Liam turns away and picks up the photograph. He must be wondering what the hell it’s doing here on top of the altar. I wonder at the placing of it there – in a chapel. It’s like a memorial. ‘What’s it doing here?’ I ask Liam.

Liam doesn’t look at me. I gaze, half-dazed around the chapel. ‘It’s him, isn’t it?’ I ask before looking back at Liam. ‘He’s here on the island with us.’

Liam meets my gaze then comes over and puts his arm around me, pulling me against his chest. ‘Don’t worry,’ he tells me. ‘I’ll keep you safe. I swear I won’t let anything happen to you.’

I extricate myself from his arms and start to walk up and down the aisle, frantic, trying to think it all through. ‘Why us though?’ I ask, rounding on him. ‘Why would he lure us here? You didn’t work the case. It’s got nothing to do with you, has it?’

Liam’s thinking hard. Obviously he’s been wrestling with this very same thing. ‘I don’t know,’ he finally offers. ‘It doesn’t make sense to me. I can’t figure it out.’

I stare at him, willing him to join some dots.

‘Did he stalk her before he killed her?’ I ask.

Liam shrugs. ‘We don’t know. I mean he definitely watched her, yes. He obviously planned things out in detail. That’s why he was able not to leave any DNA behind. I’m only guessing from the file I read about the crime scene, but the violence against the boyfriend – the number of times he was stabbed – suggests he was furious about something. Presumably he was angry because he thought the boyfriend had stolen Mia from him.’

I stare at Liam. I know he likes to get inside people’s heads, but it’s as if he’s trying to excuse murder. ‘He’s a sick bastard. A psychopath,’ I tell him.

Liam says nothing. His brow remains furrowed.

‘I’m a replacement for Mia,’ I say looking up at Liam, my pulse thrumming like a bird’s.

Liam glances at me with a frown, as though I’m spouting nonsense.

‘Look at us,’ I say, stabbing the photo with my index finger. ‘We look really similar.’

Liam wrinkles his nose. ‘Not that similar.’

‘We’re both blonde, blue-eyed, roughly the same age.’

Liam looks more closely at the photograph and then at me.

‘I think he killed Mia and then transferred whatever he was feeling about her onto me,’ I say. My voice shakes when I speak.

Liam pulls a face, a half-smirk. ‘That’s ridiculous,’ he says, dismissively.

‘Is it?’ I ask him, hands on hips. ‘We’re being stalked,’ I tell him. ‘Just like Mia and Will.’

Chapter Twenty-Four

Day Six