‘Anyhow, I held my breath and stayed as quiet as possible and waited until he’d left the laundry and locked the door behind him. I waited a few more minutes, just to be on the safe side, then I climbed out of the trolley and went to investigate. And that’s how I found out about the well. I escaped, right there and then.’

She grinned at Bailey.

‘Nice story don’t you think?’ she said.

‘Beautiful,’ muttered Bailey.

Amber’s face soured.

‘Be as sarcastic as you want. It won’t make any difference. You’re going to die soon, in a really unpleasant way. And it’ll serve you right.’

Bailey shifted position to try and ease her discomfort. She winced as her injured knee sent an agonising jolt of pain up her leg.

‘Why did you kill your baby?’ she said.

Amber fixed her with a long look. ‘I’m not the nurturing type.’

‘So you bashed its brains out?’

‘I don’t want to talk about it.’ Amber crossed her arms defensively.

‘Was it retarded?’

‘Fuck you!’ she spat, looking away.

‘It was, wasn’t it?’ Bailey paused. ‘That’s why incest is illegal.’

Amber jerked her head around sharply, and Bailey knew her guess had been correct.

‘What would you understand about me and my brother?’ hissed Amber. ‘You don’t know what we went through.’

‘Let me guess, you went through the care system separately, then reunited as adults. Fell into a relationship. You’re the only one that understood him and vice versa.’

‘You don’t know shit! I’m going to enjoy seeing him rip your fucking scalp off!’

‘But an illegitimate mentally handicapped child. That just wouldn’t do.’

‘Shut up!’ shouted Amber.

‘Mind you, with parents like you two, it’s probably better off dead.’

Amber jumped off the dryer, strode over to where Bailey was sitting on the floor tied to the mangle and kicked her hard in the stomach.

‘Shut the fuck up!’

Bailey gasped, winded. It took a minute or so for her to recover her breath.

‘So what if you both had problems. That’s no excuse.’

‘Don’t get high and mighty on me. Right now you’re in no position to judge us.’

‘I just want to understand you.’

‘Why? What’s the point? You’ll be dead very shortly.’

A muted thumping sound echoed through the laundry.

Amber tilted her head to listen. She smiled coldly at Bailey.

‘As if on cue.’

Chapter 109

Bailey peered around trying to work out where the noise had come from. She couldn’t see any sign of him. Yet.

Again the muted thump.

It was coming from the far end of the laundry.

Then a movement from one of the top-loader washing machines by the back wall. It was the one with the sign taped over its control panel which read: ‘OUT OF ORDER – ELECTROCUTION HAZARD!’

The lid of the washing machine began to lift up, seemingly of its own accord. Then black leather-gloved fingers emerged to grip either side of the rim, pulling upwards…

Bailey watched, transfixed, marvelling at the simple ingenuity of the deception. The well was concealed beneath the washing machine, which itself was conveniently out of order, no doubt to deter casual investigation. No wonder it had been impossible to find.