He went back to Marsden. He parked at the station and walked through the town. Every step he took, he thought he felt a new pair of eyes on him—watching his every move. The man who let the bogeyman get away—that’s what they’d think of him as, and they were right, weren’t they?

He’d been there. In the forest. He’d been right there.

Sam’s voice plucked up in his mind. But then, a man would be dead. You saved the lawyer’s life. You did the right thing.

His phone rang. It was Emma. He didn’t want to think of all the people watching him anymore, so he picked up.

“Robin. What’s happening?” She sounded more worried than he’d ever heard her before. “Is the news true? This McConnell guy, and something about a monster, and there was a car crash? Are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” he said, in a tone that didn’t even convince himself, so had no chance of convincing his sister. “I just... I messed up, Em.” And it all came out—everything. Everything that had happened ever since he came to Marsden, a story full of sheep, canals, underground websites and too many pubs. And when he was at the end of it, she was silent, so he just said again, “I messed up. You were right. I should never have come here. I have no business being in Marsden. Matthew McConnell played me. He used Sam against me, and now he’s got what he wanted.”

There was silence on the other end of the phone for so long that Robin thought the connection may have cut off. But finally Emma said, “Robin, why don’t I come and get you and you can come back to London.”

Robin opened his mouth, all ready to say yes, to beg yes, but he couldn’t. This was his mess—he had made it and he had to get himself out. He owed something to this town, and he didn’t know how yet but he was going to at least take a step toward making amends.

“I’ll be home soon,” he said, and hung up before Emma could say anything else.

Chapter Forty-One

He quickened his step as he got to the duo of pubs marking the start of the town. As he started up the street, he saw a group of people crowding around a uniformed police officer, asking questions in hushed tones. The group was between him and The Hamlet, so he took a left at the clock tower and found himself on the street that Sally had led him through the day he met her.