CHAPTER 53
FAYE
I’m in a daze when Magnus puts me in the car. Sweat beads at my temples and he cranks up the air conditioning, trying to conserve me at my most pristine. After my shower, Dina dressed me smartly, covered my bruises with make-up and made it plain I must do exactly as Magnus says. I look fresh and well put together and I need to appear as though everything is normal. As though I’m happy to be here with my stepson.
“The bank manager is called Barry Froome. Remember that. He calls you Mrs Blackburn and you call him Barry. You know his wife, Sandra. You’re not friends, but you chat when you see her in the village. Sometimes Dad used to buy Barry a pint in the pub. Okay?”
“Fine,” I say.
Although I couldn’t feel further from fine. I’m barely here, hardly even myself. My skin is hot and I’m so hungry my stomach keeps cramping up. I am exhausted, physically and emotionally.
“They know you’ve been missing so that could be an issue. But they trust us.” He pulls the car over. “Dad knew them for years before he died.”
I watch Magnus as he tightens his grip on the steering wheel. He lets out a long breath and relaxes his fingers.
“Did you try to kill Claire so you would inherit your father’s money?” I ask.
When he turns to me, his eyes are black and beady, like a stuffed animal with no soul. “It’s what I’m owed. I am the one who kept his business afloat, and she is the one who inherits everything. How is that fair?”
“It’s not,” I say.
What I don’t say, is that Jack Blackburn probably always knew what a monster his son is. Nothing more than a narcissistic and cruel criminal. And while he indulged him with a job, he knew his wife deserved the money more. That’s what I think when I look at this man.
“Damn right it’s not.” He seems to calm.
As we drive along, I notice two full duffel bags on the backseat. I presume one is for him and the other is for Dina. Passports, money, clothes, whatever it is they need to get away from here fast. But what will he do with me and Penny once I’ve got him his money? Will he really risk leaving witnesses behind?
We park up behind a derelict building, near the top of the high street. Presumably he’s found a spot that is out of the range of CCTV cameras. Still playing along, I wait for him to open the door for me. Then I step out, treading carefully in Claire’s heels.
“Try not to say much at all,” he says, leading the way. “Your accent is different from Claire’s and trying to fake it will only make it obvious.”
“Okay.”
This is for Penny, I think.
Just before we leave the passageway that leads to the high street, he grabs me by the elbow, his grip firm. I try not to shudder at his touch.
“Ready? Remember what you’ve got riding on this.”
He releases me and we walk towards the entrance of the bank. My body throbs with aches and pains and I’m sweating under my blouse, but I square my shoulders and try to walk with confidence.
We’re early. The bank opened five minutes ago. Magnus plasters on a smile and swings the door wide, holding it open for me. He walks in with a relaxed gait and puts one hand in his pocket as he steps up to the counter.
“Is Barry in?” he says to the young brunette behind the glass. “It’s Magnus and Claire Blackburn.”
The young woman looks at me. She knows the name Blackburn, she has to. Maybe she also knows Claire has been missing.
“Sure, just a moment.”
The woman disappears. I count my heartbeats, reaching twenty-five by the time a short, rotund man emerges from the back.
“Claire?” he says, making a beeline for me, a concerned expression on his face. “Oh my God, are you all right?”
Every muscle in my body freezes. I’ve written Daisy and Marigold Palmer switching identities many times, but this is real life. And if I don’t do it right, my daughter will die.
“It’s good to see you, Barry,” I say, keeping my voice low and slightly husky to imitate a cold. “I’m all right. I… well, I had a blip after Jack’s funeral.” I wave a hand. “I didn’t mean to scare anyone.”
“Mum came home a few days ago,” Magnus says. “The police know and everything’s fine now. But we didn’t want too much chatter.” Magnus rolls his eyes. “Is it okay if we have a word in private?”
