Brie, wake up.
I wipe my eyes and scribble a reply.
Where r u?
The response is almost immediate.
Pine Ridge.
What are you doing there?
Got a tip. New evidence.
What the hell?I call him, but he sends it to voicemail after one ring.
Can’t talk. But you need to see this.
The police??
Don’t worry about that. Come!
It’s midnight!
It’s about Grace. You have to come NOW!
I stare at the message, unsure of what to do. Neil never puts any emotion into his texts, and he would never ask me to take a risk. It must be massive.
I getto Pine Ridge an hour later. I park at the top of the driveway and use my phone to light the way, feeling strangely nostalgic for my time here. I remember walking nervously down the path when I first arrived. The intimidation I felt when I first met Grace. The shock at the state of the cottage.
Also, the thrill of touching Bradley. The fear of Grace finding out.
The love, the hate.
All wrong. Wrong from the start.
I walk up to the house nervously. Neil’s car is parked next to the barn, but I can’t see him. The house is shut up, and the curtains are closed. I walk up the steps, half-jumping at the sound of the creaking floorboards, and try the door.
Locked.
“Hello?” I call out, my voice barely more than a whisper. “Neil?”
I walk around the side of the house, looking for signs of life. In the back garden, I see the path down to Grace’s improvised shooting range, lit by a faint crescent moon. I peer through the kitchen windows, but it’s dark, and there’s no sign that anyone is here. I try the back door—also locked.
My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I read the message.
In the cottage.
The cottage? What evidence would he have found in the cottage? And who could have tipped him off?
I jog to the path, using my phone as a torch, and follow along till the cottage comes into view. As I climb the steps, a cat emerges from the dark and sits on the grass, watching me. Gabriel, I think with a smile. You’re welcoming me back.
A noise from inside. A man’s voice.
“Neil?” I call out as I open the door.
It takes a second for my eyes to adjust to the light.
Neil is on the bed, his legs crossed. But standing above him is Jesse, a gun held loosely at his side. He’s freshly shaved and is wearing a shiny suit, his hair slicked back like he’s just come from the office.
