“Of course. And, Joanna—” Nessa paused “—for what it’s worth, I think you’re an incredible person. Doing what you did, knowing...”

Incredible person? Hardly.

Joanna ended the call and sat for a moment. Now what? The press had been hungry for a story from the moment they’d discovered there was a woman in Cliff’s car. They were going to get more than even they had hoped for.

“Is everything all right?” Ashley stood in the doorway, a frown on her forehead and anxiety in her eyes.

Joanna felt the weight of responsibility. “Come and sit down. There’s something I need to say to you.”

“There’s something I want to say, too.” Ashley sat on the lounger next to her. “It’s great here. And I know you love it. I’ve seen you swimming in the mornings in the sea and reading your book on the lounger. I don’t think we should leave.”

“Things have changed. That was my assistant. She had a call from a journalist who is working on an exclusive.” The sun was blazing and Joanna wondered how life could feel so difficult on such a glorious day. It felt wrong somehow. “They’re publishing the story tomorrow, which means that everyone will know.”

“A journalist? So your friend did say something? Call someone?”

“No, it wasn’t her.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because she wouldn’t.” Deep down, she’d known that. No matter how angry or upset Mel was, she wouldn’t betray their friendship. “And because this journalist has information that Mel couldn’t possibly have known. She’s been digging around in the past, researching her story.” And it was going to be bad. She’d lived through this often enough to know that.

Ashley was still in a state of blissful ignorance. “Story? What story?”

Joanna rubbed her palms over her legs. Why was it that the two innocent parties in all this, the two people who had the least reason to feel awkward or embarrassed, were the ones having this conversation? “We both know which story. I know the truth, Ashley. I’ve known who you were from the moment they showed your picture on the TV. I recognized you.”

“I don’t know what you mean. We’ve never met. You couldn’t possibly have recognized me.” She looked young, and scared, and Joanna felt old and tired.

“I recognized you,” she said, “because you look exactly like your mother, although I had no idea what you were doing in Cliff’s car. That part confused me at first.”

Ashley’s lips parted as she sucked in air. “You knew my mother? You met her?”