‘Bryce said he already checked the property.’

  ‘Maybe he did, but not like Koda will.’

  ‘You can’t search Jack’s property without a police request, Thomas, you’ll lose your credentials.’

  ‘I know, but Britt’s in trouble and it’s time someone stood up to the Stantons.’ I meet Daley’s eye. ‘I’ll worry about my credentials tomorrow. Tonight, I’m going to do what someone should have done a long time ago – show the Stantons they don’t control this town.’

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Juniper

  SOMETHING isn’t right about Sarah. That night in the bar with the gangster Stephano, I knew something was lingering just beneath the surface, something crawling up the back of his throat, just dying to get out. Watching Sarah now, I feel the same way. Just a little push, and perhaps I can get it out of her.

  ‘You might be right, Sarah,’ I begin. ‘Maybe Britt is just doing this to get back at me. I haven’t been a very good sister.’ I pause and feign reflection. ‘There were so many times I let Mum and Dad act as though I was better than her. Even with Bryce. She never said anything, but I know she always had a crush on him.’

  ‘Missy was the same,’ Sarah says, gazing back at the wall. ‘Always taking, taking, taking. Everything was always about her.’

  ‘That must have been hard on you.’

  ‘Well, like I said before, the thing about younger sisters is that they can be quite conniving.’

  ‘Like Britt.’

  ‘And like me, I suppose.’

  ‘You? I can’t imagine that.’

  She grins faintly, her eyes dropping. ‘Let’s just say I wasn’t always the pride of Wildling.’

  ‘No, of course not, and I mean… let’s be honest, that became my role, didn’t it? Being the town’s sweetheart. At least that’s how it felt to me.’

  She glares at me with a look sharp enough to cut. ‘Temporarily, perhaps, but you left, Juniper.’

  ‘Well, now that I’m back, I’m thinking of staying. Especially if something’s happened to my sister. My parents will need me more than ever.’

  ‘What are you talking about?’ She stiffens, shifting to the edge of the couch.

  ‘If something awful has happened to Britt, Mum and Dad will need me here permanently.’

  ‘But your career…’

  ‘… won’t matter,’ I tell her. ‘Family is more important. Maybe I’ll stay and be a reporter or write a book about the history of Wildling.’

  ‘You couldn’t.’ Sarah gasps, her hand flying up to her mouth. ‘The history of this town is not something that needs to be splashed about in a book.’

  ‘I’m not sure what choice I’ll have. There’s not much else for me to do here. Unless…’

  ‘… unless what?’

  ‘Unless you’re right about Britt just playing around,’ I say, as if thinking out loud. ‘Maybe I could stay, and Bryce and I could work things out. Perhaps he and I could go away together. See the world.’

  Immediately, she’s up on her feet, wild-eyed. ‘You will not take my son away from his home.’

  And there it is. The thought of losing her position as the town’s darling stung, but the idea of losing Bryce tears her open.

  ‘Is that what you thought Lilly would do?’ I ask, standing to meet her gaze. ‘You thought her accusations would inevitably take Bryce away from you?’

  ‘Don’t be ridiculous.’ She moves towards her desk, putting distance between us.

  ‘First with the baby, then by threatening him with the police.’

  ‘I have no idea what you’re talking about.’

  Her eyes refuse to meet mine, and when I glance down, her hands are trembling.

  ‘It wasn’t Bryce who picked Lilly up from the station that day, was it, Sarah? It was you. Did you also take Britt because she thought your son killed Lilly?’

  She swings back, eyes blazing. ‘How dare you!’

  ‘I’m calling the police,’ I say, reaching into my bag. ‘You killed Lilly, and you kidnapped my sister.’

  Before I can get to my phone, she opens a drawer and pulls out a small handgun.

  My breath catches. I step back, hands raised. ‘Be calm, Sarah. We can work this out.’

  ‘You’re just like her,’ she spits, levelling the gun at me. ‘Pretending to be perfect when all the while you’re just a bitch.’

  ‘Is Britt all right?’

  ‘Oh, now you care about her,’ Sarah sneers. ‘She never mattered to you before.’

  ‘Sarah, listen to me. Put the gun down. Take me to Britt.’

