Force of Nature (Aaron Falk #2)(96)

She nearly missed the object wedged between Alice and the base of the rock. It was almost completely hidden by Alice’s lower back. Only the end was visible, circular with a glint of metal. Bree stared at it for what felt like a long time. She didn’t want to touch it, she didn’t want to admit she recognised it, but already she knew she couldn’t leave it.

At last, Bree made herself crouch and with her fingertips, she grasped hold and pulled out the industrial metal torch. She knew the name would be scratched into the side, but it still took her breath away to see it glinting in the light. Beth.

It’s gone too far. Alice doesn’t get to threaten you and just get away with it.

In a single reflex action, Bree pulled her arm back and threw, sending the torch spinning into the bush. It hit something with a thud and disappeared. Bree’s hand tingled. She wiped it on her jeans. Spat into her palm, and wiped it again. Then she looked back at Alice. Still sitting, still silent.

Two doors swung open in Bree’s mind and with a single shake of her head, she slammed one shut. The woolly feeling was gone now, and her head felt suddenly very clear. She needed to move.

Bree glanced down the path. It was empty. For now. She wasn’t sure how long she’d been there. Had anyone else heard the phone ring? She listened. She couldn’t hear any movement, but the others would be waking soon, if they weren’t up already.

She did the bag first. That was easier. She checked once more that the phone was dead, then slipped it into a side pocket and grabbed the straps of the backpack. She carried it into the bush, far enough that she couldn’t see the path, and propped it behind a tree. She stood and, for a terrible moment, could not remember which way the trail lay.

Frozen on the spot, Bree took deep breaths, making herself calm. ‘Don’t panic,’ she whispered. She knew which way she needed to go. She sucked in a final big breath and made herself walk straight, in the direction she had come, through the long grass and the trees, faster and faster, until she could see Alice sitting against the rock.

She almost stopped short at the sight of the back of her head, the blonde hair lifting in the wind, the awful stillness. Bree’s pulse was beating so fast she thought she might pass out. She forced herself to run the last few steps and, before she could change her mind, had hooked her hands under Alice’s armpits and pulled.

She walked backwards, dragging Alice deeper into the bush. The wind whirled around her, scattering leaves and debris across the ground in her wake, as though she had never been through there. Bree pulled until her arms ached and her breath burned in her chest and until suddenly she was stumbling and falling.

Alice – the body – fell one way, flat on her back, her face to the sky. Bree landed heavily against a dead tree stump, her eyes hot with tears and fury. She wondered briefly if she was crying for Alice, but she knew that she wasn’t. Not then, anyway. At that moment, she only had enough tears for herself, and her sister and what they’d somehow become.

As if her heart wasn’t aching enough, it was only then that Bree registered a stinging sensation in her arm.





Chapter 32



Something caught Falk’s eye.

Far below, at the base of the falls, he saw the flash of a high-vis jacket as someone crept out of the tree line with a familiar gait. Carmen. She positioned herself at the base of the waterfall and Falk saw her head tilt upwards, looking for them. It was too dark to see her face, but after a moment she raised a single arm. I see you. Around her, officers were moving slowly into place, trying not to draw attention to themselves.

Lauren hadn’t seemed to notice and he was glad. He wanted her attention as far away from the drop as possible. Through the roar of the water, Falk heard footsteps echoing on the wooden bridge. Lauren must have as well because she turned her head towards the sound. Sergeant King came into view, flanked by two other officers. He stayed back, but lifted his radio to his mouth and muttered something Falk couldn’t catch from that distance.

‘I don’t want them to come any closer.’ Lauren’s face was wet, but her eyes were dry and her expression was set in a way that made Falk nervous. He thought he’d seen that look before. It was the look of someone who had given up.

‘That’s okay,’ Falk said. ‘But they’re not going to keep away all night. They’re going to want to talk to you, and you should let them. If you come away from the edge we can try to sort this out.’

‘Alice tried to tell me about the photos of Margot. Maybe if I’d listened, everything would be different.’

‘Lauren –’

‘What?’ She cut him off. Looked at him. ‘You think you can fix this?’

‘We can try. I promise. Please. Just come back to the lodge and talk to us. If you won’t do it for yourself then –’ He wavered, unsure whether it was the right card to play. ‘There’s still your daughter. She needs you.’

He realised instantly it had been the wrong thing to say. Lauren’s face tightened and she leaned forward, her knuckles bright white where she gripped the ledge.

‘Rebecca doesn’t need me. I can’t help her. I’ve tried so hard, her whole life. And, I swear to God, I know I’ve made mistakes but I did the best I could.’ Her head was down as she stared into the abyss. ‘I’ve only made things worse. How could I do that to her? She’s just a girl. Alice was right.’ She leaned forward. ‘It is my fault.’