Thirty-Seven

Hiding in Max Hastings’s cupboard, Pip listens as Nat’s unexpected punch buys time. Max settles on the sofa, drinks repeatedly from his blue water bottle spiked by Pip, and gradually grows dizzy. After refilling the bottle, Max’s game play slows; by 9:17 p.m., he is unresponsive, apparently unconscious.

To confirm safety, Pip tosses a vacuum plug into the room; Max does not stir. She emerges, confirms his deep breathing, and reminds herself this is about survival and revenge. Pip bags Max’s phone, switches it to silent, and retrieves his keys from the hallway sideboard.

Outside, Pip meets Jamie Reynolds, Connor Reynolds, and Nat da Silva. She instructs Jamie and Connor to leave Max’s bagged phone behind a rock outside Green Scene’s gate and not enter, then to establish a public alibi at a Wycombe cinema and call her from a burner once clear. Nat, having struck Max, departs to create her own alibi at her brother’s house.

Pip returns inside to collect items for the frame: a dark gray hoodie from Max’s laundry, a pair of white trainers with distinct soles, and a green Nike cap from his wardrobe. She resists disturbing other incriminating items to avoid alerting Max later.

Risking proximity, Pip carefully plucks several hairs with roots from Max’s head and seals them in a bag for DNA transfer. She packs the clothing, shoes, and hair, leaves Max’s car keys on the driver’s seat after unlocking the car, and departs, intent on establishing her own alibi as the plan advances.