Where the Memories Lie

 

‘Why would Tom do it? Why would he kill her? What makes a lovely, kind man kill a teenage girl? There must be more to the story.’

 

‘I just don’t believe Dad killed her. It’s impossible.’

 

‘Well, someone did. Someone with access to the garage who wouldn’t be discovered. Oh, God.’ I sat back in the chair, the enormity of everything sinking in like a kick to the solar plexus.

 

I had a physical pain behind my breastbone and rubbed at it, shaking my head.

 

Nadia swirled the bitter dregs of coffee round in her tiny cup, blinking back more tears. ‘I need another one of these.’ She nodded to my untouched drink. ‘Want one?’

 

‘No, thanks.’

 

She came back with another espresso and two huge chocolate muffins. She slid one of the plates towards me. ‘You look like you’re about to pass out. You need some sugar.’

 

‘I can’t face food.’ My stomach contracted at the sight of it.

 

‘I need to eat. Comfort food.’ She pulled apart the muffin and picked off a chunk but her hands shook so much, she dropped it and it fell back onto the plate, scattering crumbs across the table.

 

I leaned forward, watching her scooping up the crumbs with trembling, mechanical actions, trying to stop my own tears from falling. ‘Why would he do it?’ I asked again. ‘I need to understand this. I need to know what happened.’

 

She shook her head. ‘He didn’t do it. Someone else must’ve put her body there.’

 

161

 

Sibel Hodge

 

‘But you have to admit he obviously knew about it, other-wise he never would’ve known where she was buried. Maybe she did steal something and wouldn’t give it back.’ I swallowed a mouthful of coffee to lubricate my dry throat. ‘You know that last day I saw her in the shop and asked her to come out with us?

 

I told her who was going and she said about having something he wanted and she’d make him pay, and she said about fuck-ing him again. I thought she was talking about Chris, but Chris says he never slept with her after they split up. What if she was really talking about Tom? What if they really were having a secret relationship?’

 

‘He wouldn’t have.’ She shook her head adamantly. ‘Dad didn’t like her that much. He was glad when Chris finished with her. And he was old enough to be her father! There’s no way he would’ve been involved like that with her.’

 

‘Yes, but she was young and attractive and wasn’t shy about having sex. What if he was tempted? What older man isn’t going to find that tempting?’

 

‘No way. Not Dad.’

 

‘He kept Georgia a secret from everyone. What if he kept Katie a secret, too? I know none of us wants to imagine our parents having sex, but it’s not that unlikely when you think about it.’

 

‘Even supposing they were in a relationship, why kill her?’ Nadia shook her head solemnly, wringing her shaking hands together.

 

‘Don’t they say most people are murdered by people they know?’

 

I paused, trying to ignore the pulse thumping in my forehead.

 

‘When Katie said that she had something he wanted, she must’ve been talking about something she stole from him that he wanted back. Maybe Tom arranged to meet her at the house to get it from her before she left the village and they argued about it. Maybe she’d already sold whatever it was she stole to get money to run away with. That’s the most likely explanation, isn’t it? I don’t think she 162

 

Where the Memories Lie was walking towards Abbotsbury at all. She was walking towards the barn.’

 

Nadia stared at me blankly. ‘How do we even know it’s her body?’