This time, it was Charlotte and Maddie’s turn to exchange glances. Sofia was what Charlotte’s dad had described as ‘an accelerate and brake merchant’when he was alive. Their friend’s driving was notoriously bad, and her road rage was something to behold. They usually avoided being in a car with her behind the wheel at all costs.
‘Are you sure you want to do that?’ Charlotte asked in a voice that to Maddie held more than a tinge of fear. ‘With driving on the wrong side of the road and all that?’
Sofia waved away her question.
‘Yes, it’s fine. I always drive in Spain whenever I visit my mother, and that’s on twisty mountain roads, so I’m quite used to it.’
A vision of Sofia hurtling along mountain tracks like a maniac, her elderly mother bumping up and down in the seat alongside her, was too much for Maddie.
‘Poor woman,’ she murmured under her breath.
‘What was that?’
‘Nothing, just saying that it will save us a lot of money on taxis.’
‘It’s not about the money…’
‘Not for you, maybe, but a tank of petrol is a darn sight cheaper than taxis.’
‘It’s only a few euros difference.’
‘A few euros are a few euros.’
Charlotte spoke again in a register far higher than the one she normally used.
‘So that’s settled. Meet down here in an hour. Swimsuits under your clothes as there’ll be nowhere to change. And don’t forget a towel and sensible walking shoes.’
‘Yes, boss.’ Sofia banged her fist on her chest several times in what they’d been told was a Greek gesture of love. ‘What would we do without you?’
‘Fall apart, probably.’ Charlotte smiled to take the sting out of her words as she looked between the two of them.
She couldn’t cope with much more of them behaving like children. It reminded her of the last few weeks trapped with Doug after she’d found out his sordid little secret. A cloud hanging over the house, flare-ups over the most stupid thingsand sitting in front of a blank canvas hour after hour. She had to say something.
‘But please, stop the bickering. It’s doing my head in. If I’d wanted stress and tension all day long, I’d have stayed at home.’
Both Sofia and Maddie stared open-mouthed at Charlotte’s departing back.
The hire car was already parked on the other side of the courtyard when the three of them finally finished breakfast and walked out via reception.
‘Oh good, it’s a Suzuki Swift.’ said Sofia, ‘I’ve driven one of those before.’
Maddie couldn’t have identified what model the car was if she’d been held at gunpoint. Never having held a licence, a pushbike was her preferred mode of transport if there wasn’t a bus coming. Tony had been a motorcycle fanatic, so riding pillion was far more comfortable for her than being a car passenger.
But even in the unlikely event of her having had an opinion on the car, she’d have kept her mouth shut. She’d agreed with Sofia in the loos that, after Charlotte’s uncharacteristic outburst, they were going to play happy families. There was definitely something up there, but it was going to take some careful groundwork to get it out of their friend.
The car hire guy, dressed all in black, waved and held the keys up in the air.
‘Which one of you is the driver?’
‘Me.’
Sofia went to grab the keys off him, but he held them just out of reach for a moment, so she had to stretch up.
‘Hey!’
‘Sorry, couldn’t resist.’
His smile reached all the way to his sparkling brown eyes as he stared with interest at Sofia and put out his hand.
