Chapters (58)
- Cover
- Dedication
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-one
- Twenty-two
- Twenty-three
- Twenty-four
- Twenty-five
- Twenty-six
- Twenty-seven
- Twenty-eight
- Twenty-nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-one
- Thirty-two
- Thirty-three
- Thirty-four
- Thirty-five
- Thirty-six
- Thirty-seven
- Thirty-eight
- Thirty-nine
- Forty
- Forty-one
- Forty-two
- Forty-three
- Forty-four
- Forty-five
- Forty-six
- Forty-seven
- Forty-eight
- Forty-nine
- Fifty
- Fifty-one
- Acknowledgements
- An Eastbourne Murder Mystery
- Canelo Crime
- About the Author
- Also by Sheila Bugler
‘Maybe there was nothing to find,’ Dee said, not really believing that.
‘My mother’s always been convinced it was nothing more than a sad coincidence,’ Emer said. ‘But I know that’s not what Lucy’s parents thought. Her father, in particular, was convinced Kitty knew what had happened to Lucy.’
‘If that’s true,’ Dee said, ‘why wouldn’t she have said something?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘It’s certainly odd that two girls from the same town both disappeared within a few weeks of each other. Two girls, moreover, who were close friends.’
‘They were very close,’ Emer said. ‘Kitty was completely cut up when Lucy disappeared. It was horrible for everyone. That’s why our mother took us on holiday. Because believe me, Dee, we weren’t the sort of family who took regular holidays. My parents never had any money. And if they had, they would have spent it on themselves, not a holiday for their daughters.’
‘I read that your father stayed behind,’ Dee said. ‘Is that right?’
‘That’s right,’ Emer said. ‘He was offered some work and he couldn’t turn it down. He was in and out of work all the time. So I suppose when a job came along, he had to take it. Even if it meant missing out on the holiday.’
‘I see.’ Dee made a mental note to follow that up, check what job Eamon Doran had been doing and see if she could find anyone who’d confirmed his story at the time.
‘What was the hotel like?’ she asked.
‘Lovely,’ Emer said, ‘from what I can remember. Why are you asking?’
‘I’m thinking aloud,’ Dee said. ‘Sorry. I’m just wondering how a family with no money could suddenly afford a seven-night holiday in a hotel. Especially if, as you say, it was a nice hotel.’
‘Does it matter? Dad probably borrowed the money. He was always borrowing money from people and never paying it back. Maybe that’s why he didn’t come with us – because they couldn’t afford for all four of us to go away. Anyway, I thought you wanted to ask me about Lucy, not how much money my parents had.’
‘I’m trying to build up a picture of everything that was going on in Kitty’s life,’ Dee said. ‘Because if you’re right, and she didn’t drown, then there has to be a very good reason for why she disappeared.’
‘Okay,’ Emer said, after a moment. ‘Sorry.’
‘Tell me about Lucy.’