Chapter 61
THE GRAVEDIGGER
He doesn’t take the motorway, sticking to back roads and small towns. Dina switches radio stations every ten minutes, the music covering the thuds from the boot of the car. Whenever there’s a gap between songs, Penny’s panicked movements can be heard and Dina’s lip twitches with pleasure.
They buy food from a truck in a lay-by, pay cash, head down. They drive and drive, and finally, as the sun sets, he finds a quiet place to pull over. He checks they are alone, then he opens the boot, to reveal his gagged and bound fiancée.
“Hello, darling.”
She squirms. The tape over her mouth has held out despite her screaming and crying. He places a finger to his lips but she continues to thrash and cry. Then he takes a penknife from his pocket and holds it in front of her eyes. She goes quiet.
“If you want to stay alive, you have to do everything I say.” He reaches into the boot and grasps her wrists. Slowly, he hauls her out and carries her into the backseat, pushing her across to the opposite side so he can slide in.
Dina turns from the passenger seat and rips the tape from Penny’s mouth.
Penny’s bottom lip trembles. “Where are you taking me?”
“Shut up, bitch,” Dina spits from the front.
Penny stares at the stranger in the front seat. “Who are you?” she cries. “Tim, why are you doing this to me?”
Dina laughs.
“Oh, Penny.” Magnus lifts his hand and gently caresses the side of her cheek, feeling her soft skin.
He places a finger to his lips. “You need to be a good girl and stay quiet. If you can do that, things will be much better for you.” He gets out the penknife, and plays with it in his hands.
“If you can’t be quiet, things will get very messy around here. ”
Penny shudders.
Her eyes are burning with hatred. Two dark marbles sparkling like polished onyx.
But she’s still and compliant. He places a water bottle to her lips to reward her.
“Good girl.” He strokes her hair and pulls a seat belt over her chest. He glances at Dina. “We’ll sleep in the car tonight. We can figure things out better in the morning.”
“What about her?” Dina directs her chin in Penny’s direction, talking about her as if she can’t understand.
“We’ll sleep in shifts, keeping an eye on her.”
“Why can’t we lock her in the boot?” Dina asks.
Magnus rolls his eyes. “Because I don’t want to. I want to look at her.”
Dina scowls and turns away from him to scroll on her phone. She is really getting under his skin. He realised a few hours into the journey that he’d rather be doing this alone. Even Penny seems like a burden to him now.
“Shit,” Dina exclaims.
Magnus looks up at her. “What is it?”
Dina’s eyes flick over to Penny. “I’ll send it to you.”
Magnus checks his phone and opens the link.
He frowns as he reads the news article. Both Faye and Claire have been found.
Both are alive. He expected Faye to be found, though he had hoped she might have been run over and injured on the road.
But for Claire to turn up safe and well is infuriating.
Where has she been all this time? He exhales so quickly that the air whistles through his nose.
There is no mention of Penny in the news article, but his and Dina’s names are all over it. Suspects at large. Wanted for questioning. He thought they had more time.
“What’s the plan?” Dina asks, raising an eyebrow. “Where are we going?”
“We head north. There’s no time for sleeping, let’s keep moving. Find somewhere remote. Then… we wait and see.”
Dina turns to him with her eyes as wide as a doe’s. “All right. As long as I’m with you, I’ll be happy.”
He smiles back but feels cold as he looks at her.
He always admired her callous and cruel heart, her easy-going attitude to his wife and seeing him infrequently, always on his terms. But now he sees it was all a facade.
She is jealous and weak, and he smells it like a shark tasting blood in the water.
He can’t carry out his plan with her deadweight by his side.
But he won’t get rid of her just yet, because she’s the only one with any money.