‘It had my passport and things in it, but also a memory stick with Bastian’s thesis on it. And the sketches I’d done of the petroglyph, among other things. I’d hidden the memory stick in a pot of moisturiser, and the sketches were in a box of Tampax, folded carefully.’
‘So you suspected Austin would try to take them?’ asked her father.
Cass nodded. ‘If only I’d had your camera in that pack too—’
Her father shook his head. ‘No. If you’d had too bulky a day bag he might have looked in it. Then he could have seen the other things and he may well have taken them too. Him leaving with your clothes and the camera was fine, really.’
There was a thoughtful silence until Eleanor broke it. ‘Why don’t you two go through to the sunroom? I’ll bring coffee, tea, whatever, and chocolates. I’m afraid there is no pudding.’
It was a glorious June evening and almost full daylight. Cass and her father had reclining chairs over-looking the sea.
‘One thing I missed in Dominica was twilight. The sun seems to drop out of the sky leaving pitch dark behind,’ said Cass.
‘I remember that,’ said Howard. ‘And the looking for the Emerald Drop. Did you see it?’
Cass laughed gently. ‘No, although we looked a few times. I’m not sure I believe it’s real.’
‘It definitely is,’ he said. ‘But it’s rare.’
‘I’m so sorry about your camera, Dad,’ Cass said.
‘I hope I’ve taught you better than to be hung up on things, Cass. They’re not like people, who do matter. I hadn’t used that camera for years. Don’t worry about it.’
In spite of his reply, Cass realised he was upset, which made her even more upset herself. And also, right at the back of her thoughts was the realisation that he hadn’t asked about her drawing.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Possibly because it was still so light, Cass couldn’t get to sleep. She sat up and decided now was a good time to go through her emails. She hadn’t had the courage to delete them all, nor had she had the inclination to go through them. Now was the time.
She’d deleted a good few adverts from websites she’d once bought something from and then came across a message from an email address she didn’t recognise. Because she was taking her time, instead of deleting it automatically, she read it.
Hi Cass
You didn’t reply to my earlier emails which makes me think you must still be on the island. This is my third email. I won’t try again.
I have your dad’s camera. Do you want it back? I’ll give it to you if you come to London to collect it. Otherwise I’ll sell it. I have someone interested in it. I’ll be in London at the end of July. Let me know.
Cass didn’t hesitate.Dear Austin,she typed.I would really like my dad’s camera back. I’ll come and collect it from you.
After she’d sent this, she lay back on her bed and then put on the silk eye mask that Eleanor had left there for her. Would she ever get to sleep? It was so light and she had such a lot on her mind. Austin was quite capable of wanting to sell her Howard’s camera – demanding a ransom would be a better description –and she had no money. Could she ask her father for the money when it was her stupid fault it was in Austin’s hands?
After Cass had helped Eleanor clear away breakfast the next morning, Eleanor said, ‘You never had much of a chance to see the island when you were here before. Would you like a tour? It won’t take long. It’s very small.’
Cass laughed. ‘I’d love that! As you say, when I was here before it wasn’t long before we dashed off to Dominica.’
Eleanor took Howard’s Land Rover – a far newer one than Ranulph’s – driving at a pace which made it easy for Cass to admire the views.
‘It really is stunning here, isn’t it?’ Cass said. ‘And what’s really weird – and I keep having this thought – is that the sea is the same sea as we looked at in Dominica. The Atlantic.’
‘Isn’t Dominica in the Caribbean?’
‘Yes, but it’s also on the Atlantic. There’s a spit apparently. One side is the Atlantic and the other is the Caribbean. Where Bastian lives is Atlantic.’
‘That is rather amazing.’ Eleanor drove on in silence for a little way. ‘Now, while I do want you to see the island – this one, not Dominica – I have an agenda.’
She pulled into a passing place where the view of the sea and other islands beyond was uninterrupted. They looked at the view for a few moments.
‘What’s your agenda?’ Cass asked when she could bear the silence no longer. ‘The last time I was in a – well, OK, a fairly beaten-up pick-up that wasn’t a bit like this well-turned-out vehicle, and the driver had an agenda, it didn’t end well for me.’
