Faith’s lips curve into another smile. ‘They were nasty characters. They said it was a good thing Hugh was dead. Mother would have been devastated that they spoke of her precious brother that way.’

‘And that’s it?’ Alice pushes down thoughts of how upset she was when she heard them talk about her father, but nobody deserves to be murdered in cold blood. ‘You killed a young couple because they said that?’

‘Oh come on. They were ogres. Present-day monsters. Always pulling people’s lives apart on social media and YouTube, ruining reputations, small businesses. They had a huge following too.’ Her voice is joyous; there’s a manic gleam in her eyes. ‘When Mitch mentioned them in the pub, and I listened to their crap – how they tried to ruin your father’s reputation, how they’d destroyed so many people with their cruel words, while raking in money, I was so angry.’ She clenches her fist. ‘I thought why not invite them here too on the pretence of them reviewing the hotel, and kill them – in for a penny, that’s what they say, isn’t it?’

‘Oh God, Faith.’

‘They jumped at the chance of a freebie weekend. They were leeches, sucking the happiness out of people with their cruelty. Apparently a woman committed suicide after they destroyed her debut film. They won’t be missed.’

She smirks. ‘They were so easy to kill. Just stuffed their faces with free caviar and smoked salmon canapés, champagne – all laced with poison hemlock.’ She furrows her forehead. ‘Surely you of all people can see they deserved to die?’

Alice glances over her shoulder at the door, then back at Faith – she barely recognises the woman in front of her as her caring, fun friend. This woman’s skin is pallid, her eyes dark, vacant, her body rigid. She’s a stranger.

Faith darts forward, places the tip of the knife on Alice’s throat. ‘Nobody’s coming, sweetie – it’s just you and little ol’ me. I just want you to stay here with me. Is that so much to ask? This was where we were happiest, wasn’t it? You do remember those good times, don’t you, Rosie? Outside inside.’

Leon

‘Leon!’

His body jerks awake. Wet grass has soaked through his jeans; his bare feet are freezing. Through sore eyes he sees someone crouched down beside him.

‘Lori?’ He rubs the back of his throbbing head, shivering as he attempts to ease himself up. But his limbs are weak, and he drops back down onto the grass like a wounded animal. ‘Gabriela helped me,’ he says, his voice is husky. He shouldn’t have left the shed when he did. His injury is far worse than he thought.