Daniel tried to sleep, but all he managed was to slip into some hazy state when he closed his eyes. He could see the bedroom again and he could hear the arms snapping over and over.
Eventually, he padded down the landing, past his aunt’s snoring, and went downstairs to sit in the dark of the living room with the curtains open, watching the street. When a blue BMW pulled up outside the house, he hoped he was dreaming it, but knew he wasn’t. Mason heaved himself out and stood up, looking around. Fastening the middle button of his jacket, he walked purposefully over the road.
Daniel listened to his footsteps echoing down the path at the side of the house and then they stopped.
When they started again, he knew that Mason had climbed the fence.
And then Daniel got up and went and picked up the landline phone from its station in the hall.
By the time he reached the kitchen, Mason was already clicking the back door shut behind him. There was a lock pick in his other hand. He didn’t seem surprised to see Daniel.
‘It isn’t a dream this time,’ said Mason.
‘I know.’
‘Where’s the phone I gave you?’
‘I lost it.’
Mason took out an iPhone and scrolled through it for a number and hit the dial button and waited. Upstairs the faint sound of a ringtone started. Mason clicked off his iPhone.
‘My aunt’s upstairs.’
‘Don’t worry about that, she won’t hear a thing. I promise.’
Daniel took the landline phone out of his dressing-gown pocket, his thumb raised over the call button.
‘What are you going to do, call for backup?’ Mason pulled out a chair from the small round table and sat down. ‘How are you getting on with finding the flask?’
‘Not so good.’
‘Really? But it’s your top priority.’
‘There was nothing at Ashwell Lodge.’
Mason took a deep breath and let it out and the room seemed to swell. He dialled the number for Daniel’s phone again and they heard the ringtone upstairs once more.
‘It’s the truth.’
Mason clicked off his iPhone again.
‘But you see my dilemma? Now that I know you’ll lie to me, how do I know I can trust you?’ He rubbed the back of his neck. ‘Maybe you want the flask for yourself.’
‘Why would I want it?’
‘For the same reason I do. It’s very valuable. And because I always think the worst of people.’
Mason spread a big hand on the table and seemed to be counting that all his fingers were there. ‘Why didn’t you answer your phone, Daniel?’
‘I was scared.’
‘Of what?’
Daniel felt his brain firing. He could hear it sparking. Something glittered on his tongue. ‘We went to Ashwell Lodge, but we didn’t find anything. We tried making the fit, but we couldn’t make anything happen.’
‘So you were avoiding me because of that? Because you were scared of what I might say.’ Mason was completely focused on him, like a tiger about to spring on to its prey.
‘Yes. Something’s broken inside Rosie. It’s too dangerous for her to make the fit. I don’t know if it’s her chemotherapy. But we need to wait and see.’
‘But I can’t wait. I want that flask.’ Mason sighed. Folded his arms. ‘I know your father’s got pneumonia. One of my little birdies told me. You need Rosie. I need Rosie. Time’s a-ticking. Where is she? I went round to her house, but there was no one there.’
Daniel hesitated, wondering what to say.
‘Where is she, Daniel?’ growled Mason.
‘At her gran’s.’
Mason drummed his fingers on the table and then he nodded and stood up, and Daniel took a step back.
When Mason came closer, Daniel raised the phone and pressed his thumb lightly on the call button, but the man just put his arm round the boy’s shoulders and hugged him. ‘Come round to Lawson’s house in the morning. I’ve got an idea that might work. That we need to test out.’
He rubbed Daniel’s head as if the boy was a dog. ‘Don’t look so glum! You’re important to me, Daniel. You’re special. Rare. You were saved, brought back from the brink of death for a reason, like I’ve always said. There are bigger things at work here than either of us can comprehend, and who am I to jeopardize that?’ He grinned. ‘Now let me out of the front door, will you? I’m not climbing over that bloody fence again in this suit.’