“Jennifer drew this, didn’t she?” Gray raised his eyebrows.
“Yes,” said Rico as Gray handed him the painting. “Just one of her thousands of drawings.”
Gray gestured towards the paintings on the walls. “The drawing’s signed with a J. It’s the same bay as in these paintings. Is that where Jennifer lives?”
Petrina’s expression grew taut, her large eyes opening even wider. “You can’t go and see Jennifer. She cannot be part of this.”
“How do you know she doesn’t want to be part of it?” said Gray. “Maybe she never stopped looking for Noah.”
Rico stood. “We can’t place Jennifer in danger. She’s in enough danger just by being alive. In telling what we told you, we were hoping to show you what danger you’re in, in the hope of saving your lives. The more you search, the closer you move towards your deaths. I’m sorry about the loved ones you’ve lost, but you must go home to your families. What you’re doing is a fool’s mission.”
Gray rose to his feet, facing Rico. “There’s something you’re going to find out soon. The police are looking for me, under the suspicion that I killed my wife. Back in Australia. After she went missing, her car was found dumped and burned and her things buried. Alongside a knife, rope and tape from our garage. The Saviours want me in jail, and they almost succeeded. My wife and I have got two small daughters. Right now they’ve lost both of us.” His jaw pulled tight. “How many families have the Saviours destroyed? How many more are they going to destroy?”
Rico and Petrina stared at Gray with shocked, chalky faces.
My legs weak, I stood next to Gray. “Please . . . Gray’s right. If everyone keeps running scared, how will these people ever be exposed?” My voice broke. “How will it ever end?”
I knew as I spoke that I was asking too much. Rico and Petrina, for all intents, must love Jennifer as their own daughter. Now I understood the fearful expressions they’d held before. Their fear wasn’t for themselves but for Jennifer.
I also understood the thing that I’d sensed they were holding back on, the thing that would give Gray and me a direction to head in.
It was Jennifer.
56. Evie
THE LIGHT BULB BELOW THE CLOCK had flashed green and the clock had stopped.
My knees weakened.
We’d done it.
The end of the sixth challenge.
I didn’t know yet if I was among the final six, but I was so close I could taste victory on the tip of my tongue. I pictured Gray and the girls. I could go back to them soon and make everything right. We’d buy a little house, and it would be all ours. Just one more set of challenges. All held in one night.
I wanted to scream in relief, but I was beyond that point.
Bring on the boat.
Take me home.
The door of the sixth challenge room slid across.
The four mentors bowed as we reached them, smiles flickering on their otherwise serious faces.
Sister Rose placed garlands of flowers around our necks, and we shook hands in turns with the mentors.
“You got to the end.” Brother Vito clasped my hand in both of his. “Be proud, Evie.”
It was yet another velvety night out here in the garden. Everything still. No breeze at all ruffling the leaves. Everything in suspended animation. I could believe the stars and moon had stilled in the sky.
We waited breathlessly to hear whether we passed through into the final six or not.
“You two kept your cool and you figured things out,” said Brother Sage to us. “You used teamwork and courage and trusted your intuition. You are in the final six.” His smile spread wide.
Richard didn’t hold back. He bellowed as if he’d just won a war. I joined in—our cheers and whoops sounding like a huge crowd of people were invading the garden instead of just us.
We turned then as four other people joined us. Cormack, Yolanda, Louelle and Hop. Thomas and Mei hadn’t made it.
“Yes! You two got through!” Cormack gave a low whoop, giving a celebratory punch to our shoulders and then turned to the mentors. “How can we thank you lot for what you’ve done for us? May the road rise to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. That’s an old Irish blessing. My grandmother’s Irish, God bless her.”
“Your gratitude is more than enough thanks,” said Sister Dawn. “Now, you can take your time returning to the dormitories. I realise you’re excited.”
“The dorms?” said Richard, deflated. “No celebration?”