Those words – ‘the police’ – made her stop struggling and look up into those dark eyes. When she did, the street lamp cast a light on his face, and then she realized who he was. From that moment on, she remembered, she calmed down. She knew she was safe. Safe from Alastair, who she was now very unsure of. She respected Poppy’s gut instinct. Although, in the past, she and her sister had had very little to do with each other, leading very separate lives, when all was said and done, they were still twins – maybe not identical twins, for sure, but still alike in many ways.

She had the greatest respect for Poppy’s intellectual mind and even more so for her common sense. Something was up, so thank God she wasn’t back in that bloody house! But she wished she knew where her sister was. Losing one sister was bad enough – losing two would feel like the end of her world.

And Kendall’s photos of her father on her bedside table were the reason she’d not been terrified of him; he was so distinguishable that she’d recalled his face. Instantly, she’d said, ‘Lance?’

He’d nodded, and then he’d squinted in the headlights, as he peered down at her face. ‘Poppy, is it . . . or . . . ?’

‘Brooke,’ she’d replied. ‘I’m so glad you’ve found me. Please help me. Please!’

She remembered he’d bundled her into the back of his car and driven away. They’d passed her father, who was still running down the street. He hadn’t seen her get into the vehicle or even noticed as they’d driven past him.

So as much as Lance wore a scowl and was sharp with his words, he was also her saviour. In some ways, he was a bit of a pussy, although she wouldn’t dare to say that to his face!

Poppy was right to be worried about their father. He frightened her; it was that look on his face – that sudden demonic expression – that scared her, as it obviously did her sister. Her heart skipped a beat and started a string of palpitations. Please be okay, Poppy. Please be okay.

Lance returned to the lounge, wearing a lighter jacket and with a bunch of keys in his hand. ‘I’m gonna see if Poppy’s at your mother’s.’

‘Lance, my dad has secrets. That’s why we were running away. Poppy said something about hessian material in the log cabin and—’

Lance suddenly stiffened. ‘What?’

Brooke could see the concern on his face. Perhaps Poppy was onto something back in the log cabin.

‘Yes, he uses the cabin as an office but something about the whole set-up had Poppy worried.’

‘Listen, stay put. I’ll find your sister, I promise.’

Brooke didn’t have a chance even to answer before he left.

***