Page 61 of The Serial Killer's Sister
A sadness swoops through me. Henry was a broken child, grew up broken, and it sounds as though he stayed that way until his life was stubbed out.
‘He gave me an inroad, if you like. A way to talk about the past. He told me all about how he and his sister were taken into care, how they grew apart and that he reacted badly. He became mean, spiteful, out of control; he admitted that. I imagine we both agree with him there, eh?’ Dean looks up at the sky, then gets up. ‘Getting dark. I need to see your face clearly for this.’ He brushes himself off, walking towards me. I stop twisting my wrists for the moment, afraid he’ll catch me. I shut my eyes, say a silentprayer that he doesn’t sit next to me, then open them. He’s close, but opposite me. I should still be able to move my hands without attracting his attention, but it’ll have to be more subtle to prevent him hearing the crinkling.
‘Henry was keen to explain The Hunt to me – even recounted some of the riddles, which was super helpful of him – and how he’d gone through a few rough years at the home, followed by even rougher years outside of it, but then got himself straight again. Your brother came good in the end, you’ll be pleased to know. He trained and qualified as a plumber.’
It’s almost too much to bear. It’s like watching the filmTitanic, knowing no matter what else happens, the ending is inevitable – there is only one outcome. Poor Henry. Years of disliking him, being afraid of him, melt away. Dean is clearly relishing building up to the finale of his time with Henry. His now-brown eyes are filled with excitement as he recounts the last moments.
‘Then I asked him about you – how you must be proud of his achievements – and at first, he crumbled, became a quivering wreck. But then he got angry. Began blaming you for his nightmares, the fact he was never able to fully let go of his past – how the secret would end up being the death of him, saying, “It was an accident, but we did it.”’
My eyes hurt from holding them open so wide. Waiting for the punchline, for Dean to deliver the twist in the tale so that he can get to the part he’s spent the past three years planning, fantasising about: killing me.
‘You know what’s coming, don’t you?’ As his breathing shallows, I speed up my efforts at loosening the tape. He’s so lost in his retelling of his story I don’t think he’ll hearmy attempts. I’m so close, I’m sure of it. If he gives me just a bit more time, I can do this.
‘Unfortunately, this is where it goes south. Drunk Henry was already a bit confusing, but a drunk and unstable Henry made my task all the more challenging. He kept repeating “It was an accident”, but when I pressed him on the details, he clammed up. He did let some titbits of information slip, though. And despite his drunken gabbling, I finally figured out the secret you and Henry swore to keep.’
Dean stands now and moves to the well, leaning over it as he carries on speaking.
‘You were the one that pushed my sister down there. Left her alone. Shit,’ Dean says, peering down. ‘She might’ve still been alive. Did you even consider that?’
He pushes himself away from the well and grabs a chunk of my hair, yanking my head back. I let out a muffled scream.
‘“She died, man. We killed her”’, Dean yells in my face. ‘That’s what your brother said. Can you imagine hearing those words, Anna? I can tell you, Henry finally confirming my biggest fear was like someone ripping my heart out with their bare hands.’
I whimper, and plead with my eyes to try and make him take the tape off. But he’s deep in his memory of when he met Henry now, I don’t think he’s even really aware of me – he’s talking at me, through me. I’m merely a conduit for his anger.
‘In those moments after you did it, Henry finally decided to be the good little brother because, no doubt, he felt guilty for the way he’d treated you. So he stepped up to the mark, and once he realised what might happen to youif the truth were to come out, he told you to run away. That he’d stay, make sure everyone believed you and your friend had done a runner. That’s about the size of it, isn’t it? He didn’t give all the details, because once I realised my sister was dead, I couldn’t keep the years of anger that had been building contained. My bad.’
A muffled groan emanates from behind my taped mouth as I realise he’s about to tell me what he did.
‘I lost my composure, took him outside and killed him before I got the location of her body. I’ve never hated anyone more than I hated myself when I realised that. But once I’d calmed down, it dawned on me that I had enough to be able to make sureyouwould lead me to my sister. I just had to find you. Took some years, but here you are.’ He glances at the well again, shaking his head, his face falling and his voice softening. ‘Here she is. I can grieve properly now. You were happy taking that opportunity away from me. Didn’t even give me a second thought when you left your past behind, did you?’
He pushes me back down, then ducks down to roughly wipe the tears from my face.
‘Henry did his best to protect you over the years, Anna – and he took the secret to his grave, as the saying goes. Like you’re going to take mine to yours.’
Instinct tells me to get up and run. I know I won’t get far, but my legs kick against the ground as though of their own accord, a cloud of dirt billowing into the air around my feet as they scramble and slip on the earth. It’s like they are disconnected from my body, no longer controlled by my brain. Dean lays a hand on my thigh and laughs.
‘Don’t panic, Anna. It’s not your time yet. Like it wasn’t the other night.’
I frown. The other night?
‘You were really out of it, weren’t you?’ He tuts, and a shiver runs the length of my spine. How would he have known that? ‘Anything could’ve happened, Anna, without your cheating, lying husband there to save you.’ He’s clearly enjoying this moment. His face is bright, his movements animated as he goes on to describe the evening after Ross left and I got drunk. How he’d managed to get inside my house. My skin prickles, goosebumps rising as though ice-cold water has been poured over it.
‘You had no clue it was me who carried you to bed and tucked you in?’ He seems genuinely surprised. ‘All that time I knew you were coming on to me. You wanted me, I could sense it.’
Disgust turns my stomach. I screw my face up so he can see how that thought makes me feel.
‘Liar,’ he says, pushing his face up close to mine. ‘You thought I liked you. Wanted to protect you. And all the while I was getting you where I wanted you so I could kill you.’
I flinch unconsciously, and he laughs. ‘But! I’m not quite ready yet. You’ve a little while longer.’ He jerks up, suddenly, like he’s just had an electric shock. ‘I’ve got one last surprise for you,’ he says, then gives a quiet laugh. ‘Wait there. Don’t. Move.’ He points the gun at me. ‘I don’t want to have to put a bullet in your leg. Yet.’
He heads into the trees, the way we walked when we got here hours ago. My pulse judders. He’s going back to his car, and I have a dreadful feeling I know what this means.
Chapter 44
I frantically twist, pull, and yank my hands, desperate to get one free. It took a few minutes to walk to this spot from where we parked the cars. By my calculation, I’ve got at least five minutes until Dean returns. My mind is muddled, blind panic blurring my thoughts.
Run. Get up and run into the woods. I could find a place to hide, maybe. Wait it out, then circle back around to my car. What did I do with the key? Which direction is the road? I turn my head, trying to get my bearings. The edge of the woodland runs along the road. All I’d have to do is reach it, pray someone drives by and sees me in time to save me.
