All he could remember was walking up the steps to the front door. It had opened and he had seen an angry woman with her arm raised, holding what looked like a cosh, a split second before she brought it crashing down.

Then darkness and silence.

Until a short while ago, when he had heard voices. Familiar voices. Roy Grace. Cleo and – he was sure – Kaitlynn. Up until then the only sounds had been the occasional pained bark of a dog.

Worried out of his mind for them all – and especially for Kaitlynn – he had tried to shout out to them, to warn them to get the hell away, but no sound would come out of his mouth.

There was another surge of acute pain in his bladder. He clenched tight, fighting it with all his strength, willing it to pass. Thinking. All the time thinking. This must be a nightmare. The worst dream ever. He would wake up soon. Please.

Please.

Now he could hear music. Like a church choir singing.

Somehow, somehow, he had to warn them all to get away. To get help.

He also had the feeling that, wherever he was, he was not alone. He could sense other people in here with him. They were in a cellar, he guessed, from the cold and damp. He wanted to call out to them but, unable to move his mouth, he could only make the faintest of grunting sounds.

7

‘Don’t eat too much, everyone,’ Roy Grace warned. ‘Dinner is in just a couple of hours’ time!’

Bruno, ignoring him, was wolfing down slices of bread heaped with salami and cheese, and slurping a large glass of Coke. Cleo, who had Noah on her lap, was hungrily tucking into the salad and bread. Roy was trying to hold back, but the cheeses and fruit were so good and the bread so fresh, and the red wine was very drinkable.

Once Jack joined them, maybe this place would be all right after all, he thought.

Kaitlynn had picked at the fruit but eaten little. She sat at the table with her phone, dialling and redialling, shaking her head each time. ‘I asked Madame if I could use her landline, but she said – I think – a lightning storm knocked their phone and internet out. Can you believe it, no Wi-Fi or mobile signal?’

‘Which might be why we had such problems getting through to them from the car,’ Cleo suggested.

‘This room is so creepy. And how am I supposed to join in any games?’ Bruno mumbled through a mouthful of food. ‘No internet is just shit.’

Roy was about to tick him off for his language but caught Cleo’s warning eye and stopped. Bruno was right, it was damned creepy. This huge, gloomy, windowless room in the centre of the house was panelled in dark wood, with a high, vaulted ceiling. It felt like they were in a chapel.