Finn takes the lead, and is several yards in front of Rosamund and me.
‘Christ,’ he yells, as he reaches the ruins.
We hurry to catch up. A mask of a boy covers the face of one of the crumbling angel statues. I grab my chest. It looks so creepy, and is just like one of the masks the police found hanging in the woods the day after Lark disappeared.
Rosamund bursts into tears, and I freeze, unable to move.
‘Who? Who would put …?’ I stutter, looking at Rosamund. ‘Elise said someone looked in her window with a mask on, didn’t she?’
‘I know,’ she says through tears. ‘I was sure she was making it up – like last time – or it was her imagination.’
Finn lifts his hand to touch the mask.
‘Don’t touch it,’ I say. ‘It could have fingerprints.’
‘Seriously?’ Finn narrows his eyes. ‘You think someone is going gloveless in this weather?’ He lowers his hand all the same, and turns on the spot, his eyes flitting across the area.
I do the same. It’s far too quiet. Not even the rustle of trees.
‘There’s someone else here,’ he says, snow absorbing his words. ‘Can you feel it?’
My eyes are back on the mask. ‘We should turn back,’ I say, a tremble in my voice. ‘All stay together.’
‘We can’t,’ Rosamund says. ‘We must call the police, and Neil. We have to find Elise.’
*
We trudge onwards, silent but on high alert, Rosamund and Finn checking their phones every few minutes, in the hope of getting a signal.
The gate to the estate is now in view. Surely if Dad got a signal when he was this far out, one of our phones should soon spring into life.
We take another twenty or so steps, before Finn calls over his shoulder that he’s got a few bars. ‘It’s not much, but I’ll give it a go.’
He taps his screen, and presses his phone to his ear. ‘Hello … hello … sorry, this is a terrible line. Police please.’
We wait and watch.
‘Finn Kinnaird,’ he goes on. ‘We’re stranded at Drummondale House in Dunlaig. My mother—’ his voice cracks ‘—my mother has been murdered.’ He pauses. ‘Ruth Kinnaird … yes, that’s right.’ Another pause. ‘And a young girl has disappeared – Elise Green – we don’t know where she is.’ He takes a deep breath, holding his chest. ‘And the weather conditions are awful. We need help. Fast.’ He looks at us, and pulls the phone from his ear, whispering, ‘I’m not even sure they can hear me properly.’
‘Shall we try walking a bit further?’ I suggest. ‘Maybe Rosamund will get a better signal.’
‘Yes, I’m still here.’ Finn presses the phone back against his ear, and then he’s silent. Listening. ‘OK. Yes. There are … six of us, but we think someone else is here.’ He screws up his face. ‘Right.’
‘Tell them to contact Neil,’ Rosamund calls. ‘Neil Green, he needs to know what’s happened to Elise.’
‘There’s one more thing,’ Finn says into the phone. ‘Can you contact the girl’s father, Neil Green …’ He looks at Rosamund, as she reels off a mobile number, and repeats it into the phone, before finally ending the call.
‘What did they say?’ My words are weak; my teeth chatter.
‘They said they can’t get to us by road at the moment, and for all of us to stay together, until they can get us help.’
‘When will that be?’
‘How long is a piece of string?’ He shrugs. ‘As soon as possible, they said.’
‘Maybe they’ll send a helicopter,’ Rosamund says.
‘Maybe,’ he agrees. ‘But for now we should head back, don’t you think? Stay in one cottage, like before.’
‘I’m not going back without Elise,’ Rosamund says, her cheeks red raw from the cold. ‘There’s one place we haven’t checked yet, and I’m going there, even if I have to go alone.’
Chapter 34
Present Day
Amelia
By the time we reach the bottom of Vine Hill we are exhausted, and drop down like skittles hit by a bowling ball onto the bench dedicated to Kyla.
‘Are you OK?’ I ask Rosamund, who is holding her stomach, and looking down at her baby bump. ‘You’re not in pain, are you?’
‘I’m fine,’ she says through deep breaths, cold air clouding her lips as words leave her mouth. ‘The baby’s kicking, that’s all. Exercising his little limbs.’
‘You’re having a boy?’ I feel a twist in my belly. I found out my baby was a girl early on. Not that I minded what I had – I just felt by knowing I may bond even more with my unborn child. But, as things turned out, knowing seemed to make it even harder when I lost her.
‘Yes, a little boy,’ Rosamund says, tears filling her eyes. ‘Neil so wants a boy.’
I place my gloved hand on hers, and swallow my sadness. ‘We will find Elise, Rosamund.’
My neck tingles. It’s as though someone else is here, sharing our airspace. Trees move behind us. A clump of snow thuds to the ground.
‘Good God!’ I hold my chest, as I look over my shoulder to see Dad appearing through the bushes, cheeks flushed.
‘I saw you heading down here, from the cottage window,’ he says. ‘There’s not much I can do back there. Maddie is reading in her room, and Thomas is asleep on the sofa.’
‘But we’re meant to stay in groups of three,’ Finn says.
‘Maddie and Thomas aren’t killers, mate.’ Dad rests his hand on Finn’s shoulder and squeezes. ‘Try to relax.’
‘Relax!’ He shrugs away from Dad, his eyed firing. ‘My mum is dead, mate, and Elise is missing, and you tell me to fucking relax.’
‘Enough!’ I yell. ‘Jesus! Fighting among ourselves isn’t going to solve anything.’ I glare at Finn then fix my eyes on Dad. ‘We’re heading to the farmhouse to check Elise isn’t there. You coming?’
He gives Finn a long cold look, before heading away towards the farmhouse, his coat flapping around his calves, his scarf waving in the
