Ninni grinned at the memories. Her mother now lived the beach life in Spain. No seaweed, no eels, not even crabs, she had said before moving there for good. Just plenty of people living the good life and playing lots of bridge.

And she was right. The beaches in Spain were wonderful, but this was better.

Ninni bent down at the corner of the boathouse and pulled out the key from under the stone where they always hid it.

Inside the boathouse the familiar smell of old tar and dried seaweed wafted out. She inhaled it all. Over her head, her grandmother’s old fishing nets still hung over the rafters.

Her boat was a small plastic one with an outboard engine. The family boat was larger and made of wood by her grandfather and her father. As always, she stroked her hand over the wood. It felt like silk. There were so many memories connected to that boat. She smiled at the thought of them. First time she caught a fish by herself; at four in the morning when the ocean surface was quiet like glass; first time she fell out of a boat and her grandmother laughed so hard she fell after her; first time she got bitten by a crab. And the picnics on the smaller beaches, with all of them going, filling the boat with fishing gear and blankets and enough food to outlive Robinson Crusoe.

‘But you’re too heavy for me to drag you out today. Also, I’m not in the mood for rowing you, you big old beast,’ she said.

She loosened the ties for the little boat, threw in one of the otter boards and started pushing it.

Frikk watched from the outside as she pushed her boat down the little slope next to the pier. The old outboard engine was heavy, but not so heavy that she couldn’t carry it.

The water lapped over her trainers when she made the final push to get the boat on the water. She wasn’t sure just how cold the water was, but she didn’t mind. She climbed up to the pier again and secured the rope after pulling the boat alongside it. Frikk barked twice. She looked at him. The dog was standing on the edge of the pier, knowing full well what was about to happen.

She pulled off her clothes, down to her underwear. There was no one around now anyway. Then she ran onto the diving board and jumped, screaming as the cold water hit her. She was grinning when she swam up to the surface and discovered Frikk was still standing on the pier, wagging his tail.

‘Get in here, you chicken.’

The dog jumped and splashed around her while she swam towards the pier again.

This was the way to rid herself of Karl and all that had happened.

***

A piercing scream followed by a big splash woke Jack up. He looked around, wondering what the hell was going on and where he was. A dog was barking and then there was another splash.