I take a quick detour to grab the necklace, stuffing it into my back pocket before I head out. I get a block away when Toni Miller’s car pulls up beside me in full view of every man and his dog. The driver hops out and comes around the front, right at me.

‘What are ya doin?’ I hiss.

‘I could ask you the same thing. What, ya want me to get a third floggin for your sake?’ Sam stops in front of me, his lip curls like he smells something bad.

My conscience rears up and bites me. ‘Shit, Sam I’m sorry, I—’

‘Save it. The only reason I’m ere is cos Aunty wants to see ya.’

‘You told er I called?’

‘I didn’t tell er nuthin. She told me to take er fishin, then said we had to come into town and pick somethin up. What she meant was come tell you.’ His bitterness hurts in a way I don’t have time to think about.

‘Sam, I said I was sorry.’

‘Whatever, Thomson. I’m doing this for her, not you. She says if ya don’t meet us tonight you’ll lose ya sister to the dark, whatever that means. I’m takin her fishin at Tolderodden, at that spot I took youse both. Ya know, after I got flogged up for ya the second time. If ya aren’t there that’s your own fuckin fault.’

Spinning on his heel he leaves me on the sidewalk with my mouth open and my chest hurting. I really managed to screw that up.

No time! I bolt for Rhi’s house and hope the tears won’t fall.

Day 5, Night

Day 5, Night

‘What are we doin, Tace?’

Rhi’s words hit me as I slink into her car, keeping my eyes peeled for any movements in the dark surrounds of the house. We haven’t been punished for our dirty deeds yet so she still has a car and I have a bit of freedom. Laney has them all distracted for the time being. This waiting time is weird. I feel like I’m a mouse tempting fate by gnawing at a bit of cheese that may or may not be attached to something that will swing down and crush me. The mouse analogy works for right now too, as I hunch down in Rhi’s front seat not looking at her.

‘What? I wanted to get out?’

‘Mmm hmm,’ is her response. Great cousin that she is, she puts the car in gear and takes off.

‘So we’re goin fishin?’

‘Yep, but I thought we’d try a new spot this time.’

‘And Aunty Al knows about it?’

‘Ahuh,’ I mutter. ‘Didja, umm, tell Aunty about it?’