She lay wide awake, staring at the ceiling, unable to banish the image of Magnus and Terri from her mind. The online auction had been an invitation to torture, rape and murder the girl. If Magnus had been coerced into having sex with Terri, what else had he been forced to do? Rhona ran through every exchange she’d ever had with Magnus, back to the first strategy meeting. She was a reasonable judge of character, but not as astute as Chrissy, whose judgement Rhona would stake her life on. Chrissy had openly declared her liking for Magnus. Magnus could be arrogant, determined to go his own way regardless of orders or advice. But a rapist? No. She couldn’t believe that of him. But what if his life were in danger? Or Terri’s? What then? The red light of her mobile blinked at her from the bedside table. If a call came in from Magnus’s phone, Bill wanted to know, whatever the hour. Rhona had turned up the volume in case she dozed off, although at the moment it didn’t look likely. Eventually she did, drifting into a fitful sleep punctured by nightmarish images of Magnus looming over her, his hands holding her down, his mouth hot on hers.
