The House Guest by Mark Edwards(69)

‘I’ll stay here and watch her,’ Eden said, finally glancing down at Ruth.

‘Are you sure you don’t want to come with me? To see your father? After all the things he did to you, I thought you’d want to be there.’

‘I do. I just . . . ’ Eden said. ‘It’s a big thing. I need to psych myself up for it. You talk to him first, and I’ll keep an eye on Ruth.’

Gabriel nodded and left the room, leaving the two women alone. Eden sat down on the bed.

‘Oh, Ruth,’ she said.





Chapter 38

The van doors opened and Emilio instructed us to get out. The driver stood beside the vehicle along with another man and a woman. I had to shuffle out in an undignified way, until Emilio grabbed me and pulled me forward. Callum followed and I looked around. We were in an underground car park. Emilio and the others marched us over to a lift. The door pinged open, and Emilio and the man and woman I’d never seen before pushed us inside.

I didn’t see anyone press a button, but in the next moment we were gliding skywards.

At least it wasn’t the woods.

I glanced at Callum. It was obvious he was trying not to seem nervous.

‘Finally going to meet your man Gabriel, are we?’ he asked.

‘You’re Eden’s father,’ said the woman. She was six foot and built like a nightclub bouncer. I’d heard the other man call her Brittany as we’d got into the lift.

‘I am indeed,’ said Callum.

Brittany spat in his face.

‘Seems you’re not very popular around here,’ I said.

Brittany turned to me. The lift was taking a long time to get to the top. ‘You’re the actress’s boyfriend. Eden should have poisoned you the night she left that house.’

‘I guess she was afraid the real cops would get involved,’ I said.

Brittany snorted and addressed Emilio. ‘Since when are we afraid of the police?’

But I knew their fear of a proper criminal investigation must have been what prevented Eden from killing me that night. And maybe they thought Ruth would be harder to convert if I was dead.

The lift stopped moving and the doors opened.

We were led out into a corridor where there were more people, all young and good-looking, and they took us into an apartment and patted us down. The blinds were drawn and the room was dim, with just a sofa, a table with two chairs, and a pair of doors that led, I assumed, to a bedroom and a bathroom. There was a little kitchen to the side. Then they all vanished except Emilio and Brittany, plus someone I took to be a security guy. He was holding a gun.

‘Strip,’ said Brittany.

Callum said, ‘What?’

‘I’m really not interested in looking at your dicks,’ she said. ‘Just do it.’

I took my clothes off. Beside me, Callum did the same. The A/C in the apartment was cranked high and I shivered, hands cupped over my genitals.

‘Now put those on,’ Emilio said. Two sets of clothes were laid out on the sofa. A plain grey sweater and matching trousers. Clean underwear and a pair of canvas sneakers. We both did as they asked, dressing side by side in silence.

There was a light rap at the door. The security guy opened it and another man came in. It was him. The man from the photo.

‘You’re Gabriel,’ I said.

‘Adam,’ he replied, coming over and appraising me. He did the same to Callum. ‘And you’re Callum Maguire.’

‘Not going to spit in my face, are you?’ Callum asked.

Gabriel just smiled. ‘I’ve heard a lot about you. All the things you did to Eden when she was a child. I’ve held her in my arms while she told me all about it. I’ve kissed away her tears.’

‘All lies, I’m sure,’ said Callum. ‘That girl had a good upbringing. Firm, to be sure, but fair.’

Gabriel took a step closer to him. There was a look of genuine disgust on his face. ‘Is that what you thought when you were beating her? When you made her hold out her arm so you could stub your filthy cigarettes out on it?’

Instinctively, I moved away from Callum. Emilio grabbed hold of my elbow to stop me going further.

‘I never did that,’ Callum said.

‘I’ve seen her scars.’ Gabriel moved a fraction closer. ‘She told me about how you crept into her bed at night too. When she was seven.’

‘Oh Jesus,’ I said.

Gabriel turned to me. ‘And you’ve been helping him.’

‘I had no idea. I didn’t even know he was Eden’s dad until today. All I want is to find Ruth. To make sure she’s okay. If she’s happy here, wants to be here—’

Gabriel gave his head an annoyed shake and put a finger to his lips. ‘Hush.’ It was Callum he was focused on now. He slowly circled him. ‘I know what you did to her mother too. Your wife. Mary, wasn’t it? All the beatings. The abuse. The control. I heard about how you made her take off her top and poured hot oil on to her skin because she burned your dinner. How you made her clean your shit stains out of the toilet with her bare hands. How one Christmas you hurt her so badly you almost went to jail, but your wife wouldn’t testify against you because she was too scared.’

Callum’s expression hardened. ‘Don’t come over all morally superior, Gabriel. You’re the leader of a cult. I bet you do exactly the same to anyone who fucks with you.’