Heath had intended to leave Megan unconscious for hours, planning, maximising his anticipation, but his longing to inflict terrible suffering ultimately proved too strong a trigger. He’d left her mouth unfettered to allow her to scream. The sound was music to his ears.

‘Ah, welcome back to the land of the living. I was beginning to wonder if you’d ever wake up at all.’

Megan looked up at her tormentor with bleary eyes, then at the cage, and then at Heath again, as grim reality came into sharp and unrelenting focus.

‘Is Lottie all right?’

‘The brat? Well, she’s still breathing, if that’s what you mean. Although she won’t be for very much longer. I’ve waited for long enough, and today’s a time for killing.’

‘Why, Martin? I thought we were friends. I thought we’d become close. Why would you do such a terrible thing?’

Heath slowly approached Megan, stroking her wet hair as she tried to pull away. ‘Can you imagine not being limited by a restrictive conscience? Can you picture the total freedom it would give you to indulge your wildest fantasies without limit? If you can, you’ll understand me a little better. I kill because I want to, because I can. Nothing excites me more. I learned that at a surprisingly young age. I murdered and got away with it. I knew then that I had to do it again. And I did, I did. Not soon enough, but it happened in the end. Nursing gave me a ready access to victims. Needy victims who were all too willing to enter my web. And then you came along, you and that little brat of yours – two victims for the price of one. I couldn’t believe my luck.’

Megan struggled to free herself, her head pounding, but it was hopeless, absolutely hopeless. The bindings were too strong, the knots too tight, she could hardly move at all. ‘If you’re going to kill somebody, then kill me. Let Lottie go. She’s only a little girl with her future ahead of her. I’ll do anything you want me to, anything. Please, I’m pleading with you. I’m not an unattractive woman. Do with me what you will.’

Heath knelt to lick Megan’s face, focusing on her eyes, tasting her tears on his tongue. ‘That’s a very kind offer, so thoughtful, so selfless. Sentiments I fail to understand myself, but ones which you clearly value. It makes no sense to me. Why would I kill only one of you when I can kill you both? But not to worry. You’ll live for a few hours yet. I don’t want to rush things. You can watch while I strangle the brat. And then it will be your turn to die. You can look forward to that. I’m sure it will come as a relief in the end. Some of my previous victims begged to die.’

He laughed as Megan tried to bite him, her dashing teeth falling fractionally short as she craned her neck towards his nose. ‘I wouldn’t go giving me any ideas, bitch. Biting, now there’s an option I hadn’t considered. Why didn’t I think of it before? I may even eat you both, cooked or raw, maybe with a light salad. I’m always open to new experiences. Why place limits on depravity?’