Page 70 of The Lucky Winners

Five Days Later

The hotel room is warm and the golden glow of the lamps softens the edges of the evening. Outside, the lake is a dark, endless stretch, barely visible beyond the glass.

Dev sits across from me at the window, his elbows on the small round table, watching me with quiet patience. He’s still pale and there’s a haunted look in his eyes. But we’ve both waited so long for this. And we’ve been talking here for a while.

I’ve relayed Beth’s and my time at the Webbs’ house in detail, covering David’s grooming of me and the thing that brought it all to a conclusion: Becky’s revelation of how he’d moved on to her little sister.

But I know I’m delaying now, circling around the truth I’ve kept from him for so long.

‘It’s time, Merri,’ Dev says quietly, squeezing my hand. ‘Time to let that burden go. Tell me what happened the day Beth died.’

I press my damp palms into my lap, trying to steel myself, trying to find the courage.

The words are there. They’ve been there since Beth died, buried deep inside me. Dragging them up and out into the light feels impossible.

If I speak them now, everything shifts. Everything changes.

Breathe , I tell myself. Just breathe.

And then, finally, I begin.

I couldn’t get what Becky had told me about David and her sister out of my head.

I knew something had to change, but I was scared and I didn’t know how we’d get away from the Webbs’ together.

One thing I knew was that I had to get Beth out of Mrs Webb’s clutches and make her see the danger of staying in that house.

There was a place we used to walk sometimes, not far from the house.

There were hills and a rocky bit close to the river that Beth loved climbing on.

I knew no one would be around at that time of day, which was perfect.

I needed privacy to get through to her properly, make her understand the danger she was in.

Beth was in her bedroom and barely looked up when I knocked and pushed open the door.

The room was a haven of pastel pinks and lilacs, with fairy lights draped along the white wrought-iron bed.

Neatly arranged pillows and stuffed animals were everywhere.

Books and sketchpads were stacked on the pale wooden desk, with a cosy reading nook in the corner.

Beth had everything she needed here. It wasn’t going to be easy to make her see the truth.

She had her headphones on, her eyes glued to her phone screen. I closed the door behind me and went to her, sat on the edge of her pretty bed.

‘What do you want?’ Her voice sounded sharp, dismissive.

I took a breath. ‘I … I’ve had enough, Beth. Of him … David.’ Her expression changed, a flicker of interest breaking through her usual guarded look. ‘I want to tell you everything, see what you make of it all.’

‘What do you mean, everything ?’

‘About what he’s been doing to me. To us.’

Her face lit up, a look of something close to satisfaction, and she pulled off her headphones, dropping them carelessly on to her bed. ‘OK, I’m listening.’

I felt pretty sure she’d be excited at the prospect of finding out gossip to tell the old witch. So I looked back at the door. ‘Not here. Let’s walk up to the rocks.’

Beth glanced at the window. ‘Looks like rain,’ she said doubtfully.

‘It won’t take long. But if you don’t want to hear it then –’

‘Fine. Let’s go. You can tell me everything while we’re walking.’

We slipped out of the house, moving quietly down the drive and away. Rain began to drizzle as we walked, a faint patter that dampened our clothes and hair. I wrapped my arms around myself, the chill sinking into my skin, but I kept walking, guiding us towards the hills.

Beth’s excitement faded to impatience as the rain picked up. ‘Can’t you just tell me here?’ she huffed, shivering as we reached the path that wound up the hill to where the rocks met the river. ‘I don’t want to go much further in this weather.’

‘It’s just up there,’ I said, trying to sound calm. ‘We’ll be able to talk properly without being disturbed.’

Beth kept walking, her steps quickening as she tried to avoid the slick patches of mud underfoot. I looked ahead, to the rocky outcrop looming closer.

As we drew nearer, Beth stopped for a rest. Then anger spread across her face. She reeled around to me, her eyes blazing. ‘You lied to me! You brought me out here just so you two could gang up on me. I’m going home.’

‘What?’ I gasped, horrified when I saw David advancing behind us. ‘I didn’t know he was here, Beth. He must have followed us!’

David bounded up and his hand shot out, grabbing Beth roughly by the hair. She yelped, a high, terrified sound that pierced the cold rain and echoed around us.

‘David, stop!’ I felt shocked he’d gone in so heavy-handed.

‘You’re not going anywhere, you little bitch,’ he spat, ignoring me. His grip tightened as Beth struggled, her hands clawing at his arm.

‘David, stop!’ I cried, rushing forward, trying to prise his hands off her.

He shoved me and I staggered back, but I grabbed at his arm again, yanking it hard enough that Beth managed to stumble free.

She lurched forward, her feet slipping on the wet ground, and suddenly she was falling, tumbling down the rocky slope.

Her scream ripped through the air, a single, terrible sound, cut off as her body hit the water with a sickening splash.

‘Beth!’ I moved to scramble down the hill to get to her, my hands digging into the wet earth, but David grabbed me around my waist, pulling me back. His warm, dry hands encircled mine.

‘I’m so sorry, Janey,’ he whispered as I stared down at her, my heart pounding, my breath caught in my chest. ‘But it had to be done.’

Beth had landed twisted in the water, one arm bent at an unnatural angle, her face pale and motionless. Her eyes were open, staring up at me, wide and unseeing. And then her body began to sink and was carried away by the flow of the water. I surged forward again but David caught my arm.

‘Leave her, Janey,’ he said, his voice cold and detached. A slow, twisted smile spread across his face. ‘We’re better off without her. Problem solved quicker than I thought.’

I stared at him, horrified, as he released my arm and turned to look down on my little sister, the smile still tugging at his mouth.

Memories flashed through my mind: Beth as a baby, small and helpless in her crib; Beth as a toddler, clutching my hand as she made her way clumsily through the garden; Beth crying inconsolably after our mother died, her small arms wrapped around me as if I was her only comfort.

A bolt of anger rose in me, fierce and blinding.

I lunged forward, my hands slamming into David’s back with every ounce of strength I had.

He let out a strangled yell, stumbling forward, his arms flailing as he tried to catch himself.

But the ground was slick with mud, treacherous, and he slipped, tumbling down the rocks.

His body weight took him far further than Beth.

He cracked his head in several places on his descent and he landed face down in the water.

I fell to my knees, the rain pouring down, soaking my clothes and chilling me to the bone. The pattering of raindrops felt almost soothing, cleansing … as if it might wash away the horror and the grief.

I scrambled down the slope and plunged my arms into the freezing water, fingers scrabbling for her.

Beth – my Beth. My hands found her sleeve, limp and slick, and I pulled with every ounce of strength I had.

But she was so, so heavy and still and I could feel the unstoppable pull of the water beneath her …

all around her. I screamed her name again, choking on rain and panic, desperate to believe there was still time. Until the river finally claimed her.

I stayed there a little longer and then I got to my feet and started running back to the house.

I look up and meet Dev’s eyes. ‘I killed him, Dev,’ I say softly. ‘And then I lied to the police.’