Where the Memories Lie
By: Sibel Hodge
‘What shall we do?’ Lucas stroked his glass absentmindedly.
‘I’m all for delaying telling them but they’ll have to know some time. The police will be asking questions, looking for witnesses. It won’t take long to get round the village.’
‘That’s what I said,’ I agreed.
‘Do you want to come and stay at ours?’ Lucas asked. ‘I can’t imagine what Anna will think of living next door to where Katie was found.’ He jerked his head in the general direction of the garage.
‘Thanks. Nadia already offered. I think it’s probably a good idea for the moment, but I need to talk to Ethan.’ My gaze strayed to my watch again.
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Sibel Hodge
‘The police want to talk to you, too,’ Chris said to Lucas, picking up the whisky bottle and bringing it to the table before he slumped down on a chair.
‘Well, I won’t be able to tell them much. I can’t remember anything about the last time I saw Katie. It was years ago.’
Nadia’s hand strayed to Lucas’s arm again. He grabbed it and held on tight, giving her a loving and supportive smile. There was still no outward sign he was having an affair. He was obviously as good at hiding things as Nadia was. As Katie had been.
‘No, I didn’t remember much, either,’ Nadia said. ‘I’d forgotten all about us going to the pub that night until you mentioned it.
How can we be expected to remember what happened twenty-five years ago?’
‘I remember some things because I thought about it a lot after she left.’ I cradled the mug. ‘I felt guilty that I hadn’t stopped her or done more for her. I feel even more guilty now, knowing what’s happened.’
‘Me, too,’ Chris said.
‘You had nothing to feel guilty about, mate.’ Lucas gave Chris one of those men slaps on the back.
‘I still loved her and I let her walk off.’
‘You were too young,’ Nadia said. ‘It wouldn’t have worked out even if you’d got back together. There was a reason you split up with her.’
Chris looked up through hooded eyes at her. ‘You can be so cold sometimes.’
‘It’s not being cold. It’s being practical. I’m trying to help.’
‘Well, it’s not helping.’ Chris swallowed some more whisky.
‘OK, OK. Olivia’s right – there’s no point arguing amongst ourselves,’ Lucas said gently. ‘We should all be supporting each other instead. We’ve got to stick together and somehow get through this with as little damage to the family as possible.’
170
Where the Memories Lie ‘So what do you suggest we do, then?’ Chris said bitterly, his words beginning to slur. He muttered something else unintelligible.
I didn’t hear the rest of the conversation, though, because my mobile phone rang from somewhere in my handbag on the island.
It was Ethan.
‘Hi, how is he? Has he calmed down now?’ I said before he could even say hello.
His next words came out of nowhere and blew me away.
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Chapter Nineteen
Dad’s killed himself.’ Ethan’s voice sounded wrong. Far away and disjointed, as if he was in a long tunnel.
‘What?’ I gasped, hoping I’d heard him wrong.
‘He . . . he stepped off the cliff. He just . . . went over.’
‘What do you mean, “went over”?’
‘I don’t know if he meant to do it or if it was just an accident.
I . . . I’m waiting here for the police.’
‘No.’ I shook my head, staring at the others with wide-eyed shock.