“Never!”
He lifts her up then and bashes her head against the bed frame. Penny’s eyes roll back into her skull and she collapses. He checks her pulse. She’s still alive. He ties her to the frame to make absolutely sure she won’t get away from him.
Then there’s a knock at the door.
Fuck.
He must look like shit. There could be blood on his shirt. He checks. It seems fine. He smooths his hair back and opens the door, making sure to only open it a crack.
“Afternoon,” the farmer stands there, looking him up and down. “Thought I’d check on things. See if you’re all right.”
Magnus puts on his most charming smile. “Oh yes, everything’s perfect.” His heart pounds. Penny could regain consciousness at any moment and start screaming.
“Only I was walking by and thought I heard shouting.”
“I was watching a horror movie on my phone. There’s not much else to do in this weather.” He smiles again.
The man narrows his eyes. “I know who you are, you know.”
Magnus’s heart drops but the smile stays on his face. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Yes, you do. As long as you pay me another grand, I won’t say a word,” the farmer says. “But I need to be paid it soon.”
“You will be,” Magnus says.
“Oh yeah? Where are you getting your money from?”
“My father was a rich man,” he says.
The farmer’s phone starts to ring. He takes a step away from the door. “I want more by the end of the week or I’m calling the police.”
“You’ll get it.” Magnus slams the door closed and locks it.
He walks over to the window and watches the stern-faced man walk down the dirt track, the loch reflecting his movements as he trudges away.
“Fuck!” Magnus shouts, slamming his hand down on the sill.
He needs to get out of here now.
But first, the girl.
He redirects his gaze to the moors. He has another grave to dig.
CHAPTER 73
CLAIRE
The long road snakes on, towards the dot on the map. The campervan creeps along at five miles an hour, drawing near with absolute stealth. The mist rises off the loch and gloom surrounds us as we approach.
Soon we will come face to face. I think of Magnus standing at the edge of the cliff on Seeley Moor and the temptation to push coursing through me. I was too afraid then but I’m not scared now. I can’t live knowing he’s out there somewhere and now I’m no longer afraid to die. Ending this is all I want. No matter the outcome.
I pull over and park the van just off the side of the road beside some trees and turn off the headlights. We sit quietly, fortifying ourselves for the next step.
“We’ll have to walk the rest of the way,” I say. “We don’t want him to know we’re coming.”
Faye is silent beside me.
“Are you okay?” I reach for my twin sister’s hand.
