She widens her eyes. ‘Are you sure? It was only a year ago that your sister went missing wasn’t it?’
‘It was, yes.’ I’m miffed by her flippancy.
‘Have you any idea how much damage that did to my father’s business? People stopped coming here for months.’
I’m fuming. ‘Well, have you any idea how devastating it is to lose a sister? To have no idea where she is? To walk down a street and imagine you see her everywhere?’ I’m close to tears – cold, scared, desperate.
Julia stares at me for a long moment. ‘You know nothing about me,’ she says, and drags her plait over her shoulder. ‘I’m sorry for your loss, really I am, but it’s unlikely another girl has disappeared. She’s probably just gone walkabout. And didn’t the police decide they’d taken off together – Lark and that good-looking chap dating the woman with cancer?’
Anger bubbles. ‘My mother you mean—’
‘Oh yes, that’s right. Sorry. Totally forgot.’
‘The police left the case open,’ I spit. ‘And it’s not only Elise who’s missing, Ruth is dead – murdered.’
‘Christ! Ruth? Murdered?’ She covers her mouth, and her flippancy drains away, as her eyes fill with tears. ‘Oh God, are you sure?’
‘Yes, there’s no doubt,’ I say, my voice calmer. ‘I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have blurted it out like that.’
Julia shakes her head. ‘The poor woman – and Finn, how is Finn?’
‘Not good, as you can imagine.’ A beat. ‘He’s about somewhere. Is your father here?’
‘He’s away.’ She flicks a tear from the corner of her eye. ‘As you probably recall, I stay here when he’s abroad. Funny, I hated living here as a child. It was so lonely, but now I crave peace.’ She seems lost in her words, her voice low. ‘Although I love living in Eyemouth, it’s good—’
‘You live in Eyemouth? My father lives near there.’
She nods. ‘Quite a trek up here,’ she says, turning, and I follow her into what appears to be another lounge. As well as two more sofas, there’s a computer on a desk laden with graphic drawings, a piano by the window, and a huge TV paused on an episode of Fleabag. There’s a cushion in the middle of the floor, which I guess is for Julia’s meditation. But there’s no sign of Elise having been here.
I walk towards the window and look out. ‘Did you see the man in the mask?’ I ask.
‘Is it on Netflix?’
I turn and stare at her, wondering if she’s joking, though knowing she can’t be. ‘Someone wearing a mask looked over the wall about five minutes ago.’
‘Good God, that is creepy. Are you sure?’
I nod, catching sight of Dad through the window, coming out of the summerhouse. He looks about him before pulling the door closed and heading for the house. He must have found a key.
‘Did you walk to the bench yesterday, Julia?’ I say, spinning round.
‘Kyla’s bench?’
I nod. ‘It’s just there were footprints leading from the farmhouse?’
She shakes her head. ‘That would have been Finn. He—’
‘Amelia!’ I look behind me to see Rosamund heading into the room. ‘I’ve been all over the house. There’s no sign of Elise.’
‘Do you remember Julia, Rosamund? She was here when Lark and Jackson disappeared.’
‘Not really,’ she says, barely looking at Julia. ‘Where are the others?’
‘I’ve looked around the summerhouse and garden.’ It’s Dad appearing in the doorway, his cheeks red from the cold.
‘Did you find a key?’ I say.
‘Yes, under the plant pot. There’s no sign of Elise.’
‘We should get back,’ I say, pulling on my hat. ‘Where’s Finn?’ I hate that I’m growing suspicious of everyone. ‘Has anyone seen him?’
They shake their heads.
‘Come with us to the holiday cottages, Julia,’ I say. ‘You really shouldn’t be here alone.’
She’s silent for a moment, as though her mind is processing my words. ‘I’m not afraid,’ she says.
‘Well you should be. There’s a killer out there.’
‘I would rather stay. I feel safe here. Anyway, I need to care for the cat.’
I think about my little cat at home, hoping the woman with the pink hair isn’t spoiling her too much and she’ll still love me on my return. But, if I’m honest, being in London feels like a lifetime ago.
‘Amelia?’ It’s Finn voice, and I know by the way it echoes he’s heading through the conservatory. ‘Robert?’
‘In here,’ Dad calls, and Finn appears, his eyes darting to each of us in turn.
‘Where have you been?’ I say.
‘I thought I saw someone, so headed into the copse, but I must have been mistaken.’ He looks over at Julia. ‘Hey,’ he says.
Julia walks over to him, and touches his arm. ‘I’m so sorry about your mum.’
‘Yeah. Thanks.’ He looks down at the floor, his teeth pressing into his bottom lip. ‘When I find whoever did that to her, I’ll rip their head off.’
There’s a connection between them I hadn’t noticed a year ago – too full of finding Lark – and my heart, which seems to have forgotten for a moment the distress it’s in, sinks. Under all this mess and sadness, I like Finn. I like him a lot. I straighten up, knowing my thoughts are random, stupid. I would have to be some kind of idiot to think of romance when things are so awful.
‘Let’s get back,’ Finn says, and Dad and Rosamund follow him from the room.
‘Are you sure you won’t come with us?’ I ask Julia.
She shakes her head. ‘I’ll be fine here.’
‘Well make sure you lock all the doors, including the conservatory.’
‘I will. Thanks.’ She smiles. ‘You take care too, Amelia,’ she says.
I go to leave, but I have to ask her. ‘I saw a photo in your father’s lounge just now,’ I begin.
She folds her arms across her chest. ‘There are lots of photos in the lounge.’
‘There’s one of a pretty blonde teenage girl.’
‘What of it?’
‘I wondered who she is.’
‘My sister,’ she says, and
