Her head is in her hands. “Oh God. Rosie, what are you up to?”
A good question. I grab my phone again and dial Ethan’s number. “Hey, it’s me. I have something for you. Can you come up?”
By the time I end the call, Eva is halfway out the door.
CHAPTER 17
Ethan
I perusethe images on the screen. There’s no mistaking our guest, or the fact that Miss Rosie Darke is keeping secrets. I intend to find out why.
“Where is she?” I direct the question to Jack, who came up here with me.
“In their apartment, probably. Do you want me to have her brought to your office? Or even the interview room downstairs?”
He means our underground interrogation suite. I shake my head. “Let’s keep it civilised, for now. We’ll go to their apartment, see what she has to say.”
An ashen-faced Eva Byrne answers the door to my knock. I expect by now Rosie will know what Casey discovered. Sure enough, Nathan is first to speak.
“Savage, there has to be some mistake. Rosie wouldn’t protect him. She just wouldn’t. He’s dangerous, and she knows it…”
I let him make his protests. I’d do the same in his shoes. But it’s Rosie I need to hear from.
“Miss Darke? What do you have to say?”
“She has nothing to say. This is just… mad. How could you even think she might?—”
“Please, let Rosie speak for herself.” I keep my tone low and level, but Iwillhave answers. “If I need to, we can take this discussion elsewhere.”
“No, you?—”
“Dad, please. Let me speak to him.” Rosie had been seated on the sofa, her little girl on her lap, but she has passed the child to Eva and is on her feet.
“Thank you,” I reply. “I have one simple question. When you went to the clinic to see Carlos di Costa, did you know who he really was?”
“Of course she didn’t. There must be some sort of a mistake.” Nathan Darke isn’t giving up.
I’m seriously considering sending him downstairs to cool off while I talk to his daughter.
“Yes. Yes, I knew who he was.” Rosie’s voice cuts across her father’s. “He’s Adan San Antonio, the man I lived with in Madrid, then Tenerife.”
“Lived with! She was his prisoner. We all know that.”
Nathan’s continuing efforts go unheeded.
“Please, go on, Miss Darke. Am I to assume you were aware of San Antonio’s presence, here on Caraksay?”
She nods. “Yes, but I only just found out. He… he followed me down to the beach today and… we spoke.”
“You spoke? What did you speak about?”
“He told me that Kristian Kaminski set it up, made it look as though Adan was intending to harm me, or Erin.”
“Set it up?”
“Yes. It was a lie. I always knew Adan wouldn’t hurt us. He was good to me. He was kind, and gentle. Not the monster everyone made out.”
“Yet still, you took refuge here?”