Seven Days(24)

She was the only person who could calm him down. And now she was gone.

Mum would be angry and tearful and fierce, and Dad; well, she worried about him the most. Mum loved her and James with total devotion, but Dad’s love went further. He depended on them. His kids were what gave his life meaning. His own father had died when he was young and his mum had not seemed to cope very well. Maggie didn’t know exactly what had happened, because he never talked about it, but she didn’t think he had had a particularly happy childhood, and he had made up his mind to make sure the same didn’t happen to his kids. He was never too busy for them, never had anything to do which was more important than whatever it was they wanted from him. All her life he had been there for her, calm and patient and reliable and loving. If she was interested in something, he explained it; if she wanted to help him wire plugs or change the oil in the car or put up shelves, he told her how and put the tools in her hands and watched as she did it. And he kept her safe, always.

She had no idea how he would cope with her disappearance.

That was what made her angriest about the man who had taken her. He didn’t care what he did to her family, didn’t care whether they became depressed or split up or committed suicide. All he cared about was getting what he wanted.

Which was her, in a cage.

She hated him for that. Not for wanting her, but for his selfishness and what it was doing to the people she loved.

And now, on top of it all, she was hungry. She was going to have to take food from him.

She heard the scraping noise. Her heart rate sped up; she felt the first fluttering of panic, a tightness in her chest. She sat up on the bed. Seconds later, the door opened.

The man stepped inside.

He was not holding a tray. He did not have food or water.

He looked tired and irritable.

‘Well,’ he said. ‘I’ve had quite the afternoon, Fruitcake.’

Maggie looked behind him, wondering whether he had brought a tray and put it down and she had somehow missed it.

He followed her gaze, frowning.

‘What is it?’ he said.

She didn’t answer. He looked at her, his expression at first questioning and then, slowly, understanding.

‘Ah,’ he said. ‘You want something to eat. Well, I’m afraid that’s impossible.’ He scratched his nose, then inserted his finger into a nostril. ‘I did make something, but I had to eat it.’

She closed her eyes. She didn’t want to hear this. If there was no food she wanted him to leave. Then there was no chance of him doing what he’d done the night before.

‘Do you want to know why I had to eat it?’

Maggie shook her head.

‘Don’t be like that! It’s interesting!’

Maggie shuffled backwards on the mattress until her back was against the wall. She hugged her knees to her chest.

He folded his arms. ‘The police came. They were looking for you.’

She blinked, looking at him.

‘Don’t get your hopes up, though. They didn’t have a warrant, and they have no reason to suspect me, other than the fact they always suspect me. They don’t like me, you see. I let them have a look around so that they’d go away. I knew there was no chance they would find this place!’

He bounced up and down on his heels. ‘That’s when I ate the food. I’d made it for you just before they arrived. They saw it and I didn’t want them wondering who it was for. So while they were banging around looking in cupboards and under beds – as if I’d be so stupid as to hide anything valuable in such an obvious place – I ate it. As though it was mine all along.’

He shrugged.

‘And so no food until tomorrow.’

‘Why,’ Maggie said, in a whisper, ‘why do they not like you?’

He shook his head ruefully. ‘My wife,’ he said. ‘Ex-wife, that is, found some photographs I’d taken. She couldn’t understand that they were harmless and innocent and she made a big fuss, and then the police came and she told them – can you believe that? She told them – about the photos and I had to destroy them.’

‘What kind of photos?’

‘Nothing, really! Photos of people. Girls, mainly. On the way to and from school. She said it was disgusting that I took them, but she was wrong.’ He leaned forward, his eyes bright. ‘They were beautiful. Not obscene. Not disgusting. They were works of art. And they were harmless. The girls didn’t even know I’d taken them.’ He sighed. ‘But it worked out well. It was serendipitous. You know what that means? It comes from the Three Princes of Serendip and it means lucky. Fortuitous. I’ll tell you all about it some day. Anyway, it was serendipitous because it meant I had to re-start my collection and that meant I found you.’

Maggie was glad she hadn’t eaten. If she had, she would have thrown it up.

‘I saw you soon afterwards and I realized immediately you were special. You were the one I had to have. It had all happened for a reason: to lead me to you. There was something about you. A light you gave off. I could see you were kind and sweet and loving and I decided at that moment that I had to have you. I had to pluck you from the cruel and corrupting world you were in and keep you safe. You don’t think so now, but in time you’ll appreciate what I’m doing for you.’

‘Please,’ Maggie said. ‘Leave me alone.’