She’d always had her suspicions, but to hear the words aloud . . . Petunia was talking about cold-blooded homicide. Ivy Cottage loomed into view. For the first time, Naomi could see it for what it was – a place tainted by murder, nestled in a village of the damned. What had she been thinking, bringing her new family here? So blinded by her obsession to solve the case, she’d barely given their safety a second thought. And now that the mystery was revealed, she could not escape quickly enough. No wonder her sister hated the place. Naomi’s jaw tensed as she came to terms with the truth. She was a mother now, a wife. It was time she started acting her age.

She sighed, ready to deliver the last piece of the puzzle that Petunia had gifted her. ‘There was a big confrontation at the cottage and Lloyd shot Martin Harper.’

‘You’re shitting me.’

Staring at the cottage ahead, Morgan paled. Naomi could see her perspective shifting as she looked at the ivy-choked cottage with fresh eyes. Returning her attention to the lane, Naomi guided the car over the frozen crusts of snow.

‘What about the others?’ Morgan said, as she was jolted in her seat. ‘What happened to Grace and her mum?’

‘Susan tried to wrestle the gun off Lloyd, and she got shot too. Then he realised that Grace had witnessed everything . . .’

‘And he killed her?’ Morgan shook her head. ‘No way. He liked her . . . too much. That makes no sense.’

‘He was drunk. He must have panicked.’ Naomi parked the car outside the cottage. ‘According to Petunia, Joanne helped him clean everything up. A couple of days later, she reported the family missing to the police.’

‘Why?’ Morgan voiced the same question that Naomi had asked. ‘Why would everyone in the village cover up for a paedo? Especially after what he did. I don’t get it.’

She wanted to tell her about Lloyd’s reputation. About his father’s alleged accidental shooting, and the death of Petunia’s husband much later on. People who got in Lloyd’s way didn’t live long enough to regret it. But she didn’t have time to explain any of these things. ‘It’s hard to go against local law enforcement when they’re carrying a gun,’ she said instead, pulling on the handbrake. ‘Now they’re all implicated in the cover-up.’

Morgan unclicked her seatbelt. ‘What did they do with the bodies?’ Her voice was brittle with fear.

Naomi wondered if she had said too much. Morgan looked like she was about to throw up. She glanced up at the cottage before them, her hands still gripping the steering wheel. Perched on the gutter a crow cawed, its feathers as black as oil. The cottage felt unwelcoming now she was aware of what had happened beneath its roof. Hollowed out. Menacing. They would not stay long.