Chapter 55: NOW - The Safe Room

Amber?”

I know right away that the voice belongs to Emily. So she isn’t dead. I’m not sure if I feel relief about that, but I am pleased. She must be here for a reason and I hope that reason is to let me out.

I’m reluctant to move away from the screen, so I call to her. “I’m here.”

“Do you know where Peter is?”

She sounds out of it; her voice emotionally distant. I don’t know the extent of her injuries, but she may have hit her head hard if she fell. Perhaps she’s concussed.

“He’s gone, Emily,” I say. “He came here and told me that he was done. He didn’t want to deal with me anymore, so he left.” I chew my bottom lip, thinking. “You can let me out now. I’ll call an ambulance for you.”

“No,” she says in an unsure voice. “I’m not allowed to do that.”

“It’s okay,” I tell her. I try my best to sound the opposite to her, like I’m completely sure about what needs to happen. “Peter said you can let me out now. He’s done. So if you release me, I’ll make sure Sophie⁠—”

“Sophie,” she says. “She’s a sweet kid.”

The tone of her voice pulls me from the screens. Something about it chills my blood.

“I wish I had a daughter like her. I had a little sister once. Did I tell you? We were both fostered and they split us up. Can you imagine? It was so cruel. Her name was Katie. She died. They left her unattended in the bath and she drowned.”

Fuck.

This is why Emily has been so keen to kidnap Sophie. She has a sad little sister sob story. Normally I’d be moved by such a tale but now all I’m thinking about is how this relates to me and my daughter.

I need to keep her talking. Maybe I can talk her into letting me go. “I’m so sorry, Emily. That must have been so hard to deal with as a child.”

When she replies, I hear the tears in her voice. “It was.”

“I’m sure your little sister, Katie, could never be replaced.” I screw my eyes shut for a second, hoping I don’t sound too obvious.

She replies, “No. Never.”

I let out a sigh of relief. Movement on the screens catches my attention. The shadowy figure seems to be coming closer to the gate. The gate is wide open now, left like that by Peter, perhaps. I know the figure I can see right now isn’t Peter, though, it’s a woman.

“I really miss Sophie,” I say, trying not to let the silence stretch on. “If you let me out, I can go and find her. Sophie needs her mum, Emily. You know that.”

“It doesn’t matter,” she says. “I don’t know the PIN.”

I almost sink to the floor. It feels like all hope is lost.

“You have to,” I say. “Come on, Emily. You must know which number he used.”

“I don’t.”

“Did you read the user manual? Or do you know where it is, could you get it?”

“I skimmed it,” she says. “Can’t remember much.”

“Please, Emily, anything useful!”

She laughs. “Not sure I should tell you. Maybe I should let you rot like you were gonna do to me. Or have you forgotten about leaving me out in the snow?”

“Why are you here?” I snap.

“Have you looked at the camera in the cellar yet?” she asks.

I switch onto the cellar feed, noticing as I do so, that the figure from the gate has disappeared. Did a woman just approach the house? Or did they turn and walk away? Could it be Yvonne checking up on me? The thought is interrupted when I see Emily for the first time. I gasp and stagger back. Her skull is caved in, with blood all over her face and clothes. She’s slumped down on the floor, a trail of blood behind her.

“Oh my God,” I blurt out.

“I want to go to sleep now, Amber. But I wanted to talk about Katie one more time.” Her breathing gets louder, like her chest is rattling.

“Emily, please. You have to help me.”

“You know, I do remember one thing,” she says, her voice barely more than a whisper. “Peter was worried about damp or the cellar flooding.” She laughs. “I wish I hadn’t met him, you know. But at least I’ll see Katie again soon.”

I rush over to the door. “Emily? Emily, are you there?”

But there’s no answer.

Silence.

I’m completely alone now.