What was so special about a moonlit sea that was worth ruining his shoes for? If he’d known he was going to have to traipse through uncut grass, he’d have worn boots – he’d only put these on because they’d be easy to kick off. Who the hell wanted to waste valuable time undoing laces? Quick release! It was for the same reason, speed – as well as a surprise for her – and turn-on for him – that he’d gone commando tonight.

His foot squelched in something – mud, please God, not dog’s mess. Yech. Why was she putting him through this? He didn’t really give a monkey’s about the view, he’d not come all this way to look at that. The only view he wanted was Rebecca’s gorgeous face, while he held her body in his arms.

Honestly, he sighed to himself, striding on towards her, feeling excited and annoyed in almost equal measures. ‘Hey!’ he called out. ‘Hey, gorgeous! This view had better be worth it!’

She didn’t react. She just continued facing out to sea.

Was it the view that was distracting her? he wondered.

When he was just a few feet from her, about to put his arms around her, she turned sharply to face him, brandishing the umbrella like a weapon.

And he froze.

108

Friday 13 September

In the camper van, binoculars glued to his eyes, Roy Grace shouted, ‘Shit! That’s not Rebecca Watkins!’

‘It’s Eden,’ Branson said. ‘Jesus, what’s going on?’

‘We’re about to find out,’ Grace replied.

‘Nice to see you, Niall,’ Eden said. ‘But not that nice.’

He opened his mouth, too astonished for a moment to speak. Before he could get a word out, Eden, holding the point of the umbrella out in front of her, said, ‘Shut up a minute, just wait.’

‘What the hell is this about? What bloody game are you playing, Eden? Do you have any idea of the shit I’ve been through? Do you have any fucking idea?’

‘Whatever it is, it’s not enough for all the crap you’ve put me through.’

Despite shaking with nerves, she managed a smile, managed to keep the tremble out of her voice. That gulp of whisky she’d taken before leaving the car was helping, a lot. She gave him another very sweet smile. ‘Aren’t you pleased to see me? You don’t look very happy that I’m still alive.’

‘Very funny.’ He grimaced, his mind a furnace of fury. ‘Don’t push your luck, baby. This is just you and me. I could shove you over the edge right now, after you’ve set your disappearance up so cleverly. They’ll find your body in a few days and mark you down as a suicide. I’d have just left you dead. Have you thought about that? How it would look to anyone? You tried to frame your husband and, when that didn’t work, you decided to end it all?’

‘Oh yes, I’ve thought about it, Niall,’ Eden replied, speaking verbatim from the script Rebecca had written for her. ‘Which is why I’m wearing a wire, with every word you or I say being transmitted to a recording device at the Police HQ in Lewes. I saw the texts to your lover, whoever she is, where you talked about your plans to “get rid of” me.’