‘Maybe you didn’t. But the point still stands. And besides, you and him’ – pointing at Reubyn – ‘are apparently the guys who know how to do a jump start. I reckon you should focus on that.’
‘Well, he can’t go on his own.’
Faith glares at George. ‘Why not?’
‘Apart from theobvious...’ George pauses, and the image of the hideous wound to Elis’s neck claws its way back into Polly’s mind. ‘You’ve obviously never done orienteering,’ George continues to Faith, ‘but the number one rule is you don’t do it alone. Whatif he fell and injured himself like Polly? Even if you don’t take into account what happened to Elis, it’s a bloody long walk out of this forest.’
‘Fine.’ Faith folds her arms. ‘I’ll go with him. I’ve done plenty of bushwalking.’
Jessie shakes her head, and makes a pathetic, whimpering noise of discouragement.
‘Don’t worry,’ Faith says to Jessie. ‘I’m not scared ofhim.’ Then to Miles: ‘No offence.’
‘None taken,’ Miles says, miserably.
Miles walks over to the door and bites his nails as he waits for Faith, who dons her boots and jacket, and packs sunscreen and bottled water into a backpack. Polly has mixed feeling about Faith going with Miles. She would rather that the person accompanying her brother was a bloke over six feet, like George. But, begrudgingly, she concedes. When the police arrive, everyone will be interviewed, and they’ll all have to tell the cops about the tension that’s been growing between George and Elis. In light of that, it would seem pretty weird if they’d chosen George to go off and find help. Also, Faith is one of the only ones who has hiking boots and some remaining phone battery life. They could’ve sent Reubyn instead, but he would be no more useful than Faith in a crisis.
The light outside is a now a fiery yellow. There’s enough visibility to see far into the forest. When Faith is ready, Miles unlocks the door and opens it with a haste that Polly finds alarming. ‘Be careful,’ she tells him.
Miles gives her a tight smile. ‘Don’t worry, we will.’
They leave, and Polly watches from the window as Miles and Faith walk side by side across the car park and on to the road. This is all happening too fast – the decision was made too quickly. She’s slightly reassured to see them regularly turning their heads, beingvigilant. They walk at a brisk, purposeful pace – also good. But a heaviness in her gut tells her there’s something wrong with this plan. The doomy feeling rises in her with such force that, if she physically could, she would jump to her feet and run after them with a warning. Instead, she watches helplessly as they disappear into the trees.
Chapter 49
Miles
For the first ten minutes of their hike, Miles and Faith barely utter a word to each other. They’ve been on high alert, and the only sounds are the dawn chorus and the pounding of their boots. But now the sky is clear, bluish even, and the brightness and visibility have increased so they can see reassuringly deep into the trees. Miles is confident that, given the time of day, they’re the only ones out here. Still, he orders himself not to get complacent. He continues to scan every inch of the forest, searching for even the slightest movement.
‘You should’ve just told her, you know,’ Faith says, breaking the silence.
‘I know.’
‘Jessie likes you. Well, she did. But you lied to her, and it came as a shock.’
Miles puffs his cheeks. ‘I know.’
‘I see your quandary, though. If you’d told her about your history, she wouldn’t have gone near you.’
‘I know I should’ve told her. It was a mistake.’
‘You can say that again.’
Miles doesn’t say it again, and they walk the next hundred yards or so without a word. Faith keeps a couple of paces between them as she walks. And as she scans the forest for threats, Miles can’t help but notice she takes regular glances at him, too. Her vigilance includes keeping Miles under observation. In her mind, he must also pose a threat.
‘Faith, can I ask you something?’
‘Okay.’
‘Do you believe me?’
She squints at him. ‘About what?’
‘About how ...’ Miles searches for the right words. It’s an absurd statement to have to make, and he’s tired of having to point it out. ‘I didn’t kill anyone.’
‘You said that last night. About twenty times.’
‘Because it’s true.’
