The Getaway by Nicola Martin

Author:Nicola Martin
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781526672414
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2024-09-27T00:00:00+00:00

24

‘What’s this about?’ Tessa folded her arms across her skinny body.

Villa Copper was blissfully cool and smelled like fresh flowers (and a little air-freshener, shh). I sneaked the thermostat down a couple more notches, to feel the air-conditioning turn Arctic.

‘The Alice party,’ I said. ‘Where were you that night?’

Diara and I had tracked down Tessa in the middle of sunset turndown. This was one of the more tedious host duties, involving spot-cleaning, tidying away the guests’ belongings and preparing their beds for sleep. When we’d arrived, Tessa had been doing none of those things. She’d been snapping selfies.

‘I was working,’ she said. ‘Everyone thinks I don’t work—’

‘Who said that? I know you’re a soldier.’ I managed to keep a straight face with effort. ‘That’s why I came to you, I knew you’d remember everything that happened that night.’

Behind her, out the floor-length windows, the sun was setting over the waves.

‘Told you, I was working.’ Tessa pushed out her bottom lip. ‘Am I in trouble?’

‘No, no, I just need to know about that night because…’

‘Fizzy,’ Diara said. ‘Doing an investigation into Moxham’s death. For the insurance company or something.’

We’d come up with this cover story, hoping insurance stuff was boring enough that no one would question it. Tessa, however, didn’t look satisfied.

‘What did she say?’ Her voice rose. ‘Talking absolute shite, like always. I told her, I was getting my sweatshirt. Left it in there. Needed it back.’

‘What?’

Trying to follow a conversation with Tessa was like trying to reason with my niece.

Her cheeks had gone pink. ‘She’s never liked me, probably ’cause Kip thinks I’m cute. She’s jealous.’

Ah, yes, few knew the pain of being a pretty young woman. Diara flicked a miniature eye roll in my direction and I smothered a laugh. It had been at least twenty-four hours since Tessa had last threatened to quit; we were overdue another meltdown.

‘Did you notice anything weird that night?’ I prompted Tessa.

Since she wasn’t making a start on turndown, I shook out the bed sheets and began pleating the top sheet in the Keeper-mandated pattern. Villa Copper was Brady’s villa; it was tempting to imagine him slipping, naked, between these sheets. I had a wild urge to rifle through his possessions, partly for clues, but partly because I was curious. I wanted to know what type of underwear he wore, to spray his cologne, to uncover any embarrassing quirks, like a collection of tacky gold bracelets.

‘Well.’ Tessa watched me work but didn’t move to help. ‘I heard shouting in the village. That was kinda weird.’

‘What time?’

‘I don’t know, eleven, maybe earlier. I went back to my room, wanted to call my boyfriend back in Dublin. He’s dealing with a family thing. And it’s not like I was gone for ages. I was back at the beach by half-past, totally on top of my work—’

‘Who was shouting?’ I tucked in the end of the bed and smoothed a hand over the sheet.

‘Dunno, it was over quick. Sounded like a woman.’

‘There’s always someone shouting in the village,’ Diara said.

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