  ‘You and Missy,’ she mutters. ‘You’re just the same.’

  My mind snaps back to her earlier words. I was once the younger sister, desperate for attention. Never good enough. Always overlooked. I would have done absolutely anything to be her.

  ‘Sarah, what happened to your sister?’

  ‘Everyone knows what happened. She drowned herself in the lake behind our farm.’

  I study her face. The twitch of her eye. The pinch of her throat as she swallows. ‘No,’ I whisper as a chill floods the room. ‘She didn’t.’

  Sarah’s hand shakes as she raises the gun higher. ‘You shut up.’

  ‘Oh my God,’ I breathe. ‘You killed her. You were sixteen.’

  ‘She was all anyone cared about!’ Sarah screams, her voice splintering. ‘My father. Even Jack. They all loved Missy. It was as if I didn’t even exist.’

  ‘Jack?’

  ‘He’s all I’ve ever loved,’ Sarah whispers. ‘Even as a young girl, watching him work the fields. He was older, and of course, could never see past Missy, with her long auburn hair and that smile. It was like the sun kissed her the moment she was born. He barely even knew I existed.’

  ‘So, you killed her?’

  ‘I gave myself a fighting chance,’ she snaps. ‘After she was gone, my father noticed me, and Jack eventually realised I could be more than just Missy’s little sister.’

  Sarah’s confession has my mind reeling. To need love so desperately that you’d kill for it is something I can’t imagine. ‘Sarah, please. Where’s Britt?’

  She adjusts her grip on the gun, tucking her hair behind her ear. ‘I wanted to kill her, but she reminds me too much of myself.’

  ‘Sarah…’

  ‘You’ll see her soon enough. Now turn around and open the door. Don’t try anything.’

  ‘I’m doing what you ask,’ I say as I reluctantly turn my back to her. ‘You have my word. I just want to see my sister.’

  ‘You should know that when the time comes, I won’t show you the same mercy I gave Britt,’ Sarah hisses, ordering me out of the room. ‘You’re no better than Missy was, and just like her, you’ll get what you deserve.’

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Britt

  WHEN I come to, the first thing I feel is the scratch of splinters against my back. My body aches from the cold floor, and there's barely enough light to see. My heart pounds in my ears, but I remind myself to stay calm. If I want to make it out of this, I have to think.

  I feel around, my hands brushing against rough wood and cold metal. I’m in a small underground storage room. Tiny cracks of muted light seep in from the floorboards above, and from the musty smell of hay and mildew, I think I might be under the floor of the barn. I crawl forward on my hands and knees, trying to map out the space.

  I carefully get to my feet, reaching up to check how much space there is. My palms brush the boards above, and I’m confident that if stoop just a little, I can stand. I do my best to try and shuffle forward, but my shoulder whacks into something. It topples over with a thud, kicking up a cloud of dust. I cough and wave my hand in front of my face, waiting for the air to clear.

  Crates. Nothing that's going to help me get out of here.

  This is a nightmare. How was I supposed to know Sarah was a psycho? That she’d fly off the handle and attack me in the shop? I thought she’d be horrified by what her son had done. Getting Lilly pregnant, then killing her to keep her quiet. Instead, she’d caught me unawares, storming around the counter and trying to drag me out. I tried to fight her off, but she was surprisingly strong. When Bryce came in, I knew I was finished. I had no chance against the two of them. When we got back here, Sarah sent Bryce back to the house and then jabbed me with some kind of horse needle. That’s the last thing I remember.

  Back down on my hands and knees, I feel around the space, hoping for something useful. Finally, my hand closes around a metal rod, maybe a crowbar. I grip it tightly and tap along the walls, listening for any change in sound. If I’m under the floor, there might be space around the outside of the room where I can crawl out.

  Tap. Tap. Tap. The sound is dull and solid. I move along the wall, tapping and listening. Tap. Tap. Clink. I freeze, my heart skipping a beat. I tap again. The sound is different here – hollow. I feel around until my fingers find a raised edge. It could be the outline of a small hatch or door. My breath catches. There might be a way out. I wedge the bar into the gap and try to pry it open. My teeth clench as I pull with everything I’ve got, but it’s no use. It’s jammed shut.

