“It’s fairly standard when you’re a twin.”

“What. Have. I. Said. About. Interrupting. Me?” The words are almost a growl. “Now,” I’m back to nice Chris again, “as I was saying. Because your sister thought you were a lying bitch—her words, for the record, not mine—she made sure you couldn’t actually take her money. But that is a bit of a problem, isn’t it? So, I have made a Plan B.” I smile and stroke her arm. “Leah is missing. In a few days some evidence will materialize that suggests foul play. Don’t worry, I can’t have you tied to her murder, can I? I doubt you’d be able to inherit everything if you were convicted of her homicide, I think there are probably some rules around that. But anyway, there will be an investigation, but the case will remain forever unsolved. You will inherit everything. And then you’ll give it to me. Simple.”

“But… that could take years…”

“It could.”

“But, what i—”

“You say you won’t? Then, Megan—and this would be far too easy, you understand—then I will kill you and it will be labeled a suicide and your estate will pass to your loving widower.”

“But you can’t kill me until the will—”

“You’re going to run away, are you?” I can feel my anger rising. “Remember that until the point that money is in my account, I can have you arrested for her murder and produce enough evidence so that any jury in the country would convict you.” I don’t want to have to use force. But I will threaten her with it if I have to. “Or I can just hold you here, lock you in the attic with the spiders if necessary, drug you up to the eyeballs.”

I grab her face between both my hands, digging my fingers into her skin until she looks me in the eye.

“I am getting that money, Megan. You are going to help me. Whether you like it or not.”

Chapter Sixteen

Megan rings the hotline ten minutes later as I sit next to her, my hand resting on her thigh.

“I’m her sister,” she tells the rather brusque-sounding woman on the other end, who finally puts her through to one of the police officers looking into the disappearance. Megan agrees that we will drive to the station to see what assistance we can provide.

It would normally take about three hours to drive from Guildford to Belsize Park, but with zero traffic on the roads due to lockdown, the trip takes less than an hour and a half. In the car, I drill Megan on exactly how this is going to go down.

“You’d better make sure that you’ve got those acting skills on point,” I tell her.

She is the one driving; I’m not a big fan of driving in the dark, plus she knows that area of north London better than me. “Leah was the actress, not me,” she says, eyes on the road, hands a perfect two and ten like it’s her driving test.