Page 115 of Serenity Falls

She laughs. ‘Actually, Harold Winsom was a very private man, and a serious scientist. Serenity Falls was a personal project. He was passionate about creating a truly harmonious society. A haven where families could grow up in a safe, crime-free environment. A blueprint for future towns.’

‘Advanced Residential Communities,’ I say, summoning it from memory. ‘Or Arcs.’

‘Exactly.’ Lori beams like I’ve answered a question correctly.

I consider. ‘But doesn’t every perfect society end up excluding those who don’t fit in?’

‘Natural selection. Select the best and discard the less desirable.’

‘Sounds more like a fascist society.’

There’s a pause, not a comfortable one.

‘Sorry,’ I say. ‘That was rude.’

‘No, you’re right.’ She smiles disarmingly. ‘And if everyone here really was perfect, I’d be out of a job.’

I chuckle, as I am meant to, even though I can’t help feeling that our conversation has taken a wrong steer. And then I jump as the clock on the town hall chimes ten o’clock. Only thirty minutes till curfew.

Enjoy the hour. It’s later than you think.

I glance at the plaque beneath Winsom’s statue again. My eyes fall on the numerals:

VI XIII XXII

I frown. I didn’t pay much attention to them before, presuming they signified the date the statue was erected. But now, with the added clarity of half a bottle of wine inside me, I don’t know how I missed it.

VI: 6. XIII: 13. XXII: 22.

61322.

The number on the card left with the balloons. The number on the flyer Sadie was given.

‘Are you feeling okay?’ Lori asks. ‘Your migraine isn’t back?’

‘No, it’s fine.’ I point at the plaque. ‘I just wondered – the numbers beneath the inscription. D’you know their relevance?’

‘The numerals?’

‘Yes.’

‘Well, Harold Winsom never revealed their meaning … but many people think that it’s a Bible reference. Genesis. 6: 13–22.’

‘Okay. I’m not so hot on the Bible …’

‘You actually said it yourself. Harold called his towns Advanced Residential Communities. Or Arcs.’

I try to control my impatience. ‘And?’

She gestures to the numerals: ‘This is the story of Noah and the Ark.’

33

The steps aren’t that steep. There’s only about ten or so. At the bottom, Ellis flicks a switch and the trap door above them closes.

Sadie can see the room is well lit and large. It’s obviously some kind of storage area. The walls are lined with shelves, and boxes are stacked around the sides. Halloween and Christmas decorations poke out of the top. There’s another door at the opposite end of the room, leading who knows where.

In the middle, at a battered table surrounded by folding chairs, sit Ramona and Dax. There’s a six-pack of beer on the table, bags of crisps and what looks suspiciously like a small bag of weed.