  The bar clatters to the floor, the sound ricocheting through the silence. I bite down hard, forcing back the sob clawing up my throat. Think, Britt. There has to be a way out.

  Metal grates above me, and I hear the scrape of a key sliding into the lock. Sarah is back.

  ‘Let me out!’ I shout at the top of my voice as fresh air and light rush in through the opening hatch. ‘Help!’

  ‘Britt!’

  ‘Juniper?’

  ‘Britt, it’s me.’

  Before I can respond, Juniper tumbles into the tiny room. Above us, Sarah peers down, her face pinched and angry.

  ‘Make the most of your reunion,’ she snaps. ‘It won’t last long.’

  The hatch closes with a thud, and a key turns in the lock. I throw myself down beside my sister. ‘Juniper, oh my God, I’m so sorry. I told Sarah that Bryce got Lilly pregnant. She must know he killed her to cover up the baby.’

  ‘It wasn’t him,’ she mumbles, rubbing at the side of her head. ‘It was Sarah. She killed Lilly. She also killed her sister back when they were teenagers.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘It’s a long story. I read the rest of Lilly’s journal.’ Juniper takes a moment and then looks at me. ‘Britt, Lilly was the one who killed Hazel. Out in the paddock. She saw her with Bryce. She was jealous.’

  ‘No,’ I shake my head, refusing to let the words sink in. ‘She couldn't have. That's impossible.’

  ‘I know it must be hard to hear, but it’s all there in black and white. She tried to pin it on Bryce, so Sarah killed her to protect him. Sarah’s a murderer, Britt, and if we don’t get out of here, I’m going to be next. Mia is out looking for you, but she’s in the park. She won’t figure it out in time. We have to find a way out.’

  Lilly killed Hazel. I can’t wrap my mind around it.

  ‘Britt?’

  ‘What?’ I snap back to find my sister staring at me.

  ‘We have to get out of here.’

  I push my hair back and try to refocus. ‘There’s a small door, like a hatch or something, but I can’t open it,’ I tell her. ‘I’m out of ideas.’

  ‘I’m not going to let us die here, Britt.’

  Tears burn in my eyes, and I nod as best I can.

  ‘I should have been a better sister to you, Britt. It’s my fault we’re in this mess. I don’t think I’ve ever said it before, but I’m proud of who you are. You don’t take shit from anyone, and I love that about you. In fact, I wish that I was more like you.’

  I throw my arms around my sister and pull her in. ‘It’s funny,’ I whisper into her hair, ‘because I don’t wish I was anything like you.’

  She pulls back and searches my face for a moment before we both break into laughter. ‘I love you, Britt.’

  ‘Yeah, yeah, I love you too,’ I tell her. ‘Now let’s get the hell out of here.’

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  THE night sky hangs low and heavy, clouds smudging out the stars. I draw a breath that tastes of coming snow as images from the last time Koda and I searched Willow’s Crossing flash through my mind. Hazel’s decomposing body. Her mottled skin and staring eyes.

  ‘Stop it,’ I tell myself. ‘It won’t be like that this time. We’ll find them in time.’

  Koda glances up at me, and I meet his eye. ‘We have to get this right, mate,’ I tell him quietly. ‘It might be the last search we ever do, but it matters. It’s Juniper and Britt, and they need our help.’

  He holds my gaze, and as always, I have no doubt he understands every word.

  Daley has called in both the state and Winton River police. They’ll meet us at Willow’s Crossing.

  From the boundary line, I stare across at the twinkling lights of the homestead off in the distance. Bryce had a head start. There’s every chance the Stantons are already waiting for us, but Britt and Juniper are running out of time.

  Koda and I slip onto Jack’s property via the northern corner, the closest entry point to the barn where Bryce said he last saw Britt. The snow is getting heavier, settling soft and silent on my shoulders. Beside me, Koda lifts his head, a flake melting on his nose as he tries to lick it away.

  As we move deeper into the property, my thoughts race ahead to what comes next. Best case is that we find the girls alive, but there will still be fallout. This will be ruled as an illegal search of a private property. Sarah and Bryce will be arrested. Jack will raise holy hell. My brother’s project will lose its backing, and I’ll lose my credentials as a canine search and rescue officer. Worst case is something I can't even think about.

