‘They won’t look for you, I made sure of that.’
‘What do you mean?’
Donna glanced at the water on the stove, steam starting to rise from the pan.
‘They’re probably still asleep for a start, I gave them twice the dose I gave you. A bit of a risk, but one worth taking.’
‘You drugged them?’
Donna smiled. ‘You girls really like to drink. It’s so easy, just bring a bottle of wine round, make up some excuse about looking for you, then stay and have a drink. Thank goodness for screw tops, so much easier to slip something in. The two of them were gulping the stuff down like juice. They didn’t care about finding you then and they won’t now.’
‘You were at my house with them? Where are they?’
‘It’s simple to get people to do what you want. The diazepam worked very quickly. They both crashed out, I just helped them to bed.’
‘Wait,’ Surtsey said. ‘They were in the house when we were back there?’
Donna nodded. ‘That was one thing I was worried about, that you’d check their rooms. That’s why I followed you upstairs.’
Surtsey swallowed hard. ‘They’ll come looking for me.’
‘I don’t think so. I texted from your phone, told them you were going away for a while to clear your head, they weren’t to get in touch. They’ll understand your need for space after everything you’ve been through.’
Surtsey felt a tremor through her body. She lay there working it out for a moment, thinking what to say. ‘It was all you.’
Donna was at the stove, water burbling away. She lifted the pan to the table and poured water into the mugs. She stood holding the pan with the remains of the boiling water in it.
‘What?’
‘Tom. The messages on his phone. You killed him.’
Donna still had the pan in her hand, water sloshing as she gesticulated.
‘He wasn’t right for you, Sur, anyone could see that.’
‘Oh God.’
‘A married man twice your age, and your boss? What a cliché. You could do so much better.’
‘Like you, you mean?’
Donna screwed her nose up and her brow creased. ‘I’m not like that. It’s not about that.’
‘How did you know about me and Tom?’
Donna put the pan back on the stove and stirred the mugs. She lifted the teabags out and dumped them in an empty Asda bag. She got the milk from the table, popped the seal and poured.
‘I’ve been looking after you for a long time, making sure you’re OK.’
‘Spying on me?’
Donna shook her head. ‘It’s not spying if you do it for the right reasons. It’s observing.’
‘But you didn’t just observe,’ Surtsey said, her voice shaking. ‘You killed him. You smashed his head in with a rock.’
Donna brought both mugs to the edge of the table nearest the bunks and sat on the bench.
‘The look on his face was pathetic,’ she said. ‘So eager to see his secret lover, so needy. I’ve no idea what you saw in him.’
Surtsey frowned. ‘How did you have the number of his phone?’
Donna smiled. ‘It was on the beach when you found him, wasn’t it? I copied the number then put it there afterwards, so you would pick it up, I knew you wouldn’t leave it lying around so that people knew about the two of you. Then I could be in touch with you.’
‘You’re a murderer and a psychopath.’
Donna picked up one of the mugs and threw the tea in Surtsey’s face. Her lips and eyes burned as she spluttered. It wasn’t quite boiling, the milk had taken the edge off, but it stung like crazy. Surtsey felt the blood rise to the skin on her neck and cheek where it had taken the brunt of it.
Donna leaned over her, pointing. ‘I’m the only friend you’ve got, remember that. The sooner you come to terms with it the better.’ She stepped away from the bed. ‘Those others are all wrong. That bitch Halima, your slut of a sister. You said yourself she’s useless and selfish. Tom was ridiculous, I felt embarrassed for you. No wonder you kept it a secret. And Brendan.’
‘He never did anything wrong.’
‘He wasn’t good enough for you.’
‘According to you, no one is good enough for me.’
Donna smiled. ‘Except me.’
‘So you do fancy me.’
‘I’ve told you already I’m not like that. We’re friends.’
Surtsey’s face was singing with pain. ‘Friends don’t tie each other up.’
Donna sat down and sipped her tea.
‘It’s only temporary, until you come to your senses.’
‘What if I never do?’
‘You will.’ Donna looked out the window. ‘Besides, you can’t go back now anyway.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘The police will arrest you for murder.’
Surtsey stared at her. ‘What have you done?’
‘I had to time it all right,’ Donna said. ‘I’ve been drip-feeding them leads about you, but I couldn’t have them arrest you before I got a chance to get you. Now you’re safe, they’ll soon get an anonymous tip off and find Tom’s boat in Fisherrow and guess what? Your DNA will be all over it. And forensics at Brendan’s death will find traces of you too.’
Surtsey realised she’d been straining against her ties, her head raised from the thin pillow. She flopped onto the bed and breathed out.
‘I’m sorry about the tea,’ Donna said. ‘But you made me so cross.’
Something suddenly occurred to Surtsey. ‘Oh, shit. Mum.’
Donna pursed her lips. ‘No.’ She looked down at her lap. ‘She did that herself.’
‘I don’t believe you.’
‘She was very brave, your mum. Much stronger than mine.’
‘You gave her the pills from our bathroom,’ Surtsey said. ‘You took them when you were at my house.’
Donna got up. ‘Are you hungry? I’m hungry. A cheese sandwich, I think.’
‘Tell me, please.’
Donna opened the loaf of bread, got a knife and ripped open a pack of cheddar.
‘Louise wanted to die,’ she said, buttering a slice of bread. ‘In her own way, at her own time. She knew you wouldn’t help her, and she didn’t want to ask you anyway. So I helped her. I was going to give her an overdose from
