Page 63 of The Bodies

FIFTY-EIGHT

It was his last card. And now he’s played it.

Gabriel turns, studies him with those end-of-days eyes. He drops the rope and approaches, slow as a stalking tiger. The cadence of his breathing has changed.

‘The phone’s in my back pocket. Code is sixteen-thirty.’

Gabriel halts in front of his chair.

That strange resonance Joseph felt earlier is back, humming in his chest, buzzing in his fingertips, vibrating through his bones to the chair, and through its wooden legs to the turf.

Gabriel slides his fingers into Joseph’s pocket and removes the phone. When its screen wakes, he keys in the code.

Erin’s head collapses on to her chest. She begins to weep, quiet sounds of exhaustion and defeat.

Gabriel brings up the video file. Moments after it begins to play, Drew’s voice issues from the phone’s speakers. ‘ It’s so hot . Can you put the windows down? ’

Gabriel’s chest fills. He goes to an unoccupied dining chair and lowers himself on to it. There’s a solemnity to him, now. A terrible, expectant silence.

‘ Easy, Romeo ,’ Drew laughs. ‘ I don’t know what you’re used to. But with me you don’t get everything all at once .’

Then Angus Roth says, ‘ Is that right ?’

Gabriel inhales sharply. His muscles move beneath his shirt.

‘ Play nice ,’ Drew says. ‘ Be a good boy. And eventually you’ll get rewarded .’

Joseph opens his right fist. In his palm, stained red by the dying light, is the key he lifted from his breast pocket just before Gabriel put the noose around his neck.

Keeping his movements to a minimum, he manoeuvres the key until he’s gripping it between thumb and forefinger.

Then he tilts his hands and examines the cuffs.

Earlier, to improve his ability to free himself should he get the chance, he’d attached them with the lock mechanisms palm-side.

Fortunately, Erin hadn’t known to double lock them, which would have increased the key turns required to disengage the arms.

‘ How nice? ’ Angus Roth asks.

Joseph guides the key towards the lock. His hands are shaking so badly that metal clinks against metal. The key rattles as it goes in.

‘ You hear that? ’ Drew asks. ‘ Seriously, I think I heard something .’

Joseph glances at Gabriel, but the man still seems engrossed in what he’s viewing. He switches his attention to Erin, sees that she’s watching him through her tears. Her gaze slides down to the cuffs, travels back up.

There’s no reason for her to draw attention to what he’s doing. Their escalatory back-and-forth has reached its conclusion. Any moment, Gabriel will learn the truth of his brother’s fate. Afterwards, Erin will need all the help she can get.

That is, unless she’s so terrified for Tilly – and so sceptical of Joseph’s ability to intervene – that she’ll do whatever it takes to delay that moment as long as possible.

His blood runs cold inside his veins. Goosebumps break out across his skin.

‘ I’ve got a picnic blanket in the boot ,’ Angus says.

Joseph turns the key, hears a click as the pawl retracts, releasing the rachet teeth. One arm of the cuff glints red as it falls loose. Holding his breath, he extricates his wrist.

Beside him, the toes of Max’s trainers squeal against the dining chair. Erin shifts in her seat, her muscles tensing despite her bonds.

It’s time, irrefutably, to act.