Page 82

She took her cell phone out to call the police.

It rang again just as she did, and she almost dropped it in surprise. The screen showed another unidentified number, different from the one that had called her back in the house. She stared at it for a couple of seconds, then accepted the call. Her arm was trembling slightly as she held the phone up to her ear.

“Hello?”

“Is this Katie?”

A man’s voice. Quiet and nervous.

“Yes,” she said.

“You’re Chris’s big sister, right?”

She hesitated. “Yes, I’m Chris’s big sister. Who is this?”

Silence again.

As Katie waited for the man to speak, she glanced in the rearview mirror. A car was approaching, driving a little too quickly. She watched as the vehicle turned onto Hyde’s street. There were two people inside, although it was impossible to get a proper look at them. A man in the passenger seat. A woman driving. There was something about both of them and the car that made her sure they were police.

Shit, shit, shit.

Surely it wasn’t possible for them to have got here so fast?

“It’s James,” the voice on the phone said.

Her attention snapped back.

“James Alderson?”

“Yeah. You left a message for Chris at my studio. He didn’t want me to call you, but… Well, I think I have to now. I think we need help.”

Alderson’s voice right now was as faltering as Hyde’s father’s footsteps had been back at the house. He sounded completely lost.

“What do you mean?” she said.

“I think Chris is in trouble.”

“What kind of trouble?”

“He’s been taken.”

A chill ran through her. Even though she didn’t understand what was happening, what he’d just said felt horriblycorrect, like a piece of a jigsaw puzzle clicking into place right where it belonged.

“You need to call the police,” she said.

“He told me not to.”

“He also told you not to call me.”

“Not unless I had to,” Alderson said. “But if anything happened, I got the feeling it might be okay. Because he trusted you. Because you always looked after him.”

Katie glanced in the mirror again. She knew she should return to the house and explain to the police what had happened. That was the sensible thing to do. But her brother was in danger. And Hyde’s father’s words were still echoing in her head.

It’s all your fault.

All because ofyou.

Katie pressed the phone harder to her ear.