The Family Game(42)

‘Not much – just hide and seek, costumes, masks, that kind of thing,’ I say lightly, my mind on the room Edward just walked into and the prospect of whether or not Robert Holbeck is in it.

‘Okay. Well, listen,’ Fiona tells me, slowing us down to a halt. ‘I don’t want you going in blind tonight. My first time, Oliver thought it would be hilarious not to tell me anything at all, so I almost had an aneurysm when it all kicked off. Not that it’s that bad. It’s fine,’ she adds quickly, catching my expression. ‘I’m probably just a scaredy cat. And I wasn’t expecting it. Anyway,’ she says brightly, pulling me along again.

The kitchen is a massive stone-floored affair with a large provincial farmhouse table and Le Creuset-lined shelves. Hired caterers and chefs bustle about the space, transplanting beautifully crafted savoury creations onto small dishes and shucking fresh oysters over at the sink.

The air is filled with the fresh scent of salt and sea, and the aroma of something sweet baking. My hunger dips into a groaning ache just as I catch a face I recognize bent over by the range cooker.

Lila looks up from the tray of blood-red cookies with a broad smile, her cheeks rosy with the kitchen heat, her hands stained red by the dough. ‘Hey, Harry!’ she calls, sliding her cookies into the oven. ‘You made it.’ She gives me a gooey-handed wave. ‘I’m making Krampus cookies,’ she grins. ‘Pretty weird, right?’

‘Krampusnacht? Sure is,’ I agree. As is the thought of having to see Robert Holbeck and pretend I’m normal and he’s normal, I secretly think. ‘Is this your first Krampus too?’ I ask Lila as Fiona busies herself with the kitchen staff.

Lila pulls an expression that I don’t really understand, then says, ‘No way. We sometimes do it in Sweden. It’s my third here, I think,’ she counts on blood-dough fingers. ‘Yeah, third one. Milo loves it.’ She shrugs as if to say she comes for Milo but stays for the weirdness.

I know if Lila is here everyone is here, and that anyone could walk into this kitchen at any moment.

I reorientate myself against a kitchen counter in order to keep the kitchen door in my periphery. I want a little warning before I have to put my guard all the way up.

I am not meeting Samantha Belson until next week. I know Robert didn’t kill her as he suggested, but I’m sure there’s more to uncover there. I just don’t know yet how far this all goes. Though there is a world in which Robert’s tape is just a joke and I’m just a bad sport. I suppose I’ll see.

Fiona joins us with an exasperated sigh. ‘I need to learn to delegate if it’s the last thing I do. I’m a real pain in the ass,’ she groans, then hands me a tall glass of sparkling water with a wink. ‘So, the plan is: drinks, canapes and snacks until around 9 p.m. The kids play among themselves until then. But at 9 o’clock you’ll hear a bell—’

‘Like a cowbell,’ Lila chips in helpfully, though it clarifies absolutely nothing for me.

‘A cowbell, okay,’ I echo.

‘The kids will flip out at that point,’ Fiona continues. ‘Then there’ll be three loud knocks on the front door; that’s Krampus arriving. And that’s the beginning of the Krampus Race, which ends when the Evergreen is found, at which point Krampus disappears,’ she says with a finality I’m not sure she’s earned. ‘Oh, and after Krampus disappears, we unwrap the presents in our shoes.’

I’m not sure Fiona knows how mad she sounds.

‘Right. Krampus, Evergreen, presents in shoes. I think I’ve got it,’ I say regardless. Edward’s explanation didn’t mention anything called an Evergreen.

I take a sip of my icy water and wonder when Fiona will drag us out of the relative safety of the kitchen into the main party and closer to Robert. My stomach flips with dread.

‘Now, Harriet, you’re doing Krampus Race with Billy this year. As a team. Is that okay?’ Fiona asks.

I splutter a little of my water back into the glass.

‘Don’t worry. I’m doing Krampus Race too, with Milo,’ Lila says.

‘Oh, um, sure. If that’s… Is everyone doing it?’

‘No, just you and Lila and the kids. If you’re happy to? Billy asked for you especially.’

I gulp back the rest of my water and try to ignore the emotional blackmail, resigning myself to the fact that I have to play a weird game with a bunch of kids while the rest of the adults, including Robert Holbeck, stay in another room. Which actually works out perfectly.

I put down my empty glass with a triumphant smile. ‘Great,’ I say. ‘In the meantime, could I get some of those canapes we saw go past, Fiona? I’d better get my energy reserves up or the kids might not be able to tell the difference between me and the Krampus.’

Lila gives a high giggle. ‘I don’t think there’s much danger of them getting confused about that.’ Something in the pitch of her laugh unsettles me and a concerning question slowly begins to form in my mind.

‘Hang on. Who plays the Krampus?’ I ask with a grin.

The pair exchange a look, then burst out laughing.

‘No one plays Krampus, silly,’ Fiona giggles. ‘Krampus is Krampus.’ She gives me a stage wink that does nothing to settle me – if that was its intention. ‘Let’s get you some food, though,’ she continues, making her way towards the kitchen door with a beckoning gesture. ‘We’ll go through to the others.’