He smiles and rests a hand on my blanketed shoulder for a moment. Then he turns to his colleagues. ‘Let’s go.’
I allow myself to close my eyes. To thank all the gods that Olivia is safe. That I will get the opportunity to make it up to her. To finally be her mother.
Chapter Thirty
Six months later
‘Do you want an iced coffee?’ I poke my head through the open French doors and smile at the sight of Will stretched out on a teak sun lounger by the pool. It’s Saturday afternoon, one of those rare hot days where there’s no trace of chill in the air. Just a warm southerly breeze that ripples across bare skin like a trail of kisses. Will is engrossed in one of my chick-lit novels – one that he recently mocked me for reading. ‘Enjoying your book?’ I ask.
‘It’s okay,’ he says grudgingly. Then he grins. ‘Actually, it’s hilarious.’
‘I knew you’d love it.’
He rolls his eyes. ‘Know-all.’
‘That’s me. Anyway, as I was saying – do you want an iced coffee?’
‘Yeah, please, that would be great. It’s roasting out here.’
‘Why don’t you put the umbrella up?’
‘Can’t be bothered.’
Now it’s my turn to roll my eyes. ‘How are they doing?’ I ask.
‘Having an absolute ball.’ He sits up and shields his eyes, gazing down the garden.
I follow his line of sight to see Olivia and Moa playing on the lawn. Moa is a gorgeous bundle of fluff – a white Bichon Frise puppy. We bought her as a present for Olivia for her third birthday last month and they’ve been inseparable ever since. It was a hard decision to make, to get another dog after Bo. But Will thought it would be a good way to help us move beyond everything. To lay the past to rest. I have to admit, Moa has been a great addition to our family. She’s really helped Olivia to settle in.
Olivia had nightmares for the first few weeks with us in England. She missed my parents, cried for them at night. It made me feel terribly guilty that I haven’t been there for her. My mum and dad have been her main caregivers throughout her short life so far so I guess it was only natural for Olivia to miss them. But there’s no point regretting the past. I simply had to do my best to make up for those two lost years. Gradually, by spending all my time with her, I’m managing to win her around. And she’s had Will wrapped around her finger from day one. He’s an incredible parent. She already calls him Daddy. Hopefully, she won’t have any memories of the brief time she spent with her biological father.
No one has seen or heard from Fin since that awful night. Will was the only person I told about the truly terrible physical state Fin was in. That he was suffering from chronic hypothermia. That there was no way the search party could have found him in time. They never recovered his body so I guess he ended up being food for wolves.
Sian was extradited to Barbados where she’s just started serving a twenty-five-year prison sentence, convicted of both murder and conspiracy to commit murder. It seems that during a winter holiday to Barbados with Remy, she took a little side trip on her own and paid two locals to drive the speedboat which killed Fin’s wife. She lied to me – It wasn’t actually her who committed the murder, although it may as well have been. And if Fin were still alive, he would have gone on trial for murder, too.
Remy is naturally devastated by Sian’s disgusting betrayal. But Will and I are helping him through it. Spending lots of time with him. And Olivia loves her Uncle Remy.
I shade my eyes, watching Olivia and Moa play for a moment. Moa has a length of twisted rope in her mouth and Olivia is zigzagging across the grass trying to take it from her, but the little scamp is far too speedy. My daughter is giggling so hard I’m worried she’s going to pee her pants.
‘Okay, coffee,’ I say to myself, heading back inside to the shade of the kitchen, loving the feel of the cool marble floor beneath my bare, swollen feet.
‘Want an iced coffee?’ I ask Suzy, who’s Will’s cousin and Olivia’s nanny. She’s sitting at the kitchen island reading one of her textbooks. I didn’t want a nanny. I wanted to look after my daughter myself, but after Olivia started having nightmares, Will suggested we get some short-term help as I wasn’t getting any sleep. We lucked out and managed to hire Suzy, who is also a child psychologist studying for her Doctorate. Olivia is going to be one of her case studies and Suzy is helping us to make sure our daughter isn’t suffering any ill effects after her abduction. In return, we’re providing Suzy with her bed and board and a wage to help out with her uni fees.
‘I’ll make it.’ Suzy jumps up, eager to help.
