It feels as though I am walking towards the gallows as I approach the chutes – contaminated clothes, contaminated shoes. They are bigger than I remember but I still doubt that I will fit through the way I had before, the way Archie would now. Momentarily I wonder whether I should instead locate the end of the tunnel and work my way inwards, but my gut feeling is that I’d be wasting valuable time. There was no marker and it might be impossible to find. It might have caved in by now.
I pull open the hatch. Above hang large metal hooks. I jump and catch one in each hand, my shoulder sockets burning as I dangle there helplessly, feet scrambling for traction as I try to hoist up my weight so I can slip my legs inside the chute.
I can’t get the angle right.
My arms aren’t strong enough. I lift my legs once more. My hands slip from the hook. I have no choice. I’ll have to dive in head first.
Archie.
The thought of plummeting into blackness with nothing to break my fall is terrifying but not as terrifying as the thought of my baby being down there with the dark, and the cold, and the beetles. I steel myself, hands clasped together as though I am in prayer, ready to dive into a waterless pit. I am gripped by utter terror.
Archie.
I am free-falling through time and space. It takes an eternity and it takes no time at all. I crash to the ground. I can hear the snap of my wrist before I feel the searing pain. My mouth pressed to the ground is full of dirt.
I roll over.
My ears are ringing from the fall and my mouth is full of blood where my teeth clamped around my tongue, but I can see. There is a circle of light pooling from a torch. My head feels heavy on my neck as I look around the room. The ground is strewn with empty spirit bottles, shards of glass where some of them have smashed, crushed cans, cigarette butts. Quite the party. I can almost see the true-crime fanatics, torch pointed under their chins, faces waxy and pale as they recount our final steps. I shift my gaze and see something that lights me with happiness until fear dampens my fleetingly joyful glow.
Curled into himself is Archie. But he is too still. Too quiet.
And he isn’t alone.
Chapter Sixty-Seven
Carly
Now
‘Leah,’ Carly says. ‘You found us.’ She begins to cry.
Chapter Sixty-Eight
Leah
Now
‘Thank God. You’re alive. Marie is… Is Archie…?’
I begin to scramble over to him but Carly shouts, ‘Stop’ in a voice that doesn’t quite sound like hers. Confused, my eyes find hers. They are full of fear and regret, but something else.
Anger.
Chapter Sixty-Nine
Carly
Now
Carly watches as Leah’s confused expression morphs to fear when she sees the glint of the knife Carly is brandishing in her hand.
‘What are you doing?’ Leah’s voice is high.
‘Did you know?’ Carly demands as she bundles Archie onto her lap. He is warm and soft. She loves him so very much.
‘What’s wrong with Archie?’ Leah inches forward, stopping when she sees the blade swish dangerously close to Archie’s beautiful waxy face. ‘Carly!’
‘I gave him one of your sleeping tablets. Answer me.’
‘Answer what?’
‘About Marie. Did. You. Know?’ She shouts now, but it doesn’t really matter what Leah says, Carly knows she won’t believe her.
Chapter Seventy
Leah
Now
‘Marie?’ I repeat. Does Carly know that our sister is dead? It’s the only explanation I can think of that might go some small way to explaining her erratic behaviour but if there’s a chance, however tiny, that she doesn’t know I don’t want to tell her right now. She’s already teetering on the edge, I can’t be the one to push her over. I don’t know why she’s given Archie a sleeping tablet. I don’t know why she’s brandishing a knife. All I know is that the longer I can keep her talking the better. George must have read my text, he’s always glued to his phone. The police have to be on their way.
Don’t they?
Chapter Seventy-One
Carly
Now
‘Marie knew about the abduction,’ Carly says, her voice monotone.
‘I don’t understand. Knew?’
‘Before it happened. Mum was in on it too, apparently. She must have hated us even then.’
When Carly first found out the truth she had believed Marie’s assurances that Leah hadn’t known their parents’ plan, but the more she had thought about it the more she became convinced