Page 118 of The Boathouse By the Loch

Joe looked at his brother. ‘All right, so we’ve cleared that up.’ His attention turned to Bonnie. ‘So what happened to the money?’

All eyes fixed on Bonnie. She knew exactly what had happened to the money in that rucksack. It was all gone. At least she could now replace it with the money she was earning. But that wasn’t the point. She’d taken the money, the stolen money, with every intention of keeping it for herself.

‘I’m sorry to interrupt,’ said Judith. ‘I’m a little confused. You were with Logan in his car outside the boathouse when he collected the money.’

Bonnie nodded. ‘That’s right.’

‘So, can you tell me, Bonnie, how you came to be in Robyn’s car that very same day?’ She paused. ‘Can you tell me what happened to Robyn, where she is?’

All eyes were on Bonnie.

Suddenly she didn’t know where to start. She hesitated.

Gayle leaned forward in her chair. ‘Take your time. Why don’t you just talk us through what happened when Logan returned to the car with the money?’

Bonnie began. ‘When he got back in the car with the rucksack, he said he could take care of me now … me and the—’ Bonnie stopped short.

Gayle sat back in her chair. ‘You don’t have to talk about that.’

Bonnie and Gayle’s eyes locked. Aside from Dr Jamieson and Bonnie, Gayle had been the only person who knew, until Bonnie had got her memories back and remembered telling the twowomen she’d met in Wilbur’s Bookstore on Christmas Day – Robyn and Eleanor.

Bonnie knew she didn’t have to tell David, and she didn’t have to tell him there, but what was the point of keeping it a secret? She wanted him to know, even though she guessed it was over between them.

‘I was pregnant with Logan’s child.’

She thought she’d hear gasps from everyone in the room, shocked by that revelation – especially David. She was surprised by the lack of reaction.

Gayle said, ‘Honey, you mentioned the pregnancy in the session.’

‘Oh, did I?’ Bonnie avoided David’s gaze. ‘I lost the baby in the car accident.’

‘Oh, Bonnie,’ said Judith, ‘I am so sorry.’

‘I found out in the hospital. Dr Jamieson told me. At least I know who the father was now.’ She quickly moved on. ‘I want to tell you, Judith, about Robyn, and how I came to be in her car a short time later.’

Bonnie continued. ‘We’d returned to the main road and were headed for Aviemore. It had started snowing. I was so relieved that Logan had been telling the truth and that he’d turned up just to collect some money. I was still worried that he hadn’t told me everything, but I tried to put it to the back of my mind. I was cold and hungry. I was looking forward to turning up at the hotel, having a hot shower, and changing for Christmas dinner.’

The memory of that Christmas Day came flooding back …

‘Oh, it’s such a magical place, isn’t itLogan?’ She’d never visited Aviemore before. She was surprised he’d decided to stay there, in that town, on Christmas Day. She would have thought that after what had happened in one of the shops there when he’d burgled the place, he’d never return in a million years.

‘There’s just one more thing I want to do in Aviemore before we arrive at our hotel.’

‘Okay. Will it take long?’

Logan glanced at her, and grinned. ‘Not at all. I’ll be in and out before you know it.’

‘Are you doing some last-minute shopping?’

‘Yeah.’

Bonnie looked out of the car window as they drove slowly through the town. ‘I don’t see any shops open. The town is deserted.’

‘That’s what I’m counting on.’

Bonnie was about to ask him what he meant when he suddenly swung the car over and stopped by the kerb. They were parked outside Gillespie’s General Store. She stared at the shop front. ‘Is this where you and your brother—’

‘Yep.’

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