TOYL

her stomach turned. The first thing she saw, tucked into the inside of the card, was a photograph of her on the doorstep outside the apartment, looking startled, illuminated against the dark background. Her hands shaking, she lifted up the photograph and read the short and sickening message on the card underneath. It was written in a shaking, baby-like scrawl.
    I have the one you love.

46

    ‘Thank God you’re here Lizzy,’ Emma said, as she opened the door to her friend.
    ‘I came as soon as I got your message,’ Lizzy said, stepping into the apartment. ‘Look, Em, I don’t know what’s going on with that letter, but I swear it’s all complete rubbish. I would never do something like that to you – you’ve got to believe me.’
    ‘I do believe you,’ Emma replied.
    Lizzy looked both surprised and hugely relieved. ‘Oh. You don’t know how happy I am to hear that,’ she said, visibly relaxing. ‘I was so upset last night. I couldn’t bear the thought of falling out with you for good, Em.’
    ‘Me neither,’ Emma agreed.
    ‘What I can’t understand,’ Lizzy said, ‘is why Dan would say those things. I’ve always got on well with him – I thought. Why would he just lie like that?’
    ‘I don’t think Dan sent the letter.’
    ‘What?’
    ‘Look at this.’ Emma pulled out the wedding card. ‘This was delivered half an hour ago.’
    Lizzy took the card, screwing her face up as she realised what it was. She looked up at Emma, as if for guidance.
    ‘Open it,’ Emma directed. ‘Read what it says inside.’
    Lizzy did as requested.
    ‘My God, Em,’ she said, putting a hand to her mouth and looking at her with wide eyes. ‘What the hell is this?’
    ‘I think someone has Dan. This was in the envelope too.’
    Lizzy examined the photograph. ‘When was this taken?’
    ‘Last night,’ Emma said. ‘I didn’t see who it was because he was wearing a balaclava and hood. I chased after him but he got away.’
    ‘Bloody hell, Em, why didn’t you call me sooner? If you’d have called last night I’d have come around straight away.’
    ‘Stuart came round,’ Emma said. ‘And I just thought we needed a bit of time to cool off while I thought about what that letter had said. I needed to be sure about what I believed. You understand that, don’t you?’
    ‘Of course. Where’s Stuart now?’
    ‘I asked him to leave. He tried to kiss me this morning – said he wants us to make another go of it.’
    ‘No,’ Lizzy said in disbelief. ‘How could he, while all this is going on?’
    ‘He’s not thinking straight, no matter how many times I tried to tell him there was no way back. I think he might even be delusional.’
    ‘Maybe he’s just in love?’ Lizzy ventured.
    ‘Maybe,’ Emma said.
    ‘So you think that the person who wrote the letter about me and Dan is the same person who sent this?’ Lizzy held up the card.
    ‘Yes. And I think they attacked Richard, and they’ve been holding Dan ever since.’
    ‘But who would want to do that? Where’s the motive for kidnapping him?’
    ‘Dan or Richard might have upset someone – I don’t know,’ Emma admitted. ‘Maybe it’s something to do with me.’
    ‘It might just be a prank,’ Lizzy said. ‘Someone from the newspapers trying to wind you up?’
    ‘I thought that too. But I don’t think they’d go this far. If the police traced the card back to someone they’d be in big trouble, surely. Not really worth the risk just for a story, is it?’
    ‘I guess not,’ Lizzy acknowledged. ‘Will the police be able to trace it?’
    ‘I don’t see why not. It was delivered by a courier company, and I have their name. They should have the details of who sent it.’
    ‘Will they tell us that information?’
    ‘Probably not, but they’ll have to tell the police.’

    ***

    ‘Hope you enjoyed the flight,’ the air stewardess said as Will disembarked the plane. He forced a smile and then kept his head down, trying to blend in amongst the passengers as they made their way down the tunnel to passport control.
    He felt a hell of a lot better once he got through immigration. But his anxiety increased again during the long wait for the cases on the conveyor belt. He’d noticed the woman standing on the far side, and he wondered whether it had been a deliberate ploy on her part to get as far away from him as possible. Maybe he was just being paranoid.
    Finally his bag arrived. He reached out and turned to walk away.
    Then he felt