Free Blood Ransom by Sophie McKenzie Page A

us what really happened,’ I repeated. ‘Were you even at the beach?’
    ‘I don’t know what you’re—’
    Lewis twisted McRae’s arm higher.
    ‘Okay, okay . . .’ McRae paused, his breath coming out in shallow little gasps. ‘I didn’t see anyone walk into the water.’
    ‘Why did you lie?’
    McRae was silent, his body trembling.
    ‘ Talk. ’ Lewis pressed McRae harder against the wall.
    ‘They told me to pretend I’d seen her . . .’ McRae was really shaking now.
    ‘Who?’ I said.
    ‘It was this young guy in a wheelchair . . . he turned up here one day . . . just told me to follow her after the Roslinnon martial arts show, make her run towards the high street where
he’d be waiting. That’s all I know, I swear.’
    Anger rose up inside me. If Rachel had been followed, then she must have been scared. ‘Why did this wheelchair guy tell you to say you saw her drowning?’ I said, trying to control
the rage that was boiling inside me.
    ‘I told you, I don’t know. He just said I had to tell the police I saw her walk into the sea just up the coast. He told me where to find her purse and ID card . . . said I had to
pretend I found them on the beach after I’d seen her kill herself.’
    ‘What was his name?’ Lewis asked.
    ‘I don’t know, I only met him once. He didn’t give me a name or a number or anything.’
    ‘How did he pay you?’
    ‘Cash. I’ll get the rest after the inquest.’
    I frowned, trying to make sense of what McRae was saying. Who was this guy in a wheelchair? What on earth was his connection to RAGE or Elijah? And why would he go to such lengths to fake
Rachel’s death?
    ‘Did you hear or see anything else?’ Lewis demanded.
    ‘No,’ McRae insisted. ‘Except . . . the only time I met him he took a phone call which was obviously connected. He said something about taking the girl to see someone called
Calla . . . Yes, that was it: Calla . . .’
    Lewis and I exchanged glances. I was still mystified, but at least we had a couple of leads now – a young guy in a wheelchair and a woman called Calla. Not that we knew where to find
either of them.
    Lewis took his hands off McRae, who slowly turned round.
    ‘So what did this wheelchair guy look like?’ I asked.
    McRae stared at me, his eyes widening.
    ‘Actually,’ he said, ‘he looked a lot like you . . .’
     
    27
Rachel
    I slept badly, waking several times in a panic.
    I had no idea what time it was. After Elijah’s visit I hadn’t seen anyone for hours, then the guard, Paul, brought me some food on a tray, and took me along the corridor to use the
bathroom. As I went in to wash, he handed me a change of clothes – combats and a sweatshirt and some boxer shorts.
    ‘These are men’s ,’ I said, staring at them.
    Paul shrugged. ‘They’re all we have.’
    Paul had left me with instructions to get some sleep, but my body was too wound up to rest. On top of which I felt completely disoriented. There was no natural light in the room and I only had
the vaguest sense of how much time had passed.
    There was a light tap on the door, then the sound of the lock turning. I sat up as Milo entered in his wheelchair. He was wearing a leather jacket that looked a little too big for him. There
were dark shadows under his eyes.
    ‘Elijah says I can take you out today,’ he said.
    I had barely noticed it yesterday, but today the harsh American edge to his accent grated on my nerves.
    ‘What time is it?’ I asked.
    ‘Just gone eleven a.m.’
    I leaned against the wall – it was cold against my back.
    I glared at Milo. ‘I don’t want to go anywhere with you,’ I said.
    Milo looked at me, his face reddening. ‘I understand you’re mad right now, Rach—’
    ‘Well, that’s big of you,’ I snapped.
    There was an awkward silence.
    Then Milo took a deep breath. ‘Look, I’m real sorry I had to lie to you to get you to come here. Believe me, once I’d met you and seen just how . . . how . . . what a great