Her neck lolling from side-to-side combined with the vehicle’s stop-start motion, and occasional rise and fall, sat unkindly with Kate’s semi-conscious mind. As she lay on her back staring into the abyss, she was reminded of a roller-coaster ride she’d been on as a child. She’d begged and pleaded with her dad to take her on it, even though he’d warned her she wouldn’t enjoy it. But still they’d waited in line for twenty-five minutes, the nervous tension building and building as they’d drawn closer to the front.

The ride attendant at the head of the line had held the measuring stick up to her, and she’d looked pleadingly into his eyes. After a glance at her father, he’d allowed them through. It was the first time she’d been on a ride for older children, and as the safety bar had clicked into place around her middle, she remembered thinking how envious her friends would be back at school.

Within ten seconds of the ride starting, Kate had known she’d made a terrible mistake. It had shunted her left and right, and when she’d thought it would stop, it had only picked up speed. After thrashing them up and down, and then slowing again, it tipped over the edge of the horizon and hurtled them vertically down at rapid speed. She’d screamed and wailed the whole way around, her eyes clamped tightly shut for as long as possible, but with occasional dared glimpses when she’d prayed it was over. It had been the first and last roller-coaster she’d ever ridden.

The back of Kate’s head throbbed from where she’d been struck and, as she focused on the pain, a flashback to the feeling of something striking her filled her mind. But she couldn’t remember anything afterwards.

Kate tried to open her eyes, but the strain felt too much. Nausea continued to sweep through her, and all she could hear was the hum of the road below. Her body continued to rock as they sped onwards. She forced her eyes open. She couldn’t remember receiving a beating, but now her upper body ached as the vehicle jolted along.

The car’s interior glowed orange from street lights flashing past overhead. Kate was lying flat on the back seat, and as she tried to overcome the pain and shuffle her body, she became aware of something tight over her torso keeping her in place. A harness of some kind – maybe for a large animal? Whatever it was, it was pinning her in place on the rear cushion. Her wrists were bound with a cable tie, but she had limited movement in her arms. Keeping her upper body still, she tried to shift her legs without drawing the driver’s attention, but a further cable tie had been applied around her ankles, and was secured in place with the seatbelt on that side. She was trapped.

The pain in her head was replaced by rising panic. She tilted her head and looked between the front seats, trying to catch a glimpse of her attacker in the driving seat. He wore a thick quilted puffer jacket, and the fur-lined hood was pulled up over his head. The coat was as black as night, and perfectly shrouded its occupant.

She wanted to sit up, hoping a glance out of the window would confirm exactly where they were. If she recognised her surroundings, she could assess where the nearest help would be. But as she tried to shift her arms into a better position, she felt the plastic cable tie digging into the skin around her wrists.

Kate closed her eyes again, not wanting him to catch her conscious just yet. She was sure he’d be checking on her, but did he realise who she was? If it was Isbitt, had he mistaken her for Rachel, or had he known all along that she would take the bait?

The car slowed, she heard the indicator clicking, and it suddenly swung into a poorly lit area. Darkness fell across the car, and the speed didn’t increase again. They had reached their destination. The car’s brakes squeaked to a halt, and she heard the click as the driver lifted the handbrake.

Kate kept her eyes clamped shut and her body limp. She heard the swish of his puffer jacket as he turned and stared directly at her. Clearly satisfied she was still out cold, he exited the car. His footsteps crushed the gravel beneath his feet, and a cool blast of air blew through the back of the vehicle as the boot beeped open. The scraping of heavy objects against the boot liner was followed by the beep of the boot lid closing, and more footsteps on gravel.

Her only chance was the element of surprise. She held her breath as the door closest to her head opened and he leaned in. Opening her eyes, the breath caught in her throat as she came face to face with the killer.