‘But Susannah is not your family. She’s not your responsibility.’
‘She has no one, Henry. I mean, Rebecca calls her every day. But Lynsey doesn’t come to the island. Why don’t they get on?’
‘Lots of reasons,’ Henry said. ‘They clash on so many things. Susannah hates that Lynsey is a tarot reader. And it’s hard for Lynsey to return to Vinalhaven when she feels judged by Susannah all the time.’
They got in Henry’s pick-up, and he took a thermos out of the back, unscrewed the lid and poured the contents into two cups.
‘What happened to Kate and her husband?’ Emer ventured. She was dying to know, but daren’t ask Susannah.
Henry’s whole body stiffened as he spoke, although his face looked quite relaxed. ‘If I tell you this, never – and I mean never – talk about it with Susannah. Lynsey says she goes nuts when it’s brought up. That’s one reason why they’ve fallen out.’
‘I promise, of course not,’ Emer said, taking a sip of the hot black coffee.
‘Well. The story goes Lynsey’s dad killed her mother, and then he killed himself. Ran into the sea and drowned.’
‘Oh my god!’
‘Yeah, like I said earlier, Lynsey was five at the time, and Rebecca was only two.’
Poor Kate. From Susannah’s letters, she had come across as the sweetest girl. She had been so in love with Matthew, and yet he had killed her. And as for those poor girls – how horrendous to not only lose their mother, but to know it was their own father who had taken her from them. Emer’s heart welled with compassion for Lynsey, and for Rebecca, who she was yet to meet.
‘Why did Lynsey’s father murder her mother?’
‘I wasn’t even born when it happened, so all I know is what my parents told me. They thought he killed her by accident, as did most on the island.’ Henry took a sip of his coffee. ‘I promise you, most folk said Lynsey’s dad was a good man. Worked hard for his family every day, out fishing and risking his life. Problem was, he drank too much.’
The way Henry spoke about it was a little odd, Emer thought. Even if it had been an accident, the man had still killed his wife.
‘Also, there’s been gossip,’ Henry said, putting the thermos back together. ‘Some folk here on Vinalhaven don’t believe Matthew Young drowned. I’ve heard whispers.’
‘Do they think he ran away?’ Emer asked.
‘Possibly, but his family never heard from him again. My dad told me he loved those little girls. Said he used to take them out on the boat on a Sunday sometimes with some of the other kids. My big sister remembers it,’ Henry said. ‘My dad always said he would never have left those girls.’
‘So?’ Emer asked Henry. ‘What do you think happened to Kate’s husband?’
‘Well, now, I just don’t know for sure,’ Henry said hastily, tucking the thermos into the glove compartment. ‘But there has been talk about Susannah. My dad was always saying the neighbours saw something the day Kate’s body was found. My dad said it sure was strange Susannah turned up back from college on the same day both her sister was found dead and her brother-in-law disappeared.’
Emer sat back in shock. The coincidence did seem very uncanny.
Henry stared out of the car window. Reflections of dappled sunlight fell on his face, casting it in and out of shadow. ‘My dad told me she hated Kate’s husband, was very possessive of her sister.’
Emer felt her throat go dry. What was Henry implying?
‘And one of the neighbours told him they saw Susannah in her brother-in-law’s boat, out the day Kate’s body was found. Course, they never told the police that. Felt the family had been through enough, but my dad was raging. Always felt justice hadn’t been done.’
Henry’s revelations stunned Emer. Was he really suggesting Susannah had been responsible for the disappearance of Kate’s husband? Had she somehow done away with him, and tipped the body out into the sea?
Emer felt sick. She thought of Susannah at home, resting in her bed. The frail old lady who looked like she wouldn’t hurt a fly. She might have a sharp tongue, and Emer might have only known her a short while, but she really couldn’t believe Susannah had it in her to kill any soul, no matter how much she hated them.
‘I really don’t think Susannah has it in her to do any such thing,’ Emer said firmly.
‘You never know,’ Henry said, as he started the ignition. ‘I mean, I don’t believe it, Emer. But Susannah is very strange, don’t you think? She takes notions about folk. For instance, she’s had it in for me since she broke things up with me and Lynsey. That’s been years, and still she won’t talk to me if we meet in the street.’
‘Oh, I didn’t know that,’ Emer said, feeling a little uncomfortable as she stroked Shadow’s head as he lolled in her lap.
‘Yeah,’ Henry said, as he pulled out of the lot. ‘Like I said first time we went for a hike, best not say we’re meeting, even. She really has it in for men in general.’
Susannah might be cranky, but this was a whole other side to her which Emer found hard to believe. She liked Henry, but felt conflicted about the walk she’d just enjoyed with him, or even the idea of going on another walk after all the things he’d said about Susannah. He had said it wasn’t just him who thought Susannah might be guilty of actually killing Kate’s husband, but most folk on the island. No wonder they had no visitors to the house.
As they drove back to Susannah’s house, Emer remembered how distraught Susannah had been in the graveyard. How could you ever get over the
