As Rob’s car filled up with the warmth of the late spring day and he took the curves of the coast road in his practised and unthinking way, a slow miasma of sleepiness began to creep up on him, filling the car as surely as the temperatures.

His eyes felt so deliciously heavy, his body felt as though it was slowly and gently being lowered into a warm bath, his limbs becoming soaked and impossible to lift.

In the seconds before his car smashed through the barrier that separated the road from the sea, he felt as calm and untroubled as he had in weeks.

Chapter 38

Penny had sent Colin to Ryan’s Antiques to check on the reparations to the hotel furniture, while she and Ned stayed behind to help with the deferred clean-up. There was no point in putting him through any more of the heavy lifting, she’d assured him wickedly.

Elle had dropped him off on her way to the bank, and after a nice cup of tea at Pebbles Café, and picking up some fresh bread from the Grain Store Bakery for lunch, he sauntered in to see Wally.

‘Do you think there’s any chance of the place being saved?’ Wally asked, very taken with this mad Englishman who looked as though he was going to be a regular fixture about the place. He was a nice ‘oul skin though, and Wally was pleased to see Penny Harte happy. While he admired her loyalty, his friend had always been too dedicated to her parents and the hotel, and it was about time she had a life of her own.

‘I hope so. Goodness knows there’s been enough adventure up there to last the family for a while.’ Settling in for a long and easy chat, Colin took a seat in a dusty armchair and proceeded to tell Wally all about Ned’s collection and Penny’s quest to have it restored.

‘Ah, I was wondering why ye wanted the record player the day after the party.’ Wally commented. ‘So Penny thought it might take his mind off losing Anna, or worrying about the hotel? Good idea.’

Colin shrugged. ‘My guess is she just wanted to do something that allowed her to connect with him. Something that makes him happy. Now, I’m not saying that she is in need of his attention or craving approval or anything like that.’ Colin thought this through and reconsidered his words. ‘Actually, I think those albums are almost a physical embodiment of Anna’s spirit.’

Wally raised an eyebrow. That was a bit heavy, even for a writer.