There were several people standing outside, smoking and chatting. As I got closer, I realized that one of them was Miranda.
‘You’re smoking,’ I said, stupidly.
‘Very astute.’ She looked me up and down. ‘Where have you been?’
Someone came out of the pub to join the smokers, and a roar of chatter and music emerged with them. It struck me that the people here probably didn’t know what had happened to Morag. Nobody cared that Lewis was dead, but I knew that when they heard that Morag had been killed the party would come to a screeching halt.
‘Is Zack here?’ I asked, afraid the answer would be yes, but she shook her head.
‘Where’s Holly?’ I asked, and a voice in my ear said, ‘I’m right here.’
I whirled around. She had a cigarette in her hand, too. It was something she did occasionally, when she was stressed.
‘What have you been doing?’ she asked. ‘You look terrible. I told you, you should have stayed at the house.’
‘I need to find Jasmine.’ I was strung out, but trying to act normal. I was desperate to tell her what had happened, but I couldn’t, not with Miranda standing there. ‘I’m guessing none of you have got anywhere?’
‘No. Dad’s gone back to the house. Miranda and I drove around for a while, but it was hopeless. It was stupid. Aimless. We don’t know where to search, and the snow was making it impossible. We decided we needed a drink.’
‘Where’s Zack?’ I asked.
‘He’s still out looking.’
Miranda crushed her cigarette underfoot, breath clouding in the chill air. ‘He’s been all over the place. I doubt he would look this hard if I went missing.’
I regarded her. Apart from when we’d heard them having sex, I hadn’t seen any sign that Miranda and Zack liked each other. But they were a married couple. They could be in cahoots. She might know about Samir. She might even know that he’d shot Morag. But if she was aware of what her husband had done, wouldn’t she have instantly let him know I was here? I had been watching her, and she hadn’t made any move to get her phone out. She hadn’t seemed surprised to see me either, which she would have if she thought I was in police custody.
‘Why do you look like you’ve just spent the night locked in a haunted house?’ Holly asked. She was eyeing me with suspicion now, and it struck me that she might not believe me. After all, she’d been sceptical when I’d told her about Lewis. But I also knew I couldn’t get through this– couldn’t survivethis– without Holly’s help. I had to persuade her I was telling the truth about all of it.
I also needed to get out of here, not just so I could talk to Holly alone, but because the police were going to come looking for me. Susan had been dazed, but I didn’t think she’d be out of it for long. Her car hadn’t been badly smashed up. How long did I have before she found me?
And where was Zack?
‘Are there any other places you can think of where Jasmine might have sheltered?’ I asked.
Before Holly replied, I saw a light coming down the hill from the direction of the village hall. Susan, already? I braced myself, preparing to run, but it was only a single light. Seconds later, a bicycle came into sight.
It was Avril.
She came right up to us, braking beside Miranda. She looked as cold as I felt. Her nose was pink and snowflakes clung to her hat.
‘Have you seen my mum?’ she asked.
‘Isn’t she in the pub?’ Holly asked.
‘I didn’t see her in there,’ said Miranda.
‘She’s not at home.’
I stood there rigid, not wanting to say anything but not wanting to lie to her either. I prayed she didn’t ask me directly. This poor girl. It had only just struck me: both her parents had died within hours of each other. Of course, her mum’s death would hit her much harder than Lewis’s. She already looked sick with worry.
‘It’s not like her to disappear, and she’s not answering her phone either.’ Avril looked towards the pub. ‘I’m going to ask Granny if she’s seen her.’
‘Good idea,’ said Holly.
As Avril headed towards the door of the pub, I noticed Miranda watching me, her head tilted to one side. ‘You’re up to something. What is it?’
‘I just want to find Jasmine.’ One possibility had occurred to me while I’d been walking here. ‘What about the arts centre? Could she be there?’
