Page 114 of The House Swap

She reminded herself that everything was going to be okay. They were safe now. She just needed to call the police.

She reached into her bag for her phone, unlocking the screen, and several notifications hit her at once. Missed calls from Tom. And there were more than she expected.

Her stomach dipped. Was everything okay?

She saw a message from him, sent about twenty minutes ago.

You’re not answering. Hope all’s okay. I’ve just landed. Need to get through the airport and find a taxi. Should be with you in about an hour.

Some of her tension eased. He was here in Crete. Just knowing he would be with her in the next half an hour made a huge difference. Everything suddenly seemed more manageable.

She glanced towards the hallway, wondering if Keira was in the shower yet.

They just needed to hold things together for a little longer.

Another notification caught her eye. It was from Jem.

Hey. Are you about later? I’ve been thinking about what you told me last night. I don’t like the thought of you being up there alone, so I wondered if I could pop over.

Poppy hesitated. She would reply to him in a bit, after she’d had a chance to speak to the police and things were a little clearer.

She did open Tom’s message, though, not wanting him to worry. Just a quick reply to let him know she was back at the villa.

As she began typing a reply, a faint scuff sounded behind her, and she stilled.

Slowly, she turned.

Martin was standing in the room between her and the front door.

She froze. For a second, her brain refusing to catch up. She hadn’t heard him come in, and the door was locked. How was he even here?

He didn’t speak. He just stared at her.

Numb with shock, Poppy stared right back.

When she finally found her voice, it wasn’t as steady as she had hoped.

‘What are you doing here?’

Martin didn’t waver. ‘I could ask you the same thing,’ he replied, his tone even and far too reasonable for the intensity of the moment.

It was as if there was nothing strange about him being there. As if Poppy was the irrational one for questioning it.

Her pulse began to race.

‘How did you get in?’ she demanded. ‘The door was locked.’

A glimmer of amusement passed across his face.

‘I have a key.’

For a second, his answer made no sense. Her own key was still in the lock. She had left it there deliberately, hoping it would stop him using it from the outside.

That was when the truth landed, cold and sickening.

He hadn’t come in after them. He had already been here.

‘You need to leave,’ she told him, forcing the words out and trying to sound firmer than she felt. ‘Now!’