Page 108 of The Boathouse By the Loch

‘Why would you?’ said Gayle.

Judith stepped forward and smiled, taking her aback. ‘It’s all right. I had a lengthy chat with all your friends while you were being questioned. I’m convinced that you’re telling the truth.’

She flung her arms around Judith. ‘Oh, Judith. I’m so sorry about all this, and what I put you through.’

Gayle said, ‘That’s just like her, thinking of everybody else before herself.’

She immediately stepped back from embracing Judith. ‘Sorry, I shouldn’t have hugged you. You don’t even know me.’

‘Ah, but I think I do.’

She looked at Judith wide-eyed. ‘Huh?’

‘You’re just what Gayle described – kind and thoughtful. My stepdaughter could learn a thing or two from you, I’m sure.’

She didn’t know what to say, apart from the truth. ‘When I arrived at Gayle’s to stay there for a bit after leaving hospital, I found Robyn’s journal with sketches inside, amongst her things. There was a sketch of Wilbur’s Bookstore in Aviemore where I … she … was working over the Christmas holidays.’

She recalled having a coffee in the bookshop with Melissa. She realised now that Melissa must have had no idea that it was a woman called Robyn who had been working in the bookshop over Christmas. Melissa hadn’t ventured into the shop at that time. If she had, she would have realised that the young woman she’d met in the library, calling herself Robyn, was not the person who hadworked in the bookshop, and disappeared so suddenly on Christmas Day when she was meant to have been working at the shop until the New Year.

She realised, in hindsight, it was unfortunate that Melissa, or Brodie, hadn’t met Judith’s stepdaughter when she was working in the shop, or that Wilbur had not returned to run his store after Christmas.

Melissa’s boyfriend, Brodie, had been away over the Christmas break with his family, including his grandfather, Wilbur. When she’d met him too, Brodie had never brought up the fact that Robyn had left her position in the bookshop so suddenly. Perhaps he didn’t want to pry or maybe his grandfather had never mentioned her by name.

‘I think I had some sort of flashback or memory. I was sitting at the table in the window with a woman. I didn’t know who the woman was, but now I believe it was Robyn.’ Judith smiled. ‘Thank you for sharing that with me.’

‘But that’s all I remember.’ She frowned. That wasn’t all she remembered. She looked at David.

David said, ‘What is it?’

Sean butted in before she had a chance to answer. ‘Look, she has a therapy session booked, and I’m sure her therapist does not want to be waiting around all evening for her to arrive.’

David said, ‘You’re having another session with Marnie right now?’

She turned to look at David. ‘Yes, I have to go.’

‘Not without me, you’re not.’

‘Or me,’ said Gayle.

Everyone stepped forward.

Sean stopped Duncan. ‘Not the dog.’

‘Oh, right.’ Duncan handed the lead over to a custody officer.

Sean turned to her. ‘Are you okay with this?’

She looked at the friends she loved, and the man she was in love with, and couldn’t believe they were all there. ‘Oh – yes.’

David grasped her hand. ‘Do you want me to call Dr Jamieson? I know that you’ve been going along on your own, but I’m understandably worried this time. We’re not talking about you just getting your memories back this time; we’re talking about your identity.’

She squeezed his hand reassuringly. ‘I know. But there’s nothing to worry about, and do you know why I’m so sure?’

He shook his head.

‘Because I’m going to have you guys with me.’

‘But are you sure you want to do this?’

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