Henry lashed out, backhanding Dawn. Lucy’s grip slackened and the slap made a loud crack. He turned to the rest of the group. ‘You know what to do.’
No one objected; it seemed that there was no regret for what was about to happen. Four people went outside, three of the young women and Jennifer, who seemed excitable, bustling the others along. They disappeared around the side of the house, and John was just about to shout a warning about the traps when he heard the clatter of tools and they ran onto the field holding spades and pick-axes. They went to some grass by the largest standing stone and started to dig. Henry grabbed Dawn by her hair and pulled her close to him.
‘You were special once,’ he said. ‘Why you?’
‘I want to tell the truth,’ she said, her voice hoarse. ‘No more lies.’
Henry slapped her again, and this time a thin drool of blood ran onto her clothes from her lip. He stood there for a few seconds, his chest heaving, his fists clenching and unclenching. Lucy stepped forward and whispered into Henry’s ear, ‘She needs you one last time.’
Dawn heard it and started pleading. ‘No, no, no, no.’
Henry cricked his neck, teasing out some tension, and then pulled on the cloth that bound her wrists. As she was pulled to her feet, John saw that Henry’s eyes were unfocused, wide and wild.
He pulled her towards the stairs. Lucy was laughing, singing, ‘Henry’s gonna party.’ Dawn tried to pull back, wailing, but Henry just pulled harder.
John knew what Henry’s intentions were. He turned away to try and block out Dawn’s cries, because he could have just let her go. But he couldn’t block them out. All he could do was listen as their footsteps went upwards, and as the door closed, he heard Dawn’s wails turn to cries of terror.
He looked towards the field. Everyone was grim-faced, mouths set into scowls, digging hard.
He jumped when he felt a soft hand on his forearm. It was Gemma. ‘It was always this way,’ she said, her head resting against him. He reached up to stroke her hair, and then kissed her gently on the top of her head.
‘I know,’ he said, although when he tried a smile, it was unconvincing.
Ted was quiet as Billy Privett started to speak on the videotape.
‘Things were getting too wild,’ Billy said. He was fidgeting, rubbing his hands together and sitting forwards and then back again.
‘What do you mean, wild?’ a voice said off-camera. Amelia.
Billy shrugged. ‘Just that. What do you think I mean?’
‘It’s your story, not mine.’
‘Okay, I get it,’ he said, some impatience in his voice. Then he sat back, one leg crossed over the other. ‘It was fun at first. All that money and so people wanted to know me.’
‘Was that fair on you, that you were only about the money?’
‘I was having a good time, what was wrong with that, better than I could have had without it. I knew it was about my money, but so what? There were women coming to my house who would have never looked at me before the win. But there they were, in my house, getting naked and getting off. I didn’t care why they were there.’
‘So what went wrong?’
Billy sighed heavily. ‘People come to expect it, because when they are only coming for a good time, I have to give it to them. But the money doesn’t last forever. What could I do when it started to run out? I couldn’t tell anyone that, because then I would be at the house on my own.’
Ted shook his head. ‘This is where I’m supposed to feel sorry for him.’
Charlie didn’t answer. He felt for Ted, but he wasn’t interested in attacking Billy. He just wanted answers.
Ted fell silent again as Billy talked about the parties, and the drugs and the group sex. He was enjoying the recollections too much, and so Amelia brought him back to why he was making the video.
‘Tell me about the night Alice died?’ she said.
Billy took a deep breath and sat upright.
‘I hadn’t met her before that night,’ Billy said. ‘I didn’t really meet her that night, if I’m honest, until, well, until it was too late, because she was just one of the girls at the party.’ Billy paused to wipe his eyes. ‘She came with that group.’
‘Remember, Billy, this is the first time you’ve told me your story,’ Amelia said. ‘Don’t make me drag it out. We can stop and start again, if we have to. So which group?’
‘Henry’s group.’
‘Henry?’ Amelia said. Her voice came quick, almost like an interruption.
‘Yeah. Do you know him? They used to come up to the parties not long before Alice died, and I don’t even remember how it started. Perhaps he tagged on to someone else, I don’t know. Things were getting out of hand back then, almost an open house. Henry was intimidating, even though he wasn’t that big. He was sort of intense, and he frightened people away.’
‘Do you know his full name?’ Amelia said. Her voice sounded keener than before.
‘Henry Mason.’
There was a pause, and then Amelia said, ‘Henry Mason? Are you sure?’ Her voice was quiet, almost distant.
‘Of course I’m sure. You do know him, I can tell.’
‘It’s not about me, Billy,’ she said. ‘Why didn’t you just stop Henry from coming up, if you didn’t want him there?’
Billy rubbed his hands together, nervous about replying.
‘You don’t have to be scared,’ Amelia said.
‘But what if this video gets out?’
‘It won’t,’ Amelia said. ‘It’s only here in case something happens to you, so your story gets out there. Are you in danger?’
Billy nodded.
‘Why do you think that?’
‘Because Henry told me he would kill me if I said anything, and I know they suspect something.’
‘What, that you’re going to go to the police?’
Billy nodded again.
‘I keep on sitting in the pool room,’ Billy said, a tear visible on the footage. ‘I know it’s self-pity, and Alice’s father won’t care about me, but I keep on seeing Alice in the pool. So I sit there and look at the water, I can’t help myself because that was where it all went wrong. My life, Alice’s life. Everything changed, and it wasn’t my fault, and sometimes I just want to jump in and sink to where she was, where I can’t hear any noises above, because it will all be muted, and so for a few peaceful moments, I’ll be free.’
Amelia paused for a moment as Billy wiped his eyes, and then she said, ‘Why does your remorse make Henry think that you’re going to the police?’
Ted turned to Charlie. ‘He didn’t use the word remorse, she did,’ Ted said. ‘That’s what you lawyers do, isn’t it, repackage their words to make them fit?’
‘Remember the girl you were with in the car?’ Charlie said. ‘Perhaps you might have needed a lawyer then.’
Before Ted could respond, Billy coughed. ‘That bitch in my house, that’s why,’ he said.
‘Bitch?’
‘Christina, although I know that’s not her real name. She calls herself my housekeeper, but she isn’t. She is Henry’s