‘No, sit,’ I say, motioning to her to stay where she is. ‘Carry on with your studying.’
‘Ugh, it’s too hard to concentrate with all that crazy sunshine out there. I’ll take Livi down to the beach in a bit.’
‘Ooh, yes, I’ll come, too,’ I reply, pressing the ice button on the fridge and watching as the frosty cubes clatter into the tall glass. I pop a couple of ice chips in my mouth, savouring the icy burn on my tongue. ‘I could do with a bit of sea breeze. I feel like I’m carrying a hot water bottle around with me.’ I pat my stomach, marvelling once again at its evolving shape.
‘Bet you’ll be glad to see the end of August,’ Suzy says.
I smile. A little bit of heat and discomfort is nothing compared to the excitement I’m feeling at carrying Olivia’s baby brother. I can’t quite believe I’m already seven months pregnant. I didn’t even realise my condition until I was four-and-a-half months gone. I just assumed my body clock had been disrupted after everything that had happened back in Sweden with Fin. It was quite a shock when I found out, but now Will and I can’t wait. And I think Olivia is excited, even though she’s not entirely sure what it’s all about.
‘Mamma!’ I hear her calling me from the garden.
‘Back in a sec,’ I say to Suzy. I waddle outside again, past a lazy bee who’s frenziedly bashing itself against the glass in one of the French doors. I waft it away and watch as it buzzes off across the terrace towards the climbing rose bush.
Will is already on his feet, heading down the stone steps. I follow him, holding onto the stone balustrade for support.
Olivia is pointing down the garden. ‘Daddy, I can’t find Moa. She runned through the wall.’
‘She ran through the wall?’ Will says. ‘You mean the fence, down there? She can’t get through. It’s okay. It’s safe.’
‘No.’ Olivia sticks her bottom lip out and points at the fence. ‘She runned through there.’
Will replaced the broken fence panel back in March. We also checked every other panel to ensure they were all sound, with no holes or gaps. A structural engineer came out to re-examine the garden to make sure the unfenced area wasn’t in danger of collapsing. He gave us the all clear, saying that as long as we didn’t go past the fenced area, we were in no danger.
As I glance at Will over the top of Olivia’s head, a whooshing starts up in my ears. I know I’m being ridiculous even thinking what I’m thinking. But I see it in Will’s eyes, too. The doubt. A menacing déjà vu.
‘Can you take Livi inside,’ Will says. ‘I’m just going to check that Moa’s okay.’
‘Moa down there.’ Olivia points again.
I take her warm, pudgy hand and we walk up the steps together, my legs trembling. ‘Shall we see if Suzy’s got any ice cream in the freezer?’ I say, my voice unnaturally bright.
‘Yes pweese.’
We walk into the kitchen to see Suzy standing over by the coffee machine. ‘I finished making Will’s coffee,’ she says, turning around with a smile. ‘Shall I take it out to–’
‘Can you take Olivia?’ I interrupt. ‘Keep her inside? And can you make sure all the doors and windows are locked.’
Suzy’s face pales, her mouth falls open.
‘I’m sure everything’s fine,’ I add. ‘It’s just to be on the safe side.’
‘What’s happened?’ she asks, coming over and taking Ol
ivia’s hand.
‘Probably nothing. I’m just being paranoid.’
‘Ok-ay.’
‘Moa might have got herself into difficulty,’ I explain, slipping my feet into a pair of flip flops. ‘She might have got through the fence at the end of the garden. We’re just going to check, that’s all.’
But my face must have given away some of the panic I’m feeling as I see traces of fear etch themselves across Suzy's face, too. She nods. ‘Sure.’
‘Thank you,’ I say, before turning and leaving the cool sanctuary of the kitchen, closing the French doors behind me.
As I walk back out onto the terrace and down the garden steps, the hairs on my arms start to prickle and my heart begins to race.
Chapter Thirty One
Will beckons me down to the end of the garden, to the boundary where the fence sits. I want to call out and ask him what’s wrong, but something stops me. I’m wary of raising my voice just in case . . . Just in case of what? The thoughts flying around my head are too ridiculous to entertain so why am I even thinking them?
