‘So, Rose could come here, too?’
‘I… I suppose she could.’
I feel conflicted, not knowing if Cillian knows I’m here and what that could mean for me.
‘So, how often does he come?’ I ask.
‘Rarely,’ Matt says, then is quiet for a moment. ‘You know, while I’ve been here, I’ve had a lot of time to think. What do you know about your parents’ deaths?’
The question takes me by surprise. ‘That they died in a car crash. An accident. No other cars were involved.’
Matt is staring at me, waiting for me to say more, I think, but what else is there to say? Certainly nothing relevant.
‘That’s all you know?’
‘It was dark. The road was wet. It’s a bad bend. There’s been plenty more accidents there since.’
‘Fatal ones?’
What exactly is Matt getting at?
‘I… I assume so. But… Look, what does that have to do with Chris’s suicide or with you being accused of murder?’
‘Nothing, you’re right. Forget I said anything. Come on, we should get out.’
But a sudden chill in the air makes me shiver. For weeks after my parents died, I was constantly looking over my shoulder, feeling like I was being watched, followed even, and I have the same prickling feeling on the back of my neck right now. I push myself to my feet beside Matt, looking all around, as I sense, but cannot see, something coming towards us. Suddenly, Matt is falling back into the water, and I find myself staring into the furious face of Cillian Hunter.
‘Cillian. What do you think you’re—’ I only take a single step towards the edge of the jetty, to try to make sure Matt is all right when Cillian grabs my hand and pulls me back against him. I struggle but he’s stronger.
There’s a thud on the jetty behind me and Cillian growls, lifting his head to stare at Matt. I try to turn, but he won’t let me.
‘Go inside,’ Cillian orders Matt.
‘I’m not going to let you hurt her,’ Matt says. ‘You need to calm down.’
I push again at Cillian’s chest. ‘Let me go.’
‘Why? So that you and Matt can finish whatever it was you were doing?’
I look up at him and shake my head at his hypocrisy. He’s the one who has someone else. Him, not me.
‘We were sitting chatting on a jetty overlooking a loch,’ I tell him. ‘What did you think we were doing?’
Matt sniggers behind me, and I see Cillian’s lips curve upwards.
‘That’s not going to stop me taking exactly what I want from you. And you’—he glares at Matt—‘you seem rather amused for a dead man.’
‘We’re not going to touch her, Cillian. In fact, Lachlan suggested that she might be able to help us. You know, if any of us decide to face the Court.’
‘You want her help as what? A lawyer?’
Cillian is still holding me way too tight, but his muscles are relaxing, the tension draining from him with every passing second.
‘Go!’ he says to Matt again.
‘You going to be all right,Gléigeal?’
Cillian’s grip on me tightens. ‘He has a pet name for you?’
