The Other Guest by Helen Cooper

Author:Helen Cooper [Cooper, Helen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781529330144
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Published: 2022-06-15T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 22

Leah

I listened to it.

Leah had to try three times to get the text to send to Francesca because her signal and even the WiFi kept failing. Finally, a blue tick appeared and she waited, huddled on her bed. She considered swapping the SIM cards back and listening to Amy’s voicemail for the fourth time. But it only got more distressing and confusing each time she heard it.

A reply came from Francesca: I’m sorry if it upset you.

I had to hear it. Do you think she was out on the water?

She must have been.

And the police heard this? Gordon, Charlotte?

Yes.

Leah let her head fall back, drawing her knees into her chest. How could anybody listen to Amy’s frantic, fragmented words and still think there was no more to her death than an ill-judged boat journey? Gone wrong. Can’t let them. Or, him? Or, got it wrong? Leah still didn’t know, even after three replays.

A long message from Francesca appeared.

I kept playing it to people, at first. Charlotte went white when she heard it. Gordon got angry. But later they were dismissive. The police analysed the call and said Amy was just ‘reacting to a realisation that she was in danger from the storm’. It confirmed their verdict, not contradicted it.

Leah pressed her fingers against her eyes. There were strobes behind her lids. Before she could send anything back, a knock came on her door. She sat up from the wall, locking the screen of her phone. ‘Come in?’ she called, a catch in her voice transforming it into a question.

The door opened. Olivia’s hair was plastered to her cheeks, her mascara like wet ink beneath her eyes. A damp smell came in with her and pervaded Leah’s room.

‘Olivia!’ Leah scrambled off the bed to fetch her a towel. ‘Are you okay?’

‘Auntie Lee,’ she said, without acknowledging how drenched she was. ‘You’re a lawyer, aren’t you?’

Leah stalled, halfway to her en suite. ‘Yes. Why?’

‘I need your help with something. A guest.’

Leah’s mind was still with Amy. Stranded on the lake, trapped inside a SIM card. She tried to focus on her other niece. ‘What kind of help?’

‘He needs a contract looking over. Nothing complicated, but he’s on a deadline, and can’t get through to his usual lawyer. We can normally provide our own, but she’s stuck in Bardolino because of the weather.’

‘But I’m not that kind of lawyer. I do intellectual property.’ When Olivia looked blank, Leah reeled off: ‘Copyright, patents, licences . . .’

‘It’ll be fine. It’s just a box that needs ticking. Please, I need to come up with something! We’re supposed to be able to provide whatever our guests need.’

‘But surely, in the circumstances, they’d understand . . .’

‘Understand?’ Olivia looked at Leah as if she hadn’t grasped the situation at all. ‘I doubt it.’ She reached for Leah’s arm to urge her towards the door.

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