Page 82 of Don't Believe A Word

That was as far as she’d got and she still wasn’t sure whether to come right out and admit she couldn’t go because he was married. Or maybe she should explain that her ex-husband was also invited and she had a morbid dread of gossips … Did she really need to give a reason at all? After all, the late notice presumably meant his first choice had let him down, and she did have a life, even if it didn’t always feel like it.

Sighing, she picked up her wine again. It would be so much easier if she were going to Guernsey tomorrow, a bona fide excuse that would require no further explanation and that might, just might, lead to her seeing David.

In the end she wrote,I truly am sorry to be missing out, but perhaps we could meet for a drink one evening next week so you can tell me all about what I missed. Cristy.

She pressed send, listened for the whoosh and went to sit on the bed as if to distance herself from the fact that she’d just asked a married man on a date.

She thought of David again. She’d far rather be seeing him this weekend, no offence to Robert, or disloyalty meant to her daughter. However, continuing to have feelings for David when Juliette was still in the picture was something she really had to get over.

So put him out of your mind and get on with sending an email to Camille Jardine on theNice-Matin.It might not lead them to where Symmonds-Browne was today, but at least it could give them a start.

*

The following evening Cristy was almost at the airport to collect Hayley when David rang.

‘Hi, I hope this isn’t a bad time,’ he said.

‘No, it’s fine,’ she replied, trying not to be thrown. ‘I’m driving and it’s … good to hear you.’

‘OK. I’m a bit late to this,’ he said, ‘but I’ve only just heard you’re not going to be here this weekend. Something about Corny staying with Mia?’

‘That’s right. We’d hoped to interview her without Mia knowing until after, but that’s obviously not going to be possible while she’s at the villa.’ It really never had been a good enough reason to go all that way when they had no idea what Corny could tell them, she just hoped David hadn’t seen through it.

‘Well, I’m sorry you’ve had to cancel,’ he said, ‘because I’m really keen to see you. So I was wondering, if you’re not doing anything else this weekend, how about I fly over there?’

She was so startled that she actually hit the brakes. ‘That,’ she said, quickly speeding up and waving an apology to the driver behind, ‘would have been lovely’ –way beyond lovely– ‘but as we speak I’m on my way to collect Hayley. She’s having boyfriend issues, so she’s decided to come home for a couple of days.’

‘Girl chat?’

‘I’m afraid so. Oh God, I’m really sorry. If I’d known you wanted to …’

‘It’s OK, I have kids,’ he reminded her. ‘I get that you need to be there for them, even when you might prefer to be doing other things. I’m not saying you’d prefer to be seeing me …’

‘I would actually, but her plane will already have landed.’

‘Then say hi to her from me, and if there’s anything I can do for you here … I’m not suggesting I interview anyone, but if there’s any more background stuff … Have you asked Sadie about Lottie’s will yet?’

‘Actually, I missed an opportunity today … You heard about Mia being taken to hospital last night?’

‘I did, and she’s fine now, I think?’

‘Apparently. Anyway, I’d rather talk to Sadie about the will face-to-face, or at least when she’s at the lodge out of Mia’s earshot.’

‘Probably wise.’

‘That sounds like you know what was in it.’ When he didn’t respond right away, she said, ‘Sorry, you don’t have to answer that, but if you’re serious about more background stuff, we’d love to know something about the time Lottie and Mia moved to Guernsey.’

‘You mean like where they lived when they first arrived?’

‘I think they rented somewhere until the villa was ready, but was there anyone on the island they already knew? Someone who might have helped them get set up?’

‘I wasn’t here myself back then, as you know, but a lot of my family were, so I’ll start with them and report back.’

‘Fantastic, thanks.’ Deciding to push on, Cristy braced herself and said, ‘I was also wondering if there was any …?’ How should she put this? ‘Any confusion around the cause of Lottie’s death?’

It took him a moment to catch on to why she might be asking.‘She had a heart attack, on the tennis court,’ David reminded her. ‘Are you saying …? What exactly are you saying?’

‘We’re just wondering if it really was that, or if there was some … Well, from what we hear it was very sudden, and I get the impression she was in good health during the days and weeks leading up to it … Maybe she had a heart condition we don’t know about?’ Starting to feel foolish, she said, ‘Actually, please forget I asked …’

---