As I draw closer to the fence, Will points to a gap at the bottom of one of the panels where two of the wooden slats are missing, creating a hole large enough for a small dog to wriggle through – just like last time. Will and I stare at one another and I try to bite back the tears that are threatening to come, my nerves raw, recently buried fears suddenly racing to the surface. If Moa has been poisoned, I don’t know what I’ll do. And Livi will be devastated.
‘Can you see her out there?’ I ask, looking over the fence, scanning for any signs of her white fur. But it’s such a summer wilderness of trees and overgrown shrubs, a whole football team could be hiding out there and we wouldn’t be able to spot them from here.
Will pushes a hand through his hair. ‘Maybe her fur’s caught on a bush. Or she’s behind a tree or something.’
Neither of us says what we’re really thinking – that she could have found a piece of poisoned meat. Or she could have gone over the edge of the cliff.
‘I don’t want to think the worst,’ he says, ‘but this is all too much of a coincidence.’
I nod, biting my lip. ‘What should we do? Shall I call the police?’
‘Just let me go and check down there, first. We could be overreacting. It might be nothing.’
‘No, Will. No way! It’s too dangerous. I love Moa, but you can’t risk your life like last time.’
‘I won’t risk anything,’ he says. ‘I’m just going to take a look, that’s all.’
‘Then we’ll go together,’ I reply.
‘Anna, you’re pregnant,’ he says sternly.
‘Don’t worry, I won’t go near the edge.’ I give him a stare to let him know I won’t take no for an answer.
‘No,’ he says, ignoring my stare. ‘Absolutely not. If something has happened to Moa, I don’t want you seeing. I don’t want you stressed.’
‘Well, there’s absolutely no way you’re going out there alone, Will. What if it’s him? What if he didn’t die?’
‘It won’t be him. The police said his chances of survival were about five percent.’
‘But what if it is him?’ I don’t honestly believe Fin can be in our garden. I saw the state he was in back in Sweden. I can’t imagine how he could have survived that. But I also know that there’s no way I’m letting my husband walk out towards the cliff edge on his own. ‘I’m coming with you, Will, whether you like it or not.’
He shakes his head slowly. ‘Okay. But if it is him, I want you to go straight back to the house–’
‘I’m not leaving you out there.’
‘In case you need to get help,’ he adds.
‘Okay.’ I nod, hoping and praying our fears are unfounded.
Will unlocks and opens the gate. We go through, stepping from our manicured lawn to the wild tangle of grasses and shrubs. Will takes my hand and we walk together, picking our way over brambles, the long grass brushing our bare legs. I keep my eyes peeled for Moa, scanning the bushes for her white fur, listening out for a whine or a bark. But all I hear are the crickets chirping and wasps buzzing, the sound of the sea beyond, and of children’s laughter drifting up from the beach. However, all sounds fade away when I see a figure step out from behind a tree at the cliff edge.
I grip Will’s hand harder, and he squeezes mine back. My heart pounds and I rest my other hand on my bump, trying to calm the little one down. He’s picking up on my rising terror, shifting and turning, making his discomfort known.
‘Go back,’ Will whispers.
‘No,’ I reply.
We keep going, walking forward as though in a dream. Or a nightmare.
The man on the edge is unkempt with a patchy beard. Dishevelled, like a homeless person. He’s wearing filthy cut-off jeans, a torn, stained, blue t-shirt and hiking boots that are falling apart. His hair is dirty blond, matted and greasy. He’s grinning. And in his arms, he’s holding Moa.
I exhale, let go of Will’s hand and come to a stop. Will steps in front of me, trying to shield me from view, but I move forward to be at his side once more.
‘You shouldn’t stand there,’ Will calls out to him. ‘It’s not safe.’
‘Thanks for your concern, but I think I’ll be okay.’ Fin’s voice is scratchy, raw, weak.
I have no idea what to do. How we’re going to get Moa back from this psycho. Despite the queasiness in my gut, I start walking towards Fin. Confident strides. Will steps past me, trying once more to put himself between me and Fin, hissing at me to stop, that it’s not safe to go on, that we don’t know if Fin has a weapon. I barely hear his words.
‘What do you want, Fin?’ I call out. ‘How did you–’
‘How did I what? Survive?’ He loses the smile.
