Page 83 of D for Dead

‘And what does Leslie say?’

‘She says we have to go, that Danielle can come along. I can tell she is mad about it, though.’

‘So Danielle is going with you. Where are you now?’

‘We’re in the woods at the house. It’s really creepy out here in the dark. I’m sure there is someone or something hiding in the trees. I don’t like it and want to go back. Leslie wants to play a game first, a dare for Danielle.’

‘What is the dare?’

‘She says Danielle has to go inside the house. I think she’s really mad at her for blackmailing us into bringing her along.’

‘Tell me about this house. It’s in the woods, you say?’

Amy drew a breath.

‘Yeah. Some guy lives here. Leslie says he is creepy. I’ve never seen him.’

‘And Danielle goes into his house?’

‘She doesn’t want to. I can tell she’s scared.’ Amy shook her head, the sense of foreboding growing. ‘Leslie is making her do it. She wants her to steal something personal from him, to prove she’s been inside. A trophy she says. It’s like an initiation. Then Danielle can hang with us.’

‘So, what happens?’

Amy was silent for a moment. ‘Danielle is inside. She has snuck in through the back door,

but she hasn’t come out.’

It’s been too long. Where is she?

‘She hasn’t come out?’ Shinnick repeated, his tone still calm. ‘What happens next, Amy?’

‘The twins, they want to go, but we can’t leave her. They say I should go find her.’

‘And?’

‘I don’t want to, but we can’t go. I am scared, really scared, but we can’t leave her.’

‘Go on.’

Amy’s heart was thudding as she crossed the yard, heading towards the door Danielle had disappeared through. She glanced back at the twins and saw Leslie smirk.

You can do this. Find Danielle and then you can go home.

She twisted the doorknob, caught her breath at the squeak it made as she eased it open.

‘I’m in the kitchen. It’s silent, no one is about. It’s really messy in here and the sink is full of dirty stuff. Oh yuck, there are flies buzzing around and it smells gross. I don’t know where Danielle is. I have to stay quiet. We have broken in. What if he calls the police on us?’

‘Where are you now, Amy?’

‘In the hall. It smells funny, really dusty and old. There are pictures on the wall and they’re covered in cobwebs. I don’t want to be here. I want to go home. I can see his boots. They’re just lying on the floor and caked in mud and I can hear the TV playing, but I don’t think he’s watching it. Where is he?’

Amy started trembling. ‘This is wrong. Something is wrong.’

‘It’s okay. You’re in the hall. What do you do now?’

‘There’s a door ajar. I think it leads to the basement. I shouldn’t go down there.’

Amy pulled it open, her heart catching when it creaked. The staircase was dark, the steps narrow, and the damp coolness of the air hit her. A single flickering bulb from somewhere at the bottom of the stairs gave the only light. Something bad was waiting at the bottom.