‘Leave it,’ said Ben.
Marina’s hand had gone to her jeans pocket. She slowly removed the phone.
‘I said leave it…’
She looked at Ben, tried to keep her breathing steady, her hand still. She didn’t want him to see her shaking. Maddy seemed terrified, quite rightly, and Ben looked like he could lose it at any second and go berserk. It was down to Marina to keep calm and, despite what she was feeling inside, take charge.
She slipped the phone out, looked at the display. Phil. That gave her an idea.
‘It’s my husband,’ she said. ‘Look.’ She held the phone out so he could see the display. ‘Phil. My husband. Detective Inspector Phil Brennan, to give him his full title.’
‘So?’ Ben was trying to look uninterested but Marina had noticed a stab of fear behind his eyes. ‘Why should I care what your husband does for a living?’
‘Because he’s been investigating Hugo Gwilym.’
Ben snorted. ‘Bullshit.’
The phone kept ringing. Marina raised her eyebrows. ‘Really? You don’t believe me?’ She held out the phone once more. ‘Ask him. Go on, ask him.’
Ben looked at the phone, back to her. She knew he was thinking about it, weighing the odds. She decided to keep talking.
Calm, be calm…
‘He knew I was coming here,’ she said. ‘To see Gwilym. I told him. Phil’s already been to see him once this weekend. Again, if you don’t believe me, ask him.’
Ben stared, breathing heavily. The phone kept ringing.
‘He knew what I was coming to see Gwilym about. Knew what he’d done. That’s why he’s calling. He knows what Gwilym’s like, what he’s capable of. That’s why he’s investigating him. That’s why I came round to talk to Maddy earlier.’ She switched her look from Ben to Maddy. ‘I said my husband was a police officer, didn’t I? I said he would help.’
Maddy nodded her head. Her throat moved against the knife. A trickle of blood ran down her neck. She gasped.
Marina tried to focus, concentrate. Don’t let this go any further.
‘So if I don’t answer, he’ll know something’s gone wrong.’
The phone stopped ringing. No one spoke. No one moved.
‘Bullshit,’ repeated Ben eventually.
‘Really? You think so?’
‘Absolute bullshit.’
Marina kept the phone in her outstretched hand. ‘You want to take that chance?’
Ben didn’t move.
‘Why don’t you call him back? See what he says?’
Ben moved his hand indecisively towards and away from Marina’s outstretched one. Wanting to take it, not wanting to take it, gasping, his face contorted, as if in pain. There was anger there, Marina noted, but also something else. Indecision. And fear.
‘Come on,’ he said. ‘Come on…’
Marina didn’t speak. She didn’t think the words had been directed at either her or Maddy.
‘Come on, Ben… Think, think… What would you do, eh? What would you do…’
Marina didn’t move.
‘Come on, help me here… help me…’
Marina barely breathed. Neither, she noticed, did Maddy.
Then Ben nodded, smiled, as if someone had given him wise advice. Or even told him a joke. ‘Yeah,’ he said. ‘Yeah. Good idea.’
He looked straight at Marina, his grip tightening on Maddy’s throat.
‘I know what I’m doing,’ he said.
‘Come on, Ben,’ said Marina. ‘Don’t do anything stupid now. Anything you might regret.’
‘I’m not going to regret this. I know exactly where I’m going to take you, what I’m going to do with you. I know exactly what’s going to happen.’ He smiled. ‘Oh yes…’
Marina said nothing. She knew words could no longer reach him.