Chapter 40

For the second time in minutes, Libby’s eyes were fixed on Heidi’s face to judge her reaction. But she gave nothing away.

Libby looked to Sam instead. His leg was motionless. Heidi had shut down her emotions but Sam was the opposite. His face slowly became gnarled with anger, before frustration set in at not being able to communicate with her.

Sam’s shock appeared genuine, but Libby no longer trusted her judgement. She had taken the four Passengers’ stories on face value and each of them had proven to be dishonest. And the thought of what Jude might be hiding from her made her sick with worry. Unlike the other jurors and their charges, Libby had an emotional investment in hers.

As much as she wanted to believe Jude was different, in truth, what did she know about him? They were barely acquainted. Her sole judgement on what kind of man he was was based on spending four hours together. The only common link between the remaining Passengers was that were all were hiding something. It stood to reason that so was Jude, otherwise why would he be locked inside a car packed with explosives? Another thought struck her – what if the Hacker was saving the worst until last? The nauseous feeling was stronger than ever.

‘None of the Passengers are coming out of this well,’ said Muriel.

‘Neither are you guys,’ Cadman added.

‘Why ever not?’

‘For a jury charged with making important decisions, social media finds your judgement questionable. Each Passenger you’ve chosen to support has turned out to be either a husband killer, someone who protects paedophiles, an adulterer or a blackmailer.’

Libby didn’t have time to doubt Jude any longer. His face filled the main screen and the countdown clock appeared. Libby moved into the centre of the room with a confidence she didn’t really possess. The life of the man before her was now in her hands.

‘Libby, if you’d like to begin,’ said the Hacker.

‘Hi,’ she said, feeling suddenly very exposed.

‘Hi to you too,’ Jude replied. He gave her the same smile he’d offered from across the bar that night. And just like then, the butterflies in her stomach began their ascent. She couldn’t stop herself from remembering how wonderful he’d tasted when they’d kissed. If only it hadn’t been cut short.

‘How are you holding up?’ she asked. Before he could answer, she corrected herself. ‘Sorry, I promised myself I wasn’t going to ask any silly questions.’

‘That’s okay, I’m not too bad now I’ve got over the shock of it all. I can’t say it ever crossed my mind that when you and I met again, it would be like this.’

When, Libby repeated to herself. He said when. It meant he hadn’t given up on her. He’d thought there was still a chance.

‘I don’t think anyone could have imagined this,’ she replied. ‘How are you remaining so calm? I’m not locked in a hijacked car but I’m terrified.’

‘I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t freaked out by it. But I’ve learned that in life sometimes you have to accept your fate.’

‘When I first saw you this morning and realised who you were, I wasn’t sure if you’d remember me.’

‘You’re a hard woman to forget.’ Libby’s eyes twinkled. ‘I want you to know what I said earlier was true. I did trawl social media trying to find you. A friend of a friend works for the brewery that owns the pub and he broke a few data privacy laws by grabbing some images of you from CCTV

to help me.’ Jude removed his phone from the dashboard and held it up to the camera to reveal the photographs he’d saved. ‘Now I’m showing you them, I appreciate how creepy it looks.’

‘If it was anyone else, it might,’ Libby said. ‘But not you.’ She held back a smile that wanted to swallow her face.

‘Can I ask you a question, Libby?’

‘Isn’t it supposed to be the other way around?’

‘Yes, but if it’s a choice between spending ten minutes trying to fight my corner or getting to know you, then you win hands down.’ This time Libby couldn’t hold back her grin any longer. ‘What do you think might have happened if you’d have stayed at the bar?’

She took a moment to consider it before she answered. ‘I think my friends would have moved on to somewhere else, but you and I would’ve stayed outside in the garden until closing time. Then we’d have searched for

some terrible takeaway to buy questionable meats served in a polystyrene box, we’d have eaten it on the way back to my hotel, then you’d have asked for my number, I’d have given it to you and we would’ve kissed again.

Then maybe for the next few days, we’d have messaged each other and the following weekend, we’d have met for dinner and taken it from there.’

‘You’ve given this a lot of thought, haven’t you?’ Jude teased. Libby’s laugh resembled a snort and her face flushed. ‘I like to think that’s how it might’ve gone too. But instead, you disappeared into the night like Cinderella only without the glass slipper. And now I’m locked in a car that’s probably going to explode unless you can convince everyone I’m worth saving. Quite the modern fairy-tale romance, isn’t it?’

She felt a tap against her arm. Matthew pointed towards the countdown clock. Six minutes remained. Libby felt a hollow wake in her stomach.

‘I know what you said earlier,’ Libby continued, ‘but I’d never forgive myself if I didn’t ask you some questions that might go some way towards saving your life.’

Jude sighed. ‘Go ahead then. But would you like to address the elephant in the room first?’

‘Which is?’

‘Why am I a Passenger? What’s the big secret I’ve been hiding from you all?’

Libby tried swallowing her fear but it wouldn’t go down.

‘I’m not sure I want to know now,’ she said quietly.

‘We could spend our last few minutes talking about why we were brought here today or what might’ve happened had we more time that night.

But based on the other Passengers’ experiences, the Hacker is waiting to tell you something that’ll likely change your opinion of me. And I’d rather you heard it from my mouth than his.’

Libby subconsciously folded her arms as if protecting herself from the answer to come. Jude clasped his hands together and chose his words carefully.

‘You asked me how I was holding up despite everything that’s happening. I suppose it was because I have a reason not to fear death.

Before all of … this … happened, the morning I had planned was going to be very different.’

‘How so?’

‘Because it was going to be my last.’

‘Your last what?’

‘My last morning. I was going to end my life today.’