‘Shh, hang on a minute, Tee,’ Kelly replies. ‘We need to hear what they’re saying.’
Greg and Sophie are arguing. She’s telling him that maybe they got it wrong. That they should listen to our side of the story. That deep down she always suspected their dad might not have been completely innocent.
But Greg isn’t budging. ‘How can you even think that?’ he hisses. ‘They need to admit that they lied. We need to see this through. You’re just losing your nerve, that’s all.’
‘You’re being stubborn, Greg. You should open your mind to the possibility that we’ve got it wrong.’
Kelly and Tia exchange anxious yet hopeful glances. I try to reciprocate, but I can’t make my face work. I’m still in shock at the similarity between Greg and his father. It’s like déjà vu. And I can hardly make sense of who is who.
‘I’m not arguing with you, Sophie. We’re doing this.’
‘No.’ Her voice rings out loud and firm.
‘What do you mean,no?’
‘I mean, I think we should let them go. I’ve had enough of this. It’senough, Greg. We need to stop before it goes too far.’
‘Give me the knife, Sophie.’
‘Why?’
‘Just…’
There’s a scuffling sound.
‘I don’t want to hurt you,’ Greg growls. ‘Just let go of it!’
There’s another scuffling sound and they come into view, both of them gripping the knife handle, but Greg looks far stronger than Sophie. I’m jolted back to the present day, and I’m worried for her safety. The knife is perilously close to her face.
‘Let go of the knife, Sophie!’ Kelly cries. ‘You’ll get hurt! Leave her alone, Greg!’ Kelly turns to me, her eyes wide. ‘I can’t look.’
As Greg wrestles the knife from his sister, she jerks backwards and falls. There’s a thunk as Sophie hits her head on the corner of the bar. She goes down onto the floor with another dull thud.
I can’t help crying out, wondering if she’s okay. Realising selfishly that she was our only hope of getting out of here unharmed.
Greg falls to his knees to check on her. ‘Sophie! Soph!’
She’s making moaning sounds, so at least she’s alive. But she must be badly concussed. ‘Call an ambulance!’ Kelly shouts. ‘Greg, that’s your sister. What have you done? You need to call for help.’
‘I told you to shut up!’ He gets to his feet but he’s out of breath and his eyes are glazed. He seems disoriented, slightly manic. He brandishes the knife and I notice blood dripping from his hand. He must have cut himself in the tussle. ‘It’s her own fault. She wouldn’t listen.’
‘Greg,’ I say, trying to stay calm, ‘you’re bleeding. You need to bandage that cut. I know where there’s a first aid kit. If you untie me I can—’
‘Shut… the fuck… up,’ he pants. ‘This is your fault. First you drove my father to his death, and now my sister’s on the floor unconscious. You made her believe your lies, but I’m not taken in by any of you. You’ve made some sort of pact, and you don’t care whose lives you destroy to save your skins.’
‘Just take a breath,’ Kelly says, ‘and think about what you’re saying.’
‘Don’t patronise me, you hippy bitch.’
‘I… I’m not. I’m just saying—’
‘Shut up, shut up, shut up! I should have left you all gagged.’
I cringe back in my chair. Black spots float before my eyes. This man isn’t in control of his thoughts. I’m sure he’s going to do something stupid and I’m bracing myself for whatever it is. If only Sophie would wake up. She could at least continue trying to talk some sense into her brother.
Greg comes closer, leering at us, blood from his hand dripping scarlet spots onto the floor. ‘I want to bring misery to your families the way you brought misery to mine after you killed my father. My sister’s been sucked in by your lies but I’m not quite as gullible.’ He makes a twisting motion with the knife. ‘I’m going to kill each of you slowly, one at a time.’ He locks eyes with me, and my heart goes cold. ‘Starting with you, Fiona.’
I lean back as far as the zip ties will allow me. Kelly and Tia are yelling at him to leave me alone. To not do anything stupid. To not do something he’ll regret. But Greg’s eyes are wild, and I can tell that he’s in no state to listen to reason. Blood whooshes in my ears.
