‘Nanny Bell? Well, that’s simple. She hated my mother. Made life impossibly hard for her. There were other awful nannies, of course. I tried to find them all. Some were in care homes, others dead. In fact, Nanny Bell was the only one I could find who would remember us. She’d moved back to Suffolk only recently, and will wish she hadn’t. She will die for them all.’

Alice’s head swims, her hands are clammy. Keep her talking. Keep her talking. ‘My yellow dress?’

Faith laughs. ‘Now that’s a very funny story.’ A pause. ‘When I delivered Paulo to your room, I saw your dress screwed up on the bed. I thought it might creep you out to find it outside on the lawn, so I opened the window and threw it out. I never dreamt it would all become so dramatic. That the wind would catch it and it would end up on the rocks. That Leon would see it. It was all rather marvellous, almost theatrical.’ She screws up her face, her eyes wild. ‘Why did you leave me, Rosie?’

‘I was five years old.’

‘But you never came back.’

‘I had no memory of any of this – until now.’

‘I hope you understand why I must make sure you’ll stay this time.’

‘But people are dead, Faith. How do you think you’ll get away with this? The Winslows, Mitch, Christine. Their families will miss them. Don’t you see that? They’ll know they came here. They’ll contact the police. Leon’s parents know we’re here. They won’t rest until they find him.’ A beat. ‘Let me go, Faith. Please.’

‘Sorry, no can do – you will stay with me.’ Faith puts down the knife, unzips both Alice’s ankle-boots, pulls one from her foot, then the other.

‘What are you doing?’ Fear knots inside her as she watches Faith push her leggings up her leg, away from her ankles, her fingers icy cold.

Faith rises to her feet, reaches up and takes the saw from the wall, its wide sharp teeth glinting like they belong in the mouth of a wild animal – a predator.

‘As soon as the drug fully kicks in,’ Faith says, turning back to Alice and smiling, ‘which it will very soon. I will make sure you never leave me again. And we will all live happily ever after.’

Chapter 43

Halloween Weekend 2019

Alice

Let your mind and body combine. Find yourself in a beautiful stillness. Rest in peace.

Alice tries to control the fear rising in her body. Steady. Quell her pulses. Steady. Manage her breathing. Surrender to the stillness.