“It’s not as simple as that,” Tim said. “I wish it was, but it’s not.”

“You said she was dead,” Robert said to Tim.

Tim looked at him, angrily. “I’m a goddamn physicist, not a doctor.”

“She’s seen my face,” Amber said. “She looked straight at me, and who’s to say who else she’s seen, while we’ve been piddling about here.”

“Tim,” Rachel said softly.

Tim snapped at her. “I’m thinking.” He started pacing around the room, every step he took appearing to be a struggle.

“I don’t understand what there is to think about,” Edmund shouted. “She is down there alive.”

“Yes,” Tim said, stopping, “but who knows for how long. She was messed up pretty bad. Who’s to say she won’t die in the ambulance, or in the hospital, and we’re all still up for murder. Or death by dangerous driving. Or whatever. It’s still prison time. And what if she lives? Grievous bodily harm. Prison. Drink driving resulting in injury. Prison. And then we tried to cover it up. Prison. We’re all staring down the barrel of a boatload of shit however you look at it.”

“But she’s alive,” Edmund said.

“Yes,” Tim said, “and unfortunately at this point, that’s a problem.”

“What are you saying?” Robert said.

“Yes, what are you saying?” Edmund stressed.

“I’m saying—” Tim picked his words “—she’s alive. But for us to continue our plan, she has to...not be.”

Amber stepped forward. “We have to kill her.”

The group of them stared at Amber for a long time—Edmund didn’t know if it was more for the sudden outburst or for what that sudden outburst entailed. Edmund scoffed. “What?”

“No,” Pru said, “Tim’s right. Amber is right.”

“Are you all utterly insane?” Edmund shouted. He turned to Rachel, whose warm eyes had cooled. “Rachel, please...we can’t...”

She shook her head. “I’m sorry, Ed,” she said. “There is no other way from here. We set off on a path and we can’t turn around now. We have to go the distance.”

Edmund looked round. No one was looking happy, but they weren’t denying what had to be done either. “I don’t believe this. I can’t... I won’t...” He pointed at Amber. “Don’t listen to her. She’s crazy. She’s insane. I can’t stand by... I can’t kill someone.”

“You don’t have to,” Tim said, to Edmund first and then to Pru, Robert and Rachel. Amber stood by him. “I’ll do it.”

“You can’t...” Edmund said.

“Yes, I can,” Tim said quietly. “There’s nothing more in this world I love than the people standing in front of me right now. I would do anything for you, and sometimes that phrase requires some physical clarification.” He slowly unbuttoned his cuffs and started rolling up his sleeves.