A phone starts to ring, shrill and loud. It doesn’t sound like a mobile. I think it must be the hotel phone. Both Malcolm and Celia freeze where they stand. After a moment, Celia’s shoulders relax. ‘Don’t worry, Malcolm. They’ll soon ring off if we don’t answer.’
I pray she’s wrong. But I count only nine rings before a hollow silence descends on the room once more. She turns back to me to continue her explanation. Part of me doesn’t want to hear it. Each sentence she utters is painful to hear. Yet, as she speaks, I find myself greedily taking in all the details of this newly revealed past that’s been hidden from me for so many years, even though each word wounds me.
‘I think Toby already told you your troublesome sister is buried by the woods at the back of the hotel. She’s in the same piece of land that’s being developed, which is unfortunate. We found out yesterday that we lost our appeal, and so of course we can’t take the chance that Dina’s remains could be exposed and an investigation opened up. So this way we can pin the murder on you. It actually works out perfectly.’
Malcolm takes an envelope out of his rucksack and brings it over to where I’m slumped in the armchair. ‘Fingerprints,’ he grunts without looking me in the eye. He takes my hand and presses my fingers down on the envelope in several places before trudging back and placing it on the end of the bed.
‘That’s your suicide note,’ Celia explains. ‘It’s all typed out, very simple and to the point, saying how you can’t live with the guilt any longer and that you never meant to kill your sister, it was an accident etcetera. I’ve had this plan in place since the redevelopment was announced, but I hoped we’d never have to carry it out. Unfortunately, with the building going ahead and your memories returning, here we are.’ She holds her hands out apologetically.
‘I got you to sign a blank piece of paper a while ago when I asked for your signature for the petition. Thankfully you were busy at work and you weren’t paying much attention. I used that sheet of paper for your suicide note. It’s already got your fingerprints on it, and I was wearing gloves that day.’
A wave of nausea sweeps over my whole body and my stomach begins to cramp.
‘Oh dear,’ Celia says, squinting down at me. ‘Your facial muscles are really twitching now. I imagine you must feel quite wretched. There are a few side effects to that blocker. Don’t worry, we’re almost done here. Not too much longer until it’s all over.’
The fury I felt moments ago is quickly replaced by the darkest fear I’ve ever experienced. My mind rebels and judders in terror as Celia and Malcolm position themselves on dining chairs either side of me and together begin to manhandle me up onto the chair… towards the rope.
Thirty-Three
THE DAY OF THE WEDDING
I feel like I’m falling into an infinite black space. Down, down, down into the darkness. Until…BAM!I open my eyes and find myself staring into my fiancé’s worried face.
‘Toby,’ I croak.
He crouches and takes my hand and I realise he’s trembling. ‘Are… are you okay? You really gave us a scare.’ His face is chalk white, his neck red and mottled. ‘We were so worried.’
‘Where…?’ I try to sit up, but my brain feels as though it’s floating loose in my skull, so I give up and sink back down. It’s then that I realise I’m lying on the floor, my head on a cushion. ‘What happened?’
‘Don’t you remember?’ he asks.
I try to think, but my mind is fuzzy. ‘What’s going on? Why do I feel weird?’
‘You fainted, love.’ Toby’s mum Celia kneels by my side, one hand on my forehead, the other on my wrist. She looks different somehow. Maybe it’s her hair – she’s had it cut or styled or something. It looks straighter than usual, and browner. She must have had the grey coloured. ‘Looks like you came down a real cropper.’
I now see that as well as Celia, Toby’s dad Malcolm and his elder brother Nick are also here in the room, staring down at me, deep worry etched across their brows. I notice they’re both wearing grey suits, which seems strange. And Toby’s suit seems to have wet patches down the lapels.
‘You feel a little clammy, but your pulse is steady.’ Celia is a nurse, so if she says I’m okay, I guess I must be okay.
‘I can’t remember what happened.’
Celia looks up at her eldest son. ‘Nick, can you get Zoe a glass of water?’
‘Uh, sure.’
I notice Toby’s right leg is quivering, and his hands are trembling. He’s not the sort to get anxious, so his concern for me makes me love him even more. ‘Toby, you’re shaking!’
‘I was so worried.’ He swallows and leans in to kiss my forehead. ‘If anything happened to you I don’t know what I’d do.’
‘I’m fine, silly. Just a bit dizzy, that’s all. Tell him I’m okay, Celia.’
Toby glances at his mother and she gives him a comforting smile. ‘Relax, Toby. Zoe’s going to be just fine.’ Celia sits back on her haunches. ‘Well, this is an unusual wedding day.’ She raises an eyebrow and squeezes my hand.
‘Wedding day?’ Only now do I notice I’m wearing my ivory lace dress. That’s why everyone looks so smart. ‘Oh no! It’s today! Did I wreck it? Is it too late?’ This time I manage to sit up despite my woozy head. ‘I can’t believe I—’
‘It’s okay,’ Toby interrupts. ‘We’ve still got time. The ceremony isn’t due to start for another forty minutes.’
‘What happened? You said I fainted, but I don’t remember that at all. It’s all so hazy… I was getting ready and then…’
