Page 58 of After the Accident
I said: ‘Tell them what?’ – and Julius said that Daniel was the person who’d gain the most if Dad had died. That Daniel had been in my room and that something was clearly going on.
Julius:That didn’t happen. Emma left after Amy came to the door.
Emma:I said there was no evidence that anything untoward had happened. Bear in mind, I’d never told Julius about the fake licence, or anything else.
He said that we’d be leaving in twenty-four hours and that, if we didn’t tell the police about Daniel now, then it would be too late. I said that I wasn’t sure Danielhadpushed Dad. That even Dad himself wasn’t sure what had happened. That it might have been a fall, in the same way Alan had fallen.
Julius:Why would I say any of that to her?
Emma:He stepped away after that and I was so conflicted. There was a while when I thought Dadhadbeen pushed and then a time when I was sure he hadn’t. Everything had got caught up with the fake licence I found, along with the bank accounts – not to mention seeing Scott and the documentary crew. It felt like a puzzle to be solved and then, on that morning, it turned into a jigsaw that was already complete.
Except that Julius was complicating it. I wondered if I was right in the first place.
…
After Julius stepped away, he said: ‘At least Dad’s OK…’
That was easy to agree with.
We stood for a moment and then he nudged the door back open and stepped away. He winced again and clutched his side as he was doing that.
I started to ask if he was OK – but it was quickly obvious that he didn’t want me to know anything was wrong. I barely got the sentence out before he closed the door in my face.
It was much later that I realised it was that tiny moment that saved me. If it hadn’t been for that, I’d be dead.
Chapter Thirty-Five
THE AWKWARD, CONTEMPTUOUS TRIANGLE
Emma:I spent about an hour by the pool late in the morning, probably around eleven. Everybody who wants to sunbathe is already up and reserving beds by around seven, so the only spot I could find was near the shallow end, where there was no sun until late in the afternoon.
I read a bit of a book, but, even in the shade, it was so hot that I couldn’t think properly. I’ve always been like that. I like those autumn and spring days where there’s a breeze and it never gets above fifteen or sixteen degrees. Sunshine was more Dad’s thing, probably Julius’s as well.
I said hello to Amy and Chloe – but they were enjoying their final day on the slides, so it wasn’t much more than that. They wanted me to join in, but my days of waterslides, rollercoasters and that sort of thing are long behind me.
It was probably around midday when Victor appeared out of nowhere. I was on a sunbed and he stood over me, before nudging the bed with his knee.
I didn’t recognise him at first. He was unshaven, plus wearing shades and a hat I’d not seen before. He was also topless, with impressively tanned arms and so much chest hair, it almost looked like he was wearing a vest.
I have no idea what he’d been getting up to in the days since Claire left, but, from the look of him, it likely involved a lot of free booze.
…
Honestly, there was something about him that day that was unquestionably charming. I’d never seen him like that before. He was wearing sunglasses and a fedora that, surprisingly, didn’t look ridiculous.
The crackhead rock star look suited him, if you want the truth.
Victor told my chest that something was happening by the cottages and that he’d been sent to find me.
Julius:Everyone was waiting at the cottages except one person.
Emma:When I got there with Victor, Dad was in the middle of a small circle of people. Mum, Julius, the twins, Daniel, Liz and the hotel manager were all there, surrounding Dad in his wheelchair.
It felt like this was some sort of organised thing – but nobody had told me what time Dad was returning, let alone that we were having a mini get-together to celebrate.
Daniel:Typical, wasn’t it?
Emma:They were obviously waiting for me. I was feeling out of place and underdressed. Victor had surprised me and I’d forgotten to grab a towel before we headed off to the cottages.
