“You said someone told you that the group was meeting without you? Do you remember who told you?”

Matthew went to dry his eyes again. Robin handed him a tissue. “It was a guy named Benny Masterson. He works in Marsden Butchers’. We used to be friends at school...before... Before them.” He gestured to the photo.

Robin nodded, writing down the name. Maybe Mr. Masterson would be able to shed some light on the group without Matthew.

“I gave them everything,” Matthew said, and pushed the photo away.

Robin ignored that. “Do you have any clue why they chose the word Ascend to tattoo on their wrists?”

Matthew shook his head. “You don’t think I’ve been wondering about that ever since? No, I have no idea.”

Robin suppressed another sigh. Matthew was there—on the face of it, he was the only person who could unlock what happened in that tunnel. But he didn’t know much. And Robin didn’t think he was lying, didn’t even suspect he was holding back.

Robin needed to think. And he was glad when Matthew said softly, “Do you mind if we finish for today, Mr. Ferringham?”

He had a thousand more questions, but they were not for today. There was just one he needed to ask. “Do you know anyone who would want to harm your friends?”

Matthew started crying again.

“Matthew.”

Matthew looked at him through his tears. “I don’t know. I don’t know.”

Robin straightened up. “Do you know anyone who would want to hurt you?”

Matthew stopped crying instantly. He looked into Robin’s eyes, making it clear that he had never been asked that question before. He had never had to think of an answer. And he knew he wasn’t going to get one anytime soon. “What do you think happened, Matthew? To your friends? What happened in Standedge Tunnel?”

Matthew seemed to think for a long time. When he finally spoke, he spoke the truth, hard and fast and breathless—“I honestly have no idea.”

Robin watched him, almost as breathless as Matthew presented himself to him. He caught his breath and nodded slowly, closing his notebook and putting it back in his backpack. He got up.

“Mr. Ferringham...”

“I think you better call me Robin.” Robin smiled with no joy.

“Okay. Robin. What do you think happened to my friends?”

Robin didn’t say anything. He looked at the young man in front of him, scared, alone—staring down the barrel of multiple life sentences in prison.

He mulled the question over in his mind. He had been running from it ever since Matthew had called him, ever since he had learned of the Incident. What did he think happened? Six went in. Only one came out. Now you see them—now you don’t. He had no idea where they went either.

But he was going to find out.

Chapter Seventeen