I come to a halt, Will stops a little way in front of me. We’re only a few yards away from Fin, now. Close enough to lunge forward and shove him over the edge. But I can’t risk hurting my baby and, besides, Fin has our puppy. How could we kill Moa?
‘You’re having another brat, then.’ Fin jerks his chin in the direction of my bump. I cover it with my hands, protectively, as though Fin’s attention has the power to hurt my unborn son.
‘How did you get out of Sweden?’ Will snaps. ‘You’re on a wanted list.’
‘Yeah, I know,’ Fin replies. ‘Managed to stow away on a ferry from Gothenburg.’ He’s stroking Moa’s fur. She seems okay for now, but God only knows what Fin is planning.
‘You left me out in that wilderness to die, Anna,’ he says softly, sadly.
‘Can you blame me?’ I cry. ‘You tried to kill me. Threatened to kill Olivia. You and Sian–’
‘You took Sian,’ he growls. ‘You ruined everything.’ He stops stroking Moa and shifts her so she’s now in the crook of his left arm. Then he sticks his right hand up in the air. ‘Look what you did,’ he cries.
‘Oh my God!’ I clap my hands over my mouth. My baby jumps at my cry, a painful, jagged movement that makes me catch my breath.
Fin’s hand is red and swollen, but worse than that, all the fingers are missing. Only his thumb remains. The rest are stumps.
‘Fucking frostbite, Anna. That’s what you did to me. Three of my toes, too.’
‘How did you find your way out of the forest?’ Will asks.
Fin scowls at my husband. ‘Not that it’s any of your business.’ Fin turns his attention to me once more. ‘I was lucky,’ he says. ‘I ran into these three outdoorsy blokes. Going ice fishing or something. They warmed me up. Fed me. Saved my life. Anyway, fun as it is to catch up, I’m here for a reason.’
‘What do you want, Chambers?’ Anger radiates off Will. I put a hand on his arm to try to calm him down. I don’t want him doing anything stupid. Anything risky.
‘You still owe me money, Anna,’ Fin says. ‘And you left me for dead in that forest. I’m owed some compensation for that. I think it’s only fair. I need cash to get away.’
‘Money?’ I sneer. ‘After everything
you put us through, you have the nerve to come back here for money.’
‘How much do you want?’ Will asks.
‘No!’ I turn to Will. ‘You can’t give him–’
‘Shh,’ Will says. ‘It’s okay, Anna. It’ll be worth it to get rid of him.’
‘Smart man,’ Fin says.
‘Ten grand,’ Will says. ‘I can get it for you now.’
‘In your dreams, Blackwell. Two hundred thou and I’m gone.’
‘Don’t do it,’ I murmur to Will out of Fin’s earshot. ‘He’ll keep coming back for more.’
‘Stop whispering!’ Fin says.
Will takes a step towards Fin, keeping me back with an outstretched arm. ‘Two hundred grand and you disappear. You don’t contact any of us. I never want to see or hear from you again.’
Fin nods. ‘In cash.’
‘Deal. Now give me my dog.’ Will takes a step closer. There are only about two arm lengths separating them now.
‘No,’ Fin warns. ‘Don’t come any closer. You don’t get the dog until I get my cash.’
I flinch as Will takes another small step towards Fin.
‘One more step and I’ll throw the little poochie over,’ Fin says. He takes Moa by the scruff of her neck with his good hand and holds her out to the side.
Moa whimpers and I clench my fists.
‘One dead puppy is unlucky,’ Fin says. But two? I think you might be getting a visit from the RSPCA soon.’ He laughs and glances behind him, taking a tiny step backwards, holding Moa right out over the edge of the cliff.
‘Please, Fin!’ I cry out. ‘Will says you’ll get your money. Don’t hurt her.’
‘That cliff edge is unstable,’ Will warns. ‘You’re going to go over if you’re not careful.’
Fin takes a tiny step to his right and another to his left, in a little dance to show how unafraid he is. As he does so, he dislodges some earth which skitters down the cliffside. ‘Whoah,’ Fin says with a nervous smile, trying to appear unruffled. He swings Moa back over solid ground and steps closer to Will. ‘Yeah, I see what you mean. It’s pretty dodgy out here. Dangerous place to live.’