The page is damp and dirty and most of the words are obscured by black marks. I try to read on but a loud noise outside makes me stop. I put the book down and get to my feet. I hear the bolt slide back and I rush for the door, my heart thudding wildly. It opens slowly and a familiar face appears.

‘Oh, thank God,’ I cry, relief flooding through my body. ‘Thank God you’ve come. You have to help me. Mark’s taken Joe.’

42

Isobel steps into the room, closing the door behind her. She looks at me, her face strangely impassive.

‘Isobel,’ I say breathlessly. ‘Are you listening? We’ve got to get out of here. Mark has taken Joe. He came running up here when we arrived and then … then I heard this voice singing “Jingle Bells” and … and it was dark and then I saw Mark … he just ran past me. He took Joe and locked me in.’

I pause to get my breath. Isobel doesn’t speak. She just stands there looking at me with that strange expression on her face.

‘What’s that?’ she says, gesturing to the book that is lying on the floor by her feet.

‘It’s an old diary,’ I say, my voice catching in my throat. ‘Grace’s diary.’

‘Grace’s diary?’ says Isobel, the colour draining from her face. ‘Where did you get it?’

‘I found it on the window ledge when I was trying to escape,’ I say, crouching down to pick up the diary from the floor. ‘It was written by Grace when she was holed up in here all those years ago. And it seems you were right. She did kill her father. I can’t believe it. I didn’t think the Grace I knew was capable of that. But you knew her too, didn’t you, Isobel? You were there that night. With Steve Markham.’

‘No,’ says Isobel. ‘No, that’s not …’

She shakes her head and I’m shocked to see that she’s crying.

‘He was your boyfriend, I know that,’ I say gently. ‘And you were planning to run away. It’s all there in the diary. I realize this must be a huge shock but … you were friends with Grace, good friends by the sound of it. Look, I can understand why you said you didn’t know her. You wanted to put all this behind you and that’s fair enough. I understand. I just … I just can’t believe Grace did that. She killed her father.’

Isobel doesn’t respond, just stands there shaking her head and staring at the floor.

‘Listen, Isobel,’ I say, frantic now. ‘I need you to help me. Mark has taken my son. I need to get out of here and find them. And this house … this house is dangerous. Ever since I arrived here I’ve felt it, a sense that I’m being watched. Joe even saw someone at the window. What if … I don’t know … what if Grace has been released and she’s followed me here? What if it’s been a big trap? I mean, she’s killed once, she could kill again. We need to get out of here, Isobel. We could be in serious danger. Grace could be watching us right now.’