The Retreat(83)

And then she heard her parents arguing. Again. She couldn’t believe it! So much for this being a happy new year, a fresh start. Mum was jabbing a finger at Dad, who looked both angry and shame-faced.

Lily wanted to scream.

Furious, she stomped off ahead into the trees. She looked back up the path but couldn’t see them. They must have stopped walking, too busy arguing to move forward.

Oh God, they were going to split up. She’d probably have to move away. One parent would get her and the other would keep Chesney.

She had to do something.

Think, think. She could make them think she’d disappeared, run away again.

But that hadn’t worked last time, had it? She needed to do something more drastic. She could jump into the river . . . No, that was crazy. But what if she made them think she’d drowned? That she was dead? Even if they thought it for a moment, the shock would be so great it would make them see how stupid they were being.

She looked down at Big Cat. Could she do it? She could throw him in, then hide. Wait for her mum and dad to appear, let them panic for a minute, then show herself. She didn’t really want to throw Big into that freezing water, but he was only a toy really, wasn’t he? They’d be able to get him out with a long stick, she was sure.

She kissed Big Cat then, without thinking about it any more, took a step towards the bank and threw him into the water. He fell short, but rolled across the rocks and, in slow motion, plopped into the river.

She hurried into the bushes – and almost jumped out of her skin.

‘What are you doing?’ she asked.

And then there was a hand on her mouth, stopping her from screaming or calling out. The hand was replaced by something else. A gag. She tried to run, but strong arms held on to her then dragged her away, through the bushes. She could hear Mum calling her name but she couldn’t respond.

She had been stupid – and now she couldn’t do a thing to save herself.





Chapter 42

Julia unzipped the rucksack and took out the shears she’d brought with her. She held the tip against the cowering Heledd’s throat.

‘Tell me what you did to Lily or I’ll cut your fucking head off!’ she said.

Heledd stared at her, lips trembling but not speaking. I placed a palm on Julia’s shoulder, put another hand on her arm, gently lowering it until the shears pointed at the ground.

I tried a gentler approach. I was still finding it hard to separate this shaking, tear-stained Heledd from the calm, intelligent woman I knew. If it wasn’t for what she’d said about confessing her sins and those of her parents, I’d find it difficult to believe she was guilty of anything. That and the journal, which she’d brought to this place instead of taking it to the police.

‘Did you follow us?’ I asked.

She stared at me like a mute, frightened child.

‘I told Olly we were coming out here, so I guess he told you, is that right? Or were you planning to come here all along? To destroy this?’

I held up the journal.

‘What’s that?’ Julia asked.

‘Olly’s dad’s journal.’ I riffled through the pages of the journal, remembering how Heledd had leafed through it earlier. ‘Did you see something in here? Something incriminating?’

She was silent.

‘Tell him!’ Julia urged, pointing the shears in her direction.

Heledd shrunk back. Finally, she spoke. ‘Malcolm . . .’ She drew in a breath. ‘He found out who my father is . . . Saw him and Mum together. Saw all of us . . .’

‘How is that incriminating?’

She didn’t reply, so I moved on.

‘Your father? Who is he? Glynn?’

Again, she refused to answer. Again, I moved on.

‘Heledd, was it you who pushed Julia down the stairs?’

Her eyes darted to Julia then back to me. Then a tiny nod.

‘You bitch,’ Julia said.

Heledd cowered and I lay a hand on Julia’s shoulder until I was sure she wasn’t going to use the shears.

‘Were you and Ursula working together?’ I asked.

Heledd frowned with confusion. ‘Ursula?’ She genuinely didn’t seem to know who that was.

‘Did you kill Zara?’

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. ‘I had to . . . She was going to find out.’

I groaned. ‘Find out what?’

But she’d clammed up again. Julia paced behind me, a human ball of raging energy. Two years of frustration and anger she had previously directed inwards now threatening to burst out.

I had one more question for Heledd. ‘Who did you see? Who scared you?’

But all she would say was, ‘The Widow.’

‘Let me talk to her,’ Julia demanded, pushing in front of me. Heledd looked up at her and I saw something new in her eyes. Sympathy, perhaps. Not the fear or guilt I expected to see there.

Julia took a step towards Heledd, crouching and grabbing the front of her top with one hand, holding the shears in the other.

‘Tell me one thing,’ she demanded. ‘Is Lily alive or dead?’

Heledd answered with a whisper. ‘I don’t know.’

‘Tell me!’

There were tears in Heledd’s eyes. ‘I don’t know. I really don’t know.’