Page 131 of No Safe Place

He could make a grab for the knife, from this close. Even if she ended up fucking stabbing him, he could shout at Lily to get out, to get away.

Before he could stop it, his brain filled with an image of Sam – bleeding to death, choking, begging him with her eyes to save her, to not let her die. The feel of her blood slipping over his fingers, the smell of it—

‘Call her,’ the girl hissed again.

Callum didn’t want to die like that.

‘Lil?’ he shouted, and his voice was strangled, caught in his throat. ‘Lil – come here.’

Lily shouted back, but he couldn’t make out the words.

He was a coward.

But there were two of them – and only one of this crazy bitch. Maybe together they would be able to overpower her.

His last, desperate thought was to grab the toaster as a shield, but even that was too far to reach.

Lily was talking as she came to find him. The girl pointed with the knife, and Callum backed away, hands up again. She stood behind the door, so Lily would walk past her and into the room.

Then Lil was there, in front of him, frowning.

‘Well?’ Lily said, hands on her hips. ‘What?’

Callum reached forward and grabbed her by the forearm,yanking her towards him, away from the blade. Lily’s protest died in her throat as she saw the girl.

Callum’s grip on Lily’s arm tightened, hard enough now to leave bruises, but if he let go of her, if their skin broke contact, then something might happen, and he’d be responsible.

He pushed Lily behind him, putting his body between her and the knife.

‘How fucking sweet,’ she said, her voice a drawl. ‘So protective.’

‘What is your fucking problem?’ Callum snapped.

‘You,’ she said evenly. ‘Both of you.Youare my problem.’

Callum didn’t speak. He could feel Lily trembling.

It’s okay, he tried to say to Lil, with his mind.I won’t let anything happen to you.

He would keep her talking, keep the situation calm. The neighbours would hear, or he’d be able to hold her off long enough for Lily to escape.

‘You’re both hypocrites,’ the girl spat, and the knife sliced through the air as she spoke. ‘Hypocrites and liars.’

He could see the pain on her face, and the fear – and it was then that he recognised her. So different to the Paige he’d known, the child in the unit, the girl with the wicked laugh. But at the same time, they were so similar, Callum didn’t know how he hadn’t seen it straight away.

‘I recognise you,’ he said, in a low voice. Lily took his hand. ‘I know who you are.’

Chapter 94

Sunday | Evening

Field

Wilson hung up. ‘Lily Stewart’s boyfriend said she left his flat this afternoon, and he hasn’t seen her since.’

They didn’t have a suspect in custody, they had another victim. Their perpetrator hadn’t broken from the schedule for the first three nights – one a night – even if they had botched it with Andrew Levey.

That meant someone else on their list was in danger.