‘Ryan was here. Or at least, he’s around Porthmellow. He was going to come and meet me tonight at Clifftop House – and you, Sam. We arranged for him to come to talk to you after the concert. So, he might well be around the harbour.’

‘I bloody knew it!’ said Troy.

‘I’m calling the police,’ the harbourmaster declared.

‘No, wait. Ryan’s not the same anymore. He’s changed. He changed a long time ago and he’d never go back to the way he was.’

Sam held onto the back of a chair. Her legs felt wobbly. The debate flew around her head, whirling and making her feel sick. Gabe was certain Ryan was in Porthmellow, which meant he’d lied to her again.

‘Stop it! This is my brother you’re all talking about and accusing. What do you mean, he’s here? Gabe?’ She clutched his arm. ‘Gabe!’

‘I’m sorry. I should have told you earlier … yesterday. Way back. But I couldn’t.’

Everyone stared at him. Sam dropped his arm.

Sam turned and walked out. She didn’t care what anyone thought. But if Ryan was in town, she had to find him and get the truth out of him.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Sam paced the quayside, scanning the people walking past. The food and drink stalls had packed up from this location, so there were only a few people around. Most were down at the concert. The music was frantic and joyous, cheers and applause filling the air, but Sam felt as if she was being crushed.

As she turned for another loop of the area, Gabe ran up to her, stopping by her side, out of breath. He slipped his arm around her back. ‘You’re shivering,’ he said.

But she moved away from him. ‘Gabe … what am I missing here? How did you know my brother was here in Porthmellow? When?’ She stopped, her eyes focusing on his hand with its tiny red scar. It was all making sense now. The man chatting to Gabe at the concert bar. Gabe stopping midway through the cookery demo, the shock on his face …

‘You saw him at the Chef’s Theatre. That’s why you lost concentration and cut yourself.’

‘Sam.’

She shrank away from him. Answering her own questions because he was too ridden with guilt to be honest.

‘You lied to me.’

‘I didn’t lie.’

‘You may as well have. Oh my God. That evening when we were driving back from the hospital through Marazion when I thought I saw Ryan crossing the road to the pub. It was him! You put me off, you said it was dark.’

‘I didn’t say it wasn’t him. I offered to drive back so we could check. I wasn’t sure myself at the time.’