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Anna watches Olly and Sasha, too, but more subtly. Now that they’ve read the journal, it’s a waiting game to see if they’ll make the move she expects. She didn’t just buy a potted plant when she went to town; she also collected a motion-triggeredwildlife camera she’d ordered. It wasn’t easy to buy. With no phone and no laptop, she purchased it via her TV. But installing it was easier than she thought, and she made sure it was well hidden.
Her only worry is that Olly and Sasha might turn on her before she can entrap them. She’s seen what they can do. Hopefully, the police presence offers her some protection. She can’t believe they’d hurt her right under the noses of the detectives.
‘He’s here,’ Nicole says.
Anna moves to stand by her, and they watch Steen get out of the car. Nicole puts her hand on her chest, as if trying to stop her heart from thumping. She’s very pale. ‘Kitty, get the door, please,’ Sasha calls from the hallway.
She lets the detective in and directs him to the Yellow Room. Neither of them mentions Anna’s visit to the station. A uniformed officer trails behind them. Olly and Sasha have slipped into the Yellow Room in the meantime. Nicole is sitting down, Sasha beside her. Olly hovers behind them, tall and stooped, his hands on the back of the sofa. Sasha reaches out to hold Nicole’s hand. Nicole tolerates it for a moment then pulls her hand away. Anna doesn’t think she’s ever hated him or Sasha more. They’re going to move in on Nicole, she thinks. They want the Barn, just like they wanted the Manor. I’m right to be doing what I’m doing. I just hope it works. She silently prays that reading her journal will prompt them to try to move Kitty’s body and that she’ll be able to catch it on camera.
‘Could we have the room, please?’ the detective asks.
Anna steps into the hall. Olly and Sasha stand up. ‘Are you sure you don’t want one of us to stay with you?’ Olly asks.
Nicole looks at him and at Sasha, then looks past them towards Anna. ‘Kitty,’ she says. ‘Will you?’
Anna hesitates. ‘Me? Are you sure?’
Nicole nods. ‘Please. Do you mind?’
‘Of course not.’ She doesn’t meet Olly and Sasha’s eyes as she takes her seat beside Nicole. The uniformed officer indicates that they should leave and shuts the door behind them.
Steen clears his throat. ‘Patrick is still at the Barn. I’ve spoken to him at length, and he told me that he lied to you about having money and his current situation and that he’s sorry. The truth, according to him, is that he owes money, and he’s being pursued for it. He would like an opportunity to explain this to you himself and to apologise. I’m not sure that’s a good idea, but it’s up to you. He’s happy to leave before you get back if that’s what you prefer.’
‘I don’t know. Was he angry?’
‘No. He’s very remorseful about the anger he displayed, what you overheard and the conversation you had on his phone. The man you spoke to is someone he owes money to.’
‘But he seemed like he has money.’
Steen shakes his head.
‘What about his car?’
‘It’s not his. He rented it for a couple of days to give the impression that he’s doing well for himself. He was going to return it today. The story about it needing to have work done was a cover for that.’
‘He told you this?’
‘He did.’
‘So, he’s in trouble?’
‘He’s in debt, yes.’
‘He made out that he’s Mr Big now.’
Steen nods. Anna bows her head. It’s not just Olly and Sasha that are circling around Nicole, but Patrick, too. Anna admires the way that Steen is handling Nicole. He seems truthful but also compassionate. It’s so tempting to tell him everything she knows about Olly and Sasha, to hand the whole problem over to him, but she can’t. Not yet.
It would be her word against theirs, and they are so clever, they’d wriggle out of it somehow and she dreads to think what would happen then. She needs to force Olly and Sasha to show their hand if she’s going to be safe from them. This is a long game, she reminds herself. Be patient.
‘Tell Patrick to leave the Barn, please,’ Nicole says. Her voice wobbles. ‘Can you do that? I don’t want to see him again.’
She’s brave, Anna thinks. It’s inspiring.
‘Of course,’ Steen says. ‘Can you tell me more about the row that you and Tom had with Patrick over money?’
‘It was after we won. We gave him a good chunk of cash as a goodwill gift but it wasn’t enough for him. He hounded us for more, absolutely hounded us. We didn’t give in. I told Tom we had to break off contact with him for a while.’
‘And did you?’
