“Yes Mum, don’t worry; it’s not like I can forget about my own wedding.”
“How’s all the last-minute planning going?”
“Yeah, all good. Pamela has everything under control so it’s really not that much work for me. I just have to turn up and sayI do!”
“I’m so glad she’s been able to help you with everything.” Maddy paused and Nova saw something cloud her face. “You don’t mind that I haven’t been able to help more, do you? I know it’s not been great timing with me being the other side of the world right before your wedding.”
“Of course I don’t mind, I’m delighted you’re traveling again, and this job was an amazing opportunity. Besides, no offense, but you’d be shit at organizing a wedding. If it was up to you, I’d be getting married in a field wearing a bikini and no shoes.”
“There’s nothing wrong with getting married barefoot, your dad and I did it in Thailand!” Maddy laughed, but then she grew seriousagain. “I just worry that maybe I should’ve waited until you were more settled. Maybe I left too soon after—”
“Mum, stop it,” Nova interrupted. “We’ve been over this before and you didn’t go away too soon. I’m absolutely fine.”
“I know you say you are, but I still worry I abandoned you when you needed me most. After losing your dad followed by everything that happened with Declan, then moving to Cornwall and planning a wedding—these are huge things and I’ve not been there for you.”
“You’ve been on the end of the phone whenever I need you,” Nova said. “And I have Craig now too. He’s been the most amazing support, so it’s not like you left me on my own.”
“He has been amazing,” Maddy said, smiling again. “I know I had my reservations about you getting married so young, but I can see now that I was wrong. The life Craig is offering you in Cornwall—that stability and love—is a wonderful thing. And I know your dad would be delighted you’re so happy.”
“He’d be delighted that you’re traveling again too. Remember he said he wanted you drinking ice cold beers on a beach the day after his funeral!”
As she said the words, Nova pictured her dad sitting in the tiny, cluttered kitchen of their old London flat, a glass of wine in his trembling hand and Duke Ellington playing in the background.I don’t want you two moping around once I’m gone, he’d said.You’ve wasted too much time already. The second I’m in the ground, I want you both out there, living your life in full color, having adventures and causing trouble.Nova glanced around her at the large, spotless white kitchen she was sitting in now and felt a pang of longing for her dad so sharp she almost moaned.
“I miss him so much,” Maddy said, as if reading Nova’s thoughts. She paused before she spoke again. “I was thinking the other day, oneof the worst things about his illness was that it didn’t just steal his life, it took both of ours too. For years we became side characters in the story of his disease. And so, while I miss your dad with all my heart, I can’t deny it feels good to finally be living my own life again; to have the sand under my toes and fresh air in my lungs. Does that sound awful?”
“Of course it doesn’t,” Nova said, swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat.
“It’s all your dad ever wanted: for us to be the main characters in our own wonderful, messy stories. And in ten days’ time, I’m going to walk you down the aisle as you start this next amazing chapter of yours. I’m so proud of you, darling, and he would be too.”
Tears pooled in Nova’s eyes, and she wiped them away.
“Right, enough of this moping!” Maddy said, her face brightening. “I’m going to have a cold beer and dance on the beach, and you’ve got a pub quiz to go and win. But I’ll see you very, very soon. I love you.”
“Love you, too, Mum.”
The screen went dark, and Nova was plunged into silence.
Chapter Three
Nova
The storm was still raging the following morning, and so after eating breakfast with Craig and his parents, Nova left the house and headed into work early. Wet days inevitably meant the community center would be extra busy. As soon as the doors opened at ten, young families would start to arrive for the under-fives drop-in session, the Tai Chi class would no doubt turn into an extended coffee morning, and the after-school club would be full of restless kids who’d rather be playing outside. Plus, there would inevitably be leaks to deal with; the center’s ancient roof was in desperate need of repair and let water in whenever it rained heavily. Work to fix it was due to start the week after next, but until then, Nova knew that she and Lauren would have to spend the day emptying buckets around the building.
Sandy and Lauren were on the early shift and their cars were already parked up when Nova arrived at the community center, as was a police patrol car. She ran inside, shaking the rain out of her curly hair as she walked down the corridor toward the office. As she approached, she heard the raised voice of her boss. This in itself wasn’t unusual; Sandy was a woman who’d been known to have emotionaloutbursts over everything from too many e-mails in her inbox to not enough sugar in her coffee.
“I know it’s horrible to even suggest it, but Nova was the last one here.”
Nova ground to a halt a few meters from the open door. Why was Sandy talking about her?
“Are you sure you didn’t take it home by accident?” Lauren said. “Maybe you put it in your handbag without thinking and—”
“Of course I didn’t! I put it in the tin before we locked up the office together. You saw me do it, remember?”
“Did anyone else know it was here?” This was an unfamiliar male voice.
“Not a soul,” Sandy replied. “I only collected it yesterday afternoon, and it was just me, Lauren and Nova who knew it was on-site.”
Nova’s heart rate started to climb. She straightened her dress and stepped into the office. Sandy was sitting behind her computer, her face flushed and her curly gray hair even more chaotic than usual. Lauren was on her hands and knees on the floor, going through a drawer, and a young male police officer was leaning against Nova’s desk. They all turned to look as she walked in.
