He turns to the others. ‘Guys, that was a great first try. Really excellent. I hope to see you all again while you’re here.’
If that was a sales pitch, it was effective. Everyone looks gladdened by his praise.
It’s my intention to try to walk beside him on the return journey to the resort, but, frustratingly, he strikes up a conversation with one of the men in our group. After we’ve taken off all of our equipment in the activities hut, I hang back, hoping to speak to him. One of the other couples are really taking their time, and, to my exasperation, Isak calls out goodbye and leaves before they do. I awkwardly hurry after him.
‘Isak?’ I call, chasing him down the redbrick path.
He glances over his shoulder and halts with surprise when he sees me.
‘Everything okay?’ he asks as I come to a stop in front of him.
‘Have you got a moment?’
He looks surprised, but not unpleasantly so. ‘Sure.’
We move off to one side as a golf cart trundles past with some new arrivals’ luggage bumping away inside.
‘I haven’t been completely upfront with you,’ I say. ‘I’m actually here researching a book.’
His dark eyebrows jump up. ‘Really?’
‘You remember Nicki Dupré?’
Now his eyebrows practically hit his hairline. ‘Nicole?’
‘Yes.’
‘You are friends?’ he asks me with surprise.
It’s the present tense that does it. He doesn’t know she’s gone.
‘When was the last time you saw her?’ I check, just in case I’m wrong.
‘Oh, years ago,’ he replies with a frown, thinking. ‘You know we used to be in a relationship?’
I nod.
‘We didn’t stay in touch,’ he tells me, and, despite all of the hours I’ve spent pondering about whether Nicki was drawing on personal experience when she wrote about being in love with two men at the same time, I believe him. I don’t know yet what that means for me, but I’m certain he’s telling the truth.
‘Is she well?’ he asks amiably.
I take a deep breath, feeling troubled that I’m going to be the one to break this to him. But someone needs to. He obviously doesn’t speak to Alain. Maybe they just never cross paths. I’m not sure Nicki’s father ever even knew the details of her relationship with Isak. He was working so much, she had to occupy herself most of the time. And it was a long time ago that they went out – almost ten years. It probably never even occurred to Alain to tell him.
‘I’m sorry,’ I say to Isak, my voice wavering. ‘I’m afraid Nicki – Nicole – passed away last year.’
He looks crushed, but not utterly devastated, not like he’d look if he were still madly in love with her.
‘Oh, no. What happened?’ he asks.
I tell him.
Isak doesn’t have long to stay and talk, but he’d like to hear more about Nicki and he says he’d be happy to try to help me with my research. I agree to his suggestion to meet up later. He still lives in the village further along from the resort, so he gives me details on where to go.
Charlie is by the pool when I return, sitting on a sun lounger and looking in a right grumpy state. April must be having her afternoon nap. He glances over at me.
‘How did it go?’ he asks.
‘It was fine,’ I reply. ‘Aren’t you going in?’ I nod at the pool.
