‘OK, I get that you’re upset, but we can sort this out. Slow down a minute …’

‘Just tell her … tell her, Jamie says sorry.’

‘Jamie?’ Dominica feels her heart thudding. It can’t be … it can’t be Maddy’s Jamie, can it? ‘Is that your name? That’s a really nice name.’

She knows she’s not supposed to ask, but she does before she can help herself. ‘What’s your surname, Jamie?’

‘Wolfe. My mum is …’ He gulps. It’s like a sob. ‘Maddy.’

It’s him.

It’s Maddy’s Jamie. Shit, oh shit, oh shit …

Dominica pictures Jamie on the pier looking down into the dark water and her heart thuds so loudly, she can feel it in her ears.

He’s alive.

But he’s in danger.

She looks at Bill who now faces her and will be able to read her expression, so she quickly turns away, trying to think. She knows that if this is as serious as she thinks it is and that Jamie might be a danger to himself, she has to pass it up the line. Bill will need to call the police and the coastguard, but, instead, she takes her mobile out of her back pocket. Silently she presses the WhatsApp icon. She knows it’s against every rule, against every protocol. She knows that she might be asked to step down as a volunteer after this, but she can’t help herself.

‘Urgent.’ She types to the Sea-Gals chat. ‘Am on call with Jamie. He’s on the pier. NOW. Get help.’

And then she presses send.

45

Taking Flight

The bartender comes over to their table with another bottle of wine, replacing the one in the cooler on the wooden table, but Tor isn’t keeping track. She feels fuzzy and drunk and happy. It’s so lovely to be out in a pub, where there’s happy chatter coming from the other tables. The sky has darkened and the string of pub lights twinkle between the trees. Maddy and Claire clink glasses with her and Tor feels a rush of affection for her friends. Maddy looks amazing in a blue jacket and a lovely necklace and she hardly recognised Claire when she first came in earlier. She’s wearing flattering jeans and a floaty top that shows off her impressive cleavage. She looks sexy and at least ten years younger than when Tor first met her. Lotte’s hair style really suits her and Claire has blow-dried it especially for tonight. She certainly turned a few heads when she came in earlier. When Tor asked her what her secret was, Claire replied that Helga had been right and all she’d needed was a good shag, and they all fell about laughing. She’s been regaling them with stories of how she and Pim first met. Tor can’t remember her being so animated and fun.

They’ve just poured more wine, when Maddy and Claire’s phones ping at the same time. This will probably be Dominica telling them she’s on her way, Tor thinks. It’s a shame she missed the first bottle.