Page 115 of A Scottish Country Escape

‘Please, Mr Lomax,’ I said again, my voice cracking. ‘A man’s happiness rests on this.’

Elsa gestured for me to pass my mobile to her. When I did, she puffed out her cheeks and tilted up her chin. ‘Mr Lomax, you said you would do anything to change what happened to Ross.’ She shot me a glance and carried on. ‘We know that isn’t possible. But you can change the future of someone else for the better.’

My hands fidgeted as Elsa talked to Cameron Lomax. I was unable to sit still.

‘And I think it might even go a little way towards helping you and Mrs Carlucci.’

When there was no response, Elsa handed back the phone. She slumped in her seat, defeated, and stared out of the passenger-side window.

‘Mr Lomax,’ I stuttered. ‘Enough people have suffered over the years. I don’t believe you would want that to continue.’

There was silence.

Trepidation crawled over me. ‘Mr Lomax? Are you still there?’

‘Yes,’ he croaked. ‘I’m still here.’

I adjusted my mobile against my ear and stared in desperation at Elsa.

I felt as if I were wading through treacle. ‘Mr Lomax, we are sitting outside Linda Carlucci’s house right now. We did all we could to convince her of what happened to Ross, but she won’t listen.’

I blinked back pictures of Dexter leaving. ‘Three lives were ruined that night. Do you really want a fourth to be ruined too?’

I hesitated and bit my lip. Oh shit! Was that too strong? What if I had blown any chance we had of reaching out to Cameron Lomax?

Silence prevailed again and my frustration took over. I lowered my mobile. ‘I think he’s hung up.’

Elsa’s chest heaved and she patted me on the hand. ‘You did your best, Elle.’

‘I blew it.’

‘Hello? Are you still there?’

Cameron Lomax’s voice buzzed out. Elsa and I stared back at one another. I hitched the phone up to my ear again, my heart zooming. ‘Yes. Sorry.’

Cameron lowered his voice. Was it because he didn’t want Ingrid to overhear?

‘All right,’ he said after an agonising pause.

I blinked and repeated ‘All right?’ like an idiot.

‘I’ll come back to Fir Haven and speak to Linda Carlucci.’

I let out a gasp of shock and relief and whirled round to look at Elsa. ‘Thank you, Mr Lomax. Thank you so much.’

Realising it was good news, Elsa clapped her hands together and beamed.

‘I realise there are no guarantees,’ I said, anticipating what he was about to say next, ‘but it might go some way towards helping you too.’

Cameron’s voice took on a dark inflection. ‘This will be the first time since the accident that I will have been back to Fir Haven.’

‘Well, if it’s any consolation, I think it’s a very courageous thing to do.’

He admitted he was terrified at the prospect. ‘But I’ll do it,’ he rounded off. ‘You’re right. There have been enough people affected by my stupid actions that night.’

Cameron then explained he couldn’t come tomorrow, but that he would make it on Wednesday.

In a shaky stunned voice, I repeated Linda’s address so he could write it down. Then I gave him the address of Paper Roses. ‘But come to my shop first,’ I suggested. ‘Elsa and I will accompany you.’