Maggie glimpsed the clock on the dash again. Holly had been gone nearly sixteen minutes. But she couldn’t go in there to look for her. That was probably exactly what Babysitter wanted and then he’d be able to take care of both of them. Would he risk harming Holly if he knew Maggie was still able to go to the police? Or was he relying on the fact she wouldn’t want to implicate herself? A movement in her rear-view mirror. Holly was staggering through the snow towards her. As she reached the Scion Maggie leaned over to the passenger side and opened the door. Holly caught it, but didn’t get in.

Maggie noticed the fingers holding the hood of Holly’s poncho down were a man’s a split second before he lunged into the car at her. He seized her hair and yanked it hard towards him, and she cried out as she saw the carving knife in his other hand. She lashed out with her right fist and felt it connect solidly with his face, but his grip didn’t loosen as he crawled further over the seat. Maggie tried to block the hand with the blade and it pierced her right palm. He jabbed again at her, but she caught his arm and pushed it down. If she let go to get the gun out of her pocket he’d be able to stab her.

He jerked her head as if he were trying to snap her neck, but Maggie clutched at his Adam’s apple with her left fingers.

His right arm trembling against hers, Maggie’s attacker lifted the weapon towards her exposed jugular and pressed it against the soft skin there.

Maggie rolled her eyes to him, but the hood had dropped so only his chin was visible.

‘See how easy it is?’ His voice was clipped and composed. ‘I could end this now. Bury you both so nobody will find you. You almost stopped me from driving away with Penny before.’

Icy realisation filtered through her. Maggie dug her nails into his neck, but the action caused the knifepoint to prick her.

‘Careful. I’m giving you another chance to keep your daughter safe. Or I can go snatch her now if you want me to.’ He dragged her head further back. His breath came in short blasts on her face, warm and sour. ‘I just want to show you I can remove you any time I wish. Pop.’ His lips puffed saliva onto her cheek. ‘I know you’ll do anything to preserve the life of your child, Maggie. You could be my quick solution to Holly’s disobedience.’

Maggie grunted but remained motionless. It was pointless resisting. He could kill her with only a slight pressure on the blade. ‘Where’s Holly?’

‘Incapacitated.’

‘What have you done to her?’

‘And to think you tried to kill her only a few hours ago.’

‘Where is she?’

‘In better condition than you would have left her. But I still want to give you the opportunity to release yourself and Penny. Not now – I need Holly present as well. But you’ll soon have to make a choice again. It’s always going to be down to that for both of you. But find me and perhaps you’ll find Abigail.’

‘Let us go. We promise we’ll stay silent – you know why.’

‘Oh, I know why you will. That threat of going to the police had to have come from Holly because I know you can’t even consider it.’

Maggie swallowed and the metal stung her again.

‘But desperation has made her dangerous too. That’s why I believe you both have such great potential.’

‘Just let Abigail go.’

‘Abigail may be released. But that’s a decision for later. Perhaps finding who I am, uncovering my story, will help you understand.’

‘Whatever we do, you’re not going to let us go.’ She flinched as his fingers tensed and tugged the roots of her hair.

‘I’m a man of my word. Didn’t I return Penny to you safe and sound?’

‘Before you sent Holly to kill me.’

‘The endgame will always be the same. But by not killing you, Holly’s chosen a different road for you both.’

‘Just let Abigail go.’

‘I know I can rely on you, Maggie.’

‘Who the fuck are you?’

‘Just keep asking that question. And answer it by sunrise. I’ve left Holly with a clue, but you’ll have to go unlock her first.’ He took the pressure off the blade and suddenly slid backwards out of the car.

Maggie immediately put her hand on her gun.

Babysitter stood upright in the snow outside. ‘If you use that, you may as well be putting a bullet in Abigail’s head. You could live with that, could you?’

Maggie could only see the bottom half of Babysitter’s face. The man was square-jawed and had thin lips. But it was his nose that was the most recognisable. The flesh between his nostrils was split, like there were two tips. It was definitely the man who had been in Hatchet Park Mall when Penny had been taken.

‘She might need this.’ He slid off Holly’s poncho, balled it up and tossed it in the car. He was wearing a camouflage jacket underneath.

Now she could absorb his face properly, the shadow of dark hair on his shaved head, the thick brows over his hooded eyes and divided nose. He was mid-to late-twenties, of medium build and his body language told her he fully expected her not to pull the gun on him. She did and pointed it directly at his chest. ‘I said let her go.’

‘Your call, Maggie.’ He didn’t seem alarmed.

‘I mean it.’ Her chest heaved. This could be the one chance she had of stopping him. If she shot Babysitter now would Penny no longer be in danger, or did he have accomplices? But, if she pulled the trigger, he was right about Abigail – how would they ever find her?

‘Tell me where Abigail is.’

He shook his head once. ‘She’s safe for the moment. But you’d better get going. You know where to find Holly. Better scoot if you still need her to be body temperature.’ He slammed the car door but remained where he was.

She could still shoot him through the glass. But he already knew which conclusion she’d come to, and it was pointless delaying it.

Maggie reluctantly started the Scion, turned around and accelerated back towards the industrial park, his figure becoming a green blur before it was swallowed by snow and darkness.