“You don’t trust him? What do you think he’s going to do, Eva? Steal the family silver? Ha! Good luck with finding that in our home.”

Eva stared at her, biting her lower lip.

“What?” asked Faye, rattled.

Her friend exhaled. “It’s just . . . well, you’re starting to sound like him.”

Faye put her mug down and stood up. She was cross.

“You know what, Eva? You do sound insecure. And possessive. I’m going. Let me know when you feel better.”

Still upset the next day, Faye told Derek what Eva had said, her voice trembling. He took her in his arms and held her close.

“Don’t cry. You don’t need that kind of envy in your life. If she was a real friend, she’d celebrate your happiness. She’s uninteresting, jealous and needy. You don’t need her; you have me now.”

When she arrived home, she found a letter from Eva in the post box. She tore it up without reading it.

A few days later, Faye’s mother came into her room while she was studying.

“Eva was here earlier,” she said, sitting on the bed. “She said you two have fallen out.”

“Yes.”

“What evil could she have done that you will not even let her apologise?”

“Some things cannot be unsaid. She’s not who I thought she was.”

Veronica raised her brows. “Is it possible you feel that way because you want to defend Derek?”

“Oh! So she did tell you what happened.”

“She said she’d criticised Derek.”

“And she wanted to apologise for that? For being wrong about him?”

“I think she wanted to apologise for upsetting you.” Veronica stood up. “You’re best friends, Faye. Don’t turn your back on her. If you believe her criticism of Derek is wrong, let her get to know him and find out for herself.”

Faye never spoke to Eva again. Was it because she subconsciously knew Eva was right about Derek? And that if her friend and boyfriend spent time together, Faye would recognise that Eva was right?

Now she would ask Zach to show her how to use Facebook. Perhaps she’d be able to reconnect with Eva there. Even if it was too late to rebuild their friendship, she wanted to apologise for being so naïve, and for setting their friendship aside so easily.

As the trail crested the ravine, Faye paused to catch her breath. She wondered where Geoffrey was. With little knowledge of the route he’d have to take, it was impossible to know how long it would be before he could raise the alarm and a helicopter would be dispatched. Faye hoped her description of where Clare was waiting would be enough for Geoffrey to convey an accurate description. Would they find her easily?