Chapters (64)
- Cover
- Dedication
- Prologue
- Five Years Later
- 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
- Fifty-two
- Fifty-three
- Fifty-four
- Fifty-five
- Epilogue
- Acknowledgements
- Canelo Crime
- About the Author
- Also by Sheila Bugler
‘Poor Nicky,’ Ivan said. ‘He was a bastard but I am still sad he is dead. I’m sad for Tara too, because even though she didn’t really love him this is going to be terrible for her.’
‘You think she didn’t love him?’
‘I think she loved his money,’ Ivan said. ‘But I’m not so sure she felt the same way about him.’
Despite the warm sunshine, Clodagh shivered.
‘It’s all going to start again,’ she said, ‘isn’t it? The intrusive journalists and the speculative news stories. Our lives plastered all over the newspapers and TV for everyone to see and have an opinion about.’
‘I think maybe I will go into hiding until it’s over,’ Ivan said.
‘Can I come with you?’
‘Of course.’ Ivan smiled. ‘But only if you tell me what really happened last night.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘You and Nicky. What did he tell you?’
‘How do you know he wanted to speak to me?’
‘I was there when you got the text, remember?’
‘I didn’t find him.’
‘But you know why he wanted to speak to you, don’t you?’
‘No.’ Clodagh shook her head. ‘Not a clue.’
‘Well,’ Ivan said, after a moment. ‘If you that’s what you say, then I believe you.’
She wished she could tell him the truth. But if she told him, then he wouldn’t want anything more to do with her. Ivan was her friend and, ever since the crash, her list of close friends had steadily got shorter. She’d already lost so much; she didn’t think she could bear losing Ivan too.
Five
Marcus Chevalier had given Rachel and Ade use of what he called the ‘reading room’ on the first floor. Like all the other public areas in the property, this was a stunning space. Two walls lined from floor to ceiling with books. Sweeping views of the ocean and Newhaven harbour from the large, curved window cut into the side of the building in classic Deco style.
Ade and Rachel sat at the oversized glass and chrome table in the middle of the room, making notes on what they knew so far and preparing for the series of interviews they had lined up.
‘Sixteen people were here yesterday,’ Ade said. ‘Ten guests and six staff, including the manager who you’ve already spoken to. The guests consisted of five of the survivors and the people they’d invited to be here with them, including Nick’s brother Simon. One of the guests didn’t stay the night.’
‘Which one?’ Rachel asked.
‘Shelly Clarkson. No room booked under her name so presumably she hadn’t planned to spend the night.’
‘Wasn’t she the flight attendant who helped the others off the plane?’
‘That’s right.’ Ade nodded. ‘A brave woman.’
‘Any idea why she didn’t stay?’