Chapter Nineteen
We are almost falling asleep for the night when the hotel phone rings. We both jump up, startled by the old-fashioned chime.
Elias answers it, and by his tone, I immediately know it is the police. I try to make out his expression as he listens to what they say.
‘Uh-huh. Right, okay… Oh, well, that’s great news.’ Elias gives me a thumbs up, and I wonder what this fortuitous news is.
‘Yeah, sure. Okay. I’ll be down in the morning. Thank you for all your help.’
He seems a lot more upbeat than earlier as he puts the phone down.
‘So, it seems that the steering mechanism failed on the other yacht. It was a complete accident, and they take full responsibility for all the damage.’
‘Oh, that’s a relief then. It doesn’t change what happened, but at least they’re not fighting about who’s to blame.’
‘No, exactly. But the good news is that they’ve towedLady Janeout of the water and are going to see what can be salvaged. They’re hoping we might even be able to save some of our things.’
‘That would be brilliant. I hope I can get my laptop back and my phone… And your late wife’s artwork, of course.’
‘Let’s not get our hopes up too high. We’ll see in the morning, hey?’
‘Oh, yes, of course. The main thing is we’re in one piece.’
As soon as we wake up, we head down to the marina, where the boat has been taken out of the water as promised. It’s in a sorry state, with a big chunk missing from the side, as if a shark took a massive bite into it. It stands on a trailer, looking neglected.
A different police officer from yesterday meets up with us and points to a ladder where we can climb up and get on board to find some of our things. I decide to stay on the ground and wait where it’s safer. It looks so tall and as though it could topple over and, after yesterday, I can’t face going back on there. We agree that Elias will throw anything he can find down to me.
I wait around until he shouts that he’s found my laptop, and it’s not water damaged. It is an absolute miracle. Maybe this book does want to be written, after all. He checks what else he can find, and then I meet him halfway up the ladder to get my luggage, which Elias has quickly managed to pack with any belongings he found.
‘Your phone’s here too.’
It is down to one per cent battery, and there are messages from Michael, the girls, and Soraya, who is checking on how I am getting on. If only she knew.
I open a frantic message from Michael.
You’ve not been online for hours. He’s kidnapped you, hasn’t he?Well, tell him I can’t afford a ransom right now. Come on, where onearth are you? We’re all getting worried now, Looloo.
He hasn’t called me Looloo since we first met. He must be worried. Before I can put him out of his misery, the screen goes blank. I hope Elias has managed to find my charger in there.
When I next see Elias, he is smiling and coming back down the steps with a bag of some of his things.
‘The artwork was saved. I’ll arrange to get it shipped back.’
‘Oh, that’s the best news. I’m so pleased. But perhaps you should send it by air and not ship, hey?’
Elias shakes his head, smiling, as even I begin to see the funny side of our mishap at sea.
We head back to the hotel with all our essentials, feeling a huge sense of relief, and chat about what we should do for the next two days. My flight was already booked for Thursday, and my time on the French Riviera is almost up. I don’t know what Elias will do. I suppose he still has a lot to sort out with the boat.
‘I know a fabulous place we could spend the next two nights. I only booked this place for last night, so we need to check out by eleven a.m. How about you let me take you somewhere special?’
Even though I forgive Elias for lying about who he was, given his tragic tale, I still wonder when – or if – he would have come clean with me. How long would he have kept his story up for?
‘I don’t know, but whatever we do, I insist on paying my way.’
‘No. It’s my treat to thank you for coming into my life and cheering me up. You have no idea how lonely I was feeling when I bumped into you. I want to give you a gift and an apology for not being straight with you from the start.’
‘Look, I should be thanking you for all the meals out and the yacht trip.’
