I may have sidestepped this threat for now, but there will be others. Maybe even from her again. Unless I reply, of course. I could buy time by responding as if I were Amber; put her off the scent. I’ll have to type it, though – I can’t disguise my writing enough to make it authentic. I’ve only got a typewriter, but it’s not too old; it should produce a clean type. Although not the clarity today’s printers produce, and anyone of Amber’s age would use a laptop and print a letter off if they were to write one in the first place: these days everyone texts and emails. Letter-writing is a dying art. It’ll have to do, though – it’s the best I’ve got.

But, I didn’t bring the typewriter with me when I moved here. It’s in the loft.

Amber’s loft.

How on earth am I going to be able to get it from there?

Ahh. Yes, of course.

I know who can help with that.

Chapter Seventy-Two

Amber

‘Did you catch him, Mum?’ Finley’s voice is hushed as he creeps in and sits beside me on the sofa.

I’ve no need to shield him from the phone recording. There’s nothing to see.

‘No, love. The camera didn’t show anything – it was too dark.’

‘Didn’t you leave the light on?’ He says, his eyes widening.

‘I thought I had, but apparently not.’

‘Let me see,’ he says, reaching for my phone. I don’t let him take it; instead I turn it towards him and let him look at the inky-black, grainy picture. The timer on the recording reads 03.15. ‘Is that the time?’ he asks.

‘No, it’s how long the recording has been running.’

He sighs. ‘So, you haven’t watched it all, then. You’ve been skipping it.’

This is true, I have only watched for a few seconds then skipped it forwards. But the fact is, it’s all too dark. ‘I haven’t had time to watch every second, and won’t before I get you to school. But it’s all the same: dark, almost-blank footage throughout. I messed up, I’m sorry.’

‘Never mind. I guess you can try tonight. And put a light on this time, Mum. Duh,’ he says, laughing. I’m pleased he’s making light of it at least.

‘Okay, monkey.’ I smile. ‘I’ll get it right tonight.’

He gets up and leaves. I stop the recording, then go back to the start.

I had left the light on. I didn’t want to mention it to Finley, but at one hour thirty minutes into the recording, the screen goes black. The light goes off.

But the light switch was in full view of the phone camera the whole time and no one went near it.

Chapter Seventy-Three

Amber