‘I don’t know. Can I see the emails?’

‘I deleted them.’

‘That’s OK,’ Matt said. ‘They’ll be in your deleted emails for a while.’

She opened her laptop and logged into her email account.

‘Here they are.’

He read the emails.

‘This is so weird,’ he said. ‘I mean, I could see someone declaring their undying love for you so that at least you knew they felt that way before you got married, in case you reciprocated. But this? This is just weird. They want to rescue you?’

‘Could it be a joke?’ Annabelle said.

‘It could. But by who, I have no idea.’ He laughed. ‘Whoever sent this is deluded. Deranged, even. There’s a crazy fucker out there monitoring your life.’

‘Matt!’ Annabelle punched him on his arm. ‘Don’t say that!’

‘It’s a joke!’

‘Well, it’s not funny. I’m scared! A bit, anyway.’

‘Why? You’re worried they may kidnap you before the wedding? I doubt it. It’s some idiot messing around. Probably someone who saw we were getting married, got your email address and wanted to mess with you. I doubt we even know them. Forget about it. If any more come, tell them to get lost.’ He kissed her. ‘It’ll be fine. Don’t worry.’

‘Sure,’ she said. ‘But make sure we lock the doors tonight, OK?’

Sunday, 8 March 2020, 4.55 p.m.

Annabelle

1

Annabelle closed her laptop. She and Matt were in the office looking for the emails to see if there was any clue to who had sent them, but they were all gone.

‘We should have paid more attention at the time,’ Matt said.

‘We were focused on the wedding,’ Annabelle said. ‘And they just stopped.’

‘Do you think they’re linked to this?’ Matt said.

‘I don’t know. They could be.’

Matt put his arm around her. ‘If they are,’ he said. ‘Then this goes back years.’

Annabelle closed her eyes. The idea that this had been bubbling away in the background for a decade or more was terrifying.

‘I don’t even want to think about that,’ she said. ‘It’s—’

Matt’s phone buzzed and he snatched it up.

‘It’s the kidnapper,’ he said. He tapped the screen. It glowed, reflected in his eyes.

When he looked up, his face was pale.

‘What is it?’ Annabelle said.

‘No,’ he said. ‘No, this can’t be true. It can’t.’

‘What is it?’ Annabelle said. ‘What does it say?’