Malin spread her hands wide; to her relief her eyes were no longer dry.

‘Darling, we’re falling apart,’ she whispered. ‘Soon we won’t exist any more.’

His face grew stern, then shut down.

‘Isn’t that the point?’ he said.

She wanted to scream, more than anything, but it was impossible. The children would hear, they’d be scared. They already had so many questions she was unable to answer.

‘Of course that’s the point!’ Her voice was so strained that it was as hoarse as his. ‘But that doesn’t mean it has to be that way! Don’t you understand? We have to start resisting, we have to . . .’

‘Resisting?’

He spoke the single word so quietly that her blood froze.

‘Resisting, Malin? Who do you suggest we . . . resist?’

She shook her head. If only the tears would flow. If only everything that had become so hard and solid would grow warm and begin to thaw.

‘Him. We tried once, but . . .’

Dan took a few rapid (much too rapid) steps in her direction.

‘Leave it.’

Malin automatically backed away as he came towards her. Gone were the days when she used to run straight into his open arms. Why wasn’t he prepared to talk about how they could get out of here?

Maybe because he knew deep down, just as she did, that it was pointless.

Because they knew their every move was being monitored.

Because they didn’t know how quickly the man who had done this could get to the house, they didn’t know how far away he was.

Because a failed escape attempt could mean their deaths.

‘We can’t go on like this,’ she said. ‘The children . . .’

‘The children feel like shit,’ Dan said.

There. At long last. A single tear ran down her cheek.

‘Exactly!’ she said. ‘Exactly. The children feel like shit. We can’t allow this to continue. We have a responsibility as parents. This nightmare isn’t simply going to end; we have to realise that, we . . .’

Dan stepped back, silencing her with the movement.

‘I’ve already realised that,’ he said in a voice that was too calm. It was filled with resolve, and it made her suspicious. He was also smiling – a joyless smile.

‘I’ve been thinking,’ he went on. ‘It might work after all.’

His words should have brought relief, but Malin’s reaction was the opposite. She was stressed, terrified.

‘Yes?’ she said.

He nodded. ‘Yes. Yes. Wait a few days and you’ll see.’

He didn’t say another word all evening. Malin’s fear grew along with the silence. Her heart was pounding so hard it was painful.

Two things were perfectly clear following her conversation with Dan.

First of all, he’d lost his grip on reality.

And secondly Malin now believed he was a danger to both himself and his family.

Chapter 14