‘Yes, well, myself included. I’m an injured party too, y’know. Anyway, serves them bloody right for hanging about late at night on private property. Did you see either of them at the time?’
‘I spoke to Petras briefly, yes. He said he had come back to pick up something he had forgotten and Mila accompanied him. There was no sign that they were sleeping there. They must have hidden their stuff in the bushes out of sight and gained access to the building somehow after nightfall. But neither of them were inside the house, just on the grounds so I didn’t see anything suspicious in it. And let’s be honest, it was hardly a high security site. Anyone could have walked in or out of that garden at any point.’
‘Riiight. Not ’spicious at all. Very trusting of you, Marcus, I must say. Easy to be when it’s not your property.’
Her husband is starting to slur his words, Olivia notices — has he already been drinking earlier? — his eyes taking on that glassy look she knows well.
‘Tobias …’ she begins, a point of warning in her voice.
‘What’s more interesting,’ he declares ‘is that the police say the footage also shows someone matching your description, Belle.’
Their daughter blanches for a moment.
‘What?’
‘Yes, I was surprised too. Now the police have put out an appeal for more information, wanting to know if anyone saw a female that night with long red hair matching your height and figure. You can imagine what everyone round here will be making of that, including that witch Lottie Jenkins. Rather gets her off the hook, doesn’t it?’
‘Well, it wasn’t me. I was with Drew all evening,’ she says falteringly. Olivia has never seen Bella less sure of herself, all of her cool aloofness evaporated.
‘Is that right, Drew? Can you vouch for your sister all night?’ asks Tobias, with more than a hint of interrogation now.
‘Hey, take it easy,’ says Marcus.
‘Yes, do calm down everyone,’ says Olivia, although her interest is somewhat piqued by this new information.
‘Well, Drew?’ prompts Tobias.
Their son raises his eyes from the tablecloth, a look on his face that would suggest he’d like to be anywhere but here.
‘She came to find me later, down by the beach,’ he stutters, turning to Bella with an expression of apology.
‘Before, during or after the fireworks display?’ asks Tobias, his voice now thick and menacing.
‘I don’t know,’ says Drew. ‘I couldn’t be sure. We were losing track of time by then. I mean, I guess the fireworks were still going on. I really don’t remember a lot from that night …’ He trails off woefully.
‘Leave him alone,’ says Olivia.
‘Yeah, back off would you, father?’ adds Bella, the colour rising in her cheeks.
‘Belle, I know you’ve been hanging around down at the building site,’ says Tobias. ‘I found one of your fag butts there earlier in the week. Yes, I am well aware that you smoke. For all I know, it could have been your stupid carelessness that started the bloody fire in the first place,’ he adds with a hiss. ‘Now why don’t you tell me what you were really up to before I hand you over to the police for questioning?’
Olivia gasps at this, the thought that it could be one of her own under suspicion.
‘Stop it, Tobias, right now,’ she demands. ‘You’re frightening me and upsetting everyone.’
‘Oh, heaven forfend,’ says Tobias, raising his hands in mock alarm.
‘Please, all of you, stop arguing,’ says Drew, close to tears. ‘I’m going back to my room,’ he adds, making to stand.
‘Sit down and stay where you are,’ roars Tobias. ‘All of you. Until we get to the bottom of this.’
Olivia sees a few of the other diners look across at their table and she blushes with shame. What a spectacle they must be making of themselves. The whole town must be discussing the fire at the renovation, theorising over what caused it, howher son very nearly drowned and his parents were nowhere to be found.
‘Lower your voice, for heaven’s sake, Tobias. Or we’ll be asked to leave.’
‘Fine,’ he says in a more composed manner. ‘I’ll ask again. What were you doing at the property on Saturday night, Bella?’
Their daughter swallows, tears lancing at her eyes, her face young without her usual layer of make-up and bravado.
