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‘This is unbelievable,’ Nicole says, when Anna finishes. ‘They’re like parasites. You have to get them out of your house.’
‘There’s more,’ Anna says. ‘I wasn’t going to tell you this, any of it, because I’ve reported it all to the police, but they aren’t interested, they don’t see the urgency. The detective spoke to me as if he thinks I’m a fantasist.’ She takes a deep breath. ‘I’m afraid of them. I think Olly and Sasha killed Kitty and buried her in the plague pit here, on Lancaut. And I think they may have had something to do with Tom’s death, too.’
‘What?’ Nicole says. ‘What did you say?’
While Anna repeats her words, slowly, carefully, and answers Nicole’s questions, Nicole feels as if she can hardly take it all in. This is a lot. It’s crazy. But Tom really is dead. Possibly murdered. She must face up to that now, and in a world where you allow for the possibility that the unlikely, the truly terrible, can happen, this version of events that Anna is outlining actuallymakes sense.
Her mind races as she considers how to respond. Before she can begin to sort any of it out, they’re disturbed by a whining sound. Outside the bedroom they see a drone, hovering. It looks menacing.
‘Oh no!’ Nicole says. She backs away from the window.
‘It’s the journalists,’ Anna says. ‘They’re trying to photograph you.’
‘Blinds down!’ Nicole shouts.
They do nothing.
‘BLINDS. DOWN,’ she screams. They descend in synchrony, blocking the drone out, and Anna and Nicole wait in silence until they can’t hear it any longer.
Their eyes meet. ‘Don’t go back to the Manor again,’ Nicole says. ‘Not until you’ve worked out what to do. You’re safe here with me.’
68
THE DAY OF HIS DEATH: 12:32
Tom
Tom tries to focus on the silhouette sitting on the sunbed beside him. It stands, casting shadow over him, which would be welcome if Tom didn’t feel so powerless. Instead, it feels sinister.
‘I’m sorry,’ he says. ‘I’m sorry I told you not to camp here. You can. It’s fine. But no fire, okay? Don’t light a fire.’
He sees the silhouette shake their head. It’s not the man, he thinks. He was wearing shorts. But it’s hard to make out more of this person. They’re standing in front of a hedge and the sun is shining behind them.
‘Patrick?’ he says. ‘Is that you? Was I asleep?’ He puts out his arm, trying to make contact. ‘Thank God it’s you. Can you help me? I think I need to go to A&E.’
The silhouette speaks. ‘It’s not Patrick.’
‘Olly?’ Tom says. He peers up. Yes, it’s Olly from next door. Tom feels a surge of relief. ‘Where’s the man?’ he asks.
‘What man?’
‘He was here. He wanted to steal from us.’
‘Really? I didn’t see anyone.’
‘Where did he go?’
‘I’ve no idea.’
‘Perhaps you scared him off when you came. He wanted to steal from me. I told him he was being filmed but I broke the security cameras and I need to mend them in case he comes back,’ Tom says.
‘You broke them? They’re not working?’ Olly asks.
Tom feels very confused. What was he just talking about? He says, ‘I’ve hurt my head. I think I’m concussed.’
‘How did you do that?’
He’s not going to mention the sheep because he strongly suspects that behind their backs, Olly and Sasha judge him and Nicole, and judge them harshly, and he doesn’t want any shade cast on the sheep, or Nicole, so he says, ‘It was an accident.’
