‘I thought we’d spend it on the beach. I’ll have Maria make us up a picnic,’ she says.
‘Sounds lovely.’ I push my spoon around my bowl of yoghurt, then force down a couple of mouthfuls for Maria’s sake more than my own, as my appetite has disappeared.
There’s a shout from the building site, and the digger’s engine putters out.
‘Thank Christ for that,’ Victoria says. ‘I hope Felix does lodge a complaint. It’s like nails on a chalkboard.’ She slips her phone into her pocket and stands. ‘I might go and put some things together for the beach.’
Before she’s reached the bifold doors there’s a second shout from below, which is immediately followed by a crash from the kitchen, the unmistakable sound of a plate smashing on the marble floor.
‘For pity’s sake,’ Simone huffs. ‘Can we not have five minutes’ peace?’
‘I’ll see if Maria needs any help,’ I say, glad of an excuse to leave. When I reach the kitchen, the housekeeper is clutching the sink, staring out of the window to the sea, shards of shattered crockery at her feet.
‘Everything OK?’ I ask.
She flinches, as if I’ve just jumped out of a cupboard and yelled ‘boo’ in her ear. Her face is ashen, her pupils huge.
‘Maria? Are you all right?’
Expecting her to nod and send me on my way, I’m shocked when she seizes my arm in a grip so tight I have to stifle a gasp.
‘Body,’ she croaks. ‘They’ve found a body.’
44
AMBER
Dominic jumps to his feet the second I relay the shocking news.
‘I’m going down there.’
‘I’ll come with you,’ I say, but he shakes his head, already moving.
‘You stay here and make sure Maria’s all right.’
And then he’s gone, jogging round the side of the villa and disappearing from sight. The rest of us drift towards the stone wall at the edge of the terrace, where we hover, craning over to the building site below. It looks like a toy set from here. The yellow digger frozen at an angle, its bucket suspended mid-air, the sugar-cube villa, the gaping hole that right now looks more like a mass grave than a swimming pool. Workmen stand in huddled groups, smoking or talking in hushed voices. The foreman is on his phone, pacing in tight circles as he rattles off instructions in rapid-fire Greek.
‘What’s he saying?’ I ask Maria.
She shoots an anguished look in Willow’s direction, then answers quietly. ‘He’s on the phone to the police. He’s…he’s telling them they’ve found a body by the hole they’ve dug for the pool. He’s asking how long it will take for them to send officersto the island. He’s saying he’ll clear the site and station a couple of men at the entrance to stop anyone coming in.’
I still can’t believe there aren’t police on Pelagia. No police, no doctors, no ambulances, no hospitals. All the things we take for granted at home. How the hell do they cope? Even as I think this, I know the answer. They cope because they have to.
The sun beats down as relentlessly as ever, and I move away from the others to stand under the nearest parasol. Simone is flanked on either side by Barney and Victoria, whether consciously or not, it’s hard to tell. Victoria lays a hand on her back and whispers something in her ear. Simone nods briefly, then returns to scouring the building site, her shoulder blades pinched together.
The wait for news is intolerable and I drag my hands down my face, willing Dominic to hurry back. I can’t believe no one’s addressing the elephant in the room. Felix. The only person we know who’s been missing for over twenty-four hours. But it seems like I’m not the only one putting two and two together.
‘I’m going down there,’ Willow announces in a strangulated voice. She is pale beneath her suntan, and her eyes dart nervously towards Villa Paradiso’s open gates.
I’m as much in the dark as anyone, but I do know this is a very bad idea.
‘Willow, no, you mustn’t,’ I say, stepping into her path. ‘Wait for Dom to come back.’
‘Amber’s right. You need to stay here,’ Simone agrees. Her tone is clipped and brooks no argument.
To my surprise, Willow doesn’t rail against her stepmum for laying down the law. Instead, her head dips a fraction and she hugs herself, her shoulders slumped in defeat.
Time slows to a crawl. Maria disappears into the kitchen, muttering under her breath. Soon, the silence is broken by the clatter of pots and pans. Outside, half-finished breakfast bowlssit untouched on the table. My yoghurt starts curdling in the heat. I should help Maria clear up; it would give me something to do, something to keep my mind and hands busy. But my feet are glued to the spot as we wait and wait.
