One by One(51)

“What? I thought we were doing pretty well.”

“It all hangs together except for one thing. How did anyone know Eva was skiing La Sorcière? We’re talking as if someone went after her deliberately in the hopes of catching up with her. But no one saw her leave. No one knew she was skiing that run.”

“Fuck, you’re right.” Danny frowns again, his dark brows knitting together. “How the fuck did they know to go after her?”

“The only person…” I’m thinking, putting two and two together. “The only person who knew she was on that run was Ani. What if she told someone what she saw?”

“If she told someone…,” Danny says slowly, but when he finishes his sentence, it’s not what I expected him to say. “If she told someone, she could be in a fuck of a lot of danger. We have to find out who she told. And quick.”





LIZ


Snoop ID: ANON101

Listening to: Offline

Snoopers: 0

Snoopscribers: 1

“Fucking hell.”

Topher is in my room. Topher is in my room. He is pacing, back and forth, back and forth between me and the door. He looks demented. I don’t know what to do. My room has always been my refuge—the one place I could close the door and shut everyone else out—the smell of beer, the sound of my mother’s sobs, my father’s bellowing voice. Go to your room, Elizabeth. He meant it as a punishment. Instead, it was an escape.

Now my room has been invaded and my escape has been cut off.

“Fucking hell, Liz, this is a nightmare. They’re all looking at me. They all think it’s me!”

“Topher—”

I try to think what Tiger would do in this situation. Would she put her hand on his arm? Give him a hug? The latter makes me feel a bit ill, but I could try the arm.

I stick out my hand, awkwardly, but Topher is pacing. He just brushes straight past it like I was hailing a taxi and he was a driver with a passenger. I am not sure he even sees it. I go to chew my cuticles, then I shove my hand in my pocket to stop myself.

“God, I think I’m going mad. Oh Jesus, Eva. Eva!”

Topher stops and slumps onto my bed. He puts his face in his hands, and then to my horror, he begins to sob.

At least he’s stationary now. I put my hand out, trying to remember how Tiger calmed Carl down. I let it drop onto his shoulder.

But then he gives a huge wrenching sob, almost like he might be about to be sick, and I snatch it away.

“Topher,” I whisper. “Let me—” I look round the room, searching for inspiration. My eye falls upon the empty water glass by my bed. “Let me get you a glass of water.”

I’m not sure if he hears me as I tiptoe into the corridor. I shut the door, leaning against it, breathing hard.

Oh god, this is not what I am good at.

I am good at filing, and taking notes, and making sure everything adds up. I am good at tidying up loose ends and keeping everything straight. I am task-oriented and time-conscious and detail-focused. And I am very, very good at making myself invisible.

In short, I was a perfect PA. But I am not cut out for this.





ERIN


Snoop ID: LITTLEMY

Listening to: Offline

Snoopers: 5

Snoopscribers: 10

Danny and I should be washing up from lunch—it’s no joke, with no dishwasher. The only hot water now comes from kettles we boil on the woodburning stove, and it’s becoming a full-time task just to keep enough clean crockery to serve meals. The greasy crockery from lunch is piled high on the draining board, and cutlery is soaking in lukewarm water that’s fast losing its heat. But important as it is to keep the guests fed, keeping them alive is more crucial, and neither of us wants to leave the other on their own, so there is no discussion over who will go and who will stay when I propose talking to Ani. That we will both tackle her is without question. The only thing in doubt is where and how.

“Now,” Danny says firmly. “If she talked to the murderer, told them where Eva was, it’s only a matter of time before they figure that out. And when they do…”

He trails off. I swallow. I know he’s right.

“But, what if she’s with one of the others?” I ask. “What’s our excuse for talking to her alone?”

Danny shakes his head.

“No, we talk to her in front of everyone. It’s better to get it on the table. If everyone knows the truth, great. They can’t kill all of us.”

He says it almost glibly, and a part of me finds myself wanting to laugh, hysterically. How has it come to this, that we’re discussing murder like some kind of parlor game? But he’s right. There’s no sense in keeping whatever Ani has to say under wraps. The more people who know the truth, the better.

We don’t have far to go to find her. We exit the kitchen and make our way through the chilly dining room, and there she is—sitting in the lobby in front of the woodburner, playing cards with Carl, Rik, and Miranda, her huge glasses pushed up on her forehead as she stares down at her hand.

“Three of a kind,” Carl is saying smugly, as he lays down three kings.

“Hi,” Danny says, a little brusquely, positioning himself in front of the group. “Can we talk for a moment?”

“Sure,” Miranda says with a sigh, stacking her cards. “Carl’s whipping our arses anyway, so please come and save us from another defeat.” She runs a hand through her long dark hair, and then makes a face. I know how she is feeling. No hot water means no showers, and everyone is looking a little limp and grubby around the edges, including me and Danny. “Have you got news?”