Nell
PRESENT
There’s a snort of derision and relief courses through me; it isn’t Alex. Then who? The silence and the stillness tells me that they’ve enjoyed the error I made. If I keep hazarding guesses, I might be able to buy myself the precious time that I need.
“It’s you, isn’t it, Marcus?” I say into the darkness, although I’m sure that it isn’t him. On the underside of the island, my fingers find a strip of sticky tape and I begin to pick away at it, doing my best to keep my movements small. “I’ve suspected you all along.”
There’s no noise from the black-clad figure, so I press on.
“But maybe I’m wrong. Just because you bought the house opposite mine doesn’t mean you want me dead.
So, if it’s not you, it has to be Rob or Victor.
” I pause. “Rob, is it you? I can’t think why it would be you, unless you’re jealous of my relationship with Alex.
But I know you love Romy, so I think you must be Victor. ”
I need more time, so I search for something more to say while I continue to pick away at the tape. “It was you who killed Caitlin, wasn’t it? You went back to her on the slopes that day and forced over the edge to her death. And then, when Alex met Ariane, you killed her too.”
“You’re right.” The hiss comes out of the dark, making me jump. “But you’re also very wrong.”
A female voice. Shock waves run through me. “Inès?” I stare into the darkness. “Is that you?”
She gives a wild laugh and I sense her crouch down, about to pounce.
Ripping the last piece of sticky tape from the underside of the island, I grab the knife that I stuck there, swoop it up with both hands on the hilt, and thrust it forward.
There’s a grunt of surprise before the full weight of her body crashes down on me.
My knees buckle and I stumble back against the wall.
But the grunt tells me that the knife has gone in so I push her off me, pulling the knife out at the same time.
She staggers back and I come round from behind the island, lashing out in the darkness with the knife, hoping to disable her further.
There’s another grunt as she falls to the floor and, hearing her go down, I lunge for the door, kicking out with my feet to stop her from grabbing on to me.
She rolls her body forward, blocking my way, and grapples at my legs with her hands.
I manage to pull the door open, kicking her hands away as she grabs on to my feet, and wriggling free, I charge down the hallway, already screaming for Simon.
“Simon!” I yell again, as the kitchen door opens behind me. I pull the front door open and tumble into the road. “Simon!”
Within seconds, the door of Marcus’s house flies open and Simon comes charging out with Kintyre.
“Are you okay?” he asks urgently. “Are you hurt?”
“No.” My breath comes in ragged gasps. “It’s Inès! She’s inside, she’s injured!”
“Nell!” I spin around and see Alex. He pulls me into his arms. “Thank God you’re safe.”
I crumple against him. “It’s Inès.” There’s a sob in my voice as the horror of it hits me.
“Inès? It can’t be.” He pulls back, searches my face. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.” I shake my head. “I don’t know, I don’t understand.”
Simon pulls out a flashlight and shines it into the hallway. It picks out the black-clad figure, the face masked by a balaclava, lying immobile in the kitchen doorway. Kintyre pulls on his lead, desperate to be inside.
“Be careful, she has a knife!” I warn.
“Police!” Simon calls, moving down the hallway. “Don’t move!”
Alex keeps his arms around me as Simon crouches beside the prone figure. “She’s dead,” he says, turning his head toward us. Releasing Kintyre, who immediately sits next to the body, he eases the balaclava off and in the light, I see a shock of short brown hair.
“Wait!” I move from Alex’s arms and walk unsteadily toward Simon. “It’s not her, that’s not her hair.”
“Are you sure?”
Simon moves back so that I can see her face. Her eyes are wide open, her face and lips pallid. I’m about to ask Alex if he knows who she is, but then I look closer and imagine a glossy black wig covering the short brown hair and bright crimson lipstick on the pallid lips.
“Oh my God,” I say, stunned. “It is her. It’s Inès.”