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obsessed with her, and that the two of you almost broke up over it.’
    â€˜That’s a lie!’ I yelled.
    â€˜So you’re a lesbian?’ said Luke, more surprised than angry, it seemed, by this sudden revelation.
    â€˜Are you saying you never slept with her? Is that what you’re saying, Karen?’
    I hesitated. It was enough.
    â€˜You killed Rachel, didn’t you? Didn’t you, you fucking whore?’
    â€˜No!’ I screamed, lunging forward and striking her hard round the face.
    Which was when Luke punched me in the side of the head, knocking me down.
    I cried out, hoping it would stop him from hurting me any more, but he pulled me to my feet by my hair and twisted an arm up behind my back.
    At the same time Marla rushed into the kitchen, pulling open drawers until she found what she was looking for – a serrated chopping knife. She marched up to me and held the blade close to my face.
    I tried to struggle free of Luke’s grip but he pushed my arm even higher up my back, making me wail with the pain.
    â€˜Admit you killed Crispin,’ hissed Marla. ‘Admit it now, or I will cut you into fucking pieces.’
    â€˜I didn’t. I swear I didn’t.’
    She pressed the blade against my cheek and behind me I heard Luke’s sharp intake of breath. I thought he was going to say something – tell her to calm down or something – but he didn’t.
    â€˜Please…’ I was weeping now, unable to quite understand what was happening to me.
    Marla stood there breathing heavily, her eyes full of rage, and I wondered whether or not she had it in her to carry out her threat. I wondered too whether she was actually the killer and was trying to put the blame on me, but that didn’t make sense either.
    And then I saw the faintest flicker of doubt cross her face, and she moved the knife away. ‘We’ve got to get rid of her,’ she said to Luke. ‘I don’t trust her.’
    â€˜Let’s lock her in the woodshed. Then we can get the fuck out of this place.’
    â€˜No, please,’ I begged.
    But Luke was already marching me towards the back door, one hand pulling my head back by the hair, the other hand continuing to keep my arm right up my back. The pain was excruciating but still I tried to struggle, desperate not to be sent outside where I knew the killer lurked.
    â€˜Don’t fight or I’ll break your fucking arm,’ he hissed in my ear, pushing my arm even higher so it felt like it was going to snap. ‘Open the door for me,’ he told Marla, moving aside to let her through.
    She unlocked the door and Luke dragged me out on to the back patio, manoeuvring me towards the woodshed.
    I wasn’t going in there. Not with Louise’s rotting headless corpse, and where I’d be at the mercy of the man who was intent on killing us all.
    I couldn’t. I had to survive.
    Luke momentarily eased the pressure on my arm while he went to unbolt the shed door, and I thrust my free hand between his legs and grabbed his balls, twisting hard. He yelped in pain, his grip immediately slackening, and I pulled myself free.
    â€˜Bitch!’ he yelled, but I was already running.
    He was quick to recover though, and I only just managed to throw open the side gate and run through it before I heard him right behind me. I accelerated, sprinting across the front lawn, heading for the safety of the trees. Except it wasn’t safe. This was where I’d seen Charlie’s ruined corpse. I desperately wanted to try to reason with Luke – to ask him why, if I was the killer, hadn’t I murdered him and Marla when they’d been fast asleep in the lounge? But I knew it was too late for that. He was only a yard or two away from me now, breathing heavily like an animal as he tried to run me down.
    I hit the tree line, tore straight through a ragged tangle of brambles, ignoring the thorns as they slashed my skin.