Page 103 of The Boathouse By the Loch

As they took their seats at the table, with her friends asking her if she was all right, Annie and Gayle got the food out of the oven, which fortunately was not as overdone as Robyn had feared.

They’d just put the large casserole dishes full of lasagne, along with the large pizza, on the table when a car turned up outside.

David glanced out of the kitchen window. ‘Oh, thank god. The police have come to rescue us from this mad woman. I hope Joe makes sure they take her down to the station for wasting police time and find out what her game is.’

Robyn had just picked up a plate, about to dish up the first slice of lasagne and pass it around the table, when Judith burst into the house.

Robyn froze. David turned in his seat and looked at his brother, who was following in Judith’s wake. ‘Seriously, Joe. I thought you were sorting this out?’

One of Joe’s colleagues stepped into the kitchen, looking apologetic.

‘It’s them!’ Judith pointed into the room. ‘I’m telling you, they’ve done something with my stepdaughter. It’s a conspiracy.’

‘Hi, Sean,’ said Annie to the familiar face of her husband’s colleague.

‘Aren’t you going to arrest them?’ Judith’s voice was shrill.

‘What for?’ said Sean. ‘A conspiracy to make friends with Robyn?’ He winked at the group.

Judith glared at the officer. ‘You’re not listening to me. That woman there,’ she pointed at Robyn, ‘who claims she’s lost her memory—’

‘Now, look here,’ David said, stepping forward, ‘don’t call Robynthat woman, and shehaslost her memory.’

‘That woman,’ continued Judith, ‘isnotmy stepdaughter.’

Gayle said, ‘I don’t know what your game is, Judith. We know who she is.’

‘Really? Why don’t you enlighten me, then? Because she isnotRobyn Parker.’

David glared at her. ‘Are you insane? You didn’t say this when we picked you up from the airport. You’re jealous of her new life. I bet you’ve never got on with your stepdaughter, and you’ve come to ruin it for her. Well, it’s not going to work.’ David turned to Sean. ‘She didn’t say any of this earlier. She was perfectly fine when we greeted her at the airport and on the way back to the boathouse.’

Robyn stared at Judith. Shehadn’tbeen perfectly fine. Robyn had caught her in the mirror at the beauty counter in the airport throwing her a strange look, and she’d been oddly quiet on the journey to the boathouse. Then, when they’d arrived, she’d rushed around the boathouse, looking in all the rooms as though she was … Robyn swallowed … looking for someone.

Judith turned to David. ‘I told her, before she conveniently fainted, to stop.’

David shook his head. ‘I don’t understand – stop what?’

‘This charade. I want her back. I told her,’ she pointed at Robyn, ‘and I’m telling you, thatI played along with your littlegame at the airport, thinkingisn’t this just like Robyn? Never straightforward. I thought I knew what your game was. You were her new friends—’

‘But we are her new friends …’

Judith rigorously shook her head. ‘I thought she’d asked you all to play some silly prank on me, and when I arrived I’d find her here, at the boathouse.’

Robyn glanced over at David. Their eyes locked. He’d seen it too, her rushing around the place, frantically looking in every room.

Judith opened her handbag.

Sean stepped forward and said, ‘What are you doing, Judith?’ as she put her hand in her bag. ‘What have you got in the bag, Judith?’

Judith’s hand emerged from her handbag with her purse. She got out a small photo, and showed it to the officer.

Sean took a cursory glance. ‘Very nice. Now, are you going to join these good people for their meal, or do I need to arrest you for wasting police—?’

‘This photo was taken on the university campus before I left on my travels.’

‘That’s nice,’ said Sean, glancing over at Joe and David, and shrugging.

‘And this person next to me,’ said Judith, pointing at the photo, ‘is my stepdaughter – Robyn Parker.’

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