinéad’s response was unreadable.
‘Whose baby did you bring with you?’ Emilia continued. ‘I’m told she’s not yours. If I can prove to you that she’s safe, will you talk to me?’
Sinéad’s eyes reached Emilia’s and she gave a slight, almost imperceptible nod. ‘Okay, wait here,’ Emilia continued. Then closing the front door behind her, she made her way to the empty cattle shed where Adrian was waiting. Three more dark vehicles had joined them.
‘Where’s the baby?’ Emilia asked.
‘Being checked over by a medic,’ Adrian replied.
‘I told Sinéad she could see her if she talked to me.’
‘I heard and I can’t let that happen.’
‘Why not?’
‘Your approach isn’t working. She’s not going to break. Look at her stats.’ Adrian pointed to a screen displaying Sinéad’s stress and anxiety levels. Each was much lowerthan average, and diminishing with every heartbeat. It was as if she was shutting herself down, preparing for an inevitable outcome.
‘You didn’t see the way she looked at me when I told her she could see the girl. It might make all the difference.’
‘You’re wasting your time. This is a dead end.’
‘I’ve only been in there for a few minutes. You can’t expect me to give up just like that. This is my life we’re talking about.’
‘Emilia,’ Adrian said firmly. ‘We have had to make a call on this and we’ve decided to end it now.’
‘You said I could have as long as it takes.’
‘In this business, decisions are fluid.’
‘Please, just hold back for a bit longer.’
She left Adrian and found the baby being examined in the vehicle Emilia had arrived in. She lifted the girl and pressed her against her chest as she marched back to the farmhouse. Pushing the door open, she approached Sinéad from behind, the baby starting to become restless, her arms and legs flapping.
‘Look, Sinéad, she’s safe and well like I said,’ Emilia began. ‘But I can’t guarantee how long that’ll be the case for you. I’m begging you, please tell me what you know about …’
Emilia’s voice faded into nothing when she spotted a trail of blood across the wooden floorboards. It led to Bianca, who was standing just outside the shadows, a spectral figure with sharp, discerning eyes. She clutched a Stanley knife in one hand and a slender silver object in the other.
Chapter 52
BRUNO, OUNDLE, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE
Bruno was unwilling to admit why his apprehension was escalating as he made his way along the countryside path to meet Karen Watson and her daughter. But deep down he knew that it wasn’t only the prospect of revenge that was drawing him towards her like a magnet.
The recall notice had placed a deadline on his mission. He reminded himself that today was Thursday and he now only had until the weekend to find a way into her home or revert to the original plan. And he honestly didn’t know if he could kill her like he had the others.
There was one enormous benefit to an early recall – if his mission was coming to a premature end then according to his contract, he and his son would be reunited four and a half years earlier than planned. And they would be financially set for life.
Bruno scanned his surroundings as he approached the picnic spot on the banks of the river Nene, close to the bench where he had engineered their first meeting. Surrounded by lush green meadows and woodland copses, his grip tightened on his supermarket shopping bag and the lead attached to Oscar, the homeless pet he was volunteering to walk. He hoped the dog might reaffirm to Watson that he was a decent, caring man. And quietly, he wonderedif somewhere inside him that man remained. Because much time had passed since they’d last been acquainted.
As they rounded a corner, Bruno spotted her, kneeling on a picnic blanket and removing the lids from Tupperware boxes. He paused for a moment to take her in; a forgotten memory returning of Zoe once doing the same thing.
