had sent two photographs. Both were grainy and indistinct on the cellphone’s small screen, but I could see everything I needed to see. The woman in the first picture had dark hair and brown eyes, and had been reported missing forty-eight hours ago. She wasn’t the one. I opened the second picture and a shiver shot up my spine. Everything about this woman was right. Her dark hair, her brown eyes, the confident way she held the gaze of the camera. I placed the cellphone on the table and spun it around so Templeton could see.
‘Meet our next victim,’ I said.
20
‘Number Five will sit on the chair.’
Adam’s distorted voice boomed around the basement. It was loud and terrifying and filled Rachel’s head with so much white noise it was impossible to think straight. The sound bounced off the smooth tiles and ricocheted throughout the room, creating strange, disturbing echoes. Rachel put her hands over her ears, crawled to the back of the mattress, and curled herself into a tight fetal ball. The lights were back on and she had her eyes shut tight to keep the glare out. To keep reality out. There was no way she was going to sit in that chair. It wasn’t going to happen.
‘Number Five will sit on the chair or face the consequences.’
Rachel pushed herself right into the corner, her whole body trembling. Hot, salty tears leaked from under her eyelids.
‘No,’ she whispered. ‘No, no, no, no, no.’
The door slammed open and Rachel’s head snapped towards it. Adam strode out of the brightness and stopped in front of the mattress. He was tapping an old-fashioned bamboo cane gently against his left palm. Rachel cowered deeper into the corner and tried to make herself smaller. Without warning, he brought the cane down on her back, putting his full weight into the blow. The pain was so sudden, so unexpected. Rachel let out a screech that was more animal than human and tried to push herself even further into the corner.
‘Number Five will sit on the chair.’
Rachel didn’t move.
The cane whistled through the air and bit into her back, and she let out another scream.
‘Number Five will sit on the chair.’
Adam tapped the cane against the tiled floor. Tap tap tap. The rhythm was monotonous and infuriating. All Rachel could hear was the sound of the cane. It obliterated all other noise. Adam stepped to the side and the dentist’s chair loomed large in the middle of the room, filling her vision. Rachel looked at the cane then stood up and began walking. Adam followed her across the room, tapping the cane against the floor. Tap tap tap. The way he was watching her made her feel like a bug in a glass jar. The dentist’s chair was only five metres away but those five metres felt like five miles. She hesitated in front of it, her eyes drawn to the dark stains on the cream-coloured armrests.
‘Number Five will sit.’
Rachel glanced over her shoulder and saw the cane, saw that Adam wouldn’t hesitate to use it again. The skin on her back burned where he’d hit her. She sat down and the coldness of the vinyl through the sweatshirt made her skin crawl. How many other women had been strapped to this chair? What had happened to them? Rachel forced herself to stay in the chair, but it wasn’t easy. All she wanted was to bolt across the room back to the illusionary safety of the mattress. All that stopped her was the thought of what Adam might do.
Adam leant across her to fasten the first arm strap and Rachel recoiled. His aftershave had smelled so good when she first met him, but now it turned her stomach. Adam spent a long time securing her to the chair, his fussy fingers fastening and refastening the buckles until he was satisfied. He attached the last leg restraint and straightened up, then flashed that charming smile she was learning to loathe.
‘There,’ he said. ‘That wasn’t so difficult now was it?’
21
I sat with my feet propped on a desk, drank my coffee, and watched Jamie Morris on the screen.
‘Meet our next victim,’ I said.
20
‘Number Five will sit on the chair.’
Adam’s distorted voice boomed around the basement. It was loud and terrifying and filled Rachel’s head with so much white noise it was impossible to think straight. The sound bounced off the smooth tiles and ricocheted throughout the room, creating strange, disturbing echoes. Rachel put her hands over her ears, crawled to the back of the mattress, and curled herself into a tight fetal ball. The lights were back on and she had her eyes shut tight to keep the glare out. To keep reality out. There was no way she was going to sit in that chair. It wasn’t going to happen.
‘Number Five will sit on the chair or face the consequences.’
Rachel pushed herself right into the corner, her whole body trembling. Hot, salty tears leaked from under her eyelids.
‘No,’ she whispered. ‘No, no, no, no, no.’
The door slammed open and Rachel’s head snapped towards it. Adam strode out of the brightness and stopped in front of the mattress. He was tapping an old-fashioned bamboo cane gently against his left palm. Rachel cowered deeper into the corner and tried to make herself smaller. Without warning, he brought the cane down on her back, putting his full weight into the blow. The pain was so sudden, so unexpected. Rachel let out a screech that was more animal than human and tried to push herself even further into the corner.
‘Number Five will sit on the chair.’
Rachel didn’t move.
The cane whistled through the air and bit into her back, and she let out another scream.
‘Number Five will sit on the chair.’
Adam tapped the cane against the tiled floor. Tap tap tap. The rhythm was monotonous and infuriating. All Rachel could hear was the sound of the cane. It obliterated all other noise. Adam stepped to the side and the dentist’s chair loomed large in the middle of the room, filling her vision. Rachel looked at the cane then stood up and began walking. Adam followed her across the room, tapping the cane against the floor. Tap tap tap. The way he was watching her made her feel like a bug in a glass jar. The dentist’s chair was only five metres away but those five metres felt like five miles. She hesitated in front of it, her eyes drawn to the dark stains on the cream-coloured armrests.
‘Number Five will sit.’
Rachel glanced over her shoulder and saw the cane, saw that Adam wouldn’t hesitate to use it again. The skin on her back burned where he’d hit her. She sat down and the coldness of the vinyl through the sweatshirt made her skin crawl. How many other women had been strapped to this chair? What had happened to them? Rachel forced herself to stay in the chair, but it wasn’t easy. All she wanted was to bolt across the room back to the illusionary safety of the mattress. All that stopped her was the thought of what Adam might do.
Adam leant across her to fasten the first arm strap and Rachel recoiled. His aftershave had smelled so good when she first met him, but now it turned her stomach. Adam spent a long time securing her to the chair, his fussy fingers fastening and refastening the buckles until he was satisfied. He attached the last leg restraint and straightened up, then flashed that charming smile she was learning to loathe.
‘There,’ he said. ‘That wasn’t so difficult now was it?’
21
I sat with my feet propped on a desk, drank my coffee, and watched Jamie Morris on the screen.
Similar Books
