Bradford ran his fingers through his hair. “Did she tell anyone who it was?”
“Not that I know of. She might’ve told Auntie Finn, but Finn acts as though she doesn’t know. And maybe she doesn’t.”
Bradford sat in silence for a few moments, staring out to sea. “The same thing killed my mother. She was unwell, obviously, to do that to herself, but Dad said she was obsessed with finding out the truth. She became a pariah here on the island because so many people sided with Buck and Betsy. Dad says taking sides tore the island apart, but eventually everyone calmed down and life went on. Of course, Bea, Dad and I never recovered.”
Charmaine slipped her hand into his and linked their fingers together. “I’m sorry about your mum.”
“Thanks. It was a long time ago.”
“This one crime impacted so many people’s lives. I want to find out the truth about what happened.”
He sighed. “Please don’t…”
“I won’t let it change me. I promise.”
He looked at her, desperation in his eyes. “It’s already hurt so many of us.”
She pressed her lips together. Couldn’t he see how much she needed to resolve this? For herself and for her family. For the mother who’d given up everything to keep her safe. For the brother who’d become a lost cause. For the aunt who still worried every night when she locked her house that someone might pay them a visit. Even for him, and the traumatised teen he’d been. “Fine. I’ll let it go.”
“Thank you,” he said with relief tingeing his voice. “Let the police deal with it.”
“But I think Betsy knows something. And what was she doing in that cave? Where did the diamond come from?”
His nostrils flared, his eyes full of worry. “You’re not letting it go, are you?”
“I’ll try.” And she meant it.
Six
It should rainon a day like this.
Taya stepped from the back of the black stretch limousine, her red-painted toenails partially hidden in her black peep-toe pumps. The ground was soggy from the previous night, but above her, the sky was cloudless and brilliantly blue.
“Wait, Mum. Let me help you,” she said before hurrying around to the other side of the vehicle.
The driver made it to the door before she did and opened it. Her mother climbed out out, and Taya took her arm. Mum leaned heavily on Taya as she walked to the church steps.
“I hope people show up. Your father deserved for people to show up,” Mum said with a lump in her throat.
Taya nodded, unable to respond. She didn’t care if no one showed up. All she cared about was her mother and her daughter. Now that Dad was gone, she had the two of them to take care of. Her circle was shrinking once again.
“Where’s Camden?” Mum asked for the fourth time.
Was her memory going? Or perhaps it was the grief. Taya had answered the question three times already on the drive over.
“She’s right behind us, Mum. She wanted to come in her own car with her boyfriend.”
“Oh, that’s right. She has a boyfriend. I hope he’s good to our Camden.”
Taya’s daughter was twenty-two years old. She’d finished training as a chef in Townsville and had landed a job at one of the best resorts in the area, where she’d met her boyfriend. He was the restaurant manager, and the two of them had spent six months getting to know each other before meeting each other’s families. Camden was sensible and liked to take things slow, something Taya admired in her strong-willed child.
She turned to look back over her shoulder as Camden’s blue hatchback pulled into the parking lot. She stopped to wait, Mum standing with her, while Camden and Michael climbed out of the car and walked hand in hand to the church.
Camden kissed her grandmother’s cheek, her eyes red-rimmed. Then she embraced Taya. Taya held on to her daughter for several long seconds, fighting the urge to burst into tears. Then she took a deep breath and pulled back.
Camden offered a wobbly smile. “You okay, Mum?”
“I’m surviving. I don’t know how to face each day without him.” Her voice broke. “We were going to retire,” she said quietly as tears pooled in her eyes. “We never got the chance.”
