*
Two days later I take a taxi to the hospital. I’m not sure why I’ve come. Maybe I just need to see Finn – I’ve been so worried about him.
Once outside his hospital room, I can see through the glass panel that he’s awake. My relief that he’s no longer in a coma is tainted by fear and guilt. Has he told the police what happened that night?
I push open the door, and step inside. He looks vacant, his skin raw from ice burns, his lips cracked and sore. A lump rises in my throat. I did this to him.
A rosy-cheeked nurse with tight blonde curls looks round and smiles. ‘He’s doing well,’ she says.
Julia is by his bed, holding his hand. ‘I don’t mean to be rude, Amelia,’ she says, catching my eye, ‘but you look ruddy awful.’ She doesn’t look much better herself – her round face stony pale.
‘I haven’t slept since …’ I begin. The sounds of the machine whirring – beeping Finn’s vitals, making sure he stays with us – make me shudder. I did this to him.
Julia looks at Finn, who closes his eyes without a word. ‘He’s still in a poorly way,’ she says. ‘The police are on their way.’
‘They haven’t interviewed him yet?’ My heartbeat quickens. What will Finn tell them?
She shakes her head.
‘Will he be OK?’ I ask.
The nurse, who is monitoring his drip, nods. ‘It’s looking that way.’ There’s hope in her voice.
‘The police have given up their search of Drummondale House estate,’ Julia tells me, and I’m selfishly relieved I can finally leave Scotland. ‘They’re convinced Elise has been taken from the area. Like Lark was.’
‘But that doesn’t ring true, does it?’ I say. ‘How could anyone have got her away from there?’ I’m still convinced Elise was murdered on site, just as Maddie and Ruth were. That it was only a matter of time before her body turns up.
The door swings opens and DI Beynon, and DS McKay enter.
‘Finn,’ Beynon says, unzipping her tartan jacket, seemingly unaware of anyone else in the room. She drags up a chair, and Finn opens his eyes. ‘Do you remember me?’
‘Inspector Beynon,’ he says, his voice husky.
‘That’s right. It’s good to see you’re improving, Finn. Listen, we’d like to talk to you, if you feel up to it. Is that OK?’
He nods.
‘So let’s begin at the beginning, shall we? You were out alone? Even though you knew there was a killer about.’
‘Looking for Maddie,’ he mumbles.
‘But you didn’t find her.’
He shakes his head.
‘Do you remember who hurt you?’
Finn moves his eyes to look at Julia, who is still clasping his hand.
This is it. This is the moment I’ve been dreading.
‘Someone attacked Amelia,’ he says, turning his eyes to me. I step backwards, hoping the wall will absorb me.
‘Someone?’ Beynon glances at me briefly.
He swallows hard, and lifts his eyes to the ceiling. ‘Whoever it was wore that awful mask.’ His voice fades.
‘Take your time, Finn. No rush.’
‘I cried out to them to stop,’ Finn went on. ‘And they took off. But when I bent to help Amelia, she … she …’ He blinks several times.
Please don’t say the words. Please, Finn, I didn’t mean to hurt you.
‘Did Amelia stab you, Finn?’ Beynon is leaning forward, as close as she can get to him without climbing onto the bed.
‘She was in a dreadful state – confused.’ Finn’s voice quivers. He lifts his hand. ‘I’m so thirsty.’
Julia jumps up, and pours water from a jug into a glass, then helps Finn take a sip. ‘Amelia thought I was going to hurt her,’ he says.
I tense. I shouldn’t be here listening to this. But Beynon seems unaware of her surroundings, her focus fully on Finn.
‘And then what, Finn?’ she goes on, insistent.
He pauses for a long moment. ‘Someone stuck the knife in me.’ He closes his eyes, and winces as though feeling the blade going in again, his face ashen.
‘Someone?’
‘Someone in a mask.’ There’s a beat before he continues. ‘The next thing I know, I’m on the bench, wearing the mask, bleeding out, and Amelia is there too, propped up against a tree.’ He’s becoming breathless.
‘You really should leave him alone now,’ Julia says. ‘He’s been through so much.’
‘Do you know who it was in the mask, Finn?’ Beynon persists, ignoring Julia. ‘Who stabbed you?’
He shakes his head.
‘Can we go back to why you were you out there in the first place, pal?’ McKay chips in, rubbing a hand over his bearded chin.
‘I got a text message from Maddie saying she knew who the killer was, that she needed to see me.’
‘I thought you couldn’t get a signal up there,’ Beynon says.
‘It was erratic, yes. But sometimes there was a signal.’
‘Rosamund got a call from Neil while we were up there, and a couple of text messages,’ I say.
‘So Maddie got lucky, aye?’ Beynon says. ‘So what did it say? This message.’
‘I can’t remember exactly. It will be on my phone.’ Finn furrows his forehead. ‘She said something about Elise would have wanted the dog. Said I was the only person she could trust.’
‘But you never saw her.’
He shakes his head again, and closes his eyes once more. ‘Julia told me Maddie’s dead,’ he whispers, a single tear rolling down his cheek. ‘Why would anyone kill her? Why would anyone kill my mum?’ His voice fades to nothing, and I stare at him for a long moment, relieved he’s going to be OK, and relieved too that he’s kept quiet about me stabbing him – though, in truth, I’m not sure I can live with the guilt.
‘Enough now,’ the nurse says. ‘Let him rest.’
‘You should go, Inspector,’ Julia rises, firmness in her voice. She grabs a pink padded jacket from the back of her chair, and puts it on.
Beynon rises too, and looks up at her. ‘Is he your boyfriend?’ she asks her.
‘No,’ she says. ‘Not that it’s any of your business.’
‘Everything is my business in a murder
