Isolated. M. A. Hunter

and onto the narrow path outside the house. So far the plaster was keeping the blood at bay, but she couldn’t be certain it would remain that way for the rest of the day. She’d wanted to bring a spare in her bag in case it started to leak, but there hadn’t been any large ones left in the box. No need for anyone to see how much discomfort it was causing her. Later tonight, when she was undertaking homework in her room, she would leave the plaster off and allow air to get to the wound. She felt confident that once it scabbed over, walking would be less painful.

      Waiting for her mum to leave the house meant she wouldn’t be able to catch the early bus now, but if she could get to the bus stop just after it had left, she’d be first in the queue for the second bus; she definitely didn’t think she’d be able to cope with walking the whole way to school. Not today.

      Jane emerged from her house, further up the road, but if she’d spotted Natalie then she didn’t stop to wave, jumping into the front of her mum’s car before they disappeared from sight. It was unusual for Jane to be getting a lift into school, and Natalie was a little put out that they hadn’t offered to give her a lift too. It had to be that Jane simply hadn’t spotted her, and that Jane’s mum had taken pity on her daughter having to carry her violin to school.

      That had to be it.

      It couldn’t be anything else.

      Natalie kept her eyes low as the Curtis house came in to view, terrified that Sally’s mum Diane might spot her and ask the same painful questions Natalie’s mum had asked. Natalie was used to keeping the truth from her own mother, but didn’t feel confident she’d survive an interrogation from Diane.

      When she dared to glance over at the property, it looked surprisingly quiet. She’d half expected to find some kind of search party on the garden waiting to scour the area, but there wasn’t even a car on the driveway.

      Did that mean…?

      Could Sally have returned?

      She was tempted to cross the road and knock on the door to find out, but the prospect that her hope was misplaced was enough to keep her moving forwards, albeit slowly because of the sharp pain in her leg.

      Nearing the security hut from where she would exit out to the bus stop, she gasped when she spotted her dad there amongst a small troop of five other men, receiving orders from Lieutenant-Colonel Havvard, the head of base security. Creeping slowly forward, keeping her head bent, Natalie strained to hear what was being said, but the wind was too strong, and the lieutenant-colonel had his back to her. She caught her dad looking over and made to wave but he didn’t return the gesture, his eyes turning back on Havvard once more.

      The briefing ended just as Natalie reached the security barrier and she waited in line with two boys in the same year group as the guard at the barrier signed them off the base. The troop disbanded, jogging back towards the residences. Her dad remained behind, walking over to Natalie and taking her out of the line.

      ‘What’s going on, Dad?’ she asked. ‘Is Sally back?’

      He shook his head solemnly and stooped so his face was at eye level. ‘No, and her parents are really worried. Do you know where she’s hiding?’

      Natalie’s cheeks burned. ‘No. I told Mum, I have no idea where she is.’

      He seemed to accept her response but remained bent over. ‘Okay, but do you think one of your other friends might know where she is? Diane and Owen said she was in bed when they locked up last night but wasn’t there this morning. Did she mention that she was planning to run away?’

      Natalie gulped. ‘No, I swear.’

      ‘Okay,’ he sighed. ‘Listen, do you think you could do me a favour today? Keep your ears open at school, especially with your other friends. If any of them mentions Sally, or they seem to know more than they’re letting on, will you tell me? It’s very serious and we want to make sure she’s back safe and sound. Will you do that for me?’

      Natalie forced herself to nod, inwardly cringing for not coming clean to him now.

      ‘That’s my good girl. You’d better hurry along now or you’ll be late for school.’

      He straightened and she moved back to the line at the security barrier, which was now longer.

      ‘Well?’ she overheard Lieutenant-Colonel Havvard say.

      ‘No, she doesn’t know where Sally is,’ Natalie’s father replied quietly.

      ‘And you believe her?’

      ‘Of course I do! She wouldn’t lie to me.’

      ‘Well, someone knows where she is and we’re not going to stop until she’s found. Is that clear?’

      Her dad grunted. ‘The last thing we need is another Denmark debacle.’

      ‘And what the hell is that supposed to mean?’ Havvard growled under his breath.

      Natalie looked over her shoulder and saw her dad now squirming beneath Havvard’s glare.

      ‘Nothing. Forget I said anything. I’d better join the others.’

      With that, he saluted and marched back in the direction of the residences.

      Chapter Eight

      Now

       Blackfriars, London

      I don’t think I will ever forget that blood-curdling scream for as long as I live.

      Even now, an hour later and seated in the warmth and comfort of Maddie’s office, I can hear it every time my eyes close: a death’s cry as that desperate woman realised that everything she knew of life was about to disappear in the blink of an eye.

      Neither Maddie nor I have spoken a word since we were ushered back down here and told to wait for a police officer to come and take our witness statements. I’m about to finish my second cup of hot, sweet tea, feeling no calmer than the moment it occurred. It didn’t feel real – like the craziness of a dream that you don’t want to quite believe despite what your subconscious is forcing you to accept as reality. One minute she was there, and the next just… thin air.

      Inspector Marcziesk and the security guard had rushed to the edge, as if they’d somehow be able to reverse time and bring her back up, but her blood was apparently already spreading out across the pavement when they looked over. Maddie and I had remained where we were, neither of us willing or able to see what had become of the woman we’d known for less than five minutes. If the scream will haunt me for ever, I dread to think what impact the image of her prone body would have had on the rest of my life.

      Watching someone die certainly puts life into perspective; I can’t even begin to imagine what must have driven Natalie to plunge ten storeys to the ground, knowing death was the only inevitability. There could be any number of reasons, and she offered little by explanation. I had thought that once the police negotiator arrived the situation would have ended with a positive conclusion – naïve maybe, on my part. Looking around Maddie’s office – the stack of unread manuscripts; shelves strewn with her clients’ published works; a paltry sum of festive decorations – all of it feels so unimportant in the grand scheme of things. Death can come for any of us just as quickly, and for most we won’t even be a footnote in history.

      We both start at a knock at Maddie’s door. Turning to see who has caused the intrusion, I see a pair of grey eyes, a close-cropped greying beard and a dark uniform. The man removes his hat as he enters, closing the door behind him without a word.

      ‘I’m Sergeant Daggard. Jim. You two are’ – he pauses, pushes a pair of half-rimmed spectacles onto his nose and reads from his notebook – ‘Emma Hunter and Maddie Travers?’

      I nod, standing and offering my hand. ‘I’m Emma and this is my agent, Maddie.’

      The colour has yet to return to Maddie’s cheeks and I’ve never seen her looking