Glancing back, I catch sight of the bonnet of a navy-blue car sticking out of the nearest passing place to the house, almost tucked in the hedge. It’s the same car, it has to be. I start to follow the steep path down and as I follow the bend in the path, I lose sight of the car. The car door slams and skids as it turns with a revving engine. I barely catch sight of it before it speeds off. When I reach the passing place, it’s as if the car was never here. A gust of wind causes the trees to shake and branches to sway. I shiver. It’s like I’m not alone, ever. I stare in each direction, wondering if I’ll catch a moving person but I see nothing but dense woodland.
From now on, I’m going to check my rear-view mirror all the time. I need something, anything. A registration number. The make of the car.
I glance down and see a few fresh drips of oil where the car had been parked. I’m looking for a car with an oil leak. When I get back to Looe, I’ll check the parking space that the car was parked in. If there’s leaked oil there, it will tell me if it’s the same car.
I grip my phone and consider if I should call the police, then I place it in my pocket. I’m on the cusp of solving their case for them, which means I need to keep going. Talking to them might prevent me from investigating and that can’t happen.
THIRTY-THREE
KATE
As I enter The Brambles, the woman who buzzed me in has arrived to greet me at the door. ‘Sign in the book. Name, time and registration.’ I catch her name badge – Sylvie. There’s a smell in the air, a little like disinfectant mixed with scrambled eggs. Swallowing, I fight the nausea that sits in my throat. Now is not the time to get sick. I have too much to do and I daren’t mention how rough I feel to my dad as he’ll go on about me going to the hospital for a check-up.
I go to write Kate but scribble out the K and write Nadine. Sylvie looks at me with furrowed brows. ‘Sorry, people normally call me by my middle name. I don’t like Nadine.’ I nervously laugh off my mistake. Today, I look less dishevelled. I’m wearing my smart jeans and a fitted jumper, my hair is twisted into a topknot and I’ve left a clump down to frame my face and hide a tiny scratch on my forehead. I feel as though I look the part of visiting a relative. ‘I’m here to see Archie.’
‘Oh, yes. He has been popular this week.’
‘Popular?’
‘Yes, his son has been, his granddaughter and a couple of friends. We all love him here.’
I smile. ‘Yes, he was always quite the charmer. It’s been awhile since I saw Great-Uncle Archie.’
What do I know? I know that he was there the day my sister went missing. I feel as though his son is hiding something and I only hope that the man has a spurt of lucidity while I’m here. I know his granddaughter, Daisy, uncannily has hair like mine and my figure. He may mistake me for her if his memory is playing up. I also know that Cody lied about his father having an accident at the home the other day. Why? The man I’m about to see is the key to solving the mystery. The answers are now mine to lose.
‘He’s probably worse than when you saw him last. When was it?’
‘Erm, I can’t remember. When he was still living at home. It’s my first time visiting here. I’m staying for a few days so thought I’d pop by.’
‘So you haven’t seen him for at least a couple of years?’
I shake my head. ‘Should have come sooner.’
‘Follow me. Let’s hope it’s a good day for him. He’s had his breakfast and we’ve put him in the visitor room overlooking the sea. It’s got a charming view. Would you like a drink while you’re here?’
Shaking my head, I follow the woman. ‘No, thank you for offering.’
What I want is some private time to speak to Archie. I hope there are no other visits or even worse, I hope Sylvie doesn’t stay in the room.
‘Okay, here we are. Archie, love. You have a visitor. It’s Nadine.’
‘Hi, Uncle Archie.’ I sit in the window seat, opposite him. Thankfully, he doesn’t call me out on my lie. There’s a streak of what looks like egg down the front of his jumper and he stares at me with his mouth open, exposing several gaps in his teeth.
‘I’ll pop by in a few minutes, see how you’re both getting on.’ The woman leaves and the room is silent except for the humming of a heater.
‘Lovely view.’
‘View?’ He sniffs and huffs out a lungful of air.
‘Archie, my name is Kate.’ I don’t have long and there’s no point beating about the bush. ‘Do you remember baby Jessica.’
He scrunches up his forehead and runs his tongue over his cracked lips. ‘Baby in the car.’
‘No, the baby who drowned in the harbour many years ago. She was my sister. You were in your boat at the time, with Cody.’
He keeps shaking his head, over and over again. ‘Crash. The car crashed.’ His brows furrow and he begins fiddling with the edge of his cardigan. ‘Red hat.’
My heart bangs. Jess’s red hat was found floating in the harbour later that day. ‘Tell me about the red sun hat.’
