The blade sank effortlessly into the flesh of Dani’s shoulder. She screamed in pain, her eyes welled. She gritted her teeth and fought through it as Popescu slowly drew the knife free. Blood dripped off the end of the blade. Dani was woozy, delirious from the agony.
‘You really don’t know?’ Popescu said. ‘You don’t know who Dunne was?’
Popescu dropped down to face Dani. The stab wound was sufficient to make sure she didn’t take the opportunity to fight back. She flinched when his free hand fell down to her hip. He patted about her side and drew her phone from her pocket.
‘Open it,’ he said to her, pushing the phone down to the ground, next to her hand.
Dani grimaced as she stretched out to press her thumb onto the screen. Popescu flicked for a couple of seconds before he turned the phone to Dani.
The screen was blindingly bright and it took Dani’s eyes a couple of seconds to properly focus. She was left staring at the picture of Liam Dunne and the blonde woman.
‘My sister,’ Popescu said.
‘I don’t…’
Dani had been about to say, ‘I don’t understand.’ But then, perhaps she did after all.
‘What is this place?’ Dani said as a tear fell from her eye.
Popescu snorted in disgust. Revulsion. ‘This is where he brought them. All of them. My sister too.’
And now it all made sense.
‘Liam Dunne killed your sister.’
An open secret. Stef had known it too, no doubt. Who else had? Victor? Brigitta? Not even two days ago Stef had looked at that picture in Brigitta’s house and had sworn she didn’t know either Liam or the woman. She’d lied. Because she did know Popescu’s sister. She’d said so herself; that not just Brigitta’s daughter, but her granddaughter had gone missing too. Brigitta’s daughter many years ago, in Romania. But her granddaughter…
‘And believe me,’ Popescu said. ‘I showed that bastard just how bad that decision was.’
Pure hatred dripped with every word.
Finally, Dani could make sense of it all. Liam Dunne had murdered Popescu’s sister. Had brought her here. Had likely brought others here before her. He’d paid the ultimate price. Both Dani and Clara Dunne, Liam’s own sister, had been searching for the truth. The truth of Liam’s disappearance. They’d both believed him to be a victim.
But Liam Dunne hadn’t been a victim. He was a sick murderer.
Popescu held the knife aloft.
‘And now, Detective, I’m very sorry but—’
Thwack.
The blistering impact halted Popescu mid-sentence. Dani had seen it coming. He hadn’t. The wood smacked into the side of his face. Blood spurted, a tooth flew from his mouth.
Ana didn’t let up.
She whacked him again on the top of his skull with her elbow. Dani reached forwards and grabbed his knife hand. Much the same attack as the two women had tried moments earlier. This time they had to make it count. Dani bucked and managed to worm her way out from underneath Popescu, even as she continued to hold his arm at bay. Ana hit him a third, then a fourth time in the head. Dani launched her knee up and dug and ground it into Popescu’s groin. He groaned in pain. Ana hit him again, and as Dani twisted his wrist the knife came free.
The next second Popescu pulled out from Dani’s grip. Ana hit him in the head again. Popescu went to haul himself up. But Ana was like an animal. She grabbed his leg, just below the knee, and sent him crashing back down to the floor. His head smacked against the back of the chair in the middle of the room. Ana landed on top of him, snarling. She reached out to the side and grabbed the knife…
‘No!’ Dani shouted.
Too late. Ana thrust her arm towards him and four inches of the blade disappeared into Popescu’s neck. She wrenched the knife free. Blood spurted and poured as Popescu’s body twitched. He desperately gargled for breath.
Dani watched on helplessly, too shocked to move.
Within seconds Popescu’s movements slowed. Soon, the blood flow reduced to a tame trickle.
After that, Popescu lay entirely still.