  After a few minutes, the outline of machinery sheds begins to take shape through the dark. We're still a long way off from the barn or homestead but I stop and take out the piece of Britt’s jacket Juniper gave me. Crouching, I press it to Koda’s nose. ‘This should be a piece of cake for you, mate. All that matters is finding the girls. It’s you and me. We’ve got this.’

  I unclip his lead and give the command. ‘Koda, search!’

  To an outsider, Koda’s weaving would look like a dog running loose, but I know better. He is focused. Relentless. He won’t stop until he finds the scent source.

  ‘Good job, Koda,’ I murmur. ‘You’re doing great.’

  I glance at my watch. Nearly midnight. Five hours since Britt went missing.

  Up ahead, Koda keeps weaving, still searching.

  The snow thickens, and the wind turns sharp against my face. Conditions are getting worse. Koda stops and whines as he lifts his nose into the air.

  ‘I know, mate,’ I whisper. ‘It’s freezing.’

  At first, I think it’s the snow he’s sniffing, but then his tail stiffens, and his ears flick forward. He’s got something. Not a trail scent, but molecules carried on the wind. The shift in direction has given him what he needs.

  ‘What have you got, Koda?’ I whisper.

  He barks once, then bolts, sprinting flat-out in the direction of the buildings.

  ‘In scent,’ I breathe, a shiver of anticipation running through me as I take off after him.

  Snow lashes my face, but I barely feel it. Watching Koda tear through the night, snow catching on his coat, tail high, nose up, is like poetry in motion. He is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, and for a fleeting second, I know that no matter what happens, whether I lose my credentials, whether Will is gone, or the future is uncertain, everything will be all right – because I have Koda, and together, we are a formidable team.

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  Juniper

  FOR the past half an hour, Britt and I have been trying to lever the side door open. The palms of my hands are blistered, and Britt’s fingers are bleeding, but it’s no use. It won’t budge.

  I hear the sound of footsteps overhead, followed by the jingle of keys, and my heart leaps. Maybe Mia found us. Maybe the police are here. Maybe everything is going to be okay.

  ‘Someone’s here,’ I whisper to Britt. ‘Maybe Mia figured it out.’

  ‘I don’t hear a dog barking, do you?’

  She’s right, and my insides shrink. If it were Mia, we’d have heard Koda. ‘That doesn’t mean it’s not her,’ I try. ‘You never know.’

  Air rushes in as the hatch opens, and a ladder clatters down through the hole. ‘You two, out, and don’t try anything stupid,’ Sarah orders. ‘Hurry up.’

  ‘So much for the rescue mission,’ Britt sighs. ‘This is bad.’

  My mind flashes back to every true crime podcast I’ve ever listened to. Being taken to a second location is never a good sign, but I don’t want Britt to panic. ‘Let’s just stay calm,’ I tell her. ‘Everything will be all right.’

  ‘Wasn’t all right for Lilly.’

  I hold her gaze and swallow. ‘I’m not going to let anything happen to you, Britt. I promise.’

  She shoots me a panicked glance before turning and stepping up onto the ladder. Whatever Sarah has planned, it’s happening. Desperate to get us out of this, I crouch and take up the crowbar. I keep it down beside me as best I can. It's the only chance we've got.

  When Britt pulls herself up and into the barn, I begin climbing the ladder after her. But when I reach the top, a gasp escapes my lips. Bryce is standing next to his mother.

  ‘Bryce, help us,’ I gush. ‘You can’t let this happen. She has to let us go.’

  His eyes are red, his face puffy from crying. He looks nothing like the boy I once loved, with his easy smile and irresistible swagger.

  'Drop the crowbar, Junie,' he tells me. 'Please, for your own good.'

  ‘Bryce, this isn’t who you are,’ I press. ‘Your mother killed her sister. She's sick and needs help.’

  ‘You shut up!’ Sarah snaps, waving the gun in my face. ‘Keep your mouth shut! Now drop it!’

  She’s coming undone. The poised, elegant woman we all know has vanished. With her wild eyes and jerking movements, Sarah is barely recognisable. I glance at the gun and know I have no chance. The crowbar clatters back down through the hole and my shoulders slump.