As he marched over the hill, Sam grew furious at Kitty for awakening these memories. To purge his thoughts, he drove himself onward, striding over dewy tussocks of spiny grass and white humps of clay and scree. After half an hour, gasping for breath, his face clammy inside the hood, he halted for a rest. But the minute he stopped; the recollections poured back.
Their mums all died - a concatenation of funerals and tears. Sam did not doubt that that man, Max Rutherford, or whatever other names he had used, murdered Fee. He had tricked her into loving him, and they married in a surprise ceremony in Mauritius. On their honeymoon in the same place, Max pushed Fee to her death from a clifftop. At first, the police suspected Kitty’s dad, Paul, who had flown to the island to protect Fee, but when surprise evidence against Max came out in court, Paul was discharged, and a second trial convicted Max of the murders of two women: Fee, and Sam’s own mother, Twitch.
Sam descended from the ridge into the town, and his heavy walking boots clomped under the hazy streetlights of the High Street. Some way ahead, near the church, stood Millie’s rebuilt restaurant; now run by her son, Lucas and Mick, his father.
Officially, Millie’s death remained accidental. No evidence suggested Max had killed her, but Sam was unconvinced. The guy was a murderer and a conman, and now he had duped Kitty. As he left the town and walked past Kitty’s place on his way home, Sam realised he must take up her job offer. She needed his protection.
14 KITTY
Kitty accepted half a bitter and raised it to Sam. ‘Cheers.’
‘Cheers.’
They banged their glasses down.
It was a Friday night, ‘Pint Night,’ as Kitty called it. She glanced at the entrance to the barn of a pub.
Sam asked, ‘What time did you tell them?’
‘Eight.’ Kitty checked her phone. She had not seen Luc and Livvie or Sam’s brother Josh, for two or three years. As children, they had been close - they still were, up to a point - but nowadays they struggled to find time to meet. Life had kept them apart: university, job hunting, careers - well apart from Josh, who seemed to have inherited from his father, Maurice, a certain lack of what Nanny Gloria would have called oomph.
Speak of the devil. Josh strode in, all jeans and muscles. His eyes scanned the room and settled on Kitty and Sam. He had filled out. He used to be such a feeble little chap but working on a building site had done him good, well his body at least. She waved, and he approached, grinning, dragging the winter air in his wake.
Sam rose, and the men hugged.
‘Hi mate.’ Josh slapped Sam on the arm and blew a kiss to Kitty.
‘Hi.’ Sam’s face was admiring, ‘Looking good, Fella. The outdoor life suits you.’
‘Yeah, well,’ Josh hunched his shoulders, ‘It’s a job. I’ve got some other ideas.’ He sat beside Kitty and hugged her, smelling of aftershave and cement.
Lucas and Livvie. Both slight and brown skinned with afro-textured hair, approached the table arm in arm.
‘What’s new?’ Livvie asked, sitting beside Josh, then without waiting for an answer, ‘How’s the job, Joshy.’
Josh scowled, ‘Don’t call me Joshy.’
‘Don’t be such a wuss, it’s your name.’ Livvie thumped his arm.
‘Ow!’ Josh rubbed the place. ‘Be kind.’
Livvie poked out her tongue, ‘I don’t have to be kind. You’re my siblish.’
It was their old pattern - the months and years slaked away as if they had met but yesterday.
Kitty waited until all had caught up with their news and become lubricated by alcohol before she said, ‘I’ve got something to tell you…’
Their faces morphed from curious to suspicious as she told them of Max’s release. She did not mention her investigation, or that she had already met with him. ‘I wondered if we could talk about that time. This has raised questions and,’ she hesitated, uncomfortable with the admission, ‘Some unexpected feelings. We’ve never talked about what happened, have we?’
‘I’m not keen on the idea.’ Lucas said. ‘It was a tough time, and we’ve all moved on.’
‘I was hoping you might help me come to terms with Max’s release.’ Kitty said.
The others looked astounded. Livvie leaned towards Kitty. ‘You want us to dredge up memories we’ve tried to suppress for years?’
Kitty nodded, meeting her eyes. ‘Yeah. Kind of group therapy. It might help when I’m talking to Max.’
‘You plan to talk to him?’ Livvie’s eyes widened.
‘Kitty nodded. ‘He’s still insisting he didn’t kill my mum.’
‘Bloody cheek,’ Josh looked at Sam. ‘You’re quiet, big brother. What do you think?’
Sam shrugged. ‘I want the best thing for Kitty. We’ve already talked about this, and I agree we should do it. To bury such painful memories can’t be healthy.’ He gave them a small smile. ‘Therapists cost a fortune you know, and the question is, would you trust one with your deepest thoughts after…?’
‘What if Max really is innocent, have you thought about that?’ Livvie sought Kitty’s eyes. ‘If Max didn’t kill your mum, then…’
Kitty gave her a look. ‘Max Rutherford is not innocent. My dad might be a bit of a head case sometimes, but he’s not a killer.’ She jacked up one corner of her mouth and added, ‘He’s going to be a father again, by the way.’
‘Oh my God!’ Josh threw himself back in his chair and they all grabbed their rocking drinks. ‘And you’re only just mentioning it?’
‘It’s a baby, not a sudden death.’ Kitty brushed away the comment with a flap of her hand. She was not yet sure of her feelings about
