Madelaine Baines turned her head, looking groggily in the direction of the cries, but her captor remained stock still. He peered through a tiny chink in the curtains at the figure below, struggling to take in what he was seeing. Who was this girl? And what did she want?
He chanced another look outside. Was she a friend of Madelaine? He knew her far less well than he knew Rochelle and Jacob, so it was hard to say, but he didn’t think this girl belonged in her world. She looked like a charity case with her badly cut hair and Motörhead hoodie. So what was her connection to Madelaine? And why did she want to get hold of her so urgently?
Sweating, he looked at his watch. There was no way he could leave the house while she was there – even if he could get Madelaine into the garage and into the car without being spotted, he would surely be intercepted as he departed. Even if the girl couldn’t stop the vehicle, she would see him. He could wear the ski mask of course, but that would only arouse her suspicions, prompting her to call the cops. Meanwhile, Madelaine was due at the softball shortly. When she didn’t turn up, questions would be asked, the alarm raised. Her husband would then race home, perhaps the twins would get a lift home too. What would he do in that scenario? Slit her throat and escape out the back? No, no, no, that was not how it was supposed to be at all.
The girl had stopped calling and was hammering on the door. Now she was stepping back, scrutinizing the upper floors. Such was her level of interest that for a moment he thought he’d been spotted, but eventually her gaze moved on, sweeping the other side of the house.
Breathing heavily, he turned to look at his victim, wondering if she could enlighten him? He would love to ask her, but removing her gag was not an option.
No, the best thing to do for now was to wait. Wait and see what the girl’s next move was. Would she eventually tire and depart? Or would she try to gain access to the property? Suddenly he was desperate to know.
His fate, and Madelaine’s, depended upon it.