Ronnie shrugged casually, “we go wherever the mood takes us.”
“Right,” Julie nodded slowly. “Well, how about I make us some tea? And some breakfast, perhaps? I am so excited that you’re all here…” she coughed, “really,” she added reassuringly.
“Got anything stronger?” Zach asked cheerfully, “Grandma?”
“Uh…”
“He’s joking,” clarified Ronnie, as Julie turned to lead them all down the hallway into the kitchen, and the six of them began to trail after her.
As they all began to disappear down the passage, through the archway into the back room, Flo held back, reaching out for Annie’s arm, stopping her from moving. Alarmed, the girl stared back at her with wide, startled eyes but didn’t make a sound.
“Tea sounds boring, don’t you think?” Flo grinned.
Annie remained silent.
“What do you do for fun around here?” Flo continued, glancing around at the vast, high-ceilinged space. “Looks pretty swanky. Is this where your dads live, too?”
At the mention of her fathers, Annie seemed to soften. Flo could feel her forearm unclench and noticed a small spark of light return to the girl’s nervous stare. After a brief, uncertain moment had passed, Annie shook her head. “Sometimes.”
“Where else do you live?” Flo asked.
“Our motor home,” Annie said, pointing to the front door. “We travel.”
The girl flinched as a shrill bleat of laughter came from Flo’s lips, the sound slashing the otherwise quiet air. She blinked and cocked her head as Flo doubled over, giggling.
“I’m sorry,” grinned Flo, wiping imaginary sweat from her brow. “I just can’t believe you actually live in that thing.”
Annie’s brow crumpled slightly, but before she could reply, Flo was walking backwards, making animated movements with her hands. She pretended to reverse park beside a low sideboard, a wooden bowl of metal keys sitting on top of it. The girl began to rummage through the keys as if she owned the place. “I want to have a look.”
“Um…” Annie looked behind her, hoping that one of her Dads would pop up and save her from this strange, unsettling new friend. “I don’t know which one is my Dad’s key.”
“Ah-hah!” cried Flo triumphantly. She lifted up a key, squinting in concentration at the keyring. “It’s got to be this one.”
“How do you know?” Annie challenged, growing annoyed by Flo’s self-confidence.
“Your dads are both poofters, right?” Flo said with a shrug, brandishing the keyring in front of Annie’s face. “Definitely Spice Girls fans…”
“Get off them!” snapped Annie, sharply, grabbing for the set of keys. Of course, she missed; the sharp, heavy edges of metal stabbing at her empty fingers as her hand sailed through thin air.
In one swift movement, Flo was shoving the keys into the pocket of her jeans and brandishing a sharp kitchen knife just inches from Annie’s face. The little girl snarled, the edge of her lip furling upwards with delight as she watched the fear creep up into her cousin’s expression.
“Come on, cuz,” she smirked, making the blade dance up by her flushed red cheeks. “Let’s go for a joy ride.”
Chapter Forty-eight
Summer, 2000
Adrenaline pulsed through Minnie’s veins, keeping her wide awake in spite of the tantalizingly soft bed that she laid on. After sleeping rough in Scribbles’ flat, the bed in the spare room at Willa and Don’s house was like pure ecstasy to her.
She stared up at the ceiling, the taste of blood spatter still dancing on the tip of her tongue, the soft, warm weight of her baby heavenly in the crook of her arm.
The girl turned, savouring the silk sheets against her cheek, breathing in the gentle scent of the fabric softener.
Her baby boy slept, his tiny chest heaving up and down.
Zach.
Beside the bed, on the carpet, Minnie had packed a large travel bag full of baby clothes, toys, wipes, nappies, and anything else she could grab. She had also helped herself to the contents of the wealthy couple’s wallets, credit cards, and £50 notes included.
Just the thought of it set her soul on fire.
Maybe, if she hadn’t calculated and planned so precisely, she would feel just a little afraid. But Minnie had hunted Willa and Don down and stalked them until she knew the two of them like they were her own parents. Every awful night laying alone in the dog-shit-infested flat, knowing her beloved Ronnie was still being held captive and trafficked, she had planned. She’d considered every possibility.
Perhaps her brains wouldn’t go to waste after all. Maybe she could no longer train to be a doctor, but she was shaping up to be a mighty fine criminal mastermind.
An involuntary squeak of excitement came from Minnie’s lips.
Success felt good. It always did.
But this… this was different.
She felt euphoric. She’d felt high as she’d stabbed Willa and Don to death, then ransacked their home for anything of value. As she had watched the life quickly drain from their eyes, it was as though it was feeding into her soul.
Even more euphoric was the idea of heading to Steve’s as soon as the first trickles of daylight began to flood in through the blinds into the unfamiliar bedroom.
Chapter Forty-nine
Summer, 2000
“I fucking mean it, Bert,” Steve growled into the phone, his fists clenching as he trained his eyes on a grimy spot of tile in the kitchen. “What am I even paying you for? Find the bitch and kill her. Or I’ll find your bitch, fuck her in the arse, then kill both of you. Understood?”
Blood pounded so loudly in his ears that he could not hear the response. Instead, he slammed the phone down hard on the countertop, then let his head fall into his hands.
“FUCK!” he bellowed, nostrils flaring as he stared down at the smudge of coke that decorated the surface.
Weeks had gone by since the little slag had gone missing. Murdered one of his new, wealthy clients, then run off somewhere.
He paused his thoughts momentarily to snort more of the mind-bending substance skittering on the counter, then tried to reason with himself.
The fact was,
